Another long haul

Position: 12.77s, 153.49w

Hi everyone,

We are about 1060 miles to the east of Samoa, and about 1760 from Fiji. It is quite a long haul across this bit, but it the last of these long legs that we have to do. Our plan was to head straight for Fiji, but we have had very little wind, and the bit we do get is not really from an ideal direction. We are now aiming for American Samoa to be able to refuel and then head off for the last 700 miles to Fiji. We had tried to avoid this as all we have heard about American Samoa is that it is dirty and overpowered by the smell coming from the tuna processing plants. It is cheap apparently, so if we go there we will just stop for a couple of hours and grab some supplies - Fiji sounds like a much nicer place to be!

The past couple of nights have brought lightning storms which have contained our only wind to speak of. From dead calm to 35 knots and back down again in 10 minutes. We can't carry enough fuel to be able to motor all the way to Samoa (like our previous trip from Panama to Marquesas), so will need to find wind somehow to sail at least another 400 miles without motor. From this then, we still don't know when we will get there, but are thinking that it will probably be about Tuesday 10th March. Whatever we plan, we have to add a day, as just before Fiji we cross the international dateline, and join you guys in Australia on the same day. At the moment, we are about 3 hours in front of you (12pm in Sydney is 3pm here), but we are a day behind, now just starting our Thursday.....yes, it is confusing...try thinking about what time it is if you stand on the south pole - it could be any time you want it to be as you would be in every time zone at the same time!

Anyway, just a quick update to let you know that we are still going well, if slowly! Thanks for all your comments that get passed on to us - it is nice to hear from you all. And for those that missed it last time, we DO get the messages, just can't reply from out here through the satellite phone.

We will update you again soon - hopefully from Fiji. Hope everyone is well and happy, and for those that questioned how long this trip would take, we are still planning on being home by the end of March, so 3 months does not seem like a bad guess!

1000 miles to go to Samoa, 1700 to Fiji.

Peter and Geoff

Wind non-helpful

Position: 12.51 S, 151.12 W

Hey, could take a while to get to Fiji - the wind is very non-helpful. But we're having a beer anyway. Hi to everyone.

thunder and lightning

Position: 12.69 S, 148.75 W

Lots of lightning storms out there today, but not much wind for us.

Slow

Position: 11.89 S, 146.44 W

Slow day, not much wind.

update

Position: 10.82 S, 144.07 W

All is going well. 2263 miles to Fiji.

Bonjour!

It took 25 days to get from Panama to the Marquises. For the last 500 miles, the wind decided to drop, leaving us almost becalmed for a couple of days.

The Marquesas Islands are spectacular like the Galapagos, but are much greener with rainforest running up deep valleys that stretch up to the clouds. We stopped on the island of Nuku Hiva which is the administrative capital of the Marquesas. But really it is a very small and remote outpost. Basically, the French run it, the Chinese own the local shops (of which there are 3) and the Polynesians own it - so that makes for a bit of confusion for everyone.

There is no Customs office there, and the Gendarmerie take care of clearance paperwork. It is kind of strange to walk into a police station and have them get up from their desks so that they can come over and shake your hand and say "Bonjour". We were the first yacht to arrive there from Panama since Christmas, so perhaps we were a bit of a novelty to them.

Still, there were many other yachts in the anchorage - mostly from Tahiti, but there is limited English there - school French lessons came flooding back! It is a very expensive place, and there is very little there anyway, so a couple of days to recharge the batteries was what Pete and I were after.

We are sailing again now - left Nuku Hiva 24 hours ago, and have done over 200 miles already towards Fiji - beautiful downwind sailing has us flying along at 9 or 10 knots. We look like getting into Fiji on about the 6th or 7th March, so will be able (I hope) to get some pictures up from there. Nuku Hiva had internet, but it was slower than dial up connection speed, so not really of any use than to check email.

Hope you are all well. We will keep sending our position for the map, and write again from Fiji. If you want to visit, we are hoping to be at the Suva Yacht Club....never know, someone might want a holiday!

Pete and Geoff

On the road again

Position: 9.29 S, 141.07 W

On the road again and doing over 8 knots again. Should be in Fiji by the 7th.

Time to move on

We're getting ready to leave in the morning. There's no internet to speak of here, so I can't upload any photos or anything like that. There's not much at all here really. No meat for example. We're stocking up on whatever else we can. Whatever we can find here, it's expensive. We'll hit the Saturday morning markets for some fresh veggies, then set sail.

Next stop is Fiji - probably Suva. We think we'll get there roughly March 7th. All's well, and we're looking forward to the next leg of our journey. The boat is in great shape and we're ready to get going!

Geoff.

Nuku Hiva

Position: At anchor, at the island of Nuku Hiva, the Marquesas Islands

Glad to be here finally. Will stay for about two days.

We have wind

Position: 9.55 S, 137.94 W

Hey! We have WIND! OK, well, not much but at least we are moving. We'll probably arrive in Nuku Hiva tomorrow afternoon.

Even slower

Position: 8.72 S, 136.22 W

Moving even slower today. 230 miles to go.

All's well

Position: 8.36 S, 134.77 W

Still slow, but all is well. 315 miles to go.

434

Position: 8.55 S, 132.79 W
Only 434 miles to go!!

Wahoo

Position:9.875S, 130.59W.

We caught a huge Wahoo this morning. They are a bit like Spanish Mackerel, but even nicer eating - probably one of the best fish in ocean. I have never caught one before. Too big for 2 of us to handle all the meat as we shut the freezer off to save power, so just took fillet from one side. Even that would feed about 12 people or so!

Geoff.

4th day under spinnaker

Position: 9.54 S, 127.9 W

Winds much the same today, we still have the spinnaker up. Its been 4 days now.

Still trucking along...

Position: 9.08S, 124.92W

We are still trucking along through the Pacific. I hope you are all well and happy. We are! We have decided to each write a small bit to put on the website – which incidentally we have not personally seen for some time. But thanks for all the comments. It makes us feel not so far away from you all.



Geoff: After we left the Galapagos Islands (which in itself was 900 miles after Panama), we headed to the south west beginning a 3000 mile journey to the Marquesas. The wind has been really steady, with about 10 to 15 knots day after day. On Tuesday afternoon, it shifted in direction and has been blowing from the east ever since. From a sailing perspective, there are 2 really difficult points of sail. If the wind is either right in front, or right behind, it is hard to maintain a course to the destination. On Tuesday after heading further and further off course to be able to keep the boat moving forward, we thought that we would try out the incredibly large spinnaker and see if we could run straight with the wind. It is a massive thing – very powerful. But it has been up ever since – now 3 days! We are achieving about 8 knots of boat speed in 10 knots of wind. This yacht is quite amazing, and we are yet to discover any occasion where it struggles to perform. When the wind increases to about 15 knots, it is not uncommon to be pulled along at well over 10! Phil, I think we are seriously going to have to discuss Hamilton Race Week!

As for mind space, I am still in absolute awe as to the size of this ocean. We have cut through a tiny slice along one path across this bit of the Pacific, and it just goes on and on. So far, after leaving Panama, we are up to a grand total of 2 other boats that we have seen along the way. It is a very empty space! We feel like we are achieving now that there is less than 1000 miles to the next landfall, but in reality it is still a very long way. That means plenty of time to contemplate all sorts of things and where life or the way it is directed might take each of us in the future. It is kind of nice to have that forced break from bills, work, and the other things that seem normal at home. The ONLY important things out here are the yacht that is all we have to survive, and the maintenance of a good relationship with the other person. That takes some concentration from time to time, but it is perhaps far easier with 2 people that have a similar outlook on things as Pete and I seem to. It is funny in a way that I am not sure what changes there will be to my life when I get home, but I am sure that there will be something on the cards! If you ever remotely have the opportunity to do this sort of thing, jump at it and don’t let anything stop you – it is truly life changing! Will have to wait till I get back to discover just what that means though...Pete’s turn now…hang on! Could be a rough ride here


Peter (Iggle): Looking forward to my early dementure. I am not on the boat much now. After leaving Antigua with its colonial overtone, passing Columbia in the dark, Panama was a wonderful movie – “R” rated and at your own risk. Our first port – Colon in Panama made Baghdad look like the Hilton. Chaos, crime and rubbish filled the streets. The Panamanians and their Spanish created complete confusion. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back there, but I am glad I did once.

No boat is hassle free, but this one only has a few. She wants to go to Mooloolaba. I think she remembers you Clay! French Polynesia is just around the corner, and I am hoping for more Polynesia than French. The only thing I miss is the people I love, Belinda the pig and toblerone chocolate. Geoffrey won at cards the other night. He has 7 days at the Betty Ford clinic. Thank you for your little bits of news. Nobody plays football in the Pacific. Sooner or later the wind will give us a beating. Sleep with one eye open. Looking forward to some dirt on my feet. Thanks again.



(not as bad as I thought he might be!) See you soon, Geoff and Pete

Downwind

Position: 8.7 S, 122.14 W

Still going straight downwind, we've been under spinnaker for 30 hours now.

Spinnaker at night

Position: 8.33 S, 119.05W

A slow day. Only 1248 miles till the next stop. Tonight we are under spinnaker. It's a bit like flying a kite in the dark!

Cruising!

Position: 7.45 S, 116.64 W

Downhill run with headsail out on spinnaker pole. Cruising! 1390 miles to go, we'll probably arrive in Nuku Hiva next Sunday afternoon.

Groundhog Day

From Geoff:

It must be hard to imagine for people at home the feeling of “groundhog day” that comes with traveling out here. We left from Panama on Saturday 26th Jan (Australia Day) and all day and all night since then has been just water as far as you can see. We have seen 1 other boat since we left Panama – a fishing boat on the horizon just short of the Galapagos. We saw our last land a week after Panama(the Galapagos Islands), and it will be next Sunday before we see any again! And that is only if this wind holds up. It really makes you appreciate that the land area that is the entire world for most people is really an insignificant part of this planet – most of it is water like this.

Each morning is spent cleaning 30 or 40 dead squid and flying fish off the deck before they leave nasty stains. Then we start our little trusty generator to recharge the batteries that are essential to keep the auto pilot going and the milk cold in the fridge. It adds a new dimension to life when everything that on land is taken for granted must be a conscious decision out here. The autopilot is really essential to be able to do a trip like this – without it fatigue would make it incredibly dangerous for us, and it will not run without batteries. “Auto” just keeps on plugging away doing a fabulous job to keep us on track. But then the other thing that we need to monitor is the fuel usage to be able to charge the batteries. We don’t have enough fuel to be able to keep the motor running, so it is a careful balance of needing power, but not overdoing the fuel use to obtain that.

We seem to keep busy each day with bits of maintenance – there is always something to do on a yacht. In between times lots of reading and when enthusiastic I get the guitar out and try to learn a new chord. What day it is, and even the concept of day and night have become insignificant to us, the wind doesn’t stop blowing and the boat just keeps plugging on towards the Marquases. Meal times go out the window, and we tend to eat when we feel hungry rather than following the “normal” meal times. On that front, we have just about got to the end of our frozen food, so most of the next week will be tinned food meals, lots of rice and pasta. But we do eat well – again essential to stay healthy for our own safety.

It is Friday night in Australia right now, and while you have your weekend, go to work for the week, sleep at night and all the week’s activities, we wake up each morning to the same view of a seemingly endless sea. We are however, making really good time, and should arrive in Nuku Hiva (Marquases) on Sunday – again if the wind holds out. It has been constant since leaving the Galapagos, blowing between 12 and 16 knots from the south. So the sails were set then, and we have not needed to adjust them or our course since! Trying to walk on solid ground will be interesting after so long with a constant heal on the yacht….might need to hang on to something.

Thanks for all you comments, they are very much appreciated. We hope everyone is well and happy, and look forward to seeing you all soon.

So much water

Position: 2.96 S, 104.43 W

Just 2157 miles to go now to The Marquesas Islands. We're making just over 200 miles per day - so much water. Same course, same wind since we left Galapagos - so we don't have to touch anything!

Gaining speed

position: 2.2 S, 100.619 W

Our average speed since Galapagos Islands is 7.7 knots and increasing.

Phone call with Pete and Geoff

From Martin:

I had a chat with Geoff and Pete tonight by satellite phone. They want to thank everyone for the messages they have been receiving via this blog, as you'll hear for yourself, they both really do enjoy hearing from family and friends. It's a pretty remote place where they are right now, so they get a lot of enjoyment from your messages.

They also talked about how their days are busy just maintaining everything on the boat and keeping it all in good working order. They escape the equatorial heat with a shade net they have on deck over the cockpit. Apart from the dolphins, they haven't seen much else in the water, except for a huge group of squid that surrounded them one night, many thousands of them apparently. There are lots of small birds around the boat even though they are now some 400 miles from the nearest land.

Pete asked for this the following message to be passed on to Masumi: "Thank you to Masumi for her kind words that make my pillow soft every night"

You can listen to part of that call, if you like. The sound quality is not great, since this was via satellite phone, so voices sound distorted and some words/phrases are clipped a bit.

As you probably know by now, all messages/comments left on the blog are forwarded electronically when the guys are under sail. The messages go by satellite. The system is designed for shorter messages (a couple of sentences for example). It's a bit like pushing an elephant down a rabbit hole - so shorter rather than longer helps, but not a big deal, we get all the messages through and they have enjoyed reading them even though they can't respond to them.

From Martin:
I had a brief talk with Geoff and Pete tonight. Once again they wanted to thank everyone for the messages they have been receiving via the blog, as you can hear for yourself (see below), they both really do enjoy hearing from family and friends. It's a pretty remote place they are at right now, so they get a lot out of your messages.

Pete asked for this special message to be passed on to Masumi: "Thank you to Masumi for her kind words that make my pillow soft every night"

You can download an edited part of that call, if you would like to hear it. The sound quality is not great, since this was via satellite phone, so their voices sound a bit distorted.

As you know, all messages left on the blog are forwarded electronically. The message goes by satellite, and we can only get short messages through. So if you can keep it short, that's a great help.

Got wind

Position: 01.648 S, 97.203 W

We're doing much better - our speed is 9 knots now, in a 16 knot southerly wind.

Endless ocean

Position: 0.825 S, 94.589 W

We have a steady 10 knot wind today, and an endless ocean in every direction. We expect to arrive in Marquesas in about 15 days.

Equator crossing

Crossed the equator at 4.30pm. 91.5 West

Galapagos Islands

We're 1 mile off the north tip of the main Galapagos Island (Isabela). Spectacular!!

36 hrs to equator

Position: 00.7 N, 89.3 W

70 miles to the Galapagos Islands. On our current course and speed we should cross the equator in 36 hours. Still no wind.

Boat sighting

From Geoff:

Position: 1.5 N, 86.9 W

We have just a little bit of wind right now - maybe around 4 or 5 knots. It's really not enough to do anything, so we dawdle along. Actually we are motor sailing a bit now - using the engine and sails at the same time, to make a bit of progress.

Since we left Panama, we have seen a grand total of 1 other boat. It was a fishing boat, far far away. At least we think it was, but it is also possible it was just a hallucination. There's absolutely nothing out here. In the water we have seen a lot of dolphins. They have been putting on a show for us, very active. And they love to swim alongside us around the bow of the boat.

We think we'll cross the equator late tomorrow or during the night tomorrow night. We look forward to getting further to the south and west, where the winds are stronger. Everything is going well.

----- Note: about blog comments -----
From Martin:
I'm not on the boat :(    I just help post messages/updates from Geoff and Pete onto this blog. In case you are wondering - all comments left on this blog are passed back electronically to Pete and Geoff more or less immediately. Since they have no internet access while sailing, they can't really make replies to comments however they did say that they have enjoyed hearing from people along the way. So feel free to continue to leave comments as they cross the Pacific if you wish to. Your comments are pleasant distractions from Geoff and Pete's normal routine and no doubt appreciated. And there's not much else going on out in the middle of the ocean.