Dietmar Petutschnig
08/10/2009, South Pacific

We switched courtesy flags today - from French to Cooks. We caught more fish. We passed a lonely boat today "Chtimagine III" That process took 8 hours from when we first saw it. We offered sashimi - they had plenty ;-) See you in New Zealand they yelled across.

We are looking at a sea of butter - just like the doldrums near the equator. The march of clouds - a parade just for us. It's a sun set full of magnificence and begs for epic music. Loud and bombastic and to actually live it.

One passage to change your outlook on life again.

Glorious - gentle - gold on the horizon.

60 nm to go to the place where legends arrived to spend decades in solitude.

Suwarrow discovered in the 19th century with many echoes of long journeys. No wind -on a Beaufort scale zero BUT ooozles of joy ! Still very deep waters though - 3 miles down. SUNSET ALERT - screaming on VHF 16 with no one around.

JOURNEY

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Dietmar Petutschnig
08/08/2009, South Pacific

It's early morning of day 4 on our voyage to Suwarrow.

The moon is trying to break through the low hanging rain clouds - creating a silvery night sky.

The wind has leveled off to under 6 knots and is - of course - coming directly from behind us.

So once again we are motor sailing at 1,800 rpm's with the port engine around 5.5 knots.

Yesterday Chris and I caught a 30 pound tuna [Bonita] - after successful cleaning and a crowd of birds circling the chum - we enjoyed a decadent 1 hour chilled fresh sashimi feast - yummie !

Tuna Steaks - tuna burgers - tuna salad - for the next 3 days - oh well our freezer will stay stocked for a while longer. Vienna has an added protein component to her dog food now.

On of our propane lines has developed a slow leak - right where the pressure gage is - so had to remove that sensor and hope to get to Apia by the end of next week when we will "run out of cooking / BBQ heat" to refill the tanks.

The one thing that is really tough when the wind is directly from behind is grilling as the wind kills the flames on our high quality Sovereign BBQ - which works in 30 knots of wind when facing the wind - but not when coming from abaft.

Oh the cruising problems we face !

JOURNEY

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Dietmar Petutschnig
08/06/2009, South Pacific

Between Maupiti and Suwarrow Island under 600 nm. to go - about 5 days at this speed ... no land, no vessel, nothing in sight ... pretty deep here 13500 ft. according to the charts ... the moon is pushing the last of the clouds away - winds are 10 - 12 knots from the SE - hoping for a little squall to clean the decks after the last rudder repair .

heard from "Follow You Follow me" our buddy boat - they are further ahead - more southwest with some difficult conditions and mountainous seas - en route to Nuie ( a one island nation ) - hang in there Allan and Rina - I hope it gets easier ...

our destination on the other hand is a one family atoll- under the control of New Zealand - although NZ is over 2,000 nm. away still. a caretaker will greet us according to the coconut net - there are 11 yachts enjoying the hospitality - entry through the pass can only be made under perfect conditions - lucky we have a tide chart for it ..

that's it for now from the 12 - 3 am watch - back to music and to scan the horizon

JOURNEY

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