During the night 240201-02 we quiet strong winds but the anchor alarm didn’t go off. Then the wind turned to offshore.

During the day it was a rather weak wind, 1 – 3 Bft only. The swell increased in height and length, it was a bit bumpy. However, beside us a new boat came in. A monohull. She really is rolling.

From the skipper of the “Seacats” we got a nice size fish. He got it from a local fishermen.

As for the size of the fish I should have dissected it in a different way. I was following the procedures I learned from Günther during the Atlantic crossing. However this is more for the bigger fishes. What we got was “only” 30 – 40 cm long. Thus, it was learning by doing and a good information from Inge about the way she wanted to prepare the fish. Nevertheless, what she made out of the fish was excellent.

She also prepared oven baked 1 cm thick breadfruit slices. As the breadfruit was pretty ripe already it tasted a bit sweat. For a less ripe breadfruit it will be a good way to prepare it.

During the day, we vacuum packed bed linen to protect it from humidity.

After a windy night with strong off-shore and on-shore winds it’s pretty quiet in the bay.

The anchor holds and I didn’t get any alarm from my Anchor Pro alarm app watching the position of MaRe beside me sleeping. This means MaRe moved only in her given area and the anchor kept its grip in the bottom.

Since early morning the wind is down an MaRe rest only on the weight of her chain. About 45 m should just be laying on the bottom.

As a high swell rolls into the bay, MaRe rocks sometimes a bit but that’s nothing to the rolling of a monohull.

Since this morning a rain front is passing through. Thus, the hatches on deck can’t be open for fresh air, but the side windows in the heads are sufficient.

This morning we were up at around 0800 talking with the skipper of the only other boat in the bay who came over for a quick chat from his dinghy. However, we decided to go back into our cabines to sleep, rest, send messages and emails, and learn French.

By now I’ll close this narration and will finally get up to not rot in my bed.

Also I could see that the anchor holds, I didn’t feel comfortable with the anchoring situation. Therefore, I decided to leave the Bay of Virgins hoping that in the Omoa Bay I’ll find a better situation.

Lucky!

I found a better situation. There was only one boat in the bay. The Privilege P42, “Seacats” whose skipper I know already.

The wind situation is much better. Over a few hours I saw 3 Bft wind to be the strongest.

The only drawback is that boat direction and the rolling in swell are perpendicular to each other. This takes the comfort while being on board.

Thus, for the next days we have a safe anchorage it’s just a bit prolly…

Since 1043 we are at anchor in the Bay of Virgins. The hook is down at anchor 14 m and I let 75 m of chain out to secure that the anchor holds. Tests with cruising RPM showed that the anchor really has a good grip on the mud/sand bottom.

It’s 3rd visit into this lovely bay. However, today I have the worst wind conditions. The wind blows from WNW fully into the bay. Sometimes with 5 Bft in the peaks. Back in Croatia I hang once more then 24 h in a 7 Bft wind, thus I’m feeling comfortable with my anchor and chain.

We were lucky because an Italian boat prepared for departure just when we came. It’s a kind of pity, because I met skipper at the shipyard in Atuona. Very nice people who we could have invited to MaRe for drink and a chat. But such is sailing life.

A comment on their boat. It has beautiful classic lines and because of these lines, I assume it was built in the 70s. The LOA (lent over all) is max 33 ft. I draw my hat for the couple sailing it across the Atlantic and Pacific.

Inge prepared for lunch her excellent mashed avocado on bread with 2 eggs sunny-side up. This recipe will continue to be eaten at MaRe.

Now I’m tired and after uploading these lines, I’ll take a nap.

Since a while we have a stronger wind but still from N. There are white horses to be seen indicating a solid 4 Bft wind. AWA varies around 140 deg PRT and MaRe runs now in this still weak wind with only the genoa above 5 KN.

Inge ist off watch and tries to sleep.

The weather is nice, the air is warm, and the wind feels pleasant on the skin.

I’m attempted to get the lue out and try to catch some fresh (fish) meat.

As the forecasted wind is pretty weak for about 2/3 of the way and we have indeed a very weak wind since we left the bay, I decided to use only the genoa because the AWA is für most of the time > 120 deg PRT and TWS is below 10 KN.

I could have set the main sail as well and try to sail a longer distance at a higher speed but decided to stay on the direct line to Fatu-Hiva.

Currently ETA for Fatu-Hiva is around 0930 but can change quickly.

Since about 1030 the waning half moon is above the horizon and illuminates the sea nicely. In the moon river I can the wind waves and the swell. Wind wave are below 0.5 m and the main swell runs towards MaRe from E with a height of less than a meter. Thus, the sea is very comfortable.

It’s already past midnight and Inge’s watch will start at 0200.

As I got hungry, I had the rest of industrial baguette with peanut butter and banana combined with 2 cups of tea. Inge prepared a pot of tea before departure.

Since this morning MaRe is back the water.

At 0700 I had MaRe ready for launching. But the guys from Marquesis Maintenance Service had a bit of a delay. At 0830 they started moving MaRe. Pretty skillful they moved her out of the entrance area of the shipyard where they placed us for an originally considered 24-h-only term, which needed to be extended to 48 h because work was not completed.

This gave me also the needed time to complete the cleaning of the tender, for which I even needed to take out the aluminum floor plates. Now the tender is ready for it’s last months with MaRe. In Tahiti I consider to buy a Highfield RIP with an aluminum bottom. I also will get a canvas cover to protect the rubber parts from the permanent sunlight.

I am thankful to Vincent to take MaRe out for the original 1 day because the only available space to place her, was in the entrance area where she blocked all boat transport in and out of the shipyard.

The urgent matter was the replacement of the shaft seals of the PRT saildrive.

It seems that the last time the shaft seals were not properly installed. Additionally, a screw, securing the spinner of the propeller was missing. Completely forgotten or only forgotten to secure the screw with adhesive bond? There will be no answer to this.

Fortunately I had a suitable screw in my screw collection.
However, it was a bit work to get the screw in because there were salt precipitation in the whole of the thread. WD 40 Fast Release solved the problem by dissolving sake salt and other stuff and flushing it out. After about 30 – 40 min I could get the screw into its thread. Now, the screws are secured with bond on both saildrives.

Fabian, one of the technicians of Marquesis Maintenance Service did a good job on finding and closing the oil leak in the PRT engine, the change of the shaft seals of the saildrive, but also applying a new layer of antifouling, patching a few gelcoat blemishes, and changing already earlier the shaft seal of the sea water pumps.

Additionally the sea water pump has new sealings. I dismantled and mounted the pumps and Fabian, as mentioned before, replaced the shaft sealings because for this work a press is necessary.

I’ll miss Fabian and our 7-words-English-and-7-words-French conversations. He lives in Taaoa, a small village SW of Atuona, about an hour for Fabian by bicycle.

The technical issues are solved, the boat is very clean and we are at anchor (almost at the same spot as bevor) waiting that time passes to lift the hook towards midnight for a night sail to the Hanavave Bay.

The distance is only 46 NM which means about 9 h.

The wind is forecasted coming from NNW with 10 KN at the beginning, and once we are out of lee side effect of Hiva-Oa it will increase to 15 KN. This N wind is strange, because we should have the SE trade wind blowing in the Marquesas from pretty much from ENE to ESE.

Looking at the larger wind forecast area, there is a strong low pressure system moving slowly E at about 30 deg S. This low sucks the air from a very large area and this includes the area even N of the Marquesas.

For sailing it means we can easily sail to Fatu-Hiva with only the Genoa.

All is prepared for the haul out tomorrow morning.

At 0630 I’ll lift the anchor and will move over to the haul out ramp.

Two boats are waiting for my anchor spot to become empty. Fortunately their skippers know each other.

One is a Privilège 42 which is a few years older then our 435. The other a 37 year old Catana cat.

During the last days I did a lot of smaller boat jobs. Among them cleaning of areas which are not cleaned every week. It was a good exercise fully supported by Inge.

A while ago I lost my anchor line and the marker buoy for an unknown reason.

In the meantime I got in the only hardware store in Atuona a new rope.

I strengthened the connections at the anchor and marking buoy by splicing an eye on both ends.

Yesterday, among other boat jobs, I could complete it. I have now a total length of 22 m and can adjust the length quickly in 5 m units. The anchoring anchor line is for an anchor retrieval if it sticks somewhere down at the ground, the attached buoy marks the position of the anchor.

Yesterday morning, I brought Tino of Marquesis Maintenance Service to MaRe for checking some things to be prepared to haul her out.

All is fine and on Monday at 0700 she will be hauled out to replace the shaft seals on the PRT side saildrive. I’ll take the chance for an oil change on both saildrives and a fresh antifouling on the saildrives. (The hulls are core coated, thus nothing to be done.)