Weather or Not
31 December 2016 | Tual
Port of Tual
Wednesday 28 December 2016
Sailing is that thing sailboats often do (ergo the name) when there is appropriate wind from a useful direction. This excludes all velocities from directly ahead or light air directly behind. Despite absence from forecast those two circumstances have been present so far for most of this estimated 28 hour passage, including 4 in squalls of 25 and 30 knots right on the honker. Greenhouse gas producing hydrocarbons have been utilized extensively. What up? Mother nature can sometimes be a perverse old biddy. Once took 4 days to make a normal 2 day passage from Niue to Pago Pago, 1 NM in one 24 hour period as wind and current nearly canceled each other, but that was back in the days of soloing with more patience and less fuel.
- Later
Notwithstanding previous paragraph, last few hours before arrival had us fully reefed making hull speed as wind howled in from the east. This is the stuff we will avoid bashing into for much of 2200 miles by ducking into Darwin. Monsoon winds shift west around April.
Friday
Contacted everyone and his brother-in-law yesterday to prepare for arrival into Australia. Internet makes life so much easier - then it stopped. Mytelkomsel app shows 10 GB left, but no go. Probably used up "national" data and rest only usable local Sorong where purchased. Hard to tell when instructions are in Indonesian. Must go into Tual for more, but crazy wind and rain since yesterday morning and no end in sight.
Saturday
Finally got a break in the weather yesterday to get ashore, check on clearance procedures and go shopping at the Gota Supermarket for essentials: eggs, bread, chicken parts (parts is parts), lemons, etc. Fought wind getting back to the boat and it's been raining and blowing since.
Ah, but there's good news. Finally worked out the geometry on rain catchment (we are now replete with water) and induced uncooperative AC cooling pump to work (bad hidden wire splice) so that we have cool, dry air in the necessarily closed-up, otherwise muggy cabin (Jan has become rather fond of me). Also replaced rattley (not a real word) fan over my naughty corner (chart/computer table) with new, wonderfully quiet one (more fond). Next is to make generator run smoothly. Suspect air leak in fuel manifold. Trouble will be shot in the fullness of time (possibly tomorrow), but more critical affairs are at hand - it's almost 5 o'clock.
Jack