4.5.18 @ 1000 Local, 1700 Zulu Day #11
Latitude: 12°26N Longitude: 122°37W Covered Distance Last 24 Hours: 134 Distance to the Marquesas: 1644 Distance from Punta de Mita, Mexico: 1228 Weather: pretty blue sky with about 30% cloud cover Winds: 20 knots NNE Sea State: 5′-6′ NNE Barometer: 1016 Crew’s Mood: Outstanding
Zoltar the Great

Captain’s Log Star Date something and something again,

Where do you find the Zoltar machine when getting ready for your passage? What spare parts do you take? How do you make an I don’t know guess at what might possibly fail during your voyage.

When you find out let me know. I’ve tried to look at the critical high wear items like the raw water pump and or the necessary parts to rebuild it. Voltage regulators, alternators, belts, seal, hoses, screws, etc…. Where does it stop? I’m here to tell you that no matter what supplies you have on hand the thing that will stop working, fail, or go away six feet under will be the one thing you don’t have. So, trying to be a fortune teller is a hard job when it comes to the what’s next repair item underway.

Fortunately this voyage we have only had to restitch a seam on the main sail and replace a head hose. Luckily, I had the parts, supplies and tools to effect the repairs.

There are others out here with us right now that are experiencing an array of different issues. One vessel had to replace a fan belt. While two others are experiencing various engine troubles. One boat turned back about a month ago with a broken shroud. A wire rope that holds the mast upright on the boat. Two boats are experiencing battery or charging issues. One of those boats has turned around and is returning the Mexico.

Be somebody, or be somebody’s fool. Deferring maintenance is easy to do when your boat is more of a floating condo at a marina. But seriously, if your plans are off shore travels you should not pass up or defer maintenance of critical issues. Last December, I removed Dazzler’s bowsprit to sand it down to wood for inspection and then repainted it. I had done it about ten years ago and it seamed like the right thing to do again before heading off shore to a place with very few resources. Jilly and I completed a list of about fifty maintenance related issues on Dazzler during our four months in the La Cruz area.

Why? Why not? Not deferring those replace or maintain items gives you peace of mind. I have a friend that owns an older power boat. A few years ago the steering on his boat was so stiff it took two men and a boy to move it side to side. One day he had enough and ordered a new steering wheel and components. Wow! What a difference new makes. Hummmm!

I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I do almost 100% of the maintenance on Dazzler. That way I learn how things work and work together. Therefore, if something needs repair out on the high seas, I have a very good idea of how to fix or replace it without too much difficulty.

One of the boats out here, asked me via an InReach messages a question about a radio issue he is having with his high frequency radio. I explained that it is about 95% wire connection related and I explained which wires he needed to clean or replace termination connections on. He said he guessed he needed a technician to check it out for him.

The other day when a 700 + or – foot tanker passed by in front of us going to Japan, I thought how great to have a floating fuel station. I told my friend that we had seen the tanker and that I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I saw a radio tech barge floating next to it. Ha ha ha. He laughed also. I coaxed him into checking his own connections and cleaning them. He hasn’t finished the job yet so I’m still waiting on the outcome.

Boats should be called Fords. Fix or repair daily. It feels like there is always something that goes wrong or needs attention. Spray, screwdriver or bigger hammer. There are times that I find something completely off the track of what I’m currently fixing that also needs to be repaired. I ask myself the question, how long has that been like that? If you hired a mechanic to fix something, I would hope to shout that they tell you about something else observed while making the repair.

Have you been up the mast lately? There is a whole other realm of potential issues up there. Seek and you shall find. If you don’t seek you will find it later. It will usually take out something else when it lets lose or breaks. Finding those potential issues early on is financially in your best interest. Be diligent and seek out that which is not right thus resulting in many more hours of trouble free sailing. Remember, just because you think you just replaced it a few (5-6) years ago doesn’t mean it should or will last forever.

Have a great day on the water. We are! Cheers!

Captain Dan

4.4.18 @ 1700 Zulú Day #10 Latitude: 13°18 N Longitude: 129°37 W Covered Distance Last 24 Hours: 126 NM Distance to the Marquesas: 1753 NM Distance from Punta de Mita, Mexico: 1096 NM Weather: Sunny with 30% Cloud Cover Winds: NNE 8 Knots Sea State: 1’ – 3’ Barometer: 1016 Crew’s Mood: Upbeat and happy! Now if we could just catch a fish…Wahoo, preferably!
Da boat, da boat! There it is! It’s really a boat. We are not the only souls left on this earth. Oh what a sight to see. Yes, when you’ve been days at sea and have seen no other form of life except for a Brown Footed Boobie or two, seeing a boat in the distance can be very exciting. I am down in the galley cooking dinner two nights ago when Dan, showering on deck, yells out to let me know he sees a large ship in the distance. I’m so excited I drop everything and dash up the companionway to get a glimpse of this magnificent sight. She’s almost seven miles off our portside stern. I pull up the AIS (Automated Identification System) to see what I can find out about her. Turns out she’s a 757’ tanker headed to Chiba, Japan with an approximate arrival date of 4.17.18. She will cross our bow about 3.96 miles ahead of us. I love the AIS! It lets you be Mrs. Kravitz without ever opening the curtains. I just stand in the cockpit grinning from ear to ear, watching her as she motors along the horizon. Who knew the simple sight of another vessel could make me so happy? I guess out here you learn to appreciate the little things. Her SOG (speed over ground) is 16.1 knots. And with that speed, just as quickly as she enters our sights, she is gone and we are back to just us again. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.
The past twenty-four hours have been amazing! The winds have found us and we are doing some awesome sailing…as we call it, brochure sailing! Today when Dan went down to take a nap we had the spinnaker flying and with 13 knot winds we were hitting 6.5 – 7 knots steady for almost two straight hours. We were zipping along and it was nice. By the time Dan got up we were running in the mid to high 7’s which is just a little uncomfortable and quite frankly unnecessary. This isn’t a race out here and there’s really no need to add the extra stress to the rigging so we decide to douse the spinnaker and throw up the Jib. Even with just that we were in the mid 5 knot range which is just fine with us.
We did hit two milestones today. We are in double digit days and we passed 1000 NM! That put us more than a third of the way to the Marquesas leaving us about 1827 NM to go. Honestly it just doesn’t seem like we’ve been at sea for ten days. I guess once you get into a routine it just flows.
Tonight is another great night on watch. Winds are around 13.1 knots and we’re going 4.5 – 5. It’s a beautiful night with some clouds and the bright 3/4 moon shining above. It seems surreal to be here. I mean, a year ago at this time I was in bed sleeping so I could get up and go to work the next day. I guess it just goes to show, you never know where your life will lead you but if you take a chance now and then, you might just find absolute bliss. I know I did!
Until next time,
Jilly