March 11 - Day 11 enroute to Easter Island

position: S21deg15min;W104deg01min (location of Hanga Roa, where we check in at Easter Island, is S27deg09min;W109deg27min)
day 10's run - 146 nm
average speed - 6.1 kn
dist to go - 461 nm
wx - squally; mixed wind conditions; highest wind 32 knots; avg wind 23-25; it's settled down a bit to avg 18 knots
sails - 2 reefs in main; staysail; completely furled yankee jib
r/r (repair/replace) - port cheek block for the steering vane let go; explanation below.
comments - we're trying to keep the seas aft of the beam; Pacific Seafarer's Net; "team Infini"

This past evening wasn't too bad; we clocked 7-8 knots boat speed all night in winds 18-20, with occasional higher gusts. Of note last night was our first official check into the Pacific Seafarer's Net. This is a structured Ham net, and operates thru out the Pacific areas with specific information gathered from each boat participating in roll call, and that data is then entered into a computer data base. In case of search and rescue, which the Seafarer's Net has been involved in many times, including our personal knowledge of two successful rescues, one acute medical that I participated in, and another when one of our friend's boat (a catamaran) capsized offshore, rescue was coordinated by this same Net. So, you can see they take things very seriously, do tremendous work, and those of us out here sailing are really appreciative of their efforts. What also got me stoked was talking to one of the guys living on Pitcairn Island (Dave Brown, VP6DB), our very next stop after we depart Easter Island. More about that in a later blog entry. They're expecting us now, and I'm sure we'll talk again long before we get there. So getting back to this morning, we had just finished checking in with our friends and buddy boat Soggy Paws, when the winds came up and the port cheek block for the wind vane let go. Winds maxed at 33, and boat speed was 8-9 thru out the hour or so these higher winds lasted. With wind vane self steering, the forces the lines endure into the blocks are tremendous, and we're still adapting line leads and blocks. It took over three hours to finally get an effective repair I liked, and that was after chamfering the holes (portable drill and chamfer bit, hanging on in 25 knots of wind :)) in the base of a stainless steel 1/4" pad so as to not chafe thru any other lines that are lead thru them, while Sue was having a blast hand steering thru out. So, winds are now down to about 18 knots, and it seems like we're standing still! Btw, our friends Dave and Wendy on the Westsail 42, Elysium, came up with the concept of "team Infini." They're currently in Antigua in the Eastern Caribbean, and Elysium is one of the most beautifully finished W-42's you'll see. And you know, they're right. As we close Easter Island, it's the very many encouraging thoughts and prayers coming from so many of our friends and family that make this, indeed, a team effort of sorts, albeit vicariously. So, thanks, everybody, and team Infini continues on track and all's well.

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