News

Saturday Morning May 22, 2004
Got into Pago Pago late. Tied up alongside fishing marina. A lot of guys partying and I asked them if it was OK if I docked there for the night only.

No problema they said !

Locked myself up inside the boat.

Woke up this morning to find my bottom washboards were missing. Somehow they pried open the washboards and while I was asleep ransacked the inside of IT.

Camcorder, laptop, 7 cameras (full), all my emergency flares etc were stolen. My life raft was ripped out, ditch bag contents were strewn over the place. Stole everything under my nose while asleep. Food was taken. I am still making a list of things missing. Have since reported this to the police and they came over and are working on it now.

Have since walked over to the other yachties and made friends (that later) and they helped me get IT over to where they are rafted up and got moored close to them. Now I have ears around me. All very nice people from all over the globe and also sympathetic about what happened to me. I am not the only one. They got broken into also. The best way is to stick together, rafted up against each other's boats.

Will get to customs on Monday. Will check my e-mail every now and then from this internet cafe.

Still have my wallet, passport and thank heavens, my sat phone.
Love you.
Charl

Friday VERY LATE May 21, 2004
Got safely into Pago Pago harbor at 2130 hrs.
Docked onto a shrimp floating marina for now, too tired to care.
Will wait until daylight to check where I have to go.
No wind and the heat is terrible.
Took a cold shower in the head to cool off.
Ready to crash.
Will follow up as soon as things are settled.

Friday PM PM May 21, 2004
1600hrs
I have the island "Tutuila" in sight. "Tutuila " harbors Pago Pago the main harbor.
25 more miles to go.
ETA 2200 hrs our time.
The fifth sail is running now.

Friday PM May 21, 2004
Noon to noon run-135 n miles
This morning after my last log, the wind .......died ....
It has been picking up a little bit
New ETA around 2100 hrs tonight
Rats, now I have to sit at anchor in the harbor until Monday morning to be cleared by customs.
Hope my anchor holds.

Friday Morning May 21, 2004
Been up most of the night, catnapping now and then. Plotting occasionally to see if we are on the right track. Still sailing with the spinnaker tied down in a weird position, so far it has not given me any problems. The wind has since subsided and it looks like we will have a late afternoon ETA.
Position at 0630
14-25 S
169-21 W
Cog 250
Sog 4.5 knots
Wind 6 knots
Wind from the ENE

It is still dark but I can see the Island, Tau, it's dark shadow looming on the horizon. It raises almost 1000 meters.

Thursday Morning May 20, 2004
Wind picked up late afternoon. With main double reefed for the night and the headsail poled out, we sailed all night on a run. Very smooth sailing, speed from 4 to 5 knots.
Position at 0600
14-08 S
167-05 W
Cog 270
Sog 5 kt
Wind 10 kt
Wind from the East

Wednesday pm May 19, 2004
Sailed for two hours this morning and the wind died. Two big squalls passed in the distance. No wind. Have been drifting the past 8 hrs. Hopefully the wind will pick up late afternoon. I am so close, yet so far.
Noon to noon run despite my four hour lie a hull was 120 n miles.
Total distance the past 8 hours was 20 n miles.
Sun is starting to show its face again.

Wednesday Morning May 19, 2004
A very difficult night of sailing. The wind shifted constantly and sometimes increased to 30 knots with no squall or storm in sight. It was either sailing straight south or straight north, so I lay a hull for most of the night. This morning the wind is lightly from the NNE and I set the sails and we are sailing on a beam reach, starboard tack bearing 265.

Position
14-16 S
165-35 W
Cog 265
Sog 5 knots
Winds 9 knots
Wind from NNE

Tuesday pm May 18, 2004
Noon to noon run-105 nm
Barometer started to drop. Wind increased. Furled up headsail all the way. Winds at 30 knots.
With staysail and double reefed main IT is screaming along at 7.5 knots on a beam reach, port tack, bearing 250 degrees.
So, this is the Pacific ??!!
The weather really can damper your spirits. Yesterday I was looking forward to having my first glimpse of a Pacific Atoll just to have the weather ruin all of it.
There is one more atoll on the way but it is a wildlife refuge and you need permission to enter it first. (Rose atoll,14-33 S 168-09 W )
333 miles to Pago Pago harbor.

Tuesday May 18, 2004
Have had too much trouble with all these squalls. As we were approaching the Suwarrow atoll, a line of squalls hit us constantly from behind, blanking our vision in front. My radar is useless in this weather and I had no choice but to run south away from the atoll. To make matters worse a heavy thunderstorm with lightning and heavy downpours followed the squalls. I had to navigate with my GPS and it was very tiring and stressful as we were very close to the atoll. After midnight, I plotted again and saw we are safe and set course for Samoa. All the time the rain came down in torrents. I had double reefed the main sail, the headsail was furled up and the staysail up and running. Making 7.2 knots.
This morning the cabin was a shambles as everything was wet. The rainwater leaks through the port side headsail tracks. We were drifting towards the east, no wind at all! My laptop was soaked and a lot of books too. Had to throw away the book covers. The laptop was giving me problems but after running the main engine for a while I put the laptop inside the engine compartment to dry. It is working again now .
It is almost noon now and the wind has increased slightly. I have unfurled the headsail and we are sailing again.
Position at noon
13-33 S
163-48 W
Cog 250
Sog 6 knots
Wind 15 knts
Wind from the South

Tuesday May 18, 2004
The day of more squalls
POs
13-33
163-44
Everything is wet laptop toooooooooooo

Monday pm May 17, 2004
Still sailing on a broad reach. Headsail is reefed. Full main.
Noon to noon run -145 nm
Weather stormy, two squalls passed me close by. One is behind me now, creeping up.
Still 30 nm to the atoll.My timing does not look good. I was hoping for fair weather. ETA is early evening and without charts, I think I will just pass it. No way to lie a hull or hove to overnight so close to shore and those reefs.

Monday Morning May 17, 2004
Sailed all day with spinnaker. Late afternoon the wind increased to 12 knots and IT's speed was at 7.2, her hull speed. Hand steered most of the time as the spinnaker needs constant attention. As the sun went down, I got the spinnaker down too, just to lose it in the water again! After a lot of grunting got it all back in the cockpit, unfurled the little genoa and set sail on a broad reach, port tack.
This morning we are still sailing, but the wind has increased and we are galloping along at 7 knots, still on a broad reach.

Position at 0730 hrs
13-16 S
161-46 W
Cog 260
Sog 7 knots
Wind 15 knots
Wind from SE

Sunday May 16, 2004
This morning I took out the spinnaker and let it fly. A lot of work just to get one knot increase in speed.
First had to get the pole ready, hook the uphaul and downhaul, run the sheets from the cockpit, snap them on to the tack and clew, the lazy sheet too. Then I had to hook up the main halyard, lift the pole, and finally haul up the spinnaker.
Wind change, no helmsman, spinnaker wraps around the shrouds or midstay or roller furling, cursing, let go main halyard, untangle all the mess. Run back to cockpit, adjust course, run up front, haul up spinnaker, cleat main halyard, run back to cockpit, adjust sheets, set course, set windvane. Sit down, admire my work, sweating, pour one gallon of water over head to cool off, wish for an ice cold beer, it does not happen, speed up one knot .Yeah !!
Noon to noon run -115 nm

Sunday Morning May 16, 2004
Another smooth sailing day and night.
Closing on Suwarrow Atoll, the only atoll between us and Samoa. Will stop and check it out.I have never seen one in real life. Might be interesting.
Position at 0630 hrs
13-10 S
159-25 W
Cog 260
Sog 5 knots
Wind 8 knots
Wind from the East

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