sy Timoneer

Noon Position 27deg 35S 109deg  25W

Course – 173 Degrees   Speed –  10.7  Knots        Day’s Run –  30 Miles

Weather – Partly cloudy and 6 foot swells

Wind – 13 knots from SSE

Iorana Rapa Nui ( Bye Easter Island)

We left the anchorage about 9am after the officials were finished and have been motor sailing with mizzen and staysail.

The hospitality of the Rapa Nui people was incredible. We delivered the Yacht Aid Global supplies to the school on Friday presenting it to the Headmaster who was very grateful and gave us a tour of the school showing us how they are slowly developing it. We were also presented Rapa Nui key rings and a medal of honor from the school. It is a new school that has only been open 4 years and has made great progress.

We now have 2100 miles to sail to Puerto Montt which should take about 8 days.

JC

Noon Position 27deg 08S 109deg  26W

Course –  Degrees   Speed –  0  Knots        Day’s Run –  144 Miles

Weather –  Overcast with drizzle showers and a slight swell.

Wind – 21 knots from E

We arrived safely last night at 0230 local time (GMT -5 Hours) after a very quick trip. I had allowed another 2 days in case the sailing was slow. That is 1950 miles down and we have 85% of our fuel left, if we need it , to do the 2000 miles to Puerto Montt, Chile. All in all it was a great trip but we are all looking forward to a good nights sleep in a bed that is not rolling back and forth all night. I think we will be swaying when we step ashore this evening.

Weather permitting, we will be here 6 days doing repairs, maintenance and catching up on sleep and of course get a compulsory photo next to a Moai( the stone heads). We will also be delivering the Yacht Aid Global school supplies to the local school.

JC

Noon Position 25deg 07S 108deg  10W

Course -215  Degrees   Speed – 11   Knots        Day’s Run –  242 Miles

Weather –   Clear with patches of cloud and 10′ swells from NE

Wind – 19 Knots from E

In the last 24 hours we have had the engine on more than off. The wind has turned and is coming from too far aft to keep the sails full in these rolly seas. Yesterday afternoon while we had the engine off we caught a Black Marlin. By the time we got the boat stopped there was very little line left on the reel. After a lot of winding we got it to the side boarding ladder and released it.

We had another very rolly night and this morning we were motor sailing so I put the fishing lines out and a few hours later we had turned the engine off and another Black Marline hit the line. It would have been nice smoked but way too much fish to be dealing with so we released it.

We are scheduled to arrive at Easter Island early in the morning 30th November.

JC

Noon Position 21deg 51N 105deg  37W

Course – 230 Degrees   Speed –  10.4  Knots        Day’s Run – 253  Miles

Weather –   Partly cloudy with 15′ swells from ENE

Wind – 18 knots from ENE

During the night the wind died on us and we were forced to put the engine on at 230am  and take down the main sail which then made for a very rolly night. This morning the sun came up and we saw blue sky and blue seas. A very nice change from the greyness we have had for the last 2 weeks. The wind came back with the sun and we were able to turn the engine off for a few hours and then the wind went behind us again forcing us to motor with a very rolly motion. We are also getting rain squalls coming through and affecting the wind.

As these conditions are forecast to continue we will be arriving at Easter Island early morning 30th November.

JC

Noon Position 18deg N deg  W

Course – 214 Degrees   Speed –  12  Knots        Day’s Run –  264 Miles

Weather –   Grey and cool

Wind – 20 knots from E

The grey, drizzly, cool weather continues and we feel we have been ripped off passing through the tropics as we have hardly seen the sun. The wind continues to blow other than for an hour this morning when we had to put the engine on as we were rolling badly. The breeze has settled in again now and the engine is off. The seas have picked up a bit to 15 foot swells from the East making the ride a bit rolly.

We have been averaging much better speeds than anticipated and tomorrow I will have to decide if we can make it to Easter Island, with enough light to see the reefs, on 29th November or slow down and arrive 30th in the morning.

Noon Position 14deg N 100deg  W

Course – 215 Degrees   Speed – 9.5   Knots        Day’s Run – 274  Miles

Weather –   Sunny with rain squalls

Wind – 18 knots from E

It has been a difficult 24 hours with squalls doubling the wind from 15 to 30 knots and turning the wind direction 50 to 60 degrees. The swell from the East has picked up making it a bit rolly as well but we are still sailing towards our destination at a good pace and conserving the fuel.

JC

Noon Position  11deg 01N 97deg  55W

Course  – 215 Degrees   Speed – 11.5   Knots        Day’s Run – 285  Miles

Weather – Sunny with cloudy patches and 10′ swell 

Wind  – 16 knots from ESE

The last 24 hours we have had some great sailing with the top speed being 13.8 Knots over the ground but most of the time we have been in the 12’s.The wind has been quite variable and keeping us on our toes trimming the sails and putting more sails out and then reefing them as the wind picks up again. It makes our watches of staring out at blue ocean go a bit faster  and gets us closer to our destination without using fuel.

We have seen very little in the way of wildlife other than schools of hundreds of flying fish that launch themselves to flee as we approach. Surprisingly the water temperature has changed very little since leaving the Galapagos and is only 70F ( 21C). This is the coolest place in the Tropics I have ever been. As long as the wind keeps blowing I won’t be complaining though.

JC

Noon Position  7deg 11N 95deg  09W

Course  – 215 Degrees   Speed –   11 Knots        Day’s Run –  265 Miles

Weather – Patches of cloud with 10′ swells from SE 

Wind  – 15.5 knots from SE

Yesterday afternoon the SE trade winds filled in much earlier than expected and slowly built overnight. This morning we switched off the engine and are having a cracking  sail. Not sure that Gaby is loving the angle of the galley but is still knocking out great meals. The sacrifice we make in turning off the engine is that we also have to take in the fishing lines as it would take us too long to slow the boat down by the time we start a generator to furl away the sails. We have never seen so many flying fish and were wondering if it was because all their predators have been fished out and then we had 2 bites but they both got off, so I guess there are still some big fish out there.  

JC

Noon Position 3deg 35N 92deg  38W

Course – 215 Degrees   Speed –  11.3  Knots        Day’s Run – 242  Miles

Weather –  Overcast and slight swell from S

Wind – 15 knots from SE

We farewelled the grey and drizzle of the Galapagos Is as darkness fell on Isabella Is and woke to the first sunny morning since 4 days North of Galapagos. We have had gentle winds and 1-2 knots of current pushing us along. The fishing lines were out at the crack of dawn as we are now outside of the marine park but no luck yet.

Position 0deg 28N 90deg  26W

Course – 260 Degrees   Speed – 9.8   Knots        Day’s Run –   Miles

Weather –   Sunny with scattered clouds

Wind – 10 knots from S

The crew have caught up on their sleep and had some exercise and are ready to continue the big journey to Chile.

We left Puerto Ayora at 5am and motored around to the West side of Baltra Island to the only fuel dock in the Galapagos. We arrived about 9am and had to wait for the workers tocome and take our lines. By 10am we were tied up. It was a slow process but by 1245 we were full of fuel and ready to head South.

For the rest of the afternoon we will be passing between Santa Cruz Is and Isabela Is staying well off shore as there are a lot of unmarked underwater volcanic peaks.

This leg to Easter Island is about 2000 miles and if we get some assistance from the wind should take 8 days. We don’t have the fuel range to motor all the way to Chile so by going to Easter Island we hope to get some good sailing out of the SE trade winds. South of Easter Islands is where the roaring forties kick in from the West taking us to Chile.

JC