Taioa Bay . . .



. . is also know as Daniel's Bay, after a man who lived here for many years and was known for his kindness to cruisers. After four uncomfortable days in Taiohae Bay (uncomfortable because the boat was rolling almost gunwhale to gunwhale for the entire time we were there - I slept even less than I normally do) we left early Wednesday morning for a whopping one-hour passage. The coast line of Nuku Hiva is almost entirely sheer cliffs and the trade wind-generated waves pound against these cliffs sometimes with earth-shaking reports. So our concern grew as we approach the waypoint on our chartplotter and all we could see are these massive cliffs and waves pounding against them. We have a lot of trust in our electronic charts so we made the turn towards the shore and the frothy water. It looked like it was going to be the end of Rutea and us all. But as we approached, we could see a narrow patch of waveless water and it corresponded to the electronic chart. Off to the port side of the boat where towering cliffs, almost completely vertical and off to the starboard side was a rugged point of land, too close by. We slipped in between the two land masses, made a hard right turn and found a indescribably beautiful bay of calm water, a sandy beach and lush shore vegetation. The vertical cliffs extend several kilometers inland, forming a deep, deep gorge up the island. Behind the beach are steep hills, the tallest in the perfect shape of a woman's breast with a very erect nipple.
It was such a relief to be in calm water that I seriously considered moving ashore and making this my new permanent home. After a quick tour by dinghy of the small bay and the one adjacent to it, we picked up Corie and her surfboard and she caught a few small waves at the western lobe of the bay. There was one other boat when we arrived and several others pulled in after us, all of whom we know. I slept for 9 hours last night, an unheard of amount of sleep for me, interrupted only once by a rain shower that had me scrambling through the boat closing hatches.
This morning we packed up a couple of rucksacks with all our hiking paraphernalia, took the dink to the beach and set out for Ahuei Waterfall. For the most part the trail was well-marked but it wasn't an easy hike - moderate would probably describe it better. The path itself was usually rocks, roots or mud and we were often climbing over or under trees as we made our way up the gorge next to a river. Sometimes the canopy overhead was so dense that I couldn't see in the darkness - even removing my sunglasses didn't help. From time to time we'd come across patches where the ground was covered with fruit that had fallen from the trees and the odor of the rotting sweetness came close to triggering a gag reflex. We wished that we could see some of the birds that were singing but we could not through the thick jungle. Their songs and calls were completely unrecognizable and very exotic. At one place we lost the trail and crossed the river, crossed back, found the trail and continued on. We had been told that we had to cross the river four times (now we were up to 6 times) and it's not that it was hard but the rocks in the river bed were often large, sharp and slippery and the water was swift enough that you had to place your feet well in order to keep your balance. The water was cool which was a refreshing respite from the hot and humid air.
Shortly after we made the third river crossing (the fifth for us) we came to a warning sign that said, essentially, that rocks can fall from very high up and cause serious injury. It also advised not to proceed if it was raining. Since it wasn't raining, which was unusual, we decided that we weren't going to turn around, after coming so far. Now we were between two towering sides, barely 200 meters apart that rose straight up more than 1,000 feet. The trail ended abruptly at a pool of water and whereas you could only see a part of the waterfall from there, you could certainly hear and feel that the bottom of the waterfall was near. We had been told that the Ahuei waterfall is the third highest in the world (would someone fact-check that for me?). I put on my bathing suit and swam to the far end of the pool where I spotted a hole in a large boulder that would allow me to get closer. I squeezed through the hole and into another pool where the water was more turbulent and the wind generated from water falling a 1,000 feet was strong. The roar that the water made as it hit the rocks after falling 1,000 feet was like thousands of drummers hitting a rock drum. I continued swimming closer though it was more difficult the closer I got. Finally, I reached still another pool only about 10 meters from where the water was hitting the rocks at the bottom of the falls. The wind and the noise were intense but just being in this pool with these sheer cliffs surrounding me was incredible and thrilling. I swam back to the first pool to get Ruthie, Corie and the camera although once there, Ruthie pointed out that it had taken us three hours to hike up there, it was all ready 2:00pm and we didn't want to be on the trail when it was dark (it gets dark here around 5:00pm). So Corie and I swam back to the top pool and I snapped a couple of pictures which in no way capture the waterfall.
Our hike back took us through a small village and as we were passing a small house, a woman hailed us and invited us in for bananas and a cold fruit drink. Our communication was difficult as she spoke only French (probably Marquesan as well) but we did manage to understand a few of each other's words. She's going to replenish our stock of bananas, mangos and grapefruit, which we pick up tomorrow. Once back on the boat, I stripped off my sweat-soaked shirt and dove into the water but it's really too warm to be refreshing. Perhaps I'll hike back up to the waterfall and take a shower there.
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At 4/29/2011 3:13 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 08°56.67'S 140°09.78'W
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Taiohae Bay on Nuku Hiva Island

I don't know why I was so anxious to leave Hana Moe Noe Bay on Tahuata Island. It had a nice sandy beach (the first one we found in the Marquesas), the holding was very good and the snorkeling exceptional. For some reason, I was ready to leave when we got there so after just two nights, we left at 0-dark-thirty last Saturday. The sail to Ua Poa was squally with lots of rain and very lumpy seas. The skies remained heavy with clouds as we approached Ua Poa and it wasn't until we were almost too close that we got a glimpse of the towering spires that shoot up thousands of feet from the center of the island - very dramatic. The sea on the north end of the island, where the main anchorage is, was about as lumpy and confused as we've seen on this trip. I worried that no matter how well-protected the anchorage is, it was going to be an uncomfortable night. There were eight boats all ready anchored in the too-small, too shallow bay and they all were anchored bow and stern. Our guide book instructed us to anchor south of the quay, which left even less room. (I've got to figure out a better stern anchoring system for Rutea - it's a huge project to deploy and retrieve the 45-pound Danforth anchor and it doesn't happen quickly - if it does happen quickly, the teak cap rail takes an awful punishment as the 3/8" chain gnaws it's way out of the lazerette and over the side. However, with three of us on board, we get the job done in a fairly orderly fashion and we positioned ourselves perfectly.)

No sooner did we get the anchors set when the French Customs force decided to pay us a visit. It was obvious that they had been watching us as I hadn't even had time to mop my sweat-soaked brow when they climbed aboard. These were three big men, one of Polynesian descent and the two others appeared European. They filled out a form and asked us questions like, "Do you have more than $10,000US cash on board?" or, "Do you have narcotics on board?" and we tried to be pleasant and polite with our responses. They did a rudimentary search of the boat and wanted to know how much liquor, wine and beer we had on board. I think they were a little disappointed when they didn't find much. As they were leaving, I asked if I got some sort of document or sticker saying we had been inspected. "No," came the reply from the big Polynesian, "We can search your boat anytime we want."

Our old guide book had told us of a restaurant in town that had local music and dancers on Saturday nights. But after a thorough canvas of the entire village, we found that of the two restaurants (one was a pizza shack) nothing was open. In all fairness, it was the day before Easter but we found things to be unremarkable and boring.

The next morning we reversed our stern anchor drill and took off for Nuku Hiva, the most populated of the Marquesas Islands. The wind was out of the east at 20-25 knots and our course was almost due north. With a reefed main and just the staysail out, we crossed the 26-mile span in slightly less than 4 hours and under glorious blue skies - a perfect way to spend Easter, if you ask me!

We're now in Taiohae Bay, which is wide open to the south and it's a little rolly for my liking. The village is still very small even though it's the largest in the Marquesas. There's about 15 other boats here and many of them we know from Mexico and other ports. Tomorrow we're going to try to get fuel but the prospects don't look great: The fuel 'dock' isn't set up for yachts and using fuel jugs to schlepp 80 gallons of diesel is a challenge. Oh, well, we've got all the time in the world.
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At 4/26/2011 3:15 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 08°54.86'S 140°06.06'W

Corie's Shot of Giant Manta Ray



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Hana Tefua on Ille Tahuata

After a rambunctious sail from Fatu Hiva to Tahuata (almost 45 miles in 6 hours), we dropped our hook in Hana Tefua, just across the bay from the tiny village of Hapatoni. Our guide books say that some of the best snorkeling in the Marquesas is in this bay but the same books didn't mention anything about the winds. It will be flat calm one minute and then 25 knots the next. One minute it will be 12 knots out of the southeast and then 25 knots out of the northwest. One minute it will be bright sunshine and a torrential downpour the next. In fact, there has been so much rain lately that the water visibility has suffered so we didn't even try to go snorkeling.

But, this morning we did go into the village of Hapatoni, located on the southern edge of the bay. The sides of the bay are steep and thickly covered with very tall coconut palms. What's hard to see from the shore is that under the palms is a equally thick layer of mango trees, breadfruit trees, banana trees, papaya, ferns, hibiscus and thousands of other plants and trees that thrive in the rich soil and abundant water. Above the steep sides of the bay are sheer cliffs that tower over a 1,000 feet above the shore.

We tied the dinghy up to the concrete quay and walked towards the village, which was just a few hundred yards away. A couple of men were sitting in front of the lone grocery store and I greeted them in my best French, which also happens to be the worst French anyone could speak. Fortunately, one of them spoke some English and I asked him if anyone in the area carved tikis. "Ah, yes," he said, "The next house." and he pointed to a low-roofed building. It was a building without walls, just a low tin roof. Inside, about a dozen different tables were set up with local handmade crafts. Tikis carved from rosewood, tikis carved of bone or shell, tiki earrings and amulets. There were ceremonial fish hooks, carved with tikis and other designs and ceremonial paddles. I started shopping for a paddle. The workmanship was very good though still slightly crude. Many of the designs were quite intricate while others more simple. Finally I selected a paddle that's about 30" long with a beautiful pattern carved on the blade, a tiki carved into the shaft and a carved dolphin for the handle. Ruthie bought a necklace while Corie got a stunning tiki amulet carved out of bone.

Was this market set up just for us? There can't be more than 50 people who live in the entire village. There were only four boats anchored in the bay and we were one of them. Whereas I thought the things we bought were a good value, they certainly weren't cheap so I can't imagine the locals are a significant market.

With my paddle in hand, we walked down a very old stone road and out of the village. The road became a path which began a sharp assent up away from the shore. When the path ended, we bushwhacked up to a dirt road that connects to another village. That was something! Climbing through the thick tropical rain forest with one hand (my new prized paddle in the other), up to our ankles in the soft, black earth while trying to gain altitude. The mosquitos were very thick but we were fortunate that none of the other insects that live in those parts tried to bite us. We eventually came out on the road, just as it started to rain. The rain was warm so we continued our walk until we came to a small stream where we were able to clean some of the mud off our feet. On our way back, we came to a mango tree loaded with fruit but way too high to reach or climb. Luckily Corie still has an excellent arm and she was able to displace a good quantity of fruit with some well-placed rocks. We were completely soaked by the time we got back to the village. One of the women saw that the paper wrapping my paddle was muddy and soaked and motioned for us to follow her. She took us to her house where she dried off the paddle, rewrapped it and gave us five huge grapefruit. It had finally stopped raining.
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At 4/21/2011 7:52 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 09°57.71'S 139°07.16'W

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I've always tried to be careful . . .

. . about boasting about the fact that Rutea doesn't leak. After every rainstorm or wash-down, her bilges would remain dry, as would her cabins, mattresses, lockers, books and all the other things that aren't supposed to get wet. Well, not no more. We have had some torrential downpours here on Fatu Hiva and we've sprung leaks all over the place. Of course, the worse place is our cabin where our mattress got very wet (I suspect a leaking stantion base that's positioned right in the middle of a scupper). The aft head has a leak too but the inside of the boat would stay a lot drier if we'd just remember to close the hatches before we leave!

It appears that the entire village turned out to play yesterday. I guess on Sunday after church there's volleyball and soccer (futbol) games. The little bay is filled with kids swimming. Everyone seems to have a good time.

Last night we were invited aboard Mariposa, a Lagoon 47 catamaran, by the owner, Dr. Michael Leppert. He's a German dentist and has spent a lot of time in French Polynesia performing dentistry for the local populations. His boat is all set up to be a dental clinic. I'm not sure how many languages he speaks, but last night he gave us a 4-hour run-down on where and how to sail in the Marquesas, Tuamotos and Society Islands. There were eleven of us cruisers on his boat and whereas most of us speak English only, there was another couple from Germany there so Michael made sure they understood what he was saying as well. His suggestions on how to access the internet, deal with authorities and which places are the best to see are very helpful. We got excited all over again.

After cruising Mexico for the last three years, I had come to the myopic assumption that the vast majority of cruisers were either American or Canadian. After all, that's just about all we ran into up and down the west coast of North America. However, here I'm finding that American boats make up a small minority of the cruising fleet. We're coming across many French, English, German and Spanish boats. What's a little embarrassing is that most of these people, while not only are very accomplished sailors, speak multiple languages. I'm still struggling with 'Hello' and 'good-bye' in French!

I think we're going to leave tomorrow and head for Tahuata, a small island just 2.5 miles from Hiva Oa, where we made our first landfall. There's a bay there that Eric Hissock (a well-known cruiser) says is the prettiest in all of the Marquesas. We'll let you know what we find.
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At 4/18/2011 6:39 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 10°27.93'S 138°40.11'W

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Local Hospitality

Well I really thought that Puamau on Hiva Oa was the most remote place that I had ever visited but now I know that Baie Hanavave (Bay of Virgins.... well... formerly the Bay of Penis's until the Missionaries got a hold of the name...) on Ile Fatu Hiva is the Most Remote place that I have ever visited! If you didn't know it was here, you would never find it from the ocean! All you can see from the anchorage is a church and a waft or two of smoke going up the valley. Once ashore there is a long, steep, windy road that travels up a narrow valley with thatched sided houses and kitchen gardens set above a creek that flows down from a magnificent water fall. Every house has chickens running around, kids peeking around corners and often a pig staked to a post in the yard. Fruit trees (papaya, pamplemousse, bananas, coconuts) still abound and the backdrop is a brilliant, deep green forest against spires of black lava (hence the penis image). Breathtaking! The quintessential tropical paradise!

However! This does not mean that we do not have anything in common with the lovely people we have met here! As we were dropping our anchor yesterday afternoon we got a call on the VHF that one of the families in the town was hosting a cruiser's dinner as a fundraiser (see something in common already- fundraising!) and we were invited! At five p.m. the entire anchorage went ashore to witness a roasted pig wrapped in palm leaves being pulled out of a pit. It was pulled apart and soon accompanied by huge platters of roasted goat, poisson cru, breadfruit, boiled bananas, roasted chicken, grilled fish and coconut milk sauce! Another thing in common- too much great food at our get togethers! We ate family style with people from boats all over the world- many having just arrived from the Galapagos via the Panama Canal! We were hardly finished with dinner when the drums began, the guitars were pulled out and traditional songs were performed (including happy birthday and kum-ba-ya! (which we could sing along to!) The girls performed traditional dances as did a few of the older women, and the boys told traditional stories to the beat of the drums. These people love to eat, to dance, to share their history and are very proud of their kids! Mucho commonalities!

At the end of the evening, as we thanked our hosts, they thanked us for coming and said that the fund raiser is to help send some of their kids on a tour of French Polynesia and Hawaii where they will hopefully get a sense of the larger world and also possibly meet someone they can marry. Hanavave is a community of perhaps twenty five families and they are very conscientious of their gene pool and of trying to keep it healthy. They are not only trying to keep their offspring healthy but also trying to keep their culture alive and thriving which is very complicated once you introduce the outside world.

After hiking to the water fall where we swam in a pool of very cold water (inhabited by crawdads that nipped at our toes and 3-ft. fresh water eels....) we are relaxing on the boat. It is raining off and on but a very comfortable 83 degrees in the cabin. On the return trip from the hike we stopped by a house where a traditional carver lives and bought a little carving and seed necklaces. All the women want to trade for fruit but most of their requests are for mascara and perfume!

Tonight it's our turn for being hospitable. It's Fred from Song Line's birthday so we are having several boats over for hearty hors d hors. Once again we will probably have too much food, tell our stores and boast about our children!

R of Rutea
Fatu Hiva

We will post pictures as soon as we have internet!
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At 4/16/2011 5:40 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 10°27.93'S 138°40.10'W

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Busy Day

Even though we all woke pretty early yesterday (Corie had already done her yoga in the cockpit by the time I got up and that was before sunrise), we still had to hurry in order to meet Sondra, our agent, ashore at 0730. Armed with a thick packet of ship's papers, a small backpack and lots of excitement about being on land for the first time in 20 days, we paddled to the stone launch ramp just around the corner from where Rutea is anchored. Without her outboard motor, Rutea's dinghy is light enough for the three of us to carry easily so we took it about 200 feet up from the water's edge and sat it down on a grassy patch. The destination for which we had done so much planning and here we were, barefoot and on land in French Polynesia!

The launch ramp is primarily used for outrigger canoes and there was a group of young men hanging out in front of a small building, who we assumed were getting ready for some outrigger canoe practice. "Bonjour!", I said to them as I walked by with a bag full of trash (just one bag of trash after 20 days - we had been extremely careful about packaging as we provisioned and had stripped everything we bought down to the absolutely bare minimum). They replied with a typical teenager's mumble of the same, not really taking much notice of me. They did, though, take notice of Corie. The outrigger canoes that they paddle are no resemblance to the stereotypical dugout canoes that one might associate with the tropics. These appear to be ultra light-weight and made of high-tech materials, with elaborate paint jobs.

Sondra was right on time, driving an older diesel Range Rover. We were soon on our way, driving on a concrete road through the dense, lush growth. Atuona is only 3 kilometers from Baie Tahauku (which is also known as Traitor's Bay) and we parked next to the Paul Gaugin Museum and walked across the street to the Gendarmerie. We were buzzed in through a gate and Sondra exchanged kisses with the woman behind the desk, their French a complete blur. The building was very neat and clean with air conditioning. The desks were orderly without a paper out of place and late-model computer equipment was evident everywhere. I filled out a form, the gendarm stamped our passports and we were done.

Once outside, blinking in the bright sunlight, we said goodbye to Sondra and walked down the street. For the small town, we were surprised at the amount of traffic and the makes and models of the cars and trucks reminded us of what we'd typically see in Europe. As we walked past a grocery store, a mini pickup pulled up, the back of it filled with large crates of freshly-baked baguettes. How I wish I had the camera ready but they soon had the order for the grocery store unloaded and the truck was off for another delivery. We found the bank and ATM - the bills are very large in size and denomination - they're also very attractive with pictures of pretty women with flowers in their hair. The current exchange rate is 119 XFC (French Polynesian Francs) to $1.00US. We shopped briefly at a store with local artwork and the hardware store before stopping into the grocery store with it's fresh load of baguettes, where we bought sandwiches, pain chocolat and some fresh vegetables. Everyone we met seemed very friendly.

The town is very small but the homes and buildings appear to be in good repair with neat landscaping. Thick bushes and trees like we've never seen before with unusual fruit. There are two restaurants in town but neither were open. We inquired at one and after a brief struggle with the language barrier we found that their hours were short. From there we walked back to the bay where Rutea is anchored, bought some baguettes and eggs at the gas station at the end of the wharf and paddled back out to Rutea.

Once aboard, we took a brief rest and then Ruthie and Corie got busy cleaning the thick layer of salt off the boat while I tackled the troublesome raw water pump for the genset. I also cleaned the barnacles that had grown on the transom during our crossing (when Rutea is underway, her transom rides below the painted waterline so without antifouling paint, the transom was a mess). But, we were interrupted by Randy and Jenny from Mystic who had arrived earlier in the day. We chatted with them about their crossing (24 days and the only time they used their engine was to pull into the bay here). Then Beth from Sarah Jean II came over. While she was talking with us, Mark and Yuka from Merkava - who also arrived earlier in the day - came aboard and talked. By then, it was almost 1600 and we were supposed to meet Sondra ashore to get our duty-free fuel certificates. While ashore, we made phone calls to Ian and Caity, searched for an elusive Felix who was supposed to be around with fresh fruit (the day before, Fred and Cinda from Songline had given us a grapefruit from Felix's orchard - it was almost the size of a small soccer ball and the sweetest, juiciest grapefruit I've ever tasted) and talked with other cruisers. It was getting dark as we made our way back to Rutea.
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At 4/12/2011 3:58 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 09°48.21'S 139°01.83'W

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At 1130 this morning . . .

. . local time, Rutea pulled into Baie Tahauku, the small bay just outside of the town of Atuona, on the island of Hiva Oa in French Polynesia. I first spotted land just after daybreak and it took us about 6 hours from then to the time we dropped our anchor. The last time we weighed anchor was on March 23 at 1030 local time at Punta de Mita, in the state of Nayarit, in Mexico. Our elapse time for the passage was 17 days, 22.5 hours, not bad for a big old heavy boat with an amateur crew.

The boat did great with just a few minor hiccups. It took me a while to figure out the new autopilot but once I did it worked great - for the most part. On four separate occasions, it shut down for no apparent reason and the display read, "Can Not Find Computer". A simple reboot and we were back on line. That did make me nervous, though. We also had an issue with the raw water pump on the genset, but I think I already mentioned that. Some of our lines and sheets took some abuse but nothing chafed through. From my perspective, it was almost a perfect trip.

The little bay we're in - and I'm not exaggerating when I say little - is surrounded by dense green fauna and a few well-kept houses. There are fourteen boats anchored here in a space that you would expect to hold about four. Most boats have bow and stern anchors out and the water is very shallow. The boats from France only have bow anchors out - the cruising community is rife with anecdotes on French cruisers, most of them unflattering. The eastern side of the bay is the wharf for the inter-island freighter, which arrives twice a week, bringing in supplies. We haven't seen it yet but apparently it's pretty large and has to maneuver in very close quarters (avoiding the French boats). We hope it arrives soon as we'd like to fill our diesel tank and the island only has a small supply - it goes quickly after the freighter leaves. It's hot and humid here.

Our good friends from Vancouver, BC, Beth and Norm on Sarah Jean II are anchored right next to us and I mean right next to us. They had left about four days before us and had similar good luck on their crossing. They came aboard shortly after we had our anchors down - it was great to see them again. Also here is Fred and Cinda on Songline with whom we have chatted on the radio but haven't met face to face until today.

I don't know how long we'll stay here but I think I'd like to get moving. I'm just not that comfortable anchoring close to other boats in the first place and in the second place, the holding here is poor. There is a professionally-guided tour of the island and we think we'd like to do that. I've got some maintenance issues to deal with as well so it's possible that we could be here a week but I hope not. I'll have to get used to the notion of 'island time' which means everything takes longer than it should and there are few good reason to hurry.

There's a light breeze coming in through the new opening ports I installed last summer. I remember working hard to convince Ruthie that all the portlights in Rutea's hull needed replacing and that she'd appreciate them once we got to the tropics. Even though they were a lot of work to install, we sure appreciate having them now that we're in the tropics.

We do our official check-in with the authorities tomorrow and get to see the town of Atuona. We'll let you know what it's like. Until then, I'm practicing my French, mon amis.

A demain, tout le monde!
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At 4/11/2011 12:08 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 09°48.21'S 139°01.83'W

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Hiva Oa!

So you sail and sail and sail and sail... and all of a sudden these islands crop up in the middle of nowhere! A whole group of islands, at that! What a beautiful and marvelous sight-islands of green and brown, shrouded in mist, the highest peaks invisible. We can see waves crashing up against sheer cliffs and patches of bright green against black earth. We passed the northeast end of Hiva Oa at 08:37 Marquesas time (that's 2.5 hours behind Pacific West Coast time). Our way point is now Atuona where we will anchor and officially enter French Polynesia! Will write more later. Just wanted you to know that we made it!

R of r
Rutea
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At 4/10/2011 2:01 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 08°23.06'S 137°34.59'W

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"In preparation for landing, please return your seatbacks and tray tables . . . "

We're almost exactly 150 miles from Cap Matafenua on the northeast corner of Hiva Oa. That's been our way point for the past 17 days and we should reach it sometime tomorrow morning. From there, it's about another 20 miles to Pointe Feki where we hang a right into Baie Tahauku and drop our anchor. From what we understand, there's quite a fleet there already and everyone has a bow and stern anchor out to maximize the room for additional boats. The town of Atuona is close by and that's where we officially check into French Polynesia. We've hired agents to do the paperwork for us.

Fortunately, the wind has filled in some and we're moving quite well. In fact, in the middle of the night we decided we were moving too well and furled the genoa and unfurled the staysail. With just the staysail and reefed mainsail, we were still making over 6 knots per hour. This morning I tucked another reef into the mail and unfurled the genoa again. We're sailing along pretty consistently at about 7 knots now but with the stronger wind comes increased sea height and that makes for rolly conditions.

It's been a great trip. Last night we recorded our best-yet 24-hour run of 170 miles. None of the automatic bilge pumps (3 of them) have cycled even once. We did have a problem with the raw water pump on the genset but I think I was able to fix it. Say, does anyone feel like bringing an o-ring for an Oberdorfer 12VDC raw water pump to French Polynesia? Everything else has worked flawlessly. We've managed to keep good company for each other and about the most serious argument has been about doing dishes - often all three of us volunteer to do them, each trying to justify his/her own position for earning the right.

I have relinquished the position of Net Manager for the Pacific Puddle Jump Fleet. It was getting to be very difficult to recruit Net Controllers but finally some people have stepped up and are keeping it going. Last night 14 boats checked in. There's another good-sized fleet leaving Mexico now and they may be better about sharing the Net Control duties. I haven't been nearly as radio-active as I have in the past: Our new autopilot shuts down whenever I transmit so that means that either Ruthie or Corie have to hand steer when I'm on the radio. They hate to hand steer.

Quite likely our next posting will be from an anchored position off the coast of a beautiful South Pacific island.
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At 4/9/2011 7:41 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 07°51.79'S 137°02.97'W

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Day 16

It's amazing how days at sea can be so different and so much the same- all at the same time! Today is like every other day in that we can not see land, the sky is blue and the sea is dark blue, we are sailing, we keep watch, we are trying to cook, sleep, eat, read, write emails while on a heel of 15 degrees (although it feels like 45 degrees!) But today is different in that we have 15 knots of wind and are traveling at 8 knots per hour under genoa and main! Yesterday we had ten knots of wind and sailed our spinnaker all day. We didn't heel so much yesterday either! Today there are clouds and rain squalls to dodge and white caps on the water. The voyage is beginning to feel long although when I reflect back at how far we have traveled it seems amazing and fast! 2400 miles at six knots per hour........ Neal, however, says at least twice a day, "this is amazing! I could go on like this forever!" Gulp!

Shipboard life continues to be trouble free and routine. We all show up on time for watches, we take naps during the day. I just finished reading Cutting For Stone and am now reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Corie just finished White Tiger and has started Wolf Hall. Neal just finished Wolf Hall and is starting the new Zadie Smith book. I made curried vegetables for dinner last night. Corie is making us fried rice for breakfast. Our fresh food is beginning to run low- we have apples to last through the week end, a couple of oranges, a BIG cabbage, onions and potatoes. We are blasting through the amp hours on our batteries trying to keep our frig and freezer cold while running our radar and auto pilot! Neal made a repair to the impeller on the genset water pump including making a new o-ring. All other systems are working well.

We continue to listen on the radio to those boats just a few days ahead of us make land fall in Hiva Oa. It is very exciting and keeps us motivated when hearing their stories of seeing 2ft baguettes being loaded on to boats amidst palm tree and mango tree strewn hillsides! We have passed two boats in the last 24 hours that left four days before we did! We have our sights on making landfall on Monday so the end is in sight!

This beautiful Pacific Ocean is a big place.

R of Rutea
05.33.1 S
135.14.3 W
327.4 Miles To Go
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At 4/7/2011 11:52 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 04°06.29'S 133°45.11'W

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Less than 500 miles to go!

The wind has gotten lighter so we've got the spinnaker up and it's helping to keep our speed reasonable without running the engine. It's hot and humid. We've spotted our first boat that is also a member of the Pacific Puddle Jump Fleet, Mark & Yuki aboard Merkava and we're going to sail by them and say hello.

I'd write more but I'm needed on deck. NOW!
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At 4/7/2011 7:25 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 03°48.01'S 133°24.06'W

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Over The Line

Over The Line has a special meaning to most San Diegans stemming from the beach boozing, name calling, slow motion ball game played in bikinis on hot summer sand. For the crew of Rutea though, Over The Line has taken on a whole new meaning as we slipped from 00.00.000 North to 00.00.001 South yesterday afternoon! After the perfect equatorial sail- that being 15 knots of wind on the beam, smooth, aqua seas of less than 2 feet under a cloudless, royal blue sky with a horizon that felt endless Rutea entered a hemisphere new to her and her crew- the Southern Ocean! There was too much wind to celebrate with a dip in the ocean so we made due by taking showers in home made, fresh equatorial water, toasting Neptune and Poseidon (and each other)with rum and mango juice drinks and eating real party hors d hors! We ventured out on deck and paid homage to Neptune again by offering up the last of our very best Sailor Jerry rum and throwing in the bottle as well! Neal paid a beautiful tribute to our now passed friend Jeff Abbey (who was a Merchant Marine) by committing his S.D. Harbor Patrol hat to Neptune and promising to always honor his memory. Corie sprinkled tea leaves honoring ALL and then it was time for the photo ops.

We are on day 16 of our crossing to the S. Pacific. It is a challenging task to take on by all means- even with all of our modern conveniences like auto pilots and chart plotters. We are still at Mother Nature's mercy and there are very few things we can accurately predict, much less control. It's really hard for me to imagine how people used to make this crossing without any of these modern electronics or ways to stay in touch with those they left behind on land. I think of us as being pretty brave and courageous with a fair amount of stamina, but they must have been over the line!

Shipboard life continues to be fairly smooth. We are now on a port tack, however, at a 15 degree heel, so that makes everything we try to do a little more difficult and trying to stay upright is definitely a challenge. It even makes sleeping harder as we try to figure out which end up is more comfortable! We also have a whole new set of creaks and groans to get used to and have settle in to consciousness.

Now the new moon is waxing. It's 18 percent tonight will cast a beautiful moonglade on the water after dark until it sets about 22:19. Although already present, once the moon disappears the stars will be ever so brilliant and we will be privy to the southern constallations as well as the rising of Saturn. This moon will be great company all the way to Hiva Oa as we sail a new line, over the line.

R of Rutea
01.46.2 SOUTH
131.50.9 W
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At 4/6/2011 1:45 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 00°13.20'S 131°01.48'W

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What's a lline, anyway?

At our current speed and course, we should cross the equator sometime in the late afternoon. This imaginary geographical line that separates north from south. Of course, we're hoping to see a large, dashed white line - much like a line that divides a city street - complete with a wide ribbon to sail through with throngs of people cheering us on. I can see bandstands with dignitaries and pretty girls doing cheers. There will be great arches of balloons and a marching band playing John Phillip Souza's famous march. On the other hand, probably not.

Regardless, lines are important to us. We spend too much time standing in line. Sometimes I step out of line. We draw lines in the sand that we dare not cross. "Dress that line, Mister" said Niedermeyer to his ROTC cadets in the movie Animal House. We've all signed on the dotted line, confirming our commitment to one agreement or another. Some people line dance. We have arbitrary political lines for boundaries of countries, states, cities and even parts of town that one should avoid at night.

Perhaps I'm making too much of this milestone. Really, the only thing we'll notice is that our GPS coordinates will no longer have the N - for North - suffix as it will be replaced with an S. However, if you listen closely in the late afternoon and off in the distance you can faintly hear cheering and hollering, that may well be the crew of Rutea celebrating.
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At 4/5/2011 5:16 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 00°32.91'N 130°38.89'W

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Wind in the Doldrums?

As we approach the equator, we pass through the Doldrums, the huge areas notorious for their light winds. Of course, we'd rather sail than motor but the frustration of sitting in one spot (or going backwards as some boats have reported!) for hours can be very hard on the nerves. Plus, Rutea has the fuel capacity to motor for fairly long stretches of time. So, when we get a puff of wind, we hoist all the sails, kill the engine and hope that it lasts. However, often it's for a short period of time so we furl the sails, start the engine back up and continue motoring. Only to have the same process repeat over and over, our hope springing eternally for a constant breeze that will take us the rest of the way.

We've allowed ourselves to get a little too far west - for this latitude we should be crossing the equator now, not being 200 miles north of it. This means we'll have to 'beat' pretty hard for the rest of the 900 miles. Next time we'll know better although many of the boats in our fleet have taken the same route.

Even though we're now more than halfway, we're still in one of the most remote parts of the world. There are very few other spots in the world's oceans that are this far from any land. Due east of us is Bogota, Columbia, 3,333 miles away.

We hope that you're all doing great and that you enjoyed your weekend.
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At 4/4/2011 7:39 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 02°26.64'N 129°38.44'W

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Sunday Mornings in the ITCZ

Day 12!
Woke up to beautiful, tropical cloud formations, having slept through the rain squall! The clouds are the type which you see in everyone's slide shows of the south Pacific! Tall, columnar, billowy, dark in the center with silver edges illuminated by the sun. Each one looks like it holds more rain to me! Who knows, hidden in their depths could also be lightening and thunder- which could or could not send me scurrying back to bed! Really! How much awesomeness can one take?!

The sea has been glassy smooth for the last two nights with wide, rolling swells of about two feet. It has made for perfect sleeping and the ability to do other things about the cabin like cooking (without spilling and being tossed about or things flying off of the stove top), showering (without the water coming out of the shower hose sideways)dusting and sweeping (yes, lots o dust even way out here)and... I hope... laundry! Yes, today is the day I am going to get out my Wonder Washer and dress ship in clean laundry all over the life lines! We will look like a gypsy caravan (or the Clampett's)! i just hope it will dry in this 80% humidity...

We talk to other Puddle Jumpers on our radio net every night. Their are lots of boats that have just crossed the equator and each day another boat makes it into port at Hiva Oa. There are also several boats that are still sitting in Banderas Bay waiting for a weather window- there is evidently NO WIND along the Mexican coast right now. We know of two boats flopping from side to side in four foot swells about 500 miles off of Mainland Mexido. There are several boats who are bracing for twelve foot seas that are headed south from the Pacific off of Nor Cal. I don't know how but we seemed to have hit our weather window just right! The first days were rough but they got us out into the Trade Winds and down to the equator zone. Now we have light wind BUT no convection and the ITCZ is calma! We figure we will motor to 1 or 2 degrees south (South!) and then be able to pick up the southern ocean trade winds.

Just finished a wonderful huevos rancheros Sunday brunch a la Neal! He had all four burners going on our stove! You are probably dressed in your finest for a trip to brunch, church, Costco, Anderson's Nursery OR you are still in your jamies doing The New York Times crossword! Personally, I am headed for my boat-cat spot and a crossword! I will do the laundry later!

R of Rutea
04.57.55 North
128.20.25 West
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At 4/3/2011 4:52 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 04°59.10'N 128°19.18'W

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Day Eleven

Having passed the halfway mark yesterday (we celebrated with recently-discovered cans of soda water that had been horded by some unknown person - we even had ice cubes and splashes of cranberry juice - do we know how to party or what?) and I marvel at how well the passage is going. Not as fast as I had hoped but everything is working and nothing expensive has broken - yet.

We had been on a course that was more or less paralleling the ITCZ, waiting to find a spot where it's the narrowest. After much discussion with Those Who Know, we made a left hand turn to a course that should have us crossing the equator at 131 degrees west. We'll see. For the first time on this passage, we had to run the engine last night as our speed had dropped to below 4 knots. It wasn't too bad and I did get a solid 4 hours of continuous sleep which I believe is a first for this trip.

Once on our new course, we went through four different sail changes trying to find which one suited the wind angle the best. I was completely drenched with sweat by the time we were done but now we're making good time and the boat's motion is comfortable.

If we can average 120 miles per day (and that's considered the minimum acceptable level of performance - it was also how we described quota to our sales staff when we had sales staff), then we have ten more days at sea. It will be fun to be someplace new but I'm enjoying this passage to no end.
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At 4/2/2011 9:08 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 06°50.64'N 127°17.59'W

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Half Way Day!

1337 Miles Gone and 1337 Miles to go!! Tens days out and ten days to go! Nine days out of sight of land. Ten days under sail alone! Lots of flying fish and squid peeled off of the deck! Lots of hues of blues! Lots of Scrabble, lots of books read and lots of crosswords! Lots of naps! Lots of clouds, lots of sun and lots of stars! Lots of time to sit and meditate- remembering friends and family and good times past AND looking forward to adventures to come!

Next landmark will be passing through the ITCZ (squalls and doldrums) and then on to the equator! Some rain will be a welcome relief for washing away the caked up salt on board!

Thank you for your well wishes and encouragement! You have helped make our last ten days go pretty fast!

R of Rutea
08.02.48 N
125.21.123 W
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At 4/1/2011 7:39 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 08°02.43'N 125°10.23'W

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This is my bell ringing

The mainsail has been hoisted for 10 days straight; the genoa poled out to windward for the last four. We haven't had the engine running for the same 10 days. We're less than 600 miles north of the equator. This is my bell ringing.

Sometimes the skies are clear and sometimes overcast but the wind has been very steady. The seas can be a bit lumpy at times but knowing that it's a product of having wind, I don't complain much. The decks are mostly dry and a rain shower would be delightful but I'm patient. Our weather forecast is excellent. This is my bell ringing.

Yes, we use too much electricity (I inadvertently left the lights on in the engine room all night) and that means we have to run the genset for up to four hours per day. But it doesn't use much fuel and after a while, the noise disappears into the background. It's been a solid piece of equipment since I installed it two years ago.

We are getting along famously. No obvious signs of cabin fever and everyone still pitches in with the less-glamorous chores and routines without overt bitterness. We listen to books on tape and play Scrabble on the iPad. When a sail change is needed, we have a quick meeting to discuss the process. So far, they've all gone smoothly without any shouting. This is my bell ringing.

Corie has taken to sleeping in the main saloon while I prefer sleeping in the cockpit - even a thin blanket is too much. The nights cool off to about 74 degrees and I find it delightful to feel the breeze in the cockpit as I lay there watching the stars (when it's not overcast). This is my bell ringing.

Fair winds, calm seas and ringing bells.
Neal
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At 4/1/2011 3:36 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 08°13.14'N 124°48.27'W

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