tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70367133410342761732024-03-07T03:03:45.405+07:00S.V.TAIPANDavid Frost and Kris Adams left Perth Western Australia in July 2004 aboard Taipan, a 50 foot, GRP, cutter rigged. Kaufman designed yacht. This is our story.Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-23892258651706495882023-01-06T04:07:00.001+07:002024-02-13T05:53:16.573+07:00MAPS AND PHOTOS<div style="text-align: center;">
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-30770514114322598642023-01-05T11:06:00.000+07:002023-01-06T11:13:48.461+07:00LOOKING BACK GOING FORWARD 18th Feb 2022 <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIUgjGJIs0DahzpNXEgRofE6FjuyCAWiYmQwN4uXdy_sJCUU61EYJHji1TV0gzxRuSOfZyeIhywRg2yj49exeTqh5UZUliCfcgz0nel9ZqX3lilDErFFMCQPS9aHpD0y301sdvllk_cWfXUE0OFinUSvdv0uEtHoGII3ySIdpeegrp87XgIEVxyk/s1053/Brisbane%20to%20Albany.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="1053" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIUgjGJIs0DahzpNXEgRofE6FjuyCAWiYmQwN4uXdy_sJCUU61EYJHji1TV0gzxRuSOfZyeIhywRg2yj49exeTqh5UZUliCfcgz0nel9ZqX3lilDErFFMCQPS9aHpD0y301sdvllk_cWfXUE0OFinUSvdv0uEtHoGII3ySIdpeegrp87XgIEVxyk/w640-h334/Brisbane%20to%20Albany.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I know this post is long overdue!. We've had a very busy year and I will endeavour to bring everyone up to date over the next few weeks. Going right back a whole year to catch up so here's the first instalment.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On the 7th of December 2022, we departed Boatworks bound for WA. 2500nm The Queensland borders were due to open to the rest of Australia and Omicron outbreaks were inevitable. Passing up the opportunity to cruise Morton Bay we instead elected to head on south, directly to Tasmania. Tasmania was still Covid free and Tasmanians were still welcome in Fortress WA. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The trip downriver to the Seaway at Southport, where we had decided to Anchor for the night, was without incident and the boat was skimming along smoothly and quietly under motor. After the Gearbox rework this was encouraging. Electing to carry on instead of anchor, we left the Seaway on dusk and headed south expecting to forge on directly to Tasmania. 1500nm. The seas got rougher the further south we went and with it the engine noise increased to a point we knew we had a problem. There was a serious knock coming from somewhere. Not the gearbox but we suspected one or more engine mounts were broken. At Port Stevens, 325nm south, we went in for further inspection.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB76IxzgEmWudQ-3dBcOQlqAMmCTGmllpei4yhLgLZ1S4zypfE-ZAfMQNKjCGt_U7a3crZU07c2JSLdi8v_2lDQYBarTFcon0NLOuqQi8XsPshNJa5K9joXXJrgzdNeYV-0xoPrxC7yBtQ9utVmtS-h93O5ql5LjAfQsqTBi3OdaLwrkRoPuLlm-g/s2048/full%20sail.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB76IxzgEmWudQ-3dBcOQlqAMmCTGmllpei4yhLgLZ1S4zypfE-ZAfMQNKjCGt_U7a3crZU07c2JSLdi8v_2lDQYBarTFcon0NLOuqQi8XsPshNJa5K9joXXJrgzdNeYV-0xoPrxC7yBtQ9utVmtS-h93O5ql5LjAfQsqTBi3OdaLwrkRoPuLlm-g/w480-h640/full%20sail.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Some nice sailing.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Dave and Pattie Bowden, cruising friends from back in 2002, live in Port Stevens and they spotted us from their balcony, phoned to offer advice re anchorages and to arrange a catch-up. We had established that the exact 4 engine mounts we needed were in stock in Newcastle about an hour's drive south. Dave immediately insisted on driving down to pick them up, so within no time we had moved into Soldiers Point Marina, with new engine mounts aboard, and with no idea how to go about fitting same!!. All the mechanics were.. "flat out until mid March at least" So armed with spanners and a lot of patience David carefully measured the mount placements and numbers of threads showing etc and then one by one using a small hydraulic jack, he undid and raised the engine off each mount enough to slide out the old one and slide in the new one, tightening each one just so.... each time. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D_tq4MN6Eca5ae4uTWKlqGWh_5KOwv6dB-_eC-VVGsB2O3MdFh4FySZre5cdh2JGFq18Kld3Py3FDDyrRGT9hLz5304BIUqIvji_iwUXaF155PcNxRf_rh4Q7DXh1KCRoWplB--llKGTve9pEI-eSYq0b-cGgIO1SQf_cMSWxc-bn_dfEz9HqOE/s3560/IMG_8077.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3560" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5D_tq4MN6Eca5ae4uTWKlqGWh_5KOwv6dB-_eC-VVGsB2O3MdFh4FySZre5cdh2JGFq18Kld3Py3FDDyrRGT9hLz5304BIUqIvji_iwUXaF155PcNxRf_rh4Q7DXh1KCRoWplB--llKGTve9pEI-eSYq0b-cGgIO1SQf_cMSWxc-bn_dfEz9HqOE/w640-h544/IMG_8077.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful Sculptures dockside at Soldiers Point Marina</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There were lots of bits of the engine to be removed including, at the last, the alternator and heavy mounting and big Jabsco damage control pump. It took 5 long weary dirty days to complete the work and Dave and Patty fed us and fettered us on several occasions as well as providing much largesse from their amazing vegetable gardens. We were in Port Stevens for 10 days and pleasant as it was, we needed to get moving. Tasmania was due to open its borders and that would mean WA closing the gate on Tasmania and anyone who was coming in from there.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">WA had announced it would open the borders on the 5th of February but we had serious doubts based on the rapid spread of Omicron which was now occurring. On the 19th we set sail south again with the noises all gone. There was some pretty serious weather off Sydney and Pittwater but even in the roughest conditions, the engine was still purring away quietly. Port Hacking provided shelter for a night during a strong southerly wind shift and the next day we were able to continue to Eden to await weather for the Bass Strait crossing.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Unable to go ashore for fear of compromising our entry into Tasmania, we stayed aboard and were able to continue on south on the 23rd, 222nm, arriving at Lady Baron Flinders Island on the 24th of December. Looks like Xmas alone in Flinders Island while we try to negotiate the G2G pass bullshit. These passes are issued electronically and are only valid for 24 hours. Einstein!! you can't sail from Eden to Tasmania in a small boat in 24 hours. So eventually we negotiated permission to enter. God it's worse than all the international borders we've negotiated in the past 18 years!!!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD372PWs6mgLYyTJA_ZRm3TheJk7e-zVEU4qJ7LokmW5qCjhnjRprRjIH2nKjfP-gpz2iqzoopa_rCfSSUD86QbijAe2xe8dW6H7u4StLnbK32ZE3MHNe5Q7u5BvTxbxwpVeIGoSRFaIUFs8BRGWQ3L9F0usXZ1ZVndT-qHei4e6Mk-UY_TCjnhE/s1247/IMG_8107.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="926" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD372PWs6mgLYyTJA_ZRm3TheJk7e-zVEU4qJ7LokmW5qCjhnjRprRjIH2nKjfP-gpz2iqzoopa_rCfSSUD86QbijAe2xe8dW6H7u4StLnbK32ZE3MHNe5Q7u5BvTxbxwpVeIGoSRFaIUFs8BRGWQ3L9F0usXZ1ZVndT-qHei4e6Mk-UY_TCjnhE/w476-h640/IMG_8107.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xmas 2022 at Lady Baron Flinders Island</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIF4Jmz8m-nDRDy-rCeWj83i0Yr5pstenSvJHxtM8qzmPiY3Up9qOenZ9nwA97htiZBKK_Qk5FAphX8NadC9Wc4dNW59CwJJrUMAvyoDHdkop6QSwqHAq5YHIhNwwT-GqjT20Itj1ZtxQZfgqnKfWXJDzHuyNoNBlPEhIZj-UsxvDd8owq3Ycqoo/s2048/267828301_10224183152739260_2934702505701771743_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIF4Jmz8m-nDRDy-rCeWj83i0Yr5pstenSvJHxtM8qzmPiY3Up9qOenZ9nwA97htiZBKK_Qk5FAphX8NadC9Wc4dNW59CwJJrUMAvyoDHdkop6QSwqHAq5YHIhNwwT-GqjT20Itj1ZtxQZfgqnKfWXJDzHuyNoNBlPEhIZj-UsxvDd8owq3Ycqoo/w480-h640/267828301_10224183152739260_2934702505701771743_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A very quiet Xmas was spent at Lady Baron, also not going ashore, then the wind changed and we had to go for cover to a pretty doubtful bay at Orchard Point on the north of Cape Baron Island. Nothing there. It may have been nice walking but the weather was foul and it was blowing dogs off chains so we tucked in for a couple of nights. We had also discovered that the alternator bracket had loosened and was hanging on only one of its 7 bolts. It transpired that when one replaces these bolts after removing them one must use new bolts as the act of tightening them originally stresses them too much to reuse. Lesson learned.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEPrkJVIi-izVzkBDQqf_11jqIWjKdOiFu_i7osSaBY4MLHGBTmaiPOMHdrnaHsJb4IJ0w2n71Du3BAdchfLm5luFZsCVl8PUpoQEc5Sriq7JlmESVziHQInqdnJYLGEkjgBWYun5j3fEA1ZCNsyG9W6vyUOqUDb8paVBN-YpFnBfL-d4L4WiRxc/s2048/270108972_10224196985125061_6749562760970461056_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1434" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEPrkJVIi-izVzkBDQqf_11jqIWjKdOiFu_i7osSaBY4MLHGBTmaiPOMHdrnaHsJb4IJ0w2n71Du3BAdchfLm5luFZsCVl8PUpoQEc5Sriq7JlmESVziHQInqdnJYLGEkjgBWYun5j3fEA1ZCNsyG9W6vyUOqUDb8paVBN-YpFnBfL-d4L4WiRxc/w448-h640/270108972_10224196985125061_6749562760970461056_n.jpg" width="448" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flinders to the Tamar River Tasmania</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmHKynvD3WZ7QYsO8aQhB9ZYDOSs89Z_oE-ec6Om7ykRvX5O7je2wffwhBKaRSpdyJCC-KFEuzVuhTaoH4gYh5M61Mi4rKWImbTsskCEoJHEED8txLsCj28dCuIj1xgG_vDezHdSXovu_FkFJUqvHvIAZoWsF_Bt3Sw7NuhbKeel7N_Lv5cpxjKc/s4032/IMG_8109.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmHKynvD3WZ7QYsO8aQhB9ZYDOSs89Z_oE-ec6Om7ykRvX5O7je2wffwhBKaRSpdyJCC-KFEuzVuhTaoH4gYh5M61Mi4rKWImbTsskCEoJHEED8txLsCj28dCuIj1xgG_vDezHdSXovu_FkFJUqvHvIAZoWsF_Bt3Sw7NuhbKeel7N_Lv5cpxjKc/w480-h640/IMG_8109.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fixing stuff. Missing bolts!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxv7iR2_LNPNgaB21q_HNuolZ_y5JG5Vx47Y_sQ7bR3yHv3jtyxTPwfvkYDZyIiFj2U3rcGQh3P89gI2YWVbzaKtiBe0lziDcsIsvWwpVdAo_FdAP30UFXRb_dqbFZRFLxIkDG5vZE8_5uNkuXJyx6AFkc1hVuCmyMA8_WaY3I9TGfd7fD0n0Toao/s3840/EC0F7200-D25F-45AA-A1C5-9C05B6DD7A58.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3840" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxv7iR2_LNPNgaB21q_HNuolZ_y5JG5Vx47Y_sQ7bR3yHv3jtyxTPwfvkYDZyIiFj2U3rcGQh3P89gI2YWVbzaKtiBe0lziDcsIsvWwpVdAo_FdAP30UFXRb_dqbFZRFLxIkDG5vZE8_5uNkuXJyx6AFkc1hVuCmyMA8_WaY3I9TGfd7fD0n0Toao/w640-h360/EC0F7200-D25F-45AA-A1C5-9C05B6DD7A58.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Port Dalrymple Yacht Club</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">On the 27th at the break of dawn, we crept out and headed to The Tamar River 85nm. First decent sailing day in weeks. Made it into the anchorage at Port Dalrymple before dark and had a very nice quiet night's sleep. The Port Dalrymple Yacht Club is super friendly and has one of the best fuel docks anywhere. Here we managed to get a taxi into Launceston and locate and purchase the wretched bolts for the alternator. We took the opportunity, not being in any hurry now that we were in Tasmania, to repaint the bracket and over a couple of days we got everything back together and shipshape. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhg2fTXUteDox5VIQbdW7heagIae4TXEvG85_5KGTTDlD8QsgrN5KL8Xl-BgEvLPbpYEFcAZsU36HJHy5grYTqgvWUa2FadNrP64OpvGA8WOW00gkVM8aTqFGdN5KcHB3jSM1TzS3Inp7sktEU6UAcWAdBwufx1ZzMrKX5y5ryzSzOd8tWrKJR9s/s2358/IMG_8150.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="2358" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhg2fTXUteDox5VIQbdW7heagIae4TXEvG85_5KGTTDlD8QsgrN5KL8Xl-BgEvLPbpYEFcAZsU36HJHy5grYTqgvWUa2FadNrP64OpvGA8WOW00gkVM8aTqFGdN5KcHB3jSM1TzS3Inp7sktEU6UAcWAdBwufx1ZzMrKX5y5ryzSzOd8tWrKJR9s/w640-h214/IMG_8150.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tamar River</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyLH4AKYcskmKI_rN4bGYNX5nzuwwpS9gB5SmABXCBl5gbsHqRxf6PuvoiRJHYM6UHcrOjlLTWuJVeb6a2KIR0kYDHFwqOZhwUzSoh1gSvPn63yZX_H8vbCgYsFr8UqZUj4GpjwYdtgYGMJbiAZcx4m212knMHCozzxuh3QOiR0iURrZE-uGlWus/s4032/IMG_8171.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyLH4AKYcskmKI_rN4bGYNX5nzuwwpS9gB5SmABXCBl5gbsHqRxf6PuvoiRJHYM6UHcrOjlLTWuJVeb6a2KIR0kYDHFwqOZhwUzSoh1gSvPn63yZX_H8vbCgYsFr8UqZUj4GpjwYdtgYGMJbiAZcx4m212knMHCozzxuh3QOiR0iURrZE-uGlWus/w480-h640/IMG_8171.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gift of preserves from the lovely manager of the Port Dalrymple Yacht Club</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Remember WA was going to open to the rest of Australia on the 5th of Feb. Well by now it was just the 3rd of Jan. The announcement came that the border would remain closed indefinitely and Tasmania was moving to Extreme Risk meaning there's no way to proceed to WA from Tasmania unless you are a football player or tennis player or the Premier!! We had to leave Tasmania before midnight Friday the 5th</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">There wasn't much in the fridge, cabbage, beetroot a few carrots this and that, and the fuel situation was not ideal but rather than risk any further shore forays we elected to bolt. This proved easier on paper than in reality. Gale forecast for the eastern Bass Strait waters forced us to backtrack and seek the shelter of broad shallow beach west of Stanley. An 0100 arrival time is not ideal in 30+kn. Having re-anchored the following morning, a little further inshore, we settled in to sit out several days with gusts over 40kn. Bouncy, noisy, and generally unpleasant.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On the 7th we were able to motor out in calm conditions, albeit with a somewhat rolling swell remaining. Another pleasant day's sail, passing quite close to King Island and sadly not allowed to visit. In the late afternoon, a fog swept in and it wasn't long before visibility was extremely poor. These conditions continued on and off over the next 12 hours. We were relying on Radar and AIS for ship positions</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZItC-sTo1GGUOzhtXZzcp04h4NMruRBud6agS8QhKQbKWK2CHY9uFjwnpFmDsBXAHwvM9USEQ7j_kEpNfu33WcU6mfFY05p9wD5TgVVSxRw5kBkxXN3QwcRB-9Vj64xTs3r3ePI6TNUldoCoYr8bQ1uK-xQLxmA89kCaI6JP5djHnVOoEzMBDEaU/s502/bass%20strait%20storm.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="502" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZItC-sTo1GGUOzhtXZzcp04h4NMruRBud6agS8QhKQbKWK2CHY9uFjwnpFmDsBXAHwvM9USEQ7j_kEpNfu33WcU6mfFY05p9wD5TgVVSxRw5kBkxXN3QwcRB-9Vj64xTs3r3ePI6TNUldoCoYr8bQ1uK-xQLxmA89kCaI6JP5djHnVOoEzMBDEaU/w640-h586/bass%20strait%20storm.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Holed up off the coast near Stanley Tasmania</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the 9th, just north of Portland Victoria, we caught a darn cray pot line around the Rudder!! It was pretty calm and we were sailing so it didn’t get around the propeller. After a little manoeuvring into the wind, it eventually dropped off. Pots are extremely heavy. No chance of pulling it up. We probably dragged it a couple of km before getting rid of it The night was all sailing and the stars were stunning. They felt like they were falling on you. Can’t remember seeing such bright stars. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">With a strong Easterly system bearing down. We had to find a safe gunk hole to wait it out. The sea state gets too sporty with the wind of 30+ against the current. So we headed towards Kangaroo Island to spend a couple of nights on anchor somewhere isolated.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNn-k-IFGOk86bFER0oG4pVWmzGQOPucIN2CQ30DjlNZDqWaICvFuvoG6kUPemQzDo5FtYN8h-tKCL-1GTTVuQLYK6Yk00C0I1o-7PQTWLZAf-syeSFmSvCW_hXYZkaucbcHhUFQEj6AxLCO7jDyaj1W-w7hOhuycHHA6w0Onx5bQt07kDdcL-W4M/s3890/IMG_8114.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2918" data-original-width="3890" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNn-k-IFGOk86bFER0oG4pVWmzGQOPucIN2CQ30DjlNZDqWaICvFuvoG6kUPemQzDo5FtYN8h-tKCL-1GTTVuQLYK6Yk00C0I1o-7PQTWLZAf-syeSFmSvCW_hXYZkaucbcHhUFQEj6AxLCO7jDyaj1W-w7hOhuycHHA6w0Onx5bQt07kDdcL-W4M/w640-h480/IMG_8114.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kingscote King Island</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">Several anchorages were available in various wind conditions and we used them all over the coming week as the wind swung around the compass before settling to a steady westerly. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7j7xF-anSMPeSrD_AsIwGAqlVRqMcEgMfiB5m8iWDdIxwykXOSR78FP-P_YJDr7Z0g5u-u4OFZesZ8JrlqyufEWDpRzcrRE1_Sb3arCDwsxPBUpdNBWISdtDkLDbigmKubyS7vWIQCTypdpsm6K7fHGqMQqRVFg1EmtugylsqWSDlVhpCxvomZxE/s9662/IMG_8115.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3720" data-original-width="9662" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7j7xF-anSMPeSrD_AsIwGAqlVRqMcEgMfiB5m8iWDdIxwykXOSR78FP-P_YJDr7Z0g5u-u4OFZesZ8JrlqyufEWDpRzcrRE1_Sb3arCDwsxPBUpdNBWISdtDkLDbigmKubyS7vWIQCTypdpsm6K7fHGqMQqRVFg1EmtugylsqWSDlVhpCxvomZxE/w640-h246/IMG_8115.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American River Anchorage King Island</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce4Sw8Pmsk7wSl0tDehD_Jm8REyRXD2Rhmoi60_gDkZNGJ_YLXA7qH47f4nuZO3sN9b9tZEeDNVKdtUHE2tQwPwe_UIIIdwkkEePeWbOdX-_rvxkL1PYJBsCJ4a8ynPMaRoWw-lhEchzo9I84e_uJYXCndyA7g_OQPltYW_5aDJK12WxAowrg6CY/s755/kangaroo%20isl%20anch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="755" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce4Sw8Pmsk7wSl0tDehD_Jm8REyRXD2Rhmoi60_gDkZNGJ_YLXA7qH47f4nuZO3sN9b9tZEeDNVKdtUHE2tQwPwe_UIIIdwkkEePeWbOdX-_rvxkL1PYJBsCJ4a8ynPMaRoWw-lhEchzo9I84e_uJYXCndyA7g_OQPltYW_5aDJK12WxAowrg6CY/w640-h502/kangaroo%20isl%20anch.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Kangaroo Island anchorages</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kingscote provided respite although again we were not able to go ashore. Eventually, the wind died and promised to become easterly again so we chanced a couple of light days and with dwindling fuel headed into the Great Australian Bight and made a beeline for Albany, 960 nm west. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Great Australian Bight.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">January 14th. The first 24 hours were slow. Reluctant to use fuel we waffled about making as little as 3 knots at times. While the autopilot would steer, we sailed. The wind arrived and conditions became pretty sporty with a decent following wind wave and a good cross swell from the southern ocean to keep our attention. Cold. It was extremely cold. Fladden suits were absolutely necessary on watch.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog7mAVOOOTebLigI1fponorB2MnKJic7ya7LgFQJgua2uK0Zgyb2MECsK97ngQ-Mm-hQDhhHo6Nir6Z7z-vP-vPbPvA52nMptHf1iZZ5yKvOZqXZCV3ItYeD6pI83eB_yKhZE1499A9zMiirqejVWt8Ycruhv4Y25tsPNhjtfr3VDLTLoOi-AqpI/s2048/fladen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhog7mAVOOOTebLigI1fponorB2MnKJic7ya7LgFQJgua2uK0Zgyb2MECsK97ngQ-Mm-hQDhhHo6Nir6Z7z-vP-vPbPvA52nMptHf1iZZ5yKvOZqXZCV3ItYeD6pI83eB_yKhZE1499A9zMiirqejVWt8Ycruhv4Y25tsPNhjtfr3VDLTLoOi-AqpI/w480-h640/fladen.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Fladden Suits.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;">We stopped at Middle Island, east of Esperance, on the 19th of Jan, riding big swells into the nice protected anchorage to sit out a few more days of sporty weather. Seriously pretty spot and plenty of squid, but we were still dealing with border control and trying to get permission to enter WA W'ed been isolated at sea since the 18th of December! Stupid Covid rules. </div></span></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #050505; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: large; text-align: start;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3daNQoc-NZJk-GxHNR1gXv9X8-Enozoi83c-vJxD5fqmFOYNjydxyW8fvVjw2XXisNxQZS8uWUy3DrzmBA1w1ZpD9Qq7a1eOUVTzhLj0xTezxFPbKHYTwXWljArraC1bAYzS_fzanGnJL1Vsz-zNUTz5a12n41IOc-RHbQIPuj59uhkrTE8I-MQ/s3694/IMG_8243.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1884" data-original-width="3694" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3daNQoc-NZJk-GxHNR1gXv9X8-Enozoi83c-vJxD5fqmFOYNjydxyW8fvVjw2XXisNxQZS8uWUy3DrzmBA1w1ZpD9Qq7a1eOUVTzhLj0xTezxFPbKHYTwXWljArraC1bAYzS_fzanGnJL1Vsz-zNUTz5a12n41IOc-RHbQIPuj59uhkrTE8I-MQ/w640-h373/IMG_8243.jpg" title="Middle Island" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle Island</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fortunately Lisa Blair arrived in Albany without permission and someone saw. fit to recognise the fact that shed been at sea alone for 18 or so days so she was granted permission to enter. Lisa kindly gave us her contact in the Police Department and. we were also advised that we were permitted to enter and Quarantine Free. Yipee!! Arriving in Albany on the 22nd of January we were welcomed by many family and friends and escorted in by Jason and family in their little Penguin. Weather couldn't have been better and we were relieved to be finally home with Taipan 19 years since her last berth in Albany.</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5j8m0107kgGCP_YAUFZRUIRnbjZ6cRP17TSMbMaX79__CBz1gl4R9Z1WZI6DjlPMJYyJaBvhfZiiFLv7WjOY_UakkUIOy7utf2nUA7w9ln1ctHcS4XGXjEdjJJL2RgM_jljH8dBXuHUjBTdJVaNQxIMB-WN52xLumqK65pln5mFW3HM8YohFbIQ/s2048/268256448_4890869524314114_674297401887672699_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="946" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5j8m0107kgGCP_YAUFZRUIRnbjZ6cRP17TSMbMaX79__CBz1gl4R9Z1WZI6DjlPMJYyJaBvhfZiiFLv7WjOY_UakkUIOy7utf2nUA7w9ln1ctHcS4XGXjEdjJJL2RgM_jljH8dBXuHUjBTdJVaNQxIMB-WN52xLumqK65pln5mFW3HM8YohFbIQ/w296-h640/268256448_4890869524314114_674297401887672699_n.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrived</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_xd6tezbb5FZYZZXzvlynAWb5dwL8X3wkFkc_b9gBeu6DVyPgG1TLYSNlMUNqhySf3oAJqFOIaWFTTw0phMbWebaTZ_m9zyz3IeMLuVnxslwvDv0nUZ-9_9p2HmEplg4ITdB8o4HyV6-YWOwiS4wcN3_nK3TgxDW052ZAFtQgJPw9Yz4Hrc1j0Q/s3672/IMG_8251.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2754" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_xd6tezbb5FZYZZXzvlynAWb5dwL8X3wkFkc_b9gBeu6DVyPgG1TLYSNlMUNqhySf3oAJqFOIaWFTTw0phMbWebaTZ_m9zyz3IeMLuVnxslwvDv0nUZ-9_9p2HmEplg4ITdB8o4HyV6-YWOwiS4wcN3_nK3TgxDW052ZAFtQgJPw9Yz4Hrc1j0Q/w480-h640/IMG_8251.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbeDknXtFK1uAEhAghWgkmYBsOjudIi9m98QQGtmfMDX0I0Q8mDfCyZyiEEETcwGrnThSFPMvMJgmJXETDZq00WtWAtJNOIUNlKL767_WfMHdHj1_w5ib05n-Ekv8HKanNnqUgJeICCsYpTTKDfXUW4NSGShKvtzME7MDOaZKI-J3svVtub19MjU/s2048/269314800_4891527457581654_136008667182497776_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbeDknXtFK1uAEhAghWgkmYBsOjudIi9m98QQGtmfMDX0I0Q8mDfCyZyiEEETcwGrnThSFPMvMJgmJXETDZq00WtWAtJNOIUNlKL767_WfMHdHj1_w5ib05n-Ekv8HKanNnqUgJeICCsYpTTKDfXUW4NSGShKvtzME7MDOaZKI-J3svVtub19MjU/w640-h480/269314800_4891527457581654_136008667182497776_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUtEzF0ZjQrmnC2QUub6AR66EYSbHDyxdf8IPckjAJthAA_aYxqaZRxFk3FW15tJpL5Vnr4GMglxE9OR8Z3E5PIyQdfQfeKPstuF2TzisfyInsfSfj0j457O6O7AG1E0SKbnVV17-jr3kYHRSE77iG4RzPKTV8WKKM9_9IaO2k0v2mjhbgOP2h0Q/s2048/272223828_4890869510980782_7171102179020598019_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1398" data-original-width="2048" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUtEzF0ZjQrmnC2QUub6AR66EYSbHDyxdf8IPckjAJthAA_aYxqaZRxFk3FW15tJpL5Vnr4GMglxE9OR8Z3E5PIyQdfQfeKPstuF2TzisfyInsfSfj0j457O6O7AG1E0SKbnVV17-jr3kYHRSE77iG4RzPKTV8WKKM9_9IaO2k0v2mjhbgOP2h0Q/w640-h436/272223828_4890869510980782_7171102179020598019_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxKNHHW1pI8hcAO9D_uySttrBWiSS0ekFT6IjRhigXX2rtWRD3mDrHZ2qYFbBcX0385MKOcWVgDdGjHqozhvA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiLBb0Rk9f0VVTM8aM1UdZLyQreOrvfGHYJO9woWP4FGjEpf8L1qhA47QEQT-QoZAuEouWsxLoTX38o80gguis3EMJwnrTs5XFEC21rEkpOStdc54jPpv6VFI_M5oSohfSUHD55MaQvtWKtpJWwYGRICxjcSWedYgRfApK8FOoIjMRXjzqiNjp9s/s4032/IMG_8937.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiLBb0Rk9f0VVTM8aM1UdZLyQreOrvfGHYJO9woWP4FGjEpf8L1qhA47QEQT-QoZAuEouWsxLoTX38o80gguis3EMJwnrTs5XFEC21rEkpOStdc54jPpv6VFI_M5oSohfSUHD55MaQvtWKtpJWwYGRICxjcSWedYgRfApK8FOoIjMRXjzqiNjp9s/w640-h480/IMG_8937.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-39972177604511916382021-11-17T10:02:00.000+07:002021-11-18T13:34:09.058+07:00BACK ABOARD TAIPAN. 1st OCT 2021<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTSPAGVsGuVv-Gi9cIrvjDNOzdV3xJlWXv12BXhB40qZLjYpRzJApWVnXP7pO2-7t2ZFQzFU2-GEly4RfQAN4PttLhfEoK8svzlXyoIPqs7H3VmKyJaqYTmCd-TKL_0faZmtxYw7CXMTjQrM2R9OSsdmwwpFu2OgnEbzJWctIPRQcWGqXAE1dgChw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTSPAGVsGuVv-Gi9cIrvjDNOzdV3xJlWXv12BXhB40qZLjYpRzJApWVnXP7pO2-7t2ZFQzFU2-GEly4RfQAN4PttLhfEoK8svzlXyoIPqs7H3VmKyJaqYTmCd-TKL_0faZmtxYw7CXMTjQrM2R9OSsdmwwpFu2OgnEbzJWctIPRQcWGqXAE1dgChw=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new Swift 3.1m RIB Australian made. Our first one lasted for 15 years.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br />Previously,</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> we were Medivaced back to Australia from Tahiti. The process was protracted by Covid and the inevitable delay was frustrating and very stressful. After quarantine and several specialists appointments in Perth, we went back to the farm. David underwent <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endarterectomy" target="_blank">endarterectomy</a> surgery in Perth to clear out a blocked Carotid Artery and 6 weeks later we were given the all-clear to fly to Queensland, and back to Taipan. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Airlines, more specifically QANTAS pissed us around, canceled our flight, and made no endeavor to recompense us or make an alternative booking so we caved in and took a VIRGIN flight direct to Brisbane on the 29th of September. It was great. Stayed a night at an airport hotel and had a driver take us to BOATWORKS Coomera, near the Gold Coast, the following morning. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAP7qqvkHU53b6wtvOv7CRDnJqnvNuY-G9DVjk8j-2v3DP8Z0sN_9g9Xq-FtisneiDqa8DZUv3XzZUZjgfPsk_AclqBfI5A8WGNPX3m7vywZYKcSJrtgY4XcZ5ernm2jnutVRyC2gPP4MO2YyOEVI8lFCrNwfTNGaBVOFHrllA9DlKWCmoJbWN9S8=s1006" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1006" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAP7qqvkHU53b6wtvOv7CRDnJqnvNuY-G9DVjk8j-2v3DP8Z0sN_9g9Xq-FtisneiDqa8DZUv3XzZUZjgfPsk_AclqBfI5A8WGNPX3m7vywZYKcSJrtgY4XcZ5ernm2jnutVRyC2gPP4MO2YyOEVI8lFCrNwfTNGaBVOFHrllA9DlKWCmoJbWN9S8=w640-h498" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Arrival on the 30th of September and inspection of Taipan left us somewhat deflated, as the extent of the damage and dirt were unexpected. The cleaning and repairs we had entirely underestimated. Now 6 weeks into it with 2 of those weeks back on the water we are mostly back in shape. The major job was the gearbox, which was ominously empty of oil on inspection. Sure enough, the gears were all case hardened and we had to wait 3 weeks for very costly repairs and new parts. The skipper was very lucky to have made it into port in that condition. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbDmQpPedUjTWwHb1dxJdxmf1sZZP2W9XVG4zErkzgIb2jMDwMpFqlZN26gRDaPE-NBQXcG3sikMX0AzLGzXxkzLvtMnqKvy-QJ6R1ZtqoGTjHU0EvoZxmYjr7-PmcsWGg9jn7AqOWLu5cx54u8Z2459IJ301RCJcHP4qYas2ghtqLXXlpCNaxr1o=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbDmQpPedUjTWwHb1dxJdxmf1sZZP2W9XVG4zErkzgIb2jMDwMpFqlZN26gRDaPE-NBQXcG3sikMX0AzLGzXxkzLvtMnqKvy-QJ6R1ZtqoGTjHU0EvoZxmYjr7-PmcsWGg9jn7AqOWLu5cx54u8Z2459IJ301RCJcHP4qYas2ghtqLXXlpCNaxr1o=w640-h480" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We didn't get the Gyprock finishing done. <br />Labour was scarce with the building boom.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A new Swift dingy arrived, having been ordered a month or so earlier. We knew the Walker Bay was stuffed. A useless thing it was! A new mast track was installed for the spinnaker pole, a new boom bag replaced our very shabby 12 year old one. Drive Shaft and Propeller were inspected and the Propeller was re-pitched and Prop Speed applied. New cutlass bearing, flexible coupling, and Dripless Seal were fitted. <span style="text-align: justify;">We replaced the air conditioner we installed in Thailand in 2009, after many years of service it finally died in Tahiti just before we left.</span> The bottom was in good shape and didn't require a lot of prep as they have a great high-pressure wash down here. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Boatworks is an outstanding facility staffed by professionals. The best we have ever encountered in all our travels. Proper stairs to each boat deck. No ladders!! Clean facilities and lovely gardens. The service providers are also excellent, prompt, friendly, and effective. Outstanding amongst them was Rene Airconditioning & Refrigeration and Watsons Engineering. Da Met did the Gearbox restoration. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSiqw_DH74vGNHYGVvNRDGuRYbjIeAkgLixevjz0fZtMgTXKsE3H-_mEchIS2KQmjLrF2gCejyyfGMWK5_PDu7QpZYHjNJOL93JCZLHLYx5HXDpaaSj4YWVM7S6MqitwK4bTZj_z4i76cArMPhf4AFwUIMJs6124lDNRIYn-_EyFlZnUmfEQNFTOA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSiqw_DH74vGNHYGVvNRDGuRYbjIeAkgLixevjz0fZtMgTXKsE3H-_mEchIS2KQmjLrF2gCejyyfGMWK5_PDu7QpZYHjNJOL93JCZLHLYx5HXDpaaSj4YWVM7S6MqitwK4bTZj_z4i76cArMPhf4AFwUIMJs6124lDNRIYn-_EyFlZnUmfEQNFTOA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BBQ area and Yachtie meeting place.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">There are 6 vehicles available for patrons' use. A simple phone call will secure one for up to 3 hours at a time during the week and all weekend if you get in early enough. We have secured a car for all but one of our weekends here and have been able to visit cruising friends in Manly, about an hour's drive north, a couple of times. We took a drive up to Mt Tambourine one weekend for a break from the yard. There is no cost for the car. A donation or fuel in the tank suffices. The laundries are free, there are several decent restaurants and cafes, a gym and beautiful BBQ facilities where we meet most nights.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX0MA7mOlLn33CF3mqaZu1xmTZ3NzghxXpVQZezqFTQouIlAPQAXShVJQ4WmZq6FmkAmizFcLRQxULV45p7fOQ1kZ7TR3LdsddS6kMRfsvK9F6Fo74jhNQFfmBJb5trEGZy14dax2HYryuu-3zeu6MXW-Nbb7sD_KrR1H8HaDOJj3Em20GtOhVSHo=s919" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="886" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX0MA7mOlLn33CF3mqaZu1xmTZ3NzghxXpVQZezqFTQouIlAPQAXShVJQ4WmZq6FmkAmizFcLRQxULV45p7fOQ1kZ7TR3LdsddS6kMRfsvK9F6Fo74jhNQFfmBJb5trEGZy14dax2HYryuu-3zeu6MXW-Nbb7sD_KrR1H8HaDOJj3Em20GtOhVSHo=w618-h640" width="618" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We are still on the dock at Boatworks but looking forward to moving on to anchor soon. Then we will move north into Morton Bay and Brisbane to catch up with friends.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Boats are a lot of work but you have to do something so it might as well be boat work! David's recovery is complete. He shows no signs of having had a stroke. Counting ourselves very lucky.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p></div>Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0Coomera QLD 4209, Australia-27.846439 153.343953-56.156672836178842 118.187703 0.46379483617884532 -171.499797tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-62761710855428222202021-08-10T14:56:00.000+07:002021-08-11T15:05:22.203+07:00EMERGENCY IN PARADISE August 11th 2021<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="1280" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw5BwAQXkMmxo3fpzcqVuk-jprOD3BDPdD9cpx2uxNu_JS9ND1-GBKdxr-2omaZkc-OkGfLMr6Upj12qKDJVrBMbUT92Ml1z_EHyjjrlTzAdQj0JJrOXPKLY8HQCiF5vzNglb4YK3fUgc/w640-h332/21168748-de33-4fbb-a492-e2908ba3a654.JPG" width="640" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">COVID has run away with our freedoms and unrelated health matters have caused a major re evaluation of our sailing plans.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Wandering about beautiful French Polynesia for over a year waiting for the end of the cyclone period, (May) we had gone to Papeete to do a few maintenance jobs and prepare to haul out before setting off westward to complete our circumnavigation.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Having a quiet coffee aboard Taipan in the Papeete Marina when David suddenly declared that his left arm was behaving strangely. Good friends, Grahame and Janakie from "Leela" were aboard and we immediately called the ambulance and they helped walk David to the marina gate. Rapid response by Fire Brigade in the first instance, then Ambulance shortly afterwards, meant that David was in the Tahoe Hospital in Tahiti in about 20 minuets and straight into Emergency where they performed many tests and scans and administered drugs. David had suffered a stroke!!! The event was caused by a shower of tiny particles coming loose from plaque in his right Carotid Artery. He was admitted to the Neurology Ward and to cut a long story short spent the next 9 days undergoing treatment and preparing for Medical Evacuation to Australia.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB7rR9_Bl7Fnhhf3WReQtVw3JO4WS65SpB99wwxolMtR4-hpOvh7laJa-K8aFXH9-UXfdDyRtWjMMUZq5nLfV6ws7ULkeuPNov91foUv9sRqat0zGMJn5Ldy6cO3021c9zMkB0Q0t3l0/s612/ff84f6cd-713c-4d80-85de-d9ce76489f2f.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB7rR9_Bl7Fnhhf3WReQtVw3JO4WS65SpB99wwxolMtR4-hpOvh7laJa-K8aFXH9-UXfdDyRtWjMMUZq5nLfV6ws7ULkeuPNov91foUv9sRqat0zGMJn5Ldy6cO3021c9zMkB0Q0t3l0/w640-h426/ff84f6cd-713c-4d80-85de-d9ce76489f2f.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">New Zealand Air Ambulance</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Australian Government in the early chaos of the pandemic outbreak closed Australian Borders and forbad Australians from leaving the country. At the same time they prohibited Australian Travel Insurance Companies from renewing, or writing new policies for Australians. Our Travel Insurance Company could not renew our travel insurance so in desperation we took out a little Evacuation and Rescue policy with a company called GEOS for a mere $125 each.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_UbsT6315VobCAvwsvHqo8WYW_qkazBmN-EzUEF805WSye1ttilHPMEYpZzfmNEwFtp_F4xbHy8rjAvpVAiYLEEc_rUYklJp8Kbg3YBEu2zkQuOH-FYxRoZs_CO0lX3z1sSFVX2MQnQ/s640/IMG_6869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_UbsT6315VobCAvwsvHqo8WYW_qkazBmN-EzUEF805WSye1ttilHPMEYpZzfmNEwFtp_F4xbHy8rjAvpVAiYLEEc_rUYklJp8Kbg3YBEu2zkQuOH-FYxRoZs_CO0lX3z1sSFVX2MQnQ/w300-h400/IMG_6869.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Goodbye Morea</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">With the Pandemic raging the Evacuation process was protracted. The Australian government had to give permission for us to return and Air Ambulances had to get international permits to enter etc. The whole debacle took 7 days of negotiation to arrange our repatriation to Perth. At A$10,000 a day in the hospital with no medical cover it was altogether a very stressful process I never want to relive. Geos only cover the Repatriation.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On the 28th of March at 700am we were collected by a team from New Zealand Air Ambulance, and aboard a nice little Beechcraft Nexis we were flown to Brisbane, with refueling stops at Nui and Nauru, New Caledonia. There were 2 pilots and an emergency nurse aboard and we touched down at Brisbane at about 4pm after a 9 hour flight in beautiful weather. The whole team were outstanding, caring and fed us amazing food!!!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2JqZekqaoGp9S6NbNVPE6rNaxyVoUUvNQRmXByQmkLUatfWblycrgvRtY477pCqk4jJPOMujkXwIwqQNDZYj7gLL9TZCE0PptFt93T2c69asubAuiidE4UWlaTh8YvlE_SRsdRBGgKQ/s707/IMG_6970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="707" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2JqZekqaoGp9S6NbNVPE6rNaxyVoUUvNQRmXByQmkLUatfWblycrgvRtY477pCqk4jJPOMujkXwIwqQNDZYj7gLL9TZCE0PptFt93T2c69asubAuiidE4UWlaTh8YvlE_SRsdRBGgKQ/w640-h426/IMG_6970.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoVDD6SmQcd_13yaQkMA2L0E53yx8vXuKHBE0RR6e7g3Aqn9hJ8AoSflFlTbyFporDlIkezOJ-EbDg2wNkOSVrFSRfLsDakW6Qqh4nsK8M5rdPSSzgHP1SwRoJTvz-qA1qk762UaI-yU/s640/IMG_6927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="640" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoVDD6SmQcd_13yaQkMA2L0E53yx8vXuKHBE0RR6e7g3Aqn9hJ8AoSflFlTbyFporDlIkezOJ-EbDg2wNkOSVrFSRfLsDakW6Qqh4nsK8M5rdPSSzgHP1SwRoJTvz-qA1qk762UaI-yU/w640-h624/IMG_6927.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Customs and Immigration processed inbound clearances and we boarded the Life Flite Ambulance, a Challenger 605: all leather and mirrors apart from the 2 intensive care stretchers. There were 2 pilots, a doctor and an emergency nurse taking care of things. Food was great too! It was the ex-prime ministers plane and let me tell you they don't slum it!! We touched down in Perth at 6pm, Perth time and I was chauffeured off the Hotel quarantine and David was transported by Ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital Quarantine. I don't know what it all cost but we were very grateful to the whole team at GEOS for getting us home. I am never flying cattle class again!!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicP2JC0jtnSdaOzmym60A6WiYQDrf3gNpIP5906B-YoiQ7kS0ToQOcLBOq2x5BIUt2GUAzaDodQU0_4gRvkOF2fbCYw00Asgw7GC_XYC5bNV4P7dfCNO0gawQ7qnETtwEbaJkAwzkLUU/s640/IMG_6923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="520" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicP2JC0jtnSdaOzmym60A6WiYQDrf3gNpIP5906B-YoiQ7kS0ToQOcLBOq2x5BIUt2GUAzaDodQU0_4gRvkOF2fbCYw00Asgw7GC_XYC5bNV4P7dfCNO0gawQ7qnETtwEbaJkAwzkLUU/w520-h640/IMG_6923.jpg" width="520" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Queensland Coast. Australia!!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We were extremely lucky to be right in Tahiti. The biggest hospital in the Pacific outside New Zealand right on the doorstep. A highly skilled team of cardiologists and neurologists from France meant David was in very good hands very quickly. Had we been in a remote island anchorage the outcome could have been much different.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Since arriving back we have done the bloody quarantine without catching Covid in the hotel! Corinne and Michael, our illustrious Panama to Galapagos crew, among others were instrumental in making sure we didn't die of starvation in the hotel. David has, after multiple consultations had an Enterectomy. That is, they open the carotid and scrape out the crap and close it all up. Good as new... Well nearly.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">After being homeless and imposing on numerous friends and rellies for nearly 2 months we moved back into our farm house in Albany. It took a month or so to catch our breath at this point.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNPG__Y5dUcHPWUV9QM48Ew62gwLQgFkrl4h2yHRGFXXuBy_zhjBYHp4uYYZpohMd5cF-51iJGG3zW6H9wNKmB5GhxOhorVAgVer0UFdxqnPtk8yRGFQRbxPYZMyOKkxdzh7wxyYDYKA/s1920/IMG_7596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNPG__Y5dUcHPWUV9QM48Ew62gwLQgFkrl4h2yHRGFXXuBy_zhjBYHp4uYYZpohMd5cF-51iJGG3zW6H9wNKmB5GhxOhorVAgVer0UFdxqnPtk8yRGFQRbxPYZMyOKkxdzh7wxyYDYKA/w640-h360/IMG_7596.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Taipan on the hardstand at Boatworks</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Meanwhile back in Tahiti, Taipan was in the capable hands of Paul Stratfold an Australian delivery skipper. Grahame and Janakie spent days previously putting Taipan back together as David had just completed an entirely new Lifepo4 battery installation. There were still some unfinished issues to be tidied up. Between them they returned Taipan to working condition for Paul to take over. Paul agreed to return Taipan to Australia for us and was hoping to come with at least one other crew person. After protracted and frustrating liaison with the Australian Immigration it became apparent that he was going to have to go it alone. The intransigent authorities refused to let his Australian crew leave the country again to return to Tahiti to his work. If he entered he would be forced to remain. So Paul came from Tahiti to Brisbane, 3500nm, 25 days, alone and was put into 14 days quarantine on arrival!! Taipan had to be anchored in Southport uninsured. There are no facilities for arriving yachts. The marinas are unable to accommodate unless you arrange for a deep clean of the boat and a local delivery skipper to move it to a marina. There are not even any moorings for the quarantine anchorage!!! Paul has since moved Taipan to Boatworks and she's on the hard awaiting our arrival. Covid permitting.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSytaNqRdfATlLxVs6TRLuCdIg9RsMZAz01N-wb-ySSIuEOKFyqeQInoDt5QFngikZKg6-tI8rEnEClPBvud-o-J_W7qpXV-2PgovJToGjhq8M-cF9ef6lmC2VOAaK7ZAkaMG9lwU_keM/s2016/IMG_7545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSytaNqRdfATlLxVs6TRLuCdIg9RsMZAz01N-wb-ySSIuEOKFyqeQInoDt5QFngikZKg6-tI8rEnEClPBvud-o-J_W7qpXV-2PgovJToGjhq8M-cF9ef6lmC2VOAaK7ZAkaMG9lwU_keM/w480-h640/IMG_7545.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Knocked out a few ceilings walls and a fire place</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Life goes on on the farm while we wait for the East Coast to get its sh## together so we can fly to Queensland, pick up Taipan, perform maintenance and set sail for WA. That's on the other side of Australia for the foreigners out there. Australian border rules are going to make it very tricky. Sailing down the east coast to Bass Strait in one hit may be the only option. 860nm south from Southport Queensland to avoid New South Wales which is a Covid disaster area right now and may be closed till Xmas or longer. To cross the Great Australian Bight we need to be positioned in Bass Strait or South Australia by mid Janurary. Then the Easterly winds will be steady for the run west. The shortest distance is about 480m but that relies on being able to enter South Australia and work west along the coast. The distance doubles if that's not possible. Bloody COVID!!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKgRutVcFA_A4KVtOGkAZw_0OUuVd3ldHKrdl5dD1hvLw2m1SRcuvtVuCLRdG9AWRZRAfJsKrliQ1PImN3lL_lf12h0dPRyqgpfmW3uNRsimqPZbZwR3lIGTgX9GJz7Cp78a8KQjluY0/s2048/IMG-7464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKgRutVcFA_A4KVtOGkAZw_0OUuVd3ldHKrdl5dD1hvLw2m1SRcuvtVuCLRdG9AWRZRAfJsKrliQ1PImN3lL_lf12h0dPRyqgpfmW3uNRsimqPZbZwR3lIGTgX9GJz7Cp78a8KQjluY0/w640-h480/IMG-7464.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Raptor. The stump grinder</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBNZ8fikbMpH1_6Qm3i3sHkkc9fu-P9kGbhlsyUNxqEaqBcgFaHcEkoi3GB6RxV4aPYr4_sPzfDXxdDavfiaYGDqU2bF778eZ3hPhZyEbMtapF2iHQ0OrZiv99hKCJwyzV9n74B_e_VQ/s2048/IMG-7461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBNZ8fikbMpH1_6Qm3i3sHkkc9fu-P9kGbhlsyUNxqEaqBcgFaHcEkoi3GB6RxV4aPYr4_sPzfDXxdDavfiaYGDqU2bF778eZ3hPhZyEbMtapF2iHQ0OrZiv99hKCJwyzV9n74B_e_VQ/w640-h480/IMG-7461.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Goodbye stumps.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Meanwhile on the farm we've knocked out a lot of tree stumps, knocked the gardens back into shape and knocked a few walls and ceilings out of shape. As we speak there are 2 electricians in the roof and a builder fixing stuff and installing a dropped ceiling in the kitchen. Between us we have removed a big old brick chimney and all the interior wall finishes of 3 rooms. The gyprock will be replaced with big loads of insulation behind it. Its been a very cold and wet winter in Albany. The work has been exhausting causing us both to fall into bed knackered each evening. Its a good test of David's strength and recovery.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPA4kxxy4aT02Gc0jBxaKto6NyqJf2eSzNS2ffo7TLS1BLSPPAXhR0pUUY5RPHA3tahWTqBIEvFZGQS31TouzjBG-c4Fx4eJNKXkdaWIvwCRta4ROLh0FbffiIFbDsfvi0hx23jDyHtU/s1014/Screenshot+2021-08-11+174352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="1014" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPA4kxxy4aT02Gc0jBxaKto6NyqJf2eSzNS2ffo7TLS1BLSPPAXhR0pUUY5RPHA3tahWTqBIEvFZGQS31TouzjBG-c4Fx4eJNKXkdaWIvwCRta4ROLh0FbffiIFbDsfvi0hx23jDyHtU/w640-h456/Screenshot+2021-08-11+174352.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Roughly the proposed route.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I will update on progress sooner next time.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvET5oeno59aIQ67FvG-cRYM-1lN141_NkeQ-Ki_0SkDD59SrtWzz8pH0cwKcMH9X28589xc_osPnidIG0I1w_CcFLbX3PoKMXQDcr4iLvRYBD6BpkrycykxnFzqftwP1BbVaXsM0ti6g/s584/IMG_6476+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="584" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvET5oeno59aIQ67FvG-cRYM-1lN141_NkeQ-Ki_0SkDD59SrtWzz8pH0cwKcMH9X28589xc_osPnidIG0I1w_CcFLbX3PoKMXQDcr4iLvRYBD6BpkrycykxnFzqftwP1BbVaXsM0ti6g/w640-h454/IMG_6476+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Farewell beautiful Huahine. FP</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p></p>Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-3927154579423267822020-11-30T04:55:00.000+07:002020-11-30T04:55:48.170+07:00CHASING SQUALLS. THERE AND BACK TO SEE HOW FAR IT IS. November 28th 2020<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVIYQ7fqiJW_syHxRCRyZeF9NGlBP9BNKxW60pVpCVpA6lzCY_hjGEum2Yxfc81tw5SCfxuIBXYPVFxhP4kAVLO1cnA9KAfCAKtH1Eac5IYCQV0k7Z0PJ-VV10g2twJNP5CTVq5nhyj8/s4000/DJI_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRVIYQ7fqiJW_syHxRCRyZeF9NGlBP9BNKxW60pVpCVpA6lzCY_hjGEum2Yxfc81tw5SCfxuIBXYPVFxhP4kAVLO1cnA9KAfCAKtH1Eac5IYCQV0k7Z0PJ-VV10g2twJNP5CTVq5nhyj8/w640-h360/DJI_0009.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Beautiful Avea Bay Huahine. Drone photo by <span data-offset-key="9iat8-0-0">Jocke Persson</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-offset-key="9iat8-1-0"><span data-text="true">Furusten</span></span></span></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We're back in Papeete Marina after a 900nm round trip to nowhere! It'd have been OK if it had at least been a successful fishing trip but we didn’t have a single bite. Squalls, of which there were many, were our only source of wind so rather than avoid them we were chasing them. The night squalls were unpredictable as we couldn’t see them without the radar which had decided to go AWOL in spite of having reported for duty prior to departure!. So the trip was main up…furlers out... furlers in..furlers reefed...main reefed…motor on… motor off. Repeat….repeat for 8 days</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZbBAwIJBIpJmFuFxUrMJyRxrNC0JXVXRLVMYWO4Sw1HPaQgRIGwf8fiJlqfS4Egl2CAMdrpFShmLvsVj9cIiVNp5_PH8ziCGg87UD9WryhI0rSnAfFEv-E0oz6FCJFDeZzWvnNmnJgo/s1372/Screen+Shot+2020-11-28+at+1.21.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="1372" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZbBAwIJBIpJmFuFxUrMJyRxrNC0JXVXRLVMYWO4Sw1HPaQgRIGwf8fiJlqfS4Egl2CAMdrpFShmLvsVj9cIiVNp5_PH8ziCGg87UD9WryhI0rSnAfFEv-E0oz6FCJFDeZzWvnNmnJgo/w640-h242/Screen+Shot+2020-11-28+at+1.21.16+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trip to nowhere.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfrClrVSmj_urfpZGSnEWmdzpnDGDvHteS_tRE-tXggt9OC_cvyekAzCZSFexo0Jo9t9RlEjpD7pqTyaCdNyJt9bNyfJ3r2peNwbgmy6x1ljWMh3XWCJFDpngItQH2uM0TiL0tZ8EzsA/s2436/IMG_6040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2436" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfrClrVSmj_urfpZGSnEWmdzpnDGDvHteS_tRE-tXggt9OC_cvyekAzCZSFexo0Jo9t9RlEjpD7pqTyaCdNyJt9bNyfJ3r2peNwbgmy6x1ljWMh3XWCJFDpngItQH2uM0TiL0tZ8EzsA/w296-h640/IMG_6040.JPG" width="296" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Leaving beautiful Tahaa on the 6th of November bound for Australia was a risk we decided to take in order to make it home to WA this year. The cyclone season had commenced, although it's very unlikely a system would develop this early. We planned to make a straight run for Southport on the southern Queensland coast. 3200nm. All our ducks were in a row. We had clearance to arrive in Oz and Quarantine Exemption permission. The new Mainsail and halyard were installed and ready to go sailing. Extra fuel jerrys were filled to get us into the wind, which was possibly as long as 4 days away.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span><br /></p><br /><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The first 4 days were predicted to be very light and it fulfilled that prophecy, but we watched in dismay as weather systems develop ahead of us with the potential wind dying and continuing to die ahead of us for the forthcoming fortnight. (The extent of forecasting.) There was a Tropical Depression forecast to develop just at the extreme of the forecast and unless we could make 140nm a day our weather router advised we would be caught in it. With the lack of wind, we couldn’t guarantee 140nm a day motoring for 12 days so 400 miles out we decided to turn around and head back to Raiatea. The only wind we saw on the trip was that night with an unpleasant 20+ over the deck on the nose whipping up a short steep sea in the inevitable counter current. The rest of the return trip was slow and rolly to begin, but settled as we approached Raiatea south pass on Friday the 13th! After a 24hour rest, we decided to head onto Papeete overnight.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoVy-9CSxPoaioWaFzNKxuRMvMAy5omIGGRsPks0zm5a3HNCbYFLvq8F_jtW3TuX6b5jvL5OOEw0jrT83KZXwXY0g27KOaEv0s9aCWfZtbl2aidlVsCn8V_bIrCwVZaO6myK-DZBrSUk/s2048/buggar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoVy-9CSxPoaioWaFzNKxuRMvMAy5omIGGRsPks0zm5a3HNCbYFLvq8F_jtW3TuX6b5jvL5OOEw0jrT83KZXwXY0g27KOaEv0s9aCWfZtbl2aidlVsCn8V_bIrCwVZaO6myK-DZBrSUk/w640-h426/buggar.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Staysail furler had detached during that first night we turned back and we needed some welding done. In order to get to the tang, we needed to disable the windlass, which meant anchoring was risky. Papeete marina had pens available so on Sunday the 15th we tied up and plugged in the airconditioning!!!</span><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUenU-VzW_cV8qsfAzpAmU-9MWBNEl3njVbi92SKHxJVqw7Cvv7ecdDqIHUEAY8Rt5y_ThK07pnpAL87ED-2fi_9BJMdipUUMfBlTrrbWkUxWCe5BWoouLZbO6HFJZlokOKxg-LrDDWQ/s2048/HUAHINI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUenU-VzW_cV8qsfAzpAmU-9MWBNEl3njVbi92SKHxJVqw7Cvv7ecdDqIHUEAY8Rt5y_ThK07pnpAL87ED-2fi_9BJMdipUUMfBlTrrbWkUxWCe5BWoouLZbO6HFJZlokOKxg-LrDDWQ/w640-h480/HUAHINI.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A month previously we had to abort our departure to Oz. When we hauled the anchor, the windlass stopped with the anchor just 4 meters from the deck. So we re-anchored to repair the solenoid failure. When David was packing the main away the aft edge of the sail came away in his hand! We also noticed a wire coming adrift on a forward lower!! Things happen in 3s!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The sail had done 36,000nm and had been on the boat since South Africa 7 years previously. It showed no signs of wear so we were quite dismayed. In hindsight, we did get a very good run out of that sail and it was good to the death. No repairs or money spent on it. The forward lowers, 7 years old. Not so happy. The windlass solenoid was just 2 years old. Not happy.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCTgQwv5vw8wqfUOnJLC8hQI7W8Zj0qi30C_uHKl9vK4fhMpwToGaKjNx-oOO5qiT-Ys7tYLP_Q5ODDM44fB9wOsm-Rs1Hh-RFNUbOR6rTWdlYZFkDxL57jvnK3GD6JSwxNClZtLyROQ/s2048/Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCTgQwv5vw8wqfUOnJLC8hQI7W8Zj0qi30C_uHKl9vK4fhMpwToGaKjNx-oOO5qiT-Ys7tYLP_Q5ODDM44fB9wOsm-Rs1Hh-RFNUbOR6rTWdlYZFkDxL57jvnK3GD6JSwxNClZtLyROQ/w640-h400/Blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A new sail was ordered from North Sails in South Africa, who built our old and we had it aboard in 3 weeks. An excellent outcome. The shrouds were replaced with new ones made up by Fenua Rigging in Tahiti and flown into Fare, Huahine. While we waited for the new Main we wiled away time in Avea Bay with lots of swimming and snorkelling. "Sea Rose",<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Brian and Sue, very old friends from way back in Thailand, caught us there and after a week or so we moved on with them to circumnavigate Tahaa and Raiatea The new sail was shipped over to Huahine from Tahiti and we went back to pick that up and fit it.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxCibopttdPoErBvGpIiHEOkApRoncIm32f0oOiXL18ibAS7pVxe6fiSgfx1oy87Ab6SSmDStQAmeevca6FIJJqoNZiFSttHY2KqAm4iX-BWoyeXm1ag3f87F-F-Ph-8ymK8tzWQj9PM/s2048/Blog-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxCibopttdPoErBvGpIiHEOkApRoncIm32f0oOiXL18ibAS7pVxe6fiSgfx1oy87Ab6SSmDStQAmeevca6FIJJqoNZiFSttHY2KqAm4iX-BWoyeXm1ag3f87F-F-Ph-8ymK8tzWQj9PM/w640-h400/Blog-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Highlights of the circumnavigation of Tahaa and Raiatea were BBQs on deserted Motus, snorkelling the Coral Garden, Rum Distillery, Taputapuatea Mare: a World Heritage site, and a wonderful day upriver at the Botanic Gardens and fruit farm. Excellent company and lots of interesting experiences to fill the days.</span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdyf_Pg9B-r8yWlxBJ87amJb6mkeJcSG848ZXUHsCchgweq8mbB0JfZbSjpQQ45iIkYfrm1Nei9p2wtBKIlY-dB5Aywx2crclXturAv9D_iXQsN9zyY7ioosfp0uE0dfHijn8kOozHDE/s3193/IMG_5831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="985" data-original-width="3193" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdyf_Pg9B-r8yWlxBJ87amJb6mkeJcSG848ZXUHsCchgweq8mbB0JfZbSjpQQ45iIkYfrm1Nei9p2wtBKIlY-dB5Aywx2crclXturAv9D_iXQsN9zyY7ioosfp0uE0dfHijn8kOozHDE/w640-h198/IMG_5831.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-Jv4WjIlN5xIEVRnZmOF_9XPncj3Awb4z1FaEtr0gERpvXTrGk0Sg1FqGhOS5x4vj-hf4mjoveUz69DDpD1X2AWQg2xeUuGMEQWSAKjeq57T9VWPf-b7HFiJgXDP4QFFgtJQVp764GE/s2048/Blog-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-Jv4WjIlN5xIEVRnZmOF_9XPncj3Awb4z1FaEtr0gERpvXTrGk0Sg1FqGhOS5x4vj-hf4mjoveUz69DDpD1X2AWQg2xeUuGMEQWSAKjeq57T9VWPf-b7HFiJgXDP4QFFgtJQVp764GE/w640-h384/Blog-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9WdkrILiDN2oVkT4r8QvFnC4_stwQrm60qhPI2vFQ1dZqD42gfkI9h_a1kETqpVznEhe16T6BcmgmTXJ6L9g2UIXoxyV6Liab92OH1ClxlBGW2sSVAedGh6T5wJKtS4ex8nfryxzh10/s1611/IMG_5847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1611" data-original-width="947" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9WdkrILiDN2oVkT4r8QvFnC4_stwQrm60qhPI2vFQ1dZqD42gfkI9h_a1kETqpVznEhe16T6BcmgmTXJ6L9g2UIXoxyV6Liab92OH1ClxlBGW2sSVAedGh6T5wJKtS4ex8nfryxzh10/s320/IMG_5847.JPG" /></a></div><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Covid numbers increased as tourists and French workers were permitted to re-enter French Polynesia back in May. As I write French Polynesia has the most active cases per head of population in the world. Tahiti is the worst island, closely followed by the remainder of the Society Islands. Extreme vigilance by ourselves and most yachties means that socializing has been quite limited. Our cockpit is not big enough to allow the required social distancing so our friends list as shrunk considerably.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIzpg4Pn0BECyaae0KnBkPQFP9zkDADKkIlB23WrP0ZdbPjMa9hNbpr0bELg04fR_xz481Y6n1p_L1GKk8C9BzSIkX1hX4lN1ETcN8yD36EcljfWO3fM_25zv2VTqe1JWigubzTVkUHY/s3393/IMG_5877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="3393" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIzpg4Pn0BECyaae0KnBkPQFP9zkDADKkIlB23WrP0ZdbPjMa9hNbpr0bELg04fR_xz481Y6n1p_L1GKk8C9BzSIkX1hX4lN1ETcN8yD36EcljfWO3fM_25zv2VTqe1JWigubzTVkUHY/w640-h174/IMG_5877.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtYAHUX4A2FmIbvzmnFiwHP_vtHY6tKkXVP-Jn8g0es1r39oNvvEWz4pb31V6774T6x3OZjxVBNnzn_D6PcaWczRTMHFiXoSI4rtuOy4JZ5d3PfvS6nYmCadE-XvHX-Vp63Rbz5D83Y8/s2048/Blog-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtYAHUX4A2FmIbvzmnFiwHP_vtHY6tKkXVP-Jn8g0es1r39oNvvEWz4pb31V6774T6x3OZjxVBNnzn_D6PcaWczRTMHFiXoSI4rtuOy4JZ5d3PfvS6nYmCadE-XvHX-Vp63Rbz5D83Y8/w640-h426/Blog-005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taputapuatea The cradle of Ma'ohi civilization Link to more info <br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taputapuatea_marae" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taputapuatea_marae</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAI5EubGnbPaRl3ssivf0AXM0_doPHRV8qM6ST7MnDcXJet34pQtrEY9Z1O2kwsVm3U74H1BVnaPtoR_Vu_XwQE8JuZ1ebEl8ZMJme2JZN7FEx-mwokGSvsPRGMTTj2h8piE-2ADVebA/s2048/TAAHA+RAIATEA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAI5EubGnbPaRl3ssivf0AXM0_doPHRV8qM6ST7MnDcXJet34pQtrEY9Z1O2kwsVm3U74H1BVnaPtoR_Vu_XwQE8JuZ1ebEl8ZMJme2JZN7FEx-mwokGSvsPRGMTTj2h8piE-2ADVebA/w640-h400/TAAHA+RAIATEA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the beautiful heliconia and ginger at the Botanic Gardens<br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconia" target="_blank">More about Heliconia</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">We now plan to wait out cyclone season and have another go at it next year. Not such an onerous undertaking. Plans going forward as to our whereabouts are sketchy. Cyclone season here is predicted to be mild with a well developed la Nina. Possibly we will head east again to the Marquesas via the Tuamotos …. or we may just go and hang out in Avea Bay. If you get curious you can always check our map or tracker </span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XufVlprn-Aju7Xp3mG2ccqsl-6DVDxtnGUm_xuTjqUI2p7urN2OGFFcuL3yeySLF9bW1yzGCNo5Dax9B8ZCAVEnDni7rYqv9vkZOElT_F_2Cc3gx8-cpApmAy_vyrbu0f_foP9sGrA8/s3166/IMG_5943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="3166" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XufVlprn-Aju7Xp3mG2ccqsl-6DVDxtnGUm_xuTjqUI2p7urN2OGFFcuL3yeySLF9bW1yzGCNo5Dax9B8ZCAVEnDni7rYqv9vkZOElT_F_2Cc3gx8-cpApmAy_vyrbu0f_foP9sGrA8/w640-h200/IMG_5943.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuatau anchorage at the south end of Raiatea.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1CkNPYzRK2-qMc34guxJhQQ7DOx4&ll=13.737108115728235%2C0.9339706000000092&z=2" target="_blank">Taipans Anchorages</a><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Taipan?windSymbol=WindStreamlines&weatherSource=ECMWF&mapMode=useGoogle" target="_blank">Taipans Tracker</a><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, we await the completion of a few repairs whilst enjoying some air-conditioning and a little very careful retail therapy and social interactions with a couple of other boats.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Best wishes to everyone for a jolly ol' festive season wherever you may be. Be safe.</span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-tyXiOpv7ZKgBYvDHOlTvN5psRBEKTRzMHHMVluR-cZ4rsXUdISVyNrz1n5heohi4HZ8WrOCyWtarQ5p5Zc-R1iKuwYwJ-B1FTRTltXp9XbDUrGl-SgHbTahOd3tyB870RK3s73FyCY/s1125/Andre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="1125" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-tyXiOpv7ZKgBYvDHOlTvN5psRBEKTRzMHHMVluR-cZ4rsXUdISVyNrz1n5heohi4HZ8WrOCyWtarQ5p5Zc-R1iKuwYwJ-B1FTRTltXp9XbDUrGl-SgHbTahOd3tyB870RK3s73FyCY/w640-h462/Andre.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raiatea Southern End<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andre and his family farm a little further inland and opposite the Botanic Gardens. He welcomes visitors and sells fruits and vegetables in season, as well as providing an interesting free tour.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br style="text-align: justify;" /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3VPEBQ7BzWQyHPog1bsAbZmyMixF7KmofD2OdXvFbPuuT2v5aUfULYeYvrKGyYF1L_EYN0tvQVPwOr3_6LWpO7VuTk22L94grm2WoVb8V0SyEW-CjOdS3RXIwLwhbrg28lLv5VV8Pfk/s2048/Blog-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3VPEBQ7BzWQyHPog1bsAbZmyMixF7KmofD2OdXvFbPuuT2v5aUfULYeYvrKGyYF1L_EYN0tvQVPwOr3_6LWpO7VuTk22L94grm2WoVb8V0SyEW-CjOdS3RXIwLwhbrg28lLv5VV8Pfk/w640-h384/Blog-003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.dreamyachtcharter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Guide_DYC_Anglais_March_2016.pdf" target="_blank">Cruising Guide by Dream Yacht Charters for Raiatea, Bora Bora, Tahaa, Huahine.</a><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></p>Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-65858509662640487142020-09-03T03:31:00.000+07:002020-09-03T03:31:13.202+07:00SAILING THE SOCIETY ISLANDS. PRIVILEGE IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES 1st September 2020<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrd0NN9dKcDTKuNHK6xHWrRPbfn5Wm_hh52Gza1kiYFpsCWvp0_rpIsZ0G1FKokZPd6Yj1M8ct8_u1PRPZW0-fOC1NafWneBKtL_x8-enWB6P5os7IspLh4syQ1lJbxF_JSB8di95nLdo/s2048/IMG_0937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrd0NN9dKcDTKuNHK6xHWrRPbfn5Wm_hh52Gza1kiYFpsCWvp0_rpIsZ0G1FKokZPd6Yj1M8ct8_u1PRPZW0-fOC1NafWneBKtL_x8-enWB6P5os7IspLh4syQ1lJbxF_JSB8di95nLdo/w800-h600/IMG_0937.JPG" title="Marae at Huahine" width="800" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Marae at Huahine</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">I left you with the news that we were headed from Morea to Tahiti to commence departure planning, implying that we were heading to Australia. This was definitely the plan at the time</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbrMNb6QWFbpT7CaFvyAAKAGPQ-YEOkJiPGavcEojf4s-5HpQJHLYRbLRSMd42VveJk4K4E4BJsh3DSS14yaPGpnj1KlBG-vOgYWINUTt1Vth4OUtGBaimIIeTKdkDtmlp9K3Kae8nF8/s2048/IMG_5430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1669" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbrMNb6QWFbpT7CaFvyAAKAGPQ-YEOkJiPGavcEojf4s-5HpQJHLYRbLRSMd42VveJk4K4E4BJsh3DSS14yaPGpnj1KlBG-vOgYWINUTt1Vth4OUtGBaimIIeTKdkDtmlp9K3Kae8nF8/s640/IMG_5430.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Kris n David Island style</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So much has already been written about the difficulties encountered around the world during the pandemic but we've been fortunate to be in French Polynesia throughout. We were lucky to not be separated in different countries when I had to fly back to Western Australia in January and then encountered difficulties with my return due to a Visa mix up. An injury forced us to rush to Tahiti from Nuku Hiva, causing us to miss the Tuamotos, a vast cruising area of atolls to the east of Tahiti.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZnt1HWtZZk82Jze_HQgG_MXdzzr4pxN38cq5Iwn1mb05K4Rbsme9ZFa2FD3KKm7Fz5qizUgrXdbym-IUqlQ34RCEd9BJq0LAGjfjPCDTU2hYnRy5lI5nha8H7jlewY7-gzmbGtOxO8M/s823/Huahini+to+Raiatea+.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="823" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZnt1HWtZZk82Jze_HQgG_MXdzzr4pxN38cq5Iwn1mb05K4Rbsme9ZFa2FD3KKm7Fz5qizUgrXdbym-IUqlQ34RCEd9BJq0LAGjfjPCDTU2hYnRy5lI5nha8H7jlewY7-gzmbGtOxO8M/s640/Huahini+to+Raiatea+.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tracks between Huahine and Raitea Tahaa. </div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Subsequent lockdown in Papeete coincided with my back injury recovery and thus didn't inconvenience us much at all. We were able to fit in annual bottom maintenance on the hard before the end of lockdown. We were ready to head out as soon as it was announced that travel within the Archipelago was permitted. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdGW5CZZT1F0qTrDoa94Eiu42wNjtwcvV2D8vLWz3psRjvBpnbO3RYr2_lINfyTG1iAYp8p_yoFZa85mYv6xlsqepG9_aoEfd4hb-m57RZFbzb9Z0_tXEcMSrJ8bhDrVEWRuHgzpTng0/s2048/IMG_4532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdGW5CZZT1F0qTrDoa94Eiu42wNjtwcvV2D8vLWz3psRjvBpnbO3RYr2_lINfyTG1iAYp8p_yoFZa85mYv6xlsqepG9_aoEfd4hb-m57RZFbzb9Z0_tXEcMSrJ8bhDrVEWRuHgzpTng0/s640/IMG_4532.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To stay or to go??</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Our first destination was Moorea, just a 15nm west. Then our promised return to Tahiti. By now French Polynesia was totally CV19 free. Everything was normal except the country was closed to the world. Destinations to the west remained closed but there were promising signs of Fiji opening up to yachts. So we decided to wait it out. With the weather particularly unfavourable because the big southerly systems heading well north this year we were pleased we did. Watching the progress of some boats which chose to head directly to Aus was enough to convince us that waiting was the better option. Added to the long sail, Australias forced Quarantine for all international arrivals without any consideration of sea time was another reason for delaying our departure. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXDYIZfBL8FDlcK83Ttxvo_m8lwW33uqx6vwi25Y16jKPzOt-iJWtAWDlv4_JZBJUVjAOgpf_RAw6-KJoHzffpdWmQyqg37ZKh7tweV0qdNR4UH430R4J_R44r5P7ZJ4Q-HPR8fOBDFc/s2048/IMG_4485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiXDYIZfBL8FDlcK83Ttxvo_m8lwW33uqx6vwi25Y16jKPzOt-iJWtAWDlv4_JZBJUVjAOgpf_RAw6-KJoHzffpdWmQyqg37ZKh7tweV0qdNR4UH430R4J_R44r5P7ZJ4Q-HPR8fOBDFc/s640/IMG_4485.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My ideal beach shack</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Australian Border Force regulations count sea time from the last port but Health Authorities in each state has been given the power to impose their own rules. Their stupidity would choke a horse!! One couple spent 35 days alone at sea, nonstop from Tahiti (COVID Free for 2 months), and were forced to quarantine in a Queensland hotel for 14 days. This was not an isolated incident. The rules were not applied consistently and occasionally we would hear of sailors who were not forced to quarantine on arrival. The application of the rules seems indiscriminate which is also very annoying.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyp_7mtKOdPjg9mDUYHHtQ8r2wyYKo_mjGt7qbF_C6n7o_bz7H2i8Mw_roDElEryofAbkn4SQfD5x7284fvDk-bLdjn8A4o8kC-0wWIfnvd2B0mg5T9jks1BbVVy-GqZWhYsvJ38AZuU/s541/Huahinie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Huahine" border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="511" height="676" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyp_7mtKOdPjg9mDUYHHtQ8r2wyYKo_mjGt7qbF_C6n7o_bz7H2i8Mw_roDElEryofAbkn4SQfD5x7284fvDk-bLdjn8A4o8kC-0wWIfnvd2B0mg5T9jks1BbVVy-GqZWhYsvJ38AZuU/w639-h676/Huahinie.png" title="Huahine" width="639" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our current anchorage is the red spot at the bottom. Avea bay</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">So here we are, still in French Polynesia, which has opened borders and has CV cases rising. Were are not worried about that so much, as we are fortunate to be able to keep contact to a real minimum. Huahine is located 86nm NW of Morea and we made the overnight passage arriving on July 5th Huahine has a population of only 6000. There is an excellent supermarket and we try to load up and stay on anchor somewhere remote for weeks at a time.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0t1s31WAnkFSRcMzbEcgxR1BtscSCq9576LaX4kcX7XwhTSOPuHf07QhYwQxPRpUP2Oakgl8fA7iIyFKa9tqg0aR-db8lNf7R9bjSDMlsoZsbRSJtdJ9erR79KjFa1E8kPYn45at68Ks/s603/0e9cb191-f537-421b-89c0-6e4aec86ae32+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0t1s31WAnkFSRcMzbEcgxR1BtscSCq9576LaX4kcX7XwhTSOPuHf07QhYwQxPRpUP2Oakgl8fA7iIyFKa9tqg0aR-db8lNf7R9bjSDMlsoZsbRSJtdJ9erR79KjFa1E8kPYn45at68Ks/s0/0e9cb191-f537-421b-89c0-6e4aec86ae32+2.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Taipan is visited by whales in Fare, The small town on Huahine</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Our favourite bay, Avea, is at the southern end of the island and it has a long white sandy beach with a few houses and a resort, La Mahana, which also welcomes yachties.... (we don't frequent it now the tourists are back.) The entire island is surrounded by fringing reef providing excellent protection from swell. There's a road right around and not a lot of traffic so maybe the bikes will come out soon. Within the bay and only meters from Taipan is some satisfactory snorkelling in warm clear water where we can happily while away several hours every day. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8J2fCkfqCxW2BrPFS8QwD6ZSFpvcLRyGNcHMTgBS0c7d-3QkgfhCDeXSBXX-Tp9FkCv5yzm4A5QLPZNJFcJZ8Gd-l_y7HyS310QKYwD1nPgLRWz5Qeki4Y4-vXTjEWurgC9cqk5jkaDE/s2048/IMG_5379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8J2fCkfqCxW2BrPFS8QwD6ZSFpvcLRyGNcHMTgBS0c7d-3QkgfhCDeXSBXX-Tp9FkCv5yzm4A5QLPZNJFcJZ8Gd-l_y7HyS310QKYwD1nPgLRWz5Qeki4Y4-vXTjEWurgC9cqk5jkaDE/s640/IMG_5379.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: center;">Cruisers gathered aboard Taipan for sundowners.</div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Just 30 miles west is a double island with an enclosed reef Raiatea and Tahaa offer a little more facilities with a couple of marinas and boatyards. There are airports out of most islands except Tahaa which is only a short boat ride from Raiatea airport. A lot of charter boats operate out of Raiatea. From Raiatea to Bora Bora its only 16nm but we've not ventured there yet. It's not a very cruiser friendly destination. No anchoring and quite steep fees for the moorings.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJn832RpLkgn7arCQpf4Y1t060E61Zoj1oi-LrbEYOHnBVgqLMFVJ1B0MzyF5zpOWqS4PcnaNxkBUTXmxClKfvxrcj7upPCJdKlFSAslkquFXlaJa9whoqiVYIcXBFkVIM7ZFXBRQQ2Q/s2048/IMG_8018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJn832RpLkgn7arCQpf4Y1t060E61Zoj1oi-LrbEYOHnBVgqLMFVJ1B0MzyF5zpOWqS4PcnaNxkBUTXmxClKfvxrcj7upPCJdKlFSAslkquFXlaJa9whoqiVYIcXBFkVIM7ZFXBRQQ2Q/w600-h800/IMG_8018.JPG" width="600" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Crystal clear water.</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Huahine like most islands has its ancient stone ceremonial sites called Marae. On an afternoon drive with some new friends we met in the resort before the tourists were allowed back we visited some of these sites. They are quite different from the sites in Tahiti. It's incredible to think these huge stones were assembled with no machinery. Lots of slaves I think!. Aside from the Maraes we also visited the Rum distillery in Fare the only town on the island. Chocolate Rum!! Yum</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">For now, we remain in Huahine and wait to see how the rest of the world, particularly Australia and the countries to the west of us, Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu, handle the CV situation. Cyclone season commences on Nov 1st which means we have to head directly to Australia or back East and north. Maybe as far as the Marquesas again. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Watch this space.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEBI_knKinIanHKnhS0Gn6bMLip7MpJYbLqW9tdl66I0A8GB-_ifdIGJaLWf1NkeVSIP7i7bV9y-3iQ-M0zvmfWdJ_d1WsDmydqM7-zfhqiHiGkYPcl9Zjzc5Jfyz4ZNMswToM4VR4BU/s3222/IMG_5616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="3222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEBI_knKinIanHKnhS0Gn6bMLip7MpJYbLqW9tdl66I0A8GB-_ifdIGJaLWf1NkeVSIP7i7bV9y-3iQ-M0zvmfWdJ_d1WsDmydqM7-zfhqiHiGkYPcl9Zjzc5Jfyz4ZNMswToM4VR4BU/s640/IMG_5616.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0Huahinie French Polynesia-16.800856 -151.0066799-16.833721081760388 -151.04101217539062 -16.767990918239612 -150.97234762460937tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-4648038222432139872020-06-07T01:25:00.003+07:002020-06-16T10:26:52.562+07:00RELEASED FROM THE LOCKUPJune 5th 2020<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlT_VGT9f3_0ix4b1ZNP259Ya8czYv1_JD9NpE3jcLBLk68tbbRVwPan-8H3U9EEvJadXUggegR8b3NfkH176PXmooF1xWQDPYYR4QPjs4ovYW1Xivd-p9q8wd6ItgG1iHvbXAgwCOt3g/s1600/IMG_4605+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1600" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlT_VGT9f3_0ix4b1ZNP259Ya8czYv1_JD9NpE3jcLBLk68tbbRVwPan-8H3U9EEvJadXUggegR8b3NfkH176PXmooF1xWQDPYYR4QPjs4ovYW1Xivd-p9q8wd6ItgG1iHvbXAgwCOt3g/s640/IMG_4605+copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tahiti Airport Anchorage towards Morea.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a very long period of confinement from10th March to 30th of April, we have emerged from hibernation.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Coast of Tahiti</td></tr>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tahiti recorded 60 CV19 cases and one hospitalized with no deaths, so it was very well handled and Tahiti and Morea were the only two islands amongst the hundreds comprising French Polynesia to record cases. An early case in Fakarava was airlifted to Tahiti and didn’t spread and a late case was airlifted to a Tahiti from an Ecuadorian Fishing boat near NukuHiva and the boat was sent back to Ecuador there have been no new cases for about one month.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only 1 barnacle!!</td></tr>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The lockdown was pretty similar to most places I think. We had to have ID on us if we left the boat and no stores except essential grocery, fuel, pharmacy, etc only one person was permitted to shop from any lockdown group. There was a special form we had to fill out for every visit ashore which stated place of residence, time of departure, intended destination, etc and two hours was maximum time allowed. No alcohol sales at all. David only made two trips to the grocery. I swam against the wall beside the boat most days as waking was still a challenge. At the end of May they lifted that restriction to sales Monday to Thursday. No weekend sales There was also an 8am to 5 am curfew lifted at the end of April<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That darn ladder!</td></tr>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first job, once we were let loose, was to get Taipans ass out of the water and replace her cutlass bearing. That’s a tube thingy that fits over the propeller shaft inside another thing and stops it clanking when we have to motor. So while she was out David also splashed some antifoul paint on in an attempt to dissuade critters that like to freeload on boats and in so doing can cause the boat go very slow, dragging all that crap through the water, and we don’t want that.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbuSPBpT-3YP1P5HvT8WXwj6NKscz8dakzXQovnW4A_MVMh0XMJALlGiPkWPN9OnikzcMXyV9RhyOVShHjHTsBaPvwb2QJOxK2TMzoPY6_kQKzIoFU6qNIfIHM0vV7JhW4t1xP8-8a_o/s1600/locked+down-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbuSPBpT-3YP1P5HvT8WXwj6NKscz8dakzXQovnW4A_MVMh0XMJALlGiPkWPN9OnikzcMXyV9RhyOVShHjHTsBaPvwb2QJOxK2TMzoPY6_kQKzIoFU6qNIfIHM0vV7JhW4t1xP8-8a_o/s640/locked+down-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Technimarine hardstand was very good. Their travel lift team were professional and the yard very clean. Pity about the bathrooms. It’s a high dock, however, so we were forced to remove our forestay to enable the lift to get our keel high enough to clear the edge. Lucky we extended the backstay in the UK which now provides enough thread to loosen it without having to remove it entirely, making removing the forestay, furler and sail intact, a much simpler job now.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tahiti Graffiti</td></tr>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We stayed aboard for the duration; up Monday and relaunch Thursday and it was ok. This was the last 4 days of full lockdown and everything was very quiet but we were able to get the required supplies for painting etc. My back has improved and the ladder was good exercise.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan in Cooks Bay</td></tr>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After launching we took off around the island and tried unsuccessfully to catch a fish on our way to the lagoon and we anchored near the airport with a big group of other stranded yachts. No boats were allowed to move without express permission until Mid May. The Hotel California Cruising Net on VHF each morning was our source of local news and provided entertainment each evening either with Quiz shows, Dingy Raft-Up get together with social distancing or later dingy-in Movie nights with a movie showing on the aft of a big catamaran and everyone snuggled in their dingy. We missed those because we left for Moorea about 14 nm west beforehand to rendezvous with old sailing palls Sal and John Potter on Capal Mara. A good two weeks of catching up saw the total and simultaneous destruction of the cellar and our livers.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaURziVHzJBOvn9bB3tCmM_86BqgWwvsHZkfbZhEpeAOSa7eihUkgyii8yEo5h3YRNZIsfPQgnhKyR6nnPIfhxMEMFCgiPG-Mm1gEXVeXRIJX283-mSTSfjhOqzQFUcTKSrM5bT7KuUPc/s1600/IMG_5136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaURziVHzJBOvn9bB3tCmM_86BqgWwvsHZkfbZhEpeAOSa7eihUkgyii8yEo5h3YRNZIsfPQgnhKyR6nnPIfhxMEMFCgiPG-Mm1gEXVeXRIJX283-mSTSfjhOqzQFUcTKSrM5bT7KuUPc/s640/IMG_5136.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooks Bay</td></tr>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The anchorage at Cooks Bay, famous for a visit by the good Captain Cook, is a superb anchorage deeply cut into the interior with high mountains each side, and with good fringing reef protection from the sea<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We have been here social distancing for three weeks, and with no sign of any of the island groups between </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent restaurant in Cooks Bay</td></tr>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">French Polynesia and Australia opening their borders any time soon it has become inevitable that the passage back will be a long one. Cairns is roughly 3700nm from here and that could take up to 30 days if winds are fickle and possibly less if we see good consistent breezes.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTd0Gd8PaJJnL0CP-ixo-4ziw6_6GTiGHkVPTPOAoOJnb2ETqp9qA8vyoZN8-ry0daK2ntBaGynrYTs6gUmCL6xecmj67_Rf4EosL0jHeFJDdrwNVFeoLqwJNNp1CHwhqkZWEZrZX7Gc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-06-06+at+7.21.16+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1412" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKTd0Gd8PaJJnL0CP-ixo-4ziw6_6GTiGHkVPTPOAoOJnb2ETqp9qA8vyoZN8-ry0daK2ntBaGynrYTs6gUmCL6xecmj67_Rf4EosL0jHeFJDdrwNVFeoLqwJNNp1CHwhqkZWEZrZX7Gc/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-06-06+at+7.21.16+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On Sunday we plan to return to Tahiti and start clearance procedures. Stay tuned for departure. You can follow our progress on the Iridium tracking site. It’s live and shows the weather in real-time. See you on the other side<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View into Cooks bay from the back door</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now in Papeete Marina. Tahiti. Waiting for a weather window.<br /></td></tr>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0Aéroport international Tahiti, Faaa, French Polynesia-17.551435541909548 -149.612809678125-18.036131541909548 -150.25825667812498 -17.066739541909548 -148.967362678125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-85365848255226677642020-03-24T05:12:00.000+07:002020-03-26T06:48:21.768+07:00PARADISE LOST MARCH 24th 2020<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_SMp79WEHrDUvFp9Z6PTb0I3dlcJ2lzdOi0_SwNmimM-pkfvDmOeWXlqIWDKqx2cNu-Qx4hVokIkNGLGnp-qV7oecotTi9Gr6jJBLtueP2VSVFVLO6ff4kyEIQHbk7PF3I3pdO7RMfM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-12-22+at+19.24.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="438" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA_SMp79WEHrDUvFp9Z6PTb0I3dlcJ2lzdOi0_SwNmimM-pkfvDmOeWXlqIWDKqx2cNu-Qx4hVokIkNGLGnp-qV7oecotTi9Gr6jJBLtueP2VSVFVLO6ff4kyEIQHbk7PF3I3pdO7RMfM/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-12-22+at+19.24.37.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well, what a difference a day makes!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We are better off than many. Taipan is tied up in Tiana Marina in Tahiti French Polynesia. It's cool with the air-con on and we've dock water and electricity. There are a lot of worse places to be. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taina Marina Papeete Tahiti</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A lot has happened since my last post in early November.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First, there was my birthday and a beautiful locally carve bowl from Nuku Hiva was a lovely surprise from David.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In early December, Ua Pou hosted the fabulous Festival of Marquesas. Ou Pou is a small but spectacular island with large volcanic cores piercing the skyline and is situated just 25nm south of Nuku Hiva. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hakahetau anchorage. Ua Pou Marquesas.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After one aborted attempt to anchor in the tenuous bay at Hakahetau, we did get a spot and were able to attend the events. This required a lot of planning. The break on the dock where we had to land dinghies was at times, furious, and required supreme agility to scale the concrete pier to safety between swells and the return in the dead of night, was just as exciting. We all had to deploy stern anchors, as the swell inside the bay was big and the anchorage very tight. A lot of boats had turned up to go to the festival.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXLggohABNVJzBIggl9T2LDwdp-tmR0y6r1khl-1ddazzMr2b6Ocs5SOG1kilCqKBuA5ZYjs_xDUbkOpDU0rC4uyKZku1YRvoZCUaCF-Kln129krxDIV-dthC8nMon6vcgOOZyzukQFo/s1600/P1130025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1600" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXLggohABNVJzBIggl9T2LDwdp-tmR0y6r1khl-1ddazzMr2b6Ocs5SOG1kilCqKBuA5ZYjs_xDUbkOpDU0rC4uyKZku1YRvoZCUaCF-Kln129krxDIV-dthC8nMon6vcgOOZyzukQFo/s640/P1130025.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a fine day with no swell, it was lovely.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The small village of Hakahetau with beautiful gardens and fruit trees and a small supermarket provided a friendly welcome. We did some walks into the mountains to explore the ancient house platforms, pae pae, and to see a waterfall.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herve waterfall and some remains of a once-thriving village.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These islands were first inhabited between AD900 and 1100, were once heavily populated but over 90% were wiped out by disease when whalers, missionaries, navies and traders arrived in the 1700 and 1800s. A reminder of what the world faces today! There are numerous remnants of archaeological importance all over the archipelago, with house platforms, sacrifice sites and meeting place platforms scattered throughout the island's valleys.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rapanui dancers</td></tr>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">A link to New York Times travel blog. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/travel/13explorer.html"><span class="s2" style="color: #e4af0a;">https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/travel/13explorer.html</span></a></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: left;">. And a link to a brief explanation in Lonely Planet <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/french-polynesia/the-marquesas/background/history/a/nar/a074c10d-5189-4eff-b244-0a888a32a57d/362943"><span class="s2" style="color: #e4af0a;">https://www.lonelyplanet.com/french-polynesia/the-marquesas/background/history/a/nar/a074c10d-5189-4eff-b244-0a888a32a57d/362943</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The festival itself was exceptional. It's only held every 4 years and involves teams from each of the 6 inhabited<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Islands. This year a guest appearance, and one of the highlights, was a small team from Rapanui. (Easter Island, Not a Marquesan Island. Chile), The Island groups of up to 100 participants practice for months and the final effect is an outstanding celebration of traditional music, costumes and dance. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge drums beet out frantic rhythm for the dancers</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The event was held over 4 days, and often well into the night, at Hakahau, an hour each way from our anchorage, by taxi, over rough gravel roads. We had watched several practice sessions in Nuku Hiva but were unprepared for the diversity and scale of the event. In the hot sun, teams often danced and sang for over an hour each. Check out the photos and I will also try to load some video.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZGLNHwgjVZk_4mTpXKXdrZdAdd3LRVI-dvpg4ckwsFGOaM2-0YVT3KBEfDlafXKUECbEGD0dpz4EQcjOj5LOvQXoGiiS3YacWYfsaQtGR1ebP58J1_gEc4OnJ3JPYHgXcma3aVa-rXU/s1600/P1130743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1165" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZGLNHwgjVZk_4mTpXKXdrZdAdd3LRVI-dvpg4ckwsFGOaM2-0YVT3KBEfDlafXKUECbEGD0dpz4EQcjOj5LOvQXoGiiS3YacWYfsaQtGR1ebP58J1_gEc4OnJ3JPYHgXcma3aVa-rXU/s400/P1130743.JPG" width="291" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Returning to Nuku Hiva and Tahoe Bay after the festival, we prepared for Xmas, with friends flying in from Tahiti to join us, and another Australian boat, Perigee. Taipan and Perigee shared the preparation and venues for an all Australian Xmas. Everything was done to excess as it usually is and our livers may never fully recover.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the midst of this frivolity, I received news that my father was seriously ill. Sadly I didn't make it home before he passed, aged 97 and having lived a full and active life. He passed in his home on the farm. I flew back to Australia immediately anyway, arriving on New Years Day. Here I caught up with family and friends after a horror 50-hour trip. I spent 3 weeks in Mount Barker, WA, with my brother. Between jobs, we fed cows and had a fly over the countryside and the coast in Vern's Cessna A real highlight.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quarenup/ The old quarantine station in Albany. May have to be re opened</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catching up with family.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKHq3XxCiRZq67hPKp1wXs8ASG0hGz1MOTz1BvecjprhQT6yyDzqY3NrtEQ6aw76_TAthIEt3_u8TUQSrvwY34NIUCDlIZwqB3qhSDSFpsy3UlQ3HRiuTGXqZUiC4YbvcYXIfdtWO014/s1600/IMG_4052+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="953" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKHq3XxCiRZq67hPKp1wXs8ASG0hGz1MOTz1BvecjprhQT6yyDzqY3NrtEQ6aw76_TAthIEt3_u8TUQSrvwY34NIUCDlIZwqB3qhSDSFpsy3UlQ3HRiuTGXqZUiC4YbvcYXIfdtWO014/s320/IMG_4052+2.JPG" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was even a ride with my grandaughter.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As I left Tahiti I had a nasty surprise at the immigration counter and was told I would not be allowed to return as my Visa was expired. Another long story. There were long days and longer skype calls between myself and David who was all alone in Nuku Hiva without any way to leave without triggering the same problem. Nowhere to leave Taipan as cyclone season was in full swing. After a lot of anxiety and tears, we managed to get a Recepisse. (all in French) A document which should have been issued to us when The Haute Commissioner was in receipt of our Long Stay Visa Documentation which we had lodged in October. We were unaware of the Recepisse document. Anyway, it all smoothed out and on the 21st of January, I flew back as far as Auckland before</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I was stopped and they refused to let me board my Tahiti flight... There ensued a lengthy and sometimes heated exchange between myself and several of the international flight desk staff before a French-speaking staff member was dredged up from a backroom and having read my documentation, promptly stamped me and gave me a boarding pass. By now my stress levels and my temper were almost at the same level!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drive back down into Taohoe Bay Nuku Hiva. The Canyon</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">David met me in Tahiti and we enjoyed a couple of nights aboard Capal Mara at Tiana Marina with our good friends John and Sal before returning to Taipan in Nuka Hiva Another 5-hour flight.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The magnificent and wild hinterlands of Nuku Hiva.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homecoming flowers from my Captain.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All seemed to be sweet. Life was good. I was home. Unpacking completed and just settling in when I felt a painful pop in my back. Taking it easy for a few days it didn't seem to improve it, and by day five it was the weekend and the pain was pretty extraordinary. Day 6 I decided to go to the doctor the following day. Monday, I was just too sore so delayed. By Tuesday I just had to make the effort to get into the dingy and get to the hospital. Well, that came to a grinding halt on the dock because by then I couldn’t walk at all. A lovely local spotted the problem and promptly grabbed his vehicle and raced David and me to emergency. Short story. I was in there for 14 days. The pain was excruciating and it took three days to get some control. The staff at the Louis<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Rollins hospital in Nuku Hiva were outstanding and Doctors including several specialists, also very very good. After a fortnight I could walk about 10 meters if I remained bent at 45°. Without CT or MRI the hospital could provide no diagnosis. They only had X-ray and couldn’t determine what nerve damage I had sustained. Our Travel Insurance, Total Insurance Direct (Aust) would not consent to fly me to Tahiti for diagnosis so back to the boat I went.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In happier days with Janika off Leela after our workshop making floral head pieces.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a week aboard, the father of our very good sailing friends from SY Sentijn, ( <a href="https://sentijn.wordpress.com/"><span class="s2" style="color: #e4af0a;">https://sentijn.wordpress.com</span></a><span class="s4" style="text-decoration-line: underline;"> ) </span>USA, flew to Nuku Hiva from California on 12 hours notice to help us sail Taipan to Tahiti. My vets from Capal Mara had been consulting during the whole 'de bark al' and had advised "cage rest" so I was duly confined to the cabin, while David and Tim wrestled with Taipan alone!! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David and Tim arrive to take me to Tahiti.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We left Nuku Hiva in very light conditions on February 24th and motored almost the whole<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>780 nm. We did stop in Fakarava for 24 hours to await the passing of a trough with lots of wind and rain. From Fakarava to Tahiti it was a little rough with the remnant swell providing some unpleasant roll. Overall, they made a pretty fine show of it without me and I will be eternally grateful to Tim Pennington for making the long mercy dash to assist.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many highly decorative buildings in Papeete</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Several specialist appointments and a CT scan revealed a herniated disk and nerve impingement in my lower back. (Insurance had gone to ground and we expect they are busy right now) I was advised to have a spinal injection and expect to go to surgery, due to the severity but in the next few days I had some signs of improvement then the COVID19 thing went berserk so I elected to keep clear of the hospital and see how much improvement I could get.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gathered with Capal Mara and Perigee.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's nearly 3 weeks since we arrived in Tahiti and I'm walking better and the pain has decreased. Beyond that, the Virus has gone mad and the world governments responses have followed far too slowly in my humble opinion. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inventory of onboard stores before lockdown.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">David and I jumped into isolation as soon as we heard that countries were closing borders so as of today we've been in isolation aboard Taipan since the 10th of March and are asymptomatic. Only on the 21st of March Tahiti closed everything down with 23 confirmed cases and a population of roughly 190,000 people. Everyone except</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> for essential services is</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> home isolated </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">for 14 days.....</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">including schools!…. We are provisioned aboard for about 4 months if necessary and will wait and see how it all pans out before we will know what our options are. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6jXhyFETIoVzNLUzcQOLI4svJJvAsfEPXlKeNZitahkVyWnLkR4L_pXY_n-LxRFffLSz4vrNDUCmTO1OjKWQdcq9p7UVm4YLJfseGBc-yv6D04A_M_c7nIr_hXyaMqZSe6hlBcSaAQ0/s1600/IMG_3353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6jXhyFETIoVzNLUzcQOLI4svJJvAsfEPXlKeNZitahkVyWnLkR4L_pXY_n-LxRFffLSz4vrNDUCmTO1OjKWQdcq9p7UVm4YLJfseGBc-yv6D04A_M_c7nIr_hXyaMqZSe6hlBcSaAQ0/s640/IMG_3353.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe we will get a tattoo!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We’ve been in French Polynesia since last October. The Authorities here have advises that we can stay but must remain isolated aboard. That isn’t a problem for us. We are not permitted to swim off the boat though and that's a pain when my back could have really benefited! We can find jobs aboard to do to keep us busy. Trips to the supermarket will be allowed with strict guidelines and you must carry ID and show a special form, but we won’t have to do that any time soon.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjSMzrSvQIHmMe32Zq2_1ahs2WlE6swUDHLC7Od3uOo-mot42sFdzwZpUMFn5vy8z0UJI5vHY0m1T8E8LiuOcrGUYiujCd26n9LLQg6TGD9grZMyvesU4b6nz81SIiXV1S1Me0LdYgLA/s1600/P1120792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1021" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjSMzrSvQIHmMe32Zq2_1ahs2WlE6swUDHLC7Od3uOo-mot42sFdzwZpUMFn5vy8z0UJI5vHY0m1T8E8LiuOcrGUYiujCd26n9LLQg6TGD9grZMyvesU4b6nz81SIiXV1S1Me0LdYgLA/s640/P1120792.JPG" width="408" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have no set plans. At the moment all we could do is head straight to Australia direct. All the other countries are closed to yachts. 3700nm to Cairns! so like everyone else we sit tight, stay home and wait!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Stay safe and well everyone.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOoYM_plKPwtMZQkHFQoC6K3nK3x19LjLFXcMO6hoQjGxrRTGVQ4X9sCXE9Eyrnyg?key=NVItOVNZdXI1aEhXeEwxM1BRd1lWSkltZ2lyYmJn" target="_blank">Click here to open a new page with more photos.</a></span></span></div>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-47496910931136600022019-11-06T04:45:00.000+07:002020-03-26T05:24:48.446+07:00BACK IN PARADISE. November 7th 2019<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 16.1px; text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU2sNaXTYmXzf6Em-YSsCOJJC7dgE5b2T_s8y-NaF3V_OaxC0rINHRZcRNPwdyoQ521THlvlDlOaqbLLjXyB4w1Lo8xqhlikEdjecFho5VI4aFqRwVHmD26L8v29RSchOQnPEwSt4QnM/s1600/IMG_2951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU2sNaXTYmXzf6Em-YSsCOJJC7dgE5b2T_s8y-NaF3V_OaxC0rINHRZcRNPwdyoQ521THlvlDlOaqbLLjXyB4w1Lo8xqhlikEdjecFho5VI4aFqRwVHmD26L8v29RSchOQnPEwSt4QnM/s640/IMG_2951.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taohoe Bay Nuku Hiva</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">After 26 days at sea, the distant blur on the horizon was a very welcome sight. With Panama 4334 miles behind us, and on our second attempt to get to the Marquesas we had finally succeeded. Midnight arrivals seem to be a speciality and this one was easy. Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva, is the capital and French Administrative centre of the Marquesas Island group. The waving palm trees towering volcanic columns of rock and balmy temperatures seduced sailors of bygone years to jump ship and go native here.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">A long and violent history has left tall tales and grotesque archaeological remains scattered throughout. Royal roads with sculpted stone creatures along each side and dating back to who knows when.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the anchorages around Nuku Hiva</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haikaui or Daniels Bay</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">First discovered by the Spanish in 1596 or thereabouts the Marquesas was then almost undiscovered until whalers started putting into the bays for supplies. The indigenous inhabitants were not treated well and as most of history shows and relations deteriorated with horrific atrocities on both sides.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Eventually the French “pacified” the islands inhabitants and the whole area is a French Protectorate.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IxJFC07ba53vTozUCgOf8iS9zXXJ0yssAJ4CAWeRmteYKgegNYSSVILHYmDqC7_EUGx8e2_rw1plNpV5afPO-HT9w1DTmPyBzqr62kcv7AMChsSK8W3jBue2FBe8Z4Dj0Q4xigHdBq8/s1600/69AAA56C-C2D5-4DAA-96E5-F458B500238C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IxJFC07ba53vTozUCgOf8iS9zXXJ0yssAJ4CAWeRmteYKgegNYSSVILHYmDqC7_EUGx8e2_rw1plNpV5afPO-HT9w1DTmPyBzqr62kcv7AMChsSK8W3jBue2FBe8Z4Dj0Q4xigHdBq8/s640/69AAA56C-C2D5-4DAA-96E5-F458B500238C.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbU_vxw9ZsEEXeqo7TBcJ62X5RSdkpA0KTnjHsU1FKzTNVCJBYomlcKB4M6TxhnH2I5Fm_XTqMefIigpbj8nMEoeP5OpV6WtBCKKvjf3xKIioauYenfqmfZ5jbCmTP4-ZOCfhVix9BZo/s1600/IMG_4769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1600" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbU_vxw9ZsEEXeqo7TBcJ62X5RSdkpA0KTnjHsU1FKzTNVCJBYomlcKB4M6TxhnH2I5Fm_XTqMefIigpbj8nMEoeP5OpV6WtBCKKvjf3xKIioauYenfqmfZ5jbCmTP4-ZOCfhVix9BZo/s320/IMG_4769.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">The upshot is that there are great boulangerie (Bakeries) and croissants!! The five small supermarkets are well stocked and there's a fresh and vegetable market each morning. Meat is mostly imported from New Zealand so there's a good choice at a good price though. Fishermen sell their catch on the dockside each morning. Gutting and cleaning fish there attracts some large sharks so swimming by the quay is reserved for children on Sundays! </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">The bay can get rolly. Deployment of a stern anchor is the best remedy. There's a dingy dock on the northeast corner where you take your chances between fishing boats against a barnacle incrusted rough concrete wall. Here we did deploy our dingy anchor as a stern anchor to keep it clear of entanglement but there must be some whopper rocks or cables and we’ve never seen the stern anchor again!.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLBBDoKONRIw0QtoY8r_AElTG67AEhft2E06KXfcKovRFrg3F0xoXF3Y2r7dQk4GwPpU9jChmTVU_7084njfKwepL_8RLHc3tTSuy5QhqfMFa0zOTcrAeaHPoQI6qU8Lp9BGc_R50xag/s1600/IMG_0465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLBBDoKONRIw0QtoY8r_AElTG67AEhft2E06KXfcKovRFrg3F0xoXF3Y2r7dQk4GwPpU9jChmTVU_7084njfKwepL_8RLHc3tTSuy5QhqfMFa0zOTcrAeaHPoQI6qU8Lp9BGc_R50xag/s320/IMG_0465.JPG" width="214" /></a><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Ashore at the dock, there's a small eatery with wifi and Nuku Hiva Yacht Services owned by Kevin, an American ex-pat has the only decent wifi in town.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Celinas has a nice restaurant near the veggie market and Tourist Centre, just 50 meters further in. It also has half-decent wifi. No Broadband here! </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Life is slow and easy. Afternoon siesta after an early morning start is traditional. People are not walking around with their phones glued to their faces but instead strolling, talking, fishing, strumming instruments and the children are running wild and free. There are loads of children!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The costumes go on when the cruise ships arrive.</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Colete at the Tourist Centre is a wealth of information on the area and cars can be hired from around $100 per day. The island roads are notoriously steep and winding and we’ve yet to hire a car so that's for the next post.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Daniels Bay</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Daniels Bay, about 7nm west of Taiohoe lured us in for a few days rest and relaxation and to recover from the long and tedious passage. We were pretty tired and still had a few jobs to do so the leisurely pace there suited our purpose. Mile and Shelly on Libite, owners of Avatar, joined us there while they prepared Libete for delivery to Tahiti. The village has no road access and comprises just 6 or 7 houses. There's a pretty walk which leaves the beach at Daniels Bay and follows the headland around to the west where the houses are. From here the intrepid can take about a 5-hour walk, climb, scramble through mosquitos and sandflies to the most spectacular waterfall. (If there's water) We are not that intrepid preferring instead to return to Taipan for a glass of red!. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Taipans hull was disgusting after 26 days at sea. Goose barnacles had made them selves at home from the waterline almost to the toe-rail on the aft port-side and slime and filth covered the rest of the hull. I spent long hours in the water scrubbing her, only to learn later that a well known nest of hammerheads and tiger sharks reside on the far wall of the bay. Just some 500meters from where I laboured…No-one has been eaten here in a long while, we were told.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Mercury with cover I made</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">David nursed the fridge back to life gradually over the next few weeks. It was new in the Canaries!! 12 Volt Marine refrigeration is a dark art but we’ve gauges and a lot of gas so can afford to play long and hard at it! The water-maker was also giving David plenty to be going on with.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Three weeks after our arrival, and after delivery into Nuku Hiva on the fortnightly freighter from Tahiti, of our new Mercury outboard, we decided to move out and investigate a couple more bays. Grahame and Janake aboard Leela had joined us so we set off together Eastward to Controller Bay. There are 2 nice bays here, </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of Ho omie Bay by Grahame Openshaw Leela</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">The most easterly is Ho-oumi and this was our first anchorage. Very comfortable and good fishing. Ever aware of the dreaded Ciguateira though we didn’t eat any until we got the word from locals of the bay that they were safe in that particular bay. Together we took a pleasant walk up the winding road to the ridge top westward, passing many Pi-pi. These are ancient stone platforms, over a meter high, constructed with enormous boulders fitted tightly together and topped with enormous flat rocks. Palm frond houses were built on these in years gone by and the elevation prevented the ingress of pigs, goats, and water. Built along the valley, close to the stream, they would have provided relatively dry and airy platforms for living. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pi Pi One of thousands throughout the island</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">There are a surprising number of horses here. The copra farmers use them to transport bags of Copra to the road heads for transport to Taohoe where they are shipped to Tahiti for processing into oil. Copra farming is increasing as the price rises. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Those coconuts are a long way up the tall skinny trunks and have to be climbed for then knocked to the ground. Then they’re cracked open, meat extracted and smoked, in smokehouses, before sending away. The mountainous nature of the terrain in which coconuts are farmed means only horses could be used. No vehicle could access these areas. Horse owners also use them to ride and we even saw a pretty black pony in a very nice harness rig with a 4 wheel buggy. I didn’t get a photo as we were too far away but I’m on the lookout for that again. There are also several trail riding operators but having seen the saddles, I’m very reluctant to mount up! They’re not as rustic at the Galapagos outfits though.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various horses and their proud owners.</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">The other striking wildlife is the fowls. The Marquesan Chooks are famous they tell me. They’re certainly plentiful. Roosters rent the morning air with they’re raucous calls from well before sunrise and they parade in small clusters with several hens and often some small chickens. Let loose on the islands centuries ago, they have thrived and their spectacular plumage I never tire of. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">The next anchorage was just half an hour west at Taipivali. The bay was made famous by the book Typee (Herman Melville of Moby Dick fame. Free on Goodreads) In the late 1800s he lived with the Tipee for several months, after jumping ship, and writes a detailed report of his captivity. Unlike the 1800s the bay is now quiet and peaceful and instead of eating their enemy from the neighbouring bays, they play Boules with them at church fetes and take home frozen goat carcasses as prizes. This village is larger and has a small store with great apple Danish! There's a vanilla farm just out of town which we didn’t visit this time, but intend to when we do the car hire thing!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anaho Bay</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Anaho Bay on the north coast was our destination and so having spent 4 days in Controller Bay, and with very little wind forecast, we headed out onto the east coast and north for a 3 hour motor. Anaho Bay is spectacular, with giant ridges glowering over the semicircular enclosure fringed with palm trees and white sand beaches. The great ridges have gothic buttresses jutting out of them looking like some ancient fortress. </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;"></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best snorkelling was in the area marked in red.</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Once we got over the view we ventured out to snorkel in the small protected corner to the north-west of the anchorage and were rewarded day after day with plentiful fish in all the colours of the rainbow and even a bit of coral. Not a lot. The visibility wasn’t always good, but passable, and the water temperature is perfect. We lunched at the restaurant on local goat one day, which was delicious. David, Grahame and Janake walked the 5-hour walk to the neighbouring bay. Days were idled away fixing boat stuff in the mornings, swimming in the afternoons and evenings, we spent together aboard one or other boat comparing jobs, making plans and tossing back the odd Glenfiddich.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunching with Leela in Anaho Bay.</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">Two weeks slid by, Leela headed west to explore and we waited out a bit of an easterly blow. With supplies dwindling and the call of civilisation growing louder it was decided to make the trip back around to Taohoe Bay. Two beautiful weeks we’ve been in Anaho Bay with great weather and breathtaking scenery.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 14pt;">I finally worked it out. A Vini Spot card from the Post office will enable me to pick up the local WiFi hot spot aboard using the Bullet High Gain antenna. Now I have slow and expensive internet but at least I can post a few photos. </span></div>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia-8.8604808 -140.1420882-9.1114983 -140.46481169999998 -8.6094633 -139.8193647tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-15143822959025353072019-10-22T04:29:00.000+07:002020-03-26T05:23:36.567+07:00PANAMA TO MARQUESAS September October 2019<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-size: 11pt;">PANAMA TO MARQUESAS September October 2019</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">PANAMA TO MARQUESAS September October 2019</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">With repairs and maintenance all done we were ready to leave Vista Mar Marina and head into the big blue Pacific Ocean. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">The departure date was 5th September. Late in the season, but the option of staying in Panama until December or January was not attractive. We half decided to head towards mainland Ecuador and see what the wind threw at us. The first 24 hours was very light and we motored. Several grey squalls appeared on the radar but we were able to navigate around them, however, the further south we went, the harder on the wind we were forced to sail. After beating and bashing our way south for 5 days we gave up on Ecuador and turned west towards Galapagos. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Stopping in Galapagos wasn’t an option because we had previously visited and our Autograpo, ( the Ecuadorean Entry Permit) was cancelled when we left to return to Panama. To visit again we would have been required to re-apply and pay the not insubstantial fees all over again. Had not several failures conspired to force our return to Panama, we’d have enjoyed the rest and re-provisioning option provided in the Galapagos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">What follows is the daily log which pretty much summarises the passage conditions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">DAILY LOG</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Friday, Sep 6th </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">6’20,74N 79’28,78W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">We left Vista Mar Marina, just west of Panama City yesterday at 0800 local time. Conditions during the past 24 hours have been ideal for starting a long passage. Very light wind, so we’ve motored for the first 24 hours and covered a mere 130nm to the south. We didn’t even put up a sail until dusk. There was no thunderstorm activity and the day turned from very light drizzle to sunshine. This inactivity has enabled us to start our watch routine without interruption. Getting the first three days of watches established is the hardest part of all long passages for us. We’ve had the forestay replaced and a number of critical blocks renewed so lines needed to be checked to ensure they crossed each other in the right way. It’s like knitting out there on deck with preventers, (we use double preventers) two sets of sheets, jack stays, (they’re for clipping onto as you move forward up the deck) furling lines and running backstays. They all have to be deployed from time to time and their interaction with each other whilst they’re in use is important to avoid chafe amongst other things so we need to check and realign them if necessary after having everything off. The light conditions have made that an easy task. The passing of several ships in the night helped to liven things up slightly. Not that there was any need to alter course or anything, it just adds interest in an otherwise empty dark place. This morning it’s slate grey seas and skies only 8 knots of wind so we will probably be motoring again shortly </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">So in all it pretty good out here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Saturday September 7th</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">4 42.53N. 079 23.80W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Another 130nm in a southerly direction has not bought us any closer to the Marquesas which still sit 3784 nm to the west. The past 24 hours has been a mixed bag with some convective cells around. Nothing with much wind in it, but many variations in direction kept the watch person busy with course changes and sail adjustments. We had a few light showers. The moon made a brief cameo appearance from behind dense curtains of cloud at 11 pm and that was the end of that show. Sea conditions are fairly flat, maybe half a meter and no chop. Progress is slow with mostly light noserlies. The plan is flexible as we amble towards Ecuador. It will depend on how much fuel we use.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Sunday 8th September </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">03 45,51N 080 10,81W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Travelled 400nm and we are now 281nm from our departure point as the booby flies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">We are bouncing around out here now. Sea state is back up to over a meter with breaking tops and short periods so Taipan is dipping the nose in from time to time. Around 20 knots of wind and healed over with the rail mostly in the water. Makes moving around something you do with particular caution. We made another 135 in the last 24 hrs. Certainly not record-breaking stuff but we are clawing our way south to a position from which we can launch ourselves West and hopefully pick up the current, which is allegedly quite significant at up to 2 knots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Yesterday was another mixed bag with the odd wind shifts and some gloomy, rainy, poor visibility stuff. No traffic and no wildlife so it’s a bit lonely out here! We sleep a lot when not on watch, so roughly 12 hours a day at the moment. As we get into the groove that will change but for now every job is exhausting as the G forces threaten to toss you into a heap should your concentration or grip loosen. We are still at the grabbing snacks stage with a reheated, pre-cooked, frozen dinner each evening. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Nothing more to report from the big blue briny. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Monday 9th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 4 3 16,79N 81 18,07W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Coffee. Any of you who know David know that he loves good coffee and this morning, undaunted by the undue angle and irregularity of motion he proceeded with the morning ritual. Imagine standing on the back of a Ute at 40 km an hour going across a paddock full of mallee roots, standing at a stove juggling coffee grounds and a 5kg coffee machine whilst pouring milk, keeping the machine on the glass top induction cooker and cutting cake. All on a 15 deg angle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Well, an unusually large mallee root followed by the hole from which it came caused the whole shebang to get airborne. In an extraordinary juggling display, he managed to save both the milk and the coffee machine and its cooker, however, the grounds, all neatly prepared, still dry, went 360degrees with velocity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">An hour later, after splendid coffee and cake and a thorough clean up, I am still at a loss to know how such a relatively small amount of coffee grounds could infiltrate so large an area, even though louvre cupboard doors into cupboards!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">We’ve managed another 130nm day, and since leaving 530, still not getting much closer, 320nm from Vista Mar and 3623 from Nuku Hiva</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">We are still looking for the elusive west-flowing current! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Yesterday conditions improved as the wind and swell dropped enough to allow the galley to reopen for dinner. Beef casserole. Still a one-pot job though. The sun came out from time to time and by nightfall we had mostly bright stars and moonlight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Now mid-morning it’s back to 20 knots hard on the wind, some oblique countercurrent pushing us east and a bumpy ride. But the sun is shining! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">I’ve decided you need to be a very optimistic person to go sailing! Where is that current. Stay tuned. By the way any hints are welcome. We have no current, current data.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Tuesday 10th September </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">03 06’57N 083 29’09W 2200 UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Visibility is crap. It’s overcast and gloomy. There’s a sea mist and it’s quite damp. It’s very bumpy and the rail is still in the water. Enough said. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Western Honolulu, a Philippine registered bulk carrier just past astern of us, heading south. They were making it look easy. They even had a couple of deck hatches open.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">We are heading due west now so at least we are getting further from Panama and closer to the Marquesses 3462 nm west. Galapagos 437 South West. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Yesterday a wayward headsail sheet slashed a hole in the dodger quarter window and today the water-maker won’t start. Think it’s just a fuse but it too rough to check it out for now. We’re eating sleeping and hanging on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Wednesday September 11th</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 6</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">03 00,76N. 85 44,28W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">2330UTC. Heading 260 deg at 6 kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">3333nm to Nuku Hiva 476 from Vista Mar. Sailed 851nm</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Conditions have moderated a little this afternoon after peaking last night with 26kn and 2.5m seas. 18 knots close hauled doesn’t seem so bad. Seas are still up but the chop has moderated. A couple of boobies did a low pass over the bow several times before abandoning any attempt to land. They prudently decided they could drown in the attempt! Skies remain grey but it’s drier and there was an occasional glimpse of sunshine. At night now there’s a fine moon but sadly it’s been totally obscured by the dense cloud.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">David excelled in the galley this morning after deploying a strap to tie himself in. He drummed up delicious bacon, scrambled eggs and roasted tomatoes. We’ve never used a strap before, always concerned that being tied in front of the stove in rough seas could be dangerous if something hot became airborne. The stoves gimbal works well though so the danger is probably minimal. (Thanks James T for the tip)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">We hope to see a gradual wind shift towards the south and maybe even south-east in the next couple of days. That would be more comfortable. We are double reefed and have only a small handkerchief headsail. We can go faster with more sail but that becomes intolerably uncomfortable and tiring to keep up for days on end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Basically we are warm, dry, fed and well-rested, and making progress in the right direction, albeit slowly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Thursday 12th September </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 7</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">02 50,94N 88 05,10W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 266</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">2230UTC. 135nm in past 24hrs 233nm SW to SAN Cristobal Galapagos, 3193nm to Nuku Hiva. Sailed 992nm and we are 591nm from Vista Mar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">It’s still rough. Close hauled, and seas are bigger. The wind stayed around 25kn after a brief lull yesterday afternoon. A booby braved a perch on the bow overnight</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqU_X0cuSJrhUXLHICIE0BT8xUKrc0QvefKQ8wgCgglmXr33mHrl1TS70UHcU8dEpKylwKJcmCvbpwahQx-NhWkG-wqxfi0hdOzpamPSBPNnAfXUScIMWrBBzUahAPprh64VSgqJT830/s1600/IMG_2750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqU_X0cuSJrhUXLHICIE0BT8xUKrc0QvefKQ8wgCgglmXr33mHrl1TS70UHcU8dEpKylwKJcmCvbpwahQx-NhWkG-wqxfi0hdOzpamPSBPNnAfXUScIMWrBBzUahAPprh64VSgqJT830/s640/IMG_2750.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galapagos northernmost island Darwin Isl</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Friday 13th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 8</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">02 17,93N. 090 23,46W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 250</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">2230 UTC 145nm in the past 24 hours, 3048 nm to Nuku Hiva 1135 nm sailed. 732 as the booby flies from Vista Mar The northernmost Galapagos Island is 103 nm away and just south of our current course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Still hard on the wind. Wind shifting through 30 degrees as we go from 15 to 22 knots in shifts. Sail plan is a compromise with sails set for the average and we just hang on in the higher wind range and get frustrated in the lower ones! An electric headsail furler would be a nice accessory about now. Boat speed ranges from 3 knots to 8 knots in the fluctuating conditions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Overcast skies persist with occasional light drizzle reducing visibility. Rarely do we get a gap in the cloud cover enabling the sun to lighten the persistent dullness. It’s been long pants and long sleeve tops at night as it gets cooler approaching Galapagos where several ocean currents meet which caused the amazing diversity of flora and fauna to colonise and survive in these latitudes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">A few more birds about as we near land, and the big breeding colonies in the Galapagos. Frigates, Terns, Boobies, Tropic Birds. White heron type birds fish the phosphorescence at night in Taipans navigation light looms. Small black and white swifts or swallows, often in pairs, dart between the waves, just inches off the heaving iron grey surface.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">We’ve seen no dolphins or whales, ships or fishing boats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">We’d like to get into the lee of an island tomorrow to hove-too and make repairs to the water-maker. Hopefully just a fuse or air in the lines from the very bouncy passage. Meanwhile pretty severe water rations continue. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Black Friday and a full moon. No sign of any moon and let’s hope no sign of Black Friday. Galapagos sail past tomorrow hopefully. Full moon party here will be toasted sandwiches and a glass of wine! Stay tuned. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Saturday 14th September </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 9</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">01 46,93N 092 15,94W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 267 @ 7kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">2230UCT</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Sailed only 117 nm in the past 24 hours. 840 from Vista Mar 3048 to Nuku Hiva. Sailed 1252 since leaving VM </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Today was very slow. Wind died in the shadow of Galapagos and we were able to attend to the water maker. It started without incident. Seems we may have picked up bubbles because we were severely healed over and although the WM inlet is down near the keel, in the rough conditions it’s likely there were bubbles. It's working fine now anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">As we moved out from the lee of the islands the wind picked up to 20 again so we’re back close-hauled and it’s getting bumpy again. The respite was nice. We do finally have maybe a knot of friendly current thought so our spirits are lifted along with our speed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Isla Darwin, the most northern of the Galápagos Islands, was just 7 miles to the south of us. We were not close enough for a great photo but I’ll include one anyway </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">We did 1013nm to San Cristobal Galapagos on our last run this way in May, all on the wind with no autopilot. This trip has been 1252nm and rougher but with autopilot. This is now our longest close-hauled passage since purchasing Taipan in 2001. There are patches of blue above and it’s cool as we’ve hit the current. Plenty of birds fishing around us today. We’re not fishing. It’s too rough. The full moon party was good so we’ll have another one tonight </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Sunday 15th September </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 10. 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">O2 01,17N. 095 28,58W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 270</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">196nm sailed in 24 hrs. 2743 to Nuka Hiva. 1034 from VM total track 1447</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">A pleasantly surprising distance covered. Still 55 deg off the bow so rail often in the water. A minor drama this afternoon when a block holding the dingy failed. It’s all safely tied back up but one more SS failure. Wind around 17 to 20knots and seas 3m. Not a nice day for fishing! Had one flying fish and 3 squid die on deck and two Boobies roosting on the bow overnight. Quite a feat to hang on up there. A bit like the old Octopus show ground ride. Remember that? It’s still very overcast but the cloud is higher and visibility is better. We are trying to add some more south to our track but until seas die down a bit it’s very difficult. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Let’s see how we do in the next 24 hours </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Monday 16th September </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 11. 2330 UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">01 57,17N. 098 49,90W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">2819 Nm to Nuka Hiva</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Today we cracked the 200 with 207 nm under the keel. Think we’ve found some current. Still windy. 15 to 20 at 60 deg off the bow. Still hanging on</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Boobies roosted on the solar panels last night and left calling cards. A ship passed headed to Singapore and a few frigate birds circling around. Tropicbirds fishing in the moonlight last night. The nearest a Galapagos island is 414nm astern. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Another SS fitting broke on the dingy lifting system, an eye bolt snapped. Now David has drilled an extra hole and pot a big U bolt through it so that’s fixed. There is still the other side to do. We will review the whole system when we get in. This new dingy is heavier and some of the lifting fittings are ageing now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">It will be toasted sandwiches again unless the wind drops or backs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Cheers from the big blue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Tuesday 17th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 12 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">01°50’85N 102°01’54W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 260° SOG 9 knots</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">2377 to Nuka Hiva</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Today we only managed 194 as a long part of last night the wind dropped to below12 knots </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">today we tried to make water again and to our dismay, it would not start. After 5 hours of tinkering David installed a temporary diversion hose from the thru-hull directly to the Watermaker and bingo Away it went happily providing full tanks a few hours later. The problem remains. Bubbles, but from a leaking fitting… that will have to remain a mystery until we are anchored in a beautiful bay in the Marquesas. meanwhile, the diversion works. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">This morning I made a fruit cake and chocolate while David was troubleshooting. We are now out of fresh milk and its UHT from here on so Cafe Latte quality had plummeted. The only other significant activity today was removing Boobie shit from the solar panels, as we’ve had sun to use.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">There's a strange phenomenon out here. We’ve both noticed it. Occasionally, there is a strong floral aroma, really beautiful smell. We are totally mystified. Anyone have any ideas??? Maybe its when the Boobie is hiding on the solar panel doing its business?? That I doubt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Wednesday 18th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 13 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">01°22’23N 105°39’34W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 258 SPEED 9 kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">2164nm to Nuka Hiva 1617nm by boobie to Vista Mar Total sailed 2061</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">This past 24 hours has been good run with Taipan leaving 221 nm of wake behind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">The conditions have been sporty and rising to the occasion Taipan has been revelling in it. We’ve had around 13 to 17 knots on the beam and still reefed with an 80% headsail. The wind is about 70° off the bow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Well rested and well fed the crew are just along for the ride at the moment. May it continue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Thursday 19th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 14. 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">00°37’47N 107°38’56W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG230° SOG 5Kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Becalmed. Had the day off today. We only covered 114nm up to 4.30pm The wind gradually died out between 11pm and 8am. We drifted in the current for a while and did a few housekeeping chores then raised the whole main and sailed slowly south because our weather routing programme said there was more wind there. Well, they might be right. Maybe it's somewhere there, but not where we are. But who’s complaining. Beautiful blue skies and glittering blue sea with a low long period swell. Very soporific. A freighter passed by on business south somewhere and we relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful day. The fishing line has even been deployed for the first time. No fish, of course, they all swim faster than us today. Holes developing the wind ahead so might be here a while yet. That's it from Taipan today</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw5L6T3BQU32UV-m5PT2EValrYuZFUJ6Aiw9Lwav9Wqwtvv1Lc2eUEmPRQWRs0ltSE41Af_0Nv4HgjQ8EZliRMl7sLNSL3fS65Js7WJ79lG9FUnd-c-3Ohyphenhyphens3olx7l0g3eYq_2dAuKKY/s1600/panama+to+Marquesas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="1600" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqw5L6T3BQU32UV-m5PT2EValrYuZFUJ6Aiw9Lwav9Wqwtvv1Lc2eUEmPRQWRs0ltSE41Af_0Nv4HgjQ8EZliRMl7sLNSL3fS65Js7WJ79lG9FUnd-c-3Ohyphenhyphens3olx7l0g3eYq_2dAuKKY/s640/panama+to+Marquesas.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wobbly line</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Friday 20th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 15 2230UTC </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">01°06’34S 108°59’02W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 240° SOG 6 kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Another slow day. 131nm We had to motor for 15 hours as the wind died to just 3 knots. Dawn bought with it very low clouds and rain with winds up to 22knots briefly during a couple of squalls. As the day wore on, however, its cleared and we now have that lovely blue up, blue down sphere. Our 6th Equator crossing in Taipan occurred at 130am this morning. Afraid I was asleep! We changed the clock again today. Its a 5 hour time difference between Panama and Nuka Hiva so we’ve changed an hour at a time twice. 25 hour days. We are passed the halfway mark and the sailing ahead looks like it may be slow with lighter winds. Either way, we are heading in the right direction with 2088 nm to go to Nuka Hiva. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Saturday 21st September 2019</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 16 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">02°14’66S 111°15’43W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 255° SOG 6.5kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">1763 nm to Nuka Hiva</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Steady plodding today Averaged about 6.5kn. 153nm under the keel. Overcast and patchy rain with the odd period of sunshine. The wind has been mostly in the 10 to 12 range on the beam, with the occasion spike in rain patches. We shook the reef out for the day but put it back in now for the night, unsure of unpredictable squalls in the dark You can see them in daylight but even the radar will not pick them up at night unless they are quite wet. A Chinese freighter passed a mile behind us last evening but that's all we’ve seen. Haven’t had the line out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Sunday 22nd September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 17 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">03°02’34S 113°46’67W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 265 SOG 6.5</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">160nm under the keel this past 24 hours in light conditions again with wind ranging between 9 and 14 kn on the beam. Skies were clear last night and a beautiful half boat moon rose astern. I can’t recall ever seeing a half boat moon before. By dawn, it was overcast again but it dispersed throughout the day leaving a scattering of puffy clouds. Still no fishing going. Somehow we are just maintaining watches and eating and sleeping, with plenty of food aboard, the urge to fish isn’t strong. Swell is quite big, at least 3 m, but long period, making work on the deck a little precipitous. The water-maker has been running again this afternoon. It's not up to spec but probably because the temporary intake hose is a little small. All well aboard and looking at around 1591nm to Nuka Hiva.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Monday 23rd September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Dau 18 2230 UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">04°08’35S 116°21’41W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG270° SOG 7kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">1439nm to Nuka Hiva</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Bang crash snap! The wind has all but disappeared and we started motoring and turned west, at 1230 pm local time, today. There is still a big long period swell to keep us rolling and causing the sails to slap. We are making ok time at 7 kn and have put 172 nm under the keel on the past 24 hours. Its been a beautiful sunny day with sparkling blue seas and plenty of dead flying fish and squid on the deck. We have polled out the headsail but there is just not enough wind to fly it so we are ready when it comes back. Hopefully, just 24 hours of motoring should get us into some more wind. Not enough wind at the moment for a spinnaker either. We are making water again this afternoon as it got too rough and bubbles caused the thing to stop yesterday so it was not full. We actually have a lure out this afternoon but no bites so far. We’ve really settled into this now and ….. maybe we’ll just keep going! It is only 5200nm to Byron Bay!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Tuesday 24th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 19 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">04°51’20S 118°36’88W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG245° sog 6kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Same as yesterday. Still motoring for the past 28 hours. 141nm under the keel Nuku Hiva 1296nm</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Hope some wind comes in the next few hours…….. Meanwhile its another beautiful day with lots of flying fish but no fish to eat. It's warmed up with evening temperatures pleasant enough not to need longs and scarves in the cockpit. Nothing new on the big blue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Wednesday 25th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 20 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">05°53’59S 120°50’91W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 260° SOG 7kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Well, a puff of wind arrived around 10pm last evening and we killed the motor. 8 to 10 knots keep us moving without the autopilot having a meltdown so we continued at 3 and 4 knots until gradually during the day the wind has picked up. Now around 15 knots on the beam and we are now making progress again at around 7 knots towards Nuku Hiva 1161nm away. We put 149 under the keel over the previous 24 hours which was satisfactory and about all we could expect with motor. There are still no fish and now that the wind is up we have the line stowed again. It's a bit too rough for fish cleaning etc on the wing deck. the water temperature is up to 28° so we are truly out of any current now and it's back into shorts. Bright clear skies with spectacular stars last night. Try as I might, there's really nothing to report. So until tomorrow.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyy9XJ-L7TuMb1vudPp_0Y9zQQqLHinfq3I6i5xw1rL-A6ea4xE9fjVC7ctXYUtWnHi-e7z94jYKtYEE2j3Lda-fssm_Rmf-ABOjBC8DbymqnCzUj59qWFKvnq3697YsNW5wTU6U_rGQ/s1600/IMG_2830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1600" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyy9XJ-L7TuMb1vudPp_0Y9zQQqLHinfq3I6i5xw1rL-A6ea4xE9fjVC7ctXYUtWnHi-e7z94jYKtYEE2j3Lda-fssm_Rmf-ABOjBC8DbymqnCzUj59qWFKvnq3697YsNW5wTU6U_rGQ/s640/IMG_2830.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing Fatu Huku.on the last day, our first sight of French Polynesia</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Thursday 26th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 21 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">07°23’23S 123°17’18W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 260° SOG 7KN</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">173 nm under the keel in the past 24 hours. Until 1830 we had been reaching south-west but as the wind has now come more east we’ve deployed the headsail on the pole and are now wing on wing heading 260° Wind strength is around 14 to 18 kn with a decent surfing swell. Nuku Hiva is 1003 nm away. This is the first time we’ve deployed the pole on this trip. That's been a surprise as we had believed wed be doing a lot of downwind work. The strap will probably be deployed in the galley again tonight. Today has been another sunny clear warm day with no wildlife except flying fish of course. Plenty on the deck along with small squid. Now it feels like we are on the home run.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Friday 27th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 22 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">08°03’75S 126°15’26W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG240° SOG 7kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">186 miles this past 24 hours. That more like it! Wind switching a little more easterly and after tweaking the settings on the autopilot we are running straighter. The roll is less frequent and it's overall faster and more comfortable. The autopilot settings had it reacting too slowly to the quite big quartering waves so we were slewing off course and constantly correcting. All good now. Nuku Hiva is 826nm away and we are not quite making the course but we can adjust that later. Today we had a pair of kakrattlekark red-billed tropicbirds accompanying us. They are so pretty with their long fine tails. There have been a few other birds infrequently but definitely more bird activity. We need a decent Bird ID App. Not fishing, It's still too sporty to be cleaning fish on deck. Again it was sunny and warm with the occasional puffy clouds and very sparkly if somewhat playful white horses on the swell. I think Taipan smell the barn!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Saturday 28th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 23 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">09°22’92S 128°33’88W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG250 SOG 7kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">160nm covered in the past 24 hours. The wind has been fickle and shifty. with rain showers and wind shifts from 8 to 20 knots making for uncomfortable sailing and tense moments when during squalls we are overheated but in the lulls underpowered and rolling. We have a full main up and partial headsail. 687nm to Nuku Hiva. No fishing and the birds have abandoned us too. Hanging on but making progress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Sunday 29th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 24 2230 UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">10°04’42S 131°07’43W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG275° SOG 6kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">159 nm have been dispatched this past 24 hours. The wind died out leaving that darn uncomfortable swell for a couple of ours requiring the motor to stop the sails flogging again. Quite soon though the sea flattened out, the wind filled in and we were sailing again with a quite good angle to Nuku Hiva 540nm away to the west of us. It turned into the sort of afternoon we had been expecting to see more of on this trip. Fairly flat sea with 14 knots on the stern quarter. Not fast sailing but very comfortable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Monday 30th September</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 25 2230 UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">10°13’00S 133°54’20W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 275° SOG 7kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">169 in the past 24 hours. A beautiful night making decent progress during the past 24 hours. Seas back up to same ol rolly thing. Not fishing!. 379nm to Nuku Hiva. The new moon followed the sun over the horizon before the skies blazed with stars last night. We’ve not had to jibe yet as the wind has come around enough to allow us to maintain a reasonable course. We will have to jibe some time though. All well-fed, well-rested and settled into the routine. Seems a shame to stop!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Tuesday October 1st</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Day 25 2230UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">10°17’56S 136°28’13W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 290° SOG 6kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">161 nm in the past 24 hours. Jybed this afternoon and we’re now on the rum line for Nuku Hiva. Pity we can’t stop at the earlier islands but with a French Long Stay French and the complicated Carte de Sejour to be activated we are relying on an agent in Nuku Hiva so we must pass Hiva Oa which would mean a daylight arrival tomorrow and sail on into the night for a night time arrival in Nuku Hiva. We would be breaking the law if we stopped without clearing in and we are not prepared to risk the denial of the visa should we be discovered. So it looks like a night time arrival. Depending on whether we may have to slow down for a dawn arrival but there is still 221 nm to go and things can change in that distance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">WEDNESDAY 2ND OCTOBER</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">DAY 26 2239 UTC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">09°28’23S 139°02’33W</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">COG 280° SOG 7kn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">165nm under the keel during the past 24 hours. Squally and rough. Passed Fatu Huku and could see the outline of Hiva Oa in the far distance around midday. Safe to say we are in the Marquesas but yet to make landfall. Tonight before midnight we hope to be on anchor in Taiohae, Nuku Hiva. The weather has cleared this afternoon, so we are anticipating a decent evening with the remnants of the new moon to guide us in. We have arranged with our agent to meet him on Friday morning to conduct formalities so tomorrow, after a decent sleep, we will be able to, clean the boat and make water. Maybe do some washing and generally relax.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Arrived in Taiohae Bay Nuku Hiva at midnight. Dropped anchor. Celebration Pina Colada and a good nights sleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">The passage from Vista Mar Panama 26 days and 17hours</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Passage time from Galapagos 16 days</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">4334nm sailed. Average daily distance 166nm. Average speed 6.7knots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: ".sfuitext"; font-size: 19pt;">Fuel used. YES! Generator twice daily and motored for 4 days in light wind.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taiohoe Nuku Hiva Marquesas</td></tr>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-37006721110629114792019-08-07T01:31:00.003+07:002019-08-28T03:56:39.217+07:00RESCUING RODOLFO 30th July 2019<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice wave from the Panama fishermen</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Disaster struck without warning. Anchored at Las Perlas to clean the bottom preparatory to a voyage to Galapagos. Michael and Corinne were preparing to undertake their first offshore passage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At exactly 01.06.57pm on the 17th of May, we were doing just 2.8knots when the unthinkable happened. Rodolfo went overboard, plunging 60 feet into the dark murky water and a watery grave.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were dumbfounded! It was a travesty! How could it happen? Four anchorages ago we had cleaned and carefully checked all the equipment, disassembling it and reassembling everything. The culprit was the stainless steel swivel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a 2-year-old 15mm Swivel with a 10mm pin. As Rodolfo came over the bow roller the head sheared off the swivel pin and half the swivel, with Rodolfo attached, plummet to the bottom. The other half was securely attached to our 10mm chain on the deck.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The culprit.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So we went to Galapagos and hung off our 15kg Fluke anchor for 3 weeks. We thought we would be able to purchase a replacement there but it was impossible. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had to return to Panama, as it turned out because we had a Battery meltdown. That's another story and recounted in a previous post.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While we waited in Vista Mar Marina for our French Long Stay Visas we decided to go look for Rodolfo. A friend here on the Marina is a divemaster and he offered to accompany us with dive gear. On Wednesday morning we set off </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">back towards Panama</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. We motored 35 miles east to Toboga Island. Humpback whales in the distance and we caught a nice size Tuna. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The new Rocna was baptized in 14 meters of water. We were fortunate to find Distant Drummer, (Suzy and Neil Carmody,) on anchor there, so we had a very fun evening with them aboard Taipan. On Thursday it was another short hop, just 35nm to Contadora Island, one of the Northern Islands in the Las Perlas Group.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The recovery attempt was planned for Friday. The weather was not congenial, overcast and drizzly. There were whales in the anchorage and Jonny could hear them singing underwater. A few boats arrived during the day and they left.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We use Open CPN, a free navigation package, on our computer and this programme saves all routes and provides a very accurate log at 2-second intervals.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDf2DcU8zkqjObo7WGx7H4G1G3CXIEv20PgITMlRuJeeiBcYs_bBZoYNH94zx2m_aCSmqxcCGToL5TF2PbsIeJHNZZusKCmtNqagijza7uPPQ8lpyYGDJTX-id7eH3XDCNzO1xrx1NRc/s1600/Vista+mar-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1600" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDf2DcU8zkqjObo7WGx7H4G1G3CXIEv20PgITMlRuJeeiBcYs_bBZoYNH94zx2m_aCSmqxcCGToL5TF2PbsIeJHNZZusKCmtNqagijza7uPPQ8lpyYGDJTX-id7eH3XDCNzO1xrx1NRc/s640/Vista+mar-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bottom right is the Open CPN track with the line and the actual position of Rodolfo.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our first task was to lay a line on the bottom along the GPS line we were on when the anchor dropped in. We used iPad with the Open CPN track imported into the Garmin App. It was a 50m line stretched between two buoyed anchors. We felt pretty confident that the line was accurate. Then Jonny swam the line twice in 60 feet of murky water with only 3 meters of visibility. On the 3rd run, he moved 3 meters away from the line and went only about 16 meters before he spotted Rodolfo </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">looking very forlorn,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> laying partially buried and covered in barnacles, It appeared he'd been dragged off the line by an anchor chain as there were drag marks and marks on the steel shank. Its a popular anchorage and he'd been there over 2 months, so this would seem likely.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rodolfo Jonny and David all looking very pleased!!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIEPPze1dH0Jx2619EtevOq8UmEf3aEbMwkjCEohx1pqfZw_wvlUTkYDTEMJ0uSF0CyTfxuexuB8CDgbFysS_c3qpEhmq_YZgAtEtrKKaJGnnhg-KBCLfBlAFLwUPvFCT1LWteO8xSzE/s1600/IMG_8939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIEPPze1dH0Jx2619EtevOq8UmEf3aEbMwkjCEohx1pqfZw_wvlUTkYDTEMJ0uSF0CyTfxuexuB8CDgbFysS_c3qpEhmq_YZgAtEtrKKaJGnnhg-KBCLfBlAFLwUPvFCT1LWteO8xSzE/s400/IMG_8939.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Retrieving him with floats and halyards was time-consuming. Now he sits on the deck. All 55kg of him. Tied to the Granny Bar. Keel hauling was considered but the damage to the boat would probably be worse than the punishment. His position upfront and centre has been usurped by the Rocna ( renamed Jonny) We will let him prove himself before deciding whether we put Rodolfo back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The 65nm sail back to Visa Mar was fast and by Saturday 400pm we were tied up in the Marina. Mission accomplished.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi ho hi ho it's off to town we go! Dig the classy decor!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our Visas have arrived so we took the bus to Panama City to collect them, We've still got a few jobs to complete. Some new blocks are on order and the big Jabsco Pump is getting a rebuild. Lots of small sewing projects are getting attention.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, we didn't go on this one. But there are a lot of them left from the Americans Canal building.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stay tuned for the actual departure. We hope to stop in Ecuador for a bit of a break. </span><br />
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0Contadora Island, Saboga, Panama8.6325580125446777 -79.037811579949968.6305955125446783 -79.04033307994996 8.6345205125446771 -79.035290079949959tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-53036255617604233702019-07-17T06:47:00.003+07:002019-08-28T03:55:27.699+07:00FRENCH LONG STAY VISA AND OTHER DIFFICULTIES. 15th July 2019<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBbsZYBw1W2Vp2rt0WjlPRSgb1-riLjXiw_DP6BKyzLrAYD7IH3R1GjdoeEjMY9hUo3DqaL-YllmCy4Uwy-F8_9IUXbkcgcbx9o391UBLrjioJfLTuw8oWpRvZ3RVdbODQ59Z_OXCUWY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-07-15+at+09.34.46.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBbsZYBw1W2Vp2rt0WjlPRSgb1-riLjXiw_DP6BKyzLrAYD7IH3R1GjdoeEjMY9hUo3DqaL-YllmCy4Uwy-F8_9IUXbkcgcbx9o391UBLrjioJfLTuw8oWpRvZ3RVdbODQ59Z_OXCUWY/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-07-15+at+09.34.46.png" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Vista Mar Marina, new in 2018. Its an easy day sail from Panama City, roughly 45 miles to the northeast. Entrance is very simple and the T jetty is usually available for arriving boats. There is loads of room. The docks are long and wide with nice big cleats and a variety of power options. Water is free. There is some surge but its not been a problem while we've been here. Rates are considerably better than Panama. The Marina is part of a larger Golf Resort Complex and there are some nice facilities available for marina guests use. Two restaurants, Tennis courts, Gym and a very nice swimming pool with a bar! In the hot humid weather of Panama in July, this is a welcome respite. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is daily transport available from the Marina to Coronado, the nearest centre, for $2 per person. Coronado has at least 4 major supermarkets, several hardware stores, and a small chandler. There are a lot of Expats living in the area so there are plenty of choices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To get to Panama city you can catch a big touring bus from the bus stop in Coronado for just $5 per person and after an hour and a half on the bus, you can be in Panama City's Albrook Mall. The traffic in Panama is awful so it's worth making sure you avoid the peak times. There is also a Mail Box Etc. facility with an outlet in Coronado making the purchase of tricky items, from the US for example, very simple. (You can google Mail Boxes Etc)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janake, David. Kris, Leanne, Grahame, David and Trevor. Leela, Taipan Perigee and Red Skelton<br />
Enjoying another evening at the French Restaurant in Visa Mar.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Vista Mar Marina, Panama, has been our home for the past three weeks. During the period we've ordered from Massachusets and received, our replacement anchor, a Rocna 40. Brian Edwards (507 66752254) made a timely modification to our bow roller to accommodate it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The wretched batteries were sourced locally, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">just a ten-minute drive inland. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C5CHFA_enPT697PT697&q=CASA+BATERIAS&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=8779391,-79713369,33744&tbm=lcl&ved=2ahUKEwiY9KmrnLfjAhUErlkKHb6KDZ8QtgN6BAgKEAQ&tbs=lrf:!2m4!1e17!4m2!17m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!2m1!1e16!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:3&rldoc=1#rlfi=hd:;si:8990564057726431001;mv:!1m2!1d9.39637!2d-79.3112853!2m2!1d8.3185001!2d-80.4193785!3m12!1m3!1d523003.53949431545!2d-79.8653319!3d8.85743505!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i404!2i398!4f13.1" target="_blank">Casa de las Baterias</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> in Coronado delivered very quickly and one of the staff spoke perfect English which really helped. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIw4V7mAM1JAyB8Wm7QdBXPyi90RW_6bsIYuXuP0YbS0VS0eBGxwXwV9RDQ9os2ZdGDj5oPnmT1235wkCWEGJLi355wERA3XSrX5gSHeHz2d_nnWE7quKBKof-fU2pPhDliayBgoCnuQ/s1600/back+to+panama+blog-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIw4V7mAM1JAyB8Wm7QdBXPyi90RW_6bsIYuXuP0YbS0VS0eBGxwXwV9RDQ9os2ZdGDj5oPnmT1235wkCWEGJLi355wERA3XSrX5gSHeHz2d_nnWE7quKBKof-fU2pPhDliayBgoCnuQ/s640/back+to+panama+blog-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Nice long dock. Forestay replacement and modifications to the battery area.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The forestay has been replaced, whether it needed it or not, and the Furlex was dismantled checked, cleaned and reassembled while we waited on the 18m of half-inch wire to be delivered from Florida. Yes at extortionate Fedex rates.. Mike Barker, Marine Scene (67276722)</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> local rigger assisted and also did a rig check. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">During our first week here we had to apply for a Long Stay French Visa so we can stay in French Polynesia for longer than 3 months. This process was annoyingly complicated by language difficulty. No French. As luck would have it two other boats here had recently gone through the process and Leanne off Perigee offered to help me which was much appreciated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I will try to simplify the steps for anyone following me down this path.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had made our appointment for the application before we left Galapagos so all we had to do was get the supporting documents, create an account on the website and fill in the application before the appointment date. (We each needed an appointment.) <a href="https://pa.ambafrance.org/Visas-applications-at-the-French" target="_blank">Link to make your appointment.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Step 1. Go to this website..</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas" target="_blank">https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Follow the instructions! (Don't be confused by the fact that it's a US website. All will be revealed.... just follow the instructions.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When you have filled in the form and checked and rechecked it you will submit it and its done. You will receive a confirmation email.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We went to our appointment on the big bus from Coronado and then caught a taxi from the Albrook Terminal. It's about a 20-minute ride if the taxi doesn't get lost. The Embassy is easy to find. The old town area where the Embassy is located is a tourist area and there are numerous souvenir outlets and some good coffee shops and restaurants. It was an easy and enjoyable way to fill in the spare time we allowed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The interviews were conducted separately and it was all over in half an hour. Now we wait for the Visas.</span></div>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0Unnamed Road, Panama8.4508889093537078 -79.9749320209381278.4430359093537071 -79.98501702093813 8.4587419093537086 -79.964847020938123tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-15584532756845686212019-06-18T03:43:00.000+07:002019-08-28T04:29:35.381+07:002000NM DETOUR. 29th June 2019<style type="text/css">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Footed Boobies on the bow.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wednesday 12th June. Great news! On passage again. 800nm to go! Champagne sailing with a nice 10 to 12 knots on the beam, clear star-filled skies, beautiful phosphorescence and a moon. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puerto Aroya Santa Cruz Galapagos.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are, of course, the inevitable formalities to be worked through before departures like passport stamps and Zarpe. That’s foreign-lingo for “port clearance”. Three officers, one Navy, one Police and one National Park official, filled the cockpit with big boots and clipboards. Pages of Spanish later and several signatures by the captain, then they checked we hadn’t smuggled any tortoises aboard and that we had the appropriate life-saving equipment and we were declared clear to leave Galapagos. A yacht tried to smuggle out 100 baby tortoises recently so they’re pretty down on boaters. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTVeW_1zR16FR552CfTv3XBkJnXxbgEa0XymA-ZmUio0ahzDjr2hAy81xmwP05gNyIyxOFLU0fnxbqqzK3-BIg_t52mGOJL3wAkUthcd0evWHye6_hu07jQRLQ9hbDxi9p2EWp7hW2-Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-29+at+14.55.57.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTVeW_1zR16FR552CfTv3XBkJnXxbgEa0XymA-ZmUio0ahzDjr2hAy81xmwP05gNyIyxOFLU0fnxbqqzK3-BIg_t52mGOJL3wAkUthcd0evWHye6_hu07jQRLQ9hbDxi9p2EWp7hW2-Q/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-06-29+at+14.55.57.png" width="320" /></a><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What started as a muggy overcast day developed into bright clear skies and a pleasant 10 to 12 knots of breeze on the starboard side. Most of our adventures on Galapagos were undertaken in company with Michael and Corinne and since they flew out it’s was mostly preparation for the very long 3000nm passage west to Marquesas. The whole fridge and freezer had been emptied to pass the biosecurity check-in and that took several trips to markets and supermarket to replenish. Fortunately, there is a very good farmers market in town on Saturday mornings complete with a massive food hall experience. Meats were a little tricky as it’s local and just the one or two animals, so getting a decent cut of beef or pork wasn’t happening. Lots of good chickens the size of emu, and loads of fruits and avocado by the thousands. It seems almost anything will grow here tropical and temperate. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tbesyCbW-Gf11z29znQVw-l5Ne9X7KHf0DDjqTayLcrxx26SdOc8QAWz_2lOFbJ62dxVwGirnGBQmSy3Bj59Z7geIzO5p8bBtRZaDVAOYmILI5LdJHLk0t56-0ZetptVTrsHDS5gco0/s1600/GALAPAGOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tbesyCbW-Gf11z29znQVw-l5Ne9X7KHf0DDjqTayLcrxx26SdOc8QAWz_2lOFbJ62dxVwGirnGBQmSy3Bj59Z7geIzO5p8bBtRZaDVAOYmILI5LdJHLk0t56-0ZetptVTrsHDS5gco0/s640/GALAPAGOS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday Farmers Market in Santa Cruz Galapagos.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It’s heavy work carting all that stuff, haggling with stall holders in Spanish and then getting the whole shebang into a taxi to the port, lugged to the water taxi and our to the boat, then all prepared and stowed. But we did it!! Weaving our way between the wildlife.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Sea Lion </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lounging in the Dock area</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing boats bring their catch to the Fish Market daily.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Monday night we dined out for our last evening in Galapagos, arrived back to Taipan around nine for the regulation liquor and chocolate and were shocked to discover very depleted house batteries.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After some battery sleuthing and amp checking, swearing and cussing, we discovered another battery has collapsed. Batteries are integral to our survival on Taipan. Remember that big shopping? It’s all in the fridge and freezer and that requires batteries! Not to mention, pumps, water maker, navigation equipment, lights and more. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let me explain our battery system for the couch sailors out there. We’ve 800+AH in 4 x 6v batteries. So if we lose 1 battery that’s half our system down! If we lose 3 batteries our whole system collapses. You need 2 x 6v batteries to make 1 x 12v battery. So now we had just half our battery bank.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wildlife waiting for a share of the catch.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In hindsight, we should have guessed we had a problem when one suddenly failed in Shelter Bay. We managed to replace it, thinking it was just a faulty battery. In truth, it now seems they’re all on the way out. At 4 years old and after careful testing in Panama we thought they would make it to Australia, a mere 5 months away. Wrong!! </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is absolutely not a single deep cycle battery anywhere on Galapagos! Alternatives were risk trying to sail on to Marquesas and hope our remaining battery holds together AND, that it’s even possible to replace them there! (Getting an anchor organised was enough of a headache) or.... head back to Panama and abandon plans to be in Australia by end of October !!! (A very ugly thought)</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After careful analysis, even given that we have a new generator which should be up to the job, we decided it would be verging on foolhardy at worst and at best be very demanding on us to endeavour that 3000 nm passage in the circumstances.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So we headed East, back into wet, stormy Panama to lick our wounds, get replacement batteries and an anchor and maybe look for Rodolfo! ( if you read my previous blog you’ll get that). We will get a Long Stay French visa (read..jump through hoops of fire) for French Polynesia. This will mean we won’t be forced to head into potentially cyclone infested waters because we have a visa problem. (Without it we can only stay for 90 days.)</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So after all that hard slogging out to Galapagos it turns out it was just a 2000nm detour!! </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What have we learned about batteries?? Eggs and baskets!! More is better and not 6-volt monsters!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They are so cute.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thursday 13th June</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We crossed the equator again at 4.30am back in the Northern Hemisphere where the days continued to lengthen for another couple of weeks. Red-Footed boobies were clinging to the top rail leaving calling cards all over the deck while hitching a free ride all night. As the wind piped we were doing reasonable speeds in 15knots just forward of the beam. Whitecaps and ugly looking if you were going the other direction, which reminds me, we’ll be doing that AGAIN in a few weeks. Birds came and went but it seems the word was out. The Taipan Preening Lounge and Salt Spar was open for business. A very pretty Swallow-Tailed Gull took up residence on the dingy for most of one day so extensive bucket and broom work was required there too.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Friday 14th June</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nine Brown Boobies on the Bow! They’re silly young things all fluffy and with that look of surprised innocence when you walk right up to them. Like kid s, they can’t help fiddling with stuff. A couple of them set to work untying a small line on the furler and were indignant when I went to retie it. They moved off only when I gave one's tail feather a small tug! Soon they were back at it though. A Frigate bird attempted to land on the masthead occasionally because they wouldn’t share the pulpit with him. They even colonised the lower rail. Two story boobies! There was one near crash when an incoming Boobie missed his landing on the solar panel and had to abort, landing instead in an ungainly heap on the seat next to David in the cockpit where he sat to put to rights his dishevelled feathers. Then there was an equally ungainly take off through the jack lines and over the side before becoming airborne again. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With 560nm to go, it was a far cry from the east-west leg thank goodness. Our new Autopilot, Jack. ( in honour of Jack Baxter) was very pleased with the new wiring to the old drive motor and we didn’t interfere with him for two days.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Saturday, June 15th</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those fluffy little hitchhikers were still there. Still messing up the decks and scratching their fleas. There was a bit of drizzle around early then it fined up and the wind blew and the seas went ugly and dark with white caps. Thank goodness we were not heading into that shit!! (Saving it for a few weeks time) sigh! </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had a Venezuelan fishing boat 2 miles off for about 4 hours. They eventually pulled away ahead. I was a bit anxious for a while as Venezuela's economy has crashed, with inflation running at around a million per cent and some piracy incidents on the Caribbean side. But this one was properly lit and with AIS That’s actually a change for fishing boats. Most of them don’t display AIS. (Automatic Identification System. It shows us the name and call-sign of the boat, it’s size, speed, course and any potential collision) </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were poled out for most of the day, making decent time but then the wind died. Thank god for technology! Then we had the pitter patter of little pistons ringing in our ears with 400nm to go. At least the water was full, the freezer was frozen and what batteries we had functioning, were full. Jack hadn’t dropped the ball once. He’s a great navigator and helmsman.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunday 16th June</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Blue Footed Boobie!! Upfront and centre. Spectacular day blending into a spectacular night. There was a beautiful moon and clear skies over calm seas. This, of course, means no wind but hey... we’ve diesel! </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The beautiful white Blue Footed Boobie joined is in the night and stayed all day. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had to go onto the bow at midnight to check that furling line the red-footed adolescents had been tinkering with and they were all asleep, crouched on the rail with red webbed feet wrapped around it and heads tucked under their wings. They woke and blinked bleary-eyed at me several times, then tucked back in under their wings right off back to sleep. Later I popped back up there to see if I could tempt any of them to dried up flying fish but apart from a quack and a sniff I didn’t get much interest. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With roughly 250 nm to go we hoped to be in on Tuesday.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">8nm offshore with 70nm to go, David got two big tuna but lost both and 2 lures! First one was at the boat. He went to get a camera and line chaffed through! doh!! The second one was eaten by something bigger on the way in. I’m not that partial to tuna but I did like those lures!</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lots of fish action and dolphins, also a shark or two cruising by. Boobies left at sunrise and we were down to one. We had a dark one with white feet and a white underbelly for a few hours. </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was no wind from every direction and a full moon. We crossed the shipping lane with only one ship in sight.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Arrived Vista Mar Marina Panama Tuesday 5.30pm. Just when we thought it was all over the sea gods chucked 18 hours of strong bumpy counter conditions at us. The boobies abandoned ship sometime during the bad last few hours!</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now we try to unravel the web of bureaucracy for clearance back into Panama. Prepare paperwork for the French Embassy application for a Visa for French Polynesia. </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our appointment is in one week. Batteries are ordered. There's a new anchor to order and get delivered from the USA and there are a million other little jobs.</span></div>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-68306974289992616372019-06-11T10:36:00.000+07:002019-08-28T03:52:48.229+07:00GALAPAGOS 11th June 2019<style type="text/css">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">I'll let Corrine's posts tell the story. She has covered it all so well since our arrival in San Cristobal. The photos are a mix of mine and Corinne's</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;">Sunday 26th May</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>This afternoon we headed into town to have a look around, it's a delightful little town and sea lions everywhere are so relaxed and unafraid. We were walking a boardwalk looking for a restaurant and there was a seal waddling towards us and went straight through us as if we weren't there.</i></span></div>
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A tour has been booked for Monday morning with Gian, to see the giant tortoises and the research facility, the only freshwater lake in the archipelago and a visit to a beach. Monday afternoon they will bring 460 litres of fuel out to the boat by taxi in jerry cans so we can fill up the thirsty tanks. There is no bulk fuel supply available for yachties! We will also get our Zarpe, which is our check out of the harbour, and must be received from each island, then we will head out to Santa Cruz island 43nm to the west on Tuesday morning.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Monday After a quick wake up coffee at 7am we hailed a water taxi and had breakfast in town. I am still feeling like the ground moves under my feet when on terra firma, an effect of being on a boat. It feels really disorientating when every step I take feels like I need to ensure there is something solid under my foot before I put it down. This makes me look down all the time and that just exacerbates the sensation! Totally weird.</i></span></span></div>
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<i style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">After brekky we headed out on a 4-hour tour out of town and into the highlands in a local taxi, actually a crew cab, like all the taxis, our driver Carlos trying very hard to be the guide in his broken English. Our Spanish is getting better, and all the locals seem to appreciate an effort by us asking "how do you say... In Spanish?" The roads were pretty rough but the back seat was quite well padded and sprung so was surprisingly not a bad ride. As we left the coast and went up to the hills the terrain, vegetation and temperature changed dramatically to lush trees and grasses and cooler. We were supposed to stop at the only freshwater lake on the islands but the heavy mist meant there would be nothing to see so we planned to do it on the way back.</i></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>So first stop the Galapagos Tortoise research and breeding centre, not their natural habitat which is way down the other end of the island and not accessible by vehicle. It is kept isolated to protect this seriously endangered Tortoise. The centre has paid and volunteer workers and collects eggs laid by the females, incubated for 90-120 days and then the young take another 4-6 weeks to break out of their shells! The young are then grown out in various pens until 5yo when they are released at exactly the same place they were collected as eggs. The little turtles are cute as buttons and we thought they would make the perfect pet, however as they live up to a hundred years you would need to make provision for them in your will, and the wills of your children and grandchildren, so probably not a good option as a pet, more a long term liability!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Got up close and personal with some mature ones, although not as big as the ones in the Perth zoo, probably much younger. They were quite funny at the feeding stations, real attitude towards each other and quite a bit of posturing going on amongst them. There are 11 different species across the islands.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various vegetation and landscape</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Next stop the beach, on the other side of the island. A longish walk downhill through some amazing vegetation, acacia, candelabra cactus, hibiscus type bushes, and leathery coastal shrubs, all growing out of black volcanic rock landscape, lots of birds, finches and lizards. Lovely white sand beach flanked by same black volcanic rock and a lolling sea lion too sleepy to move when we arrived. Water too cold for my liking so just cooled the tootsies for the walk back up the hill. Radiant heat from the black rock made for a hot walk back to Carlos.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Tried the lake walk again and headed out for the 2 km walk up into the still persistent mist. Halfway we couldn't see anything off the track and decided that the barely visible summit, a crater rim, was probably not going to be any better, so came back down again.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>As we had a bit of time Carlos took us to see a 300yo ficus which has a backpackers treehouse B&B in the top accessed by a swingy cable bridge. Scary bridge, funky tree house complete with its own cellar in the roots underground, shower and toilet (long drop) and awesome tree! We sampled a cup of organic Galapagos coffee, which was really delicious with some pretty good banana bread.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Headed back to town, lunch while the rest of town closes for 2 hour siesta, then back to the boat to await the fuel delivery. Fuel arrived by water taxi over an hour late and then David and Michael had to siphon 460 litres of diesel out of 50litre jerry cans finishing just on dark. Not a walk in the park!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Nothing associated with boating is simple, not every port has a marina (affordable or otherwise), not every port has a boat friendly fuel station (hence the jerry cans), try finding a supermarket in a foreign port, where most locals, even in hospitality, don't speak much, if any, English (we are trying with our Spanish!!!), try finding a hardware store to buy a bit of siphon hose, where would you get a local flag for the mast, as is the courtesy when arriving and staying in a new port?</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underground into the roots of the Ficus</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>We dined on board tonight, a yummy Thai chicken curry a la Kris, totally delicious followed by another Galapagos coffee with a dash of Chivas ( the only real way to drink whisky!) </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>We head to Santa Cruz tomorrow after breakfast, about a six hour sail all going well, but then again we are boating, so who knows? </i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Treehouse in a 300 year old Ficus.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Wed 29 May 11.50pm From Santa Cruz</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Tuesday started earlier than planned when the taxi rocked up at 6am to pick up the empty jerry cans, we were still all asleep and not happy as we had a big day ahead. We arrived at Puerto Arayo Santa Cruz yesterday at 4.30 pm at low tide, once again a little later than I anticipated, partly due to my over-optimistic calculations and partly due to the now usual average seas and unhelpful wind and current. An overall pleasant enough sail but a whole day has gone just getting here and we have such little time left. Poor Michael was again under the weather as soon as we left anchor, sadly not as a result of the night before but due to the boat’s movements, the upside being that as he sleeps it off, the trip goes much quicker for him! We were shadowed for a while by the Ecuadorian Navy patrol boat, and although it was unlikely they would have boarded us, we watched them out of the corner of our eyes until it was clear they weren’t interested in us, nothing to hide, just didn’t fancy being invaded by heavily armed guys in hobnail boots looking for something to do!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>We passed Santa Fe Island on the way, uninhabited and we can see why all we could see was sheer cliffs and pounding surf around the edges and dry parched landscape with candelabra cactus as far as we could see. If you managed to get on the island alive there would be no shelter food or water.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Various architecture on San Cristobal</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The anchorage in Santa Cruz is sandy so our spare anchor should be sufficient to hold Taipan, it was an anxious first few hours until we were sure we would not drag in the swell and the incoming tide. The anchor alarm was set and it would go off during the night if we dragged more the 50m. The agent's man Gustavo, came on board with some helpful information maps and advice.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>We anchored behind Blue Stag a 62ft catamaran from New Zealand probably worth a couple million, it is huge and looks luxurious and we ran alongside them for a while during the crossing from Panama City, in the middle of the night, we know this because of the AIS (Automatic Identification System) signal they sent out which identifies location, name, speed, heading and size of boats to others in the area. It was satisfying when they left us for another course as they were having just as hard a time of it as we were! A rough night had by all due to the incoming swell ALL night, Taipan rolled from side to side and we woke this morning feeling like we had been through the wringer. </i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan on anchor at Santa Cruz, Puerto Ayora. <br />
The swell is constant and the wind heads us into it but when the wind drops. We roll!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>They are seriously into recycling here and all rubbish must be separated into plastic, cans, bottles and general rubbish. It is collected from the boat for a small fee as and when so we offloaded a teeny 3 coles bags which has accumulated for over a week by 4 people. While at sea anything organic goes overboard but everything else gets stored in the dingy hanging off the back of the boat until the next port.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Onshore it felt like everything was going from side to side, even David, a seasoned sailor could not remember the last time he felt like that. Today we had to book our flights out of Galapagos to the mainland to connect with our flight from Santiago on 1 June. Hoped it would be Saturday but sadly on Friday available so one less day here, our adventure is almost over! Bookings took 2 hours in a take a ticket and a seat and wait for your number to be called in Spanish system! I can count to 6 but not to 59, so we just watched the local girl who pushed in in front of us in the doorway, she knew she needed a ticket while we stood there gawking at the number of people waiting for the 1 agent on duty! </i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Iquana beach with Taipan in the distance.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>David & Kris meanwhile, went anchor shopping but could only find one big enough for the QE2 or small enough for a tinny, so no luck there and they are still hopeful their diver friends may find the lost one in Las Perlas. As Taipan is holding on the one we have, it is not so urgent.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Darwin</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>After some retail therapy, we headed to the Charles Darwin research foundation centre, next to the beach just out of town. Saw a huge land iguana and the famous marine iguanas in their natural environment, laying in the sun all over the path to the beach and on the beach and in the water. No desire to swim with them, near them or even close to them, ugh! But very interesting nonetheless.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baltra Land Iguana</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amphibious Iguana</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>At siesta time here everything shuts at 12 until 2 or 2.30 incl the Centre, cafe and bathrooms, so we spent one and a half hours traipsing around in the very hot sun waiting for the Centre to open again, interesting but not sure it was worth the wait.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next stop, more coffee!!! Next stop very late lunch. Got a call from the agent to confirm our tour booking for Thursday, yeehaa, we are riding horses up the volcano, hopefully to the crater. We need to catch a ferry for a 2 hour trip to Isabella island at 7am (another early start) and then to</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> meet the guide,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> get a car ride to the foot of the volcano (active) and meet our horses for a 4 hour there and back trek. Celebrated that with a happy hour strawberry Daqueri then back onto Taipan at 6.30 pm and thank goodness the rolling had stopped, enjoyed a David version of pina colada complete with ice crushed(smashed) by Michael with a hammer, some delicious Kris’s breadmaker fruit cake followed by a coffee and Chivas and a bit more fruit cake before heading to bed. Thank goodness we are not rolling tonight, we’ll not yet anyway. It's our last full day tomorrow and we plan to go out with a bang, ... damn, she’s rolling again!</span></i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isabella</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Our last day with Kris and David on Taipan so we are cramming it all in! </i></span><i style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">5am rise to catch a ferry to Isabela Island, the largest island in Galapagos. Water taxi to the Pier then after a 1.5 hour wait for another water taxi to the ferry, what ferry? Its a sports boat, a really old and tired sports boat, with 650 hp motors and bench seats all around the edges, all stripped bare and a huge space in the middle, and except for the lucky 4 sitting across the back, everyone is side on. Without any to do the crew points to the roll of black doggy bags hanging from the roof and does a charade of someone puking into a bag ( we get the message) and we are off! And the ride is for 2 hours! It was one of those slam dunk slam slam dunk trips which lasted the full 2 hours, unlike any other sideshow ride you have ever been on. There is a toilet on board, but they would never have to clean it, as it would be impossible to leave your seat and get to the toilet alive enough to use it!</i></div>
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<i style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Still alive we Arrived at Isabela and were welcomed by a penguin popping out of the water to say hi then off again. Into another water taxi to the jetty, the pier would be an exaggeration and low and behold we have palm trees white sandy beaches and just need a pina colada to set the scene ( and after that trip across).</i></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Our guide, Tanya, was waiting and we hopped into the bus to head to Sierra Negra the largest active crater by area in the world!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The drive up is pretty, very lush farmland, cattle horses bananas mangos maize citrus but quite primitive( think Bali style). We arrive at the ranch??? at 900m and there are the horses we will ride to the edge of the crater. We are very excited as it is over 10 y since Michael or I rode, a bit less for Kris and David. This is our pushing the boundaries activity (we try to do that on each holiday) there are 3 new hips between Kris and I so there are some extra boundaries we are pushing, it is also close to 20 years since Kris and I rode together from our dressage days. They are a pretty fine (thin) scruffy (unbrushed) bunch and as we eye them off we are all wondering which one we will get, we have booked “quiet horses for walking only” there is a flea-bitten grey, a couple of redheads and a dark bay.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They look quiet enough!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Hmmm, we didn’t look at the gear, holly molly that was something else, they must salvage the rope from down at the jetty cos each horse has most tack made out of green rope, and I mean hand made! Bridle- made of rope, reins made of rope, Stirrup leathers-made of rope, crupper- made of rope, hell even the stirrups were tied to the “leathers” with green rope! I know they are eco-friendly here and there is no greener way to get around than on a horse but I do like my horse gear in leather, oiled and clean rather than green (unclean plastic), maybe it was recycled milk bottle caps?</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fancy rope work!!!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>But jokes aside we did all fall over when we saw the saddles, various degrees of gaucho style x western saddles except for one which was more of a tree and less of a saddle, two pieces of wood, framed in reo bar, yes REO bar, it was simply indescribable, so now we are really sweating it- who gets that one?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Well we are allocated our horses and thank heavens the horse guide has got the short straw he gets the REO!</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boss horse hombre gets the reo bar!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>We all manage to climb aboard with a lot of clutching and grunting we look at each other and it’s high fives all round we have made it so far. Up to the volcano we go, rising to 1100m and takes about 45 minutes, pretty views lovely sunny day and that irresistible horsey smell that I know now I have missed. This is a very special day and we are all grinning from ear to ear!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>View of the crater is gobsmacking, the sheer size of it, sulphur plumes, just a tad scary as it is an active volcano having last properly erupted in 2015.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>After a brief breather and some readjustment of the tights, leggings and the one-footed pantyhose (don’t ask) we headed back down, all secretly hoping we got more than we asked for and that our ponies would by some miracle lift themselves into a trot. Nope, wasn’t going to happen, they walked all the way back down, they weren’t even inspired by the sight of the home run the last 100m, but we had a safe, fun, lovely (green) ride.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fusjKkqT2adUTjZsNR-mU8pNK3EUlMXw9V0_ZfSlqLeyXZAmFEgkaua_V1ChybGs-5ic8wbWCdTZUdSy8jvVfoiXhrxI1kM3-cCaidpHAmmUaDmkWnZCmlIBrxSrMvTkNMcs26JCs08/s1600/IMG_0721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="1600" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fusjKkqT2adUTjZsNR-mU8pNK3EUlMXw9V0_ZfSlqLeyXZAmFEgkaua_V1ChybGs-5ic8wbWCdTZUdSy8jvVfoiXhrxI1kM3-cCaidpHAmmUaDmkWnZCmlIBrxSrMvTkNMcs26JCs08/s640/IMG_0721.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four Amigos!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The bus trip back, we saw flamingos in the mangroves, blue-footed boobies dive bombing fish near the beach, more penguins popping up here and there and sea lions lolling about everywhere including under vehicles. What a day!</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YEX7C1B6S1B3rBEXAcrpDVhnaGY9NhDVdpGQbUm3ZIKjQSSIwOqC8ZxV6gg903f-nysRkyUw6PA3DZZFnW08i2cQTvuUxzPseAbvXib-jMQ37BcDZ2PWL2aFKZ0wQuMgXHYxS3t23Jg/s1600/IMG_0727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YEX7C1B6S1B3rBEXAcrpDVhnaGY9NhDVdpGQbUm3ZIKjQSSIwOqC8ZxV6gg903f-nysRkyUw6PA3DZZFnW08i2cQTvuUxzPseAbvXib-jMQ37BcDZ2PWL2aFKZ0wQuMgXHYxS3t23Jg/s640/IMG_0727.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flamingos are easier to capture on film than Blue Footed Boobies!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Another long wait on the jetty for the taxi out to the “ferry” and finally we are on board a different sports boat! Looks in better condition and we are hopeful of a better 2 hours as we had fiercely elbowed our way into the back row of seats, knocking down a couple of Dutchies who had the same idea, and we are looking forwards so it should be more comfortable. No charades this time but we note that the bags are higher and right up the front so good luck getting them in time if needed.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Well the only way to describe the ride was that it was 10 times worse than our crossing to Galapagos, and on mega-steroids, the swell was big but we had a cowboy at the wheel who had no idea there was anyone else on the boat with him, The 3 huge motors were flat out all the way and he was either chasing or following his mates in the other boats, skipping the wakes and at one stage was playing chicken with another boat only 10m away at 25 knots, simply dangerous and very scary. Of all the things we have done this holiday, THAT was the most frightening, a white knuckle ride to be forgotten.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiWT3VQiOJCzVVUj7Sh9C0x5hHbMt8ulWab0mfHZgHvXW3mgZ0A8QiyTnURHrLTViLs5jP_2eiAec0JKW0gX8iJ9w3vj1HoLRk5YDXOXGzdWbt1VvlKg6amNFZ1O-M8gftNt0zFRN1cY/s1600/IMG_1846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="1600" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiWT3VQiOJCzVVUj7Sh9C0x5hHbMt8ulWab0mfHZgHvXW3mgZ0A8QiyTnURHrLTViLs5jP_2eiAec0JKW0gX8iJ9w3vj1HoLRk5YDXOXGzdWbt1VvlKg6amNFZ1O-M8gftNt0zFRN1cY/s320/IMG_1846.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick shot while not hanging on.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>As soon as we were ashore, and despite being quite smelly from our day in the sun in riding gear, we headed straight for the bar and had 2 huge pina colada’s each! Wandered to the street food market and enjoyed some BBQ octopus and a lovely paella marinara. By this time we are all pretty pooped and Michael and I still have to pack so back to Taipan which is hopefully not rolling. Very sad as it is coming to an end, one more post after this ( it has been such fun writing these)...watch this space.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><i>Friday, May 31st</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Well, this morning was a 6.30 start to be at the pier by 8.00 The atmosphere over breakfast was a little glum as I think we will all feel a sense of impending loss after being in such a small space with 4 people for so long. Kris and David will be able to spread themselves out again and the coffees and meals will be halved, but they will have to work twice as hard to have as much fun as we did during our time on Taipan. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Anyway, on the pier at 8.00 for the 45-minute drive to Baltra Island airport, Kris and David are coming with us, not sure if it’s cos they can’t bear to let us go or to make sure we get on that plane! </span></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0sHMYwo3cdRjvDkDK41WBsfVFLfkj1UjOD11Rf39ytXabAJg0BkjzYW1Ac9kJyZVABur77dwI_5b_CdUgoZ7k_N3acEP8shjaCKYv_YDkvP_ESI9PXAV_0i0mYaj1qhKbod614Oi94s/s1600/IMG_1855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="983" data-original-width="1600" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0sHMYwo3cdRjvDkDK41WBsfVFLfkj1UjOD11Rf39ytXabAJg0BkjzYW1Ac9kJyZVABur77dwI_5b_CdUgoZ7k_N3acEP8shjaCKYv_YDkvP_ESI9PXAV_0i0mYaj1qhKbod614Oi94s/s640/IMG_1855.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baltra Island is very barren.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">So basically from south to the north of Santa Cruz then walk 100m to another jetty for a ferry (small boat) ride across the channel to catch a bus (very old and scruffy) for the 2km drive through the long-abandoned US Naval base to the terminal.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></i></span></div>
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<i>Check-in chaos, while Kris and David find a coffee shop and yes there is one, finally get to sit and enjoy our last Galapagos coffee and I must say they grow mighty delicious coffee here.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNrsEKRjO79UbvGEBN4yovgUvBfo0XcZKEwTVLJqQoS0ZBNVVAihC8TUIzYz6Q3zeUMNpxwJlVUbfaQMmK7dQ0HUh1anTs-OAcZWU05unQNVI1t0Wvq7Y4aF4NN-oWe0Mtn4V_VTAkgU/s1600/IMG_1852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNrsEKRjO79UbvGEBN4yovgUvBfo0XcZKEwTVLJqQoS0ZBNVVAihC8TUIzYz6Q3zeUMNpxwJlVUbfaQMmK7dQ0HUh1anTs-OAcZWU05unQNVI1t0Wvq7Y4aF4NN-oWe0Mtn4V_VTAkgU/s640/IMG_1852.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Corinne and Gustavo our guide, driver and Agents man!</td></tr>
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<i>Bathroom stop, I haven’t shared this before, but one thing I won’t miss is the need to take your paper with you from either outside, or somewhere near the sinks, and then remembering that all paper goes in the bins, NOT in the toilet, as their drainage systems cannot cope.</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADM3O_TlsZl0pSlWMgFtXL0I76X9RTtS2QGCpRIPqE0ylc4HhR9rwHKwMBL8-a5xXzQmLAzxOOly1wyxTIn_n5NOl8TBi0EMXSQw6fju2EcDOqDQbvzYBCvfe29xUhHpYJj9lHVBQR8Y/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-04+at+14.51.11.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="959" data-original-width="689" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADM3O_TlsZl0pSlWMgFtXL0I76X9RTtS2QGCpRIPqE0ylc4HhR9rwHKwMBL8-a5xXzQmLAzxOOly1wyxTIn_n5NOl8TBi0EMXSQw6fju2EcDOqDQbvzYBCvfe29xUhHpYJj9lHVBQR8Y/s400/Screen+Shot+2019-06-04+at+14.51.11.png" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Author. Corinne.</td></tr>
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<i>It’s time to go to the gate. Hugs, kisses, tears and a final wave and we head home and so do Kris and David, by bus, ferry, car and water taxi....to Taipan which must be feeling very neglected as we have been away from her so much lately.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: large; text-align: start;">T</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: start;">his was Corinne’s final post. Sadly they flew away home this morning. We all made the trek to the airport on Baltra island another ferry, guide drive, ferry, bus adventure taking about an hour. Last farewells and they are gone. We miss them already. It’s been fantastic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: start;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands" target="_blank">Further reading on the Galapagos islands.</a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipN6TcKzq30z_Tz1TDrfVih999GM5wfX3Xq3aVE" target="_blank">Lots more photos from Galapagos</a></div>
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</style>Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-71330447357134798842019-05-25T01:23:00.000+07:002019-06-30T03:54:47.491+07:00PASSAGING FROM PANAMA TO GALAPAGOS 4TH JUNE 2019<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt8hxbriA3iLzsKi_KnwFnzSN96FROwB6Muw4BABeCeroKHvv4r0xu63fbBXb9Ibfnof4Kapzrr26-Gx7w8_lsFa39lw5q4maTKuBCe0L-CvDnsgx0RgnDx1ewd5qWUC0zfs4Nb-96Po/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-04+at+11.03.02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="439" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOt8hxbriA3iLzsKi_KnwFnzSN96FROwB6Muw4BABeCeroKHvv4r0xu63fbBXb9Ibfnof4Kapzrr26-Gx7w8_lsFa39lw5q4maTKuBCe0L-CvDnsgx0RgnDx1ewd5qWUC0zfs4Nb-96Po/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-06-04+at+11.03.02.png" width="576" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1013NM. 9 days 3 hours</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_ua9ABgZmf1hLOmMJVZmuSqnkPN5G7TBdqVpEhqnT8wI_tbHZSHKRSirZyHKEo4eS7R_9UJJBM4pkaU-lhVi_RiEXzgf5Dru4p15vqruLRkky_REhyphenhyphenR9Zk6cPmQoJ7H1OI__pNxsgbg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-06-04+at+11.49.53.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="580" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_ua9ABgZmf1hLOmMJVZmuSqnkPN5G7TBdqVpEhqnT8wI_tbHZSHKRSirZyHKEo4eS7R_9UJJBM4pkaU-lhVi_RiEXzgf5Dru4p15vqruLRkky_REhyphenhyphenR9Zk6cPmQoJ7H1OI__pNxsgbg/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-06-04+at+11.49.53.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rodolfo is the big guy on the left. 55kg</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">16th May. The day dawned bright and sunny with a gentle southeasterly puff now and again. The anchor was weighed and WHAT!! Just as it rose over the bow roller the big Stainless Steel swivel (2yrs) snapped and our treasured Rudolfo, plunged to the bottom in 14 meters of water!!! We were speechless!! Rudolfo was designed and built by a Fremantle fisherman and purchased secondhand by us in 2002. It was even signed!!! He's never let us down in the entire 17 years we've been using him. Some say a CQR copy but you can see how different they are in the picture. Now laid to rest at 08 38.0231N 079 02.3338W and we're feeling bereft!! Also now what to do about anchoring in Galapagos???</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7mGNNmqR_FWkVzBM98YKYb-4cjRKyKeLDcy0ml4CzRFi5o8pB2hkPxm3xtTWD4WQQWvZwoGf_Y6ZD5jGfoGSb65dk_8TxSUre4Q5oenMWtJWOP33zCv1fAwcl3ea9JSfNJk1Sdt3Dm8/s1600/IMG_1482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="909" data-original-width="1600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7mGNNmqR_FWkVzBM98YKYb-4cjRKyKeLDcy0ml4CzRFi5o8pB2hkPxm3xtTWD4WQQWvZwoGf_Y6ZD5jGfoGSb65dk_8TxSUre4Q5oenMWtJWOP33zCv1fAwcl3ea9JSfNJk1Sdt3Dm8/s640/IMG_1482.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">08 38.0231N 079 02.3338W </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Without the wherewithal to dive to that depth we sadly said farewell and sailed west towards San Cristobal Island. Galapagos.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first 24 hours were quite rough with a short choppy swell, counter current and wind on the nose necessitating lots of tacking. Thunderstorms and associated rain squalls were accompanied by lots of ship traffic, including a tug towing a very large dead ship. We </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">have seen hundreds of Pelicans, dozens of dolphins as well as a huge shark.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And from the crews perspective......</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">22 May <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Houdini in his hole!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>It is 10pm via satellite, Hi all, once again an update from 400nm out from Galapagos. Our progress has not been as good as wished for due to some very shitty seas and less than favourable winds. In one day we only travelled 30nm closer to our destination! </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Other factors are the loss of our autopilot drive motor which David pulled out after an hour down a 2-foot square hole in one of the rear lockers. Lucky he lost all that weight he put on over summer in Perth or he would never have got down there(or back out again) a real Houdini act.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>We then broke the swivel on the mainsail thingamy (Main sheet Track Car) but that was fixed in an hour or so. The whole shebang was saved by the fixed double preventers. If you are tracking us you would be able to see each of these events by the wobbly lines and circles we did each time! It looks like we amateurs were at the wheel!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><a href="https://cruisersat.net/track/TAIPAN" target="_blank">Live track</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>It seems that breakdowns on boats are par for the course according to the stories heard and shared among the boaties and it doesn't matter whether your boat cost 200k or 600k or is new or 30 years old. They say that BOAT means Bring On Another Thousand !</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw080tepNZ0PUH_zgkzAuA1rxe5JwFNl702zeKJRS76pKe1riJgLofLnlF06-uIKdlygoIEE63nrflVE012HM4VVppVQQFgreNiZq9vTX8T7kyUYCsivC5RTQ1njNBAUj0PTKf0CRpKPE/s1600/IMG_1902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw080tepNZ0PUH_zgkzAuA1rxe5JwFNl702zeKJRS76pKe1riJgLofLnlF06-uIKdlygoIEE63nrflVE012HM4VVppVQQFgreNiZq9vTX8T7kyUYCsivC5RTQ1njNBAUj0PTKf0CRpKPE/s320/IMG_1902.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The motor!!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Weather forecasts have changed daily and it's like following the bouncing ball, not knowing what the wind will do only what it is expected to do then it changes its mind.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>No one has been really seasick, although Michael has been less than great for a few days, I have been slightly off for a while on some days and even David has had an off half day. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>None of us has missed too many of the delicious culinary delights coming out of the galley, Kris seems to be able to create anything from the tiniest kitchen you could imagine. The pantry fills every nook and cranny in the walls and floors (bilge) and would put a well-stocked minimart to shame. We had chunky chicken soup last night, beef stir fry the night before and chill con carne tonight. Even on the "galley is closed cos it's too rough" day we had 2-minute noodles topped up with chicken chunks and corn and it was a huge feed. We have an ample supply of delicious fruit cake made on a regular basis in the bread maker while underway. I have added it to my recipe book.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Krikey!, a flying fish just flew into the cockpit, gosh it stinks but was quickly despatched overboard and the seat where it landed has had a lemon fresh spring clean.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>We have been followed by a couple of white birds tonight and they have been fishing next to the boat in the phosphorescence created by the tiny plankton type creatures, quite speccy. There has also been a beautiful clear sky to the south for a while and the southern stars display is nothing short of amazing. The Southern cross in all its glory!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>We have just had a watch change, Kris gone to catch some zzz ss and David on watch, I will stay up until Michael gets up as we are hot bunking at the moment, as the front cabin is not comfortable for anyone, that is Kris and David's cabin and they have been hot bunking in the aft cabin which was our cabin. It means they are guaranteed a good sleep while Michael and I are getting what sleep we can on the couch in the saloon. It is too hot for 2 people to sleep in the same relatively small beds so we all sleep alone when we do.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>I am sitting in the cockpit with only a $5 Panama City sundress on, it is pleasantly warm and it is 10pm! Most of the clothes I brought have been too warm as the humidity is very high and the sea temp is a constant 32c.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Well, hope this gives you all a snapshot of life on the Pacific Ocean, still looking for that elusive pina colada under the palm tree watching the sunset, but this is a pretty good second option.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Sat 25 May <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Via satellite,12.30 am<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Hi all, It has been quite an eventful day today with better seas and more favourable winds. We have been able to sail quite a lot and so conserved some fuel by not motoring and saving it for our entry into the port later today. ETA at Galapagos is 1pm, yippee! We are nearly there.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>A small squid landed in the cockpit this morning, made a mess and died, so back into the sea it went!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>We were joined by a 19m catamaran which overtook us then crossed in front and finally dropped back out of sight later in the afternoon. He was probably enjoying the same problems we have had, not!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>The highlight of the day has to be the arrival of the red-footed boobies on our bow rails. First 1 then 2 then 4 and finally by nightfall there were 22 of them sitting across the bow with their webbed feet wrapped around the top rail, balancing tenuously, rocking with the motion of the boat. We think they were mostly juveniles and some were fed by parents who flew in front of them, hovered and fed them, then peeled off to catch another fish.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>They stayed put even when sails or ropes flapped, David went up front to do something at the mast or Taipan dipped into the waves and sprayed them with water. We have renamed Taipan the "Taipan boobie preening lounge and salt spa". We think they come from Galapagos so it is fitting that we are bringing the boobies home and have them as an unusual if somewhat quirky escort if they are still there.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>The moon is just rising, there is phosphorescence in the water again and the southern sky is clear and full of stars, what a sight to see.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>The fridge has been emptied in preparation for the biosecurity inspection in port on arrival and we will have a couple of hours in the morning to tidy and clean everything so we are ship shape for the up to 10 officials who may board us for various inspections.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>The washing machine is loaded and ready to go and the deck will look like a Chinese laundry by the time we tie up at the mooring( we can' t anchor as we lost that in Las Perlas!)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>We are all looking forward to sleeping in our own bed, on clean sheets and in clean pj's for a full night sleep tonight, having had at best 4-hour snatches for 9 days.</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just for a while the wind dropped!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>It has been a more arduous trip that any of us expected and for Michael and I, something completely out of left field. Would I do it again? Probably not. Would I have missed it or do I regret it? Absolutely not. It has been an amazing part of our adventure.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>It is not over yet, and we look forward to seeing what Galapagos has to offer in the short time we will have. We all deserve it after the trip across.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><i><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Via satellite from San Cristobal Galapagos 10.30pm</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Well, our last day of sailing (25th) was just as eventful but in different ways, Saturday at 5am we crossed the equator into the Southern Hemisphere and the South Pacific time ocean. We were all awake and excited about watching the latitude click over to 0.00.000 (The Equator), and I captured it on video just to prove it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">At about 1pm we sighted land, the northern end of San Cristobal Island, and the winds and seas had not let up all that time, nothing in our favour. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roca Petradora on approach to San Cristobal</td></tr>
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The sail down the length of the island took another 3 hours and saw heaps of different birds, a couple of dolphins and what I thought was a floating tyre turned out to be our first sea lion lolling around in the now calm windless waters ( at last!). But even now we did not relax as the boat needed to be washed down from bow to stern and top to waterline to get that disgusting salt layer off and make a good impression on the inspection we knew would happen on arrival. Every nook and cranny was washed or wiped down including the pile of guano deposited by our boobie passengers during their all-night stay, we have renamed Taipan as "Boobie Couch Surfing and B&B"</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZumaEkwz60dJYsjWVS-wdi7eoeaisX4qBr7kXfpu_OgF2rkEzb2sexeD2TTutnQMbuJAX876EgT5F4XCBNDBN6LtPo931Bcd2DP1NiJwjbzlq5MhhaNe-j1C4I51z30EEgLmEMLJMpE/s1600/IMG_1530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZumaEkwz60dJYsjWVS-wdi7eoeaisX4qBr7kXfpu_OgF2rkEzb2sexeD2TTutnQMbuJAX876EgT5F4XCBNDBN6LtPo931Bcd2DP1NiJwjbzlq5MhhaNe-j1C4I51z30EEgLmEMLJMpE/s640/IMG_1530.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self-steering Corinne</td></tr>
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Then our first glimpse of civilisation for 9 days and 4 hours and we were greeted by the agent in the harbour at 4pm. As we had lost the big anchor and only had the spare anchor as a backup we had requested a mooring which is not usually available. They directed us to the mooring and as we were approaching it, the disabled autopilot chain jammed and David lost his left direction steering, which made parking tricky to say the least. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gian Carlos. Our agent's man in Wreck Bay San Cristobal<br />
He met us with a boat and directed us to a mooring.</td></tr>
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Once stopped we all gave a huge sigh of relief and we realised how exhausted we all were. The agent came on board and to tell us that we would have the authorities arrive at 8am in the morning for all the immigration, quarantine, health and whatever inspections, up to 10 persons. After a couple of drinks and a snack dinner we had our first shower were we didn't have to lean on a wall, legs at 60degrees with feet wedged into the corners for balance. The washing machine was going and there were 2 loads on the lines before we fell into bed about 900. Who needs flags up the mast when you can have socks jocks and undies flying in the breeze?</div>
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Sure enough at 8am 8 officials arrived in the water taxi and squeezed themselves, with us, into the cockpit which seats 6 with comfort, and for 30 minutes they checked the hull for barnacles by diving under the boat, the passports and Taipan's paperwork, the galley for any fresh prohibited provisions ( we ate them all over the last couple of days which resulted in some interesting combinations of food!), the wastewater holding tanks, the medicine supplies and first aid kit, Safety equipment, PFD's, Fire extinguishers, the fumigation certificate from Panama City, the rubbish recycling system which required labelled buckets for plastic, glass, cans and general waste, signs all over the boat reminding us not to throw rubbish overboard. There are signs made by Kris everywhere just in case we forget. Finally, we got the tick of approval the boat was very clean and we could stay!!!</div>
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Thanks, Corinne for the insight from the crew. Its been more than eventful enough and far from the most pleasant passage. The upside was the wonderful company and help throughout. </div>
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Next episode.... Galapagas Islands. Wildlife and more adventures.</div>
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</style>Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0Teodoro Wolf, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Ecuador-0.900185245274404 -89.613219138569661-0.931938745274404 -89.653559638569661 -0.868431745274404 -89.572878638569662tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-85510947620521282632019-05-16T04:31:00.000+07:002019-08-28T03:54:07.583+07:00PANAMA PROGRESS INTO THE PACIFIC 16th May 2019<style type="text/css">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SYNe6xnLtTbMsxU97RnoX_0hBWQWTFK5kdocqWTTSl-FT48MVqHbOc7AMClFgX8_1Tl-CNq2Lie5N_3TOK_UWQVw58kha8hTxasaOHMX4LY-rx306aJBLOv-XI5dLWGUbPcCP974Nnc/s1600/Taipan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1132" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SYNe6xnLtTbMsxU97RnoX_0hBWQWTFK5kdocqWTTSl-FT48MVqHbOc7AMClFgX8_1Tl-CNq2Lie5N_3TOK_UWQVw58kha8hTxasaOHMX4LY-rx306aJBLOv-XI5dLWGUbPcCP974Nnc/s640/Taipan.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Taipan does the Panama Canal</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />The marina at the northern end of the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal"><span class="s1"> Panama Canal</span></a>, ShelterBay, was a welcome sight after our 7-day passage from Grenada. The final few hours saw us dodging shipping and finally following one of the big guys through the entrance at Colon. Shelter Bay Marina is expensive but there are no other marinas, and to facilitate the lengthy process involved in gaining Canal Permit, it is the most convenient stopover. We chose an agent some weeks previously and Rogelio de Hoyos was ready to measure us and get the official ball rolling just two days after our arrival. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp-V1t3YPeeSR-jdULTkOMqxpZDtx5E8xldkRg7j3tao1FAUoa4I0D1U4DsYw7oOvMuczORp-CT2k3xtpNwsj6KkL9b8PDMS_pVV6xUF2wmHwn1R6J8C6YJ8RPj1s6PLTDhce7ESWcHk/s1600/IMG_1955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp-V1t3YPeeSR-jdULTkOMqxpZDtx5E8xldkRg7j3tao1FAUoa4I0D1U4DsYw7oOvMuczORp-CT2k3xtpNwsj6KkL9b8PDMS_pVV6xUF2wmHwn1R6J8C6YJ8RPj1s6PLTDhce7ESWcHk/s320/IMG_1955.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent Agent 30 years experience.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were quite sure we would be over the 50-foot limit and received a pleasant surprise when we came in under it. This is quite a saving in dollars as there is a big jump in price over 50 feet. They can do very creative measuring here in Panama.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelter Bay Marina by night</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Family members, Michael and Corinne, were flying in from Western Australia on the 8th of May so we were allocated a Canal transit date for the 12th. Their adventure began at the airport after 40 hours travelling, where Rogelio’s driver picked them to drive them to Shelter Bay. They were forewarned about the terrible road and the isolation It would be unnerving to be in a strangers car on that stretch of road in the dark. Narrow as a goat track, and twice as rough with thick jungle encroaching on both sides, Shelter Bay sits in what was </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the Panama Free Zone, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">land once used by the US military when they controlled the Canal. It is filled with ruined building and broken equipment and the jungle resonates to the screams of howler monkeys. Then there's a roadblock manned by machine gun toting hombres in camouflage fatigues just to raise your doubts about the whole adventure. A scene from Mad Max!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkpY6QY332Pl2qzW5nnEWOn3WSN8qbSpU4CKEVzb1ctHI5wZs5Wtk_94-N0dYvMkeWliXitSsRQ5Rku9b3ssT2ItkPW_s1AE8e257fe37FU0jqhyphenhyphendHa9nTq7UFBcLEilSUuQDPG2FQYo/s1600/IMG_6122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkpY6QY332Pl2qzW5nnEWOn3WSN8qbSpU4CKEVzb1ctHI5wZs5Wtk_94-N0dYvMkeWliXitSsRQ5Rku9b3ssT2ItkPW_s1AE8e257fe37FU0jqhyphenhyphendHa9nTq7UFBcLEilSUuQDPG2FQYo/s640/IMG_6122.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first glimpse of canal workings on the run to Colon</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, aboard Taipan, our jobs list was by no means short. We thought when we arrived that we had matters in hand but the sudden failure of one of our 6v 450ah batteries set us in a spin. To replace the whole bank of 4 batteries or not? An abortive attempt was made to procure batteries from the US but miss understanding and miss communication saw that turn into a debacle with the wrong batteries ordered and on the ship to Panama!!. They wouldn't fit in our battery box. So a sharp about turn and we were able to locate just one battery the correct size, to replace the failed one and the whole show was back on the road. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The main sheet track car was removed and inspected and hundreds of little ball bearings cleaned and reinserted one by one!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corinne and I had to make the Flag All sold out in Panama. Jobs in progress Autopilot, Powerdive</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two peoples luggage for 3 weeks aboard.!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The deck cleats needed to be resealed and that necessitated the messy process of drilling out 2 of the bolts which failed to be moved by the idea. Michael bought the bolts from Australia. They also bought a new autopilot in their luggage. (Most of which was stuff for the boat.) Michael and Corinne's luggage consisted of two small carry-on bags and a backpack and handbag. Not a bad effort for a 3-week stay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The autopilot was installed and tested. A trip into Colon for supplies and sundries took most of one day. We joined Andrew and Polly "Drummer" most evenings at the dockside restaurant and compared repairs and maintenance progress.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long lines for the transit.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The day of the transit dawned like any other, hot sweaty and overcast. With all the jobs done we soaked in the pool on the last two afternoons and managed to fit in another quick cool-off in the morning before departure. Our fenders and 4x50foot lines had been delivered by Roger and out two paid lines attendants arrived promptly at 1.00pm. Taipan was required to anchor on the Flats, just outside the marina entrance and await the arrival of the Canal Advisor. This person is an employee of the Panama Canal Authority and it's his job to ensure that each boat makes the specific deadlines for locking procedures and does so without impeding the shipping traffic. We had Hector delivered just before dark and then proceeded to motor slowly towards the first of the locks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was a delay as two of the biggest ships to transit the canal were needing room to pass in opposite directions The channel is too narrow for them to pass so they had to go one at a time. This delayed us about an hour<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We were very lucky with the weather. Clear skies and a moon.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan rafted to Drummer approaching the first lock</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mules positioning the freighter ahead of us.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We approached the first of the 3 locks with some trepidation. The process requires that the 2 yachts we were to transit with being rafted together to enter the locks and continue through the locks rafted. The middle boat was Drummer, (our friends Andrew and Polly, Brits,) We tied to them and the other boat tied to their other side. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Its a long way up to the top of the lock. First lift! Line handlers on the deck</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our two line handlers did all the line work, with the Canal staff throwing a monkey fist onto the deck which was then used to tie to the big lines we had, and they were hauled ashore to the lock wall and secured on bollards for the lift. Line handlers shorten the lines as the water fills the lock. The rafted boats move forward and the process begins again. We were following a big ship during each move up.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At around 11pm we were out of the final of the up locks and into Gatun Lake, a large artificial lake constructed to minimise the number of locks required to build the canal, we separated and made our way to some large buoys where we tied for the night. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Line handlers slept in the cockpit and the Advisor was taken off. The cooking was a bit of a process!! Everyone had to be fed enroute. A hot meal no less!!! It was already about 100degrees in the saloon and the preparation of a hot meal for 7 was challenging. Day one. Tuna Mornay. Day two Chicken and Pasta.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kris and Corinne taking a break between cooking meals!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Day two saw the arrival of our canal advisor at 7.00am. He required a hot breakfast and a hot lunch!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Then in convoy, all three yachts motored through the beautiful artificial freshwater lake, around islands and past some big ships for about 6 hours. For the last 3 locks we rafted the boats back together and this time, going down, we’re followed in by a big freighter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The old locks are 110 ft (33.53 m) wide by 1,050 ft (320 m) long and 41.2 feet (12.6 m) deep, with a usable length of 1,000 ft (305 m).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canal staff throw the monkeys fist to attach to our lines.<br />
A freighter follows us out of Miraflores lock.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Miraflores Lock has a visitors centre and the ramparts were crowded with spectators. Polly’s son, in the UK, was able to get some screenshots off the Panama Canals live video feed, of the three boats in the lock.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan on the bottom right. Shots from the Live WebCam at Miraflores Lock,<br />
AIS targets in the canal.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Overall the transit was much easier than negotiating most of the European locks for which we were only two-handed and without shoreside assistance.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> They caused great anxiety and near divorce at every lock!! I do grant you though .... it was a little more expensive!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many thanks to Rogelio and his team</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys got it right.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Back in the Pacific, we made our way to La Playita. The marina is horrible and at $150US for the 1st night and $80 per night thereafter we only stayed one-night enduring surge and no facilities. We had the Fumigator aboard to fulfil the requirements of the Galapagos inspectors and then left and went to the anchorage off the marina.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy crew, Corinne and Michael, (Andrew behind). Arrived in the Pacific. Now they've done the canal both ways. Once by ship and now on a real boat!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the 15th we completed exit formalities with Rogelio’s assistance and left for Las Perlas, an island group about 40nm south. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Two Spanish Mackerel were bagged and a bucket and a pair of pliers was lost so we're square! We anchored snuggly on the northern shore of Contadora, where we made final preparations for departure to Galapagos. Before leaving on the 16th, and after a slight glitch with a faulty switch on the Powerdive, David gave the hull a thorough inspection and pronounced it barnacle free and fit for the rigorous inspections we are due to encounter in Galapagos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We are ready to go!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Well, are we??? What next??</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Contadora Las Perlas</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipO-v0vb83ScPN05CwT1687me_bZd1HC2v29AUY" target="_blank">Panama Canal Transit photos</a></span></div>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0SHELTER BAY MARINA, Colón, Panama9.369486346247097 -79.9503203916263499.3538193462470964 -79.970490391626342 9.3851533462470975 -79.930150391626356tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-4943806694496804592019-04-24T21:49:00.000+07:002019-05-04T22:57:51.959+07:00PASSAGE TO PANAMA 24th April 2019<style type="text/css">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In our Trans Atlantic Crossing shirts!! James Tomlinson, James Robinson, Kris, David Arrived</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Martinique, St Annes Bay, our first port of call after the Atlantic crossing from Las Palma, Canaries, and it gave us the opportunity to have a good sleep and catch our breath but only briefly as we needed to keep moving to get the James's on their flight back to the Old Country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From Martinique, we day sailed to Grenada stopping in Rodney Bay, St Lucia, just overnight, and in Bequia for two nights which enabled us to do the Island tour and enjoy some decent coffee!! Bequia is probably one of our favourites in the chain. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan on a mooring in Bequia next to a block of flats!!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First stop in Grenada was St George and the lovely Port Louis Marina. Here we regrouped, repacked debriefed and said farewell to our two trusty swabbies! It's been a fantastic trip and lots of good memories.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrived at Port Louis Grenada</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In Grenada we needed to haul out for new anti-foul. Our last anti-foul was applied in Makum, Netherlands at the end of May 2017 so has withstood the rigours of quite a few sea miles. Our Atlantic passage had been slowed by the growth of barnacles, particularly on the bottom quarter of the keel and especially under the keel. There were a few goose barnacles under the counter. Overall though she was in pretty good shape and only required a good pressure spray and some light sanding in a few places.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We chose Prickly Bay Marina haul-out at the south end of the island and were accommodated rapidly. Thursday, one week after arriving in Grenada we were out of the water. They have a good marine chandler onsite and the yard staff are very friendly. Its an easy dingy ride to the Grenada Yacht Club for a good meal after a hard day on the hard. Their Friday night is great fun with a fantastic steel band, a DJ then live music all to the accompaniment of good food and great Pina Coladas!!.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There ensued the usual anti-foul jobs. Anode replacement and this time a new cutlass bearing. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On deck, I stripped all 10 winches, cleaned, greased, oiled and reassembled them. This took several days. 4 of them are very large. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The sail which was damaged from the flying spinnaker pole track was patched and stitched and we also completely rebuilt the Tides Marine batten cars on the Mainsail. They come joined with screws. These have all been replaced with bolts as the screws just strip in the plastic moulding under load.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The piece of spinnaker pole track has been painted red to remind us not to load it and replaced at the top of the pole track. It’s just to hold the pole when not in use.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Both preventer lines have been replaced with Kevlar and have hard eyes spliced in for attachment. The headsail sheets have been reattached using knots instead of splices as the splices chafed on the pole.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In all, we were 10 days up. We could have done some of these jobs in the water but the anchorage was rolly so we chose to stay up.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Monday we relaunched, anchored for long enough to put the boat right, then motored around to St George’s and anchored off for the night.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Matt "Destino", an old sailing friend from Oz came over bringing local fare for dinner and we swapped yarns till the wee small hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tuesday morning after fuelling up and clearing Customs we set off on a 1100nm passage to Panama.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There has been unrest in Venezuela and a nasty incident with shots fired at a sailboat so we elected to give that coast a wide berth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our course took us 200nm north-west before we turned west.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With prevailing winds from the East, the passage was all wing on wing. Even when we turned south-west towards the end the wind followed. Seas were not always so comfortable and it was often pretty rolly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What followed is the day to day posts that I made to Facebook using the Iridium Go. I was even able to load a couple of images. Our Predict Wind programme, which supplies our up to date forecasts, was very reliable on this passage and we felt comfortable about continuing to Panama instead of diverting to Bonaire when an unfavourable early forecast showed heavy wind and seas off the Colombian coast. The forecast moderated and we continued with good weather.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Bonaire we were sorry to miss but we’ve a plan to get into the Pacific as soon as possible now.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Taipan is back at sea. Passaging 1200nm between Grenada and Panama. We left on Tuesday and have had pretty plain sailing. Our route has us over 200nm from the Venezuela coast and running almost due west. Wind a fairly constant 18 to 22 from the East. Swells unformed and some crosswind waves make it a bit rolly. Found a nice slot and covered over 50nm in the past 6 hours. Wind and waves aligned. Very little shipping and only a couple of birds for company <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>One little swallow stopping by for a rest and a drink from the sink below decks. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Keeping well clear of the coasts of both Venezuela and Nicaragua in view of the latest incidents.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1.30am 17th April. Left St George, Grenada just 13 hours ago. Full main up with staysail. Nice n frisky out here after a slow start getting clear of the island. About a 1200nm run to Panama. 15 to 18 knots just aft of the beam. Fairly comfortable. Nice to have a clean hull</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Wednesday 18th 630pm we’ve had light following wind. Poled out around midday. We will cut south tomorrow though. Change of plan as we to the west of us is looking very unpleasant over the weekend. May make Bonaire instead.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">We sometimes you lose track out here. Today is the 18th and it’s Thursday just past midnight here. We’ve been going 36 hours and covered 260nm in relatively comfortable seas. They have flattened considerably in the last12 hours, along with a slight wind shift and drop. Still poled out with wind around 14 to 15 kn astern. The past 12 hours would be about as good as it gets. Full moon over the masthead, flat sea. 1 ship about 10 miles away. And it’s tank top temperature. We were shooting straight for Panama giving the coast of Venezuela a wide berth given the two attempted piracy incidents in the past 2 weeks but as I said. We will shoot for Bonaire to avoid heavy weather. This eastern Caribbean Sea can apparently throw up some nasty steep seas in gales. So, suddenly Venezuela didn’t look so bad!!! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">Thursday 18th 11pm 400 gone under the keel since leaving Grenada. The wind picked up just after we put in a reef on dusk. Good timing. Still poled out, but reefed headsail. 20 to 22 knots right up the clacker. Rocking and rolling. Abandoned plan to Bonaire as forecast seems to have moderated slightly. Heading on to Panama. Plenty of surfing in this sea. Few 10s n even the odd 11 on a big surf!! Not much good for sleeping, but the moons bright and the foods good. And seems like a mighty fine sail when compared to the book I’m reading. </span></span><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;">The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Its a memoir of the 1910–1913 British Antarctic Expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> <a class="q ruhjFe NJLBac fl" data-ved="2ahUKEwj2pMzWgfPhAhVFtlkKHUK3DUAQmhMwH3oECBAQAg" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Worst_Journey_in_the_World" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Worst_Journey_in_the_World&ved=2ahUKEwj2pMzWgfPhAhVFtlkKHUK3DUAQmhMwH3oECBAQAg" style="color: #1a0dab; cursor: pointer; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: nowrap;">Wikipedia</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">About Scott’s expedition to the Antarctic in 2011. At least we’re warm!!</span>8.00pm. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Good Friday, April 19th.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>560nm gone under. Sometimes you wonder, as you rush headlong down the face of these inexpertly formed seas, just why it is that we do this. Seas as opposed to oceans seem to have messed with the nice uniform ocean swell and inserted a bunch of malformed mischievous cross waves just to ensure the passage is as rolly as possible.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Today we lashed a deck chair in the centre of the cockpit in an attempt to find a more comfortable position. Occasionally you can almost get ejected from it though. There are ships and showers around tonight and wind remains the same. Tomorrow we might gybe!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We’re still reefed and polled out.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Still 3 or 4 days to go. Happy Easter everyone<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">12.30am. Sunday 21st. My watch and there are no Easter eggs!! Hope everyone out there has done well. Seas have moderated and this new angle produces less roll. It’s easier to sleep!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Progress is steady with the pole to port now and still one reef. I think we’ve gone soft! There’s mostly only 12 to 14 over the deck!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Wind fairly close to dead behind. No wildlife today and impossible to fish as the Sargasso weed is very thick. It’s probably caught up all around the prop too. It’s a beautiful night. Moon glowing and occasional puffy clouds. No showers tonight. 770nm gone under and we are expecting to arrive in Shelter Bay at the northern end of the canal either late Tuesday or early Wednesday <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Cheers from Team Taipan. Enjoy the eggs!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sunday 21st Easter Egg day. 8.30pm The day started with nice even low swell but as the day wore on the swell increased but without much increase in the wind so we rolled a lot later in the day. It’s dark and the moons not yet risen<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Stars very bright. No rain about. No ships. Not much of anything really.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In choosing to give the Venezuela coast a wide berth it’s taken us north and out of the favourable current, however, now that we want to make more south we are encountering that same current on the nose as it sweeps round north to join the Gulf Stream. Frustratingly this is knocking about a knot off us.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Overall though it’s been pretty fast.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We’ve 380 to go to Shelter Bay. Our agent has advised he’s setting up inspection and measuring for our canal transit for Thursday so it will be a busy first couple of days. Managed a radio comm with our friends on SENTIJN in the Bahamas tonight which was fun.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Monday 22nd. 900pm. Done 1055nm 200 to go. A glitch with the autopilot caused a slight drama in the middle of the night! Shutdown. Continued to shutdown randomly during the day. Fortunately, we have three autopilots so it was easy to switch to the first spare. It’s been working fine for 12 hrs. Touch wood. We’ve one more spare!!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Can never have too many spares said, Captain Dave. To be sure to be sure to be sure!! </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seas are bigger. Closer to 3m. Wind same and sails same</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Think we’ve a knot against us again</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It comes and goes but the seas build against it. ETA Colon northern end of Canal is??? Yes, the middle of the night! Won’t that be fun with all those big ships to play with???</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Tuesday 23rd 1130am 1176 gone and 50 left to run. Beautiful night. The remainders first the moon and a sky full of stars. Sloppy seas, little wind and a 2-knot countercurrent have played havoc with our ETA though so we will not arrive at Shelter Bay till around midday.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Arrived at Shelter Bay Marina Panama at 11.30am, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">6 days and 23 hours. 1274nm Last 36 hrs pushing current and with very light wind, so it was a pretty good average in spite of that. </span></span></div>
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<br />Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-78528948993487103342019-03-28T04:46:00.000+07:002019-04-09T18:49:20.144+07:00THIRD ATLANTIC CROSSING 28th March 2019<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BhyWl4kUqgkfdbq5uEjbxktFhenCAyVN3queIA0C6f_KBVulSX37YX0DHgif1WcpPJ-I_4Pb8Bdaz-MqkG9eUTa5kNVVEmr9iEmH2md_SpIMvwgkUTdrofGEu7KZ2mJRuLCQSUlF55E/s1600/Screen+Shot+2019-04-02+at+15.11.05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1059" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BhyWl4kUqgkfdbq5uEjbxktFhenCAyVN3queIA0C6f_KBVulSX37YX0DHgif1WcpPJ-I_4Pb8Bdaz-MqkG9eUTa5kNVVEmr9iEmH2md_SpIMvwgkUTdrofGEu7KZ2mJRuLCQSUlF55E/s640/Screen+Shot+2019-04-02+at+15.11.05.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipans Track across the Atlantic in March 2019</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not as many as some but more than most! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2850nm in 19 days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On balance it was a fairly slow trip from Las Palma Grand Canaria ES with winds not much above 25knots at any time during the passage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were four aboard this trip so with the cooking job looking like a whopper I made the decision to keep to the lighter winds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Las Palma disappeared astern in very light wind on the 6th of March. What follows are the Facebook posts I was able to post on passage using the Iridium Go and Opera Mini Web browser.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We've moved into some wind now. It’s still chilly but Taipan enjoying the rock n roll. Barnacles seem to have fled and speed is improving with some nice favourable current. Crew settling into watch routine. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2365nm to Grenada. Winds overnight up around 25+ over starboard aft quarter. Polled out headsail n main. Roller coaster. Quite a lot of cloud. One dunny on the blink! All good otherwise.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 9th</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">2247 nm to Grenada. Dunny running. Watermaker running. Running downwind. Still!!. 15 to 25+knots. It’s bumpy out here! I can’t remember ever having a reef in the main for so long on any previous passage. Oh yes! Southern Indian Ocean! Great crew though! All well</span> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 10th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2064 to go. 770 done. Genoa poled our starboard 1 reef in main port, staysail sheeted into port. Eating some miles now the seas have dropped a little. Still heading west. Probably jibe in a day or so. All well. Cheers</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 11th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1961 nm to Grenada. Nothing’s changed except wind and sea down a little. Slowly going in the wrong direction. Might change sails in a day or two to relieve the boredom. It’s warmer. That’s a good sign I think. The crew all well. Taipan trundling along.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r_2Lj9FIYYe5iVXltWuNpXrbQKEZ1ePnXaKcKCFvHkbo16oBS7tUmEo51hFN4Thnqy1oaZsdcRHrAzpcxvVBkN5kX5EE2DxnRPawru81Uc7_WGLg1WALNajJhQNVGwIrDOyO4kzAdk4/s1600/IMG_0967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r_2Lj9FIYYe5iVXltWuNpXrbQKEZ1ePnXaKcKCFvHkbo16oBS7tUmEo51hFN4Thnqy1oaZsdcRHrAzpcxvVBkN5kX5EE2DxnRPawru81Uc7_WGLg1WALNajJhQNVGwIrDOyO4kzAdk4/s640/IMG_0967.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James takes a sight.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Haven’t touched the sails for 6 days but will have to turn left soon or we’ll run into Florida!! Martinique?? Maybe? 1700 odd miles away. Had avidity from a little bird. Stayed the afternoon. Popped below for a look around. Ate a few crumbs and was dead on deck this morning. Poor wee thing. Exhausted.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 13th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">700am Gybed! Heading to Martinique. 1690nm</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Trucking! Reaching in 12 to 15 knots. Could be flatter but overall very pleasant. Dead squid on deck and 3 Tropic Birds did a bit of a flypast today. 1564 to Martinique. Fridge settling down. Having fun</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1380nm gone. 1425 to go to Martinique. 8 and a half days gone. Wind may lighten up but Hey! No problem. motor on. Washing, deck scrubbing, cleaning and we’ll be off again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 15th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I’m on watch. Sitting under a blazing half moon with 1256nm to Martinique. Today the wind dropped and we started motoring over beautiful cobalt blue seas with just the occasional snowy white caps. The wind dropped to just 7 knots from behind. A couple of Fin Whales passed during lunch, showing off their white bellies, in a spectacular breaching display. Our first flying fish was sighted. Afternoon tea was a team event, taken in the laundrette! (Cockpit full of hanging washing). Life goes on!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 16th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Still motoring. 1140nm to Martinique</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 17th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sailing by the light of the moon. Beautiful day here. A short shower late in the afternoon. Now 10 to 15 kn on the beam. Bit variable but making progress and enjoying the journey. Been out 11 days. Probably 7 to go to Martinique looking at the weather. 979nm 1799 done</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 18th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">By the light of the silvery moon La la la. Another beautiful day. Motor off an on. Fickle wind. Nice beam reaching motor sailing. Seas building so wind coming. All fed and clean and enjoying the ride. 860nm to Martinique</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTU60aT84q4AoMjtB6YHh6cMkeH12JhtJ5y5yf5NsdNIhDBUhJvUOy17c8BtfgR4zGDWWEOQ2MRlgIrzpDw1plLGiWdXfp3_FHdFvqdZ6wD2M9aCb_yS1ZEY5k2pOgteW6eWi4Ku_TWU/s1600/IMG_0941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="1561" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTU60aT84q4AoMjtB6YHh6cMkeH12JhtJ5y5yf5NsdNIhDBUhJvUOy17c8BtfgR4zGDWWEOQ2MRlgIrzpDw1plLGiWdXfp3_FHdFvqdZ6wD2M9aCb_yS1ZEY5k2pOgteW6eWi4Ku_TWU/s640/IMG_0941.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 19th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Still waiting for more wind but it’s warm, foods good, company’s good And we are sailing slowly in the right direction more or less so who's counting. 717nm to Martinique.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 19th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Iridium Go Satelite tracker communication thingo lost signal today for an hour. Glitch! So if we disappear.... don’t panic!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 20th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here’s the tracker link again</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">Wondering why we are wobbling all over the Atlantic? Well, we’re using the Predict Wind Router. We decided to stick to its recommendations this trip and see what happens. So we put in Taipan s parameters and set up a few preferences and away we go. It’s been mostly reaching which is a nice point of sail but we are kind of wandering around out here. Forecasts keep promising more wind. We keep waiting! One of the parameter choices was comfort or speed. I chose comfort. It’s certainly been comfortable but not really speedy!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 21st</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Really slow day. Very pleasant though. 600nm to Martinique</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 22nd</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ship! There was also one a couple of nights ago. Sheep transport. Flukey winds. Some sailing, some motor sailing. Some squalls. Yes, we’re in the tropics again. Yeah!!! No fish. Too much weed. Counting down now. 433nm to Martinique. 2381 gone under the keel.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 23rd</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">260 to Martinique. 5.00am. 12 to 15kn. Slightly aft of the beam. Short swell.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 24th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sea state crap. Wind gusty to occasional 30kn and variable direction. Two reefs in main still polled out furled Genoa. Speed reduced after a quite good run for the day. 130 nm to go at 2.30am local time. Looks like a midnight arrival onto St ANNE. Martinique</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Later on the 24th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sea state still crap. Current forcing us north. Will round the northern end of Martinique. 47nm away</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">March 25th</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Howdy! A few unexpected issues. WX crap but now finally motor sailing south down the west coast of Martinique</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">We arrived in the anchorage at Le Marin on the southern end of Martinique on the 25th of March. The only issue we had was the departure of the top three feet of the mast track for the spinnaker pole. The captain accidentally put the pole too high on the track and the 20 or so rivets parted company. This part of the track is only for carrying the pole and was not meant to be loaded. Oops. The mainsail sustained an 8-inch tear from the flying piece of the track but no one was hurt, it happened in broad daylight during the dogwatch so everyone was up and the offending piece of the track did not go overboard so all in all it was OK.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">We had a fantastic crew. All aboard a small boat for a month together and all rubbed along well. Thank you for your great contribution to our last Atlantic crossing and for all you help at the Dock in Las Palma!!!</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Robinson</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnRoTBBIpyknyGkD1RZvtnIWcqm_Km87Eui2mwKwYBCzVITqLeg8kvkgRPJrmncO9xz-Qz7YMefmuYBaGymNFshRgdNgIlxgw0M9ApNqs6B2TNkh1LLredLfernsugdXPt6aeoiHhP5g/s1600/IMG_0947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1150" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnRoTBBIpyknyGkD1RZvtnIWcqm_Km87Eui2mwKwYBCzVITqLeg8kvkgRPJrmncO9xz-Qz7YMefmuYBaGymNFshRgdNgIlxgw0M9ApNqs6B2TNkh1LLredLfernsugdXPt6aeoiHhP5g/s640/IMG_0947.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Tomlinson.</td></tr>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-86570960494422636282019-03-08T08:34:00.000+07:002019-04-03T04:45:11.069+07:00FIXING BOATS IN EXOTIC LOCATIONS 8TH MARCH 2019<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just a note from the team, David and I plus English sailing friends, James Tomlinson RYA, RCC, OCC, and James Robinson RYA RCC Commodore OSC. Sailing Instructor and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">lots more sailing talent between these two!</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The fact is that as soon as you have a deadline things crop up to bite your ass. Our crew arrived on the 20th for the passage to the Carribean with us and everything went to hell in a hand cart.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We arrived back to Taipan in Lanzarote from Australia on 11th of Feb with a plan! </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Firstly we couldn't get the fridge to cool down. Not holding gas. We have a new Evaporator aboard so replaced the old Danfoss Plate with the new Waeco evaporator. No! still not working. Ok, so a new compressor goes in when we get to Las Palmas.</span></span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Winchrite electric winch handle goes kaput. Fine, the crew will fly in a free replacement. It's still under warranty. Seems that was the first of the winch problems... The anchor winch refused to even squeak when David did the quick test prior to departure!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1">We left Lanzarotte and overnight sailed...motored to Las Palma with an anchor windlass and refrigeration to fix. Well three days later with a lot of bad words flying, the windlass was finally off the boat!! A new one, a Lofrans 3000 was hastily shipped in. </span>All the deck was then rebuilt and painted in readiness for the arrival and insertion of the replacement. Another 3 days, and we were finally all ready to go.<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Such good crew!! We found an amazing restaurant up in the main town, did manage to do an island tour and after hasty provisioning, Taipan decided it was OK to leave.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Provisions were hastily gathered, farewells conducted with PICCOLINA, Steph and Rolf, with whom we had shared many delightful meals and fun evenings during the chaos.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farewell and safe travels to Rolf and Steffi. Piccolina</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The new windlass hoisted anchor at 7am on the 6th of March and Team Taipan slipped out of the harbour to cross to Grenada in the Caribbean roughly 2800nm</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Clearing the islands was a mixed bag of wind and no wind before it started then to build steadily to around 25kn with a fairly bumpy sea for the first 25 hours. A rude introduction after months ashore!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">With about 2500 nm to go to Grenada, it's still chilly but Taipan is enjoying the rock n roll. The bottom slime seems to have fled and speeds are improving with some nice favourable current to help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Team are settling into watch routine of 2 on at a time for 4 hour watches. We're well fed and pretty well rested and with reduced swell ( about 2m). It's a lot more sustainable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The wind is from the starboard aft quarter at around 14 to 18kn as I write and we're travelling more west to avoid a patch of heavier wind south if us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our exact position is updated every 10 minutes at the link below.</span></div>
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<a href="http://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Taipan"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">http://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Taipan</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Grenada is an approximation! It's possible we may deviate. Nothing is set in stone. Watch this space!</span></div>
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<style type="text/css"> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 21.0px; font: 18.0px Arial; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} </style><style type="text/css"> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 21.0px; font: 12.0px Times; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 14.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; line-height: 21.0px; font: 18.0px Arial; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} </style>Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-60491859157696688202019-02-14T22:58:00.000+07:002019-02-14T22:58:20.020+07:00PUSHING ON WEST. 14th Feb 2019<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here's a long overdue but brief update before we get into the real business of this blog. Sailing.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elsie Paige</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There's been a bit of a gap in the comms as we've had to traipse back to Australia to get me a bionic hip. Sounds a bit dramatic, but went pretty smoothly thanks to the expert surgeon and our wonderful friends who so generously housed and fed us on numerous occasions. In total, we were in OZ for 4 months. Highlights included the birth of our newest grandchild. Elsie Paige, 5th baby of Jason and Ferne. All 8 grandkids are an absolute delight and we had a fabulous time feeding them ice cream, leading them astray, then returning them to their parents.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our flights both ways were direct from London to Perth, 16 to 17 hours in the air. It was tolerable. We spent 3 days each way in London with friends which was a great break. The flight to Lanzarote from Gatwick was easy and pretty cheap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now its all go aboard Taipan, commissioning equipment and scrubbing etc. We are in Lanzarote, the most northeasterly island in the Canaries Spanish island group, with plans to make our way to Las Palmas in the next day or so. Here we will provision and service the life raft before a couple of good friends fly in from London to do the jump across the pond with us.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First ride with the new hip!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I've activated the IridiumGo, which for those long distance sailors out there, is an absolutely fantastic tool, providing us with unlimited...(if slow).. data and 6 hourly forcasts from 4 diferent sources including tracking, free texts, departure planning and weather routing. We also have 150 minutes of free calls for emergencies. We first used it across the north Atlantic and fell in love. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More soon. Stay tuned!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can follow us here </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Taipan&source=gmail&ust=1550244126351000&usg=AFQjCNHtM6csA37JejfeLNg-tox4tN3yTQ" href="https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Taipan" rel="noreferrer" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Grande", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank"> https://forecast.predictwind.<wbr></wbr>com/tracking/display/Taipan</a></div>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-4338752893119945742018-09-23T22:42:00.000+07:002019-08-28T03:51:31.921+07:00INTO THE KASBAH. MOROCCO. . 23rd September 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Cadiz skyline melted into the distance as we motored south from this amazing city. The day was clear and warm with very little wind but it was only 58 easy miles to Tangier, Morocco.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Evenings were social with Dark Tarn, Phil and Lynne, Sequoia, Barbara and Craig. We filled several nights with fun and tall stories on one another boats.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What a treat we were in for. Very friendly locals directed us to the marina which was so new it didn't show on our charts. It's only been open 3 months. It's a beautiful spacious marina mainly because no one was there save a few small sports boats and 7 other yachts. Three of whom were OCC members. There are over 200 berths. The moorings are med style though, so we were very grateful after our exceedingly friendly and efficient check-in to be given a hammerhead, alongside, berth. Taipan doesn't like going backwards. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The location is great, with only a short walk to Carrefour and the medina, which was our immediate destination. The waterfront on the marina is new and modern with several nice restaurants on the upper deck. The public is not permitted in the dock area and there are 24hour guards so we felt very safe.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funky stretched Limo.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Winding lanes strewn with every artefact and smelling sweetly of exotic herbs and spices enticed us deeper and deeper into their maze of small stores. Courted by carpet sellers at every turn and engaging in surprisingly good English conversations with the locals was enchanting. This is our kind of tourist destination! We ate local food at small stalls where the locals eat. (Always safer than the tourist haunts.) Couldn’t decide on a carpet but could not resist the ceramic bowls.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Managed to get away with just those and a few postcards.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assilah</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Asilah is a small city on the coast about 1 hour south of Tanger and as it was a recommended place to visit.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We elected to get a taxi there and back. The price was reasonable and the trip very worthwhile. It's a charming enclosed town all white with blue trim, very clean and lots of interesting twisting lanes and stalls.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our main purpose for visiting Tangier was to renew the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>EU VAT status of Taipan. By leaving the EU for a short while you are permitted re-entry for another 18 months. We had a tentative booking at Almerimar on the southern Spanish coast, about 170nm east from Gibraltar. The Schengen clock was stopped while we were in Morocco but restarted when we left.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gibraltar</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Departure was a simple and free process and after 4 days we headed to La Linea, Spain right under the great big British rock that is Gibraltar. It's just a short walk across the airstrip from Spain to the UK territory. Checking back into Spain was not so simple. David made 5 trips to the border officials to get stamped in but in the end, we got stamped out!! Really??? It was very frustrating. Back in the anchorage, we waited for the weather to be convivial for a dash to Almerimar. It didn’t happen and the winds were not due to abate any time soon.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was suddenly a perfect opportunity to head to the Canaries. With plenty of provisions aboard, full of cheap tax-free diesel from Gibraltar, the first leg of the journey was to Rabat just 79nm away. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Rabat past this spectacular fort.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was accomplished in a day sail in pleasant conditions. off the wind, once again. The entrance to Rabat has a bad reputation and can be entirely untenable if the swells build. Its a bar crossing between 2 large rock groins. The swell was around 1.2m when we arrived and after stowing the sails we called channel 10 and were duly escorted into the entrance by a small pilot boat from the Bouregreg marina. A big dredge is working the entrance and even at low tide we had 4.5m of water.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There’s a very imposing fort at the entrance of the river and we had been forewarned to have the camera ready. It was just spectacular. Barbary pirates used this as one of their harbours in the 7th to 12 century. The fortress was built in the 11th century and used as a launching point for attacks on Iberia. Rabat is the capital of Morocco, with a population of 1.2 million. It is predominantly moderate Islamic.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kasbar</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We were escorted to a very accessible visitors pontoon on the left side of the river and promptly boarded by officials with a translator. Effortless entrance. They only wanted to know if we had a drone! Probably because the Kings principal palace is in Rabat. Off to our hammerhead once again in a modern 250 berth marina.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The trams are state of the art and depart from a station just 100m walk from the marina. This system takes you all over town including the big Medina for a mere 60c per ride. The medina is BIG. Trains from Rabat will take you further afield. We were not unduly hassled as there are not a huge number of tourists here. No cruise ships</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was necessary to purchase at least one Berber carpet and this was a fairly exhaustive process. Pretty heavy selling going on and serious bargaining. We procured<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> 2 rugs in the end. One runner for Taipan and one for home. And I love them both. It was so hard to choose.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All in a days work at the Medina.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our stop was necessarily brief with the Canaries becoming and Paddy with a flight to catch. Said our farewells and checked out with officials to sail the 460nm to Marina Lanzarote, on the northern island of the Canaries. The passaged was rolly and we were pleased to arrive after a 3-day voyage. We managed to sail for about half the trip as there was quite a lot of light wind early in the passage.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So here we are in the Canaries. It's warm and dry and looks like fun. Stay tuned for the next adventure.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXE4SElSndBCxnVpucx5UVKOThXLT-FoDrTnPSV6YBfpgH6-2J50SRaygnsewAwLTBr2LwZt-zO1i5muONEUizI4tImPjvHu9m9wpAzEaGKjp9bYsOcAFAO3UX6JDTwcfnWBHVp4mYr4/s1600/Taipan+leaving+Rabat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXE4SElSndBCxnVpucx5UVKOThXLT-FoDrTnPSV6YBfpgH6-2J50SRaygnsewAwLTBr2LwZt-zO1i5muONEUizI4tImPjvHu9m9wpAzEaGKjp9bYsOcAFAO3UX6JDTwcfnWBHVp4mYr4/s640/Taipan+leaving+Rabat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan Departing Rabat. Thanks, Barbara Johnson for the photo.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">More <span class="Apple-converted-space"> <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipN_CDGGB0Y-qyhNtB6f-hRYY4-h_1IGBXnWDCOgVMCyyER6cFHarLX3ksQgZhk_ww?key=OVY2cHZYY3YzTUluTnEtQWVlTzhmb0pGa0w5Q053" target="_blank">Morocco Photos</a></span></span></span></div>
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<style type="text/css"> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 18.0px Times; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 18.0px Times; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 23.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 12.0px Times; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {font: 18.0px Times; font-kerning: none} </style>Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-77286232582150564402018-09-09T18:52:00.000+07:002018-09-28T22:40:15.524+07:00PRESSING ON TO PORTUGAL. 9th September 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwCjHdP1nRXqEaneMby8Dypt7FNNLr3NXDFHAdtckKYFqg3NNH62K81Ks6SIZG3HGIG5Pz8b46exJ1ylC8TlCmRGBvZmMxVXdf-EqOAmTFnctitPz47RbK8VfXJFlSvw5Pc7piu48RAI/s1600/P1100017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwCjHdP1nRXqEaneMby8Dypt7FNNLr3NXDFHAdtckKYFqg3NNH62K81Ks6SIZG3HGIG5Pz8b46exJ1ylC8TlCmRGBvZmMxVXdf-EqOAmTFnctitPz47RbK8VfXJFlSvw5Pc7piu48RAI/s640/P1100017.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sunny days anchored off white sandy beaches thronging each afternoon with seaside revellers. Sailboards and kayaks gliding past on the soft breeze as the light turns pastel signalling the end of another glorious day on the Spanish Galician seaside. Drinks and dinners on one or other of the yachts in the fleet. Lazy days passing far to swiftly.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reality bites. Red Roo makes a run for it to meet a deadline in Porto. Sentijn and Taipan tarry, waiting for a little less weather!. Saturday dawns with a gentle offshore breeze as promised and Taipan sleuths out of the anchorage while all the Sentains sleep. They have to grab it while the can because Dean is keeping odd hours at only one and half years old.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHgvNrsF7mDlqzr4F82ljjWcr3auzUildT1J1NT744FYFA8KrBdVij15oxWnVqvshdVHXxcnfu9YyWWbBRxXkwVtVjmYiec0p3DMHlcIZosfol6VpwETROEFJ87Qn9Qk2ir2Q7uvUxDQ/s1600/39521760_10215329626328141_19771881947136000_n.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="892" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHgvNrsF7mDlqzr4F82ljjWcr3auzUildT1J1NT744FYFA8KrBdVij15oxWnVqvshdVHXxcnfu9YyWWbBRxXkwVtVjmYiec0p3DMHlcIZosfol6VpwETROEFJ87Qn9Qk2ir2Q7uvUxDQ/s640/39521760_10215329626328141_19771881947136000_n.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Roo adventure with family in Porto.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The forecast was a little lighter than we would have liked but we need to make water so the motor will have to run for about 5 hours anyway. Heading south to Lexios 71nm away and it's looking good. However, the wind did die and became very fickle. Every sail change was thwarted by a wind shift. Portuguese fisherman, like all fishermen, have littered the ocean with pots and trailing lines. Booby traps for the unwatchful. Nice to sail but not nice motoring through these fields of floats and ropes.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Krcgp88ehaIGKkOnRw6eIGt3ftYaOXxsuHkul36aqiyy4iscV-ypt9WtE11b4JuYClKz9nGDpNTUlbF2KQg13RAmKlXISIyvBST1lQoRyiomsdSgp5-j2e1NoPuoVjaOaEYTLTRkgvI/s1600/P1090812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="1024" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Krcgp88ehaIGKkOnRw6eIGt3ftYaOXxsuHkul36aqiyy4iscV-ypt9WtE11b4JuYClKz9nGDpNTUlbF2KQg13RAmKlXISIyvBST1lQoRyiomsdSgp5-j2e1NoPuoVjaOaEYTLTRkgvI/s640/P1090812.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We think this unusual boat with oars fishes from the beach. There is big surf and tractors on the beach.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Portugal. Arrived in Lexios around 7pm after a good days motor-sailing. There's a great anchorage inside the breakwater. Marina is a bit run down but we lucked out with the weekend staffer. The girl in charge was young enthusiastic very helpful and spoke excellent English. We tried to check in but were told it was not necessary.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porto.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The following day we were invited to join the Red Roo team on a family outing up the river to Porto. It was sensational weather and the crew were young, fun and enthusiastic. An altogether perfect way to see Porto. The boat is so full of wine we couldn’t fit any Port on. After 2 nights in the anchorage and with lovely weather, we said farewell to Phil and Marie and headed on south.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>33 nm to Aveiro.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Aviro. Misty damp morning but sunrise burning off the vapours. Fishing competition? </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hundreds of boats in the channel<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span>. The wind built from SW and switched more West as the morning wore on.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving at Aveiro</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hoisted sail around 11.30 pleasant 13 knots at 40deg. Nice sailing. Arrived in Foz in very calm weather. Fueled up on the fuel dock and were allocated a pen. </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Crosscurrent in the pen forced some rapid fending and fortunately, a couple of local boaters jumped to assist. We made our way into town for dinner of traditional bread stew with seafood. Not one to repeat. A solid sea mist had settled on the marina shortly after we arrived and it</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> persisted through the following morning. We motor sailed most of the day to the marina in </span>Nazere<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> where we had a nice evening aboard Paradise Divide USA with Grayson and Pat and the crew from Jan USA. Giorgio and Jan.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Motor sailed again to Peniche. Anchored inside the south breakwater. There was a big diesel slick and smelly fish factories around the harbour.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Lots of speeding fishing boats in and out of the harbour creating big wakes was but sleep was ok.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Early departure. to cover the 46nm to Cascais misty again not great visibility. This coast is famous for its big surf. Dotted with small towns and villages wedged into cracks in the cliffs and many intrepid beachgoers who made the long descent to the water. It was not big swell but there were still a few surfers out on boards. As the day wore on, swell increased and wind on the headland blew up to 30kn. We broke a sheve in the preventer block and the lazy jack quit as we were reefing the main. Otherwise pretty uneventful in such rolly<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> windy conditions.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The headland at Cabo Raso and lighthouse are spectacular and we were lucky the mist was at a minimum.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Overnighted on anchor in the bay at Cascais before making our way upriver to Alcantara Marina nearer Lisborn. Here we had an unexpected family rendezvous which was great fun. Explored some of the sights of Lisbon and left the following morning for Cascais again.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upriver to Lisborn</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sesimbra. was the next anchorage. There is a13C restored castle on the hill which we didn’t visit, being on a mission to get some miles under the keel. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sines. Portugal. Birthplace of Vasco de Garma </td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next stop was Sines, again an anchorage. A little rolly but ok. An early departure the following morning to Cabo Sao Vicente 63nm to the south. Seas were building throughout the day but it remained clear. Stunning rock formations all along the coast. We spent the night in Baleeira. I think it rocky bottom because the anchor chain was growling overnight.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabo Roso. </td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Water 23 deg. lovely wind offshore for sailing 53 nm along the coast to Ice de Culatra. Rondevous with Mark on Grace Richards anchored in this very sheltered waterway. the island itself is just a big sand island with a lot of huts and some tourist shops. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Algave. Portugals famous beach coast. Loads of tourists and amazing rock formations among the beaches.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We spent 2 nights before heading 55nm east to Huelva and back into Spain. We were harassed by the Harbourmaster who also moonlights as the marina manager. The marina has had some bad press and so it's almost empty. We were told to go to the marina or go back out to sea. We chose to stay at anchor just outside the marina with a couple of other boats<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> and were not harassed further. Unpleasant though. You can read more on Noonsite about Marina Mazagon.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the waterway inside Ile de Culatra. Good buy Portugal for now.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was just 45nm to Cadiz from here and we sailed again in light wind and pleasant sunshine arriving at Puerto America in the late afternoon. Cadiz is a wonderful old city with lots to see. I</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">t is the oldest city in </span></span><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Europe"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Europe</span></span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> Western and archaeological remains dating to 3100 years have been recovered. Columbus</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> left on his famous expedition of discovery to the Americas from Cadiz. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral of the Holy Cross <a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catedral_de_la_Santa_Cruz_de_C%C3%A1diz" target="_blank">More from Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is not sprawling because its set on an island, connected to the mainland by a bridge. It has nowhere to sprawl to so its packed with interesting old buildings, cathedrals plazas, modern shopping, restaurants and bars. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More beautiful architectural detail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHnjsghKqafHTT0V2jyq8vCq-dOVNVdimwsuudRs-UJniImWwxWSnBULMWBmZKH9uGpsyxLKiz9ldIk_v9eE2nVDFQMuQlYp28539KwBtp3Zi9-7qcMZpYcgdmj2KUk-sSsXHVsyUvYc/s1600/Spain-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHnjsghKqafHTT0V2jyq8vCq-dOVNVdimwsuudRs-UJniImWwxWSnBULMWBmZKH9uGpsyxLKiz9ldIk_v9eE2nVDFQMuQlYp28539KwBtp3Zi9-7qcMZpYcgdmj2KUk-sSsXHVsyUvYc/s640/Spain-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenes from Cadiz</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The History Museum, set in one of the many squares has a great archaeological display, Sadly it was all in Spanish with no English translations available. It has been an important strategic and commercial centre s</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ince its founding by the Tyrian, </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: inherit;">eighty years after the Trojan War </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">(1104 BC.)</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral of the Holy Cross </td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our trusty swabby Patrick Nolan from Sydney joined the good ship Taipan whilst we were in Cadiz. We spent 5 days exploring, shopping and provisioning for the next leg to Morocco.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More Portugal pictures here.<a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMwPYhznXaNbJNn_dimk_NUYSa1mAOrbkCTz_cOtCe34SYHJz2x5LjMibwy7aw3XQ?key=R19xeXRheE9KWUNGLU5aUEQ4VWtIX2VYWlgwdWJB" target="_blank">Portugal photos.</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the Moroccan experience join us again soon.</span></span><br />
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-23799293640725575192018-08-16T20:42:00.000+07:002018-09-28T22:41:34.429+07:00SPAIN. SURPRISE SURPRISE. 15th August 2018<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPirkGE1z26HBmdU7Ev4aDGGcspNuNdoeBCjK3DC3OODhpIt568yreG06kuJF93b_pf-SD6zNfrWgletaz-uvjYzV_xeERkr9gGsqbiNVxqcWWyaZNvb-eXm3i__8lveb2q2LufxTLMU/s1600/P1080840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPirkGE1z26HBmdU7Ev4aDGGcspNuNdoeBCjK3DC3OODhpIt568yreG06kuJF93b_pf-SD6zNfrWgletaz-uvjYzV_xeERkr9gGsqbiNVxqcWWyaZNvb-eXm3i__8lveb2q2LufxTLMU/s640/P1080840.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gijon strand</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Biscay. Well, that's done, and we won't be doing it again. The passage isn’t far, only 250nm from La Rochelle on the French coast to Gijon on the northern Spanish coast. We chose a window with wind… sailing wind, and that we had, up to 30kn on the nose, also with the horrible messy seas generally associated with Biscay. That the sort of washing machine we expect in the Gulf of Carpentaria in Oz on a crook passage. It took 40 hours to bash our way to the anchorage just inside the harbor of Gijon. A bad pick. But we had been looking at no wind for days. Oh well. Spain. We’ve arrived. Another new country for us.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOVH0PogfJnlMdWlxNIKy3SbaShg2zGjDsRH97f0COQs3AGEiNCWnjrTmRkA4AdqsnOfn3i4nbmqsyLLsHt5RLENX4M-KJxhw_G-97mZC7qZACyTyibOhOiO8WyAdtsSkRM6cDGWZNDM/s1600/Spain+Blog-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOVH0PogfJnlMdWlxNIKy3SbaShg2zGjDsRH97f0COQs3AGEiNCWnjrTmRkA4AdqsnOfn3i4nbmqsyLLsHt5RLENX4M-KJxhw_G-97mZC7qZACyTyibOhOiO8WyAdtsSkRM6cDGWZNDM/s640/Spain+Blog-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gijon. Lovely balconys.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Gijon is a quite lovely town. It has a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>wonderful strand and amazing enclosed balconys. Some really interesting architecture. It's so clean and well maintained. There are bins everywhere in Spain. Great big bins. What a joy for cruisers after the struggles we’ve had in many countries finding somewhere to deposit rubbish. Marinas supply bins<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> but from anchorages, it's often a real drama. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One night in the Gijon marina was enough though at €47 per night.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Red Roo sailed into the marina the following morning and we went off exploring together then left to head along the north coast of Galician Spain.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Our first leg was 70 odd miles to Ribadeo where we spent a couple of nights in the pleasant river anchorage and indulged in some local seafood and sightseeing. Octopus is a favorite and can be presented in numerous ways. All of them delicious. Squid in ink and or lightly dusted in flour and served hot and fresh is another popular dish. Yes, Spanish food gets the big tick. Excellent taste and price. Excellent wine and amazingly cheap. Decent wine is only €1.90 + per bottle. Stocking up.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marie, ARibaneke, Kris David Jacob and Phil enjoying Ribadeo.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What wonderful anchorages we found. Almost always off some pleasant white beach in clear waters. Mackerel are running but there are only so many mackerel one can eat. The Rias of the north-west corner are a sensational cruising area. Endless pretty anchorages with or without small towns offering a range of little restaurants and supplies and picturesque cobbled streets overlooked by charming stone buildings. Ribadeo to Puerto Alumin. An aluminum port and we were pleasantly surprised what a great spot this was. Perfectly clean and pretty beach. Lots of activity on the beach too. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next stop, Carino, before Punta dos Aguillas. This is the last northern headland to round before heading south and into Ria de Cedeira. Cedeira is a gorgeous spot and we stayed several days just soaking up the sunshine.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camino</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan in Camino. Photo Red Roo.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Castelo San Philipe in Ria De Ferrol, just 25nm south, provided a decent place to anchor and an entertaining morning was spent exploring the fort. Construction of this arrowhead fort with double layers of cannon commenced in 1557. A concerted attack by the British in 1800, in an attempt to destroy shipyards, was successfully repelled. Its now owned by the Ferrol city council and it’s free to visit.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan at Castello San Philipe. Ferrol. Red Roo Photo.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Just a 7nm sail south into Ria Betanzos the next step was Sada. Here Red Roo, Taipan, and Kim, (Jacob and Aneke from the Netherlands,) caught a bus for a short trip to Betanzos. which has one of the best preserved old quarters in Galicia. St Francis Church, erected in 1387<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and St James Church, built in the 15th century. The town is on the pilgrim path of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago"><span class="s2">Camino de Santiago</span></a> or Saint James Way and has partially intact town walls with three of their original four gates. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If Modernista architecture grabs your attention, one of its stranger creations is on the boardwalk in Sada. This odd Art Deco building resembles a music stand and is covered in musical notes and clefs. Designed by Lopez Hernandez, this curious pavilion of glass and colored ironwork was apparently due to be demolished in Coruna its original location. It was saved and moved to Sada. Thankfully.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rather than be caught for a few more days we set off south from Sada to round the notorious Cape Finistaire. First we passed the oldest lighthouse in the world. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Hercules" target="_blank">Tower_of_Hercules</a>. It sits on a headland just outside La Coruna. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not a great trip. Bumpy. We stopped for the night in Laxe but didn’t go ashore. Corcubion was a welcome anchorage after rounding the cape the following day and we sat out a few days of south-west and south winds and enjoyed more of the local fare ashore each evening.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing A Coruna</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From Corcubion it was just a short 20nm hop to Muros for a long-awaited reunion with Sentijn. Kara, Dean, and John, who had sailed directly from the western tip of Ireland direct to Spain. Muros is a charming little waterfront town with many second story glassed in Galleria so typical of this area. Galacia is the name of this region of Spain which has roots in Celtic culture with trading links going back centuries. The town is reputedly seeking a UNESCO heritage order to preserve the sunken verandah architecture prominent on the waterfront and a hangover from days when fishermen kept their nets and pots below the house and dragged it out to the boat each day. I guess this was before the walled harbor existed.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical sunken Verandah at Muros</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sentijn. Taipan and Red Roo continued to enjoy each others company for the next few weeks. A trip to Santiago de Compostella was organized and entailed a 2-hour bus ride each way but enabled us to take a look at the countryside. There's a lot of eucalyptus forestry, corn crops and numerous small villages along the way. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan Sentijn Red Roo and the Nudist beach.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many homes had <b>hórreo</b> in the garden. Most looked a little ornamental but I’m sure many were still in use. A <b>hórreo</b> is a type of grain store built above the ground on sturdy pillars and with a flat stone on the top of each pillar to prevent access by rats. It has venting in the walls to provide air circulation. Corn, potatoes and sometimes ham and fish was stored in them. The first illustration of them appears in a manuscript from 1280. Similar structures occur in southern England and we have also seen a more elaborate form in Tana Toraja, Sulawesi</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horreo. Grain storage in Galicia.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Way of Saint James can take one of the dozens of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. Our route was to sail from Australia and catch a bus for the last bit!!. There were hundreds of “pilgrims” arriving at the church on the day we visited. The church is enormous and has a coffin with the body of Saint James on display in an underground vault. The pilgrimage to Santiago has never ceased from the time of the discovery of St. James's remains in 812 AD. The earliest records of visits paid to the shrine dedicated to St. James at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela"><span class="s2">Santiago de Compostela</span></a> date from the 9th century. Santiago de Compostela is itself a vast old city and it would take days to fully explore it. We just brushed the edge before heading back to the cooler coast.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilgrims in Santiago de Compostela.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The next few anchorages were swimming spots and pretty island beaches. The Ria de Arousa has numerous islands and anchorages with superb little beaches. It was fairly busy at some of these on the weekends but there was always somewhere to go no matter where the wind was blowing from. We didn’t have a lot of wind and temperatures soared into the 30s for several days so the beach was a popular diversion.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Vigo was our<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> second marina stop since arriving in Spain.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We needed to top up our wine supply while here in Spain. They deliver if you get a big enough order!!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Two nights in Vigo marina was enough though and we fuelled up and left for our favorite nudist beach. We had discovered this beach accidentally as we entered the Ria from the north. We spied what looked like a beautiful long white deserted beach in bushland, and so it was until the sun came out and bought with it thousands, if not hundreds of naked people of every age and description. Nevertheless, it was an excellent anchorage and we managed to enjoy the scenery too.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our time in the beautiful Rias of Galicia is drawing to a close, however. The Schengen Clock is ticking. We are all affected by the inconvenience and intractability of the Schengen visa. Only Phil from Red Roo is immune because he has a British Passport. The rest of us are watching our allotted days tick by. Now, with Red Roo off the meet a deadline, Sentijn and Taipan are sitting in Cangas awaiting nice downwind sailing conditions to make the 75nm leap to Leixoes, near<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> Porto, in Portugal.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">More Photos from Spain here. <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPx9ghBFCQOI3OM2qqsLxwlCzIYSjHJl14wQoobquQE0dPPuuavPPc3zLUNWoPT3Q?key=R1JqNXNwcDFmeE9TZV9ic19kZUR5aEZQQ2hQS2p3" target="_blank">Spain Photos</a></span></span></div>
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Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-65592789990568535362018-07-07T21:08:00.000+07:002018-08-13T21:09:15.126+07:00ALL THINGS FRENCH AND WINE. JULY 7TH 2018<style type="text/css"> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} </style>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kereon Light</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The great thing about the northern summer is the long daylight hours which enabled us to make the 115nm Chanel crossing entirely in daylight. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was slow going, motor sailing </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">from Falmouth to our chosen anchorage at Ushant Island.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ushant is the northwestern most part of Metropolitan France. The area around the island is considered one of the most challenging to navigate in the world with its many rocks and more than ten-knot<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knot_(unit)"><span class="s2"></span></a> tidal streams. Of course we got the current wrong but fortunately, it wasn’t Spring tides and we were forgiven by mighty Neptune. We were only roughed up a little to remind us to be more vigilant. The very impressive Kereon Light was only being lightly beleaguered by the swell. It has certainly seen worse..<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRzUme_uLPUKAPORRy3OC7T82fNVXL0t6_gJHmuaGN_sqk-GcKvBLHlqLem4cksLbxzOs4XbHG4_Cvt8D5PE9ygyupTyii7c6oGWphTvk2FVaxVASrzTdSrFTH-MQUd-H-6eIiD29RvE/s1600/35990979_10214877989155986_2878168223407144960_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRzUme_uLPUKAPORRy3OC7T82fNVXL0t6_gJHmuaGN_sqk-GcKvBLHlqLem4cksLbxzOs4XbHG4_Cvt8D5PE9ygyupTyii7c6oGWphTvk2FVaxVASrzTdSrFTH-MQUd-H-6eIiD29RvE/s320/35990979_10214877989155986_2878168223407144960_o.jpg" width="240" /></a><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brest was 35nm away and here we conducted Schengen formalities and were made very welcome at the Chateaux Marina. Met at the entrance, shown our berth, lines taken, Marina formalities completed on board. Welcome pack supplied and they even raised the Australian Flag. That's a first!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN65EfJi7ExQCCH9Jcbn6D5aS_oSrS_q-mplt2oVKAAkUcq3kciZ3Z0AfyjTDe_Mz5SHaNTYCp_NeL_8BEUdN1jAwj93ROibrWTZ2fZNP2bH77L78hNB5B_Si_C_gy55t8i8FzJgCLIRc/s1600/P1080053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN65EfJi7ExQCCH9Jcbn6D5aS_oSrS_q-mplt2oVKAAkUcq3kciZ3Z0AfyjTDe_Mz5SHaNTYCp_NeL_8BEUdN1jAwj93ROibrWTZ2fZNP2bH77L78hNB5B_Si_C_gy55t8i8FzJgCLIRc/s320/P1080053.JPG" width="213" /></a><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cameret Sur Mere was the next anchorage but we were ready to fast track this portion of the coast to catch Red Roo, our Aussie mates. Saint Evette overnight then on to Concarneau for the rendezvous. Concarneau has a wonderful old walled city adjacent to the marina so the following morning we did the big stroll through. Admired all the tourist shops and left.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan outside the Marina in front of the Walled City in Concarneau.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The French marinas are quite expensive (€47 per night for us) so we were looking for anchoring alternatives and this coast offers lots of opportunities.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We headed to the Ils de Glennan. This group of rocky islands just 7 nm offshore has numerous anchorages. There is a huge French Sailing School on the main island and we chose to anchor off the School beach. The school has over 100 boats and provides sail training as an optional part of the French school curriculum. There was an enormous amount of activity every day. A perfect environment, with isolation from the mainland, flat sheltered waters and plenty of navigational hazards. The most popular craft was the Hobie Cat and fleet after fleet of these passed by every hour. There are seemingly endless white sandy beaches.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The weather was very settled so a bit of underwater hull cleaning was undertaken on both boats interspersed with some pleasant walking and swimming. A good old Aussie barbecue was held on a nearby deserted island with a group of British doctors joining us for the occasion. We spent 4 days on anchor at Ils de Glennan, only reluctantly moving on when the forecast indicated an unsatisfactory wind shift.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2c8rLIe41ZjvbLI2qrAUFTQv8dck5YDLhiVJxmSuFA6gYzk71APUYIggfVOH3-FqB7_WF2sHEg4rjfVYDFdjIeL4piX25va5fzEw8dHIgj73NxqYSIZTi-G_D1gH4FZjxc10X8bogJg/s1600/DSC_0875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2c8rLIe41ZjvbLI2qrAUFTQv8dck5YDLhiVJxmSuFA6gYzk71APUYIggfVOH3-FqB7_WF2sHEg4rjfVYDFdjIeL4piX25va5fzEw8dHIgj73NxqYSIZTi-G_D1gH4FZjxc10X8bogJg/s640/DSC_0875.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Roo (Australia.) anchored and Il de Glennan with Taipan.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Phil and Maree traveled with us along this coast and Maree have a wonderful blog with lots more details on our adventures together. Check it out at.<a href="https://redroo.net/2018/07/14/french-island-fun-in-the-sun-swimming-and-scrubbing/" target="_blank">Red Roo</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lomener just 20nm down the coast, provided a safe haven and an opportunity to refresh supplies before heading on to Port Haliguen, preparatory to attempting the World Heritage Site, Gulf De Morbihan a 115sq km harbor studded with 40 islands and with some pretty spectacular tidal races. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipan in the Gulf De Morbihan</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />We passed the Gavrinis tomb just after navigating the narrow entrance. This megalithic monument is noted for its megalithic art. It wasn't an option to stop as tours are arranged privately and the current was whisking us past at 4 knots. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gavrinis tomb</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipans anchorages and marinas along the French coast.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our destination, Vannes, a walled town at the inland head of the Gulf, with its old town, is characterized by narrow cobbled streets and medieval gates. At its heart, St. Peter's Cathedral of Vannes blends Romanesque and Gothic styles, while Place des Lices square is lined with colorful half-timber houses. First inhabited by a seafaring <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celts"><span class="s2">Celtic</span></a> people, eventually displaced by the Romans the<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> region seems to have been involved in a cross-channel trade for thousands of years.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vannes</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The marina was a huge disappointment at €47 per night with no power, water or internet. Luckily the City made up for it. We also happened to jag Market day which was useful and fun. Seafood on this coast is readily available and very fresh. Not really cheap but certainly not overpriced.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chateaux 1 of several hundred!!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipop8tU5GePxLMHWotdSORB6crQAS_mTf2KSmHxGFgxykVNcO2GajPwPJaxlSN5fsnPf3dYuEBlkpcLHOkE1mN3mHKUV_Dy2ZKTURn71-raWVOHHthP61qxLczK3cdk48KU-goY_DsptU/s1600/P1080637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipop8tU5GePxLMHWotdSORB6crQAS_mTf2KSmHxGFgxykVNcO2GajPwPJaxlSN5fsnPf3dYuEBlkpcLHOkE1mN3mHKUV_Dy2ZKTURn71-raWVOHHthP61qxLczK3cdk48KU-goY_DsptU/s400/P1080637.JPG" width="266" /></a><span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is much to explore in the Gulf De Morbihan and it is a beautiful area, but our Schengen clock is ticking and we can't do everything. We decided to do a wine tour to Bordeaux by car so moved on to La Rochelle via a couple of island anchorages</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Anne-marie met us in La Rochelle and we caught up with all things from home and generally enjoyed some wandering in the delightful old city. There was a big music festival on and it was also Bastille day so we were not short of entertainment.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Phil Me and Maree. Wine tourists. Bordeaux</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Red Roo crew Phil and Maree, teamed up with us to do a tour to Bordeaux. We hired a car and drove south. We based ourselves at Medoc in a delightful B&B and spent 2 days driving around the wine growing region and visited Bordeaux city.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city of Bordeaux is a beautifully preserved French City. </td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The winery tour at Maucaillou was very informative and we came away with a slightly better understanding of the complexities of the French Wine industry. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the way back to La Rochelle we happened upon a big show jumping event inside the moat of the Blaye fort which provided an interesting lunch diversion and an oportunity to stretch our legs exploring the fort.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Arriving back in La Rochell, a weather window presented itself and we decided to make the jump across the Bay of Biscay.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span>Lots of photos at <a href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNLSXaFDHiBbesx2Dss1gnYaNwz9-JiJJSeWwvyk3BFxmVQC8J72WiQOj1GQdaBOg?key=SHowbHIyT0E2aGhOME10amJ3OXZhX0FRTVZYY2VB" target="_blank">French Atlantic coast.</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">More on that next time. Stay tuned!!</span></span></div>
Taipanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06791762316839168639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7036713341034276173.post-57132862054033051712018-06-22T02:37:00.000+07:002018-07-22T15:35:11.201+07:00IRISH SAIL PAST. CORNWALL PREPARATIONS. June 22nd 2018<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUzq2kuAsIHgCT76lSN4qnZz2X_BhwXOA3kBa7uVDtbg-knM8-ODt6013hZLfii5TujOHcEA2_7jK2jGdOUmTRzdUZu_AiVvhpC4XX08cN5hWRLc0I4Ap61nk54aJYih9o6zM01U0uE4/s1600/P1070193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUzq2kuAsIHgCT76lSN4qnZz2X_BhwXOA3kBa7uVDtbg-knM8-ODt6013hZLfii5TujOHcEA2_7jK2jGdOUmTRzdUZu_AiVvhpC4XX08cN5hWRLc0I4Ap61nk54aJYih9o6zM01U0uE4/s640/P1070193.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audleys Castle before the fog.</td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was the ominous hum of a big motor out there in the murky gloom as we pulled the anchor. In the thickest </span>fog<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> we’ve ever seen we had to leave Portaferry with an outgoing tide.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ferry was stationary, motor running, according to the AIS and there was no other traffic evident on the Radar. Taipan was whisked at 10+ knots the five miles down the channel via our incoming track and there was very little we could do about it except steer!!. Thank goodness for AIS and Radar, without which we could have been stuck there for several days.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lions Head Light after the fog!!</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had anchored at Audley’s Castle, Strangford Lough, en route from Islay, Scotland to Dublin. This was our second overnight stop on the Irish East Coast. The weather had been light and visibility good, until this morning. A long day followed, to arrive in Dun Laoghaire marina, just a short train ride from Dublin. The Three Festivals Tall Ships Regatta was on and we took the opportunity to visit the wharf to see the ships.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisvQhUF9PMOVoSf9QGfv-97NQYYTKpIx0lhyphenhyphenDV2Ob4lqU1slFm3SiKg12dWAKP31Og6suAm085wtNLz_tvGu513p2uXkO6UlGWb0FB1UoCFF_E9lobaUBejj8nJZ9DkfswNqjZLcxXuU/s1600/P1070223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisvQhUF9PMOVoSf9QGfv-97NQYYTKpIx0lhyphenhyphenDV2Ob4lqU1slFm3SiKg12dWAKP31Og6suAm085wtNLz_tvGu513p2uXkO6UlGWb0FB1UoCFF_E9lobaUBejj8nJZ9DkfswNqjZLcxXuU/s640/P1070223.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street art collage! Dublin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waterfront mansions south of Dublin. Rich and famous. Enya has a house here.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wicklow was the next and last stop in Ireland. What a welcome. The Sailing club was open and we were invited and made very welcome. Wickow hosts the Around Ireland Race which has become a very big<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> event attracting international yachting names. The postman was at work on the wharf touching up his ship paintings. Wicklow is set in the most beautiful countryside and we sailed on down the coast<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> admiring its beauty. The weather looked good for a crossing direct to Landsend UK so we continued through the night to make Penzance by evening the following day.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paintings from the history of the Wicklow Wharf with the artist / postman<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4cO4MLTsxDQMNlTKBEGfzG5nxTfN7R-dDMa7NWP8QVQeZMctxjazqPmx_U5P0eXpfK5oqWpRmWxgMNj6BJZyls_e0MmF5a5fndRsCZCdZKOOJfN5TCUt_UnGlmOG_V1u8M_6BgzNkLA/s1600/P1070357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY4cO4MLTsxDQMNlTKBEGfzG5nxTfN7R-dDMa7NWP8QVQeZMctxjazqPmx_U5P0eXpfK5oqWpRmWxgMNj6BJZyls_e0MmF5a5fndRsCZCdZKOOJfN5TCUt_UnGlmOG_V1u8M_6BgzNkLA/s320/P1070357.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />The spectacular anchorage at the foot of the magnificent St Michaels Mount and a good nights sleep before pressing on the Saint Mawes an old favorite anchorage just across the River Fal. Here the St Mawes Sailing Club once again made us very welcome and we enjoyed many evenings socializing with the club members. Especially Glen! During our visit, the Golden Globe yachts came and went and it was exciting to participate in the festivities and meet the contestants.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tradional Work Boats racing at Saint Mawes.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span>Cornish Working Boats race in St Mawes and Falmouth during the week. They're a spectacular sight with their colored topsail. These boats were preserved by an accident of history which saw the Cornwall authorities declare that endangered river Oysters could only be harvested in the River Fal using traditional Oyster boats. They must dredge under sail or oars. These boats were therefore preserved and have been elevated to racing status by aficionados. There are still working, sailing oystermen in Cornwall. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saint Just in Roseland Church.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Taipan at church</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Barry called by in his dingy to introduce himself and we caught up with him for dinner then the following day we were taken on a tour of the area. St Just in Roseland Church, a 13th century Church set amongst beautiful gardens beside a peaceful tidal creek. Legend has it that Jesus landed at the site with Joseph. The church is on the site of a 6th Century chapel which served for 400 years until it was taken over by the Bishops of Crediton and Exeter.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fal River wildlife</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Further up the Fal is the<span class="Apple-converted-space"></span> cottage where Churchill and Eisenhower worked out the D day landings, US, and Allied troops hid in the forest along the Fal prior to the landings and there are still the remains of their huts in the area. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous cottage of Eisenhower and Churchills meetings</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Fal River headwaters, where once was a thriving town. The river silted and the population moved towards the coast. The narrow meandering tidal stream provides an ideal habitat for birds, waterfowl, and wildlife.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Returning to Saint Mawes we lunched at the Melinsey Mill, an old corn mill with interesting artifacts and excellent food.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PN9ZxvqDbQHBPC9_1nvwhUEo8NeOKIoqPI_FhyQnMugd1eqs6u5dcCYwLCrNSbonzSULu3LNy0BZ_ROtHfCJZ9kNPUdWCiL2-gZKVSBGGlw2o0FHemHEG17-hwXDfEDjOl8s1mu-RrQ/s1600/P1070469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PN9ZxvqDbQHBPC9_1nvwhUEo8NeOKIoqPI_FhyQnMugd1eqs6u5dcCYwLCrNSbonzSULu3LNy0BZ_ROtHfCJZ9kNPUdWCiL2-gZKVSBGGlw2o0FHemHEG17-hwXDfEDjOl8s1mu-RrQ/s640/P1070469.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falmouth Waterfront.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyus8ieGEpB4iq2lRgD0PtzC0abIhEg_vq1zXfacib1CFKFFEIpjmUws19xF2oC-gxY8GZA38YFHdIdGDiTaHuukkIAYMjeWw0PTKXZBgXuWs5ZPMFgpWD1xkwu7Z_n_dG2RMR-E58K4U/s1600/P1070512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyus8ieGEpB4iq2lRgD0PtzC0abIhEg_vq1zXfacib1CFKFFEIpjmUws19xF2oC-gxY8GZA38YFHdIdGDiTaHuukkIAYMjeWw0PTKXZBgXuWs5ZPMFgpWD1xkwu7Z_n_dG2RMR-E58K4U/s640/P1070512.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falmouth</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some days were spent at anchor across the river in Falmouth. This thriving regional center has loads of charm and a bustling waterfront. There are plenty of services for yachts with a huge population of boats moored, penned or hardstanding in the area. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are all types of watercraft in Falmouth.</td></tr>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />David rebuilt the water maker with a new pump supplied from the UK and solenoids were tracked down to repair a faulty anchor windlass switch. We had the noisy Chartplotter fan replaced by the excellent team at Charity Taylor in Falmouth and we were at last ready to leave for France.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saint Anthony Head farewell light. Early departure to cross the English Channel to France.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Islay to Falmouth St Mawes</td></tr>
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