Just WOW!

Having made passages between Tonga, New Zealand and Fiji three times now I still know one thing, that it can be a long passage with some excitement thrown in to get your heart valves tapping out. The rule of thumb in this part of the world is that you could be like Jesus and walk on water even when the tempest is blasting around you and come out smelling sweet as a flower with no sea water leaks on your favorite clothes in your locker or disheveled interiors from being rolled from side to side or you could be like the rest of us and just say “Wow! Just wow!”

It is said by many who make this passage that it isn’t one to be taken lightly. If you are lucky enough to have a very fast boat you could make the 1100 or so miles in six days, maybe, I’m told. If you are like us we plan for about nine to eleven days depending on the weather. Let me reassure you there will be some weather. It is also said for yachties like us that you will have weather in one, two or three different sections or in all three during your trip. Those are the first, second or final third parts of your passage.

I think I’d prefer it to be the first third of the passage. Mostly because you are well rested, except for all of your hours of looking at weather predictions, and better suited to make good changes on the fly. Additionally, you probably haven’t injured yourself yet so you might even be a bit physically stronger and you are closer to your starting point if you have some kind of major boat issue that would require returning to port.

For our trip we download our weather for updates to see how things more than likely have changed. As you patiently watch the progress bar on your electronic device pony express your download, you take a nap and come back to check if it’s done. Only to find that there was some glitch or error requiring you to start all over again. A little frustrating, but we’ve got some time to kill. It sometimes reminds me of the old 24 baud rate modems I had on my first computer. You’ve got mail!

Going into this passage it was a nice enough start. I knew there would be a few days of some blustery stuff in the middle, but it was going to be a beam reach with some predicted 3.5 meter swells. Ha Ha Ha! By our third day there were some aggressive easterly winds in the mid twenties pushing some swells a bit bigger. They were more like 4-5 meters.

Our fourth day continued racing with more of the same as the day before. But, by the afternoon we were seeing some mountainous swells that were easily 6 meters. Somehow Dazzler just dealt with those massive things with a few moments of serious side to side rolling. By the end of the day Jilly looked as if see had seen more than all the terrible things from her nightmares rolled into one beast. Believe me I get the pleasure of hearing every morning what crazy thing she was involved in. Too many times it involved me and I am now an A..hole. How is that for projecting your dream angers on someone else? I guess it’s a perk of being married.

At one point Jilly stated, “We’ve never seen anything like this. I’m scared!” I’ve been in some big stuff in my sailing days, but this by far was the worst. Dazzler took great care of us. I knew she would. She is a very soundly built and maintained vessel. She’s a true bluewater cruiser and after being cooped up for two years, she is enjoying stretching out her sea legs.

Of course the list of Fiji boat projects has been growing. A few minor leaks that weren’t there before. A few lights no longer working, but nothing major.

Jilly now wants to know, “When is this going to get better?” I tell her tomorrow. She promptly downloads the weather and discovers it doesn’t look like anything will happen to better our conditions until Sunday. Well, I believe she may have only focused on the wind velocity and not so much it’s angle. The same 20 knot winds would now provide us with broad reach point of sail with some nice following seas. And yes the swells also diminished from Mount Fuji sized mountains to baseball size pitchers mounds.

As we continued sailing to Fiji the day was lovely. A few large swells in the 3-4 meter range but spaced about 10 seconds apart. No spindrift or green water to speak of. Just a pleasant day.

Then it happened

I was on watch enjoying an after dinner coffee when the instruments started doing something I’ve not seen before. I heard beeps coming from the multi function display (MFD) followed by FRED taking a break. FRED is our auto pilot. He can steer better than when a police car pulls in behind you causing you to get the sober religious death grip on the wheel. Who is FRED? Freaking Remarkable Electronic Device, FRED for short. Also known as the autopilot on Dazzler.

The displays started flashing and not working properly at all. Not good as we still have about four days to Fiji. Jilly’s proclamation was made. “I’m not hand steering to Fiji. We need to call a helicopter.” Okay dear, but I’ll be able to figure out what’s what and make the necessary repairs or fix it. It took about three and a half hours while hove to before we were back underway.

Diagnosing and finding the source of this new Dazzler unapproved glitch was a cross between an orchestrated ballet of choreographed boat Yoga and a carnival side show shell guessing game. That’s another story all to itself. As it turns out I was a lucky blind squirrel. Of course if you think all the boat Yoga and shell guessing game of moving everything out of the way was cool. Before we could get back underway, we had to do it all in reverse to put everything back in their designated places.

What passage between the islands wouldn’t be complete without a repair or two? I thank my lucky stars that this did not happen during the crazy swell fest from the day before.

Some repairs are just more involved than others. What’s next? Bring it on! We got this even if it does sometimes rattle a last nerve.

The rest of the night was perfect. The electronics were getting along nicely again. Grape Ape was taunting FRED. Jilly was getting some much needed sleep before her watch. I was wishing I was a bit younger so boat Yoga didn’t hurt so much after it’s over. But I’m not so I was looking at the starry sky thinking how fortunate we are to be able to see and witness this glorious night sky. Oh course all the while thinking, I could sure use a beer right about now.

The sea state is still off our starboard quarter along with the 18-22 knot tradewinds pulling us along mile after mile bringing us that much closer to our destination.

Onboard there is a fine line between crew and being husband and wife. Yes they coexist, but quite frankly the sea and Mother Nature do not care about who’s onboard as long as you respect the sea and all the things that get you safely from departure to destination. Sadly at the end of the day the sea doesn’t care about feelings or clean boat interiors.

If it’s happened once, it’s happened at least five times during our passage. We have left the sliding hatch open for fresh air down below. We tempted fate and fate rewarded us with a nice saltwater rinse in the galley. There is nothing to do except curse a lot, clean it up and remind yourself that if it wasn’t open the majority of the water would not enter below decks. Still trying to balance that spinning plate. We will get it all right one of these trips.

I’m trying to decide if I should end this, but I’m kind of anxious to see what will happen next….I guess we’ll both have to wait for the next installment. For now we have to figure out how we will bake dinner in a glass baking dish full of tasty enchiladas on the metal rack in the oven without making a mess. You know from all the sliding around it will be doing. I bet Jilly will pull it off Until the next exciting adventure, con provecho!

Cheers

Captain Dan

RATED NFM…NOT FOR MAMA

At first I wasn’t sure I’d post this because I know my mama reads these things but Dan said it’s something our readers should hear about so I’m doing it and have posted the requisite NFM rating so hopefully she will pass it by. Don’t pay any attention to the man behind the curtain Mama…there’s nothing to see here. LOL

I guess fun is a relative term and if you’re the type of person who enjoys around the clock torture and moments of shear terror then this would be your kind of trip. I, on the other hand, prefer to do what is referred to as “brochure sailing” where the winds are steady, the seas are filled with nice long rollers and the sun warms my skin making it a nice golden brown. So, no, for me, this is NOT fun!

Let’s just set my broken ribs aside for the moment. Two days ago we found ourselves in winds in the high twenties with seas at a steady and very choppy 4-5 meters. Every so often we’d see a six meter swell that we’ve no doubt was just tossed in to keep us on our toes. It certainly did me as I looked up at these giants wondering which would be the one that came crashing down on top of us. Dan, on the other hand, was grinning like a kid with a new toy relishing in the way Dazzler was doing exactly what she is designed to do….Like I said, fun is a relative term.

This delightful situation went on for about four hours during which I spent most of that time below deck in prayer. You’d be surprised at the bargains you’re willing to strike with God when you think you are about to meet Him up close and personal. I’m pretty sure I can’t even come close to living up to the promises I made. Thankfully He’s a loving and forgiving God. Let’s hope He’ll forgive me for not being able to keep my word on the pledges I made in my time of weakness.

Two nights ago when I was on watch we hit a squall that brought with it sideways rain that I can only surmise felt similar to being pelted with poison darts thrown by African pygmies. Within a millisecond of being stabbed like a voodoo doll the winds ramped up from 18-20 knots to a seriously frightening velocity of 35-40 knots. With that, the very loud, high wind alarm started going off in the cockpit because, you know, I needed a blaring 130 decibel alarm screaming in my ear telling me the freaking obvious. NOT!

I couldn’t stand up or move because we were screaming through the water moving at least a knot or two over Dazzler’s safe hull speed. And, we were healed over so far that I was afraid I’d go overboard. Sure I was tethered to the jackline but I could potentially have found myself banging along the hull breaking even more bones as I was dangling from the port side of Dazzler off of one such line.

I made it to my knees and started screaming for Dan. Of course he had already heard that oh so subtle alarm sounding off in the cockpit. Honestly, I don’t know how he heard the gentle beacon in his toasty slumber, you know, with its sweet angelic sounding chorus. Anyway, he gets to the companionway way and I’m clinging to the doors like Kilroy. All he can see is a set of eyes the size of half dollars and four fingers in a death grip on either side of them.

He shuts off the high wind alarm much to the pleasure of my bleeding ears and starts to get his clothes on to go on deck and bring in some sail. Meanwhile the pygmies haven’t stopped thrusting their darts into to my face which I’m absolutely certain must be dripping in blood about now. And for some reason my mind turns to … where can I find a blood transfusion out here?

With a little coaching from Dan I find the courage to make my way through the doors and down into the cabin. I’m breathing like a judge who has been running from BLM protesters after he acquitted a white cop who shot a black teenager. Dan is telling me not to panic.

Panic? Is that what I’m doing? Why on earth would I do that? It’s just a near death experience in the middle of the ocean in 8000 feet of black, shark infested water. Don’t be silly honey…I’m all good. No panicking here…. butthead!

You know the Captain Ron movie with Kirk Douglas? He says…”squalls, they come on ya fast and they leave ya fast.” Well, he’s right. By the time Dan gets his foulies on the winds have started to drop, the rain is all but gone and Dazzler is starting to right herself again.

Now normally this would have made me smile with exuberant joy except my dear husband looks at his watch and sees that it’s only 0200 and declares he’s going back to bed because I’m to be on watch until 0430. Oh yeah, okay…let me just jump right back out there in the saddle cowboy. No problem. I’ve got this. You sleep well Roy Rogers.

So, let’s add to that evening of fun by telling you what was happening last night on Dazzler. You see, sometime after 1600 I turned on the inverter and it said it had a low battery. That’s not good. Dan starts checking and believes that it’s possible he didn’t get a full charge in when he last ran the generator. Okay, not a big deal. It’s happened before as we have two ways to check it and sometimes one can be off for one reason or another, so he fires up the generator and all is well.

At 1715 precisely, we start getting an autopilot alarm indicating it is now offline. Then the chart plotter goes into some sort of failure followed by the VHF radio which is now also showing a critical low battery alarm. As Dan starts diagnosing I leap to my feet from the one comfortable position I’ve been in, in I don’t know… days…and I start getting dressed. Something tells me this is going to be a little more sinister than just a switch flipped in the wrong direction.

Fortunately, and yes I do thank God and Poseidon for small favors, the sea state was a calm 1-2 meters and the winds were in the mid teens. When no immediate cause for the failure presents itself we decide it’s time to hove to. This is where we set the sails and rudder in the proper juxtaposition so as to stall any movement. In essence we’re parking in the middle of the ocean. Yes, we will still drift a bit but we will stay at an angle to the swell that keeps us from being tossed like a toy boat in child’s bathtub.

Now the real fun begins. Dan starts by digging everything out of the lazarette which, by the way, fills the cockpit. I’m charged with making certain none of the tools or tubs or lines or dive gear end up overboard as Dan climbs in to check wires, connections etc..to see if he can locate an obvious cause. After fifteen minutes or so he pokes his head out to say he sees nothing of consequence. Brilliant…just freaking brilliant! Now what?

The answer is one I already knew but for some reason I felt compelled to ask it out loud to which Dan replies, “Well, time to empty the quarter berth and start going through the wiring there.” Think….emptying the entire contents of your garage onto your living room floor then trying to move around it while some ancient god tilts your house from side to side. Yeah…this is going to be so much fun!

With the contents of the lazarette safely back in their places we set about to remove those of the quarter berth. I have to stop for a moment here and ask….why does this stuff ALWAYS happen at night during what should be my nap time???

Sorry, I digress.

Back to the quarter berth. Dan starts with the auto pilot ram. There is some doohickey or doodad part thingy of which he has an extra that he believes may be the culprit. He takes the old one off and….. wah, wah, wah…we’re sorry Dan. You’ve picked the wrong door. You’ll be leaving with the plush pig in a dress rather than the deluxe, first class vacation to Fiji. Please play again.

At this point I’m laying on top of stuff on top of stuff just trying to get comfortable because there is absolutely nothing I can do. Believe it or not…I’m not even speaking. After all, even I know there are times that I should just sit down and hush up.

Precisely three hours and ten minutes from the first alarm and he’s found the issue. We had a ground fault at the battery bus bar. It’s only putting out 10 amps not the necessary 12. Congratulations Captain Dan. For your diligence and hard work we’re going to allow you to exchange that plush pig in a dress for a slow sail to Fiji with a cranky old wife who keeps asking, “Are we there yet?” Yes sir, you have won the jackpot!

Three and a half hours after the alarms started ringing and the issue is fixed, all systems are running correctly and we’re putting the cabin back together. During our time hove to we only drifted 5 NM off course. If you don’t know how to do this and you sail the oceans…learn it! It’s an invaluable tool to have in your bag of tricks.

Within minutes of us getting underway I’m back wedged around the table fighting off claustrophobia and begging for sleep to come quickly as I have already lost two hours of my pre watch nap to repairs.

As you can see….this is NOT the report I would want my mama to read. She’d be in the hospital with a coronary right now and that’s no way to spend Mother’s Day weekend.

So, as I leave you here I will again remind you that fun is a relative term and definitely not a word I’d use to describe this particular passage. Also, I’ve one question….is it still called a piña colada if you tell the bartender to just give you the bottle of rum with a straw and a slice of coconut on the side???

Until next time,

Jilly