SV Panta Rhei Retirement Trip

With Rob Sicade's (SV Yohela) help we got the problem part identified...the Clark Pump...which produces the high pressure water for the membrane. A local Spectra rep, Gilles, rebuilt the Clark Pump. Now it is back aboard and we are making water at 13 gph. That is almost 3 times what we were getting. Also the salinity measures 220 ppm which tastes great and is half of what we were getting with the broken Clark pump. If I can I'll post a picture of the failed part. It had a hairline crack, that's all. Details like this matter though. The security of having a working watermaker can hardly be explained. But you might appreciate it if you started rationing your water for a few weeks. We are so happy.

Another piece of good news is that our friends aboard SV Carisma have arrived in Papeete harbor. Their's is a tale of woe. They tried to leave with us from Rangiroa but their engine failed in the pass. They sailed back to the anchorage and discovered that the engine failure was actually a transmission fluid gone problem. They got some more fluid but the reason for the fluid loss appears unexplained. In any event they motored out the pass 2 days after the first attempt and set sail as soon as they were at sea. (By this time SV Panta Rhei was at anchor in Papeete harbor after a perfect passage). They didn't have wind though so they drifted for days. Then came the thunderstorms and 30 knot headwinds. More than a week after they left they are in the harbor. A lot of their friends were worried, but what to do? That is something to think about. No one does anything. And that is the simple fact of the need to take care of yourself without help. But watching our friends underscores our need for luck and a well prepared vessel.

At the present time the wind is blowing 26 knots steadily in the anchorage. Boats seem stable with holding anchors at the present time but I sure hope the wind doesn't increase. Such is the joy (NOT) of being at anchor. Security,...we'll have none of that!