N 13° 47.060
E 151° 55.239

Just started my first watch and had my refreshing shower.

Outside, the waning moon illuminates the sea with a swell of 3-4 m almost like a full moon. To this moon there are now 4 people on their way looking soon at areas of the moon never seen before.

The moon river is a bit to STB of MaRe. A small, most likely an alto cumulus clouds switched it off for a minute or so. Without the moon river illumination the swell is almost not to be seen. The sea looked for this moment almost flat with just some 1 m waves on it.

With the waning moon, the stars are coming back. Recognized just before the typical Orion pattern.

Around midnight the wind is forecasted with 23 KN TWS. Right now it’s 19-21 KN but already with flashes of 22 and 23 KN.

MaRe’s bows cut the sea with 8 to solid 10 KN. I observed flashes of 11 KN.

She improves her day distance value whenever I calculate a new value. Currently record is 195 NM. Now I would not be surprised if she would go above 200 NM. A nice speed for a cruising boat. Let’s see.

Life on board is normal. Just the board routine. Downloading the lasted weather forecasts and analyze them. Napping and sleeping. Catching fishes – the one today is good for about 3 days. Cooking and eating.

Reading news, although it would be better not to look at news at all. Breaking news is almost always statements a brainless man who does his best to make his country irrelevant. But didn’t he promise to make it great again?

From the EU I had to read that they want to go back into the stoneage of nuclear fission power plants, which are, even considering the new small scale modular reactor, dangerous, create high toxid and highly radioactive waste, and produce the most expansive electricity.

Politicans never learn anything else but taking money to sell what nobody needs.

With the wind picking up soon, won’t have the time to read news. Gosh how lucky I am!

One last comment. My small SuperWind 350 wind turbine deliveres almost all the power we need through the night. Or should I get a Small Modular Reactor to create electricity from a micro nuclear power plant on board? Should sent a mail to the EU politicians…

N 13° 03.063
E 152° 36.493

… in winds of 16-22 KN and a 3 m swell coming almost from a beam.

At 1600 she made a 181 NM day distance, which includes also the slowing down to 4-5 KN when getting the mahi-mahi on board.

Sails are the genoa still full and the main with reef 2, MaRe’s pajama or safety dress.

Tonight, we are supposed to get a few knots more wind. Then I’ll see about reefing the genoa a bit.

Tobi, despite the bumpy ride, prepares already potatoe salad and fried mahi-mahi.

What a day!

N 12° 37.130
E 153° 08.316

… and pan fried mahi-mahi later today!

At 0930 the “rrrrrrrr” of the fishing rod reel triggered first Tobi – his special ears suck in this sound at double sound speed – and second me – this sounds reaches my ears at only normal speed of sound.

Tobi caught an about 1 m long mahi-mahi. The new gaff worked well.

Right now he rests on the cockpit bank, and the mahi-mahi filets in the fridge.

N 12° 10.19 E 153° 42.30

During yesterday’s afternoon we had first a decrease in windspeed down to around 10 KN for short time, then the wind came back to the 14-17 KN range. Now, Saturday morning about 0530 we have winds around 19 KN and MaRe enjoys flying with peak STW of 10 KN through the moon illuminated nightly sea.

The moon started waning but still is very bright and illuminates the few alto cumulus clouds hanging decoratively scattered over the sky.

The moon river, one of my favorite scenes to look at is at the leeward side. This makes the estimationof the swell hight and length a bit difficult.

I eased the wind angle a bit and MaRe doesn’t bang into the waves but cuts with her two hulls through them. I might ease wind angle even a bit more.

Bread baking is back to normal. Somehow my sourdough starter lost its power and the new one works already. I am spoiled with good tasting bread, which I bake é every 2-3 days since back in 2018 when my OBM bought the Japanese version of Eric Kayer’s baking book for bread and more.

However, in not culinarily satisfied these days. Tobi can’t invite a mahi-mahi to come on board and jump into the frying pan and from there onto a plate with potatoes salad…

Yesterday afternoon, while Tobi took a nap in the cockpit, and I did some PC work, the “rrrrrrrr” of the fishing rod reel cut through the silence. Tobi must have been far inside fishing dreamland because I was the one who yelled “fish”. Being brought back into real life of a fisherman, he started fighting the fish. I slowed down MaRe to about 3 KN STW. When MaRe was slow enough, the guff placed ready for use, I went to fighting Tobi. “What it’s it?”, I asked. “Most likely a tuna’, he replied, “It doesn’t jump”. But immediately after this conversation, the fish jumped. It was a big mahi-mahi and, it was gone… Off of the hook it was. “Eyeyeye…’ was the only the sound escaping from Tobi’s mouth. No four-letter word with an attempt to hammer a hole into MaRe’s deck.

With peaks of 21-22 KN the wind was gentle into the late morning hours.

N 08° 30.198
E 156° 44.465

Since we got out again in the wide Pacific Ocean, we made good progress towards our destination Chichi-Jima.

Careful estimations indicate a day distance of 150 NM. It may also become a bit more.

Wind forecast for the next days looks good on one side, but a bit heavy on the other side because we will get 20+ KN of wind. Such winds are naturally accompanied by higher waves.

When these winds are blowing from more E directions it would be fine. Right now I consider to sail more E of the plotted route. This should give me a better wind angle when the wind gets stronger. Otherwise it will get pretty bumpy.

Today, Tobi had already 2 bites on the lure, but the fish got off in both case. He still has the late afternoon hours during which fishes get hungry and hopefully wants the lure.

I have to admit that since days I would like to eat a potatoe salad with a pan fried mahi-mahi filet. I hope the mahi-mahi will respect my desire.

Tobi saw a big fish just beside MaRe and believes that it was a smaller Orca.

Thanks to my OBM, I got the message about an earthquake in Indonesia. The triggered tsunami is negligible when it reaches us. We won’t even feel it.

So far nothing exciting just normal boat routine and that’s good.

N 07° 21.072
E 157° 51.062

At 1730 we casted off the lines from MV Lady Pohnpei, at the customs dock. Outbound clearance were done, the paddle wheel speed sensor was cleaned, so all was ready for casting off. BTW, the paddle wheel sensor never before had so many small creatures inside. I was surprised. But being about one and a half month in the bay, gave plenty of time to the little creatures to settle down on the sensor.

Taz & Chloe of SV Alicia casted off from outside about 20-30 min earlier.

Calling Port Control to get permission to pass the runway of the airport gave no reply. As the afternoon plane landed already an hour or more ago, I just crossed, like SV Alicia did before, without the explicit permission.

Going with MaRe through the narrow and curvy deep water stretches in the big reef, is always a strange feeling. Without GPS it would not that easy as the markers are not very consistent. However, they are correct. The markers in the Navionics charts don’t match reality.

Then we were out again in the deep blue ocean. With a wind of 13-15 KN from NNE, just as forecasted.

Since then MaRe draws her double track into the ocean and heads towards our still far away destination. The ocean is illuminated by a 99 % full moon. It’s always a nice atmosphere when the clouds and sea are illuminated by a full moon. Soon three astronauts are blasting of fly around the far side of the moon. What an adventure! I have to say I envy them.

In the meantime, we had dinner and I slept for almost 2 hours. Now I’m in my first watch.

Taz & Chloe, are heading in more westerly direction, so they disappeared from the AIS screen already. Before we had a lady call on VHF. Nice sailors, they are. Fair winds and Handbreit for you.

Wind increased to 15-18 KN and MaRe continues to draw he tracks but now with a speed of 8-9 KN. I’m curious for the day distance she will make.

The waves are rather low, thus MaRe rocks gently but the waves are not slamming at the tunnel.

God of winds and waves keep doing your job that way for many days to come.

I changed oil and filters at both engines and the oil in both saildrives. This took me longer than normal because it was so hot and I needed quite a few breaks. Sweat ran down my body as if I’m taking a shower.

Tobi tackled drinking water and now we have 500 l in MaRe’s tank. Perfect because that’s what we wanted and it includes a good safety margin.

Tomorrow morning there a few things more to be done and then we lift the hook to move to the customs dock, which means we’ll go again alongside MV Lady Pohnpei. Taz & Chloe with SV Alicia will go alongside MaRe. This way customs and immigration can go quickly from one boat to the next.

Once paperwork is done we’ll head out in the blue ocean sailing a course of 315 deg to Chichi-Jima, Ogasawara Islands, Japan.

Yesterday we learned that there is a national holiday in Micronesia tomorrow. So no outbound clearance.

It really seems the Micronesia loves us.

Today I got a new freshwater jerry can because the lid of one of mine must have fallen over board.

The new one got did not have the best lid. So, I modified it and now it’s good. Lucky me.

Changing engine oil and filters I’ll do tomorrow. Not to much on one day.

BTW, departing tomorrow gives even a better weather window for the start.

We have today a cooler day because the clouds covered the sky already in the very early morning hours, when the air was still cool from the night. So the clouds kept the air cool.

What a contrast to the last days which were very hot. When we had breakfast then suddenly the temperature went up with the humidity and sweat started running down the skin. No cool breeze was flowing. It felt like in a sauna. Jungel feeling.

Some of the boat jobs I delayed just after sunset to not melt down in the heat of the sunlight.

I this heat we needed to do some errands downtown. Driving the tender to the dock felt so good because of the wind which could suddenly felt. Unfortunately only for less the 5 min.

Don’t errands means going from 30+ degC environment outside into a shop or office at 24-26 deg C and back outside into the heat. Like everywhere, where air-conditioners are used for cooling, the temperatures are much too low and people wear long sleeves and sweaters to cope with the coldness. Nobody changes the settings and saves a lot of energy.

Errands are done except for final provisioning of fresh food.
This will be done on Monday.

Behind this work and timeline is my yesterday’s decision to lift the hook for sailing towards Chichi-Jima, Ogasawara Islands, Japan on Tuesday. The next long distance sail of 1500 NM.

Today the weather models forecasted the same wind, so the chance that we really get a good wind is getting bigger. All preparations are targeting now for departure on Tuesday.

These days I am a bit disappointed with the bread I bake the last times and don’t know what the reason it. Did my sourdough turn bad? Was I overproofing the dough in the heat? Discussing is with Tobi gave me an idea to test the sourdough. This test ist started and in few hours I’ll see what the quality of my sourdough.

Last night there was a Party, first I didn’t know what the purpose was, but today I learned it was the farewell party for Walden & Rosa who had to return to Guam for a while. They belong to the local fishing club where we know a lot of members in the meantime.

On Saturday Tobi joined Guz’ boat, caught 15.8 pounds (7.2 kg), and won the first prize with a lead of 0.2 pounds (91 g).

The most visible purpose of the party was getting beer, and food. The food was grilled beef, most likely Sirloin, lobsters caught at full moon and low tide on the reef, raw fish, in coconuts milk boiled crabs, rice, potato salad, and another salad.

Tobi prepared plates and gave it to Guz. He refused it and pushed is over to me. I said, let’s share and pushed it back into the middle of the table. At the end it was only Tobi and I who are what was on the two plates Tobi prepared.

I could see that we don’t understand the eating culture. Even now I can’t say what it is.

The ladies where sitting at another table and there the ladies party.

Kumer gave a nice speech. First for Walden & Rosa and at the end for us. In this speech he mentioned that all people who are here are Tobi’s and my family in Pohnpei. I thanked all for the great time we had here and that I would love to stay a bit longer here, but, I want to sail to Japan and already 4 almost 4 month behind my, in NZ planned schedule.

BTW, Walden & Rosa stayed until 2115 with a flight at 2200.

We continue preparing our departure and look for a sufficiently good weather window. The 27th did not look so well this morning, and before there’s no wind at all. I hope it will get better.

One nice point has the poor wind condition. We can join our “Pohnpei family” in their get together on the 26th at the “Hideaway restaurant”.

Today, after doing emails and other PC work, we wanted to go ashore to get the gas bottle filled. However, when we were ready to go, Pohnpei worked on keeping the world record in precipitation per year. We gave up getting gas but harvested about close to 50 l of rainwater. I hope this continues during the night.