Gambling on the High Seas
19 June 2017 | Marina Taina, Tahiti, French Polynesia (FP)
Mark Logan
Aloha All,
Just a short one to let you know that Clay bid us farewell and flew out last night for the U.S. mainland in order to rejoin his wife, Gail, for a visit with family Seattle, WA. Clay's yacht, Jambalaya, remains in Whangarei, New Zealand, where it is for sale under a broker's care. I'm secretly hoping that he'll change his mind and want to go get Jambalaya and continue sailing. If you need crew Clay, I'm down.
The leg from New Zealand to French Polynesia can be a challenging one. You hope to pick up the prevailing westerly winds somewhere either side of 40 degrees south. It's a gamble and that's why not many yachties choose to go this route. What we found out is that, between 30 and 40 degrees south, there are really no prevailing westerly winds that the books, guides, and other sailors describe, We had wind from every direction and it was very dynamic weather, changing many times per day. One sure bet is that you will encounter at least one frontal passage along the way with gale (Not Gail) force winds. We encountered three during our trip. Fortunately these low pressure systems are fast moving and strongest much further south that we were. Like I said, very dynamic weather.
We were extremely fortunate to have Clay along with us. His vast sailing experience, cruising and racing, was an important addition to our crew. In addition, Clay is an expert navigator and meticulous record keeper. He records on paper charts and has multiple journals going at the same time. If you have a question, any question, about what happened a few days, weeks, months, maybe years ago, Clay has the answer written down.
Clay, a classier Southern gentlemen, I have not met. Thank you for all your help and expertise. We could not have safely accomplished this voyage without you.
Everyone take care and stay well. All our love.
mark rob