can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Merlyn of Poole - Friday, 4th April - 09° 18'S; 140° 29'W



We’re now on our way to Tahiti, after two busy days of preparation. Thursday began with a visit to the fuel dock. These places are never easy, and there is always a risk of being blown onto a – usually – concrete quay. We knew that this one would be exceptionally challenging, because of the swell in the bay.

The procedure involved anchoring in about eighteen metres, and then reversing up to the fuel dock, so that the stern lines could be attached. We needed people on the dock to take the lines, and Ivan was duly dropped onshore by dinghy. Lorenzo stayed below in the dinghy, to help with passing lines, etc. We also had Jonathan, from ‘Chez Nous’ available in his dinghy, just in case anything went wrong. I was in charge of the anchor and, from time to time, the helm.

The trickiest part of the whole thing was bridging the five-metre gap between the boat and the dock. The lines needed to be thrown across, which proved to be a little challenging. Bringing the fuel nozzle on board was a particularly delicate operation, as it was important not to drop it into the water. The hose was attached to a heaving line thrown from our boat, and then it was carefully drawn across.

The fuel-filling was relatively straightforward in the end, and all would have been well if we hadn’t encountered a problem with our windlass (the winch which raises and lowers the anchor). During this whole process, it failed on several occasions. Ivan and Lorenzo tried to winch the anchor up by hand, but it is phenomenally difficult because of the weight. Fortunately, after a few moments’ rest, the windlass started again.

In the end, we concluded that – because the batteries weren’t fully charged when we set out for the fuel dock - this had operated an automatic cut-out in the windlass mechanism. The load on the batteries is huge when the windlass is operating, and it seemed that batteries weren’t able to support this in their weakened state – an argument for always being fully charged before doing anything with the anchor. It was quite scary, though, as we couldn’t really move. Our anchor was still dug in and, without lifting it, we couldn’t go anywhere. Another theory is that the thermal cut-out in the windlass had operated, as we had been lifting and lowering large amounts of chain during a short timeframe.

That evening, we explored the local restaurant, ‘Moana Nui’. This is the only ‘proper’ restaurant in this part of Nuka Hiva, and it was being well patronised by the World ARC fleet when we arrived. We were initially disappointed not to have a table outside, but we settled into an inside table by an open window. The food and wine were surprisingly good. There was a choice of around four good white wines, which is not that common in the Marquesas. We both went for pizza – also very good – with a delicious mixed salad, and a portion of perfect frites between the two of us.  Dessert was crème caramel for me, and pear charlotte for Jonathan.

Yesterday afternoon, Jonathan and I explored the shops in Nuku Hiva. There are not many, but they are well stocked. We managed to find a few items that we hadn’t been able to find anywhere else – yeast for breadmakers, for example, as well as salted crackers. There was also good wine, Diet Coke and San Pellegrino – all very welcome. The shop also gave us a lift back to the quay with all of our shopping.

The problem in the islands is always finding fresh produce. The supermarkets stock very little, and you have to look out for people selling fruit and vegetables from the back of 4x4s, and from small stalls. Thanks to Lorenzo and Ivan’s shopping efforts, we now have a good supply of ‘Pomelos’, tomatoes and mangoes. We also have two monster avocadoes – you have never seen anything like these giant specimens before! There is a bunch of bananas tied to our stern, making ‘Merlyn’ look very tropical. Our eggs, bought in Hiva Oa, will keep us going until we reach Tahiti, and we have plenty of everything else.

So that brings us to Lorenzo and Ivan. They were disappointed not to be going to the Tuamotus – most of their friends on the rally will be going. As a result, they have both negotiated rides on other boats, or rather, catamarans, for that leg, so that they won’t miss out. Lorenzo is going to ‘Vivo’ to take up a position as ‘boat chef’, and Ivan will be on ‘Chez Nous’. Ivan is definitely coming back to ‘Merlyn’ in Tahiti – Lorenzo will see how his new boat goes. He is a keen cook, and he is very much looking forward to having his own galley, and taking overall responsibility for food preparation.

It has taken quite a bit of the day for all of the decisions to be made, and neither of the two was very sure whether to stay or go. We will miss them, of course. Ivan has left most of his things, and he still says that ‘Merlyn’ is his ‘home’. We all wish them all the very best – they have been delightful crew members. Their reputation has spread in the fleet, as they are so friendly and helpful. We are sure that many boats would welcome the opportunity to have them on board at some point.

In the meantime, we are pleased to have the challenge of sailing double-handed to Tahiti. We finally left the bay at around 17.45, having deflated and packed away the dinghy, and otherwise made the boat ready for departure. We were able to get sailing straightaway, and we have good wind coming from the east, sometimes backing to the ENE and, at other times, veering to the ESE. Finishing this blog post at six am, we have covered over eighty miles in our first twelve hours, which is excellent progress, making our VMG almost seven knots.

We now manage the watches between us, which will take some getting used to at first.. We are trialling a system of dog watches, and four-hour stints overnight. The night starts at seven pm, with a two-hour watch. The person who is not on watch gets a nap during that time, which prepares them for their first full watch. Then the first four-hour watch begins, with the person who has just napped on duty, while the other has a four-hour sleep. At one am, we change over. The night is rounded off with a final two-hour dog watch, from five to seven am. All being well, this gives each of us six hours’ sleep overnight, which is pretty much what we’re used to. During the day, we can each give the other an hour or so’s ‘top-up’ sleep. We need to be very organised to ensure that we both get enough sleep but, so far, it’s going very well.

Otherwise, the trip is going smoothly, and we are very much enjoying yet another new adventure. We were commenting yesterday on how much our terms of reference have changed. A sail of 750 miles, which takes over five days, seems quite short to us now. There was a time when anything over a hundred miles would have seemed long. Four or five nights at sea are now commonplace, whereas, at one point, even one night’s sailing in the dark was daunting. It is both exciting and rewarding to think that we can now undertake long passages together if we want to.

So, what do we expect to find in Tahiti? It is the big city compared to the Marquesas, with markets, museums and shops. The island is also reputed to be very beautiful, with high mountains and lush valleys. The water should be crystal clear, with excellent visibility for snorkelling. As we’re going to be in Tahiti for about a month – including our return to the UK – we will be berthing her in a marina outside Papeete – it’s only about five miles west of the city. This means that we can leave her with confidence, knowing that she won’t be drifting anywhere.

During out time in Tahiti, we also need to have some work completed on the boat. She hasn’t been out of the water for over a year now, and so we’re booked for a haul-out. A key task is to check the copper anti-fouling, to see whether the barnacles have damaged it, and whether it needs replacing, in parts, at least. This is essential for our entry into Australia, where hulls are inspected with the same rigour as in the Galapagos. We also need some repairs to our sail drive, which has been letting in water, as well as some small electrical repairs. ‘Merlyn’ will be in great shape by the time we leave!

We’re still making very good progress, with winds over twenty knots and a ‘Speed over the Ground’ (SOG) of seven knots. Long may this continue – it will put us into Papeete next Wednesday, which is absolutely on schedule. That’s it from ‘Merlyn of Poole’, hurtling along at seven knots, making for Tahiti.

The full story of our adventure can be found at: http://jenithon.com

 



Previous | Next