Sailing around the world

We made our way - Slowly - up the westernmost island chain, stopping for the night every 10 miles or so. Mamanuca, Navadra, Waya, Naviti, Blue Lagoon and Yasawa. Pulling into Yasawa-I-Lau I was ready to reconsider my opinion of Fiji. This is the best. Crystal clear turquoise waters, sparkling white sand, flat calm and no wind. There are amazing formations in the limestone island, from sea level to the top at 233m. It is beautiful.

Next day it began to blow, so we stopped another night. It blew harder still, so we stayed another night. We were reluctant to head out of this well protected bay. By late afternoon it was gusting at 40 knots. By evening it was sustaining 40 knots with gusts well over that. It was bad enough having it blow so hard, worse still were the lulls and gusts with a range of 20 knots in the space of a second or two. This is a well surrounded bay with a reef stretching across in front of us that should eliminate almost all the wave action and a large island to windward that should give shelter. Still it roared in. As soon as it was dark - and why does everything wait until dark - the anchor chain makes an unusual sound. We struggle out on deck (in over 40 knots it is hard to stand up without being blown off!) and make our way to the bow. One of our inch thick bridle lines has chaffed through. We arrange a join and while James drives the boat forward I pull in some chain, retie the line and we are back to having two straps on the chain with an extra stretch of chain out. All fixed but how do you relax with the wind whistling through the rigging.

By daylight the wind is abating and another yacht heads off south. We decide along with another cat, to have a relaxing day after the sleepless night. Check the bridle and find the metal clips that connect it to the chain are bent and buckled. The afternoon is calm and peaceful but come midnight we are awoken by the anchor alarm. The wind had switched 180 degrees and we now have our transom to the reef. With the extra chain we let out last night, we are safe but it is a bit too close for our liking.

It is a pitch black night and it is only after careful observation that we know where things are. The wind is back up to 20/25 knots. I am wide awake so stay up and watch things. I notice that the other cat is getting closer to us all the time. This could be that they have much more chain out and are gradually stretching out or it could be that they are dragging anchor. I watch some lights flicker on in the otherwise darkened village and then see 3 torch lights making their way over the now exposed sand bar. Low tide makes it easier to walk closer to the coral reef where those lobsters will be out of their hidey holes and out foraging. These guys are out there snorkelling just behind our boat with their underwater torches.

The other cat gets ever closer until they are only just clearing our bows. It is time to give them a call. We cannot move back out of their way and if they are dragging they are only 2 boat lengths off the reef. They start moving forward which gives us the opportunity to pull in some of the extra chain we let out last night. By the time we have finished we see that our friends who have seen on their chart plotter that their boat is positioned on the reef (Fiji charts) and not having their bearings in the pitch black night have up anchored and are heading for the reef. We yell and wave torches until they turn and while almost moving forward out of danger clunk the reef. There is absolute panic with all 4 of us shouting and directing operations. At the height of this chaos and panic one of the snorkellers only a few feet from their boat pops up out of the chest deep water and with incredible calm and nonchalance calls out “Bula” (hello). What went through his mind. Did he perhaps think they were popping by hoping to buy a fresh lobster? Another kiss from a Fijian reef, a few scratches but otherwise all okay.

Next day we are out of there. Back to Blue Lagoon where we still are and it is still blowing. We will head off to Vanuatu as soon as the wind allows.

Lorna

Sailed over to Musket Cove, a well sheltered spot. A bar on a tiny sand island connected to both a marina and a welcoming and friendly resort is the popular hang out for the yachties.

We eventually drag ourselves away and take off for a bay around the corner. We have previously made this trip but seeing a marker up ahead we are puzzled as to which side we need to be. I check the charts, and we are lined up in the deep water channel. Pop back out and head for the foredeck for the all important eyeball navigation and immediately yell “BACK BACK”. The sea bed is not that far below. It would be a bad move to dive or even jump in from here. James slams the boat into reverse but our momentum keeps us ploughing into the sand. Fortunately we have picked the one spot in Fiji that has sand and not rock hard sharp and spiky coral. We drop the dink and I try and tow the boat back while James tries reversing. All we do is make froth. Hop off the boat and take a walk around. The port stub keel is in the sand the starboard side is still afloat and a few feet further to starboard the depth plummets to over 60 foot. On the positive side we have a chance to give the hulls a clean while walking around rather than our usual swimming until the tide lifts us off forty minutes later. It was a bit surreal with us both pushing the boat over to the deeper channel, like it was a lightweight lilo and then casually hopping back on board. (There was no wind). Aside from a good wake up call for Fiji waters and charts we lost some anti fouling paint under the stub keel. The boat is designed to rest on the stub keels so no problem there.

Fiji has to be the most challenging place to sail. The coral patches are everywhere and so hard to see. Sailing is pretty much out of the question and where we prefer to be up and off early morning here we need to wait for the sun to be high, bright and a ideally a little behind us. Out track on the charts had us going right over the centre of a tiny rocky island when in fact we were safely 100 metres away. The depth guage is not much help as you can go from over 60 foot to under 6 inches in the space of 6 foot. For those metricated readers that is from 20 meters deep to under 20 cm in the space of 2 meters. We wonder if there are any yachts that have sailed the Fiji waters and not succumbed to a brief or lingering kiss after being seduced by her reefs.

Lorna

Fiji was a stop I looked forward to most. Having high expectations is not a good thing, so at first I was a little disappointed.

We arrived (from New Zealand) at the Navula Pass at around midnight. With careful navigation, leading lights, reference to books, charts, radar and another yacht not too far ahead we made it through the mile wide gap in the extensive fringing reef and snuck in to Momi Bay for a few hours of undisturbed sleep. Anchoring before checking in is not strictly allowed, but who wants to move around Fiji’s reef strewn waters in the dark. Aside from that, most charts of Fiji are not 'spot on' accurate. Maybe they are accurately depicted, but just not in the correct position.

Up anchored at dawn and motored off to Lautoka for check-in - Quite a palaver. We have found that the more third world the country, the more paperwork required. I suspect some smaller islands are secretly using all the duplicate and triplicate forms for land reclamation. On shore while buying a tiny fuse the assistant carefully rearranged two sheets of carbon paper and dutifully recorded the sale in triplicate. The cost of the fuse 15 cents. Cost of shipping the carbon paper and receipt books? We were reminded of the time we were trying to buy a phone card 10 years ago in the Caribbean. After numerous forms, passport checks, authorization signatures and James’ low level of patience, he told them
"we don’t want to buy the company, just a phone card".
The French Islands are worlds ahead for us yachties; check in and out is mostly quick and easy. Sometimes you get the feeling that they would rather you hadn’t bothered them at all.

So back to check-in. We were fortunate to have 3 other yachts checking in the same time. Safety in numbers. Things went okay with 2 officials going around and visiting the boats in turn. On ours they had a look-see at the groceries and in the fridge, then settled down for a cool beer before signing the forms. Just as well they took the time for the beer as they noticed that on one of our forms we had been renamed "Mind the Cat".

Other yachties have been given a hard time at check-in. A friend arrived about midday and after having some forms completed, he was told to come back at 5pm for the rest. Back he rowed at 5 only to be charged overtime - as it was now after hours and there is a minimum 3 hours overtime fee. Yachts have been fined for not giving 48 hours notice of arrival, yet if you have, no one can find the notification and they expect you to furnish the proof that you have sent it. I spoke to one yachtie that stood his ground and told them
"I sent it, you have it, you find it".
That response was accepted without extra charges. Arriving over the weekend is a definite no-no with the weekend fees. The couple whose boat sank having sailed in with the rescuers over the weekend got hit - even though their boat didn’t make it!

Lorna

Just to say it is gratifying to see that you enjoy our website, blogs and pics. It gives us inspiration to keep updating the site whenever we can. Thanks for the messages - James and Lorna

Current location.

Likuliku Lagoon Beach - Malolo

We are ready to leave New Zealand for Fiji (Luatoka) - about 1000 miles North, so here are some of our highlights

While we stopped at Slipper Island (Lloyd and Ngaire on board their cat, Te Harinui and Sean and Norma with us) we had dolphins visit us at the anchorage. Lorna dived overboard and spent 30 minutes or so swimming with them.

Visited Lloyd and Ngaire in Whangmata for the beach hop, a gathering for the old American classic cars that have been restored and modified, some with superchargers. Real 50’s and 60’s stuff with all the art deco and Elvis Presley no less. He won the talent competition. Elvis is not dead but he did leave the building. It was a 4 day celebration of the muscle cars and beautiful women. An event not to be missed, not if you can help it. They even gave away 3 restored 60’s Mustangs! Each night the town was abuzz or aroar with the sound of the big V8’s doing their parade laps up and down the main street. There were hundreds of them, all gleaming - Buicks, Cadillac’s, Chryslers, Chevvies and Fords,(50’s & 60’s) Including Camaros, Stingrays, Malibu’s, Impalas) – Hotrods, Dragsters, Funny Cars - you name it, it was there..

We bought a car (not American) in Auckland, parked the boat at West Park marina for a month and went off touring South Island. We stopped in Wellington and enjoyed the museum which featured a Monet art exhibition, Lorna was in her element.

We crossed the Cook Strait, in calm conditions by Ferry and sailed into the spectacular Marlborough sounds. This area must be much like the fjord lands of the Scandinavian countries. I have never seen anything like it.

We drove south along the west coast stopping at many of the well know tourist sites along the way. We loved the spectacular scenery, rugged coast line, glaziers, lakes, waterfalls and snow capped mount Cook and Tasmin. We often slept in the car, a 2L Mazda station wagon. Some nights were more comfortable than others judging from the roof lining the looked like road kill or a war zone as we did battle with the hordes of mosquitoes that somehow found their way into the car despite the closed doors and tightly wound up windows.

We spent some time in Queenstown with Olive Hutchins, she and her husband were pioneers in the tourist industry and built their tourist business, now called “Real Journeys” into a very substantial organisation. Pride of their fleet must be the Earnslaw a steamship very popular with tourists on lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. Olive’s late husband Les was knighted for services rendered to the tourist industry and his dedication in protecting the environment for future generations. They were instrumental in preventing the artificial raising of the lake Manapouri water level which resultant flooding would have caused devastation to the natural habitat and beauty of the area. If you can get hold of a copy of Les’ book, “Making Waves” it is a very good read and makes a visit to the area so much more enriching.. I quote from it “You did not need scientific knowledge, only common sense to see that the result would have been a permanent monument to man’s stupidity in his quest for progress”.

No trip to this area is complete without sailing Millford or Doughtful sound. Again visitors are catered for by the “Real Journeys” fleet. Doughtful sound was named by captain James Cook when he stopped off the coast and decided it was not a good place to enter. How wrong was he. We experienced superb weather for this trip and were told that only one in every hundred days was like that. Our experiences was not all about outstanding natural beauty as we got the adrenalin going with our Jet boating on the Shotover river

We proceeded all the way south to Invercargill from where we could see Stuart island but did not visit. Then, north along the east coast via art deco Napier, more beautiful lakes and mountains. We also stopped at Hayley Westenra’s home city of Christchurch. Beautiful garden walks along the river in the city. The city centre is well worth a visit where artists display the wares. A trip in the cable car to view the surrounding country side and coastal bays concluded our visit there. We then had to do the river rafting experience going through grade 5 rapids and jumping off a 7 meter cliff into the freezing water below.

The last night on south island we stopped just north of Blenheim, on the coast. Next morning we drove along the coast on some unsealed roads across the mountain ranges towards our return ferry point at Picton. Along this route we saw some of the most amazing coast line and charming bays imaginable. Long narrow waterways surrounded steep cliffs, lush green vegetation and high trees. It was Wow!

Returning to North Island we stopped to see the natural hotwater springs and enjoyed a spa bath Polynesian style in Rotarua.

Since then we have sold the car, sailed our boat back from Auckland to Opua and ready to leave for Fiji. Just waiting for a suitable weather window which now looks to be Saturday, 2nd May.


James and Lorna

The night before, we removed the dinghy engine and stowed it under the transom seat, then firmly secured the dinghy on its side against the transom. This should stop us from being flooded by big seas, the dinghy filling with water and minimize the danger of losing the dinghy and all the gear off the back, solar panels etc. We left Tongatapu, the southern most island of the group early on Sunday 26th October, making steady albeit slow progress through the various reefs around the island. By midday we were only a few miles off the island with no wind. I am always reluctant to motor a sail boat but we were fully loaded with diesel, especially for this trip. I intended motoring when the wind died or when we were doing less than 2 knots boat speed according to the GPS. We had over a thousand miles to go. I was loathed to start the journey under engines. I was saving the diesel for when we were racing to get to NZ to beat the regular weather fronts that occur on route. The south westerly gales on the approaches to NZ can be really viscous with winds at the 60 knot mark. We had not encountered anything like that before and did not intend to. The most we encountered was a fifty knot gust off the coast of Columbia. It resulted in a wave breaking over the transom steps and I definitely did not want more of that.


We always intended to stop at Minerva reef 250 miles away and almost on the direct route to NZ. Hearing about the clarity of the water and the lobsters that walk across the reef ready for picking, made it more than just desirable. The weather grib files that we had downloaded from the internet before we left, indicated light wind in our area but picking up later with some quite nasty 30- 40 knot stuff, just after noon in 2 days time in the vicinity of Minareva. So our target was Minerva, 2 days time well before midday. Therefore, engine on!


Running just one engine at 1500 rpm we gently made progress but 2 other boats that left after us, “Mi Querida” a 40 something foot ketch and “Astra” and big 60’ monohull over took us about sunset then disappeared into the distance making great progress under engine with no sails up. Astra was making direct for NZ and “Mike and Rita” (the only way I could remember the name) was also heading for Minerva.


We ended up sailing together all the way to NZ. We first encountered Leigh, skipper and owner when we left Tonga Vavau group and headed for the Hapai group. We invited him for some fish we had caught but he went on to another anchorage.


The wind did come through and we could finally get some decent speed up without the help of engines. The next morning while we repairing a sail batten fitting we encountered a sister cat called “Sunset Sam” also making direct for NZ. We lost sight of them a few hours later as our courses diverged slightly. Early the next morning we entered the cut in the reef in less than ideal visibility as it was cloudy and raining at times but we could make out the reef quite clearly from a few hundred meters off. Mi Querida and Mind the Gap the only 2 boats inside the reef at the time. This seemed so bizarre, anchoring in what looks like the open sea but the reef gives great shelter even in strong wind conditions. By the afternoon the wind had increased and by the evening it was gusting over 30 knots but we felt very secure in an anchorage with good holding.

Approaching reef at Minerva


In Minerva


Mi Querida next to Mind the Gap at Minerva



Leigh had invited us over for some fish, he caught something nice just as we entered the reef. We declined the invitation as our dinghy was not in the water and we just wanted to rest. Later that evening we heard 2 boats in the vicinity, on the VHF, that decided not to stop at the reef but after sailing past, Moonduster’s autopilot broke down and decided to enter the reef after all. This was difficult at night, being pitch black out there and he was on his own. We helped him through by communicating way points of the cut which he double checked to correspond with his electronic charts. He then made it safely in without incident. Next, it was Shilling of Hamble who decided to turn back after sailing 15 miles past the reef. They heard that if they continued they would encounter some bad weather when approaching NZ so decided to lay up for a day or two. The next day we were joined by a number of other yachts – Lindisfarne, Iris, Pangaea and as we were leaving the next day, Pegasus. All these boats stopped over to repair some breakages encountered in the first 250 miles to NZ.


That evening we were due for dinner onboard Mi Querida. I untied the dinghy and without the motor fitted took it for a test row around our boat to ensure we would make it over to Leigh’s.

Test row at Minerva


Although the wind was strong I seemed to manage ok. Later with two up and our supper stuff, it soon became apparent that actually, it was not ok.


Mi Querida was anchored next to us, about 100 meters away but after rowing furiously for about 5 minutes we were drifting off slightly. Then the rowlock on the one side of the dinghy broke out of its slot and we really got into trouble, soon we were about 200 meters away and our boat 50 meters away and directly upwind. We were fast approaching Shilling that was anchored behind Mind the Gap, they thought we were coming to visit them. We drifted past them despite both of us still rowing like mad. Next up was Moonduster and Pangaea. Lorna and I do not row well together at the best of times and this must have looked like something from the Laurel and Hardy era. We now each had an oar and rowed, Lorna sitting on the left and me right hand side pontoon, facing forward and each of us rowing furiously. Lorna does not row as strongly as I do and the dinghy, instead of going forward just turns towards her side and I have to start rowing backwards, losing the little bit of hard gained ground. I now understand perfectly what making the hard yards is all about. What we then decided to do was, as soon as the dinghy veered to her side, swap sides without standing on the salads or wine glasses. This wobbly boat in the wind and wavy chop did not make this maneuver easy and by the time we were rowing again and ready to swap sides were definitely heading for calamity, the cut in the reef and the open sea beyond. We would be lucky to be alive to make landfall in Australia.


But then arriving on the scene was our hero Ben, rescuer from Pangaea armed with dinghy and small outboard who got us safely but wet back to Mind the Gap. Next on the scene was Leigh in the rowing taxi who got us safely but wetter on Mi Querida. We had a great evening together. Leigh had Jan as crew for the trip but she was laid low with Dengue fever and seasickness which resulted in Leigh sailing all the way from Tonga to NZ virtually single handed.


We left Minerva about eight the next morning when we heard other friends from a cat named AHU were sailing past the reef about 16 miles away. We finally caught up to them just at sunset. We had really good sailing that day doing about 200 miles over the 24 hour period. The rest of the journey was thankfully uneventful, we did have to run the motors for about 30 hours and had a good sail into NZ over the last 20 or so. We were in VHF contact with Leigh for most of the way and also some of the others that left shortly after us from Minerva.

Approaching Opua – NZ



We arrived at the customs dock in Opua at about noon on the 4th Nov and we became TV stars. There is a TV series being made covering NZ border controls and we were interviewed and our boat filmed during the quarantine procedures. We had to hand over any fresh veggies and fruit and some other stuff not allowed into NZ. We did it gladly and were thankful for arriving safely in NZ without any damage or having suffered any stressful conditions on our journey here.


Safely anchored in Opua

Sorry about that, I've been really busy since getting back to the UK. Job security has really had me worried, with the credit crisis. I wonder if this news has reached James and Lorna yet? Anyway, I had put off blog updates as I wanted to write up our own stories from Tahiti, but while we had a fantasitc time, things have been just too hectic for even a spare minute of writing. Anyway I can't put off the updates from James and Lorna any longer, so without further ado here they are:

http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/arrived-in-niue-26-august
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/arrived-in-tonga-1st-september
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/delayed-departure-due-to-storm-warnings-4th-september
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/give-me-a-cat-vhf-check-in-5th-september
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/the-kingdon-of-tonga-24th-september
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/scary-dive-to-underwater-cave-8th-october
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/galapagos-to-marquesas-3045-miles
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/marquesas-to-tuamotus-477-miles
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/tuamotus-to-tahiti-306-miles
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/tahiti-and-her-islands
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/tahiti-to-maupiha-135-miles
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/maupiha-society-islands-to-aitutake-cook-islands-350-miles
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/aitutake-to-palmerston-203-miles
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/palmerston-cook-islands-to-beveridge-reef-277-miles
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/palmerston-cook-islands-to-niue-previously-known-as-savage-island-407-miles
http://my.opera.com/cjwilding/blog/2008/11/03/this-is-it

I include the story of a dramatic rescue of some friends whose yacht hit a reef and sank in stormy conditions. We met and spent some time with Cameron and Liz along the way in Atutaki and again in Tonga before they left for Fiji. We also met Ocealys (the rescue boat, similar to ours) in Tahiti before this rescue incident. Had it not been for Maurice and Sophie they would surely have died. It was a real shock when we heard the news while we were still in Tonga. It made TV news in NZ and Australia.
We count our blessings that it did not happen to us.

http://ocealys.blogspot.com/2008/10/sy-timella-rescue.html

Read more...

The Kingdom of Tonga

With a big bad weather system on its way we dropped the mooring at Niue about midday and in almost no wind started towards Tonga some 260 miles away. Desert Eagle, another cat followed hard on our heels.

It wasn’t long and we landed a huge 10 to 15 kg Skipjack Tuna. We cut off two huge steaks on one side and called Desert Eagle to motor across our bows and collect some supper. With a rope around its tail and the whole thing in a bin bag we scooped up the float trailed by DE at the end of their fishing line. A quick connecting knot and they were reeling in half a fish, tail first, the bin bag hopefully keeping any nearby sharks off the scent long enough for them to get it aboard. One way to catch a fish!

We made good speed as the wind picked up. Once again the Pacific Ocean isn’t what we expected. The sea is rough and bumpy, the sky grey and overcast and the wind is from here, there and everywhere. Still we make good speed and direction and keep in touch with DE and another yacht. We reach our waypoint in the lee of the islands in the early hours while it is still dark and drop almost all sails then take things slowly until daylight. The other two cruise up and we all motor past the steep sided rocky cliffs and into the long narrow waters towards the relatively sheltered anchorage in Refuge Bay.

Customs and Immigration insist we tie up alongside the dock with its large black rubber fenders, a slipway behind and the wind (even in refuge Bay) blowing us away from the dock make for some tricky manoeuvring.

We had been warned about bananas and coconuts in their husks not being allowed into the country. I am concerned about the fresh apples just purchased in Niue so we decide to eat one each by way of belated breakfast while we wait.

Before we get to the core the Immigration guy is aboard and seeing the apples asks for one. He helps himself to all he can see – for his children. Before they are packed away the Quaranteen Official is aboard with his own clutch of children waiting at home for apples. He checks out the fridge and spies our bunch of grapes. A rare treat and one we have been savouring. He agrees to leave us a few grapes and then snoops around the boat looking for anything else he thinks we could live without. One of the other yachties termed this “social lubrication”. We are really caught between a rock and a hard place. Say “no” and take the risk of making things much worse for yourself or hand over some goods.

It is Saturday so overtime rates apply plus the customs official is no where to be found and we have to come back in on Monday. It shouldn’t be Saturday 30th August. We left Niue Wednesday 27th midday and that was less than 48 hours ago. We were 12 hours behind UK time and 23 hours behind New Zealand time. In the last few hours Friday 29th came and went in a flash. We are now 12 hours ahead of UK and an hour ahead of NZ. Tonga lies 174’ west and they bent the dateline those 6 degrees in order to be the first country to welcome the new day rather than be the last country to say farewell to the old.

We pick up one of the last moorings available. All the yachts have taken refuge in readiness for the approaching storm. We take the brief walk around the town and James hears about a 72 ft monohull looking for crew to take the boat to Brisbane. He is taken on as the 3rd crew. They will leave as soon as the weather permits.

First the wind blows up out at sea, then the thunder starts up a continuous roll with the lightning flashing at disco light frequency and then it rains. And rains. And rains. All night and all the next day. The computer is packed out of harms way in the oven during electrical storms and after filling the water tanks and washing anything that might need freshening up, there is not a lot to do other than sit and read.,

Eventually it all calms down and the sun comes out on a beautiful and fresh clean boat. Not a grain of salt anywhere. During passage making there is always a fine coating of salt almost anywhere on deck. Nothing nicer than a fresh water rinse.

A few days later James is off to finish his Pacific crossing and I get to watch Mind the Gap on my own. We are safe on the mooring and there are more than enough other yachties around should I need company. I have our never ending job list to tackle and the sewing machine clocks up some more miles working on another dinghy cover plus all sorts of other things.

James makes it back in two weeks after a few surprises along the way. Arriving in Australia he found the Credit Card is no longer working. Not a good situation when you only have one card with you. There had been a takeover and our new cards have not caught up with us yet.

He managed to spend some time looking up old friends before flying back here where Immigration didn’t want to let him back in. The pre arranged paperwork although checked and agreed upon before he left was not okay on arrival. A small fine helped put it right.

We are now enjoying the Vava’u group of islands in Tonga together.

Thurs 4th September

Far Out finally left here at midday. They plan to stop at a bay a few miles away for the night.

Storm warnings around the Tongan coast with big seas meant a delayed departure. It makes no sense starting a voyage in a howling gale. It has been blowing 25 knots with gusts at 35 knots. Those were the predictions and we find we can always add more to the top range. Here in the well protected anchorage it is beautifully calm. We did have some stronger stuff when they first intended to leave and then rain like we have not seen before. Thunder and lightning all night, with the thunder rolling on continuously and the lightning flashes more like being at a disco. And then rain! All the next day it rained. We have topped up our tanks plus all our spare cans and the boat is floating very nose down with it all. Did heaps of washing too, whether it needed it or not. All that water had to be used first before running back into the sea.

So now I am all alone on the boat with a long list of jobs to keep me busy. Today I tackled one of the leaks on the dinghy. 3 more to go. They have all been patched already but have started leaking again. I think the glue may have been past its best. These are all the scars from dinghy docks. The one in the front that has held together was from Simonstown, the one next to it from an odd staple that ripped the cover and stabbed the tube a couple of times in Sint Maarten. The group at the back that are covered by 3 huge patches are from the heavy duty barnacles in Rio that made deep scratches which over time and sun exposure have begun to leak. The one underneath escapes my memory.
The problem with fixing it is leaving enough time for the glue to set before pumping it up again. I’ll have tomorrow on the boat.

After saying goodbye to Fung Yee and Charles in Bora Bora we said cheers to the rear cockpit seat cushion that jumped ship one night and despite our rough ride along the downwind coast in the wild weather we couldn’t find it. We still have some spare foam bits that will need gluing up to make the right size and then I will have to sew a cover for it. A few hatches need a smear of sealant around the edges and this is just the start of my list. All good fun!

And then the e-mail catch ups….