Архив постов: April 2024

The Marquesas

April 28, 2024

Having dropped anchor in Taioha’e Bay after 21 days at sea, we had quite a few chores to attend to. But first, Angela and Gerry from MV Celt came over to have a celebratory beer with us. At 9:00 am. Then we had to start to clean the boat. It was not too bad as we had tried very hard to keep he poopy Boobies off as much as possible and cleaned up the poop as best we could along the way. Most important, we had to show the main engine some love. Change engine oil after 496 hours. Change the oil filter, fuel filters, Raycor filters, check coolant, and a few other things. I think I could hear the engine say aaaaaahhhhhh when the clean new oil went in. Fortunately we had not needed to use the generator for the duration of the crossing so did not have to do the same for the generator, or the wing engine.

I had to also do a lot of housework, the floors, walls, heads (bathrooms) tables, everything needed to be wiped down and cleaned. The fridges needed a cleanup, stove top, kitchen sink, and I had to vacuum the carpets. All the mundane household chores which had been largely ignored for 3 weeks now needed attending.

We also had a fair amount of garbage to take ashore. While we don’t have access to garbage disposal, I try to keep the garbage to a minimum and separated. All food waste goes down the Insinkerator, bottles, tins and jars get rinsed and kept in a separate basket. Food wrappers get cleaned and go in the bin along with tea bags and other items that will not start to smell and make life unpleasant.

Stepping ashore was also like a new experience, our sea legs were well and truly entrenched so to us, it felt like we wobbled our way up to the garbage disposal area and down to the market. Standing at the roadside waiting for a passing car, I felt like I should hold on to the sign post incase I stumbled. It took a while to feel normal again, and it was quite a relief when at last it happened.

We made it!

April 10, 2024

On day 21 after departing from Panama, we saw the island of Nuku Hiva looming out of the ocean ahead of us. The voyage had been uneventful, fortunately. The last 4 days, the water was quite unsettled and so it was hard to do anything significant. Frank did not put any fishing lines out, we had a testy experience a couple days earlier with a Marlin, we had to stop in the ocean, the fish went under the boat and Frank eventually decided to get in the water to make sure the line was not tangled in the running gear. And after a long fight, the fish was alongside. I don’t know what we would have done, we needed to get the hook our of its mouth and let it go but how do you do that when it has a meter long spear sticking in front of it? The fish took matters into its own hands and took off like a rocket, taking the hook and very expensive lure with it.

I did all the laundry on the last day, and did a bit of housework to make the boat a bit presentable, and Frank slept till a bit after sunrise, although on that morning there was not much of a sunrise, but that allowed me to be the one to announce ” land ho”. I was very happy to see that land. All the while out there, it took some resolve to not think too hard about the magnitude of what we were doing, the distance between us and well, anything. The engine and all its associated equipment, hydraulic pumps, water pumps, the shaft, shaft bellows, cooling systems, hydraulic systems, performed flawlessly but Istill sometimes wondered, what if… It is 53c in the engine room. Imagine having to work in there for any period of time if Frank and to fix anything.

So there we were, 3900 miles later, patting ourselves on the back for a job well done. A huge achievement. The longest ocean passage conquered. I would not say this was a bucket list item for me but its done now. Yay!!

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