News

June 5 or 6
I am a little confused here as I sailed over the International Dateline and I do not know if it is Saturday or Sunday at my position. All I know is my GPS reading says June 5 1740 hrs Greenwich Time.

Well, anyway here is my latest position

14-54 S
175-28 W
Cog 245
Sog 5.2 knots
Winds 14 knots

Still sailing with the headsail only.
It is starting to reach daybreak here and it looks like the squalls are gone for now. It is also much cooler. Hope for sun today as everything inside is damp. Need to dry things up.

Sat June 5 AM 2004
0400 hrs Greenwich Time Saturday June 5 2004
Sailed across the International Dateline without even knowing it.
Is this Godforsaken weather ever going to stop ?
Sailing on with a ligthning bolt hitting the top of the mast and IT shuddering under the blow. I have forgotten the meaning of fear for now.
No damage to my electrical equipment, thanks to my welding lead connected to the shroud with the other end trailing in the water.
2200hrs in Texas still Friday there.

Friday June 4, 2004
Everything still very wet and damp inside the cabin
No sun for the last couple of days.
The laptop stopped working and I ran the main engine for half an hour in neutral to heat up the engine room.
Have since left the laptop upside down on top of the warm engine for six hours and it is working now again.
I tried then to send my log just to find out that I had been cut of by Iridium, the satphone company.
I sent a tex message to Bev, hoping it would get through to her. It did and she got things working again.
A blessed woman, she is !

Position at 1500 hrs
14-37 S
174-22 W
Cog 280
Sog 4.5 knots
Wind 12 knots

Still have only the headsail up, this time it is poled out with the spinnaker pole.
Squalls still thrashing us
Radar useless in the squalls
Weatherfax working, but print unreadable, possibly still too far from a station.

Friday June 4, 2004
Hi Everyone, this is Bev
I received this log from Charl this afternoon - if you read it quickly, you can make it out. Bad weather once again!

Fri


KGot th5e compyuter workginkg akgain for now
Will h5ave to drpy it more in th5e enkgine room
All th5e wet weath5er is th5e cause
Will sendth5is and trpy ahkgain later if it is workginkg better

Friday am June 4, 2004
COMPUTER DOWN
POSITION - 14:40S 173:45W

Thursday noon June 3, 2004
Noon to noon run on a rhumb line - 120 n.miles
Position at noon
15 S
172-36 W

Still sailing with only the headsail as squalls are tingstill hit us from behind.

Thursday June 3, 2004
Position at 0600 hrs
15-06 S
172-08 W
Cog 275
Sog 4.3 knots
Wind 10 knots

Still sailing with the headsail only. Winds down. Seas still rough. Will get main up soon as the seas settle down.
I am well south of the Islands now. Will try to stay on 15 S heading west. Did some work on Willie. He is holding out!

Wednesday pm June 2, 2004
To everybody who sent e-mails and signed my guestbook, a big thank you.I will try to reply asap to everybody who sent me e-mails but at present I am battling squall after squall in heavy seas with just the headsail up. IT is screaming along at 6 to 7 knots on a beam reach, bearing 220 degrees. As I want to get going to 270 degrees I just have to ride with this weather system for now as it is more comfortable and I have my hands full with a jury rigged wind pilot.
Position at 1500 hrs
14-39 S
170-56 W
Cog 220
Sog 7 knots
Wind 27 knots

Tuesday June 1 and Wednesday June 2, 2004
At 0800 hrs I went to the immigration office to clear out. Got my passport stamped then it was off to the harbor master to pay the necessary fees. Mr Chris King then told me that I did not have to pay as the president of the Lions Club International had taken care of it. Thank you Mr Terry Hunkin. Then off back to IT where I prepared the package for Bev. It contains video footage tapes, cameras of pics taken of the island and newspaper clips. Took it to the post office and mailed it. Then off to customs and paid my fees and got the exit clearance. Back to IT where Duncan and Anita came to see me as it was lunch time. The wind had picked up and was fairly strong and IT was rocking heavily. I checked all the dock lines and happy that they were OK I went back to town to get last minute stuff. Got back to find Karyn and Cliff fighting with the docklines, trying to save IT. One line had chafed through and IT went crashing backwards against Odyssey. We quickly got IT back to a safe distance and tied up again. Surveying the damage, I had my hands in my hair. Willie the wind pilot was chewed up and Odyssey's bowsprit was very badly busted. I then tackled Willie to see if he could still function. Using stainless wire I got it back in working condition, but will need parts soon. I felt very sorry for Karyn and Cliff and I could not fix their bowsprit.
I was angry and disappointed at the same time and wanted to leave, damaged Willie or not.
With the help of Frank McCann I got to the fuel depot just to be turned away as it was too late. Went back to Odyssey and waited a while for Wolf and Barbara to leave, then took their spot rafted onto Odyssey. Nothing I could do, but wait for morning. I wanted so desparately to leave and can you believe, someone broke into my boat again, stole my flashlight just to use it to break into Wolf and Barbara's Chinta 2. Wolf tried to get the person, but he fled. Found my flashlight in Wolf's boat.
Spent the evening with Karyn and Cliff then went to sleep locking the boat up well. Thank you again for all you help, Cliff and Karyn. Richard and Anathank you again for letting me use your extension cord and Diane and Frank McCann for letting me use your shore power outlet so I could have a light on in the cockpit. Thank you Diane and Frank. Diane kept me updated about what she was hearing on the radio about my crisis as well as Bev's message to the Samoan people which was announced over the local radio station.
Got up early this morning and did some more work on Willie. Said my byes to Karyn and Cliff and went to the fuel dock and with Frank's help tied IT to the wharf. Had to wait a while for the fuel truck and then it took me more than an hour to pump 76 gallons of diesel as the nozzle was too big.
Paid for the diesel and off I went with 25 knots of wind howling down in the harbor. Motored out to the green marker and set the headsail up and on a close reach sailed for 4 hrs, bearing 200 degrees. A squall and heavy seas welcomed me at the exit of the harbor but gritting on my teeth I challenged it and got through. Have since plotted my position and I am well south to take new bearing west. Hit 2 more squalls with land in sight, we are on a leeway, I must admit that I was very scared. The barometer is still falling and I can't believe that I chose this time to sail away, but I have had it without protection in Pago Pago harbor.
So far Willie the windpilot is behaving well with the stainless wire holding the gear lever.

Monday May 31, 2004
Spent the morning up the mast checking every nook. Did some repairs to the starboard spreader. I am ready to go, just have to get exit clearance from the harbor master, check out customs and immigration and top up my tanks with diesel.
Duncan, Anita and their friend Michael came to pick me up and we drove to the other side of the island.
On the way we stopped and Anita bought some flowers as it was Memorial day and she went to put them on her Grandmother's grave. We then drove on to Duncan's place where their other friend, Bird, joined us.
With surf boards and bodyboards we set off to their surf spot. We had to swim and paddle a long loop to get behind the reef. Then the action started as the tide was coming in. You wait longer here for the waves and we caught some nice ones, I was wiped out 3 times!! Here you can only surf a short distance and then you have to break away as the reef comes up fast. The water was lovely, warm and crystal clear.
They then took me back and Duncan made some Kava, a traditional drink here in Samoa. Tasted bitter.
We then said our byes and I thanked them dearly for showing me the true beauty of the island.
Ana, Richard, teenagers Lisa and Diane(liveaboarders with mom and dad) and myself sat on the wharf. While they sang songs, I was taking last minute pictures and video footage.
Locked the boat from the outside, climbed in at the front hatch, locking it too - went to sleep.

Sunday May 30, 2004
Spent most of the time in the morning organizing the inside of IT as I am getting ready to set sail again.
Duncan (from Florida on a 2 year job contract here) and Anita whom I met Friday came over in their jeep (they presented me with a "ie lavalava", a traditional skirt the Samoan men wear here) and took me for a ride around the island. We stopped at the world famous Tisa's Barefoot Bar and had some R and R . It is a beautiful spot and I took some pics and video footage. Tiss and Candymann (Spelling?), the owners heard about me and presented me with a nice T-shirt, card and a donation. Thank you guys !!!
Duncan and Anita took me up the mountain where I could see both sides of the ocean, it was really a breathtaking scene. Thank you Duncan and Anita !
Eric and Ann got ready to leave and we said our byes and off Temerarius went on to Apia, Western Samoa.
Wolf Muller-Fabian and Barbara Miroslaw onboard CHINTA 2 then took Temerarius' old spot rafted onto Odyssey. They are from Berlin, Germany and just got in after a grand voyage in the Pacific.
Woke up this morning with car lights streaming on IT, to find out it was the police and you won't believe it but somebody got inside CHINTA 2 while they were sleeping. Wolf woke up but the person fled, thank goodness nothing valuable taken. A similar thing happened onboard Temerarius where a lot of cash was taken, also while Eric and Ann were sleeping. Poor Barbara is really freaked out now and wants to leave ASAP. As today is Memorial day and everything is closed, we have to wait until tomorrow to get exit and immigration clearance. Will try to leave tomorrow.

A big thank you again to everybody who was so supportive during my setback here.
Bless you all.

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