18th June

08 25.251 S

134 33.143 W



Weather; sunny, wind 10- 20 knots, waves 3.5 metres



Today was a repeat of yesterday with the exception that we had pretty much sun for most of the day for a change. The wind continued to come from our stern, flicking from side to side but we managed to sail with mostly just the main and occasionally the jib or stay sail out, but these never stayed out for very long as they tended to flap and backwind the main causing that dreadful bang and crash sound that can't possibly be doing the sails any favours. Gerry asked how we could fix the "bits on the sail that are like threads dangling" I had no idea what he was talking about and can only assume that the sails are beginning to fray away slightly in places. I really have no idea and suggested that we might be better off leaving them as they are until we get to Australia, but I'm sure we will be looking at them once we stop moving. The fuel filter on the gen set got changed for what will be the last time until we can get some more filters. Although Gerry has run the fuel polisher w
e are still getting the hiccough in the gen set once it has started up and run for a few minutes. Gerry is now talking about us emptying the first fuel tank into the second one, cleaning out the bottom of the first fuel tank and then refilling the first fuel tank by the jug full at a time, through the Baha filter and then repeating the process for the second tank. I can't say I'm too enthralled by the thought of this, it will no doubt be a messy long and difficult job but in the absence of a whole lot of new filters there doesn't appear to be an alternative (other than not using the gen set which is not an option). The other thing that he's now worrying about (there has to be something to worry about!!) is our water, we are at the bottom of the first 100 litre water tank and although we have been careful with our use we just aren't keeping up with the amount we need to make to replace what we have used. "Just make more then" I can hear you thinking, easier said than done a
s the water maker uses battery power to run so we need a really sunny day or to be able to run the gen set to then run the water maker. We know that we have enough water to see us safely into Nuku Hiva but last time we were there the only water available was by taking jerry cans ashore to a remote tap and then lugging it back to the boat and pouring into the tanks, we don't know if this situation has changed but we don't want to be relying on having to cart jerry can loads of water to the boat, fingers crossed that they have a better way of filling our water tanks this time around. After what turned out to be a pretty rocky night dawn apparently happened, not that you would have known as the sky was once again shrouded in grey and black clouds, the sun has peeped through the clouds a couple of seconds at a time and then vanished from sight, we have had a fair bit of rain accompanied by gusty wind in the last couple of hours. Our helm seats are soaking wet with little to no c
hance of drying out unless we get some sun on them at some stage today. The wind and swell are at least in mostly the same direction for the moment and we are skimming along at around 6.5 knots. We are another 150NM closer than we were yesterday and beginning to see the light at the end of this first part of the passage even to the extent that Gerry has satellite messaged our heath declaration forms and notification of arrival off to the Nuku Hiva authorities this morning. We have still managed to leave the engine turned off so at least we aren't adding to the engine hours or wasting the, dirty, fuel! Still no sightings of whales, ships, dolphins or weather buoys, the whole planet is deserted from our perspective.