MON: We stayed aboard all day...enjoying the scenery; and watching the constant parade of Japanese tourists getting shuffled to shore and back ten at a time via launcha. The ride through the surf has to be to be timed just right, as not to get pooped (water over your stern). M got our pressure water pump working again...and we just relaxed, knowing we´ll be touring with our friends on Soggy Paws.
TUES: We walked the town...finding the bank to get Chilean pesos, the grocery tiendas, and just to stretch our legs. Dave & Sherry joined us in town after they got checked in...then it was back out to Infini for our celebration party...which also included Andy & Rhiana, svZepherus, and Gary & Tara, svPursuit IV. Zepherus had quite the tales to tell of the tsunami at Juan Fernandez (an island between Chile and Easter Is.) The town had no warning...so the surprise was catastrophic. They rescued a family and a few others...floating by. And when an empty dinghy came by...they grabbed that, and donated their outboard so the family could get back to town. So now they row everywhere. They were ordered to leave before the second wave hit...and sail straight to Easter Is. We saw them sail in, thinking they were just out for a sunset sail (clean decks, no clutter)--30´ custom Alberg design.
TEAM INFINI IS ANCHORED AT EASTER ISLAND!!
We arrived at Hanga Roa and were anchored in 52' by 6:30 pm. We had a good sail during the afternoon in a light 10-12 knot breeze, but when we were 33 miles away from the island the wind fell to 7-8 knots and we motor sailed the rest of the way in. The clock is an hour later here at Easter Island than in the Galapagos; it stays light until about 9 pm, and gets light around 0800 in the morning. Our friends on the sv Visions of Johanna welcomed us in, and we chatted via SSB (single side band radio) with our buddy boat, Soggy Paws, who were still about 160 nm away. There are presently four sailboats anchored here at Hanga Roa, as well as a 150' expedition yacht.
Our final stats (Isla Isabela, Galapagos to Hanga Roa, Easter Island) are as follows:
total nautical miles 1956
total time 13 days, 6.5 hours (318.5 hours. I count time from anchor up to anchor down, and this includes the 1.5 hours motoring out from Isla Isabela)
average speed 6.14 knots
total engine run time 9.5 hours (this includes getting the anchor up, and charging the batteries and the reefer(refrigerator) system)
Overall, I think the above represents a very respectable showing for Infini. There were times when we were hanging on by our prehensile toes, but conditions varied and our modus operandi is to keep the boat moving and to stay (relatively) comfortable. It's time for a cuppa, and we'll await officialdom to arrive soon. Ordinarily, they would have been here as soon as we anchored, but as it was late Sunday afternoon, we notified "Pascua Radio" by VHF radio, let them know we're here, and arranged for a Monday morning check in..... And yes 8 officials came out for the layers of paperwork...and the only thing they took from the boat was a half jar of honey (miel); they're very protective of their bees....so no sticky stuff allowed! Our friends had onions, some of their garlic and some limes taken...but they didn't take them from us!
March 14 - day 14 enroute to Easter Island
position: S26deg45min;W108deg53min
day 13's run - 149 nm
average speed - 6.2 kn
dist to go - 38.3 nm
wx - average 10-12 knots ENE, just aft of the port beam; swells are about 4-6'
sails - full sail
r/r (repair/replace) - 0
comments - we hope to make landfall around 9:00 pm tonight. Full reporting and final stats in tomorrow's blog entry.
day 13's run - 149 nm
average speed - 6.2 kn
dist to go - 38.3 nm
wx - average 10-12 knots ENE, just aft of the port beam; swells are about 4-6'
sails - full sail
r/r (repair/replace) - 0
comments - we hope to make landfall around 9:00 pm tonight. Full reporting and final stats in tomorrow's blog entry.
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March 13 - day 13 enroute to Easter Island
position: S24deg54min;W107deg07min
day 12's run - 150 nm
average speed - 6.25 kn
dist to go - 184 nm
wx - a bit more settled weather, with winds averaging 18-20 knots; swells are now coming from the NE at 8-10'
sails - 2 reefs in main; staysail; partially furled yankee jib; we're broad reaching to running as we try to get a bit closer to our rhumb line
r/r (repair/replace) - electric fresh water galley pump quit; it's getting 12v to the pump, so maybe the high pressure switch failed; I have a replacement pump, and will r/r this one at anchor; meanwhile we'll use the manual pump, which is what we usually do anyway. the electric fresh water pump is typically used to fill our drinking water bottles as it has two filters in line that our manual pump doesn't have.
comments - Our dear friends Susan & Tom of the beautiful Nordhavn 40 Limerick suggested we add a bit more explanation of the Pacific Seafarers Net, so here goes....this Net is run by Ham radio operators for Ham operators aboard vessels voyaging thruout the Pacific region. I counted 12 Ham relay station operators from Hawaii, Tonga, Alabama, New Zealand, California and a few other places I didn't get, and one main controller who runs things in a structured fashion. Vessels voluntarily participate in a "roll call" and opt in or out depending whether they are underway or in port, so the number of vessels participating daily fluctuates. There were 8 vessels checking in our first night of participation, and they were voyaging to the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia, Kirabati of the Line Islands, Easter Island (4 boats), and one boat each to Kwajalein Atoll and Yap Lagoon. So, you can see that boats underway thruout the Pacific are voyaging far and wide. Each vessel provides the following information: time of report in UTC, boat latitude and longitude, boat course and speed, wind direction and speed, sea direction and height, % of cloud cover, and barometer reading and changes of same. This is the data entered into the computer to effect search and rescue efforts should the need arise. A boat can "call traffic" with another vessel or land based station, and phone patches can be arranged if necessary. The Net operates at 0300 UTC, and is on for about one hour....I think that covers most of the pertinent details. Meanwhile, team Infini continues her steady progress and we expect to drop anchor sometime Sunday evening at Hanga Roa. Winds are supposed to lighten up as we get closer to Easter Island, so that will affect our speed and time of arrival. Btw, the 240 meter long cruise ship "Oceanic" (or was it "Oceanus"??) is scheduled to stop at Easter Island on March 15, discharging, if I recall correctly, 650 passengers onto this speck of island! LOL! We don't know how long they're scheduled to stay at Easter, but one can only hope they'll be on their merry way before too long.....Of further interest is that we haven't seen a single other vessel since departing the Galapagos. It's a big ocean out here! We've been on a port tack the entire passage so far, and the Sailomat self steering vane has steered over 95% of the time, with jury rigged repairs (totaling approximately 6 hours or so) being the only time it's been down. We stand watches 24/7, which means that one of us is on deck and "on watch" thruout the night. Fortunately, we really enjoy night sailing, so it's not so much of a burden as one might think, although catching up on our sleep can be difficult with the boat pitching and rolling.
day 12's run - 150 nm
average speed - 6.25 kn
dist to go - 184 nm
wx - a bit more settled weather, with winds averaging 18-20 knots; swells are now coming from the NE at 8-10'
sails - 2 reefs in main; staysail; partially furled yankee jib; we're broad reaching to running as we try to get a bit closer to our rhumb line
r/r (repair/replace) - electric fresh water galley pump quit; it's getting 12v to the pump, so maybe the high pressure switch failed; I have a replacement pump, and will r/r this one at anchor; meanwhile we'll use the manual pump, which is what we usually do anyway. the electric fresh water pump is typically used to fill our drinking water bottles as it has two filters in line that our manual pump doesn't have.
comments - Our dear friends Susan & Tom of the beautiful Nordhavn 40 Limerick suggested we add a bit more explanation of the Pacific Seafarers Net, so here goes....this Net is run by Ham radio operators for Ham operators aboard vessels voyaging thruout the Pacific region. I counted 12 Ham relay station operators from Hawaii, Tonga, Alabama, New Zealand, California and a few other places I didn't get, and one main controller who runs things in a structured fashion. Vessels voluntarily participate in a "roll call" and opt in or out depending whether they are underway or in port, so the number of vessels participating daily fluctuates. There were 8 vessels checking in our first night of participation, and they were voyaging to the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia, Kirabati of the Line Islands, Easter Island (4 boats), and one boat each to Kwajalein Atoll and Yap Lagoon. So, you can see that boats underway thruout the Pacific are voyaging far and wide. Each vessel provides the following information: time of report in UTC, boat latitude and longitude, boat course and speed, wind direction and speed, sea direction and height, % of cloud cover, and barometer reading and changes of same. This is the data entered into the computer to effect search and rescue efforts should the need arise. A boat can "call traffic" with another vessel or land based station, and phone patches can be arranged if necessary. The Net operates at 0300 UTC, and is on for about one hour....I think that covers most of the pertinent details. Meanwhile, team Infini continues her steady progress and we expect to drop anchor sometime Sunday evening at Hanga Roa. Winds are supposed to lighten up as we get closer to Easter Island, so that will affect our speed and time of arrival. Btw, the 240 meter long cruise ship "Oceanic" (or was it "Oceanus"??) is scheduled to stop at Easter Island on March 15, discharging, if I recall correctly, 650 passengers onto this speck of island! LOL! We don't know how long they're scheduled to stay at Easter, but one can only hope they'll be on their merry way before too long.....Of further interest is that we haven't seen a single other vessel since departing the Galapagos. It's a big ocean out here! We've been on a port tack the entire passage so far, and the Sailomat self steering vane has steered over 95% of the time, with jury rigged repairs (totaling approximately 6 hours or so) being the only time it's been down. We stand watches 24/7, which means that one of us is on deck and "on watch" thruout the night. Fortunately, we really enjoy night sailing, so it's not so much of a burden as one might think, although catching up on our sleep can be difficult with the boat pitching and rolling.
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March 12 - day 12; enroute to Easter Island
position: S23deg01min;W105deg27min
day 11's run - 137 nm
average speed - 5.7 kn
dist to go - 328 nm
wx - pretty good overall; occasional higher wind gusts 28-30, but not sustained
sails - 2 reefs in main; staysail; partially furled yankee jib
r/r (repair/replace) - port cheek block for windvane control arm let go; jury rigged OK.
comments - seas continue on the beam or aft of the beam at 8'; we're doing well; expect landfall Sun late or Mon early.
day 11's run - 137 nm
average speed - 5.7 kn
dist to go - 328 nm
wx - pretty good overall; occasional higher wind gusts 28-30, but not sustained
sails - 2 reefs in main; staysail; partially furled yankee jib
r/r (repair/replace) - port cheek block for windvane control arm let go; jury rigged OK.
comments - seas continue on the beam or aft of the beam at 8'; we're doing well; expect landfall Sun late or Mon early.
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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"
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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March 10 - day 10
position: S19deg20min;W102deg33min
day 9's run - 153 nm
average speed - 6.4 kn
dist to go - 602 nm
wx - squally in the early morning; highest wind in squalls 35 knots; S saw boat speed on the GPS surge to 13 knots as we surfed down the face of a wave! Ha! We were hoping the weather would moderate some, but it looks like another 24-36 hours of same before conditions ease a bit.
sails - 2 reefs in main; staysail; furled yankee jib completely during highest wind gusts; it's back out to about 50% at this time.
r/r (repair/replace) - 0
comments - 8' beam seas are rolling us as we make a gradual turn towards Hanga Roa.
day 9's run - 153 nm
average speed - 6.4 kn
dist to go - 602 nm
wx - squally in the early morning; highest wind in squalls 35 knots; S saw boat speed on the GPS surge to 13 knots as we surfed down the face of a wave! Ha! We were hoping the weather would moderate some, but it looks like another 24-36 hours of same before conditions ease a bit.
sails - 2 reefs in main; staysail; furled yankee jib completely during highest wind gusts; it's back out to about 50% at this time.
r/r (repair/replace) - 0
comments - 8' beam seas are rolling us as we make a gradual turn towards Hanga Roa.
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March 9. Enroute Galapagos to Easter Island
position: S17deg03min;W101deg33min
day 8's run - 139 nm
average speed - 5.8 kn
dist to go - 746 nm
wx - squally; mixed wind conditions; highest wind in squalls 27 knots; avg wind 18-20
sails - 2 reefs in main; staysail; partially furled yankee jib
r/r (repair/replace) - 0
comments - beam seas continue
day 8's run - 139 nm
average speed - 5.8 kn
dist to go - 746 nm
wx - squally; mixed wind conditions; highest wind in squalls 27 knots; avg wind 18-20
sails - 2 reefs in main; staysail; partially furled yankee jib
r/r (repair/replace) - 0
comments - beam seas continue
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