Tag: Captain Dan & Jilly

Life At Sea, South Pacific, The South Pacific, Whangarei

Hallelujah! Land Ho!

First off we’d like to offer our apologies. You see we’ve been in New Zealand for several days and unfortunately didn’t get back to filling you in on the rest of our trip. We’ve received several emails from friends and followers asking how we are and we’re very sorry for not staying on top of this knowing you are all out there worrying about us. Please forgive us. This trip really took it out of us. Anyway, here’s our final entry from this year’s passage to New Zealand.

The last couple of days on the water have been pretty nice all things considered. The winds and swell died to next to nothing although the temps dropped a bit so it’s been a might chilly once the sun goes down. There were times the sea was as flat as glass. You honestly couldn’t tell where the sea ended and the sky began. It was so beautiful. Of course with these conditions we had to motor but thanks to Dan’s exhaust fix and our new friend Minute Mend motoring was not a problem.

The sea was so flat you couldn’t tell when it ended and the sky began!

As I sat on watch on our last night of this crazy passage I reflected back on all that had transpired.

Day one was filled with 30 knot winds and 3-4 meter short frequency seas. We had water come down into the companionway not once, but three times. I had a meltdown but soon recovered. 

On Day three we had to heave to for six and a half hours to wait out some wind and swell and then we ended up having a problem with our exhaust lift silencer and also had to replace our impeller. Both of which had to be taken care of in the middle of the night because, you know, that’s the time that everything decides to breakdown. With those two items repaired we got underway and then had to deal with a leaking 50 liter jug of diesel fuel. Yes, THAT was a fun evening. Can’t imagine anything we’d have rather been doing that night…you know, like sleeping or the like.

The slick we made when we were hove to.

By Day 5 our Engels freezer stopped working for a time but fortunately that was just due to something getting shifted in the locker and shutting off the timer. At least some of the challenges we faced were simple ones.

When Day 6 came around we got to deal with water ingress in two of our lockers. We assumed these leaks were coming from a leaking chain plate, which is something we simply could not fix at sea so we emptied the lockers and delighted in having clothes strewn hither and yon across the salon for the rest of the trip. Not really but hey…got to find some humor here. 

If you don’t have this or something like it on your boat…run, don’t walk to the nearest supply store and get it!

And by Day 7 we were again dealing with the water lift silencer leaks and had to heave to for the second time and on Day 8 we were finally able to get a semi-permanent fix to it after heaving to for the third time.

Fortunately Days 9-11 proved to be much better both in terms of weather and challenges aboard Dazzler. Oh yes, the morale improved exponentially as well.  

Among the more humorous things that happened was that I was literally catapulted off the thrown in the head with the toilet seat attached to my bum. (Sorry, no pics or video of the acrobatic show.) That’s not something you land dwellers will ever have the joy of experiencing I am quite certain! It is something, however, that brought a great deal of laughter to both Captain and Mate. I think Grape Ape even spit his juice out when he heard mama telling them what happened.

We did run into something that is quite rare and rather interesting which is that we got to see a bit of the pumice raft that was generated from the underwater volcano that erupted near Tonga earlier this year. While we only saw very small pieces of it, it was still pretty cool given that this is something so rare that most people in the world will never get a chance to see anything like it.

We survived it all just as Dan said we would. Intellectually I knew it too but there were moments when I just needed his calm reassurance. After all, if Dan couldn’t get us here safely, who could?

We arrived at Marsden Cove Marina early on the morning of Day 11 far ahead of the low pressure system we’d been racing. It was cold and overcast as we made the turn into the Hatea River. There were several ships at the port loading and unloading their wares. As we passed the port one ship was preparing to leave. It was at this very moment we were taking down our mainsail. Of course I was a bit on edge as I felt we were in the way of the tugs but Dan said we were fine so we finished our job and moved on.

As we entered the narrow and shallow channel into the marina the sun came out and it warmed up beautifully. In fact, by the time we docked at the Customs dock we were both peeling clothes off like we had landed on the sun.

It was a popular day to arrive here in New Zealand. We were boat number four to arrive at the dock. Everyone was tied up and waiting their turn for the officials to check them in. Two more boats arrived while we waited. Everyone was on the dock talking about their passage challenges and the weather. We, of course, had our celebratory anchor down beer. Never has a cold beer tasted so amazing! It was truly the taste of success!

It took a couple of hours to get completely checked in with Customs and BioSecurity. We didn’t even mind the time it took. It was sunny and warm and we were in New Zealand! Maybe knowing that a wonderful hot meal with beers and a great night’s sleep was ahead is what made us so patient. It certainly didn’t hurt anyway.

As always the officials with Customs and Immigration as well as BioSecurity were truly terrific. Many cruisers complain about the process but we actually find it to be rather easy. It’s all in what you make of it. They have a job to do and we respect that. We do everything we can to make their job easier by having the forms filled out, printed and ready to go when they step on board. We, all too often, see cruisers who don’t have the first form prepared which means they are taking up the valuable time of these officials. These are the very cruisers that invariably complain about the process.

We go so far as to have a spreadsheet listing every single food item we have on board, how much of it is there and exactly what locker it is located in. We hand that over to BioSecurity and let them tell us what they want. This year we did have a bit more meat on board which they took. She did tell us that if the meat had been in its original packaging so she could have seen where it was processed we may have been able to keep it. Unfortunately the butcher we purchased from in Fiji prepackaged the meat in vacuum sealed pouches. Oh well. It wasn’t much and we knew it was coming. She also took our frozen mangos (very sad face) that we use to make Mango Margaritas. And they took our eggs, some dried beans, Kava root (not the powdered stuff), popcorn and honey. None of this was really a surprise and it didn’t bother us a bit. As always, we received apologies for the fact that they had to take anything at all. The way we look at it is we over provision on some things to be sure that in the unlikely event we were to get stuck at sea we still have food. If we get here and have stuff they need to take it means we made it here safely and weren’t stuck at sea! BONUS!

After checking in we made the two hour trip north up the river to the Whangerie Town Basin Marina. Cruising under the Hatea River Bridge and up to the marina felt almost like coming home. As we passed the marina office Nadine was there waving and giving us a big welcome. We docked Dazzler and as we sat in the cockpit enjoying our final anchor down beer of the season we smiled and toasted each other on another safe passage.

Later we got our Guinness Stew and a few cold brews at McMorrisey’s pub and then it was back to Dazzler for some relaxation and an early bedtime. 

Needless to say we are happy to be “home” again in New Zealand. We’re looking forward to spending some time cruising the islands around here this year but before that can happen we’ve about thirty boat projects we need to get completed. Not the least of which is replacing the water lift silencer unit. Boat work is a neverending process for the cruiser…that’s for sure!

For now, however, we are going to take a week break from writing as we get settled in and begin to amass the supplies and tools we need to get working. Don’t worry though there will be plenty of upcoming articles from Captain Dan as he does everything from replacing the water lift silencer to varnishing to repairing and re-teaking the hatch to our lazerette. Of course these are just a few of the projects he’ll be talking about.

Thanks for following our passage and most importantly thank you for all your prayers and well wishes along the way. Hearing from our family and friends made the bad days so much better.

Until next time,

Jilly & Dan

P.S. Having hove to eight times in this 1200 mile journey we are pretty certain we do now hold the record for the most times a boat has heaved to in a journey such as this. Of course we’re still waiting for the officials to provide us with our trophy.

Here’s a video of the passage. You know, just in case you couldn’t visualize the trip!

New Zealand

Cut, Cut! Stop Rolling!

I’ve spent the past two days searching Dazzler from stem to stern and still can’t locate the tiny hidden cameras. This has led me to believe that either they are some microscopic feats of engineering that are undetectable to the human eye or that we are not in fact part of some evil psychological experiment. If the ladder is the case then I can only assume that we have surely been involuntarily cast in some aquatic themed Twilight Zone episode. I think I can even hear the music drifting over the sound of the sea as I write. Dododo…dododo!

Why would a perfectly sane (well somewhat sane anyway) sailor believe this? Well, let’s just recap the past 24 hours shall we? You already know everything up to that point and honestly I think that alone would prove my point but let me add some fuel to the fire of madness in my head so that you too can join in the delusions that presently afflict my muddled brain.

Yesterday was a truly delightful day on the sea. We had amazing winds and the swell was just right. The sun came out to warm the air a tad and we were sailing across the open ocean with a certain assertiveness that comes from being truly confident that you finally have your whole world under complete control. Both Captain and mate were beaming with pride as Dazzler cut through the swells with determination and grace. The white foam of the ocean splashed high above her bow as she plunged into the sea in her typical dramatic flair. Yes, this was the most perfect day of the seven we’ve spent on this roller coaster passage from Hell. Smiles were abundant and hope was in the air.

We performed our expertly choreographed passage routine like true professionals switching between watch and naps, food preparation and mealtime. Finally as the sun began to dip low in the sky I too looked toward a night of slumber in my warm and cozy bunk. I confidently left Dan on watch in the cockpit. The winds had dwindled so he had put on the engine to keep us moving at a good rate of speed. We were still trying to make up time that was lost over the past couple of days and there’s still that pesky low pressure system we’re racing to New Zealand.

I slept soundly with the crashing waves thundering away against Dazzler’s stout hull and when I said my prayers I thanked God for a glorious day without so much as a simple problem…err challenge as Dan refers to them. Before I knew it Dan was waking me for my normally scheduled watch. As I began to stir I asked him why I thought I heard the engine go on and off several times. He told me he’d tell me when I got up. That “Oh holy hell” feeling washed over me like the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka years ago but just then I remembered my pledge to try to keep a good, can-do attitude about these “challenges” so I crept out of the bunk and let Dan begin explaining the newest hurdle in our race to New Zealand.

It seems once again we have no water exiting Dazzler’s exhaust. Cue the music …. dodododo dodododo. “How can this be?” I calmly question. “I’m not sure.” He replies. “But I will figure it out and fix it. Don’t worry. I’ll fix it.” He goes on to tell me that we are sailing nicely and don’t need the engine right now so he’s going to get some sleep, have me then get some sleep and when the winds begin to die he will clear out the lazarette (almost as bad as emptying the quarter berth) and he will go down and fix it. With that he kisses me goodnight and retires to the bunk for some well earned rest.

I, in the meantime, gather my watch materials and snacks and head to the cockpit. After completing my instrument and sail checks I sit beneath the dodger where it’s out of the wind and a bit warmer. I gaze out to the ocean and as I do it dawns on me. I’ve absolutely zero emotional response to this news. I’m not mad, frustrated, frightened, sad….nothing. I’m completely devoid of all feeling whatsoever. I guess it could be called being at peace except for I just wasn’t feeling anything at all. It was odd to be sure but I kind of liked it!

I think I’ve finally resigned myself to the fact that there is nothing I can do about any of this. I certainly can’t diagnose and fix the problem. I believe in Dan and his ability to do so wholeheartedly so I just need to sit back and let Dan and God do what they need to do. The rest of my watch I hardly thought of the issue at all.

I wake Dan at 0400 for his watch and make him coffee as usual. We’re sailing along at close to seven knots and we have following seas which is making it a very nice and somewhat speedy ride. Once he’s clipped in on deck with his go juice I head to the bunk. I’m hoping to sleep well because I know he’s going to wake me in a few hours so we can tackle our newest challenge.

Several hours later I hear the Watch Commander alarm go off. The beeping goes on just a little longer than normal so I wait…it continues so I jump out of bed calling for Dan. As I race up the companionway stairs he’s nowhere in sight. My heart is driven into my throat like a shot from a pistol as I climb higher to get a look on deck. My head swings right then left. In the light purple haze of the dawn I finally see the dark outline that is Dan standing on the starboard deck holding onto some line as he’s tightly gripping the handrail on top of the dodger. Dazzler is healed over close to 30° as she’s slicing through the sea at top speed in the 20+ knot winds that are blasting our port quarter. There’s white water splashing up behind the dark figure and then the Watch Commander sounds its 130 decibel alarm. In the confusion I forgot to reset it.

As Dan steps into the cockpit I reset the alarm asking what is going on and why the hell he was on deck without me being up. He tells me the jib sheet got ripped right out of his hand and he had to go get it. He says he needs to walk it back around deck. I suggest that maybe we could wait until the winds die a bit and it gets a tad lighter out. He agrees as he tosses the line into the cockpit. Having been in a deep sleep before being rousted by the incessant beeping of the Watch Commander I was not dressed to be outside. It was cold and damp and I needed more clothes. I went below to curl up in our thick Sherpa blanket in the bunk for a few minutes to get warm before I got dressed.

This would probably be a good time to tell you that we have a hard and fast rule on Dazzler. No one, including the Captain, is to go on deck without making the other person aware that they are going there so they can keep watch. It’s a good safety rule and one that my dear Captain has been known to break. In an emergency such as the line taking off and him needing to get it I can understand and forgive him. That said, what happens next was not one of those times where I could just look the other way.

I’m in the bunk warming up and all of the sudden I hear an out of the ordinary sound above my head. I stop and listen a bit harder and realize it’s footsteps. “Are you freaking kidding me?” I gasp as I go back up the companionway. As I do I see the winds have jumped up to 24 knots. We’re screaming through the water as I look toward the bow and there is Dan on the port side restringing the sheet around the deck.

Remember that feeling of nothingness I had on watch? Well let’s just say all feeling has returned and the emotion that immediately rears its head is pure anger. “What in the hell are you doing on deck without telling me?” I scream above the wind and waves. “We have rules damnit!” You think the wrath of a woman scorned is bad…try a woman at the edge of her sanity on a boat hundreds of miles from shore as the love of her life is on deck breaking one of the most critical safety rules of all. It’s not a pretty sight and one that would strike fear in the hearts of the most macho of men.
Dan returns to the cockpit explaining that he yelled down to say he was going on deck. No! Just no! We have had this discussion many, many times before. If you don’t get an acknowledgement you must assume your message was not received and act accordingly. I’m furious and he knows it. He doesn’t say another word as he clips in and sits down. I storm down below to cool off a bit.

The thing is we never let an argument linger. It’s not worth it and we both know in the end we’re still going to love each other and be together when it’s over. I leave Dan to consider his actions for ten minutes or so then return to discuss what happened. Certainly he tries to defend himself but when I turn the situation around and put me out on deck he realizes that I am probably right and apologizes. I apologize for yelling and just like that everything is good between us again. Just as it should be.

Now we still have the issue of the exhaust to deal with but we’re sailing along at six to six and a half knots so we don’t want to slow down. No, we’ll wait until the winds start dying off and then tackle that. It looks like that will be later this afternoon so we go on about our normal routine.

Mother Nature provided us with some beautiful weather that allowed us a rather spirited sail today running as high as 7 knots with kind and somewhat mellow following seas. It certainly helped us to make up some lost time. Alas around 1700 the winds and seas started to settle down and we knew it was time to get working on the exhaust repair. Dan went on deck to drop the sails and I started praying this would be an easy fix.

With the sails down and the boat slowed to about a knot Dan cleared out the lazarette and went in to see what else had gone wrong. He ended up pulling out the exhaust lift silencer unit. We found a large crack in one of the elbows. Dan filed it down with the dremmel and we used the Minute Mend epoxy to repair it. I’m telling you this stuff is amazing! With this repair we used the last of it but will definitely be buying more in New Zealand.

After an hour and a half of floundering while he worked on the exhaust we were ready to fire the engine. It took several minutes but eventually we had water coming out of the exhaust! I’m sure we don’t need to tell you what a joyous moment that was for us. There was lots of shouting and a few high fives! Of course a few praise the Lords were in there as well. Within 2 hours we were up and running again.

What we hope for now is that the repairs last for at least three more days. We just made the turn near John’s Corner and are now headed toward NZ. Our hope is to arrive just ahead of the 25 knot blow that is expected on Saturday. Nothing like sliding in at the last possible moment.

As for this episode of the Twilight Zone let’s just hope the producers haven’t decided to make it a two parter. I don’t think these two battered old salts can endure much more. Dodododo Dodododo.

Until next time…
Jilly & Dan