Position: We are just over half way to French Polynesia. Our position is:
05 02.19S 110 47.88W
*Note: I am told you can copy and paste these coordinates into google earth and it will show you where we are.
Mileage: 1844 – 1692nm = 152nm
Number of miles to go: 1692nm to go of approx. 3850nm. We are TRULY on our way to French Polynesia.
Fish count: The count remains the same. 4 Mahi Mahi, 2 Cero and 6 tuna. One Marlin that we were happy got away! No fishing rods out still. We need to eat a bit out of food out of the freezer to make some more room.
TRAGEDY STRIKES
You would think, now that we have hit the trade winds, that everything would go wonderfully from now on. But no! We are doing this trip on a boat. And what do boat do best? You got it, break down.
The auto pilot started playing up last night. We have an electric auto helm that uses a hydraulic ram to steer the boat for us once we give it a heading. I will try to talk more about our choice of steering systems in another blog. Long and short, for now, it came with the boat when we bought it. It is old, but dependable. That was until last night when it decided to shut itself off a couple of times. Not too surprising as we have had a loose connections problem with the portable controller. Also the auto helm has been working almost non stop since we left Panama. But having a look at the system was a good idea.
The steering systems for the boat are mounted under the bed in the stern master cabin. I sent one of the humans to have a look and they came back with the bad news that the master cabin floor was flooded with sea water. ‘WE ARE SINKING’ I panicked! But the humans reassured me that it was most likely the rudder stock leaking. I sent them off to investigate. No this investigation is in the wee hours of the night in very rolly seas. Not easy. Top this off with the fact that the humans put all their booze and food supplies onto the floor of that cabin for the Pacific crossing. they figured it was out of the way in there while they took turns sleeping on the saloon sea berth. To make it even harder, the also store all the tools under the master cabin bunk. So a lot of heavy tool boxes have to moved out as well.
So in the end I have the humans missing sleep, digging out the master cabin and all the tool boxes in the dark, late at night in a rough and rolly sea. LOTS OF FUN!
End result, the sea water is definitely coming from the rudder. Unfortunately the steering system blocks access to the stuffing box (blocks the leaks). The steering needs to be dismantled to tighten the stuffing box. Not going to happen until we get into port. This happened before, and the humans created a drainage system with a hose to the bulge. This must be blocked up. The rough seas down wind also mean the rudder is turning back and forth a lot more, so this is causing more water to come in. I have given the humans the task of trying to clear the blockage in the draining hose and regularly check and clear any water that accumulates under the bunk.
While they were under there the auto-pilot problem became apparent. The hydraulic fluid was low. Not an easy space to work in, but I got the humans to top it up and the auto helm is a lot happier.
Tragedy averted and more jobs to add to the list of repairs to be completed when we get to port. BOATS!
A good sailing friend and author once told us: ‘As long as my boat does not sink faster than I can bail it out, I am fine’.
WHAT POSSESSED YOU TO SAIL ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN?
I asked you all to think about weather or not you would sail across the Pacific Ocean.
Today I will share the the other humans personal answer to that questions
HUMAN 2
Why do I want to cross Pacific Ocean by sailboat to French Polynesia?
The short answer is:
WONDER LUST – The search for wonderful experiences.
The long answer:
I am trying to capturing as much of life’s magic moments as I can.
When I look back on my life it is a series of captured moment. Moments of fear, excitement, joy, love and pain. They are what makes life worth living. Those memories that seem to be the biggest and the brightest are special moments. Special moments could be the first time you fell in love, the first time your heart was broken or the first time you got drunk. Maybe the moment you realised you were one of billions of people living on the Earth, laughing with friends, embracing family or tears of loss. These moments prove to us we are alive and human.
But sometimes monotony sets in. You go to work, you work too much. You come home and watch too much TV. Spending too much time doing things that just do not seem to amount to anything or to anyone.
Sailing and traveling takes me away from that monotony. It takes me away from routine, safety and security. It makes me push myself to meet new challenges, see new places, meet new people and make new memories. Some are good, some bad and some very scary, but I am alive. Even if life is short I am alive for what I have of it.
END
