2008.07.21 – 08.14
(Translated by Laszlo AA7UY)
2008.07.21 (day 655).
Walked over to ‘net at the usual free WiFi place in the
morning. Then went to three camera shops and finally left my camera at the
The Hungarians assembled at my ship around
Then the marina manager called to say the marina fees were cancelled, so I saved 7,000 vatus. It was great help!
Yachting
Got busy around the ship:
1. Hooked the ship’s electrical ground to the engine block, it may help the radio connection in the future.
2. Caulking.
They couldn’t fix my camera so bought a new one for 14,500 vatus (6M, 3x opt zoom). Returned to the ship after some shopping.
Kiki, a reporter from CAPITAL FM 107 came to the ship for an extensive interview. Also Jane came back again, but not for dinner, but because the Daily Post’s recording from the other day didn’t turn out very good we repeated the whole conversation.
Spent the evening with a few local (Brothers) drinking coffee and kava, chatting and relaxing. David asked me how am I doing it? I answered: mainly because I can meet with “brothers” J
Book about the area: South Pacific Anchorages, Warwick Clay.
2008.07.22 (day
656) Departure!
Weather data: based on wind-maps of the area Bf.4 E,SE; Bf.5
SE, E, S winds can be expected, with 0.5 – 1 knot westerly current. My planned
route: WP1(17-45.8S; 168-10.8E) end of
Departed at 0900. Miklós and others came to say good bye. Departure didn’t go easy, because before I still had to do some diving in the marina.
Breakfast: fried tuna fish. Some French acquaintances
arrived from
Shut the engine off after 30 minutes of motoring and put it
back in the cabin while still in
1017 mbars; 29°C; Bf. 5-6 from 100°
Steering almost all day. Then snacked on duruka. Slowly the islands, even the last fishing boat disappear in the distance.
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio POS (17-32S; 167-48E) 1245nm to WP2.
Heard Árpi well and talked with him.
Dinner: bread and canned beef.
Wind: Bf.5 from 100° the ship is moving at 4 knots under full sail on course 280°.
Good visibility under an almost full moon, sailing is pleasant. Later lowered the main sail and was making 3-4 knots with jib only on course 300°.
2008.07.23 (day 657).
1017 mbars; 29°C; Bf.5-6; butterflying, making 4-5kts.
Breakfast: kefir with bananas, multiple vitamin (kefir is homemade every morning)
A.M.: full sail; p.m. jib only, the wind is increasing.
Tried fishing since yesterday
I’ve received many books from the Hungarian couple in
The sun came out in the afternoon.
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(16-55S; 166-29E) 1162nm to WP2 . 83nm made good during the past 24 hours. Pali N6DMV 5x1, Árpi HA7VF 5x3
Dinner: noodles, canned pork, cocoa fruit and banana. (Don’t feel like cooking, the sea is too rough).
Disconnected the autopilot at night because it had a bad contact. I’ve been using it from the start and the copper is almost gone from the contacts.
Sailing north of Iles Loyaute (Ouvea, Lifou, Mare) islands now, normally few yachts call here, most of them rather choose New Caledonia.
2008.07.24 (day 658).
1015 mbars, 28°, Bf.4 from 120°, sea state 2-3.
Breakfast:
baguette, second half of yesterday’s canned pork, onion, kefir with banana.
Sighted a
sailboat in the distance in the morning, appears to be heading for New
Caledonia.
P.m.: wind
weakened to Bf.3 and the sun is hot. Using solar cream daily, Wolfgang gave me
some back in Fiji.
Today’s book: Wilbur Smith, The Seventh Roll. Eating chocolate cookies that also the couple gave me. The day passed by well.
Have to ration the autopilot time because my only charger, the wind generator doesn’t charge in weak winds.
I miss the solar panel! The autopilot amplifier is running on 4, sometimes on 5, running on sea-current automatic.
Dinner: noodles with vegetables.
Making 3-4 knots on course 290-300 (sometimes 270 and butterflying).
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(16-42S; 164-51E) 1069nm to WP2, 93nm made good past 24h.
Pali (N6DMV) is weak and barely hears me, couldn’t even understand my position.
Steering a lot during daytime (8-10 hrs), because the battery is weak and it isn’t being charged. The autopilot is supposedly using ½ A average, but I think sometimes even uses 1 A.
2008.07.25 (day 659).
1012 mbars, 27°, spd. 4-5 knots, course 270-300
Wind strengthening at dawn to Bf.4-5 and shifting to NE woke me up of course.
Breakfast: baguette, cream cheese, fruit.
A.m.: steering. Reefed mainsail to 2/3, using normal jib.
Watery run: waves spill into the cockpit from the side because sailing half-wind.
The jib hoist broke and the jib fell down. Quickly hoisted it with a spare rope.
Later had to re-insulate both cables of the autopilot.
Lunch: instant noodles.
P.m.: quartering in Bf.3-4 north winds, steering 270° making 3 knots (my course should be 293°). Later the wind gradually changes direction and weakens to Bf.2.
Later my course is only 240, but the waves remain of course J
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(16-18S; 163-25E) 983 to WP2. 83nm made good last 24 h. Didn’t hear anybody in the radio, but repeated my position several times in the blind in case someone hears me.
Dark clouds gather in the evening, barometer falling. Wind becomes calm.
Dinner: canned beef, beans, onions.
At night steady rain with frequent lightning, wind picking up, reefed mainsail to 2/3. Checking the situation every 30 minutes. The wind is from 270° then from the north. My course is 320 by dawn.
Sailed north of
2008.07.26 (day 660).
Full sail again from dawn.
1015 mbars; 28°; wind Bf.2-3 from 210°; quartering on course 280°; making 3 knots.
Breakfast: last night’s leftovers, kefir with banana and other fruits (they ripen fast, must eat them!)
Quartering wind, sailing with fixed tiller. No need to steer, or the autopilot, though slow going, heading into seas slows me down.
Checked the ship over as usual in the morning.
1. Replaced a small safety ring on the side stay.
2. Tightened the antenna hoist, it was loose.
Let the fishing line out to 35 meters instead of 20, perhaps it shall be better this way.
The new watch I bought in
07 UTC POS(15-29S; 162-37E), 923nm to WP2, 60nm made good last day.
Having a slight headache tonight, perhaps the sun was too hot. Could be having a slight temperature as well, yet I’m wearing a hat every day.
Wind: Bf.2-3/130-140°, sailing on course 300, spd. 4 knots.
Now sailing south of the Solomons. I wanted to stop there but I’m a little pressed for time, so I won’t.
Industry: some gold mining, copra, timber, coconut oil and tourism. (Also a diving paradise). History: the first European arrived in 1568, Alvaro de Mendana de Neyra (Spanish).
He named the island Santa Ysabel after his wife. The colony did not succeed, no Europeans came for another 200 years. Then they came again: Quiros, Le Maire, Schouten, Carteret, Bougainville, D’Urville, Le Perouse; missionaries came from 1830. British Protectorate in 1900.
In 1942
More than 60 languages are spoken here, the official language is English.
2008.07.27 (day 661).
1012 mbars, 35°, Bf.2 /120°, butterflying in following wind, making 3 knots on cse. 300°.
Breakfast: kefir with papaya.
Steering and reading during the morning. Today’s book Mór Jókai: The golden age of
Still under the weather a little, perhaps got a cold in the rain a couple of days ago.
Lunch: vegetables and noodles.
Afternoon: steering and reading.
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(15-05S; 161-27E), 852nm to WP2, 71nm made good past 24h.
Spoke with Pali and Freddy. At first I didn’t hear them and gave my call sign and position by Morse code. Later we were able to speak. Wind forecast: 15-16kts from 140-340-245-185° in other words greatly variable during the next few days.
2008.07.28 (day 662).
1014 mbars, 26-32°C, Bf.1/140°, 2-3 knots cse 270, butterflying in following wind.
Breakfast: Biscuits, boiled eggs, onions, banana and the usual multivitamin. The flying fish on deck was again too small to prepare for breakfastJ
The clouds broke up around 10, the wind died, then a beautiful rainbow escorted in the bright sunshine.
Showered on the bow with a few buckets of seawater as usual.
Lunch: noodles (very cheap, prepared easily and quickly).
Weak winds and slow going, it’s hot and boring, spending most of my time watching the fishes under the ship.
Today’s book: Fatal love by Maria Farkas (Mrs Milosevic).
Chow: papaya & kefir. Afternoon the winds diminished even more, my speed is
around 1 knot. At
1700 LT: 14.290 MHz radio: POS(14-58S; 160-35E) 802nm to WP2. 48nm made good during the past 24h.
Freddy (5x1). Wind forecast: 5 kts/160; 9 kts/230, 13 kts/245; 16 kts/187, 12 kts/102°…variable winds.
Evening: setting and tying the tiller. Course: 330°. Spd 1-1.5 kts, wind weak from 270, then cse. 310 @ 2-3kts, wind Bf2, 250°.
2008.07.29 (day 663).
Birds like to circle above me, one of my favorite albatrosses flew into the side stay yesterday, another flew into the wind generator a few days ago.
1014 mbars, 26-28°; breakfast: cocoa and biscuit, then my chow: buya (Indian snack), which is now gone.
It’s hard to secure the tiller in the morning in variable winds of changing strength. Autopilot is out because the wind generator barely charged any before departure and the weak winds are not enough, it needs a minimum of 15 knots to be able to charge. So the battery voltage is low already.
Cloudy sky, no sunshine at all. Quartering in Bf.2-3.
Afternoon chow: papaya-banana kefir (my last papaya).
1700 LT 14.290 MHz radio: POS(14-11S; 159-59E) 754nm to WP2, 48nm made good past 24 hrs.
Freddy relayed the wind forecast: 14-16kts from 230>180>130°. Today I heard Feri, HA3MQ as well.
Secured the tiller for quartering winds at night and checked it every two hours. By dawn the wind has changed, had to readjust it again.
2008.07.30 (day 664).
1018 mbars; 28°; Bf.1-2 from 180°; gradually weakening in the morning.
Fried prawn crackers for breakfast.
Today’s book: Dawn in Bodány by István Fekete.
Quartering with fixed tiller in the morning, there’s no rain. CARINA keeps stopping short in large head- and
bow seas. Bailed a bucketful of water from the bow compartment (under the batteries), must be leaking again somewhere.
Today’s reading: Rocklexicon by Péter Tardos. (I couldn’t find Pali Szécsi in it).
Afternoon snack: kefir with banana. (Papayas ran out yesterday).
Supper: noodles with vegetables (carrots, squash, onions, garlic).
Read the Vanuatu Independent in the afternoon (www.independent.vu) , the Sudoku in it was difficult.
www.vanuatupropertyforsale.info
07 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(14-06S; 158-45E); 684 to WP2, 70nm made good past day.
Heard Freddy. Forecast: 15-19kts. S, SE for the next few days.
Heard Freddy very weakly again at the 08 UTC radio test but he didn’t hear me.
2008.07.31 (day 665).
Bf.3 from 140°, course 280, spd. 3-4 knots (will keep to the south a little longer. because I like to keep 100nm from the coast: less fishing boat traffic.
Breakfast: spilled cocoa then cocoa fruit.
Morning: butterflying in following winds. Rarely use the autopilot, steer when I can, the batteries are weak.
Today’s reading: SciFi novels, Isaac Asimov, Harry Harrison, Gordon R. Dickson, Eric Frankle Russel, Paul Andersen).
Lunch: soup with grits dumplings, kefir with banana.
It’s very hot, 35° at
Steering and reading.
My hook and the blinker were lost in the morning, will replace though haven’t had much luck so farJ
Saw a turtle this afternoon under the surface, but I’m not sure, so far from everything the probability is low. (Not even sure I am here with CARINA).
The boom swung over this afternoon, the antenna coax jacket got damaged, insulated it, but not sure if OK…
07 UTC 14.29 MHz radio: POS(13-45S; 157-20E) 599nm to WP2, 85nm made good past 24 hrs. Heard Freddy weakly.
Dinner: prawn crackers.
Steered until
2008.08.01 (day 666).
1018 mbars; 26-29°; Bf.2-3 from 140°
Breakfast: biscuit, then steering and reading.
SciFi novels: Walter M. Miller, Robert Blech, Eric Frank Russel, Frederich Pohl, Alan E. Nourse, Robert Scheckley, W.E. van Vogt.
Lunch: noodles and vegetables.
P.m.: Bf.4-5 from 140°, making 4 knots already! Wind gradually strengthening, so lowered the mainsail at
Alone often and a lot, it’s sort of the life of a hermit. Being far from any civilization, in return I barter for a great deal of freedom and feeling of independence.
Caught a 6kg mahi-mahi in the afternoon. Cut up and cleaned it.
Dinner: raw fish with coconut and lemon – Polynesian style.
Perhaps succeeded this time by using a larger hook.
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(13-12S; 156-22E); 535nm to WP2. 64nm made good past 24 hrs, (including the night-run without the autopilot.
Heard Freddy and someone else very weakly, didn’t understand the forecast.
Evening.
2008.08.02. (day
667).
1015-1012 mbars; 27-29°; (p.m. 35°); wind: Bf.3, later 4 from 120°. Steering 270° making 3-4 knots. Deck is full of small flying fish again in the morning.
Breakfast: mahi-mahi fried in oil and garlic, (well done), kefir and the usual multivitamin.
Recorded a video of the first section of Carina’s galley. Theme: preparing the mahi-mahi and its recipe.
Steering during the day as usual.
Lunch: fish lolo –
Occasionally I drink a large cocoa that’s easy to prepare and is full of energy.
6 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(12-50S; 155-02E); 455nm to WP2; 87nm made good past day! Heard Freddy and Pali, both well. Stronger, 18-21kt SE winds expected.
Have a slight fever also a backache, perhaps my back got a chill. My oilskins are wet inside and out.
Dinner: canned chicken curry, biscuits, onions and paprika.
Evening: around Bf.5 from 120-130°, so lowered the main sail after 9. The wind generator is finally charging!
2008.08.03. (day
668).
1015 mbars; 31°; Bf.3-4 from 120-140°; steering 280° making 3-4 knots.
Breakfast: cereal.
A large freighter passed close by. Increased ship traffic is expected again.
Morning: steering as usual.
Sunday lunch: curry hall Hindi style, creamed squash Hungarian style, tomato and onion salad. Aperitif: Hungarian liver patè on crackers. One must have a stylish Sunday meal.
Rested some in the afternoon after having drunk a cocoa to help me sleep.
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(12-43S; 153-28E) 366nm to WP2; 89nm made good past 24 hrs. It’s Sunday, and the frequencies are busy, shifted to 14.287, but Freddy couldn’t hear me there either. I heard him. Wind forecast: 18-21kt SE.
Dinner: leftovers from lunch.
Bf.3 from 120°, the wind generator stopped charging. Course 280° making 4 knots.
Steered until
A small squid landed on deck at night, it happens frequently, because my freeboard is low, many waves spill over.
2008.08.04 (day 669).
1017 mbars; 35°; Bf.3 from 140°; cse. 290°; making 3-4 knots (butterflying with preventer).
The sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky.
Breakfast: fried fish, fried eggs, cucumber-onion salad, biscuit and coffee.
I think fish is the most wonderful of foods. Easy to prepare, there are an almost infinite number of recipes for it. And can easily be preserved, even for months!
I haven’t seen a ship for 11 days, but today, a large freighter passed by on my port side 6-7 miles distant.
By her course: probably heading for PNG. She was followed by two more freighters, I think the ship traffic will increase from now on. So I’ll have to get up at night several times to check it.
During my usual checks I noticed a safety pin missing from one of the main side stays, quickly replaced it with a spare.
Fishing: 3 plain, large hooks, a small piece of nylon and 30 meters of damil.
(Wherever you can see flocks of birds diving, there are plenty of fish that’s when one should start fishing!!)
Lunch: soup then kefir.
Afternoon: steering and reading. Later the wind has weakened and started to rain. Gloomy ocean weather. Sewed a hat in my boredom J
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(12-34S; 152-00E); 83nm made good past 24 hrs. 283nm to WP2. Heard Freddy very weakly. Forecast: 14-19kts S,SE winds. The band was very noisy today.
Dinner: porridge, sardines, cucumber salad.
At night: steering, the waves keep spilling into the cockpit. My oilskins are very wet. There’s wind and cold besides. Saw no ships tonight.
2008.08.05. (day
670).
Singer with a pleasant voice: Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_dWYrYNXvlE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkXzCGSoNGk&feature=related
1018 mbars; 28°; wind Bf.3 from 120-140°; course 280° speed 3-4 knots.
Breakfast: cereal with honey.
Kept steering all day.
Today’s book: Fluke (or I know why the winged whale sings) by Christopher Moore.
Lunch: soup. I got a lot of food and soup powder from the captain of a Spanish fishing boat back in the Marquises. All my foods have a connected story, I like it.
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(12-20S; 150-21E). 194nm to WP2 and 89nm made good past 24 hrs. Barely heard Freddy, couldn’t always understand him. Forecast 21-22kt winds for the next few days..
Later in the evening caught a 7-8 kg mahi-mahi, but lost it while pulling it in.
Wind Bf.3, sometimes 4, but the waves are large and CARINA
is rocking.
Dinner: canned mutton, porridge, onions, cucumber.
2008.08.06 (day 671).
Many sailors do not keep a log (yacht log), but I think it’s important to see data, route, weather information written down as well. It might improve your decisions.
1018 mbars; 28°; wind Bf.2-3 from 120°; making 3-4 knots on course 310°.
A large fish tore my hooks off last night.
Breakfast: leftover porridge.
The wind is weakening and the waves are smaller. Butterflying and continue hand steering during the morning while drinking cocoa. I like this!
Lunch: tomato soup.
P.m.: weakening winds. Another large freighter went by me, probably heading toward PNG.
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(11-28S; 149-06E). 104nm to WP2 and 90nm made good past 24 hrs. Unfortunately couldn’t understand Freddy, reception was very bad today. Sent my call sign and position by Morse. My Morse key in reality is a wire that I keep touching to the connector’s metal part, so it can’t be controlled very well. Bf. 4-5.
Evening: sailing on course 280° making 4 knots.
Dinner: soft-boiled eggs, biscuits, margarine, onions.
2008.08.07 (day
672).
Originally, I had two 47 Ah car batteries, then bought a 100
Ah and a 120 Ah battery in
1018 mbars, Bf.4-5/30°, cse. 330°,spd. 4-5kts. Continuously hand steering while butterflying.
Breakfast: soft-boiled eggs, biscuits, margarine, onions.
Lunch: soup.
Poor visibility during a rainy afternoon. Haven’t spotted the coast yet!
06 UTC 14.290 MHz radio: POS(10-36S; 147-13E), only 16nm to WP2.
Heard Freddy and Pali. The forecast for the next few days, read by Freddy: 19-19-21-17kts. (This will be after arrival).
Dinner: beans, onions and biscuit. Meanwhile dolphins are swimming and frolicking around the ship during sundown. It’s just as well for being foggy, it’s rather daub already J
Jib used only since the evening because of Bf.5 sustained wind with Bf.6 gusts.
Rained all night causing very poor visibility. My mast light isn’t on, its no good… measured the 12V below, the problem must be on the masthead.
Saw a few ships over night, one came close enough at
08 UTC (10-28S; 147-48E); 12 UTC (10-21S; 147-33E);
2008.08.08 (day
673). Half moon Arrival!
IALA buoyage system: Region in PNG.
Breakfast: soft boiled eggs, biscuit margarine.
22 UTC(9-56S; 147-23E);
Visibility is very poor, max. 100m in heavy rain.
The sea is rough because of the Bf 5-6 sustained winds, and now is when I have to move the outboard from the cabin into its mounting.
Basilisk passage (9-32S; 147-08E) is located between Sinavi- and Natera reefs. This is the “main entrance” and this is what all handbooks recommend. Its depth is 10.5m and the strongest ebb tide current is 1.5 knots in it. (They do not recommend the Padana Nahua passage at the eastern end of Natera reef, because one must possess local knowledge). Sailed through the entrance in wide quartering and halving winds, but couldn’t approach the next red buoy from the correct direction. Based on the map it was no big deal, but I tilted the ship pretty well anyway to lessen my normal 1m draft J
Tied up at the fueling dock at the Royal Papua Yacht Club at
Customs and quarantine officials came and took care of the paperwork. Quarantine fee: 50 kinas.
Local exchange rate: 100 USD = 228 kinas (100 tocas = 1 kina)
So, the yellow (Q flag) finally came down and I could officially leave the deck. Immigration would’ve been closed by the time I got to the airport, so I left my official “stamped” entry for Monday when they’re open J
Spoke with the club’s manager (Brent St.Hill), and he very kindly found me a place in the marina: B48. If I hadn’t the mandatory insurance, I couldn’t have tied CARINA up at the pier.
The Royal Papua Yacht Club belongs to the Queen of England and for this reason too it is fairly high class. (They wanted a photocopy of my insurance papers); elegant, that is somewhat alien to me because the marinas I’m familiar with were quite plain, not to mention the fishing harbors… It isn’t a large marina, 3 piers, about 150 berths, max 20m long ships can berth here. Dress code: hats must be off in the clubhouse, collared shirts and shoes required (no sandalsL, you couldn’t enter the club in swimming trunks). There is a restaurant, bar, restrooms, kid’s room, laundry, gymnasium…The Visiting Yachts Information handout contains all important and necessary info about PNG, but nothing is enough for me.
HAMAMAS LONG LUKIM YU
– Welcome to
5,130,560 people live in the country. (Papuan, Melanesian).
There are more than 600 islands, the main island is the second largest island in the world.
The 19 provinces are: Central Providence, Port Moresby, Gulf Providence, Western Providence, Oro Providence, Milne Bay Providence, Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Simbu Providence, Western Highlands, Enga Providence, The Southern Highlands, Morobe, Madang Providence, East Sepik Providence, Sandaun Providence, East New Britain, West New Britain, New Ireland, Manus, North Solomons;
West Pacific Standard Time: UTC+10h here…200,000 people live in the capital province, National Capital District, NCD.
Humans have been living here for more than 30,000 years. The first European was the Portugese discoverer D’Abreu in the island in 1512. After him came Dutch discoverers, then missionaries and merchants.
Independent since 1975, Independence Day is September 16,
but very closely tied to
Weather: mixture of tropical and monsoon with two seasons (rainy and dry).
April – October: Laurabada (SE trades)
October – March: Lahaqra (NE monsoon)
The official language is English. Pidgin, motu, and hiri motu are the three most often spoken local languages (there are about 800 different languages here).
Dominant religion: Catholic, but many follow the original culture- and civilization’s religion and Gods.
Human sacrifice still exists, though not too often.
Exports: shell fish, cocoa, (there is a lot and of very good quality), coffee, copra, rubber…
…People still live at the lowest level of the Stone Age, in deep, swampy valleys, in barely penetrable jungle…
Cannibalism was completely accepted here until the 70’s, nowadays no longer, but who knows what happens far away from the capital. An acquaintance told me that the sole is the finest delicacy of the human body, his grandfather told him, who had a lot of experience.
They live like they did 1000 years ago, their lives include the drums, sorcery and magic. The Pygmies (dwarfs) live in the jungle.
Local foods: kaukau (sweet potatoes), sago and the other
usual
They prepare the food with mumu (it’s like the lolo in
Prices:
Bus ticket in town: 30-40 tocas (21Forints, 0.14 USD)
Bread: 2.8 kinas (190 Ft, 1.25 USD)
! hour internet: 10 kinas (700 Ft, 4.6 USD)
buay – 30 tocas
Fast foods: 80 tocas – 2 kinas cheap, but a substantial meal costs (60-140 kinas)
Sights to see:
Newspapers:
Post Courier: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/, The National: http://www.thenational.com.pg/
State of the ship’s tanks: used 40 liters of water and 3
liters of gasoline (petrol) during the trip. Got acquainted with some local
youths during the afternoon and evening. Peter, Simon, Albert, Ralph…we talked
all afternoon while waiting for the officials. Then a family came to visit from
a neighboring Austrian ship, they are planning to sail back to
Had a few beers at night with the Italian owner of the neighboring ferry, then a few more with the local boys in CARINAS’s cockpit.
HF Radio frequencies:
2182 Distress and Calling
2524 RPYC Calling and Working
4125 Distress and Calling
4146 Calling Work (night)
4483 Calling Work (day)
6215 Distress and Calling
6227 Working
27.84 MHz PNG Working – Yacht Races.
27.88 MHz Distress and Calling (AUS)
27.92 MHz Distress and Calling (PNG)
27.95 MHz PNG Working – Special Events
27.97 MHz PNG Intership – Power Boats
2008.08.09 (day 674).
Pidgin English
(PNG-wide, common local language):
Hello – Hamamas long lukin yu
Yes/No – Yes/Nogat
Thank you – Tenkiu
What’s your name? – Wanem nem bilong yu?
My name is Áron – Nem bilong me Áron
Where do you live? – Yu bilong weh?
Thank you very much – Tenkyu tru
No thanks – Sori, nogat
How Are you? – Yu orait?
Well – Mi orait
How much is this? – Em hammers?
I’d like one - Mi
I’d like to go to the Parliament – Mi laik go long parlamant
Where is the Parliament? - Parlamant istap weh?
Could you come with me? – Inap yu kam wantaim mi?
Where are you going? – Yumi go weh?
I wouldn’t like – Sori nogat, mi less
Could you help me with this? – Plis, inap yu halivim mi wantaim dispela samting?
What is this? – Em wanem laikim?
This is very good – Em i gutpela stert!
This isn’t good – Em i no gut
I don’t like this – Mi no laikim
Please help me – Halivim mi, plis
Food, eating – kai kai
Can I take pictures? Inap mi kisim piksa?
There is wireless internet in the marina (www.daltron.com.pg).
After having deposited 350 kinas I received a key and moved over to location B48 in the marina. I’ve met many new people, Geri for example. Tried a local legal drug too: Bituna (buay), with lime and mustard (daka). You get a little dizzy and looser than normal for 15 – 20 minutes from it.
Had coffee with Isajas at
Today’s duties:
Repaired the 220V extension cord, changed its connector, it was corroded from the salty environment. Charging batteries – this is why tied up in the marina – I need a few days for this too.
Charging batteries: video pencil batteries, lamp, main batteries, telephone (Nokia)
Put new wind indicator ribbons on the side stay.
Cleaned out both toolboxes and cleaned my tools. Then cleaned out and re-stowed the port- and starboard middle compartments.
Dried my clothes, put away the sails, putting things in order, writing yacht log…today went by fast also.
Putting maps in order: coming here I would’ve used INT406
and the 82020, but never used them because there was nothing between
Examined
Course from here 226.3°,
Stephens and
From there: course 224° Rennel Is. on port side (anchoring possible)
From there: course 208.5°,
port side Arden Is., Dove Is., starboard side: Coconut Is. (anchoring possible)
port side.
From there: course 246°, Twin
Is. on starboard side.
Then Wednesday Is., Horn Is.,
(anchoring possible), Thursday Is. (7 knot opposing current possible here!),
Narrow sea strait between
Basically, this is a
continuation of the Australian Great Coral Reef.
The Strait was named from a Spanish mariner, who sailed with
the legendary captain Quiros from
Torres sailed away and no one ever saw him again. He was
lost somewhere in the depths of the sea, but his ship’s logs turned up years
later in
PNG web pages: http://www.adventureindonesia.com, http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/,
http://www.pngbd.com/travel/, www.png-tourism.com, www.surfingpapuanewguinea.org.pg,
www.tourismmorobe.org.pg, www.milnebaytourism.org.pg, www.newirelandtourism.org.pg,
www.eastnewbritain.com, www.pgonline.org.pg
Flights: www.airnugini.com, www.apng.com
2008.08.10 (day 675)
“I wish I could tell you about the South Pacific. The way it actually was. The endless ocean, the infinite specks of coral we call islands. Coconut palms nodding gracefully toward the ocean. But whenever I start to talk about the South Pacific, people intervene. I try to tell somebody what the steaming Hebrides were like, the first thing you know I’m telling about the old Tokinese women who used to sell human heads as souvenirs for fifty png dollars!”
James Michener, Tales of the South Pacific.
Recommended books:
PUB160, Sailing Directions (Planning Guide)
PUB164, Sailing Directions (Enroute)
PUB120, Sailing Directions (Planning Guide)
PUB127, Sailing Directions (Enroute) East Coast of Autralia
and
Cruising The
Pacific Wanderer, Earl R. Hinz
Got up early morning and worked around the ship.
Today’s works:
Packing and gluing sails, repairing rails (made new holes with the hand drill for 3 screws and magically tightened 2 others), filling water tanks, anchor-bucket repairs.
Quoted from József Varsányi’s book Around the World with Zsuzsanna, which I’m reading:
“I’m
Brian Hull, my yacht’s name is “Kacsaleves” – Duck Soup.
We
invite you for a traditional lunch, the one we always prepare in port: pork
chops, noodles, cabbage.
I
wouldn’t say that he’s enjoying it in this heat, we’re making excuses for not
having any cold foods.
- No
problem, after lunch I’ll invite you to my yacht and we’ll drink good cold
Australian beer.
We
found out that he was liason officer in
(1994
Afternoon a gentleman came to the ship in the marina and
introduced himself as “ I’m Brian Hull, my yacht’s name is Duck Soup. I know – I thought – but I only said:
I’m Áron
Méder, glad to meet you. He invited me for tea to his
ship, where I showed him the book and jokingly told him that he was famous in
Met some other sailors in the evening in Duck Soup, there was one of Hungarian descent who alas spoke no Hungarian.
Invited Peter – crew of the neighboring ship – for dinner. He really liked the fried Biopont pork patties (fashirt/tr) and Biopont noodles with onion salad. In otherwords, - with a little exaggeration – the cannibals like the vegetarian foods of Biopont. Pretty smart guys!
Later at night WiFi interneting from the royal club.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority: www.amsa.gov.au
Australian Reef Pilots: www.reefpilots.com.au
Torres Pilots: www.torrespilots.com.au and http://www.tsra.gov.au
2008.08.11 (day 676).
Walked over to the nearby ATM and after 3 days I was finally
able to withdraw some money. Then took the #11 bus to town, 30 tocas. “White”
people do not use buses here but I do (I’m plain and poor). Everybody says you shouldn’t walk about alone
without an escort. All whites have local escorts whom they – I suspect – are
paying. In my case danger means something like
I looked the town over: Look-out; Ela beach; St. Mary’s
Cathedral; the oldest building here is a small church, built in 1890 (
When walking down the grassy hillside, I remembered there were many poisonous snakes around here. For example: one of Brian’s acquaintances was bit yesterday by a large, dangerous poisonous snake.
Lunched for 2 kinas (fried lambar with noodles) and ‘neted for 10 kinas (sent pictures to the Gallery).
Then took the #4 bus for 40 tocas to Murray Barracks, 3
Mile, Boroko, Gordons, the Parliament and the
Museum:
Diprotodous – ancient, extinct PNG animal.
Traditional musical instruments: kundu drum with either Arafura snake- or ring-tail possum skin; Bamboo Slit Drum; Coconut occarina; Water drum; Percussion Tube; Flute; Garamut Beater; Raft panppies; Friction Drum…
Afterwards bused to the airport where obtained a 2 month visa at the Immigration Office for 100 kinas.
Afternoon: returned to the royal club where chewed on some buya with Tom, a local buddy from the port. Then had coffee and chatted with Peter in CARINA. Tonight I had tea with Brian in Duck Soup.
2008.09.12 (day 677).
Worked in the ship from morning. Transferred 22 liters of fuel from the old main tank into the rest of the cans.
Used 3-4 liters between
I don’t now exactly how much oil is in it, so I’m mixing it with the rest.
Further chores: dried out the rear compartment (was only about 0.5 liter of water in it), Replaced a broken 3 mm screw in the base of the wind generator and sealed the whole thing again, also sealed a portion along the stern lamp’s cable.
Geri brought a ladder so I could reach the top of the mast, where I pulled down a broken hoist.
Had tea and Equatorial crackers with Peter and Jimmy at noontimeJ
Further works: secured the screw holding the water bottles under the starboard coffin bunk that broke at sea, and did a few smaller caulkings.
Went over to Tom in the evening.
Tom lives with his friends in a community on the ferry in the bay, using a small fiberglass dinghy to go ashore. Community - or gang, a little of both…about 10 people, a few women and the rest are men. They party every day, buay, alcohol and marijuana (a great problem here because it’s very cheap so everybody is using it)
I’ve met a few interesting people, for example a gold digger, looking for a financial partner to mine the gold from his land. Dinner was simple, fish and rice, people came over from the neighboring fishing boat as well for a little home-shindig.
Then while we rowed back to shore, stopped at Irwin’s ship.
Brigitta, his native wife called us in for a drink. I didn’t really want to
drink rum but wanted to talk with Irwin so we went in and talked for about an
hour. Irwin has been living in PNG for 23 years, he works here, got married,
lives simply like the natives. Back in the 60’s he escaped from
There are some “white” people ‘hidden’ in the islands, they live like the natives, simply and in poverty. For some reason they chose this life. Whenever they meet a reporter, those always want to write a book about them.
Got back to the ship late at night.
2008.08.13 (day 678).
Bused to town in the morning to ‘net and to the post office. Later visited the Botanic Gardens, where school children showed and explained the garden, then viewed the WW2 memorial. Its gardener, James gave me some sing-sing herbs for curing a cold. Then got acquainted with Tony, owner of a small shop. We chewed buya and talked about the local situation. Afternoon: bused back to downtown and then to the PYRC.
Had dinner with one of the locals in the ship.
Interesting fact: the cell phone first appeared here in 2007, almost nobody used telephones until then.
So, it’s quite new!
TV first came in the 90’s that too was a major shock to these people: the world has opened for them…
There was no kissing before that, kissing came with it J
People in the mountains live like in the stone age, but their stone-age tools are more advanced and they’re cleverer, because the stone age lasted longer here J
2008.08.14 (day 679).
The yachtsmen sail only forward and always toward the west. Nobody must go ‘back’, that is the philosophy, the sailing and traveling view of certain people. Never turn back.
Went with Helen to see a
couple of local marketplaces in the morning: Koki and Gordon. The fish-,
vegetable-, and fruit markets are all as usual. This country is one of the
dirtiest I have seen, but it doesn’t bother me. The markets are extra dirty and
are full of pickpockets and other criminal elements, which doesn’t bother me
either, because Helen is a local and knows everybody. Much easier this way than
alone. Then we went to hardware stores to buy silicone (30 kinas) and
insulating tape (3.5 kinas). I couldn’t find any rope, but perhaps it isn’t
that important. Then alone I went to the Michael Somare Library, which is on
the Waigani Campus of the
There was a small
collection of PNG artifacts here and the opposition leader was speaking about
the historical changes of the past 15 years in the main auditorium.
Lunch: local foods at the
markets: fried kaukau (local root), smoked fish and coconut seigo for dessert.
These are very tasty and very cheap!
Afternoon: returned to work around the ship
Later Ralfi and his older brother came, we drank coffee and talked. He explained the characteristics of the Liljeblad Passage exit. This is the exit I shall use when leaving. Then he took my sleeping bag and clothes to be washed. Thank you!
Neted at night. Obtaining the Indonesian sailing permit is not so simple…
(the following recipes copied as written in English by the author/tr)
Yacht wine.
1 part fruit juice (1 gallon - 4 liters) (canned fruit – 5 cans for 20 l of wine), pears, apples, grapes, peaches, mulberries, kiwi or fruit juice works well, use 10 l 20 l of wine.
4 parts CLEAN water (4 gallons – 16 l)
6-10 lbs. sugar (4-5 kg)
1 tablespoon wine yeast (regular yeast OK).
Use ripe or overripe fruit. Can use lemons, limes, oranges, squeeze the juice out. Can use the juice of young drinking coconuts, mangoes, canned fruit or fruit juices. Try to avoid anything that might have additives or preservatives. Mash the fruit and juices together.
Sterilize the brewing jug by pouring boiling water inside or use sterilizing solution. Always keep everything you use as clean as possible and wash with boiling water before using.
Put fruit and juice into the brewing jug.
Boil 1 to 2 liters of water and dissolve the sugar in it. Add to brewing jug.
Wait until mixture cools down to lukewarm the add yeast and set airlock cap in place. AIRLOCK! This is what makes you wine taste good.
For and airlock system, you must be able to make airtight seal on your container. This is absolutely necessary to produce a good tasting wine. You must lead a tube out of the top of your container and into a small bottle partly filled with water, which sits next to the brewing jug. Make sure the tube in the brewing jug does not touch the wine level. This allows the fermentation gases to escape WITHOUT allowing air to get into the container. There will be a lot of bubbling in the small bottle for the first few days, then it will slow down. The wine will be ready after at least three weeks, maybe as long as 5 to 6 weeks. Don’t bottle the wine until the bubbles stop. Be sure to sterilize all your bottling equipment first. Strain through fine mesh strainers or siphon from jug. Discard fruit and yeast residue.
Ginger beer.
4 Tsp dry or grated fresh ginger.
2 LB (1 kg) sugar
1 Tsp citric acid or juice of lemon
2 Tsp yeast
2 gallons / 8 l of water.
This can be drunk right away if desired but all beers improve with aging.
Dissolve all ingredients except yeast in ½ gallon (2 l) of boiling water, top up with enough cold water to make 2 gallons.
When the temperature falls below 75F add yeast & fit the fermentation lock.
Let ferment for 2-3 weeks until bubbling slows or stops.
Sterilize bottles (plastic soda bottles are good) with sterilizing solution (powder available at Chemist)
Add 1 Tsp of sugar to 5-600 ml bottle (2 Tsp for 1-1.25l)
Fill, cap tight, shake to mix.
Let it stand until bottles are tight, 2-3 weeks.
