Tahiti to the Gambier Islands – Passage updates – Day 6 – Motoring

TAHITI TO GAMBIER ISLANDS about 890 nm

STATISTICS FOR DAY 6

Position: (can be cut in pasted into google earth): 22 44.878S 139 13.714W Distance traveled (as the crow flies): 102 nm
Distance left to travel (as the crow flies): 239 nm
Number of fish caught: Zero so far. Technical difficulties with one of the rods, actually human neglect, and it will need some TLC and oiling. Down to one rod. Hoping with more speed today we will have more action.

LAST NIGHT
Last night was a lovely sail. The winds stayed light, but became more favourable and we were starting to make a more direct course. The sea state was settled, a gentle rise and fall of the swell, and the sky was filled with stars. It is always a good thing when the sky is full of stars because you know the cloud cover is light and you are less likely to encounter any squalls. In fact we have been very lucky on this trip, so far, and have not encountered any squalls. A small miracle at this time of year. We have been exceptionally lucky with the weather window.

THIS MORNING
This morning our pleasant winds died. They returned shortly after but very light and on the nose. Sail boats can not sail directly into the wind. The wind is very light, so we decided not to tack and instead burn some of the fuel we brought with us. So the engine has started and we are chugging alone eating fossil fuels.

Motoring for a day is not that bad of an idea, even though my humans moan about it. The batteries could do with a good ‘topping up’ after running all the navigation, auto pilot and lights. The winds are light and the sea state gentle, so it is not a bad time to be working directly into the wind. And finally the winds are set to become more favorable tonight or tomorrow, so we should be back sailing in no time. We only have a couple of days left of the trip, so we should be fine for fuel reserves.

NUCLEAR TESTING FACILITIES
We are just south of two atolls the French used to test nuclear weapons on above, and later, below ground. Mururoa and Fangataufa. The military facilities are abandon now, and visiting the islands is restricted. Not that we fancy a dose of residual radiation for the thrill of checking them out, but we have read that you can get special permission and sailors have stopped in and there through a man made cut in the reef. Maybe you guys would be more daring?

Not us! We have a day of motoring and then another day or two of sailing and we should be anchored up in the ‘radiation free’ Gambier Islands in no time.

You are getting this blog by the miracle of radio waves, so you will have to wait for the pictures to be added later ‘when’ we get some internet again.
A special happy birthday to Joseph, our nephew back in the UK, and Edd from the s/v Clair de Lune. Have a great day guys!

END.