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American Spirit II - Day 180; Heading to Tanna, Vanuatu; GPS Problem & a Bumpy Start; Friday, July 4, 2014



Woke up at 6:0 AM; got up at 7:00 AM. Breakfast at 8:00 AM after the obligatory coffee. Scrambled eggs, fruit and bread.

After breakfast Angela finished copying my paperwork for Fiji Customs and Immigration. Thank you Angie!

The Rally broadcast occurred at 9:00 AM. Nothing new, really. Leaving today. Weather update.

Tried to call the water maker company in Tampa but got a recording. Must be taking a half day off (it's July 3rd there) to celebrate July 4th. Though we in the United States celebrate July 4th in recognition of our independence from the United Kingdom, wouldn't it have been interesting to still be part of the British Commonwealth like Australia and New Zealand? We've met a lot of British nationals on our voyage, and after learning how to understand their 'English' dialects it's been a quite favorable and memorable association.

We spent all morning getting the boat ready to depart. Adding more water to our water tank; going up the mast to retrieve our 'dressing flags' (a line had broken); putting stuff in their proper place; and saying our good-byes one last time to the 10 boats leaving us in Fiji.

We pulled away from the dock at 1:25 PM, and this was an experience. With a strong wind blowing from behind us, I had to keep the boat in reverse as Joel used the anchor windlass to retrieve our anchor. Slowly. There was a reef 20 feet past where our anchor was situated, and with a strong wind blowing us towards that reef my thought was that it would be a bad time for the engine to conk out.

Once under way we had to make our way our of the island area we were in by traversing an area and a pass that we had little information on in our electronic navigation devices on board. Fortunately, we followed other Rally boats ahead of us, ones that had a deeper draft that we had. What fun! Actually, it was pretty easy getting out of Fiji. Light colored blue and white water bad; dark blue water good.

At 2:00 PM our boat's GPS blanked out. Joel went 'diving' into the port cockpit locker where those sorts of things are found (wires) and rectified the problem...temporarily. A short while later, the GPS kept alarming, turning off and on again for an hour or so, before finally staying on. We ordered a new GPS antennae which we'll have July 14. Brought in by a 'parts mule.' A crew member joining us in Vanuatu.

Put a reef in the main at 2:20 PM. Wind 16 knots; boat speed 6.5 knots. We don't want to have too much sail up until we get out of the reef areas around us. We exited thru the reef pass around 3:00 PM. Folie a Deux passed us like gang- buster's at 3:10 PM. Angie was a little under the weather and was laying down in the cockpit.

Sunset at 5:49 PM. No green flash.

Dinner was freeze dried, Sweet and Sour Port and Beef Stew; plus chilled fruit cocktail.

Joel got up from a nap at 6:45 PM and I went down to nap from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, when I went on watch from 9:00 PM until midnight. At 9:00 PM we were surrounded by 7 Rally boats: Nexus, Dinghy, II Audeacious, Saphir, Folie a Deux, Seaduced and Lluiton. That's one of the nice things about this Rally. Company under sail. Wind 14 knots, boat speed 5.3 knots.

At 10:25 PM we sailed into a heavily clouded area. Bummer. Moon on the bow obstructed by the clouds. All I'm thinking is that there is going to be more wind under the clouds. Usually is. Sometimes a lot more.

At 11:11 PM wind 15/16 knots, boat speed 7.3 knots. We need to average 6.0 knots to get to Vanuatu in 72 hours.

Before going off watch at midnight, reefed the mainsail. Joel relieved me and was doing the 12:00 AM to 3:00 AM watch.

Brian Fox

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