tomorrow we leave for Huahine

As we enter our fifth day at the same anchorage, it is time to move on. Today Tuesday we sailed to Papeete. Bucking the light winds and confusing seas….it took us 5 hours to go nine miles. Papeete appears to be a major metropolis. And it is. We stern tied to the downtown Quay under the watchful eye of our very own security guard. Wennt shopping and found some cool stuff. Tomorrow we leave for Huahine.

Today Wednesday we enjoyed fresh tuna for lulnch. 1 kilo for about 6 bucks USD in the open air market. Grilled veggies and salad plus garlic bread and more tuna on the menu tonight.

more about moorea

no chip reader to be found.

thanks dude. A little consideration could have gone a long way here. no fotos. will add later.

This is an idyllic location. This is the type of anchorage that makes all the hassle worthwhile. This is what we came for.

We rented a car for the day to go around the island. Ford Escort four speed with air. $136USD. A casual observation notes three basic visitor types to Moorea. First are the honeymooners from the US. The go by us every 3 or four hours by the boatload on the way to the “lagoonarium”. Lagoonarium is a caged in section of the reef that provides a very safe stand on the bottom and snorkel experience. The newlyweds love it.
Second group are the oldsters who waited until they could afford it. Barely able to stand or see. They amble around like cute old geese in Bermuda shorts. The oldsters really waited to long. Now their health limits their experiences.
The last group is yachties/cruisers. They are much more rare than the first two groups…but easy to spot. Quite a few of the cruising boats are French. They are usually spotted at the grocery strore. Sporting raggedy T shirts and flip flops, it is obvious they are not hotel guests.

around Moorea

Cooks Bay on the island of Moorea is a beautiful bay surrounded by towering green mountains. It is also surrounded by the islands only road. And at dusk the cars roar by. Sheesh, I coulda stayed home and listened to traffic. After about 10:00 pm the traffic died and it was peaceful, albeit hot and sticky.


Up at the break of dawn…thanks to the stupid local roosters who started crowing at moonrise. We decided to continue around Moorea in a counterclockwise direction.

At the next bay (name here) we were dismayed to see a large cruise ship in port. Figuring that would mean more crowds, we continued on. The kite boarders at the northeast area were really interesting and colorful. Past the Club Med, we headed south down the west coast. We were scouting for and inlet to get inside the reef. As we were new to the area, we were hesitant to head in to a poorly marked pass.

We eventually found a well marked pass on the southeast side. As we sailed thru the pass and over the bar, it was pretty exciting. The towering (3600 ft) green clad spires caused the sun to disappear very quickly. With just a bit of daylight left, we sailed north, behind the reef up to (town name). Just past the island made famous by the “survivor” TV series. Dropped anchor in the clear blue water and settled in. No traffic, no city lights, nothing but the sound of the waves breaking outside the reef. Best sleep in years.

out to Moorea

Devon met us at the airport after walking over from the boat landing area at Marina Taina. The flight was late and by the time we cleared customs, it was nearly 11:00 local time.
Quick taxi to the marina and a short dingy ride out to the boat. Under a bright starlit sky, we motored past a few mega yachts and really nice boats.

Daybreak was calm. Devon and Dustin did some grocery shopping and we headed out to Moorea. The nine mile sail was quick and we were at the islands north end when we spotted a flock of birds circling. As we drew closer, we could see the actions aboard a small local fishing boat as he attempted to fish directly under the birds. Apparently, the birds fly over the schools of fish.

As we sailed along, we threw a large shadow on the water. The fish took refuge in the shadow as birds dove all around. We deciced to try and fish too. As we brought the boat around, Dusty grabbed the gear. Unfortunately, the sail grabbed a vital part of the windsurfer at the same time. In an instant, the part flew overboard and sank. Bummer. The mood went from joy of finding fish to the bummer of losing the damn windsurfer booms. We reeled in our line and sailed to Cooks Bay.

where are the photos?

after 8 days in Tahiti and Moorea, we have lotsa photos to share. The photo chip reader however....... is not aboard. Apparerently it belonged to a prior crew member. So when we figure out how to download from the camera directly, we will provide pix. Maybe check out how much a chip reader costs when we go to the market in Papeete in a few minutes. We have internet from the boat again.

Anybody feeding the cat on Cherry Street? LOL

bye

made it

So if you ever get the chance to fly Air Tahiti Nui....do it. The level of service, even in economy, is unsurpassed. Devon and Dusty have gone to town to buy groceries. Head out to Moorea later today. Currently at anchor about 5 miles south of Papeete behind a cool little reef. Debbie holds the directional antennae as the boat swings. gotta go.

fotos are coming!

Yes...it is very humid.

Needed days off..........Debbie and Britt join the boat

This moving a boat around the world is hard work. 12 hours a day, 7 days week....three weeks at a stretch. Time has come for some relaxing. The boat has not checked in for 3 days.

Blaze is at anchor at Marina Taina about 5 kilometers south of Papeete.

Next up.....Debbie and Britt fly in on Tuesday.

Wednesday is provisioning day.

Thursday we head to Moorea....in the picture above.

Society Islands will be the cruising grounds for the next three weeks.

yippeee!

\

http://www.tahiti-islands.com/society-islands.html

Made it to Tahiti...............a very long sail

After 26 days at sea.Blaze pulled into Papeete yesterday about 00:00 utc.

The boat was met by the ships agent, Laurent, who assisted in getting a slip at Marina.

They will rest a few days and then get started on fixiung systems that are broken or not operating fully.

First up is the fuel system. Starboard tank has a leak.

We will fix it in NZ. Plan to add fuel barrels on deck for the crossing to Auckland next month.

The refridgeration system is slowly dying. Devon and Dusty are gonna work it again and see if they can get it below zero degrees centigrade. Righ now reefer wont freeze ....but it does stay cold.

The boat is covered in dried salt spray. Washdown time.

and remember....don't stay at the dock too long!

a letter from Britt to the boat.....
(in case you have ever wondered what level of direction they get).
_____________________________
Hi Guys;

Papeete should be in sight!

Let's see.....well the Hobie Cat was sold to AL Munson today. We agreed on $x,xxx.
Not bad for a six yr old boat we paid $xx,xxx for.
Oh well. I think we had $x,xx worth of fun...do you.?

He picks it up tomorrow.
We'll put your jeep under the tent cover now.

The money is for a reefer compressor, etc.
OK up next
refrigeration.
What model
any words that are recognizable at all.?
Whats size is it.? How tall is it?
What is the best solution to the problem?

fish gear
we dressed in cammo and ball caps to go to Bass Pro Shops in Henderson. Yee haw dude.
They closed at 7:000 we got there at 6:30...so all we really had time to do was look for correctly sized offshore gear. Damn those lures are pricey. Make your own outta those beer kegs when we are done with em. LOL

Enjoy Papeete.
I know it has been tough to get there.

The agent has been prepaid and should take care of most everything. DO NOT authorize any extra charges with him unless I approve.
He has reserved a slip for you. Make sure it has fresh water that you can use....before you accept it. Try and limit your dock time as much as possible. Lock up tight when anchored out and away from boat.....at least in Papeete area.

Check in while wearing nice clothes. really. Get yourselves rested. Buy some ice cream. get a cold beer.
Get the boat rinsed off. Figure out your fuel situation.
But please......get away from the dock asap.

I really need the reefer info. today if possible.

call my cell using sat fone when you arrive....near the breakwater

Love ya....Dad

fish on and off ....twice!

A report finally///////////////

The wind is light and so are the seas. two days ago...the total mileage was 2 nautical miles (tw0). Today was a bit better with about 28 NM logged in 24 hrs.

Devon writes in his most recent long winded email...........................

Hi

S 17 37.645 152 00.970 hd 63 wind 7 wave 0

We cleaned bottom and speared 80 lbs mahi mahi. Broke the spear and dropped the fish during transfer to boat.

Last night caught 80 lbs yellow fin lost during gaffing!

fishing supplies needed

5) 6 in trolling flashers Twinkie shape offset nose and tail

1 )spool 100 lbs monofilament leader

6) buck tail jigs med. size 4 in. total length

1) planning downrigger weight\foil

any thing else that looks good

Love Devon

-----------------

Heh Devon:

hows that canned tuna and spam tasting?

hopefully you will get some tonight. 7 knots moves the boat enough to troll.

good luck.

for cool time zone info go to

http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?UTC/s/0/java

Getting closer...and the 420,000 waves theory

The line represents the PROJECTED track of the boat.

Communication from the boat has been limited to one line emails.

Last night we received this long communication:

"S 16 05.880 W152 41.130 hd 160 wind 14 wave 4 see you soon love Devon"

So there isn't much to post. I guess 12 hours of watch per day ....and working on systems probably wears on the body. The seas appear to have dropped down to 4-5 feet and the winds are "one the nose" for this last beat to Papeete.

Dustin and Devon have endured nearly 420,000 waves since leaving Port Townsend.

24 hr a day, 42 days, avg 8.5 second interval. Equals 7 waves per minute ...420 per hour....1000 hrs at sea = 420,000 waves.......Average height if calculated from Devons nightly reports is about 8 feet. So up and down a wave is 16 feet +/-. Times the 420,000 waves yields 6,720,000 feet of vertical movement. Divided by 6000 feet in nautical mile....is 1,120 nautical miles of just up and down motion!. Total distance covered is about 4500 NM.

position report 02:00 utc Sat Sept 15

S 7 45.596 W 155 17.340 hd 142 wind18 wave 8-Devon

leaves about 675 nauti

cal miles to Papeete

Across the equator!

On Tuesday night, Blaze hit a major cruising waypoint.....the equator!

The crossing itself was uneventful, but significant. Most important is the fact they are now south of the "equatorial tropical convegence zone" . This is the "doldrums" we all dread. So that is behind us. That attached weather chart from Univ of Hawaii indicates 15 - 20 knots from the port bow as they head to Papeete. Waves are reported at 8-10 feet at 8.5 second intervals. Devon reports waves are "steep and square".

In front of Blaze lies about 1000 more miles of open ocen to French Polynesia. We expect landfall in Papeete on Thursday 9/20. Arrangements have been made for a ships agent to check the boat in. Hiring an agent is a little pricey (450 USD) but all of the problems can be mitigated by a native. Since Devon or Dustin do not speak French (and about 5 other reasons)...it seems prudent to get some local help.

The only problems of late is the refridgeration system. Apparently the 120VAC drive compressor is overloading. The redundant mechanical compressor cant work in the equatorial heat as it is too close to the main motor to be effective. So Devon and Dustin worked all day Wednesday to tear down and rebuild the 120VAC side. Imagine working in cramped quarters while sailing along in 8-10 foot seas. Now imagine doing it on your "off watch" after only four hours of sleep. The fact that the reefer runs again is a testament to the resilience and perseverance of the crew. Thanks guys.

Near the equator!

last email at 02:00 utc

N 0 20.750 W 155 39.400 hd 150 wind 16 wave 10 steep waves

love devon

=========

dont give ya much to write about.

The boat should cross the equator about midnight tonight.\ (pacific daylight time Monday}

The official time will be about 06:00 utc on Sept 11, 2007.

It will be a MOONLESS night.. Dead dark....except forthe stars....what a time to cross the equator!.

Seafaring custom says that the first time you cross the equator, your get you head shaved.

I dont think Devon has cut his hair since....but I imagine Dusty will be sporting a new"do".

by tomorrow morning.

a

wet storm on the way.

boat is at 4 14.471 N, 155 35.89o W (end of white line on globe picture)

IR image shows BIG wet storm coming.

Wind barbs chart from Univ of Hawaii shows moderate winds.

Email is still down annd not expected to be up unitl Tuesday.

Big (9-10foot) pounding waves last night.

Still beats working!

making the miles

146 nautical miles in 24 hrs

Back in the wind

yesssss!

Email on the boat is down.

So if you're expecting an email from the ocens.net account....

you'll have to wait until Tuesday of next week. Sorry..

Devon checks in...going rather slow

The winds have slowed and the boat is in the ITCZ (inter tropical convergence zone) this area is also known as "the doldrums". Earlier in the week the boat had NO wind for almost 24 hours.

To complicate matters, the sea was from 2 directions and rolled the boat from gunwale to gunwale all night. Kinda like sleeping on a bad roller coaster. To mke it even worse....the main motor and generator wouldn't fire due to clogged fuel lines (clogged inside the tanks).

Devon and Dustin rigged up the dive hookas air compressor, and blew air thru the line to clear it. But it took quite a while to bleed down both motors in the rocking seaway (8-10ft waves).

The wind has filled and they are continuing south toward Papeete. Only 1500 nautical miles to go!

Here are the last two emails from Devon and Dustin

sent Wed nite (Thursday 02:00 UTC)\

N 8 23.477 W 155 23.960 hd 210 wind S15 wave 10caught a 33lbs blue fin at sun set last night good dinner lots of jerky 2 big squalls today . Devon

and sent Thursday nite (Friday 02:00 UTC)

N 7 33.907 W 155 43.944 hd 160 wind 11 wave 6no error code on the gps it just shuts off yes it reads where we are at for about 2 min the off yes all other gps still workfuel filters Napa #2130 we are ok on racor filters

Devon

156 Nautical miles in 24 hrs!

Here is Devons email

N 15 43.126 W 156 21.703 Hd 175 wind 18 wave 5
2nd reef in mainsail, storm jib and partial headsail unfurled.
7-8-9s nonstop(kts). No fish today.

-Devon

Weather looks good for next 3 days.

Here is another excellent weather link.
Specifically for "sailors and adventureres"
Cool animation

http://www.passageweather.com/

fish on! again

N 18 22.367 W 156 03.809 hd180 wind 22 wave5

Just caught 2 mahi.

We have 2nd reef in mainsail with reef storm jib

_ Devon

Cast off for Papeete!

At about 0100 UTC (3:00 pm Hawaii time) Thursday 08/30/07 the Rocna anchor http://www.rocna.com/home.php?region=global was hauled aboard. What a great piece of equipment.!The sails were raised and the boat headed south. The boat is working upwind as the trades bend around the island. The boat should settle on to a long port tack beat later on Friday.

They have decided to sail with just the two of them. Watches are 4 hours on, 4 hours off......for now. It's gonna be a LONG sail.

About 2250 nautical miles away is the Island of Tahiti in French Polynesia. Estimated time to arrive is 24 days. Thats a large ocean out there. The biggest danger in the next month is typhoons and storms.

The easiest place to track Pacific typhoons and hurricanes is here http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/tafb_latest/danger_pac_latestBW.gif

Remember, "the time a man spends sailing is not deducted from his lifespan." - Unkn.