Sv Renova (Cape Dory 36) from Campbell river BC making landfall.
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Hello All,
Special shout out to all my friends who read this. Point defiance runners, Allison, Ingrid, Tad, Jon, Alain, Katie, Ryan and Autumn (congrats) and all those who know who they are. I just got in to Pago Pago this weekend. After spending a month and a half either at sea or at Suwarrow I needed some provisions. However, one of my favorite things about being launched is the inability to spend money. I havnt spent any since the 1st of April. And, low and behold, I ate very well the whole time (fish and crab and lobster) and am happier and fitter than ever. The atoll was amazing though it will remain classified. (not posted on the internet) The boat worked well except the trade winds havnt really shown up for a while and I burned about 120 liters of diesel. The crack in the keel came back which sucks. I fixed it so well in mexico I can imagine the amount of work it is going to take next time the boat is out of the water. It only leeks fast when it is gnarly out. I havny gone upwind when it is gnarly yet and I dare say that the keel is not up to it. I caught and shot a bunch of new fish, too many to list but the best eating were blue fin jack, coral trout, and great barracuda. The internet is sketchy here so I shall post. I hope you all are well and happy.
Namaste
Eric
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If you get the chance to meet Kim Corson on Altair, please say hello from Ken & Lori.
Kim is a single hander who has been out for many years. He also has a boat cat ;-) The two of you should have lots to talk about.
So, Allison, here is the official Secret Agent Crash diet..
-sail to remote atoll
-make sure provisions are limited
-Loose propeller immediatly
-run laps on 200m trail
-catch fish rowing
-repeat for a month
Here is an attempt at a home made propeller...
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These ones are blacktips and are for the most part nice until you shoot a fish...
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05/16/2011, South pacific
Eric continues in the Cook islands as unsettled weather passes by. Here are some quotes from his e-mails ........
After that, I walked around the island and when I got back we (other sailors sharing the lagoon-ed.) all went out to the reef spear fishing. After two and a half hours of that we had a bunch of fish and were coming back trailing a repalla on a hand line. I have quit using my rod because you can't get the fish in fast enough before the sharks get it. This one indeed had a very big (6 foot) reef shark after it. I yarded it in from the bow of the boat quickly and Bernie grabbed the line just as the shark was
about to strike. He yanked the fish to one side and the shark missed and then yanked it into the boat as he regrouped and had another go. It was a massive coral trout. Similar to a grouper. Maybe 25 or 30 lbs. We ate it for dinner.
But Paradise is subject to interruptions ............
As with all emergencies it is over already if I am writing to you... I am still shaking from this morning. It has been blowing out of the northwest for two days 20 kts. which is OK. This morning the blackest most armegeddon looking cloud bore down on us from the southwest. I put the dinghy away and prepared to run to sea but it was too late. I saw 47 kts and we are going to call that 50. Huge breaking seas. There was no way I could get the anchor up and I was super close (2 boatlengths) away from the reef. I spend an hour on the tiller and the engine in gear trying to save the boat. Mimi was in my lap crying his heart out. ....There were waves breaking over the boat all the way back and over the dodger and driving rain. It was absolutely horrific and the most scared I have been since I saw the mast try and fall down on the Pacific crossing. I am shaking as I write this and it has been OK for the last hour and I have re- anchored. I was seriously praying to and cursing the Gods at the same time. I was never going to die, but Mimi and I would have gotten our asses kicked trying to swim ashore. I would have made it but I dont know about him. There are still menacing squalls about so Ill not say its over yet.
But it was over and back to cocunut crab and palm tree shade. Eric is planning a sail soon to Pago Pago, about 500 miles to the W/NW. Hopefully some more consistent winds will fill in.
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05/07/2011, South pacific
Eric is exploring in the Cook's and has found the fishing holes. Unfortunately the game fish attract the sharks and Eric relates that when a fish is on, it's a race to see if he can get it aboard in one piece. Traveling to and from the fishin hole has led to one setback, the propeller on his Mercury outboard rudely fell of in Shark Alley and he is now rowing. There's a chance he could scuba for it with a co-diver to fend of the attentions of the Lemon Sharks.
This week Eric is faced with another unexpected development, his new laptop has developed a mouse/trackpad dysfunction. The Lenovo tech can't seem to believe the computer is on this planet but not in an area from which you can hook up to the internet. Here's some e-mail exerpts ...........
I just spent the evening with two frenchmen from "sweet life" a Waquiez 48 who are pro divers and have a compressor. We are going to dive for my propeller tomorrow. You would be very proud of my french. I speak very well now and did a lot of translation tonight at dinner with Australia 31. I was seriously the interpreter. Yvonne and Bernie would say something in english, and Edward and Jean Michelle would look to me for the translation. And visa versa... this is the first time that I have ever had another language. Tonight a couple of times I spoke to the Australians in french on accident and was like; "was I speaking french just then". I definitely have an american accent and all the french boats ask me how and where I learned and are always very impressed. (very few americans speak french).
So if the prop can be found and the computer glitch fixed, sounds like life would be perfect .. stay tuned
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04/28/2011, South Pacific
Eric continues anchored in the Cook islands and life is good. A series of other cruisers have follwed him there and Eric is getting raves for his bread (a delicacy in the remote world) that he baked for easter dinner. French and Austrian sailors have shared his beachcombing collecting the endless stream of plastic on the shoreline. He has a running trail across the island that loops around a very old and enormous ships anchor and the "Danger Sharks" sign, it takes about two minutes per lap. Snorkelling in the lagoon is apparently safe now that he is comfortable with the smaller blacktip sharks that live there. He is talking about sailing on to Niue next about 600 miles away to the SW.
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04/20/2011, South Pacific
Here's Eric e-mail from April 20, 2011...
Hey guys,
I am happy to report a safe landfall. I have the hook down and the dinghy in the water. The only other boat here is a french guy I saw in Raiatea. I am having him over for dinner tonight. He is going to leave for Tonga tomorrow morning and I will be here alone. It turns out the rangers dont get here till june 1st this year which is a bummer. I wandered around the island for a while today and it is the most killer magic island you can imagine. I may wait for my friends on Rendova or have a short stay and head for tonga. Highlights from last 24hrs: profurler failed and fixed, autopilot failing intermittently and fixed, had a gnarly squall as I was making landfall. 30 kts and driving rain with a lee shore in the pass. The prop is a champ and I am really happy to have it. I was going to paddle my surfboard ashore instead of setting up the dingy but no sooner did I get the hook set than the boat was being circled by a dozen sharks. I set up the dinghy.
Love Eric .......
After a seven day run From Raiatea, Suwarrow atoll is a new land for Eric to explore. The trip wasn't free of problems, most seriously a failure of the main engine used for battery charging during an extended cruise. The motor not being available threatened the landing ashore anywhere that he would have to use the motor to get into (like the Cook atolls). But a clogged fuel line was diagnosed and fixed, with a segment of a ballpoint pen repairing the fuel line that had to be cut to get the gunk out. Check out the photo's of Suwarrow on Google Earth.
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so glad to hear you made it. Major bummer about the rangers. We're still in Bora (Apr 26), and are ready to leave. Just had our tix refunded, and we're planning to set off today or tomorrow. Send us a note and let us know if there is anything you'd like us to bring, and your plans...if you're going to stick around and/or head to Tonga.
Australia 31 left today, and is heading your way.
Cheers,
Naomi and John
PS....Eric's dad...please pass this along. He can reach us via hotmail, or renova at uuplus.net. THANKS!!
04/16/2011, South Pacific
Eric is sailing between the Society Islands and the Cook Islands this week, leaving behind fond memories of his many months in French Polynesia. Thanks to you Alain and all the friends who made Eric's stay worth while. With a few repairs made and the new laptop, Eric hoisted anchor on the 13th and sailed out to the Northwest close to Bora-Bora. Secret Agent Man is planning to land at Suwarrow approximately on Wednesday April 20th weather dependent. He reports over the Ham radio light breezes and some left over waves from wind earlier last week. All is well, crew-cat MiMi is getting his sea legs quickly. If you want to watch Eric daily on a google map there is an excellent site that marks his position, compass course, and boat speed each evening at 8:00 PM PST. It is...... www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=KF7DCY. If you want more, the nightly roll call on the Pacific Seafarer's site has some weather recordings from the boats it follows. Try ... www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/pacseanet.php ..... Eric's identification call sign is KF7 DCY.
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Glad to hear from you! Good luck!
Hello all,
"With a heart-beat rhythm of life unique in the world."
Tiare Apetahi Flower
"Upon Mt. Temehani on Raiatea lives the Tiare Apetahi, a flower so rare it can be grown no place else on earth. Each dawn the petals open with a slight crackling sound. Legends describe this as the sound of the broken heart of a common women who was not allowed to marry the son of the Tahitian king."
Today was a day that I will never forget for the rest of my life. Myself and a bunch of friends climbed the sacred mountain, Mt Temehani, found the sacred flower, Tiare Apetahi, and chilled in a spring fed waterfall and several pools that I could feel was a very special place. It was truly a mission and involved some serious trekking but was totally worth it. My friend tahina and I found the flower by ourselves on the slopes of the summit and he joked that not many americans had been there but I think it was the truth. You deffinatly needed a local invitation and guide. We rolled deep with over 20 family and friends from the village near the careenage. It was hands down the coolest thing I have done on Raiatea and top three for the entire trip. I feel like I am one of the locals and will be sad to watch this island and my friends slip beneath the horizon.
Eric
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Sois prudent et si tu reviens, tu seras toujours le bienvenu. A bientôt mon ami !
This is just about as elevated as one can get on Raiatea..
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But apart from climate, Tacoma must be a beautiful city.
However, our island is still unspoilt and wild, thankfully!
hitting the showers on Mt Temehani.
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What the heck is that?
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Lunch makings... I made big points by bringing canned corn beef. We had uru (breadfruit) baked in the ground, and bread and chicken and the beef. Very local.
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A view down towards the anchorage with Taaha and Bora Bora in the background. Maupiti was also visable from Mt Temehani which is more than 50 nm away.
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