Saturday, March 31, 2012

Blue sunrays

In the background, towards the east, huge streaks of blue sunrays are
colouring the morning skies. Soft shades of pastel on the palette as the
night gently makes way for the day. I wish I had words to describe our
360* view out here but my words pale in comparison as the scenery
changes and the streaks of clouds behind us is now being set on fire by
the rising sun. And the clouds ahead of us that was shrouded in hues of
grey is also now blushing at the beauty of the sun. Dramatic scenes are
being performed by the clouds all around us, whisperings of a love once
had, a love once lost,a love once found. I can see how the Greeks could
spin their woeful tales of the pathos of it all. The endless cycle of
life and death. I am at a crossroads here. Should I mediate a poem right
here and now, open myself to the Muse and just record what I hear and
what I see ? Pure poetry I guess is not everyones cup of tea so I shall
doso but only in private.

On with the show. The wind has been very kind to us and we are making
way even better than expected. And the bonus is that we have two tanks
nearly full of diesel should we run out of wind. To make our ETA in
Tahiti we have to maintain a very easy and do-able 6kts, we are in fact
sailing and maintaining a much faster speed and will perhaps even be
able to cut another day from our ETA. At the moment it looks like we
will be arriving at Tahiti on the 10th of April. And that includes a
stop at Fatu Hiva for a few hours and time our arrival at Tahiti for an
early morning entrance. We have also received news that our journey will
probably terminate here and not Raiatea as mentioned before. Suits us
better as we then fly straight from Tahiti, and won't have to fly a
small hop from Raiatea back to Tahiti. Distance to Fatu Hiva is 700nm
and from there to Tahiti 800nm. Can you believe it, eleven more days and
the trip will be over, but it ain't over yet. In fact, it is not over
until the fat lady sings another beautiful nautical slice of history.

But our expression, the first one in a while, is 'Figure Head'. Nominal
leader with no real power but large in the public eye. The word is taken
from the carved and ornamental figure which was carried at the stem of
sailing ships. Primarily for decoration, figureheads also expressed the
belief that a ship was a living thing(as I do), and needed someone up
front with eyes to see where it was going; ships from the Mediterranean
and China had eyes painted on each bow. Symbolism too played a part and
throughout the ages there have been an assortment of fierce and fast
animals of which lions were probably the most common. About the time of
the fast clipper ships it was felt that something more in keeping with
their slender lines was required and the bare-breasted lady became
fashionable. She has probably remained the number one choice ever since
and not least because of a convenient superstition which has it that
topless ladies calm the stormy seas.

Our position at 7am our time is 07*46'S/126*56'W. I received calls from
both the yachts behind me and they are also reporting excellent winds,
which in turn means more good winds coming our way. They were a bit
stressed for a while as they had no wind and running low on fuel. They
requested my assistance with checking the weather for them as they don't
have the facilities we have on board, and our weather guru back home had
the weather for the in no time at all, thanks mom. I was very happy to
relay the good news to them that their worries should be over in 24hrs.
If that was not the case I am not sure what I would have advised them.
They are however not gaining on us but neither are they loosing ground,
staying at a steady 800nm astern. Which is darn good as they are on the
slower and smaller 39's and we are on the faster 46. So well done to the
boys behind.

Hope you are having a day and a half.

Paul

Friday, March 30, 2012

Sushimi twice a day

What a day we had. Firstly,good winds followed the red sunset, hence the
saying that a red sunset at night is a sailor's delight. We have now
turned straight towards Fatu Hiva and have the wind on the beam, doing
excellent speed. When the wind drops a bit we motorsail and have more
than enough diesel to motor all the way if we had to. This is the result
of saving diesel whenever we could, using the sails to their max, day
and night, saving power when and wherever we could. Now we have some
peace of mind that we will make it without having to worry about our
diesel, a great feeling to have as opposed to not being sure whether the
diesel will run out or not.

T'was my turn to do supper today. For breakfast we all had a decent
portion of Jungle Oats, Steven on his morning watch prepared some
sushimi which we had for brunch, for lunch I fried some spicy fish
nuggets and served with spicy rice and peas mixed in, and beetroot salad
to finish it off. For desert we enjoyed cherry and mango jelly. Supper
was more sushimi and for desert a bowl of popcorn each. We now regret
having released the second bonny we caught yesterday as our first bonny
is no more. The conditions are great though, the moon sitting just right
and the next day or two should produce some fish, dorado if we could
choose, but any fish will be greatly appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed.

The chess saga continues. Yesterday Nick was the champion with 2 games
to 1 and today I reclaimed the throne with 3 games to 1. Once again most
of the games were really balanced on a knife edge, and one wrong move
and the tables could be turned. Eduard reckons once we have practised
enough we can take him on, we will keep you posted. This is such a game
of patience, and once you are on a roll you easily slip into complacency
feeling invincible. The next moment you loose your queen and then the
trouble begins. Quick moves often land you in dire straights. Sometimes
all out attact also works, keeping your opponent on the defensive. I
once read a Chinese tail of a young man that walked into a cave where
two elders were engaged in a game of chess. He left his axe outside and
when the game was finished he walked out again and the wooden handle of
his axe had turned to dust and a hundred years had passed. More of a
time warp tale and similar to the fairy dances etc.

Our position at 5am here by us and 3pm in SA is 06*55'S/124*19'W. 870nm
from Fatu Hiva and looking immensily forward to set foot on land again,
or an island in our case. I trust that you will have a fantastic
weekend.

Salute

Paul

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Fire in the sky

Last night was probably one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever
seen on the ocean. The clouds earlier on resembled the wavy pattern of
the water, so much so that I even took a few pictures of these unusual
formations. And when the sun started setting,the sky was set alight in
all shades of red, orange, yellow, purple, pink and a few other colours
inbetween that defies description. The moon was also sitting right above
us, an ideal position for fishing. I mentioned this to Eduard and Nick
that it is a scientifically proven fact that fish feed mostly when the
moon is right above or below them, and also when the moon is just
setting or rising.Whether in dams or rivers or oceans, the feeding
patterns are the same.

We had just finished a delicious supper, fish cakes that Nick made from
tinned pilchards and sweet potato, when the first bonny whacked our
lure. It was the biggest bonny I have seen and trying to hold him down I
think Steven's teeth must have rattled a bit. It is like trying to hold
down a jackhammer and one's fingers gets thoroughly bruised between the
tail and the deck. Tied a string to the tail, made a few incissions to
assist in bleeding and dragged the bonny backwards through the water.
Soon afterwards she was being processed by Nick, stored in a jiffy in
the freezer and later today we will have sushimi. Shortly afterwards we
landed another big bonny but released it again. We kept the lure out
hoping for a dorado, but very grateful for the bonny we got.

Just a few more days and we will drop anchor and go and explore Fatu
Hiva for a few hours, really just go and hug a few trees,smeelthe earth,
pick a coconut or two, swim a bit in a freshwater stream. It's been
nearly a month since we saw land, and Fatu Hiva is one of the most
spectacular places on the planet. 1000nm to this little piece of
paradiseand then the last 800nm to Tahiti where we will clear customs
etc before taking the boat to Raiatea Island where she will be based.
That is 120nm from Tahiti and what a pleasure it will be to navigate
through these beyond beautiful places. Already my mind is set on taking
extra care towards the end of our journey, to be extra vigilant. Our
position is 06*36'S/122*50'W. The week is nearly over again, where does
time go?

Capt. Paul

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Standing by on one six

Today we will cross the 2000nm mark to Tahiti according to the
signboards floating out here on the water. Not much traffic for the last
few days, Eduard had just spotted a ship but it was just a glimpse of
the port light. The wind has been fading a bit on us as we expected, and
we are motoring maintaining 6kts. At our current speed we should arrive
at Tahiti at about 11pm on the 10th of April. Our plan is thus to stop
at Fatu Hiva and spend a few hours there which will allow us an early
morning entry into Tahiti on the 11th. We are also stopping to shake off
a full month on the water since we left Panama. We could stop at one of
the more populated islands as well to get some water etc but at this
stage the plan is to push on through to Papeete, the capital of Tahiti.

Nick and myself decanted 500ltrs of diesel into our tanks and the sun
nailed us big time. One thinks one will just quickly set up the pipes
and run for shade again,but every now and then you spend a little longer
in the sun than planned. We pushed on through however and our tanks are
full, more than enough to motor the last 2000nm should we have to. We
are expecting a bit of wind again in two or three days time so all good
this side. Afterwards we had a nice swim and seashower to cool down
somewhat and also wash the bit of diesel off that inevitably always
spills a little on one as we were decanting out of 250ltr drums. After
nearly three months at sea My hair was getting a bit irritatingly long
and in my eyes. Nick volunteered to trim it a bit and did a splendid
job. Expressions For Hair in Constantia Village is apparently where he
gets his inspiration from. Check out there website or pay them a
visit.If he can do this well out here with just a pair of scissors,
imagine what the artists can do for you in their fully equipped studio.
I will certainly make a turn there when I am back in Cape Town for my
next delivery.

The last few days Eduard, Nick and myself have been involved in epic
battles on the chess board. Nick is leading Eduard 4/0 and I am ahead of
Nick 6/3. Eduard and myself haven't gone to battle yet. The games are
very evenly matched, sometimes ending in a draw. The scores don't really
reflect at all how extremely close these matches are contested. Just one
little slip of concentration and the downwards spiral begins. Sometimes
one is well ahead, having a feast with your opponents pieces, and all of
a sudden the tables are turned. Overconfidence also sometimes gets the
better of one, with dire results.

We are now all enjoying a big bowl of Jungle Oats every morning for
breakfast. Copious amounts of Illovo Maple syrup and YumYum peanut
butter and a dash of milk all mixed together really fills our tummies
with goodness. Now that we are no longer smoking our appetites are back
and can actually taste for a change what we are eating. Still not
completely over it, it is really a tough habit to break. But easy enough
out here with no tobacco and nowhere to get some for a while. I
sincerely hope we won't forget how enslaved we were to this addiction
and will abstain from it completely in the feature. Why on earth one
smokes, compromises one's health and waste your money I have no idea. I
am just trying to convince myself, to find a way not to fall into the
habit again. My greatest respect for those who have quitted smoking.
Easy enough to stop because we ran out of tobacco, but to stop while you
have or can get tobacco, well I don't know.

Our position at 9pm on the 27th of April was 06*39'S/118*50'W. We are
now 10 hrs behind SA time and UTC - 8. Distance to Fatu Hiva 1200nm and
Tahiti is 800nm further down the line. In two weeks time we should have
our mission completed, but lots can still happen in the interem. We may
even catch a fish.

Take good care

Capt Paul, as always standing by on one six

Monday, March 26, 2012

The sky is falling

As the night set in, the twilight zone revealed the tiniest little
slither of moon, set between Venus and Jupiter from our point of view.
An hour or so later the moon dissapeared on our western horizon and all
the stars came out to play. As if to celebrate the new moon, some of
them were having such a great time that they were falling all over the
place, leaving long streaks of light tails behind them. Falling stars,
shooting stars, disastars, super novas, they were all having a ball.
March is nearly over, and those who survived the equinox, well done, the
next one is in September. March and September are known to be the two
most hectic months of the year, ask anybody that works at the ER.

On our side, our progress is greatly enhanced by excellent current and
favourable winds. This is now the 4th day in a row that we are sailing,
throwing our twin headsails to the wind. On our sugar scoops at the back
we have a small algae forest flourishing and a little community of
barnacles having also taken residence there. The sugar scoops on a
catamaran is the back end of the two hulls that steps down to the water
level. Amazing to sit and watch these barnacles open and close, fanning
their tentacles in search of micro organisms to feed on. In a way it
makes it less sterile out here, having a little garden with live
creatures sharing the boat with us. At the end of the trip we shall
remove them, but for now, they are an example of the tenacity of life
and the will to survive. We haven't given them individual names yet, but
another week or so on the sea and in the sun I think we may just be in
the right frame of mind to do such a thing. I am already starting to
think that good names for our barnacle friends would be Boet, Bill,
Barries, Barney, Ben, Baptista and for the females Betty Davis,
Beatrice, Bonny, Blondie , so on and so forth.

Our position is 07*14'S/115*41'W. 2200nm to Tahiti. Wishing you a great
week ahead.

^^^

Sunday, March 25, 2012

A sunny Sunday on the Pacific

The small dorado we landed made a most welcome addition to our lately
usual supper consisting of soya beans. Nick prepared a pot of rice,cut
the dorado into small portions , fried it for awhile and added it to the
rice. Mixed veggies was also part of our fishpot and it turned out most
delectable. We have some packets of beetroot salad and this just added
that extra bit of magic to the meal. During supper we were sitting and
talking about our food supplies on board and the more we talked about it
the more we realized how much we do have on board. About 10kgs of Jungle
Oats for breakfast to start with. Quick and easy to make and adding
peanut butter of which we have industrial amounts of and maple syrup
which we have about four bottles of, we are sorted for breakfast, and
very tasty and healthy to boot. We can't serve bacon and eggs
anymore, and in the same way with what we have for lunch and supper, we
can't always get what we want, but we certainly get what we need.

Not smoking now for five days and things are getting better. Still a bit
of a craving when you wake up or after a meal, but we are winning the
battle. All of us are starting to work out a bit to get our bodies back
in shape a bit. I am hoping to take up kiteboarding when I get home and
that motivates me to get fit and stay fit, and not take up smoking
again. Inused to be a sport fanatic when I was younger and now it is
feeling really good to start the muscles working a bit. I use an elastic
band called Body Sculpture which I got at Sportman's Warehouse I
think, and I must say,it works for me, all the different muscles getting
stretched a bit. Stilllearning how to work all the muscles properly but
enjoying it nevertheless. Sitting on a yacht for three months with
hardly any exercise is bad enough. To do it year in and year out is no
good at all.

Not saying much else today, except that we are about two weeks away from
our destination. Busy getting all the official requirements lined up for
our entry into Tahiti. Customs, Immigration and Port Control will have to
be notified this week of our arrival, as well as our base at Raiatea
island about 120nm from Tahiti. We will first clear in at Tahiti and then
do the last bit of sailing to the base. It is a French territory and the
French are sometimes difficult when it gets to official protocol. But as
long as all our ducks are in a row, we should have no problem. Our psotion
at 3am our time is 07*21'S/111*45'W. The good weather predicted has just
started coming through an hour ago, but according to our latest weather
report, it won't stay with us as long as originally predicted. That is the
weather for you. Fortunately we have enough diesel to motor all the way to
Tahiti should it be necessary.

Have a serene Sunday and all the best for the week ahead.

Cpt. Paul

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Two days in a row

Yip, we have now been sailing for two days in a row. Tentatively at first, but ever so gently the wind and the current is
pushing us faster and faster. Started at just over 4 kts, crawled up to 5, then up to 6. And the best is yet to come. We
are expecting really good winds on the 25/26, and already we are doing well beyond what we expected. And to top it all, we
also landed our first dorado. A little baby one, but big enough to make an excellent meal mixed with rice and peas. It is
Nick's turn to cook tonight, so we shall see what he pulls out of the hat. It is also the first dorado Steven has seen since
he strted sailing with me nearly 30 000nm ago. We have landed some sizable tuna and big sailfish, but somehow dorado has
always eluded us. It is my favorite fish by far and have high hopes that we will catch an even bigger one soon.Then we can
have decent sized dorado fillets fried in butter. This little dorado is a veryn timely catch for us. Having soya beans a few
days in a row is starting to get a bit much, although we are eating healthy and making the most of it. The little dorado
though is a very welcome addition to our very healthy diet. And yes,it is the fourth day without tobacco and still the
craving for a cigarette pops up every now and then, but we are certainly not being edgy about it. On the contrary, we are
eating more. Steven baked a garlic bread today and made a pot of soup. It did not last very long and served as a late lunch
early supper. And for a late supper he made some delicious flapjacks. Strange order of events under normal circumstances but
convention out here does not carry much weight.

The nightskies are once again ablaze with stars dancing and pulsating each to their own beat, flashing their own colours.
Orion on his chariot is chasing Pleiades over the horizon inthis never ending quest to sink his arrow into the bull, behind
us the Southern Cross is showing us the four directions in case we get lost, and the Milky Way is as always a most awesome
highway through our galaxy. There is life out there, out here, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Not only life in different
dimensions, but also life as we know it. I have no interest in trying to convince you, you either know it or you don't. One
of my favorite shapes is spirals. You find them in hurricanes, all around the galaxy and also in your kitchen sink when you
let the water out. Energy is infinite, it will change shape and transform and evolve all the time, but in essence it never
ends. And your thoughts, your ideas, your feelings you project, are also forms of energy, and I wonder if you have any idea
how the ripple effect of your actions echoes throughout the universe. There is so much potential for harrmony, but we rather
feed our greed and fear our fate. We can sometimes be so very small and so very insecure. Totally self absorbed and
blindsided. I guess each to his or her or its own, our journeys are all unique, as unique as the snowflakes and as our
fingerprints. So yes, be free, be free to be the very best you can be.

Our position is currently 07*27'S/109*06'W and we are 1760nm from Fatu Hiva.

Hope you have a most wonderful weekend.

The Captain

Friday, March 23, 2012

Fridays are Fridays are Fridays

I don't care much for time and for days when we are out on the ocean for
extended periods of time, but Fridays still carries a little magic ring
to it. We have been sailing for the last 24hrs, an amazing experience
after motoring for nearly two weeks. Keeping a close eye on the weather,
using computer programs to show us where the currents are, and somehow
eventually start reaping the benefits when both current and wind comes
together. We are not sailing fast yet, in two days time we should be
hooking into really good sailing weather. At the moment we have our twin
headsails up and sailing at a leisurely 5.5 kts but slowly building
speed.

A few fishing boats around at night, or rather easier to spot them at
night due to the bright lights and the loom they create on the horizon.
We tried some night fishing, tying a luminescent lure on but no luck.
Food on board is fine, but we are starting to run out of options. And
not smoking anymore, we eat quite a bit more. Interesting how we dealt
with the cravings and after three days, I think we are over it. Was not
easy, but we had no choice in the matter. Hope when we get to land again
we will remember how hard it was to quit and will think three times
before falling back into the habit again. We are also starting to work
out a bit more, doing exercises and getting back into shape, so all and
all many positive results from running out of tobacco. Our sense of
smell and taste is also returning, but our bodies will probably still
detoxify some. A slight headache was experienced but that is also over
now, drinking copious amounts of water to purify our bodies.

Our position at the moment is 07*24'S/107*35'W. We've sailed down to
07*39'S before we started coming up again as we were losing current.
This manouevre placed us in an excellent angle on the wind which is
straight from behind and we are now sailing due west. We are 1850nm from
Fatu Hiva where we may stop for a few hours to touch base again, and
2680nm from Tahiti. Still some distance to go, but we are getting there,
and hopefully will arrive there within the next three weeks. Really
depends on the wind, and as usual,only time will tell.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Captain Paul

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The best things in life are free

After the turtle encounter, we surely hoped for some better conditions.
We having been moving down south looking for better current and wind and
have at last reached an area outside the doldrums. The wind is in the
right direction for us as predicted, but not enough to get us sailing at
all. Now and then we get a bit of sailable wind and we set our sails,
sail for a few hours and then the wind just fades on us again. The last
three days we only averaged about 100nm a day, only 60% of what we were
hoping for at the very least. By all accounts it looks like we will at
last get some real sailing weather on the 25/26th and will have to see
how far that will get us. It is trying times for us. No wind, no tobacco
but no ways we will allow this to get us down.

Everyday we seem to have a mix of rain, of sun, of wind, of calm. When
it rains, we catch the rainwater to fill our tanks, when the sun shines
some of us stay out of the sun and some of us catch a tan, when the wind
blows we fill our sails and make good progress and when it is calm
we motor, not to fast as we are also conserving our diesel. We turned
our clocks back another hour yesterday and are now 9 hrs behind SA.
T'was my turn to cook and at 4pm we already finished supper,a huge curry
pot with rice, and we all had second and third helpings. For dessert
Eduan and Steven baked a yummy chocolate cake and Nick made some
custard, so yeh, all that also just vanished into thin air.

Night before last Nick baked the last of the fish we had and we enjoyed
that hugely as well. Must say, we are making the most of the little we
have on board. Our 2minute noodles are finished and for snacks now we
have soup of which we have plenty. We also have plenty of rice left,
pasta, maize meal, flour and so on, but our soya beans etc is starting
to run out. Can you believe it, we might even miss having soya beans on
board. We have lots of pasta sauces etc so we will be ok, we won't
starve. And should we be blessed with a fish again,we will be
laughing our heads off from pure happiness. Yes, we have been at sea now
for nearly a quarter of a year, and we are all looking forward to taking
a break again. Can you imagine how much we will appreciate the small
things that people on land take for granted. Trees and flowers and bees
and things like that. The hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Our position is 07*36'S/103*03'W. We are about 2100nm from Fatu Hiva
where we plan to stop for a few hours and another 800nm from Tahiti,
which at this stage we should reach by 12/04/12.

Hope you had a good Heritage Day and enjoy the rest of the week as well.
Yay, tomorrow is Friday.

Captain Paul

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Turtle blessings

The Chinese have a great fascination and respect for turtles. We had the
unspeakably great honor of meeting two today. The first was tangled in
some fishing bouy contraption,old floats that was just drifting. We
spotted the bouys and on closer inspection saw the turtle towing this
flotilla of floats around with him. We slowly moved the boat into
position. Eduard first dived in but the tutrle was swimming a bit to
fast for him. Once we got a bit closer Steven dived in, got hold of the
bouys and swam back to the boat, dragging the turtle behind him. Both
motors were off and the diving ladder was down making for easy access
onto the boat. I passed Steven the scissors and with some assistance
from Nick and Eduard Steven eventually managed to free the turtle. What
an amazing feeling to see this turtle diving down deep, something he was
not able to do for who knows how long. It was not all as easy as that as
the turtle was also moving his flippers around making it tricky. His big
bony jaws hissing made us a bit wary but we succeeded in the end.

I just started the motor and decided to cut the motors again and all of
us had a seashower, soaping ourselves and washing the soap off with
seawater and finally rinsing the seawater off with fesh water. We have
got some way to go still and using the fresh water very sparingly. Quite
a few barnacles have attached themselves under our hulls and Eduard
volunteered to scrape them off with a plastic spatula. Just then we
spotted another turtle swimming towards us. He came right up to the
boat. There is now wind, good current and we were just drifting with the
current. A very friendly turtle this one turned out to be, swimming
leisure around the boat and scraping his back against the hull.He had no
problem with us touching him, swimming with him, and even enjoyed us
scrubbing hgis back with a scrubbing brush, coming back for more every
time. We managed to take some excellent footage and had a most blessed
and sacred experience, to be so close and able to touch this symbol of
good fortune. I was laughing at Steven and the boys speaking like the
turtles in Finding Nemo - The fish asking the tutle how old he is
and the turtle answering -"Hey dude, 150 and still young", speaking slow
and deep.

You must have seen some tv documentaries where they show that these
turtles travel around the globe and come back to exactly the same beach
they were born at years afterwards to come and lay there eggs. And at
the right moment with spring high tides and full moon the small turtles
hatch and make a dash for the safety of the sea. Obviously there are
many predators awaiting this huge event and many don't make it. But
enough of them gets to mature and carry on this cycle, probably for
longer than what man has been on the planet. Nick and myself were just
mentioning how time takes on a whole different meaning out here, or
perhaps no meaning at all.

Well, we certainly believe that the turtles will bring us some good
fortune as far as wind is concerned. We are about 70nm away from the
latitude where we are expecting good winds, according to our weather
files and our charts. Perhaps this is why the Chinese thought of turtles
as bearers of good fortune. They are normally found on the edges of the
currents and if we did not had the modern technology, we would also have
sworn that the turtles brought us good fortune when the wind starts
building for the first time in weeks. Our position currently
is 06*38'S/101*52'W.

Take good care

Captain Paul

Monday, March 19, 2012

Fish, squalls, and calm

At last we landed a nice size bonny. Not a fish I would normally eat,
but a friend of mine who owns a huge fishing charter boat there told me
it is the best fish for sushimi.We were sailing fairly briskly when we
hooked the bonny, Steven on the handline and me on the helm placing us
into a quick hove to position. No fight at all as the bonny's gills were
ripped by the hook when the line stretched no more. Nick was on and off
and on on the other lure, the bonnies were all around us. Eduard took
some underwater videos where you can clearly sea these little predators
on a mission. We were just about ready to have supper when all this
happened, so after landing the bonny we made a few cuts in at the right
places to let it bleed properly, tied a string to it's tail and dragged
him backwards through the water tied to the boat. After supper Eduard
volunteered to fillet the fish and did an excellent job. Him and Nick
had a piece of the liver which Eduard could not stomach but Nick said it
wwas not that bad. The fillets were then placed in a Jiffy bag and
straight into the freezer.

We have been motoring and sailing whenever we had some wind trying to
get more south as our weather files showed good trade winds. Long
stretches of totally windless conditions but it was sjust a matter of
time before it would change. The ITCZ zone,or the doldrums, have a few
peculiar elements. Besides no wind mostly, you also have dark heavy
clouds and at night one can sit and marvel as the lightning lights up
these cloud formations all around you. And when it rains it rains
buckets, so much so that we take a length of plastic and rig it as a
raincatcher, funneling water into our watertanks. Not that we are short
of water but more water means more showers for us, so why not.

Yesterday we decided to try the bonny as sushimi and were very
pleasantly surprised at the texture,the taste and a dash of soya sauce,
a slice of pickled ginger with a drop of wasabi and we were having a
feast. For supper Eduard with a bit of advice from me and help from
Steven fried some lovely pieces of bonny.Dip the portion of fish in egg
and roll it in mixture of flour, fish spices, Aromat etc etc. Fry it in
a little bit of oil for a minute or so and served with some spiced rice
we were having a meal of note. Throughout the ITCZ zone itn takes a lot
ofr sail changes to make the most of what you get, then drop the sails
when the wind blows no more, and then up again when the wind is back.
Both Nick and Eduard has now learned how to do this by themselves as we
have a lot of time to practise these moves. Good for them, glad that
they will not only take good memories from this trip but also learned
how to sail a catamaran.

This morning we had our first taste of easterly winds, the winds we were
hoping to find. It did not sneak in softly, it came in with a blast,
about 35 kts+ and we had to drop the mainsail in a hurry and just
maintain with a small section of genoa. Turning the boat around with a
lot of sail is always nerve recking but we did it fast without any
hesitation. An hour later the wind settled and we could raise our twin
headsail again. The sea is not settled yet, the swell coming from a
different angle as the wind but soon the sea, the wind, the swell and
the boat will be in harmony, and we will be making good progress towards
Tahiti.

We are turning our clockanother hour back today which places us 9 hrs
behind SA, or UTC - 7. Our postion at 10am was 05*35'S/099*43'W.
Distance to Tahiti about 3000nm and our ETA remains 08/04/12. All the
best for the week ahead.

Captain Paul

Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Ancient Mariner

Just a little poem for today. Our position @ 5am is 04*45'S/098*21'W. We
are a tad over 3000nm from Tahiti. Enjoy your day and enjoy the poem.


The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Part I

It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
`By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,
Now wherefore stopp'st thou me?

The bridegroom's doors are opened wide,
And I am next of kin;
The guests are met, the feast is set:
Mayst hear the merry din.'

He holds him with his skinny hand,
"There was a ship," quoth he.
`Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!'
Eftsoons his hand dropped he.

He holds him with his glittering eye -
The Wedding-Guest stood still,
And listens like a three years' child:
The Mariner hath his will.

The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone:
He cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.

"The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,
Merrily did we drop
Below the kirk, below the hill,
Below the lighthouse top.

The sun came up upon the left,
Out of the sea came he!
And he shone bright, and on the right
Went down into the sea.

Higher and higher every day,
Till over the mast at noon -"
The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast,
For he heard the loud bassoon.

The bride hath paced into the hall,
Red as a rose is she;
Nodding their heads before her goes
The merry minstrelsy.

The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast,
Yet he cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.

"And now the storm-blast came, and he
Was tyrannous and strong:
He struck with his o'ertaking wings,
And chased us south along.

With sloping masts and dipping prow,
As who pursued with yell and blow
Still treads the shadow of his foe,
And foward bends his head,
The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast,
And southward aye we fled.

And now there came both mist and snow,
And it grew wondrous cold:
And ice, mast-high, came floating by,
As green as emerald.

And through the drifts the snowy clifts
Did send a dismal sheen:
Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken -
The ice was all between.

The ice was here, the ice was there,
The ice was all around:
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,
Like noises in a swound!

At length did cross an Albatross,
Thorough the fog it came;
As it had been a Christian soul,
We hailed it in God's name.

It ate the food it ne'er had eat,
And round and round it flew.
The ice did split with a thunder-fit;
The helmsman steered us through!

And a good south wind sprung up behind;
The Albatross did follow,
And every day, for food or play,
Came to the mariner's hollo!

In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,
It perched for vespers nine;
Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,
Glimmered the white moonshine."

`God save thee, ancient Mariner,
From the fiends that plague thee thus! -
Why look'st thou so?' -"With my crossbow
I shot the Albatross."


Part II

"The sun now rose upon the right:
Out of the sea came he,
Still hid in mist, and on the left
Went down into the sea.

And the good south wind still blew behind,
But no sweet bird did follow,
Nor any day for food or play
Came to the mariners' hollo!

And I had done a hellish thing,
And it would work 'em woe:
For all averred, I had killed the bird
That made the breeze to blow.
Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay,
That made the breeze to blow!

Nor dim nor red, like God's own head,
The glorious sun uprist:
Then all averred, I had killed the bird
That brought the fog and mist.
'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay,
That bring the fog and mist.

The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.

Down dropped the breeze, the sails dropped down,
'Twas sad as sad could be;
And we did speak only to break
The silence of the sea!

All in a hot and copper sky,
The bloody sun, at noon,
Right up above the mast did stand,
No bigger than the moon.

Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.

The very deep did rot: O Christ!
That ever this should be!
Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs
Upon the slimy sea.

About, about, in reel and rout
The death-fires danced at night;
The water, like a witch's oils,
Burnt green, and blue, and white.

And some in dreams assured were
Of the Spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow.

And every tongue, through utter drought,
Was withered at the root;
We could not speak, no more than if
We had been choked with soot.

Ah! well-a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung."


Part III

"There passed a weary time. Each throat
Was parched, and glazed each eye.
A weary time! a weary time!
How glazed each weary eye -
When looking westward, I beheld
A something in the sky.

At first it seemed a little speck,
And then it seemed a mist;
It moved and moved, and took at last
A certain shape, I wist.

A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist!
And still it neared and neared:
As if it dodged a water-sprite,
It plunged and tacked and veered.

With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,
We could nor laugh nor wail;
Through utter drought all dumb we stood!
I bit my arm, I sucked the blood,
And cried, A sail! a sail!

With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,
Agape they heard me call:
Gramercy! they for joy did grin,
And all at once their breath drew in,
As they were drinking all.

See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more!
Hither to work us weal;
Without a breeze, without a tide,
She steadies with upright keel!

The western wave was all a-flame,
The day was well nigh done!
Almost upon the western wave
Rested the broad bright sun;
When that strange shape drove suddenly
Betwixt us and the sun.

And straight the sun was flecked with bars,
(Heaven's Mother send us grace!)
As if through a dungeon-grate he peered
With broad and burning face.

Alas! (thought I, and my heart beat loud)
How fast she nears and nears!
Are those her sails that glance in the sun,
Like restless gossameres?

Are those her ribs through which the sun
Did peer, as through a grate?
And is that Woman all her crew?
Is that a Death? and are there two?
Is Death that Woman's mate?

Her lips were red, her looks were free,
Her locks were yellow as gold:
Her skin was as white as leprosy,
The Nightmare Life-in-Death was she,
Who thicks man's blood with cold.

The naked hulk alongside came,
And the twain were casting dice;
`The game is done! I've won! I've won!'
Quoth she, and whistles thrice.

The sun's rim dips; the stars rush out:
At one stride comes the dark;
With far-heard whisper o'er the sea,
Off shot the spectre-bark.

We listened and looked sideways up!
Fear at my heart, as at a cup,
My life-blood seemed to sip!
The stars were dim, and thick the night,
The steersman's face by his lamp gleamed white;
From the sails the dew did drip -
Till clomb above the eastern bar
The horned moon, with one bright star
Within the nether tip.

One after one, by the star-dogged moon,
Too quick for groan or sigh,
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang,
And cursed me with his eye.

Four times fifty living men,
(And I heard nor sigh nor groan)
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
They dropped down one by one.

The souls did from their bodies fly, -
They fled to bliss or woe!
And every soul it passed me by,
Like the whizz of my crossbow!"


Part IV

`I fear thee, ancient Mariner!
I fear thy skinny hand!
And thou art long, and lank, and brown,
As is the ribbed sea-sand.

I fear thee and thy glittering eye,
And thy skinny hand, so brown.' -
"Fear not, fear not, thou Wedding-Guest!
This body dropped not down.

Alone, alone, all, all alone,
Alone on a wide wide sea!
And never a saint took pity on
My soul in agony.

The many men, so beautiful!
And they all dead did lie;
And a thousand thousand slimy things
Lived on; and so did I.

I looked upon the rotting sea,
And drew my eyes away;
I looked upon the rotting deck,
And there the dead men lay.

I looked to heaven, and tried to pray;
But or ever a prayer had gusht,
A wicked whisper came and made
My heart as dry as dust.

I closed my lids, and kept them close,
And the balls like pulses beat;
Forthe sky and the sea, and the sea and the sky,
Lay like a load on my weary eye,
And the dead were at my feet.

The cold sweat melted from their limbs,
Nor rot nor reek did they:
The look with which they looked on me
Had never passed away.

An orphan's curse would drag to hell
A spirit from on high;
But oh! more horrible than that
Is the curse in a dead man's eye!
Seven days, seven nights, I saw that curse,
And yet I could not die.

The moving moon went up the sky,
And no where did abide:
Softly she was going up,
And a star or two beside -

Her beams bemocked the sultry main,
Like April hoar-frost spread;
But where the ship's huge shadow lay,
The charmed water burnt alway
A still and awful red.

Beyond the shadow of the ship
I watched the water-snakes:
They moved in tracks of shining white,
And when they reared, the elfish light
Fell off in hoary flakes.

Within the shadow of the ship
I watched their rich attire:
Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,
They coiled and swam; and every track
Was a flash of golden fire.

O happy living things! no tongue
Their beauty might declare:
A spring of love gushed from my heart,
And I blessed them unaware:
Sure my kind saint took pity on me,
And I blessed them unaware.

The selfsame moment I could pray;
And from my neck so free
The Albatross fell off, and sank
Like lead into the sea."


Part V

"Oh sleep! it is a gentle thing,
Beloved from pole to pole!
To Mary Queen the praise be given!
She sent the gentle sleep from heaven,
That slid into my soul.

The silly buckets on the deck,
That had so long remained,
I dreamt that they were filled with dew;
And when I awoke, it rained.

My lips were wet, my throat was cold,
My garments all were dank;
Sure I had drunken in my dreams,
And still my body drank.

I moved, and could not feel my limbs:
I was so light -almost
I thought that I had died in sleep,
And was a blessed ghost.

And soon I heard a roaring wind:
It did not come anear;
But with its sound it shook the sails,
That were so thin and sere.

The upper air burst into life!
And a hundred fire-flags sheen,
To and fro they were hurried about!
And to and fro, and in and out,
The wan stars danced between.

And the coming wind did roar more loud,
And the sails did sigh like sedge;
And the rain poured down from one black cloud;
The moon was at its edge.

The thick black cloud was cleft, and still
The moon was at its side:
Like waters shot from some high crag,
The lightning fell with never a jag,
A river steep and wide.

The loud wind never reached the ship,
Yet now the ship moved on!
Beneath the lightning and the moon
The dead men gave a groan.

They groaned, they stirred, they all uprose,
Nor spake, nor moved their eyes;
It had been strange, even in a dream,
To have seen those dead men rise.

The helmsman steered, the ship moved on;
Yet never a breeze up blew;
The mariners all 'gan work the ropes,
Where they were wont to do;
They raised their limbs like lifeless tools -
We were a ghastly crew.

The body of my brother's son
Stood by me, knee to knee:
The body and I pulled at one rope,
But he said nought to me."

`I fear thee, ancient Mariner!'
"Be calm, thou Wedding-Guest!
'Twas not those souls that fled in pain,
Which to their corses came again,
But a troop of spirits blest:

For when it dawned -they dropped their arms,
And clustered round the mast;
Sweet sounds rose slowly through their mouths,
And from their bodies passed.

Around, around, flew each sweet sound,
Then darted to the sun;
Slowly the sounds came back again,
Now mixed, now one by one.

Sometimes a-dropping from the sky
I heard the skylark sing;
Sometimes all little birds that are,
How they seemed to fill the sea and air
With their sweet jargoning!

And now 'twas like all instruments,
Now like a lonely flute;
And now it is an angel's song,
That makes the heavens be mute.

It ceased; yet still the sails made on
A pleasant noise till noon,
A noise like of a hidden brook
In the leafy month of June,
That to the sleeping woods all night
Singeth a quiet tune.

Till noon we quietly sailed on,
Yet never a breeze did breathe;
Slowly and smoothly went the ship,
Moved onward from beneath.

Under the keel nine fathom deep,
From the land of mist and snow,
The spirit slid: and it was he
That made the ship to go.
The sails at noon left off their tune,
And the ship stood still also.

The sun, right up above the mast,
Had fixed her to the ocean:
But in a minute she 'gan stir,
With a short uneasy motion -
Backwards and forwards half her length
With a short uneasy motion.

Then like a pawing horse let go,
She made a sudden bound:
It flung the blood into my head,
And I fell down in a swound.

How long in that same fit I lay,
I have not to declare;
But ere my living life returned,
I heard and in my soul discerned
Two voices in the air.

`Is it he?' quoth one, `Is this the man?
By him who died on cross,
With his cruel bow he laid full low
The harmless Albatross.

The spirit who bideth by himself
In the land of mist and snow,
He loved the bird that loved the man
Who shot him with his bow.'

The other was a softer voice,
As soft as honey-dew:
Quoth he, `The man hath penance done,
And penance more will do.'


Part VI

First Voice

But tell me, tell me! speak again,
Thy soft response renewing -
What makes that ship drive on so fast?
What is the ocean doing?

Second Voice

Still as a slave before his lord,
The ocean hath no blast;
His great bright eye most silently
Up to the moon is cast -

If he may know which way to go;
For she guides him smooth or grim.
See, brother, see! how graciously
She looketh down on him.

First Voice

But why drives on that ship so fast,
Without or wave or wind?

Second Voice

The air is cut away before,
And closes from behind.

Fly, brother, fly! more high, more high!
Or we shall be belated:
For slow and slow that ship will go,
When the Mariner's trance is abated.

"I woke, and we were sailing on
As in a gentle weather:
'Twas night, calm night, the moon was high;
The dead men stood together.

All stood together on the deck,
For a charnel-dungeon fitter:
All fixed on me their stony eyes,
That in the moon did glitter.

The pang, the curse, with which they died,
Had never passed away:
I could not draw my eyes from theirs,
Nor turn them up to pray.

And now this spell was snapped: once more
I viewed the ocean green,
And looked far forth, yet little saw
Of what had else been seen -

Like one that on a lonesome road
Doth walk in fear and dread,
And having once turned round walks on,
And turns no more his head;
Because he knows a frightful fiend
Doth close behind him tread.

But soon there breathed a wind on me,
Nor sound nor motion made:
Its path was not upon the sea,
In ripple or in shade.

It raised my hair, it fanned my cheek
Like a meadow-gale of spring -
It mingled strangely with my fears,
Yet it felt like a welcoming.

Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship,
Yet she sailed softly too:
Sweetly, sweetly blew the breeze -
On me alone it blew.

Oh! dream of joy! is this indeed
The lighthouse top I see?
Is this the hill? is this the kirk?
Is this mine own country?

We drifted o'er the harbour-bar,
And I with sobs did pray -
O let me be awake, my God!
Or let me sleep alway.

The harbour-bay was clear as glass,
So smoothly it was strewn!
And on the bay the moonlight lay,
And the shadow of the moon.

The rock shone bright, the kirk no less,
That stands above the rock:
The moonlight steeped in silentness
The steady weathercock.

And the bay was white with silent light,
Till rising from the same,
Full many shapes, that shadows were,
In crimson colours came.

A little distance from the prow
Those crimson shadows were:
I turned my eyes upon the deck -
Oh, Christ! what saw I there!

Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat,
And, by the holy rood!
A man all light, a seraph-man,
On every corse there stood.

This seraph-band, each waved his hand:
It was a heavenly sight!
They stood as signals to the land,
Each one a lovely light;

This seraph-band, each waved his hand,
No voice did they impart -
No voice; but oh! the silence sank
Like music on my heart.

But soon I heard the dash of oars,
I heard the Pilot's cheer;
My head was turned perforce away,
And I saw a boat appear.

The Pilot and the Pilot's boy,
I heard them coming fast:
Dear Lord in heaven! it was a joy
The dead men could not blast.

I saw a third -I heard his voice:
It is the Hermit good!
He singeth loud his godly hymns
That he makes in the wood.
He'll shrieve my soul, he'll wash away
The Albatross's blood."


Part VII

"This Hermit good lives in that wood
Which slopes down to the sea.
How loudly his sweet voice he rears!
He loves to talk with marineers
That come from a far country.

He kneels at morn, and noon, and eve -
He hath a cushion plump:
It is the moss that wholly hides
The rotted old oak-stump.

The skiff-boat neared: I heard them talk,
`Why, this is strange, I trow!
Where are those lights so many and fair,
That signal made but now?'

`Strange, by my faith!' the Hermit said -
`And they answered not our cheer!
The planks looked warped! and see those sails,
How thin they are and sere!
I never saw aught like to them,
Unless perchance it were

Brown skeletons of leaves that lag
My forest-brook along;
When the ivy-tod is heavy with snow,
And the owlet whoops to the wolf below,
That eats the she-wolf's young.'

`Dear Lord! it hath a fiendish look -
(The Pilot made reply)
I am afeared' -`Push on, push on!'
Said the Hermit cheerily.

The boat came closer to the ship,
But I nor spake nor stirred;
The boat came close beneath the ship,
And straight a sound was heard.

Under the water it rumbled on,
Still louder and more dread:
It reached the ship, it split the bay;
The ship went down like lead.

Stunned by that loud and dreadful sound,
Which sky and ocean smote,
Like one that hath been seven days drowned
My body lay afloat;
But swift as dreams, myself I found
Within the Pilot's boat.

Upon the whirl where sank the ship
The boat spun round and round;
And all was still, save that the hill
Was telling of the sound.

I moved my lips -the Pilot shrieked
And fell down in a fit;
The holy Hermit raised his eyes,
And prayed where he did sit.

I took the oars: the Pilot's boy,
Who now doth crazy go,
Laughed loud and long, and all the while
His eyes went to and fro.
`Ha! ha!' quoth he, `full plain I see,
The Devil knows how to row.'

And now, all in my own country,
I stood on the firm land!
The Hermit stepped forth from the boat,
And scarcely he could stand.

O shrieve me, shrieve me, holy man!
The Hermit crossed his brow.
`Say quick,' quoth he `I bid thee say -
What manner of man art thou?'

Forthwith this frame of mine was wrenched
With a woeful agony,
Which forced me to begin my tale;
And then it left me free.

Since then, at an uncertain hour,
That agony returns;
And till my ghastly tale is told,
This heart within me burns.

I pass, like night, from land to land;
I have strange power of speech;
That moment that his face I see,
I know the man that must hear me:
To him my tale I teach.

What loud uproar bursts from that door!
The wedding-guests are there:
But in the garden-bower the bride
And bride-maids singing are;
And hark the little vesper bell,
Which biddeth me to prayer!

O Wedding-Guest! this soul hath been
Alone on a wide wide sea:
So lonely 'twas, that God himself
Scarce seemed there to be.

O sweeter than the marriage-feast,
'Tis sweeter far to me,
To walk together to the kirk
With a goodly company! -

To walk together to the kirk,
And all together pray,
While each to his great Father bends,
Old men, and babes, and loving friends,
And youths and maidens gay!

Farewell, farewell! but this I tell
To thee, thou Wedding-Guest!
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all."

The Mariner, whose eye is bright,
Whose beard with age is hoar,
Is gone; and now the Wedding-Guest
Turned from the bridegroom's door.

He went like one that hath been stunned,
And is of sense forlorn:
A sadder and a wiser man
He rose the morrow morn

Friday, March 16, 2012

Close encounter of the wildest kind

Motorsailing merrily along, out of the blue, I noticed the familiar
shape of a turtle head peeping at us. I immediatly alerted the boys and
turned the boat around. In a flash they had their cameras ready and all
three diving, falling, jumping overboard to experience swimming with
this gentle giant. Ecstatically Steven and Eduard were screaming and and
laughing as they circled the turtle who showed no signs of distress at
all with these af madmen all around him. Nick was a bit more respectful
and reserved, probably seeing at the sacred experience it really is.
They swam a bit closer and touched his back that also hosted some
barnacles. I kept on cirlcling around them, hove to drift off and then
sail around again. They took a lot of photos and videos and was truly
blessed by this unexpected visitor, wild and free, resonating with that
same part inside of us all.

Quite a few fishing vessels around us at night and yesterday we
carefully went over a string of bouys that holds a net suspended in the
water. Fortunately the nets were low enough for us to pass over without
getting our props and rudders snagged in their contraption. This often
happens which is why we carry a hacksaw on board. Should we get snagged
we normally would tie a line to both sides of the cord that suspends the
net and cut through the part the part that is snagging us. That way we
can cut loose without to much damage to the nets. I sometimes think of
just dropping the nets but know it will even cause more damage to
wildlife if it just floats around. There are a lot of things that bother
me about fishing like this that makes me sad and angry at the same time,
especially the longliners that hunts sharks, cuts their fins off and
throw them still alive back into the ocean. And there is no one to
protect the sharks, no law out here. What can one do, greed and
stupidity or shortsightedness goes hand in hand. Being a sailor I have
an array of strong words that comes to mind but this is not the time nor
the place to show that side of me. All I can hope and pray for is that
all of us that shares this planet will become aware of the sacedness of
all around us. Harvest we must, but indiscriminate raping of resources
we are only wiping ourselves out. We can't safe the planet, the planet
and it's inhabitants will suffer, but to think we can safe the planet is
preposterous. Who do we think we are. We will wipe ourselves out in the
end and the planet will keep on revolving as it has since it became
planet earth. Since we got the idea that God gave us the right to rule
over the planet things have gone badly wrong. I am not a "green" person,
and I do respect the "green" people immensily. I think if we find our
true purpose on the planet the green issues will follow naturally.
Anyways, sooner than we think, these things will be upon us.

Our position at 10am today is 02*25'S/095*52'W. We are still moving in a
southwesterly direction to get into the trade winds and the south
equatorial current quicker. This morning there are a lot of clouds and
nice and cool, but already the temperature is soaring as it gets later
and closer to midday.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Captain Paul

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Poem for the Pacific

In the early hours of the morning we crossed the equator again and are now back in the southern hemisphere. Our position at
7am our time was 00*43'S/094*08'W. About 3500nm to Tahiti and hope to arrive their before the 8th of April. The following
poem speaks somewhat of where we are.

Miscellaneous: Pacific Ocean

Southern Seas

William Howitt (1792-1879)

YES! let us mount this gallant ship;

Spread canvas to the wind,-

Up! we will seek the glowing South,-

Leave care and cold behind.


Let the shark pursue through the waters blue

Our flying vessel's track;

Let strong winds blow, and rocks below

Threaten,-we turn not back.


Trusting in Him who holds the sea

In his Almighty hand,

We pass the awful waters wide,

Tread many a far-off strand.


Right onward as our course we hold,

From day to day, the sky

Above our head its arch shall spread

More glowing, bright, and high;


And from night to night-oh, what delight!

In its azure depths to mark

Stars all unknown come glittering out

Over the ocean dark.


The moon uprising like a sun,

So stately, large, and sheen,

And the very stars, like clustered moons,

In the crystal ether keen.


Whilst all about the ship, below,

Strange, fiery billows play,-

The ceaseless keel through liquid fire

Cuts wondrously its way.


But oh, the South! the balmy South!

How warm the breezes float!

How warm the amber waters stream

From off our basking boat!


Come down, come down from the tall ship's side,-

What a marvellous sight is here!

Look! purple rocks and crimson trees,

Down in the deep so clear.


See! where those shoals of dolphins go,

A glad and glorious band,

Sporting amongst the roseate woods

Of a coral fairy-land.


See! on the violet sands beneath

How the gorgeous shells do glide!

O sea! old sea, who yet knows half

Of thy wonders and thy pride!


Look how the sea-plants trembling float,

As it were like a mermaid's locks,

Waving in thread of ruby red

Over those nether rocks,


Heaving and sinking, soft and fair,

Here hyacinth, there green,-

With many a stem of golden growth,

And starry flowers between.


But away! away to upper day!

For monstrous shapes are here,-

Monsters of dark and wallowing bulk,

And horny eyeballs drear:


The tuskéd mouth, and the spiny fin,

Speckled and warted back;

The glittering swift, and the flabby slow,

Ramp through this deep sea track.


Away! away! to upper day,

To glance o'er the breezy brine,

And see the nautilus gladly sail,

The flying-fish leap and shine.


But what is that? "'T is land! 'T is land!

'T is land!" the sailors cry.

Nay! 't is a long and a narrow cloud

Betwixt the sea and sky.


"'T is land! 't is land!" they cry once more;

And now comes breathing on

An odor of the living earth,

Such as the sea hath none.


But now I mark the rising shores!

The purple hills! the trees!

Ah! what a glorious land is here,

What happy scenes are these!


See! how the tall palms lift their locks

From mountain clefts,-what vales,

Basking beneath the noontide sun,

That high and hotly sails.


Yet all about the breezy shore,

Unheedful of the glow,

Look how the children of the South

Are passing to and fro!


What noble forms! what fairy place!

Cast anchor in this cove,

Push out the boat, for in this land

A little we must rove!


We 'll wander on through wood and field,

We 'll sit beneath the vine;

We 'll drink the limpid cocoa-milk,

And pluck the native pine.


The bread-fruit and cassada-root,

And many a glowing berry,

Shall be our feast; for here, at least,

Why should we not be merry!


For 't is a southern paradise,

All gladsome,-plain and shore,-

A land so far that here we are,

But shall be here no more


We 've seen the splendid southern clime,

Its seas and isles and men;

So now! back to a dearer land,-

To England back again!


AND ANOTHER POEM IN THE SAME VEIN


Miscellaneous: Pacific Ocean

South Sea Islands

John Wilson (1720-1789)

(From The Isle of Palms)


OH, many are the beauteous isles

Unknown to human eye,

That, sleeping mid the Ocean smiles,

In happy silence lie.

The ship may pass them in the night,

Nor the sailors know what a lovely sight

Is resting on the main,-

Some wandering ship who hath lost her way

And never, or by night or day,

Shall pass these isles again.

There, groves that bloom in endless spring

Are rustling to the radiant wing

Of birds, in various plumage, bright

As rainbow-hues or dawning light.

Soft-falling showers of blossoms fair

Float ever on the fragrant air,

Like showers of vernal snow,

And from the fruit-tree, spreading tall,

The richly ripened clusters fall

Oft as sea-breezes blow.


The sun and clouds alone possess

The joy of all that loveliness;

And sweetly to each other smile

The live-long day,-sun, cloud, and isle.

How silent lies each sheltered bay!

No other visitors have they

To their shores of silvery sand,

Than the waves that, murmuring in their glee,

All hurrying in a joyful band

Come dancing from the sea.


How did I love to sigh and weep

For those that sailed upon the deep,

When, yet a wondering child,

I sat alone at dead of night,

Hanging all breathless with delight

O'er their adventures wild!

Trembling I heard of dizzy shrouds,

Where up among the raving clouds

The sailor-boy must go;

Thunder and lightning o'er his head!


And should he fall-oh thought of dread!

Waves mountain-high below.

How leapt my heart with wildering fears,

Glazing on savage islanders

Ranged fierce in long canoe,

Their poisoned spears, their war-attire,

And plumes twined bright, like wreaths of fire,

Round brows of dusky hue!

What tears would fill my wakeful eyes

When some delicious paradise


(As if a cloud had rolled

On a sudden from the bursting sun),

Freshening the Ocean where it shone,

Flung wide its groves of gold!

No more the pining mariner

In wild delirium raves,

For like an angel, kind and fair,

That smiles and smiling saves,

The glory charms away distress,

Serene in silent loveliness

Amid the dash of waves.

Hope you enjoy that as much as I do.

Captain Paul

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Decisions decisions decisions

Last night for the first time in a long time, I had to put on some warm
clothes for my watch. The air was chilly and heavy with damp. My Oregon
Scientific Weather instrument is measuring humidity at 98%, and
everything inside and out is wet. The sea is like a mirror, reflection
the stars and as the day was breaking, a breathtaking scene unfolded.
The sun will soon be out to dry the surface of the boat, and it looks
like a warm day is ahead of us. I can't say wind is scarce, there is
just no wind. After studying our newest weather report and on advice of
our windguru, I decided to head more south, changing our heading by
about 30*'s. It adds another 100nm to our distance overall, but there
are some consistantly good winds further down, and that is what we are
now hunting for. Nearly overnight we have lost wind and current, and if
we carried on our course as we were, we would be in this state of near
limbo for a long long time. Such is sailing, the shortest route is not
always the fastest, and we are not gambling, no ways we can afford that.
Our speed have dropped about 30% and we don't have unlimited fuel on
board. There are three boats somewhere behind us, and we are in a race
of sorts, but we plan to stay ahead. I will get their positions in due
time, and it will be interesting to see how the different skippers rise
to the challenge.

Should we run out of fuel we will be in dire straights in the purest
sense of the term. Our boat batteries will run flat which will cause
great harm to them. No batteries, no instruments, no VHF,no navlights,
no satphone, no gas as our gas runs through an electronic solenoid. And
all this on the biggest ocean on the planet, with no land for thousands
of miles. But don't worry, we won't starve, we have plenty of baked
beans and other tinned food. And we can steer the boat by hand if we
have some wind, the autopilot is really a luxury. We also have
papercharts and a magnetic compass, so we should be able to find our
way.At night we have the stars to guide us, and the sun also rises in
the east and sets in the west, more or less. But this is a worst case
scenario, although things can get even worse, but I rather won't dwell
on that.So yes, these are testing times and trusting times in many
regards.

Last night we found our first squid on board, about 10cm long. Amazing
that these vreatures can propel themselves so fast that they can land on
board. When I sailed this ocean last, it was quite fun to walk around
the boat in the morning, collect all the squid, gut them and wash them,
add some garlic and butter and fry them in a pan. Delicious delicasies
from the deep. They sometimes hit the sail halfway up the mast, and
normally leave a purple like stain on the sails. Halfway up the mast is
about 12 mtrs, how they do it I don't know, but they certainly get up
there somehow.

We hope our decision to head more south will pay off handsomely, which
brings me to another term with nautical origins, 'Pay Off'. Literally to
pay the crew their wages at the end of a voyage. Since voyages often
lasted several years the amounts were comparatively large and this
coupled with the release from the long engagement plus the prospect of
leave gave the pay off a Christmas atmosphere. Ashore this innocence has
gone, the term still has a rewarding ring, a large sum of money, a
handsome return, but with curiously criminal undertones.

Well, I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday.

Captain Paul

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Grazy Galapagos

Today we will be sailing past this most crazy of island groups. Darwin
was so taken in by it that he formed his theory of evolution here,
although on his deathbed he denounced it saying it he made a mistake.
The animals here are rather odd, the way they adapted to this
enviroment. But then there are other islands that also have animals and
plants like none other. Probably my favourite island in many regards
with unique species is Madagascar. Also strange that both Madagascar and
Galapagos lies on the equator, have very odd currents at times and are
probably right opposite each other on the globe.

Yesterday we were sitting outside when a group of small dolphins came
around, jumping high out of the water as they came past us,seemingly in
a great hurry. It was an amazing experience to say the least. Not a lot
of distractions on the ocean, and when things like this happen it
really makes a deep impression. I was toying with the idea of stopping
at Galapagos but for various reasons decided against it. Our long delay
in Panama, all the requirements you need to stop here and our base in
Tahiti waiting for us are few of the factors I had to consider. But
should I come this way again, hopefully we will be able to stop. I have
read a lot about yachties who have stopped here,have seen quite a few
documentaries on the group of islands, but it is not the same as
experiencing it in person.

The wind is gradually getting stronger and stronger and we are sailing
more and more. Fortunately we have a lot of diesel to motor when we have
to, but I prefer to safe as much as possible. It will be disastrous if
we burn all our diesel before we arrive in Tahiti so we try and pace
ourselfs. Running out of diesel means we will be adrift should there be
no wind, and our batteries will gradually run flat.When that happens we
won't have any instruments or VHF, no satphone, no email, won't be able
to cook our food and many other problems, like causing damage to the
batteries. In short, we will be in big trouble.

There is one more place we may stop before we get to Tahiti, Fatu Hiva.
The last small island in the Marquesas group of islands. No officials
here, just jawdroppingly beautiful. We would prefer to arrive at Tahiti
just after sunrise and will probably spend a few hours at Fatu Hiva to
time our arrival as such. At this stage our ETA for Tahiti is the 8th of
April, a Sunday. It will be better then for us to arrive on Monday
morning, or should we really get good winds further down the line, we
may just get in on Friday the 6th or earlier. As usual with these type
of things, only time will tell.

The vibe on the boat is very good, and yesterday we probaly swam about
three times in the Pacific, to cool down, to have fun and just to be
crazy. At night the watches are beautiful for many reeasons, and we
spend day and night just in our shorts. It is not unbearably hot during
the day but the nights are balmy beyound belief. The night skies are
changing all the time, the moon is waning, and it should be neap tides
in a day or so. Perfect for going past Galapagos as the currents are not
so strong then.

Unusual nautical term today is 'By Guess and By God'. From a method of
navigation whereby the skipper relies on experience, intuitiveness,
memory and implicit faith. Fishing boats in particular were said to find
their way around by guess and by God. Which reminds me of a flyer I got
in Panama. Two elderly gents missing at sea on a small skiboat. Last
time they reported their position was October 11 and they were about 5nm
offshore.

Our position now at 08:30 is 01*09'N/090*31'W. We will turn our clocks
on the boat an hour back again today which will place us 8 hours behind
SA time and UTC -6. Galapagos is just south of us and perhaps we will
spot some land before the sun sets.

Take good care

Captain Paul

Monday, March 12, 2012

To catch a booby bird is crazy

Tonight the stars are shining bright again, as they do every night I
guess, but without Sister Moon to brighten the skies, they were
certainly much more visible. At about 10pm our time the moon dressed in
shades of peach started peeping through the clouds to see who would be
watching her performance tonight. As soon as she was above the clouds
her long silver shadow was reflected upon the dark waters around us. My
watch was once again over far too soon and I reluctantly handed over to
Nick who also loves the night. We all do I think but he makes more of it
than the other two boys on board,a good time to reflect and connect.

Our passage from Panama so far has been very calm with a little wind now
and then to speed us up. Always awesome to turn the motors off and sail
a while. The motors are certainly not noisy, I guess one gets used to
the sound and learns to enjoy that as well. We are just under 4000nm
from Tahiti and although we are going a bit slow at the moment we should
gradually get some more wind once we have passed Galapagos. The little
we loose now in keeping an average of six knots we should catch up then.
We will be passing north of Galapagos in about two days and expect some
interesting currents during this passage. No stopping for various
reasons, but should we make good time further down we will maybe drop
anchor at Fatu Hiva just to stretch our legs a bit. Back to Galapagos,
it lies right on the equator and we will once again cross over, this
time from the North Pacific to the Soutrh Pacific.

The boys have been at sea a bit long I think, they are now trying to
catch one of the booby birds diving down at our lures every so
often. Apparently they have plans to roast it in the oven. I doubt very
much that they will succeed,but time will tell. In very calm waters like
we are experiencing at the moment fishing is normally not good, but once
we speed up and the surface of the water becomes more lively we will be
in with a chance. In the meantime we enjoy what we have on board. Steven
prepared some tuna pasta for supper and whipped up quite a delicious
meal. The tuna is canned tuna,just in case you thought you missed out on
something.

We are running out of tobacco and within the next week or so we will
probably be scratching around for some here and there. Guys even smoke
tea at times , but soon the craving will be over. No nautical term
today, but our position at midnight was 02*39'N/087*42'W.

Hope you have a marvelous Monday.

Captain Paul

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Afloat at sea

If ever one wonder why they call this the Pacific Ocean, you should be
out here. Just before 10am Nick and Steven spotted what they thought
were whales and woke me up. There were no whale blows and it must have
been dolphins. I saw a splash in the distance but too far to make out
what it was. Interesting that every whale species have a different blow
and is one of the ways to identify what type of whale it is. Anyway, I
stopped the boat and the silence was awesome. In my language we call it
the quiet ocean if I translate directly. The vastness of this ocean
sinks quickly into your being, and the thought that it covers 70% of
Planet Earth makes it seem even bigger. Apparently the ocean was named
by Francis Drake after he rounded Cape Horn and found the ocean on the
other side completely pacifying, hence the Pacific Ocean. Once the boat
came to a standstill first Steven and then Nick went for a swim. The
visibility is as good as you will ever get and the boys enjoyed the luke
warm water tremendously.

Galapagos is about 3 days away. In Spanish Galapagos means enchanted
islands, or bewitched. This is due to the currents that run around this
group of islands like rivers in the ocean. I can imagine the Spanish
galeons and the confusion when they get swung all around. As I was
writing this, Steven spotted a log with a bird on and turned towards it.
Knowing what we can expect I woke Nick and Eduard and once again stopped
the boat. A huge amount of fish took cover under our boat, big and small
from different species. Steven and Eduard tried climbing on the log but
it just turned around. Crabs and barnacles were clinging to this
floating little eco system in the deep blue. Took some nice pics, had
some fun and we are on our way again. Quite a bit of debris in the
water. Eduard thought it was a ship ahead of us dumping some stuff but I
showed him the current running down the west coast of North America, the
current running up the west coast of South America and where they meet
is where we are, using whatever bit of current we can find to assist our
progress. Mostly small polystyrene pieces, now and then part of a
plastic doll, or a shoe and things like that.Yes, the ocean here is like
a big blue dam, flat as anything. Just a nice gentle swell rolling
through.

32*C and warming up. Our position at the moment is 03*57'N/084*37'W.
Word for today is Junk. From the Latin juncus or jungo which means to
join. Junk became the word for rushes which were tied together to make
baskets and mats. By extension that included rope because it was also
made from rushes. It came to be applied more specifically to old rope
which had begun to break down and resembled its basic material. Hence
its present use to describe dumped and worn out items.

Till we meet again.

Captain Paul

Friday, March 9, 2012

An unexpected breeze

The full moon was an amazing sight in the clear skies last night on the
Pacific. So much so that I was prompted to take the binoculars, lie on
my back and stare at this bright ball in the sky. Soon after I took over
watch at midnight the breeze started settling in. First I had the genoa
out, still motoring but now going a knot faster. Half an hour later I
turned the motor off and soon it was time to set up our second headsail.
The moon was so bright that I did not need to switch on the deck light
or wear a headlamp. Got all the lines ready, started one motor to make
hoisting the second headsail easier and up she went. What an immense
thrill as always to see both sails working in unison, catching the
breeze and gradually building speed.

I was just about to settle in for my watch when it was over, far too
quick. Steven and Eduan also decanted ten 30ltr drums of diesel into our
tanks, packed the drums away and cleaned the area where the drums were
tied down. Lovely to work at night under the moonlight as it is getting
rather hot during the day. The wind we are having was not really
predicted and we are truly thankful for this blessing. We have a long
way to go, should have enough diesel, but the more we sail the harder we
can motor when we have to.

We saw two turtles yesterday. Nick spotted the first one while we are
having a delicious roasted chicken ala Nicolas. As we were motoring it
was easy to turn the boat around but we could not find the turtle again.
Such a pleasure to get up close to these creatures and swim with them a
bit. An hour later Eduard spotted another turtle but we were
motorsailing with the mainsail and genoa up and would take some time to
turn around. Conditions are good for fishing this morning and we have
two lures out, both new lures. Who knows what will be served for supper
tonight.The sushimi we had yesterday was such an appetizer, we were
really grateful to be able to use our pickled ginger, wasabi and soya
sauce. Had the sushimi portions in the freezer for a while to firm it
up and the results were first class. Steven and myself had some for
lunch, Nick had his portion when he woke up although he seared some of
his, ?, and Eduard was not used to the delicasy at all, only managing
to stomach one piece.Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Nautical term today is Rummage, from the French 'arrumer' which means to
pack closely. The word was common in the 16th century and described the
method of cargo stowage and later the cargo itself. Its later meaning,
to poke about, ransack, turn over roughly or jumble, is thought to have
come from the warehouses and quayside where cargo was stored awaiting
shipment. Such a variation of items and materials, frequently intended
for different destinations, would have needed some sorting out.

Our position at 10am was 05*23'N/082*37'W. We are about 670nm from
Galapagos and 4300nm from Tahiti. Long way to go still, but we are
back into the rhythm of the motion of the ocean.

Wishing you a fabulous weekend.

Captain Paul

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Into the Pacific

We sailed through the breakwater at Panama at exactly 7am on Tuesday
28/02. An hour later we were safely moored at Shelter Bay Marina,
connected shore power and topped up our water tanks. Met our agent an
hour later with the prospect of transitting the channel within a day or
two. The next day the admeasurer/advisor came to measure our boat and do
some official paperwork. The agent called us the following day and
informned us that our transit is booked for 22/03/12 which really took
the wind out of our sails a bit. Internet is US$10 for one week and I
did extensive research on the matter. Turns out that they have just
started transitting yachts without a stop, March is their busiest
period, and a fee of US$3000 is payable if we want a pilot on board and
get an early transit. I presented this info to our office in Cape Town
and it was decided to proceed with a pilot aboard. We were truly
thankful, sitting around in a marina for three weeks when you are on a
delivery is an expensive exercise, timewise and moneywise. We did enjoy
the week we spend there thoroughly. Got some new lures, fresh veggies,
stocked up on eggs and other nice to have things. Best of course was
being able to have access to inexpensive internet and we could skype and
download ebooks etc to our heart's content. We made some good friends in
the marina, mostly people sailing there yachts all around the world.
Soon enough it was time to go and we were as ready as could be.

We left the marina at exactly 12h30 as planned and with our linehandler
on board we proceeded to the pilot pick-up station and dropped our
anchor. At 14h30 our pilot boarded our vessel and we proceeded to the
locks. Turned out that we were three catamarans going through at the
same time a big ship was going through. The three cats were all tied
together side by side and it took some deft manoeuvering to fit in and
move at the same time in the same direction. It was an extraordinary
experience going throug the Gatun locks at about 16h00 and an hour later
we were through the locks and on the freshwater lake. We motored
non-stop and 7 hours later reached our next set of locks. We had to wait
quite a while there for the other cats to catch up but soon enough we
were all in but this time we were not tied together. Two of us were
against the wall and the third cat tied onto us. Going down creates far
less turbulence and we were assured things would go smoothly. The cat
tied against us kept on pushing our bow too close to the wall for
comfort and soon I requested our pilot to inform the pilot on the other
cat of our predicament and get them to use their motor to keep us
straight. Things were a bit easier then. The other two cats were both
French and when we got to the next lock they chose to go side by side.
The first cat was tied up to the wall, we were coming in on their stern
to tie up waiting for the third cat to tie up with the first one.
Somehow the third cat lost control and banged hard into the cat ahead of
us. They panicked a bit and we had to get out of their way quick as they
were trying hard to line up. The strong current inside the lock nearly
spun us all the way around but we managed to stay away from the walls
and the cats ahead of us. Our pilot commended me on staying calm and
staying in control of the vessel and the situation. Shortly afterwards
we were in the Pacific and motored another hour or so to the pilot
station where our pilot was picked up again. We moved to the nearest
anchorage, dropped our anchor and spend the a few hours there to rest a
bit. I only realized how stressed I really was when I couldn't sleep at
all and at 8am we lifted our anchor to start our last leg on this
journey.

The Polynesians had some amazing ways to navigate 5000 years ago, Man
the Navigator is a book that explores this in much detail. We were
welcomed to the Pacific by a few whales, hundreds upon hundreds of
pelicans feeding and a nice stiff breeze coming from a perfect angle to
raise our twin headsails. As the sun was setting the full moon was
rising at the same time, both looking very nearly the same but on
opposite horizons. A huge school of Pantropical Spotted Dolphins also
joined us as the sun was setting and stayed with us for a few hours. At
about 10pm we were ready to changed our heading towards Galapagos and
dropped our one headssail. At about 7am this morning we landed a
small yellowfin tuna which is already in the freezer and for lunch we
will,at long last, be able to enjoy some sushimi. The wind also turned a
bit and once again we have both headsails up and making better than
expected progress towards our destination.

Our position at 8am was 06*46'N/080*45'W. We are 4450nm from Tahiti,
it is a nice 27*C out here and good to be at sea again.

Salute

Captain Paul