I
dedicate this log segment to my friends, and to KE.
Many thanks to the radio amateurs:
Fred, Paul, Peter (VE2VZ) and Alex (VK1TX). Furthermore I would like to thank my
sailor friends, who helped to make Carina seaworthy!
Afternoon:
After a short time spent on the Internet and shopping I was ready to start. I
spent about 30 minutes cleaning the bottom of the boat. It was not easy to
lower myself into the water because I was sick, but that was the only way. I
had to hurry. I started at
And the hurricane season is getting near
too. I have to hurry and concentrate on sailing.
At
Supper:
head cheese, onion and baguette.
The wind is continually getting stronger,
so I stop the engine and until
It was a long time ago when I was sailing so
I have to get into it again.
10-07-2007 (day 379)
I’m steering since 5 in the morning.
1017 mbar.
30 degrees.
Wind: Bf. 4-5 from 90.
Breakfast: leftover from supper:
papaya and coffee.
To start out I used the jib, but
after 9 I put up the genoa.
Later in the morning I sailed by
Maiao.
Afternoon: the wind is 5 Bf. again,
but this time I had all my sails up so my speed is 4-5 knots and the direction
is 245.
Afternoon:
I sailed 83 nautical miles in 24 hours
and without the autopilot!!
This is an absolute Carina record!!
The wind strengthens, I take down
the
At
Around
(When I had it checked the
technician did not do the basic adjustments properly.)
Rest at
night and at 1 in the morning I had some Japanese soup, then slept some more.
Morning wind: Bf. 6 and sometimes Bf. 7 therefore I leave the storm jib alone. Speed is 3 nautical miles constantly.
Breakfast: coconut juice, lychee (canned fruit specialty) and Chinese
instant soup.
In the morning the wind
speed: Bf. 6. I leave the storm jib up. To use the normal jib would be
hazardous, besides I’m still making 3-4 knots.
The big waves (sometimes 5 meters high) slam in from the rear.
Direction: 240
1019 mbar.
Temp. 31 deg. C.
The sun panel charges constantly. I
am well satisfied with it; it was a good decision to bypass the connector.
Two eggs have cracked so I eat them for supper. As usual the cabin is
chaotic.
Radio contact with Freddy on 21373 KHz. (USB).
The signal strength was 0 but I understood everything. He told me about the
Seafarer Net again on 14300 KHz, 02-04 UTC.
The distance from my destination: 427 nautical miles.
Lunch: Lecso full on (egg, paprika,
tomato, onion and curry) and bread.
Afternoon: Listening to MP3 music
and just resting – sometimes it is needed.
Reading material: Ernest
Hemingway’s The Nick Adam Stories. (I
bartered with Larsen for it in
I remember a couple that I talked with about
the French nuclear test that happened in 1995. They said that their grandfather
contracted cancer because of that test and later died. And until this day some
fish still contain certain poisons.
Radio: 14287 KHz. (USB)
I spoke with Arpad for a short time.
I tried to do the same with the Australians too, but I could not hear them.
I do not feel well. I took two
algopirin.
The wind is 6-7 Bf. the whole night.
5-meter high waves hit the boat constantly, from the front and the rear and
some of it winds up in the cockpit, but at least the rain was nowhere.
After 5
in the morning the dawn broke. I check the boat.
The wind indicator’s battery became depleted, although it would be very useful.
I take vitamins as usual, (C or
multivitamins).
After 9 the wind weakens. I pull up
1/3 of the genoa and tie it down temporarily. The problem is that I do not have
a small jib. What I got is the normal jib and the storm jib. When
the wind gets to be around 6-7 Bf. I use the storm jib, which slows me
down. I do not want to risk it since I do not have much time to reach
From 10 on I use the full genoa because the wind weakens. Speed: 4 knots
and the direction is south.
Breakfast and lunch: spaghetti. (I
had to eat the tomato).
Position: (18-35S; 153-17W)
Distance from destination: 399
nautical miles.
I radioed Freddy and told him
“everything is OK”.
Afternoon: Longan, a great fruit. It
is a pity that it’s canned, but still it’s so good!
After
Then sleep and later I ate the last
papaya, which I picked green in Moorea.
Barometric pressure: 1019
Temperature: 29-32 deg.
Around
Position: (18-48S; 153-41W)
From
This situation is really tiring.
Even the waterproof things get wet…
The rain stops and starts but after 10 it starts again but stronger!!
The headlamp’s battery is out so I
used the light from the compass…
Supper: canned corn with mayo,
Chinese instant soup. I used up all the propane.
Barometer: 1020
Temp: 30 deg C
The sun came out in the morning.
I sail with the main sail and the
storm jib. This way my speed is 4-5 knots.
Breakfast: porridge with milk, then
coffee with milk.
I put out my clothes to dry and my
boots too.
After 9 I changed the storm jib with
the normal jib. My speed is 4-5 knots.
Position: (19-18S; 154-27W)
Freddy 5-1
Paul 5-9 (Paul gave me a 5-7
report!)
In 24 hours I sailed 77 nautical
miles.
Lunch: Cold stuffed cabbage a la
Körös and toast.
Afternoon: Rearranged the rear cabin. Next fueling and tried to change the propane bottle. Unfortunately this did not work, because the propane container did not sealed well. Later I have to repair it!
The seagulls keep following me for
days now and the flying fish are all around me. I don’t fish. My concentration
is to the boat and sailing.
The wind changes constantly (Bf
4-5).
In the evening dark clouds cover the
sky.
At
At
Position: (19-30S; 155-01W)
The radio time always comes when
there are many problems to solve.
The wind is getting stronger and a
rivet in the autopilot assembly constantly falls out. I do not have a good
light source; even the light from the compass housing is no help...
At dawn the wind weakens. At 6 I fully raise
the genoa.
Breakfast: sardines and toast with
onion and vitamins.
In the morning I steer for a few
hours. Sometimes even the autopilot deserves a little rest, or I should say the
battery couldn’t supply the current all the time. I used silicone grease at
certain sensitive spots so far the water does not seep into the autopilot.
I don’t push the boat too hard; 3-4
knots is quite enough for me. I use the genoa more than the jibs. According to
my thinking the mast is a bit weak so by using the genoa
the force vector direction is better than if I would use the jibs. The jib
constantly drags the masthead forward and the mast is already deformed in that
direction.
13:00: 21373 kHz.
Position: (19-45S; 156-06W)
I traveled 98 nautical miles in the
last 24 hours.
I talked to Freddy. Signal strength
(S) was 0 and the understandability (Q) was 4. He informed me about the weather
too:
Wind 15-18 knots from a direction of
100-120. It will strengthen to 21-22 knots. This does not include the local
rainstorms. I also talked shortly with Paul and from the
Lunch: bean-goulash with curry and onion,
bread (the last one), toast.
Pressure: 1017
Temperature: 32 deg. C
Speed: 4 knots
Wind: 4-5 Bf.
I’m using the INT606 map. This one
with 2 others I copied in
Afternoon: I take a nap and after,
as usual, I read the Pacific Crossing Guide. 3 to 4 hour
steering.
I am 208 nautical miles away from my
destination. I sailed 92 nautical miles in 24 hours.
A little rest before supper: milk
and porridge.
At
Position: (19-56S; 156-32W)
I talk to Peter (VK2VZ) in
At
The propagation is better; the
reports are 5-5 and 5-7.
The night was quiet; sometimes the
wind picked up, but no rain.
Pressure: 1020
Temperature: 28 deg. C. (my
direction of travel is south and it gets more and more cold.)
Wind: strong, Bf 5
Speed: 4-5 knots, course 250.
Sail complement: storm jib and 2/3
genoa.
Everything is wet; the cabin leaks
in a number of places and of course on of them is right above my bed.
Breakfast: vitamins, Hungarian
canned salmon, onion, cucumber, and biscuit. Chocolate (the
last two pieces) and canned apple.
Later in the morning: steering and a
short rest.
At
Position: (20-29S; 157-33W). Destination
is 132 nautical miles away and I sailed 92 nautical miles in the last 24 hours.
I talked to Freddy (5-5)
Weather: the wind speed dropped from
22 knots to 19 and its direction is 100-105 degrees.
I made a few short contacts with a
few hams in the
Gyula (N0FHP),
Robi (NV9R), Chicago, 5-7
The wind is getting stronger in the
afternoon (Bf.6) and the waves are getting bigger too.
Sails: storm jib, and ¼ genoa.
Cloudy sky with occasional rain.
Speed: 3 knots.
Position: (20-32S; 157-49W)
Destination: 116 nautical miles
If I don’t reef the genoa in
the prescribed manner then its shape becomes cambered, the boom is lower and
the bigger waves will not sweep over when the boat sails before the wind and
Carina turns out a little. On the
At
At night the wind was variable
(Bf 5-6) but no rain only big waves.
In 12 hours I sailed 40 nautical
miles with the smallest jib.
Breakfast: porridge with milk and
coffee with milk. (The last of the milk).
I decided that I shell arrive on Sunday morning. I would
not like to put in to port on Saturday night in this small harbor.
Wind is Bf. 5-6 and the wind generator charges but the
waves throw me about, which is not very pleasant. Cloudy sky
and if it is so than the sun panel hardly charges.
Barometric pressure: 1020
Temperature: 26-27 deg C.
Position: (20-46S; 158-44W)
I heard Freddy on the frequency, but
at first he does not hear me, but still he could copy my position.
(Due to the local storms the
propagation was not good.)
Wind forecast: 20-17 knots from
100-95 direction.
Lunch: canned sardine and biscuits,
onion and chili sauce.
Afternoon: It is raining. I take a
rest and slowly drifting towards Raratonga.
Speed: 3-4 knots with a heading of
250.
Position: (20-48S; 158-51W)
Traveled distance in the last 24
hours is 76 nautical miles. This is because I slowed the boat down.
Supper: beer, cereal slice
(Biopoint).
At
Peter, 5-9; Alex 5-8.
I heard Arpad (USA) but his signal
was quite weak.
Quiet evening with a lot of
rain.
At dawn it is raining.
This morning I test the engine and
it works O.K.
Sorry to say but the spark plug
still getting dirty after about 10-20 minutes.
The mooring happened at 10 in rain
and strong wind, but without a problem. The harbor entrance is a bit narrow. I
cannot find a place first but a fisherman motions me that I can stop
temporarily next to the fishing boat’s jetty.
It is interesting to note that the
whole time out there I did not come across any other vessel!!!
After tying up many people came
around, some of then seriously doubted that I came from
I met a polish family who sail the
Here on Sunday everything is closed,
so many come out to the harbor to sightsee and have plenty of time to ask
questions.
I took a walk in the city and found
and Internet place. I sent a message that I have arrived.
Lunch: Ice cream.
I met a sailor a single hander (
Afternoon: I met Peter and Bobby on
shore. They are doing a ship transfer Galapagos to
The interesting thing about that
ship is that the her captain who was also the owner died while on the
Tahiti-Galapagos route and the ship’s only sailor sailed the vessel to Santa
Cruz (Galapagos). The police did not want to believe the story of the captain
who fell into the see, but there was no proof to the contrary.
(When I was
on Galapagos this was on of the more interesting stories).
The owner’s sister asked Peter to do
the transfer.
We talked about an other transfer pair who was also Australian. I met them
in
In the afternoon many encircled the
boat and I had to start a story telling time. Always the same questions :))
Popoke also came, brought some beer and
helped to stabilize the boat. First I put an anchor out on the side and back
with the help of a lifesaver ring. Then with a rope I pulled Carina away from
the pier. This way the boat is tied out at 4 points.
In the evening somebody gave me
roasted fish with roasted potato and that tasted excellent.
I met a local who smoked a lot of
marihuana and that is no problem, but I rode with him on a motorcycle and that
is a problem :)
Exchange rate: 10 NZD –7.5 USD
Internet use: 1 hour – 9 NZD
everywhere. I have not looked around for an Internet place which is free of
charge, but because this place so small I probably won’t find one…
.
I woke up early. David, the captain of the neighboring fishing
boat came over and started a conversation about the and
ships. He showed me around in his boat, which I wanted to see very much.
Later in the morning I spent my time
with cleaning the sparkplugs and putting things in order, (this is a never
ending process).
After eight I visited the harbormaster
who is a very kind man. With this visit I took care of the customs and
immigration.
Cost of things: monohull cost
2NZD/meter/day. In my case it is 12 NZD/day plus 30 NZD (tax). My Q flag is
flying, but the Port Health has not come yet, neither the Quarantine Officer.
(They impound every piece of fruit and vegetable; I don’t have any).
I went to fill up the gas bottle. It
cost 8 NZD. They did not have the European regulation adapter so my
European-American adapter came in handy.
I walked around in town and stopped
at the Tourist Office, after that I looked in on the Library-museum, the
I bought batteries for my headlamps. (2- AAA Energizer cost 5.3 NZD). I
also bought 1 baguette for 1.5 NZD.
Breakfast: 2 cheese crescent rolls:
22.8 NZD.
Afternoon: I’m waiting for the
officials, so I stick around the boat.
Motor check: put in new sparkplug
and change out the AC membrane; I bought on in
Maybe the motor will work better.
-
Sailing rig adjustment and
check.
I changed
the gas bottle and cooked 0.5 Kg. rice (lunch/ dinner/
breakfast) with canned sardine.
Sivo, the
sailor from the fishing boat brought me a cooked manio (kasava in a different
name), which is a local vegetable. It tastes like fruit bread, but more
pleasant tasting.
-
Checked the bottom of the
boat, not too clean in this harbor water, but nothing I can do about it.
-
Only one bolt holds the
steering mechanism and that I tightened with a number 10 spanner.
I think this will hold
till I get to
Then I started to clean the bottom,
which is important. A clean bottom assures that Carina can sail at max speed. I
found the spare battery for the anemometer.
I bought a few batteries (12.3 NZD).
Alas, the Duracell rechargeable batteries are not the same anymore. They are
still OK in the GPS, but they are weak for camera usage.
I talked to many, many people!!
I met Jerry and Jony Reed again
(Lotus s/v,
To make this “record” one needs to
know that many years of experience were needed with the KE friends. Sailing
with them was indispensable!! And they know that well/ they feel it.
I exchanged a few words with Dick
Adamson, who is a retired Australian pilot and worships the sea. He lives with
his wife here on Raratonga. An interesting man!
I waited till 6; nobody came so I
took a bus (4 NZD) to the Pacific Resort (situated between Ngatangiia and
Titikaveka) to watch the local dance. It started at 8. Before this I met a
young German, who kept recommending
The dance was great. I made a lot of
pictures. (Cost: 20 NZD.)
A nice man gave me a lift back to
Avarua, Then around 22-22:30 I had a good time at the
It was great!!!!! (See pictures :-)
I got up early. There was no electricity
so I could not charge the battery. Somebody pulled the plug!
Sailing Advice (A new subject
on the Bulletin board.)
Anybody can post his or her
interesting ideas or solutions concerning sailing problems :)
Pascal, while I was still in Moorea,
told me that contact cement (like Weldwood) is an excellent sail adhesive. When
his sail got torn he always used this adhesive and for about a year now it
works well.
Translation by L Karolyi (wa6ypp)