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October 25, 2006

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October 18, 2006

October 13, 2006

October 8, 2006

October 6, 2006

October 5, 2006

October 2, 2006

September 30, 2006

September 5, 2006

September 4, 2006

September 3, 2006

August 27, 2006

August 22, 2006

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August 20, 2006

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August 18, 2006

August 17, 2006

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August 13, 2006

August 11, 2006

August 6, 2006

August 5, 2006

August 4, 2006

August 3, 2006

August 2, 2006

August 1, 2006

July 31, 2006

Observed Wx Sunny, hot, humid, scattered clouds

Intentions next Wp 16 30N, 155 36W, BRG 158M at RNG 147nm
 

Kinetic position at 1625 hrs UTC on Aug 1

POSN 16 32N, 156 00W
COG 170M
SOG 7.2
TWD 096M
TWS 14
Sea Ht 2-3 ft
Sea Dir 100M
Observed Wx Sunny, low clouds 35% cover

Kinetic is on day 3 of her passage from Lahaina, Hawaii to Fanning Atoll, Kiribati. Fanning Atoll is at 3 50N, 159 22W, about 1,050nm South of Lahaina. Current conditions are trade winds sailing, beam reaching in 13-15 knots, doing 7.5-8.5 knots. We are already getting plenty of practice with partially furling and unfurling the genoa and with reefing and shaking reefs out of the mainsail.

Dolphins visited us and played around our bow during our test sail in Lahaina a few days before our departure. One of the local fish boats stopped by the dock to tell us that a returning Pacific Cup race boat was sunk by a whale and the crew were all rescued after taking to their liferaft and setting off their EPIRB. A good omen followed by a sobering story, both just before our own departure. We hope to see more dolphins up close and any whales from a distance.

Day 1, we left Lahaina on July 30 at 1215 in perfect weather and light wind. We were the last-but-one Vic Maui race boat to leave, with Passepartout still at the dock. The other boat are all headed North, while we are headed South. We are equipped with cruising sails and are heavily laden with food, fuel, water and cruising amenities, making a noticeable performance difference from racing trim.

Still in daylight, we cleared Maui and Kahoolawe, passing close by Molokini. We then crossed Alenuihaha Channel between Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii on our first evening/night, with plenty of wind and a good sea running on the port quarter. By early morning we were in the wind shadow of the Big Island and had a 5 knot headwind, a swell and adverse current all conspiring against us. We used a special cruising sail, the Yanmar turbodiesel, to overcome these challenging conditions.

Day 2 we worked by and to the South of the Big Island in improving wind conditions and "before nightfall a memory was all that was left of calm and slop". We hope it stays that way.

We've already seen flying fish, another sailboat, a boat's lights at night, sea birds and a whole lot of ocean. A very big sky, with sun and puffy white clouds, followed by sunset and billions of stars. The moon and a moonlit path painted on the water. More stars and then a brilliant dawn.

Everyone is adapting to the offshore passage and watch system. Sunny, hot, humid, a few clouds on the horizon. Did I say hot and humid? Hot and humid. The heat and humidity are making sleeping hard and it will probably take a few more days before everyone is fully adapted.

We'd be happy to receive brief emails through the kinetic at kineticsailing dot com email address.

David.
 

Kinetic position at 1607 hrs UTC on Aug 3

POSN 10 31N, 156 46W
COG 190M
SOG 7.2
TWD 062M
TWS 16
Sea Ht 5 ft
Sea Dir 065M
Observed Wx low clouds 50% cover, showers infrequent
Intentions: steer 187M to approx 5N, 156W, then steer directly to Fanning A
 

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 4

POSN 7 41N, 157 37W
COG 195M
SOG 6.6
TWD 100M
TWS 12
Sea Ht 3-5 ft
Sea Dir 080M
Observed Wx low clouds 50% cover, heavy showers and squalls intermittent
Intentions: sail (motorsail when necessary to maintain speed) directly to Fanning for arrival in daylight on Sat Aug 05
 

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 5

POSN 5 08N, 158 44W
COG 185-192M
SOG 5.4-6.4
TWD 050-070M unstable
TWS 8-10
Sea Ht 2-3 ft
Sea Dir 090M
Observed Wx low clouds 75% cover, a few distant squalls; was fairly clear for most of last 24 hours
Intentions: sail directly to Fanning, expect to stand off overnight for arrival in daylight on Sunday a.m. Aug 06

 

Yesterday, Saturday, at 1745 hrs Jeffrey called out Land Hoy! We're not sure why "hoy" instead of "ho" but that's OK. We are tired and happy after a six and a half day passage from Lahaina which included generally favorable winds and a total of thirty four hours of motoring during light patches. Last night, we had a long night tacking back and forth waiting for the morning, and for the current, to enter the lagoon through a narrow, shallow pass. Early in the morning, just before dawn, dolphins played and splashed around us in the darkness, making us feel welcome to Kiribati.

Kiribati is pronounced Kiribas, and is a British Commonwealth country which became independent in 1979. It consists entirely of islands sparsely scattered East to West straddling the international date line over thousands of miles of the Pacific Ocean, roughly South of Hawaii and North of Tahiti, and is made up of most of the Line Islands in the East and the Gilbert Islands in the West. Tabuaeran is about 230 miles North of the Equator, and about 1,050 miles South of Hawaii. You won't find it on many maps but the kids attest that you can get there on Google Earth; they have a printout on the boat to prove it.

The most current available (US) chart for Tabuaeran dates from a British Admiralty survey and chart from 1899, with notations added in 1939 and corrections to 1984. The least depth in the entrance has shoaled from 27 feet to 16 feet during that time period. The chart still shows features such as "native huts" and, as we entered the lagoon through the narrow pass, our boat symbol on the chartplotter went right across terra firma. Fortunately, the boat itself did not.

This morning, Sunday, at 0915, Kinetic anchored in English Harbour at Tabuaeran (Fanning) Atoll. Clearing the passage in, the first anchored boat we saw was flying the Canadian flag! Two more sailboats lay at anchor, and a few local power boats. The setting is a large lagoon with beautifully coloured water over a sand and coral bottom, inside a coral barrier reef fringed with palm trees. A refreshing breeze blows over Kinetic and through the thankfully open hatches and ports, breathing freshness into a former haven of humidity.

The skipper freshened up, then went ashore alone with papers and passports to clear in with the local authorities, as is the custom, but the office was closed. We are boat-bound, officially, until we clear in properly. Turns out today, Sunday, is actually tomorrow, Monday, due to this part of Kiribati chosing to observe the same date as the rest of Kiribati, which is on the other side of the international date line. We still haven't figured out what time it is, locally. The date change here (rather than further West) is a bit of a surprise to us, and something not documented in the official nautical publications or cruising guides. Further, today, Monday, is National Youth Day, which we knew something about, and tomorrow, Tuesday, is also a vacation day of sorts as the President of Kiribati is coming to visit Tabuaeran for the first time since he was elected, which visit of course we knew nothing about. The dock area is being busily spruced up and there will be a school parade in celebration of the visit tomorrow. There are three primary schools, one junior and one senior secondary school here on Tabuaeran, but we haven't seen any indication yet of where all the people are.

Hope you are all well, and regards,
David.
 

Kinetic position at 2018 hrs UTC on Aug 11

POSN 3 51N, 159 21W, anchored Fanning Atoll COG nmf SOG nmf TWD 150M TWS 5-10 gusting 15-20 infrequently Sea Ht not observed Sea Dir not observed Observed Wx low clouds 75% cover, showers frequent
Intentions: start passage to Wallis Island tomorrow, August 12 at 1900 UTC

We've had a great rest and stay at Fanning. For the past few days we have watched the parade and marching associated with the Kiribati president's visit, seen the supply ship offload cargo right onto the beach, explored the lagoon, swam, drift-snorkeled the entrance passage, walked along the roads and tracks, exchanged greetings with and met local people, visited a local school and gotten together with some other cruisers including a Canadian couple. We've also done some maintenance in preparation for the next passage.

We were finally able to officially clear into the country today, and at the same time we requested our clearance papers in preparation for leaving!

Today the three adults dinghied across the entrance passage and then walked along a local dirt road, through Napari village and to and from the old telegraph station at Whaler Anchorage, about four and a half hours round trip. Coconut crabs are prolific; most scuttle into their holes, but some stand to challenge our approach, claws raised. Homes are mostly made of local materials and look very "tropical" - open sides, thatched roofs, raised floors, mostly single story although a very few do have two levels. There are generators, solar panels and the occasional antenna, but there is a fuel shortage, no electrical grid and very few modern conveniences. Livestock includes pigs (tethered to trees), free-ranging chickens and a few geese. Coconuts are heaped everywhere, breadfruit trees are fairly common, a few papaya trees were roadside and here and there are taro and vegetable gardens. Men cast lines from shore and sailing vessels ply the lagoon, fishing.

Most people here are shy, initially. A few come forward and pro-actively greet visitors, but most wait until we take the initiative. A greeting and a smile are almost always amply rewarded. Their language is Gilbertese and most speak some English as well.

Transportation is mostly by foot, bicycle and small boat, augmented with a smattering of motor-scooters and hand carts, while school children are packed into open-bed trucks and small flat-bottomed boats. The economy is subsistence plus seaweed harvesting (for which payments have been slow for the last year), copra production (currently very low prices) and tourism (one cruise line has stops here from October to April). While there is no doctor and no dentist, there is a medical clinic with at least one local nurse.

At the telegraph station, almost all the old concrete buildings are in use as schools, churches, residences and so on. There are some interesting ruins as well. The station went into service in 1902 and even today there are spools of cable lying around the grounds. There's a Canadian connection, too, as the station was the link between Pacific Ocean telegraph stations in Bamfield, BC and in Fiji, part of a globe-girdling system connecting interests in the British Empire (Commonwealth?).

We are planning to depart tomorrow morning, bound for Wallis Island (13S 176W) in the French overseas territory of Wallis and Futuna, about 1445nm (rhumbline) and an estimated 11 days away.

Will send occasional updates and we do appreciate receiving short emails, as always.

Thank you,
David.
 

Kinetic position at 1613 hrs UTC on Aug 13
POSN 3 15N, 159 54W
COG 190
SOG 2.5
TWD 110M
TWS 4-6
Sea Ht 2-3 ft, subsiding
Sea Dir 150M
Observed Wx: mid level clouds 90% cover, a few clear breaks, dry
Intentions: continue towards AP #1, may not be able to lay it unless wind speed/sea state improves
 

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 14
POSN 1 51N, 160 34W
COG 182M
SOG 3.0
TWD 100M
TWS 5-6
Sea Ht 2
Sea Dir 100M
Observed Wx: low & mid level clouds 60% cover, a few showers
Intentions: continue toward AP #3
 

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 15
POSN 1 0S, 161 12W
COG 190M
SOG 7.6
TWD 090M
TWS 10-14
Sea Ht 2-3 ft
Sea Dir 100M
Observed Wx: 25% cumulus cover, dry
Intentions: continue towards AP #3
Note change from N to S on latitude, we crossed the equator last night.

Kinetic crossed the Equator last night on her passage from Fanning Island (3-51N, 159-21W) to Wallis Island (13-18S, 176-11W). King Neptune made the traditional appearance complete with trident and, with a deft hand, welcomed all six initiates. He was given his due and has since returned to his home in the deeps.

Trying for tuna, offshore, one afternoon we caught a five foot long shark. It mightily tested us and our fishing gear before being brought alongside Kinetic, and after a few photos we released it to chase real fish. It reminded us of fishing for salmon and catching dogfish back home; we must have been going too slow!

Speaking of slow, for quite a while we were doing about 1 knot in 3 knots of wind, calling into question the adequacy of our provisions. We don't carry enough diesel to run the code Y sail in every calm patch. However, things have since improved and we are sailing along nicely in steady breeze. Touch wood. Twice.

Lemons, limes, oranges and apples, along with cabbage, celery, onions and potatoes have all kept well onboard since leaving Hawaii. All the other fresh fruits and vegetables have been eaten or have spoiled in the heat. We also have stocks of dry, frozen and canned foods. Drinks and soups, tetra-packaged for long life, are very practical but the selection was surprisingly limited in Hawaii. As a result, the kids are, willingly or otherwise, developing a taste for soy milk.

The kids are filling the offshore passage days with songs, stories, games, reading, more reading, word puzzles and sleeping. They are also a great help with chores and watch-keeping. We are going through gallons of sunscreen.

David.
 

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 16
POSN 3 48S, 162 53W
COG 204M
SOG 8.2
TWD 100M
TWS 13-16
Sea Ht 3-4 ft
Sea Dir 100M
Observed Wx: clear, 5% low cloud cover, dry
Intentions: continue towards AP #3
24 hr run 195.9nm

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 17
POSN 06 04S, 164 03W
COG 175M
SOG 5.5
TWD 040M
TWS 12
Sea Ht 2-3 ft
Sea Dir 100M
Observed Wx: mostly clear, increasing cloud cover, dry
Intentions: continue towards AP #3
24 hr run 154.3nm
 

Kinetic position at 1725 hrs UTC on Aug 18
POSN 07 38S, 164 24W
COG 208M
SOG 4.8
TWD 333M
TWS 6-9
Sea Ht 2-3 ft
Sea Dir 080M
Observed Wx:
-- light variable wind except squalls 18-24 knots, heavy rain and lighting
wind shifts over 100 degrees, wind direction ranged from 330M through 120M to 240M, multiple cycles;
-- now clearing, still 80% cloud cover, wind steadier
Intentions: continue towards AP #3
24 hr run 91.6nm

Daily 24 hr runs since Fanning Island were 84.6nm (first 27 hours), 138.7, 192.5, 184.5, 125.7 and 76.9. Things have been a little slower in the last while, but we were steadily making progress in nice weather and fairly light winds with gently rolling seas on the beam. Now we are entirely becalmed, waiting for the new wind to arrive. A few hours ago, most of us went for a quick and refreshing swim, one at a time, from the back of the boat. The water here is about sixteen thousand feet deep.

One evening just after sunset we had a pod of dolphins swim close alongside for a while. They were larger and darker than we have seen previously, but with approaching darkness we couldn't make out a lot of details. We had a similar visit in the pre-dawn light one morning, as well.

Early another morning, Naomi was on watch when a bird flew into the mainsail, slid down and flopped into her lap. It sat quietly on the deck for a while, keeping her company, moved around the boat a bit, left some unpleasant deposits from both ends, and eventually flew off to rest on the water before finally flying away to destinations unknown. The nearest land is a tiny island about 280nm away.

Later the same morning it was "fish on!" time again, this time with something that was really big and that could easily run line off the deep water reel even with the drag set all the way into the "locked" position. We thought it might be another shark, bigger than the last one, but when it broke water and thrashed about quite a distance from the boat, we saw that it was a striped Marlin! It splashed, ran and sounded several times, attempting to escape. It took about three quarters of an hour to bring it alongside the boat long enough for Graeme to get some video footage, and then we cut the line, releasing the seven foot fish before, hopefully, it was too tired to recover. That cannot be said of the rod, which was bent double for most of the fight, or of the fisherman, bent almost as double as the rod and off whom was pouring sheets of sweat ... an hour later he still was recovering. We've had a shark, a nice single meal sized tuna and a marlin since we left Fanning Island - lots of variety and excitement but not so much eating ...

We sailed inside a large squall system at night for well over an hour, with lightning flashing in the distance and the wind veering 50-80 degrees and jumping from 6-8 to 18-24 knots in a few minutes. It poured bucket-loads of warm rain, rinsing the boat of the all-encrusting salt deposits and providing fresh showers for the above-decks crew and some welcome relief from the equatorial heat. On the other hand, we have to close all the hatches and ports when squalls pass over, shutting down all the air circulation for any crew resting or working below-decks.

It's day seven of this passage and we're now about half way between Fanning Island and Wallis Island.

Thanks for all the email from friends ashore.
David
 

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 19
POSN 08 27S, 164 44W
COG nmf
SOG 0
TWD 330M
TWS 2
Sea Ht 1-2 ft
Sea Dir 080M
Observed Wx: calm, 50% cloud cover, a few distant squalls
Intentions: continue towards AP #3
24 hr run 57.7nm
 

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 20
POSN 08 56S, 165 23W
COG nmf
SOG 0
TWD 073M
TWS 0-2
Sea Ht 2-3 ft
Sea Dir 080M
Observed Wx:
-- overnight very heavy rain, caught a few windy squalls, otherwise very calm;
-- this morning: calm, 25% cloud cover, a few distant squalls
Intentions: rhumbline AP #4
24 hr run 48.2nm
 

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 21
POSN 10 36S, 166 47W
COG 205M
SOG 5.6
TWD 069M
TWS 15-18
Sea Ht 4-5 ft
Sea Dir 070M
Observed Wx: steady ENE wind plus occasional strong squalls >30 knots, lightning, 90% cloud cover
Intentions: jibe down the line to AP #4
24 hr run 129.9nm
 

Kinetic position at 1600 hrs UTC on Aug 22
POSN 12 13S, 168 12W
COG 201M
SOG 6.5
TWD 051M
TWS 13-15
Sea Ht 3-4 ft
Sea Dir 055M
Observed Wx: steady ENE wind, clear with 10% cloud cover, one large squall yesterday with 35+ knots TWS
Intentions: jibe down the line to AP #4
24 hr run 140.6nm
 

Hello all:

With light air and civilization's lights looming alluringly, we decided to use the last of our Hawaiian diesel to stop in at Pago Pago in American Samoa for provisions on our way to Wallis Island. American Samoa is a US possession with a local Samoan government, following US laws and practices, leavened pleasantly with local practices. It is distinct from neighboring Samoa, an independent country formerly known as Western Samoa. The approach to Pago Pago is along a spectacular coastline, coral fringed with huge breaking seas, featuring volcanic cones, steep green hillsides and cloud-capped mountains.

Pago Pago is a major tuna processing center for Starkist and other brands. Refrigerated ships, container ships and tuna fishing boats of immense proportion, with upswept bows, massive net handling equipment and rust-streaked sides pack the harbour. Driving past the canneries and loitering labourers in search of propane, we saw a large statue of "Charlie the Tuna", proclaiming Pago Pago to be his permanent home. The canneries cook and clang twenty four hours per day, emitting a dull din and committing an olfactory offense which is swept downwind into the west end of the harbour where the small boats (i.e. Kinetic) are anchored. The harbour water is choked with plastic and other debris, and the bottom is a local dumping ground, evidenced by the garbage bags and complete mountain bike which we pulled up on a few of our attempts to get the anchor to set properly. No swimming here. All but one of the cruising guides we've read pan Pago Pago as a destination for these reasons.

The hidden story, though, is the people, and the guidebooks would do a fairer service by taking more time on this aspect. Samoans are very friendly to strangers, and not in a commercially motivated way. Whether you are walking along the street or into a store, or browsing the market, or moving heavy provisions from car to dock to boat, people will stop and smile and offer to help, unhindered by artificial needs to rush here or there. Ask a question, and they take the time to provide lots of extra information and think of further helpful suggestions. This is true even of people working for the bureaucracy, of whom there are many. None were officious, most were helpful beyond their specific duties and all were welcoming. All of which is a good thing, because it was quite an intricate welcoming process.

We arrived mid-day and called Harbour Control on the radio but could not get a response. As we motored slowly into the harbour, a boat loaded with officials altered course and intercepted us, directing us to a dock for inspections. Not too long afterwards in the sweltering sun, the Harbourmaster came by the boat to let us know what to expect, and to require us to attend his office later in the process. Some time later, two Customs officers arrived, inspected the boat, had us fill out paperwork, and left. In due course, a Quarantine official arrived with more questions and paperwork. Then a delegate arrived asking me to come to the Harbourmaster's office. There, there was more paperwork and lots of local information volunteered; they even telephoned the fuel company for us to book an appointment for loading diesel. Next stop was the Port Authority office closely followed by the Security office where I dropped off copies of paperwork. Back to the boat, where the rest of the crew was legally captive until we finished clearing in, to find out that (a) they were getting hot and impatient and (b) that Immigration hadn't arrived yet. Acting on an earlier suggestion of the Harbourmaster, I checked out of the restricted area with Security and walked about twenty minutes to get to the Immigration offices where our passports were stamped. We never did see the Public Health inspector, whose duties differ somehow from the Quarantine inspector. Finally, it was back through Security to the boat, where a much relieved crew, unsympathetic to why the process had taken so long, was only too happy to help move off the dock and over to the anchorage.

Finally anchored and free, we had some refreshments and then launched the dinghy in order to go ashore. Jeffrey and Lisa each passed the practical exam portion of the requirements for their Kinetic international motorized dinghy operators certificate (KIMDOC for short), joining Graeme in our expanded pool of highly motivated water taxi operators. Immediately dockside, a convenience store with ice creams and cold drinks all around, a laundry with showers, a hardware store and more friendly people. Seafood for dinner, at Sook Sushi, followed by a fresh rainshower on the dinghy ride back to the boat. We rented a car, had lunch at the Pago Pago Yacht Club, shopped for provisions, browsed a bookstore, changed some currency at the bank and went to the local farmers market. Ate at famous Sadie's restuarant.

Unsurprisingly, securing our exit clearance papers involved a lengthy circuit starting with passing Security to see the Harbourmaster, proceeding through Port Authority, Customs office 1, Customs 2, Customs 3, back to Customs 2, on to Customs 3, out through Security to clear Immigration, back to Customs 2, Customs 1, Customs 3, Customs 2 and finally out through Security, free to leave. Admittedly, a few of the Customs office stops were necessitated by some confusion on my part with the process.

Having arrived in Pago Pago on Wednesday and departed on Saturday, it was the briefest of visits and yet very pleasant. We secured almost all of the provisions we wanted, fairly priced, enjoyed a few good meals ashore, met some very nice people and had a rest from the rigours of passagemaking. We will have to find an excuse to return someday and see much more of the Samoas.

We are now underway from Pago Pago, sailing downwind in twenty to thirty knots, to Wallis Island.

David.
 

We stayed several days at Gahi anchorage (13-20.1S, 176-11.2W) at Uvea Island, Wallace Islands, Wallis and Futuna, an overseas territory of France.

Making landfall, with a following sea and a good breeze, on a lee shore comprised of coral reefs, and picking our way through a narrow pass and the lagoon to the anchorage, required advance planning and execution both alert and calm. We timed our arrival at the islands for mid-morning to allow us time to assess the conditions (i.e. current and the possibility of rips or breaking waves) at the pass and the accuracy of the charts. By late morning, the sun was high in the sky which made it easier to see coral outcrops and other shoal areas. This beneficial effect was lessened when the sun inconveniently became obscured by clouds just when it was time to make the transit from inside the pass through the lagoon to the anchorage. Fortunately, the navigation markers were in place, and this combined with the crew work on sail-handling and on taking bearings was more than adequate to get us in safely.

The formalities here were quickly dispensed that afternoon with by a trip into Mata-utu to see les gendarmes and then les duoanes, with the latter actually re-opening their offices almost ninety minutes after closing time to process our paperwork. On the way there, we were offered a ride by a senior member of the local government, an expatriate from France, who picked us up, drove us to each office, helped translate and finally dropped us off at the local bank where we could exchange some currency. This friendliness was the rule rather than the exception during our stay. We did the same process again some days later, minus the volunteer assistance, to clear out for our departure.

People at Wallis have relatively good access to modern conveniences for such a remote island location. At the same time it appears to be quite unspoiled. There is an electric and water utility company, good roads, grocery stores with a wide range of goods, a hospital with free health care, and not too many people. Most houses have large yards, many with livestock and extensive gardens. Pigs and chickens seem to be everywhere.

There was a "convergence zone" lying over the area the whole time we stayed, bringing spells of gusty, rainy weather interspersed with periods of blue sky or stars. A local person, in response to our observation about there being a lot of rain for the "dry season", commented that they consider there to be two seasons: the rainy season, and the season when it rains. Being from Vancouver, we had a keen insight into his explanation.

After a choppy trip out in the dinghy, we drift-snorkeled in gentle current over a reef near a small island or motu that forms part of the barrier or fringing reef, and saw brilliantly coloured fish, a sea turtle, a white ray, and many shapes and sizes of coral. At the waters edge were crabs inhabiting a wide assortment of seashells, a mix of fine sand and pebbles of coral, birds wheeling overhead and alighting in the palm trees with nesting material and very warm water; just inside the edge of the trees were a few shelters. The motus are communally owned and we were told we were free to visit them as long as we cleaned up after ourselves.

We hoofed it part way on foot into the main village of Mata-utu a few times. Each walk anywhere, even without sticking a thumb out, a local car would eventually stop and offer a ride, with people quite willing to take you wherever you wanted to go, even if it was out of their own way. French is the predominant language spoken to outsiders and we struggled to recall those long-ago high school classes ... Graeme was a great help as a translator.

Kinetic got underway from Wallis Islands on Sunday morning, September 3rd, bound for Fiji.

Regards,
David.
 

Kinetic position at 1000 hrs UTC on Sep 4 (2200 hrs local time Sep 4, Fiji time=UTC+12)
POSN 16-43.4S, 179-11.8W
COG 210M
SOG 6.4
TWD 143M
TWS 17
Sea Ht 3-5 ft
Sea Dir 140M
Observed Wx: steady SE wind, 75% cloud cover, veiled moon, no showers; sailed through fields of floating pumice for about 6 hours today, expect bottom paint to be well burnished
Intentions: clear Nanuku Passage (now) and sail to Suva, Fiji; ETA Wed Sep 6
24 hr run 166nm
 

Kinetic arrived in Suva, Fiji late on Tuesday evening, September 5.

Our passage from Wallis Island to Suva was quick and quite interesting. We left Wallis Island early on Sunday morning, with the wind blowing 20-25 knots, gusting higher, a little more than we would have preferred, as the wind was forecast to become quite light in about a day and we wanted to use what remaining wind there was to get to Fiji. Naturally, there were squalls lurking about and one of these chose to blow through with extra wind and visibility-obscuring heavy rain just as we were about to navigate the pass out of the lagoon. We consulted our copy of "colregs", decided the squall had the right of way and let it go first, then we squirted out the pass between breaking seas on the reef to windward and breaking seas on the reef to leeward.

Outside the reef, we breathed a sigh of relief and adapted to an uncomfortable motion as the wind was abeam and the seas were rough, the result of several days of twenty knot plus winds. Three reefs in the main and a partially furled genoa steadied the rolling a little and allowed us to sail as fast as we wanted to in the conditions. Within a day the sea state had moderated and the wind was a steady twenty knots; shaking out a reef, we ground away the miles in relative comfort. Seabirds wheeled over schools of fish and plunged into the water to catch dinner, while flying fish fanned out ahead, marking Kinetic's passage and drawing the attention of even more birds.

Our routine was interrupted when an engine alarm sounded. This proved to be the result of the ignition switch shorting out after taking one too many salt water baths in rough seas as waves swept along the deck and residual water splashed into the cockpit. The engine wasn't on at the time, and can't be turned on until the switch is replaced. Marine parts stores being scarce in mid-ocean, we rummaged through our electrical spares bin and came up with a spare circuit breaker, which we wired in as a replacement ignition switch.

Why does the engine matter? It is a sailboat, after all. Well, it turns out that the engine is almost vital; with it we generate electricity to keep the batteries charged, and this electricity powers the watermaker (essential on longer passages), the navigation systems (where are we? how do we get where we are going?), the refrigeration (frozen meals and perishables), the autopilot (very handy for short-handed crews) and sundry other things such as lights, radios, computer and so on. No engine, no electricity.

Having just completed the above repair, without warning the boat rounded up into the wind as a result of the autopilot kicking out. It resolutely refuses to be re-engaged, and we hand steer while searching for the source of this new problem. Diagnosis: a faulty relay or solenoid. As a specialized part that hasn't failed before, it is no surprise that there are no spares onboard. Solution: re-wire the autopilot power supply circuit so that we still have a heavy duty fuse in the circuit, but so that the relay is bypassed and power is supplied to the autopilot regardless of the position of the autopilot circuit breaker on the DC panel. The autopilot matters, because hand steering is quite tiring with a short-handed crew, particularly at night.

Things tend to happen in threes, so it should not have been a surprise that the chartplotter decided to power itself off and stubbornly stay that way despite all remonstrations. By now we were approaching landfall at Fiji's outer islands, with tricky navigation among unfamiliar and poorly marked reefs, both day and night. The chartplotter matters, because it has the most accurate charts of the area we are navigating. This problem defied a direct resolution, and we proceeded with the laptop (loaded with lower resolution charts), paper charts, radar and with a handheld GPS as a backup. We also switched our watch rotation so that one crew member could do the piloting work full time.

Having already had a busy night crawling around the bilges, and having avoided/neglected to charge the batteries while we sorted the various challenges out, we then sailed into a problem of a different sort: a sea of floating flotsam, acres upon thousands of acres. We dipped a bucket and confirmed that it was pumice, volcanic rock that is lighter than water and which floats. Somewhere to windward, an underwater volcano or vent must have spewed an enormous volume of material, enough to carpet hundreds of square miles of the ocean's surface with patches of pumice which made a novel noise as it sanded the boat and our expensive bottom paint. The paddlewheel on the speed log jammed immediately and repeatedly, clogged with tiny pumice particles. Spindrift streaks of pumice lay upon the water ahead and to windward, as far as the eye could see. Clearly, we could not run the engine as the pumice would fatally clog the cooling system.

We made landfall at night, hand steering to conserve our already low batteries. After six or eight hours, and in the relative lee of a few reefs and islands, the pumice seemed to be gone (it was dark) and we dared to charge the batteries. All went well as we picked our way through the islands to get to the main island of Viti Levu and the harbour at Suva. The entrance through yet another coral reef, past wrecks stranded on both sides of the entrance, into Suva in the dark was a bit of a nailbiter, but went very smoothly. The passage is well lit, has a clear set of range marks, and we entered under a moonlit, clear sky before anchoring in the Quarantine area right smack in the middle of the commercial harbour.

P.S. Well, it almost all went well getting into Suva. On the approach outside Suva Harbour, and in a location conveniently clear of hazards and while we still had the sails up, the fan belt suddenly broke, the engine alarm went off, and the engine temperature soared. Sixteen minutes later, after diving into one locker for tools and another for engine spares, a new fan belt was installed and the engine was running again.

David.
 

September 30 Report

Hello all:

After a layover for Kinetic of a few weeks in Suva, followed by a planned crew change, we are underway again. First, though, we spent a few days in Suva catching up on the boat's "job list", a seemingly inexhaustible source of things to do. Provisions were obtained for crew and boat, food and drink, diesel and parts. Then it was time to go.

We had a trade winds passage, within Fijian waters, from Suva Harbour to Malolo Lailai Island near Lautoka/Nadi, leaving late in the day and sailing overnight in order to arrive at our destination in daylight. Some people were under the weather at first but all bounced back quickly. Max boat speed, with two reefs in the main, was 12.6 knots. We gybed a few times to dodge a good-sized fishboat a few miles off the coast, and then ran in close ashore to pass through the barrier reef and into the Nandi Waters. As we went, the skies cleared, first to stars and then to sunrise and sunshine before our mid-morning arrival. The wind gradually died off to flat calm so we motored to Lautoka to check in. By noon it was raining sporadically; the latest weather forecast says we have a convergence zone and trough approaching (like Wallis I) and will have wet conditions for a few days at least. Blue skies are harder to come by in the South Pacific than one might expect.

Contrary to what we were told in Suva, we will not be allowed to visit the Yasawa Group without coming back to clear out with Customs in Lautoka, effectively requiring us to do a significant backtrack. Talking to other cruisers, we cannot rely on our paper or digital charts alone for the Yasawa's as there are uncharted reefs which are not attached to islands (where they might be easier to see or avoid). "Eyeball" navigation is essential and that requires sunny weather. So, between weather here (clouds or rain, no sun for navigating coral reefs) and weather between here and Vanuatu (a trough with possible stiff head winds) we are staying put at Musket Cove to wait out the weather. We plan to ignore any rain that happens to fall (being true Vancouverites) and make our own fun.

The whole area looks like a tropical paradise. Snorkeling here offers a profusion of interesting corals and colourful fishes. Warm water, sheltered with just a little cooling breeze, shallow for snorkeling, white sand beaches, palm trees, ... mixed with resorts, many world-traveling sailboats and a few power boats. There is a marina with a BBQ and sailors bar ashore, already tested by some of our crew, and closed down by one. We might even tie up to a dock tomorrow. They have water and fuel available here, which we weren't expecting. Too developed for purists, maybe, but actually quite a nice place to be stuck.

We've celebrated a big enough raft of September birthdays that we are left wondering who is born in all the other months of the year.

Naomi, Jim & Roberta & Anna, Steve & Debbie all send their regards, as do I, David.

October 2nd Report

Hello all:

Kinetic has left Lautoka, Fiji, bound for Tanna Island in Vanuatu.

We stayed at Musket Cove in the Mananucca Islands area for three very pleasant days including time in the water and on shore. The marina there actively caters to cruising boats and we met quite a few other cruisers. Many were waiting for weather just as we were, and were planning to go to Vanuatu next, so we may see some of them there.

It is now late afternoon and we are reaching in 20-25 knots of SE wind which is above the forecast conditions of 10-15 knots. Boat speed is eight to nine knots with the genoa furled to about a #3.5 and two reefs in the main. The motion is reasonable although a bit rolly due to the seas on the beam. We had mostly clear skies earlier in the day but we are still in the overall pattern of a convergence zone and front combination with overcast skies and sporadic showers. The warm air and warm seas are quite tolerable above decks but it is getting warm & humid below decks.

Our crew's considerable offshore experience is a real asset in these conditions and we are spreading the driving and watch-keeping duties around. If the wind and boat slow down, we plan to try fishing for tuna. The passage is about 470 nautical miles and it should take about three days or so. We are looking forward to seeing an active volcano at Tanna. We've heard that there are some great snorkeling areas, too.

Regards,
David.
 

October 5th Report

Hello all:

Kinetic anchored in Port Resolution, Tanna Island, Vanuatu, this morning at 0730. We caught a nice Mahi Mahi during one slow spell, but otherwise we had steady trade winds that hurried us along for the two and a half day passage. Having made better time than we planned for, we arrived during the night and had to stand off, waiting for daylight to give us visibility. While it was dark, we could see the red glow of lava erupting from a nearby active volcano. Once daylight arrived, we saw brown puffs of ash burping skyward like smoke signals.

We motorsailed cautiously into the harbour, once again finding that the electronic and paper charts differ significantly from current geographic positioning. The water was clear enough that, even at 54 feet of depth, our spotters on the bow were sure that they could see the bottom! Meanwhile, the boat symbol on the chartplotter showed us as being high and dry on a point of land beside the harbour. We anchored in 18 feet of water in dark volcanic sand.

Once again, we arrived on a national holiday. We must fly the quarantine flag until we have officially cleared in. Customs and immigration formalities are based in a town that requires a four hour round trip drive, in the back of an open truck on a wooden-planked bench seat, over a rough dirt road. We were advised to bring our own cushions.

There is a village next to the harbour - the economy is subsistence agriculture augmented by some boat and volcano based tourism; thatched huts, no electricity, no generators, kerosene lanterns for lighting, water hand-pumped from communal wells, one school, a medical hut, a crafts & vegetable market hut, an eating area at a nearby beach, a central playing field, ... Local fishermen use hand-carved dugout canoes with outriggers - it takes two men working for one week to make a canoe. The remarkably narrow canoes come right to the boats to offer fresh-caught lobsters or fresh vegetables.

Malaria and dengue fever are both mosquito-borne hazards common to this area and we are taking the usual precautions. The former, if caught despite preventatives, is treatable while the latter has to run its course. Avoiding mosquito bites matters a lot more than it does at "home" where they are merely a nuisance.

We expect to be here for several days.

David
 

As previously reported, we arrived at Port Resolution on Tanna Island in Vanuatu on Thursday morning.

Later Thursday, we visited the Port Resolution Yacht Club, which is a simple building with a few tables, burgees and flags hanging from the rafters, books and some resident cats. There is also a simple washroom, a shower, three small thatched cabins, all set on a prime location overlooking the bay. The cabins are for rental to tourists visiting the nearby volcano, Mount Yasur. The local village operates the yacht club as a way of attracting cruising boats. Food can be prepared and drinks served at the club by prior arrangement but we did not see anyone doing this. The facility itself appears to by under-utilized other than as a meeting place.

We also went for a walk through the village. Local villagers are the prime organizers of outings and tours for cruisers. Wharrie is the son of a recently deceased chief and is influential. Ronnie is the village medical man, his son Stanley is his medical assistant, another son Johnson organizes truck rides to the major village, Lenakel, located on the other (Western) side of the island. Evening volcano tours are also available. Nelson takes people on walking tours through the village and pre-arranges meals at the beach side "restaurant", a hut overlooking the surf beach. Lea cooks food for the restaurant. These activities appear to represent a minor portion of the village economy, and to have been successfully incorporated without destroying the fabric of custom and village life.

Transport around the island is by walking or by riding in the back of the ubiquitous pickup trucks; there are also a few bicycles. Friday, Jim and I shared a truck ride into Lenakel; we joined eight other cruisers, a local driver and two local girls in the truck and Johnson and a local man riding shotgun, standing on the back bumper. In all, there were fifteen people in a compact four wheel drive Toyota pickup for a hilly, windy drive on rough dirt road and track that took about an hour and forty five minutes, one way, in ideal dry conditions. The road winds through the village, around the end of the bay, up hills through pandamus trees to a volcanic ash plain that borders the volcano and then proceeds across the plain which is littered with volcanic "bombs" - ejected lava rocks. The volcano puffs, spits and rumbles as the route climbs up a very steep track over the shoulder of a mountain, revealing stunning views of the coast and sea, before plunging steeply down the other side of the mountain, through villages and past cattle, pigs, chickens, goats, horses before a final step descent to the West coast and the main village of Lenakel. Along the way we saw many people walking, some carrying heavy water jugs, villages peeking through the dense growth, footpaths winding off the road into the undergrowth and colourful birds flitting through the openings and disappearing into the foliage.

At Lenakel, we cleared customs, quarantine and immigration, all being courteous and efficient although somewhat expensive in the aggregate by comparison with other countries. The officials were gracious enough to pre-process our outbound clearance as well, saving us a repeat, next week, of the lengthy trek across the island just for that formality. We also changed money at the bank (two hour lineup, no credit or debit cards, US, Australian, New Zealand and Fijian dollars accepted), ate lunch at a small restaurant and bought vegetables at the market (Mondays and Fridays only). We also thanked our lucky stars that we followed the advice of the cruising guidebooks and anchored at Port Resolution rather than Lenakel, as the latter anchorage is exposed, rolly and unsuitable for small boats in trade winds conditions; also, the customs, quarantine and immigration offices along with the bank are scattered, making hitching a ride almost essential.

Having started the day by boarding the truck at 0830, we arrived back at 1800 to find the boat decorated with origami, courtesy of Anna who was assisted by Roberta, and the rest of the crew decorated with tattoos. After getting our own tattoos, we enjoyed a great dinner and evening onboard the boat.

We've met a number of cruisers on boats from Australia, New Zealand, Austria (regrettably, the latter were "ugly" tourists, and happily they left early this morning after a stay of less than forty eight hours) and some other Canadians. This morning just after dawn two American boats arrived together. The weather has turned nice and is settled, with some breeze in the bay and cooler temperatures at night. We are in a beautiful, unspoiled place where we hope to enjoy a leisurely stay.

David.
 

Hello all:

Today we visited a "custom village" and an active volcano, Mount Yasur.

The term "custom" refers here to people living in accordance with their historical or traditional customs, rather than adopting the Christian or Western approaches to living. We paid a small fee to walk around the village, or at least the guest houses in the village, and to see traditional dances and songs performed by the men and boys. One enormous banyan tree shaded most of a large dirt clearing which had been painstakingly swept clean. The dancers are indigenous Melanesians, as are over ninety seven percent of the population here, dark skinned and well toned, clad in waistbands, nambas and not much else, and they put a lot of energy into each dance, literally making the earth move with the stomping of their feet. Souvenirs, principally carvings and jewelry, were available afterwards. Among Vanuatu's islands, Tanna is better known for weaving (done by women) than for carving (done by men). But we have seen glimpses of carved posts and markers during our wanderings around the island. Our visit demonstrates that the "customs" are at least adaptable enough to embrace modern tourism as a source of hard cash, something in demand for commodities and material goods that are not made or cultivated by the village. I bought two items, one a gift for my Dad and the other for our house.

When we first sailed towards Tanna Island, we made better time than planned and arrived off the island during the night. While still well offshore and in relative darkness, we could see an intermittent red light off in the distance; at first we thought it was another vessel but eventually we realized that this must be Mt. Yasur. This volcano was erupting over two hundred years ago when Captain Cook visited the island and named Port Resolution after one of his ships; it is believed to have been erupting more or less continuously for some eight hundred years.

We rode in the back of a four wheel drive pickup upslope to a parking area just below the rim of Mt Yasur, stuffed our "world's only volcano post" postage-prepaid postcards into the lava-resistant all-metal mailbox and hiked up to the rim about an hour before nightfall. Looking down into the main crater, we saw two inner craters, each much steeper than the outer crater, belching smoke, thundering with explosions and tossing red hot glowing projectiles effortlessly skyward like clusters of confetti, to drift back down, mostly back into the craters but some falling perilously close to our position. The instructions were clear: if lava "bombs" are tossed into the sky and appear to be falling down toward you, do not turn and run blindly away; instead, stand your ground, look at the bombs like fly balls in baseball, judge where they will land and step neatly out of the way just in time. Meet danger with a cold stare, as it were. Apparently there have been a number of fatalities in recent years among people who did not or could not heed this advice. We kept a keen eye, or rather several pairs of keen eyes, on the lava bombs and did not have to put the latter part of the advice into practice, the nearest chunk whistling earthward to land and lie smoldering some two hundred feet to one side of our party. As darkness fell, the brilliance of the display increased and we were entranced, most with one eye on the sky and the other eye peering through the camera. All too soon it was time to descend and as we drove along the darkened track the full moon rose over the dense forest. Flying foxes, furry bats with three foot wingspans, cast moonshadows across our path while smaller birds flitted into the forest around us. An unforgettable experience and one of the highlights of our voyage to date.

David.
 

Hello all:

Kinetic is in Noumea, New Caledonia; lat 22-16.623S, lon 166-26.395E for the Googlers.

We made some good friends in Vanuatu and we all wished we had more time to spend there. Naomi decided to stay while the rest of us sailed for Noumea. We arrived on Thursday afternoon after a boisterous passage from Port Resolution, Tanna, Vanuatu. The route was about 273 miles and took 34 hours. Water was everywhere, and above decks everything was salt-encrusted. Winds were mostly on or forward of the beam at 27 - 32 knots with squalls to 36 and lulls below 20. Sea state was rough to very rough at times.

We finished the customs, immigration and quarantine formalities in Noumea quite quickly. The quarantine officers took quite a bit of our food, so it is fortunate that the local produce market is next door to the marina as we were able to buy a wide range of fresh fruits, vegetables and breads at 0530 this morning.

We walked around the Latin quarter last night and looked for a restaurant suitable for bedraggled sailors; finding none, we came back to the boat, made dinner and then slept soundly. Friends who are cruising long term on a catamaran are anchored nearby and we plan to meet up with them. We'll be in the area for the next several days.

Regards,
David.
 

Hello all:

On Tuesday morning, Kinetic left Noumea, New Caledonia bound for Sydney, Australia. We may sail straight through or we may stop somewhere along the way, depending mostly on weather.

We've made about 180 nautical miles in our first day out and are presently at 24 degrees 6 minutes South, 164 degrees 16 minutes East, where Googlers should see sea birds swirling and flying fish flying, all above an immense expanse of blue ocean. Winds now are 20-25 knots, gusting higher in squalls, and the wind has backed this morning so we are broad reaching. We started out with sunshine and 18-20 knots on the beam and it clouded over and built steadily to 25-30 knots on a close reach. During the late afternoon one large deep sea container ship passed us close to leeward and overnight another ship did the same.

We had several days of rest and relaxation mingled with boat chores, all while tied up to a nice solid dock, our first since Lahaina, Hawaii last July. New Caledonia is a French overseas territory, one of three in the South Pacific. Noumea, the capital, is a modern city with all amenities. We stayed at the very modern marina at Port Moselle where there were clean washrooms and showers, open twenty four hours, right beside the docks, along with a large market, laundry services, banks and restaurants nearby. Noumea is French-speaking, and we enjoyed trying our tres rusty high school French in interactions at the market and around town. Most of the local people switched to English to complete the conversation.

At the marina, we met boats and crews from many countries, most on their way to New Zealand or Australia to sit out the upcoming cyclone season, a few planning to secure their boats in New Caledonia. People sail all kinds of boats across the oceans; at the ends, we saw a Catalina 27 and a Swan 80, and lots of variety in between. All were busy drying out or tidying up after their passages. One of our first boat chores was wiring in a 230VAC/50Hz supply to a battery charger so that we could plug into shore power, eliminating the need to run the engine for hours per day to charge the batteries. We also swamped bilges, stowed gear, tightened up lashings, checked over the engine, loaded up on water and diesel and bought provisions.

We met up with good friends Scott & Nancy, fellow Canadians who have been cruising full time for over four years on their forty seven foot catamaran. They had a distinctly healthy, energetic glow about them and no schedule-related stresses. They showed us the ropes in Noumea and we enjoyed some nice dinners together. They also helped us get a few more things to run on our computer, greatly simplifying our weather information access just in time for the final leg of our outbound voyage to Sydney.

Regards,
David.
 

Hello all:

Kinetic is in the Coral Sea, nearing the Tasman Sea, on passage between New Caledonia and Australia. Position 27-19S, 158-51E. A relatively close feature of interest is Lord Howe Island, an isolated United Nations world heritage site and part of Australia, at 27-20S, 158-50E.

We still have some mal de mere onboard, but generally, appetites have returned as people settle into the routine of a longer passage. Everyone shares galley duty, but not necessarily equally; Debbie has risen above the call of duty and produced some excellent meals. Anna, our youngest crewmember, has very sharp eyes and is quite helpful. She spent time today retrieving and passing tools as well as taking some time on the steering wheel. Roberta and Jim enjoyed a shared daytime watch, basking in the sun.

We have mostly clear skies tonight and Steve and David spent much of their night watch looking at and identifying stars and constellations. Prominent constellations (and their brightest stars) above us are Taurus (Aldebaran), Orion (Betelgeuse, Rigel), Canis Major (Sirius), Carina (Canopus), Eridanus (Achernar) and the Southern Cross (Acrux). Some of these stars cannot be observed from more Northerly latitudes and so are new to us. Aldebaran and Betelgeuse are reddish while Sirius, Canopus and Achernar are bright and distinctly bluish.

Winds are 15-18 knots directly from behind us, so we are rolling gently as we sail dead downwind towards our first landfall in Australia, still hundreds of ocean miles away. We joined an informal daily radio schedule with four other boats also making the same passage, exchanging reports on wind, seas and positions. Other than that contact, we are very much alone and a long way from "anywhere". The miles roll peacefully by at a sedate pace, a few seabirds here, a set of larger waves there, a puff of wind occasionally; deep blue ocean all around.

David.
 

Hello all:

Kinetic is in Australia! We took less than five days to do the passage from Noumea, New Caledonia to Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. Google: 30-18.354S, 153-08.517E.

The passage was favored by brisk winds and lively seas most of the way and we had some persistent mal de mere (seasickness) onboard as a result. We received updated weather each day by wireless email and part way through the passage we decided to motorsail and make a stop in Coffs Harbour to avoid some forecast unfavorable weather.

Friday was a grand day - steady breeze from the right direction, hot sun, good food, interesting wildlife. For breakfast, Steve baked fresh blueberry muffins and then made egg 'n cheese toasted English muffins. Dinner was chutney chicken and fresh vegetable salad, followed by apple crisp, produced by Debbie. Culinary competition is increasing, and is good for morale.

We saw a variety of birds: hundreds of miles offshore, we saw brown Shearwaters and small, agile White-bellied Storm Petrels, a huge Australian Pelican resting on the water unperturbed as the boat passed close by and a Wandering Albatross with a most impressive wingspan.

Our last several hours approaching Coffs Harbour were quite wet as a result of pouring rain, increasing wind and building seas. No drought here! There was a lot of seawater over the decks. A large deep sea freighter emerged from a dark rainsquall, becoming visible just a few miles away, headed in the other direction. As has happened on previous landfalls, dolphins appeared, seemingly to welcome us. These bottlenosed dolphins, grey on top and lighter underneath, leapt right out of the waves and back into the water, time and again, passing ahead, under and behind the boat as well as playing in our bow wave. Darkness was falling as we entered the harbour using our charts, radar and by lining up the brilliant blue "fluoro" leading lights. We reported our arrival by radio as required, anchored in twenty feet of water near a large pier and a sandy beach, falling fast asleep as the boat rolled gently in a low swell in the outer harbour.

The wind shifted during the night and we were lying in a different direction in the morning. We tried to raise our anchor, however the anchor chain was wrapped around something unmovable and presumably very heavy. The local surf club had set up a surf paddling competition course at the crack of dawn with marker buoys right beside us, restricting our ability to maneuver around to recover the anchor. Not wanting to keep the officials waiting after being called out from their Sunday morning off, we buoyed and released the anchor rode and went into the dock to clear Customs, Immigration and Quarantine.

While we were tied up to the fisherman's dock for a few hours for the formalities, three people separately stopped by to say that they were from Canada and had noticed the maple leaf flying from Kinetic's transom; one from Victoria, one from Nanaimo and one from Salmon Arm. It's a small world ...

The Harbourmaster squeezed us into a space in the marina for a few nights and with the help of a local shop we located a diver to assist with recovering the anchor tomorrow. We have two spare anchors onboard and could have anchored out, but being on the dock is very convenient, especially in poor weather. We heard a story about a local boat fouling its anchor last year and recovering it complete with a very old anchor and a length of heavy pinned chain from a tall ship of the late eighteen hundreds. We suspect we found a concrete mooring block of more modern vintage!

David.

 

Hello all:

Kinetic has arrived in Sydney, Australia and is berthed at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Rushcutters Bay. Google: 33-52.416S, 151-13.930E.

Before leaving Coffs Harbour, we recovered our anchor with the assistance of a commercial diver who overcame very poor underwater visibility and refused any payment. He now sports a Kinetic sailing shirt. Everyone we met at Coffs Harbour was friendly and helpful, particularly the officials, the fisheries co-op staff and the harbourmaster, and it's a great place to stop for a visit.

Our last leg was coastal, two nights and one day, and we had great weather and downwind sailing in ideal Northerly conditions. Memories of tougher passages were quickly supplanted. We made such good time with wind and current that we were projecting arrival in Sydney at "oh dark hundred", as a friend likes to call it, so we put in for ice creams, naps and dinner at Port Stevens for several hours. We were kept busy with traffic as there were quite a few fish boats and freighters along with some other sailboats. At night, with countless brilliant stars on a dark moonless background, we saw bottlenose dolphins making phosphorescent torpedo tracks in the water as they criss-crossed under the boat; by day, we could see that they were taking turns rubbing themselves on the underwater area of the bow as we surged along at eight knots or so. We hope that a photo or two turn out!

Arriving in Sydney, we sailed through the spectacular Heads that mark the harbour entrance, out of the sunshine and into the clouds, just as lightning and thunder were sweeping over the city. It was Wednesday morning, and sailboats and crews were already out training in the harbour, safely away from their "day" jobs. An Australian friend zoomed up in a powerboat and came aboard Kinetic with a bucket full of ice and beer. We drifted in the harbour for a while, enjoying the welcome and refreshments, and then motored into Rushcutters Bay, where by coincidence we were assigned a berth next to a Kinetic sistership, Kioni, which David sailed on last year.

From Vancouver, Canada to Sydney, Australia we have traveled some seven thousand five hundred nautical miles (thirteen thousand eight hundred kilometres) by sea in the past four months. The Kinetic program is about teamwork, adventure and challenge. We've had nineteen family members and friends, in various combinations, do all these sea miles and we have experienced a great adventure along the way. Thank you for following along with us and for the many messages we received (feel free to continue to email us at kinetic@kineticsailing.com). We'll have a slowdown in our Kinetic updates for the next several weeks before we get back up to speed with the Sydney to Hobart race, starting on Boxing Day.

Regards,
David.
 

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