Posted by Graham Cox
There comes a time on every ocean passage, no matter how pleasant or difficult, when there is a change in the rhythm of shipboard days. The ocean has rolled on, seemingly endless and unchanged, for weeks, and in the beginning, it seems like it will go on forever, especially on a long passage like the one between Panama and the Marquesas. Then something happens, and your perspective changes.
In the days of analog navigation, it might have come when you shifted to a paper chart that had your destination on the edges, or something more subtle. I remember a rough passage through the Southern Ocean from Nelson, NZ, to Papeete, Tahiti, that really seemed interminable, and I was thoroughly disheartened by the endless cold and damp. Then one night, when I came off watch at 0200, and twirled the dials on my little transistor radio, looking for time signals from WWV to check the rate of my timepiece, a snatch of Tahitian music unexpectedly filled the cabin. In an instant, everything was transformed. Land ahead, just beyond the bowsprit!
This was the situation facing the MGR fleet at the beginning of Week 5, as the leading boats in particular, but probably everyone barring the skippers of DELJA 99 and DELJA 100, began to realise that they were only days away from making landfall. Even Ertan Beskardes, who likes to cruise along aboard TREKKA, improvising his days like a jazz musician, started dreaming of finding a nice little hotel ashore to freshen up in.
Keri was dreaming of cruising ORIGAMI through the islands, hiking in the mountains and meeting friends ashore. Jakub was dreaming of chocolate, as he was down to his last bar. This may be the true reason why he has suddenly become performance-oriented, although in his typical jokey fashion, he says it is because he discovered he had been sailing with his handbrake on! At 0800 UTC on 23 April, BIBI was flying along at 5.3 knots, and had covered 131nm in the previous 24 hours.
CanaDan, aboard LITTLE BEA, posted: ‘975 mileage to go to get to the Marquesas Islands! That is the same as 3 back-to-back TranSuperior races, for us that know. We have had some good mileage in the past few days at around 145 nm per day. Today is a bit slower, but hey… Lots of sun lately with temps in the low 30’s day and night. Getting good recovery in the batteries to enable me to make posts like this. My sail combination tonight is the A3 and the A7 out front. Possibly next Tuesday for setting the anchor in the Marquesas!
Aussie Dan has been maintaining his fast passage times aboard IMMORTAL GAME, hanging onto CAPUCINETTE’s coat tails, though Renaud shows little sign of slowing down, despite the lighter winds they are experiencing. Dan posted: ‘Wafting along in lighter airs with the A3 and A5 set wing and wing, with just under 600NM to go until reaching the Marquesas Islands. Still essentially another Sydney to Hobart Yacht race in terms of distance, but I can almost taste the cold beer from here.’
There is every indication is that the fleet will make a fast transit. Adam Waugh, on LITTLE WREN, looks like he will take about 36 days to complete 4400 miles through the water. As Don McIntyre points out, this is particularly impressive given that it is one of the most challenging stages across the Pacific, passing, as it does, through the doldrums and adverse currents around the Galapagos Islands. By way of comparison, the 2023 Globe 580 Transat, which spans 3000 miles through the North Atlantic tradewinds, took the fleet about the same time.
Adam has sustained further damage to LITTLE WREN, with the tack point on the end of the bowsprit for the A3 or A7 failing, due to a poor weld. As with the self-steering gear, he has jury-rigged the damage and is pressing on.
Jasmine’s mum reports that Jasmine has problems of a different kind – unwelcome visitors onboard NUMBATOU – a pair of boobie birds. ‘Only one is aboard at once, and they fight to gain their perch. Their favourites being on the rear solar panel (above the position Jasmine sits to hand steer) and on the Hydrovane flip-flop vane.
‘They weigh up to 2kg, have a wingspan of 1.5m, and are fearless of humans. No amount of noise or disturbance is making them shift. By sitting on the Hydrovane vane, they are affecting Jasmine’s course too.’ And they poop everywhere, too, ‘all over the cockpit, Jasmine’s seat, the solar panel, and can be aggressive if she asks them to move. It’s pointless washing everything off as they just do more. When the wind picks up and the boat begins to heel, the clumsy boobies slide along the solar panel and fall off, which is at least entertaining. They live up to the meaning of their name – foolish clown.’
Mike and John Blenkinsop have been doing extremely well since leaving Panama, and have largely bypassed the dolrums, with little effect other than some scary electrical storms. They are now south of Puerto Ayora in the Galapagos Islands and sailing WSW at 4-5 knots. This means, amazingly, that they have regained contact with the tailenders of the MGR fleet, and may even get to Fiji before the other 580s depart on Leg 3. Neither of them made their scheduled phone calls this week, but the tracker shows them sailing side by side. One wonders if they take turns keeping watch! PS: John sent late WhatsApp message apologising for missing his scheduled call.
As expected, after 34 days and 4200 miles, giving an average speed of around 123.5 nm a day, CAPUCINETTE was the first boat into Hiva Oa. FRIEDA FENNELL, who is on one of the many cruising boats anchored there, sent the following message to the MGR team. “At 06.53 AM local time, Renaud Stitelmann entered the anchorage in Taha Uku Bay, Hiva Oa! What an achievement. We helped him tie up to our boat so he could take a well-deserved rest after being awake for 40 hours.”
Seven hours later, in his fortnightly call to this scribe, he said that the passage had been uneventful, with no gear breakages and nothing to report. He plans to take a short rest then prepare the boat for the next passage to Tahiti. Although he reports no problems with the boat, there are the usual maintenance tasks to complete, including scrubbing the bottom and checking running gear. He says he is not cruising, so will not be doing any sightseeing while here, just focusing on preparing to do as well as possible when he sails on, after the mandatory 8-day stopover.
His route from Hiva Oa to Tahiti will depend on the weather. Because the Tuamotu Archipelago is a maze of low-lying coral atolls, with few lights and fierce ocean currents, the weather will dictate the course. If the winds are steady and the weather reasonable, he will pass through one of the well-known tracks through the atolls, otherwise he will choose caution and sail around them.
Dan Turner’s IMMORTAL GAME was 72 miles astern of CAPUCINETTE when Renaud made landfall. Dan sighted land during his phone call to this scribe, which was fun. At that point, he was 38 miles off and realised he would be making his approaches in the dark, which he later did, anchoring off until daylight, when he could work his way closer in through the crowd of anchored yachts.
He said the wind was dropping off a bit, so he expected the last miles to be slow. To compound things, the sea state was sloppy and he was having difficulty keeping the sails full. He has mostly sailed this leg with just his asymmetric kites up, so has not noticed the inconvenience of not having a furler for his jib, though he hopes to refit one when he gets to Tahiti. His parents are meeting him there and bringing gear for the boat.
He says he is quite happy aboard, even after a month at sea, though points out that this might have something to do with being able to talk to Nikki (wife and manager) twice a day and keep in touch with family and friends. Nonetheless, he is looking forward to getting off the boat for a while, stretching his legs, and enjoying a cold beer or two.
The boat is in good shape, apart from a bit of wear and tear, attention to small things like cleats etc. There are no major issues to address. He has about 40L of water left though actually had 80L until he indulged in a couple of good, long, freshwater showers! Earlier in the passage, he was concerned about water consumption, but replenishing his supplies in rainsqualls, plus the cooler temperatures encountered once IMMORTAL GAME got into the trades, resolved that issue.
He says he has learned a lot from both Keri and Renaud about sailing fast, keeping sail up in squalls if they are not too bad, just running off for a while, and always focusing on the numbers, refusing to accept low digits, immediately reviewing his strategy if he did get some, working out how to wind the boat back up. The sense of always learning, of personal growth, has kept him engaged, though in the last few days, as the weather became very settled, with not much to do except keep on keeping on, he has become a bit restless. He has also not been sleeping much, but says he is – surprisingly – not tired.
For entertainment, he listens to music and audio-books, and has also begun doing a bit of writing. Following the success of his first book, From Sands to Sea, he is planning to write a book about his MGR campaign. I can’t wait to read it!
Like all MGR entrants, Dan will need to come and go from his boat at anchor in the Marquesas Islands. He has a cheap, inflatable kayak, though is uncertain about how it will fare in the swell-prone anchorages of this archipelago (watch out for the sharks!). He plans to stay in Hiva Oa for a couple of days before heading down to Tahuata Island, which is reputed to have an excellent anchorage, with a white, sandy beach that is popular with cruising yachts. He also wants to sail north to Nuku Hiva Island if he has the time. As he says, it may be a long time before he gets here again, if ever, and he wants to see as much of it as possible!
When Jakub called, BIBI was in the middle of a moderate squall, with the jib goose-winged opposite the A5, and he had one hand on the tiller while the other held the phone. He joked that he hoped there were no Guardia (Irish policemen) around to arrest him for driving while talking on the phone. At least it was warm, and the seas were moderate. A very nice evening, he said. After his call, he planned to reduce sail and get the boat self-steering again. He sounded happy, full of enthusiasm and wonder for being in the middle of this grand adventure.
He had been sailing with the A7 opposite the poled-out jib all day, but switched to the A5 early evening when the wind died down. Then, since the gods are nothing if not jokers, they sent a squall just as Jakub was making his call. It seems that he is sailing faster now because he is more in tune with BIBI. That’s what he means by taking the handbrake off. He has discovered that he can average faster speeds over the 24-hour period if he does not try and push the boat too hard, finding, instead, the sweet spot between just cruising along and carrying to much sail. Getting the boat balanced is the key, and he has learned to hear and feel when BIBI is in the groove, from the swishing sounds of the hull gliding along, to the vibrations from the self-steering servo-peldulum. Jakub calls it his music.
He says the tradewinds have been all over the place, keeping him busy adjusting sails and course, but that the squalls are not as fierce as those he experienced in the Atlantic. If the wind is blowing around 16 knots, it might jump up to 20-21 knots, just enough to press the boat a bit harder than the windvane can cope with. He’s finding the Pacific Ocean a very pleasant place to sail thus far. So much so that he has been sleeping for 8-10 hours a night, waking up regularly to check and adjust course or sails if needed. Often he can get back to sleep within minutes, and consequently is feeling very refreshed.
He continues to cook good meals every day, and even makes pancakes on occasion, enjoyed with jam and home-made honey all the way from County Cork. He also enjoys the honey with cooked oats for breakfast. He is dreaming of finding an Irish pub in Hiva Oa, though acknowledges this is unlikely! He says he likes Irish pubs mostly for their atmosphere, a place where all are welcome, especially if they have a good story to tell.
Not being much of a drinker, though, his primary focus will be to restock with fresh food and vegetables. His plan is to do some paperwork there, explore the island, visit the museum etc, and then move south to the legendary anchorage on Tahuata, with its white beaches and leaning palms, well-known gathering place of cruising yachts. He’s also planning to bake a birthday cake for Jasmine Harrison.
Jasmine has also been sailing consistently fast, usually averaging above 5 knots. On 29 April, the YB Tracker showed that NUMBATOU had ticked off 131 nm in the previous 24 hours. Jasmine says the wind drops off a little occasionally but always returns at moderate strength. The squalls are also moderate, and don’t scare her the way they usually do. She’d been running with the A5 opposite a poled-out jib, but in the last squall switched to the A7 and has left that up. The boat speed has hardly suffered. Jasmine says she is not competitive, and thinks at least half the fleet are just cruising along like she is. That may be true, but the fact remains that NUMBATOU is now consistently placed in the middle of the fleet, not trailing astern as before. Jasmine has evolved from the novice sailor who left Lagos into a competent ocean voyager.
She says the interior of NUMBATOU is now a bit mangy, after weeks of damp air and earlier soakings. There is mould growing in places, and her pillow in particular is a mess. She’s been wearing the same pair of shorts and t-shirt for some time, which she plans to bin upon arrival, so does not have a huge bag of laundry to do when she arrives.
Instead of mundane activities like laundry, Jasmine plans to raft NUMBATOU alongside another boat (no time for anchoring – and besides, she has not done it before, so needs to practice) and head ashore immediately for some fresh food and serious partying. Although she hopes to do some hiking in the Marquesas, she does not want to undertake solo jaunts, like she did in Panama, where she ran through the jungle alone, swinging her fearsome machete. The wild woman of Panama says she wants to be around people, and has already been discussing options with other entrants, including Jakub and Adam. Such are the effects of 40 days of solitude.
She still has plenty of water left, having only used 55L, meaning that there is 100L in reserve, enough to get to Tahiti. She is keen to get some more food supplies though, as she is running short of tinned and other wet foods she likes. There is plenty to eat aboard, just that it does not always appeal, and she’d rather go hungry than eat it. She has plenty of chocolate, but wants to stock up on more crisps and other snacks. Mostly, she just plans to eat as much food as she can while ashore, to make up for her lower food intake on passage. Like a camel!
She has finally won her war against the booby birds, who were both persistent, aggressive when confronted, and incredibly messy. She resorted to hitting them with things, starting with soft objects like coke bottles, which they ignored, or possibly sneered at, and even winch handles. They kept coming back until she appeared on deck with her frying pan, screaming at them like a banshee and threatening to fry them. That got the message across and they vamoosed, but the stinky mess remains. Jasmine has cleaned it up a bit, but says that, really, it sort of fits in with the mangy theme of the rest of the boat, so she might wait until Fiji before doing a major scrub-down.
Josh Kali on SKOOKUM has been very quiet on social media the last couple of weeks, but when asked what he’d been up to, he just laughted and said, ‘Nothing much…it is a bit like Groundhog Day’ (a movie where every day repeats itself). He gets up at dawn, has a look around, then after breakfast hand-steers the boat until noon, takes a break for an hour, then steers again until sunset.
He chooses to do this because he feels the boat sails a straighter course this way, whereas under self-steering gear SKOOKUM tends to hunt back and forth, averaging out the course but sailing more miles to cover the same distance made good. Also, when broad-reaching, the boat tends to sail a bit higher (closer to the wind) than desired when under the windvane, due to SKOOKUM regularly rounding up a bit, whereas while he is hand-steering, he can sail further off the wind without slowing down to do so. You can adjust the windvane to compensate for this, but in the inevitable lulls the vessel is likely to gybe.
When the boat is self-steering during the night, Josh finds it often more comfortable to sail a bit further off the wind, say 270° by the compass, when the desired course is 250°. This puts the boat on more of a run, and less likely to crab to windward. SKOOKUM end up being a bit further north of the rhumb line in the morning, then he beam reaches back down, which takes most of the day. He also finds the boat sails faster on a beam reach than trying to keep it sailing on the desired course, where the wind is broad over the quarter.
None of this worries Josh, as he remains supremely at ease on the ocean. SKOOKUM is bone-dry below, possibly a consequence of her quality build, but also a testament to the disciplined way he runs his ship, a skill honed in the mountains. He says he is living the dream – he gets to go sailing every day – and what could be better? He has about 800 miles to go to landfall and is loving every day.
For the first week since his last call to this scribe, the wind was light, about 8-10 knots, but for the second week it has consistently blown at about 15 knots, with clear skies and easy, 6ft seas, with just an occasional squall in the early morning or late evening. He says he is reluctant to even talk about how good it has been, for fear of jinxing himself!
Josh has enough water left for about 15-20 days, which means he might need to top up in the Marquesas. He has been researching the water-quality in places like Hiva Oa and Tahuata, with reports that the locals drink it safely, though they filter it. With his long expeditionary experience, where he has had to drink water from mountain streams etc, he is used to various methods of purifying water, from boiling it (makes it taste flat) to trwating it He carried a product called Aquamira aboard that is both very effective and has no taste.
He said that the only place he has found water from natural sources to be safe to drink untreated was in Patagonia, because it was too damned cold there for wildlife, or even humans, to be wandering around in the tundra. Now here he is, sailing along under the tropical sun in t-shirt and shorts – no wonder he is loving it!
Food is also not a problem for Josh, and he looks forward to tasty meals every night. The previous night he cooked beef ravioli with sun-dried tomato sauce and garlic. He fully appreciates SKOOKUM’s ability to carry sufficient supplies for him to live an elegant, comfortable life. It sure beats having to carry it all on your back, including your shelter!
It is this scribe’s opinion that when the going get seriously rough, as it inevitably will somewhere along the track back to Antigua, that Josh’s survival skills and discipline will come to the fore. Although he may not be winning this event, he appears to be managing his voyage in exemplary style.
Elsewhere in the fleet, other skippers are also making a fine fist of things. Ertan reported ruefully that he had lost his electric autopilot over the side of TREKKA, having left it in the cockpit while going for a snooze. Conditions seemed OK, and he remembers no significant wave impacting the boat – Neptune just took a fancy to it. He is sailing gently along under main and jib, which he finds produces a steadier course under Hydrovane than poling out headsails.
Eric Marsh reported via WhatsApp that SUNBEAR had 565 miles to go, and that he was having trouble sometimes keeping his batteries up due to cloudy conditions (he missed his weekly call the previous week), but that otherwise the boat was in fine fettle. He was feeling a bit lonely, sick of freeze-dried food, and looking forward to getting in and having a good feed. SUNBEAR was averaging 100 nm a day, with a best day’s run on this trip of 140 nm. He was hoping to get in Friday before predicted light winds set in.
Christian Sauer, on ARGO, leads the middle pack, which includes Eric, Jakub, Jasmine, Adam, and Ertan, behind Dan Turk’s LITTLE BEA and Pilar Pasanau’s PETER PUNK, who are part of the leading pack. They should all be in port by the end of the week, leaving just Josh, Gary Swindail and the Blenkinsop ‘twins’, (sailing side by side) to complete the passage. It’s party time in Hiva Oa!
