3000 nm!!! Our longest non stop passage. It took us 24 days
10/7/2016
With the fridge and freezer full, storage compartments about to burst we set sail from the Galápagos and the cold water brought north to the equator by the Humbolt current to the French Polynesian territories, stopping first at Hiva Oa in the Marquesas.
OCEAN PASSAGES
Between dawn and dusk we don't have any set watches. We have turns at having rests during this time as we feel inclined.
Life aboard varies depending on the weather and subsequent movement of the boat. In calm conditions you feel able to be more inventive in the galley cooking biscuits, cakes and bread and using regular crockery and glasses to eat and drink off.
When the weather is rough it is a "workout" in the galley. One needs to be strapped in to prevent falling onto the stove. We have a safety belt which allows you to have both hands free. Ones body is always moving to keep balance. It is this constant passive movement that stops us from gaining weight
Purchasing stores and stowing them and planning meals is an arduous task. Fruit and vegetables are bought according to their lasting qualities in or out of the fridge. We string netting in the cockpit to store vegetables and fruit.
We read books, converse and watch movies to pass the time. I like to play my ukelele on deck when the weather is calm.
There is always something to see, although it can be hours between sightings.
Dolphin playing on the bow wake, leaping and tail flapping to herd a school of fish.
Flying fish scatter as we pass over them and land on the deck
We are often visited by whales...This voyage we saw pilot whales and black fish which came right up to the boat surfacing just beside us.
Birds soar on the thermals or dust the tops of the waves to get fish. It is fun identifying the species from our book on ocean birds of the world
We watch the fishing line in anticipation of a strike and are elated when we can haul in a big fish, processing it immediately and enjoying a very fresh fillet.
Raw with soy and wasabi, marinated with lime and coconut or fried in butter
The weather is always a conversation point as we read the clouds and predict wind changes making decisions to change our sail configuration.
Water conservation is a challenge on long voyages. We rinse our dishes in salt water then wash in fresh. Our showers consist of a sea water wash off (this can be invigorating..) soap up and rinse with fresh warm water. We have a great setup in the stern of the cockpit for this with a seat and shower hose.
We share the night watch from dark to daylight. With 3 of us on this passage we have had 2 hrs on watch and 4 hrs off which has been great. We get 2 sleeps but it gets very tiring on a long passage and the quality of sleep isn't always the best. As the voyage nears its end the thought of a whole nights sleep at anchor is looked forward to.
NIGHT WATCH. Cathy's experiences
As I lie on the seat in the cockpit with a cover over the instrumentation and chart plotter to block out the light my senses are heightened
I look up into the night sky and are in awe of the cosmic world above me. The stars are so bright with no moon or lights to dampen their glow.
I see a meteorite with its burning trail as it enters the atmosphere, a satellite as it passes over and the distant flashing lights of a plane.
I hear the cry of a tern as it soars past often circling the boat looking for somewhere to settle for the night. I see its profile as the light from the top of the mast illuminates it.
I hear the cry of a tern as it soars past often circling the boat looking for somewhere to settle for the night. I see its profile as the light from the top of the mast illuminates it.
I hear the expulsion of air as a dolphin or whale surfaces beside me, sometimes seeing it illuminated in phosphorescence. Looking overboard I see the tops of waves breaking and a trail of phosphorescence astern caused by our wake and the displacement of water as the boat is pushed down a wave or rolls side to side. I hear the waves breaking, the wind wailing in the rigging and the sails straining. The motion of the boat alerts me of the wind speed and any wind direction change reminding me to make adjustments to our course or to ease the sheets on the sail. Things aboard creak and groan as ropes tighten or the boat lurches and an dislodges an item thought to be well stowed.
I can feel the wind on my face and smell and taste the salt in the air and on my clothing and body. The cabin top is covered in a crusting of salt where it dries from previous waves.
The wind increases causing the boat to round up into the wind which increases the speed. Waves break with more intensity, the autopilot alarms as the course is changed but the squall passes and all is settled again.
Every 20-30 minutes I get up to look around for any shipping, I check the AIS instrumentation ( Automated Identification system of shipping) check our course and make adjustments if necessary. I check the amp meter to make sure our batteries are charged well enough and make a decision as to run the engine and charge them
When we were new to offshore ocean passages I was anxious about sailing at night but now I enjoy the night watch. It is a matter of trusting your senses and instincts.
Spotting land is great at the end of a long journey
OFF WATCH AT NIGHT
I am relieved of my watch by my fellow crew member. I am tired and look forward to crawling into my bed. Our berth is in a good position in the boat and is like lying on a cushion of air as the waves pass under the hull lifting the bow and stern or rolling underneath from the side. I lie against the hull or against the bulkhead on the other side, depending which tack we are on. The sound of the water rushing past or gently lapping with a constant rhythm is soothing, unless it's rough, and I quickly fall asleep.
Every sound that is different or if the motion changes it alerts me to wake. I know the sounds and motion when all is well. I know the sounds and motion when things are not.
One has to develop trust in the crew member on watch so it takes awhile with someone new to feel relaxed enough to "let go" and sleep.
After a few days at sea ones body clock changes and often you wake at your watch time.
ARRIVAL in Hiva Oa, Marquesas
After 24 days at sea gooseneck barnacles attach to the hull and green slime and sea grass grow on the areas above the antifouling paint. We all enjoyed the task of scrubbing off in the clean temperate water
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