Since we left Penrhyn we sailed an odyssey.

At the beginning, we had strong and very weak winds on our way to Kiritimati, then could not enter Kiritimati due to strong winds and currents.

Thus, we took course to American Samoa because I thought Shigeo needs to fly home from American Samoa.

After having spent a hove to night in Polynesia’s largest shower of 12 NM radius (not diameter!), we discovered my misunderstand and we changed course to Apia (Western) Samoa.

I sent immediately an Advanced Notification of Arrival mail to the port master. Next problem occurred. The request was turned down because because the Commonwealth Heads of Government are holding a meeting there. I’m convinced that (port) Capt Foetutasi Faamausili did his best to get us a special permisson because we don’t have cruise missiles on board. Then, next day we got the answer of the upper-and-afraid-ones through Capt. Foetutasi Faamausili. Our request was turned down finally. No special permission for non-cruise-missles-sailing-cruiser.

Decision to sail back to American Samoa. We gybed and head to our newly plotted WPT “ASamoaNW”. However, already before sunset the sails flapped and STW was 0.0 KN. The wind decided he worked long enough for today and quitted time.

We hove to to give MaRe a stable direction. During the night we got up in hourly changing shifts for 5 min to see if the wind returned. It didn’t return sufficiently until morning. We then set sails with very little wind and asked the Polynesian gods of the winds and seas to provide us a nice sailing. We got it, but the direction was too much south of E.

Nevertheless , we sailed towards American Samoa and hoped that the wind will turn N as it was forecasted for days. When our COG was too much to S we tacked. However, the wind tacked with us. So we tacked again. This time the wind did not tack fully with us and we could sail again.

Later in the afternoon, I thought I need to clean my glasses to read the instruments, the wind turned N and we were on the right course to American Samoa. We kept quiet to not frighten the wind and its gods.

In the late afternoon we got a speed booster in form of a nimbus cloud. With pretty good winds and rain, during which I got pretty good wet, but we shortened the distance to American Samoa by a few NM in very short time. However, after that, the wind called it a day while we wanted to continue until it gets dark. I kept patient for 1 1/2 h but the wind just laughed at me and danced around the wind instrument in non-stop circles until I gave up and we put the sails down.

Because we wanted to get into Pago-Pago next morning, we used the engines to move a bit closer to the island. Then hove to again. The drift track during the night has a very interesting shape and I wonder what created it; the currents only or did the winds contribute significantly as well.

Right now we are heading to the western entry channel to Pago-Pago harbor. Yesterday, during sunset I observed on the AIS screen a layer container vessel coming out on this route, this the water is deep enough for us.

At PRT we see already the coast line settlements.

As the last message, we are in the harbor, inbound clearance done and will move from the customs pier to an anchorage a bit further down in the harbor.

What was the title of my last narration? Life proved again I’m right.

Today at about 1100 we got from Capt. Foetutasi Faamausili the decision that higher up it was declined to give us permission to enter Apia Harbor despite of the tight security for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia. No change compared to times of feudalism.

However, I’m convinced Capt. Foetutasi Faamausili did his best to get us a special permission. We thank him for his efforts.

Outside of Samoa, we saw again 2 Chinese boats, in total 14 along our route. One can expect that they are around in this area until the last fishes are caught.

Because Shigeo needs to connect to the internet, we are now heading back to American Samoa. We will heave to at the south coast of the island until it’s daylight tomorrow and then go in calling the harbor master on CH 16.

It will not be the most beautiful place for a stop over. We will see how it turns out.

Above is based on 72 years of experience with myself.

About an hour ago I found out that we had a misunderstanding. I thought Shigeo needs to fly back from American Samoa, whereas he needs to fly from (Western) Samoa or from Tonga.

Additionally I read again, what I know since long, American Samoa is not the best place for a stop over. The fish cannery is said to smell very “nice”, holding of the anchor in the natural harbor is bad due to a lot of stuff dumped there, and the water is supposed to be dirty. For me there is no reason anymore to stop over at American Samoa and we will sail directly to Apia, Samoa.

We changed course to 260 deg and sail currently with the Big Blue at an AWA of 110 – 120 deg. Latest by sunset we will change to main sail and genoa and head higher into the wind and to our WPT outside Apia harbor. Sailing right now with the Big Blue is comfortable and fast.

What kind of adventure will we have in Samoa?

… We took off again!

After a looong shower in Polynesia’s biggest shower since noon yesterday and parts of the night, it seems the water reservoir of this big shower is pretty empty. There are even holes in the reservoir through which we can see small spots of blue sky.

With jotting down every hour TWD and TWS all night long, I looked at the figures and could only make a statics based decision. We will sail on STB tack with the Big Blue trying to catch every energy quantum, which is in the air.

In the meantime Big Blue pulls MaRe with around 2 – 3 KN pretty well on course.

Expectation from wind forecast indicates wind north of NNE and west of N. Just hope that the wind follows correctly the forecast. Right now, the GFS forecast fits best. However, I prefer the ECMWF forecast because it shows a bit more wind.

At least we are moving again in the right direction and the desired l speed is not too bad. In the worst case we have to gybe.

By the way, we became an attraction in this part of the Pacific Ocean. The Dutch cruise ship “Zaandam” came close by last night to show it’s passengers MaRe hove to. As their course was s bit too close to MaRe’s position, I called them and asked for changing their course a bit to west. The friendly officer on duty filled my request an they passed in almost 2 NM.

It could be that we are now somehow in the center of the big Polynesian triangle. But I’m sure we are the big Polynesian shower. Around us the radar shows rain for 12 NM. Encircled in water from above. The perfect shower.

To be able to enjoy the shower longer, the monkey with the tin tool deviated the wind from us. To stop the flapping of the genoa I heaved MaRe to. Heave to makes the waves moving MaRe less.

So we are sitting and waiting for stable wind of at least above 8 KN TWS. Keep fingers crossed that Christmas is not before.

Since we started sailing again yesterday evening, we had very direction stable winds and wind speeds, beside a short period of 8 – 18 KN. The logged distance is 47 NM.

A slow shift towards 120 deg TWD made me closing the genoa a bit more. Instead of using the barber hauler I just pulled her in with the normal genoa sheet leading to a speed increase of 1/2 – 1 KN.

That’s what we kept through all the night and continue with it currently. Never change a winning sail.

In front of us the horizon is brighter then in the last days. It seems we are reaching the southern edge of a trough. We had enough of it during the last days.

Let’s see what the day will bring us.

It was passed 1900.

Shigeo had just finished making yogurt. I already was lying on the sofa to wake up again at 2200 to see if we have enough wind to sail.

Suddenly Shigeo woke me up and said: “Look at wind!”. The wind direction indicator was firmly in one direction and the wind speed meter showed 10 KN.

I jumped up checked the direction to see if we are better up with our without the main sail. We set the genoa as the wind came from 120 deg PRT or further behind. Additionally we have to expect a wind shift towards N.

As soon as the genoa was unfurled and opened with the barber hauler, wind speed was down again in the 7 – 8 KN range. But, the direction was stable. Thus I brought MaRe on course and Shigeo trimmed the sail a bit.

In 2h we made 6 NM in the right direction. Excellent. Now we hope it stays like this or becomes even better.

Until you see MaRe moving again, she takes a nap from the long sail she did now non-stop for more than 2 weeks.

With winds fluctuating quickly between 2 – 5 KN combined with shifting wind directions almost fully around the compass, it doesn’t make sense to keep a sail up.

Thus, all sails are down and we are drifting with the current. Right now in about 240 deg with 0.5 KN. This may be stable or changing often. I don’t know. No information in the sea charts.

Shigeo just created a new curry dish with black beans. We have enough food on board and can create our own water. Thus, we will be fine although I noticed that we reduced our talking since the wind is so slow.

I could blame the monkey with the tin tool or Mr Wind-ow for the lack of wind or Mr Lin-ux for not pecking the other two enough but what for. Having no wind is a part of sailing.

It seems that we are caught in the low pressure disturbance, which followed us. This just before we could sail the last about 50 NM, to get out of the trough, which delivered nice winds from it’s deep hanging nimbus cloud and also dumped a lot of rain on us, made a “firework” called thunderstorm, brought us Kartoffelacker and no wind times.

This morning we sailed nicely while having MaRe still dressed in her pajamas. Then at 1200 we dressed her up in reef 1 and she thanked with good speed. For a short time. Then no wind and far too far from N of E. At an AWA of 120 deg, I always have the headache of leaving the main sail up or change already to genoa only?

Today, wind helped with decision by turning a bit further to N. Thus, we are now doing slow-slow sailing while waiting for more wind…

Sky is grey. Deep clouds but not the ones which bring wind. Rain here and in the distance. A lousy sailing day. But such is sailing as well.

When will it change to the better?

Nothing exciting during this night. No Chinese fishing vessels in our way.

Wind E, 12 – 15 KN (4 Bft range).

MaRe in pajama; genoa fully unfurled and main with reef 2 runs just fine through the night.

Sea with wind waves of up to a bit above a meter. Swells are short, and typically down to just around 2 m high, running from 2 directions and make the sea a bit choppy.

Reminds me to a nice pyramid wave next to MaRe’s PRT hull in late afternoon. The top part was nicely shape into a pyramid and translucent. A small beauty of the sea in an rough environment.

Hope the night remains like this.