Sunday 30th December 2007
8.30am position : 7.01.55 N 138.4.50E
This trip is becoming very tedious. The captain is being pushed to his tolerance limit. Last night after readjusting the rig for the 100th time that day he said. "I'm not enjoying this. I'd rather be anywhere but here." I said I would still rather be here than at work! Another shackle pulled itself apart this morning on the boom vang with a 'bang!' We have the mainsail up to steady the boat and the engine going. Of course the conditions are not good for Fred the windvane to work so we have to constantly watch the tiller, the compass and chart plotter and hand steer. If not the boat goes the wrong way either back to PNG or Indonesia! The weather reports say it is supposed to be NE 10 -15 knots. WRONG! It's been all over the place. The night before we thought we had the trade winds and she sailed beautifully until 3am. Then we had a big swell which made everything sway and lurch and pull...As we haven't had much direct sunshine the batteries have been very low so if the engine isn't going we switch the chart plotter off. The compass light has blown so last night before the moon came up we had to check our course with a torch on the compass. We watched movies on the lap top to distract ourselves pausing every 20 minutes to check outside. We've had intermittent rain squalls every day which makes the wind difficult - ranging from 0 -25 knots from any direction. Today there is more blue sky. I can see Bill has adjusted Fred to make the boat steer itself. But for how long? The instruments now mounted inside say we are presently going at 5 knots (it was 4 knots before) and the wind speed is 8-12 knots from the East.
Too tired to cook last night we combined 2 meals - one tin of Rogangosh lamb and a sachet of Bombay potatoes - one pot dinner and quite tasty. We finished with red plums and custard.
It is highly unlikely that we will make Palau for New Years Eve - another 2 nights at sea. It would be ok if we had consistent tradewinds like we are supposed to have so that we don't have to adjust and fix things every 5 minutes. I'm glad we have plenty of food, water and wine. Champagne is cold in the little fridge for tomorrow night.
At least with the engine going the batteries are charging. Last night email wouldn't work and we thought due to the moisture in the air the data cable connections stopped working. We consoled ourselves that we still had the sat phone. I sent an sms to Luis in USA our wonderful GMN man to tell him of the problem. Later he sent a message saying the Iridium Gateway was experiencing problems and to try again. This morning it worked. Great! Although the emails one can never take for granted - still a luxury at sea -it has kept us in touch with everyone which is nice. It is good for us to know that we have support out there. - so keep those emails coming in! All the gossip, news (we don't know what is happening in the world) anything.
Computers - you can love em or hate em but they are useful tools!

When we do eventually get to Palau we want to forget about sailing for a while and just be tourists and not have to think too much!
Saturday 29th December 2007
Position :
1.55pm BANG! BANG! BANG! What was that? Something hit the boat....Bill looks out the back. "It's a log!" It was quite big 600mm diameter and 5metres long covered in barnacles. Heart beating... no holes...no water coming in... Rudder is ok. Check the propeller - start the engine ....seems ok. We are 300 nm from Palau. Bill will check the hull etc when at anchor.
Its moments like these when we are reminded of our vulnerability out here. John Butler is still singing on the cd player. The computer monitor is still staring at me. I am still enjoying an apr�s lunch glass of cold wine...especially needed now to calm the nerves.
The bunch of bananas we bought in Kavieng just before we left looks ripe but when I opened one it tasted strange - very starchy. I remember reading about cooked bananas in sugar so I have sliced them and cooked them in oil and sugar. As an extra touch I have simmered them in sherry. After a quick taste I am not sure about them - a bit like potato in sugar! Maybe with tinned fruit and custard they might be alright!
It's a long passage. We left Papua New Guinea 7 days ago. The winds have been very changeable with intermittent rain squalls. Sometimes lots of wind. Sometimes none. We only have self steering with Fred the windvane as Heath the electric tiller pilot is broken.


29 DECEMBER 2007
I kept staring and staring at Joe's photo and he looks very different to Caylan - very much himself. Yes the large nose is also a Frylink gene - just as well he is a boy.
Another shackle broke/came undone with a big bang this morning - that's the 3rd one. Because the wind changes all the time and when it is light the sails etc pull hard then slack off all the time which is worse than a constant force in consistent winds. This has been a challenging passage. It would be good if the wind stayed the same so there is 'switch off ' time for the captain to relax read a book etc. It seems maybe today it could be like that. We are more than 6 degrees in the northern hemisphere now. It didn't get light till after 6.30 this morning. An email from Dave yestersday said there's another cyclone in the coral sea - so glad we are away from there!
We are 1/10 of the way around the world! We've done 2700nm and its about 26000nm!!
This passage is very long and the captain says it is relentless in that he has to constantly think about what the boat is doing. The winds change all the time making it difficult but seems steady now. We're cruising at over 7 knots now. We received a friendly and helpful email from Palau regarding clearance where to anchor etc. Palau should be good for us to have a rest from the boat and do a few tourist things - diving, hiring car etc We are still hoping to get there by Monday for New Years eve. We are very tired but hanging in there.

Grandpa is very keen on all the details of this trip. When I told him the other day the belt broke on the electric autopilot he came up with all sorts of solutions. Here is parts of the exchange :

26/12 Us:
We had some strong wind early Christmas morning (20-25knots) after which the
> small electric tiller autopilot refused to work. Bill pulled it apart and
> saw that the small drive belt was broken (probably a $5 part). So now we
> have no self steering in calm or light winds. The wind vane works after
> about 5-8 knots.
26/12 Grandpa:
The wind must be right behind you, would it be better if you could be on a
reach ?
I suggested using some twine as a temporary repair as I have done that in the
past (when I wore a maintenance eng. hat ) for small belt drives. It looks
as if it would be a good thing to carry a couple of spare belts when you get
the replacement.
27/12 The captain:
The belt is a small toothed belt, the teeth have worn off in a few places ,it still sort of works. I'll order a couple of spares. I have been using the tillerpilot to actuate the wind vane and the setup is a bit dodgy, ie the stroke of the machines don't match so I've been pushing it a bit hard occasionally, I will devise a more forgiving arrangement before using it when the wind is blowing.
The wind has now decided to cooperate and is NE at 5 - 10 knots whichs suits the wind vane. We're reaching at 4-6 knots. Looks like it may stay that way now as the tradewind clouds have established themselves. We just get the occasional rain dump from a cloud which involves plenty of wind for a few minutes then nothing for half an hour or so while the wind comes back. 540 miles to go so could get there Sunday afternoon or Monday.
27/12 Grandpa:
I had a feeling that the belt might be toothed as it is a control component. If the teeth are worn off in a few places it looks as if the pulleys are out of alignment and are not running exactly parallel to one another so you are getting a sort of elliptical twisted action on the belt. The misalignment needs only to be very small for this to happen. Its a problem with toothed belts. There may be a slack pulley bearing, but would need to understand the arrangement before making any more comments. Anyway when you replace the belt try to check the alignment to prevent it happening to the next one. It looks as if you are making good progress from your change in position between13:53 and 18:43 PM - Abt 20+nm in 5 hr. Heres to the winds keeping steady

28/12 Linda
Yes we are going well. wind has been 20-25 knots gusting t 30 at times. 2 reefs in the main. difficult to sleep - quite big wave action. This wind is not in any weather reports! The hatches closed so a bit hot inside. she feels like an express train bumping occasionally and slewing sideways as Fred the wind vane corrects its course. Bill wrote the last email about the belt - too technical for me!

Bill: 28/12
The tillerpilot belt was stripped as a result of irresistible force meets immovable object type abuse, it was adjusted for motoring in a calm and we had a 25 knot rainsquall fro a few minutes when it was seriously overworked, I was stuck at the tiller hand steering so couldnt disconnect it. I'm sure a replacement belt is all it will need but it's a fiddly job to pull apart so it can wait until we're in a calm anchorage.

We feel honoured that so many people are following our progress - great for our morale. This xgate is the best thing - otherwise it would be pretty lonely out here!

Vashti asked the other day what is more difficult than I thought- I thought some more and I guess the night watch is hard. So much responsibility in watching for ships every 20 mins. There's been a few quite close the last 2 days coming from Taiwan and Japan. Learning to trust my eyesight and rechecking. Right now it's raining and I squint and look and look....because if we did collide with a ship............... The other thing is I feel is of an awe of the captain's knowledge and thought processes and feel quite dumb at times. Our roles are much more defined than on the land. I do all the galley work basically and keep the captain comfortable. I don't want him to think I am just a passenger!!!

27 Dec 2007
We're galloping along now 7-8 knots. Captain happy 15-20knot NE pushing us along right on course. 500nm to go. Could be in Palau by Sunday arvo. I am already looking forward to restaurants, showers, hairdresser and a full nights sleep. Reading the Lonely Planet guide the island speciality is fruitbat pie! There are lots of bars and cafes serving international cuisine some within walking distance from the port - Malakal. We look forward to being tourists for a while - rent a car, go diving etc
Made pizza today and baked a french stick - yum
We watched another movie today - Snakes on a plane - quite ridiculous in a similar style to the disaster movies of the 70s - towering inferno etc. It was a copy of a pirate copy complete with people's heads occasionally and people walking in front of the person filming the film in a movie theatre!
until next time
position: 4.21 N 142.31.6E
happy crew
SV VALIAM

26 Dec 2007
4.41pm 26 Dec
The wind has changed again to the SE.(10-15knots) Interestingly that is the forecast for Palau and Yap. It's a little cooler too which is nice. Bill has poled out the jib and the main is right out. The wind vane doesn't like it much and doesn't keep course very well unless the wind is consistent at 15 knots+. Sadly we only did 90nm in the last 24hrs and that is with 1knot of favourable current - but we were practically stopped half the night. Lets hope we can make it up in the next few days.

We watched a movie on the laptop - La vie en Rose - my favourite which Bill hadn't seen yet. Very beautiful and emotional. My mum loved Edith Piaf and La vie en rose was her favourite song.To think Edith Piaf was only 47 when she died. It's a hauntingly beautiful film in all artistic senses - the photography and the music. We were so involved in the movie we didn't notice we went off course!

The captain says we are back on track now.
The boat is nice and steady and Bill had a nap earlier today. The moon at night is great - we can almost see as well as during the day.

We are having 'Indian takeaway' tonight. ie heat up meals - chicken curry etc by Prodan. It's the cook's night off after all the Christmas baking.


The captain says he doesn't think he can repair Heath the autopilot. Fred the windvane is doing quite well so we'll keep looking after him....
position : 3.21.6 N 144.28 E
5.12pm QLD time

26 Dec
Email to our granddaughter:
Dear Caylan
It was nice to hear your voice on Christmas Day. Mummy said you are such a wonderful big sister and you love your little brother so much. Nanny is sad to not be able to cuddle him. Nanny and Pa will get on an aeroplane in February to come and see you and Joe. We have to wait until we can leave the boat somewhere safe like in a marina. There are no Marinas in Papua New Guinea or the next country called Palau. We have been on the boat on the ocean since Saturday and we still be sailing for a few more days - probably 8 or more days at sea altogether. It is very tiring because one of us has to be awake at all times to watch out for ships. Pa has seen only one this morning.
The present Pa like the best was the giant water pistol - he said he's going to fight pirates with it - maybe put something horrible inside instead of water....
I have printed the photos mummy sent of you and Joe and have stuck all over the boat.
We had Christmas pudding and custard for breakfast and then we opened a fresh coconut and drank the juice. Yummy!
I sent you a parcel from Papua New Guinea. I hope you get it. The mail isn't very good there. I will buy you some unusual things in the countries we visit and bring them back to Australia on the aeroplane. That way they wont get lost.
We don't see much out here in the middle of the ocean - just water and sky. The change colours and the clouds change. The last few nights the moon has been shining on the water as well as the stars - it's very beautiful. The sunsets are wonderful. Sometimes just before dark a sea bird flies around us thinking about stopping on the boat for a rest. We had one little bird stay all night. He must have been very tired.
Please send me an email soon. It's a little bit boring here but I read books, cook food and send emails - sometimes I help the captain.(you know that's Pa)
Love you heaps and heaps.
Nanny


24 Dec

Merry Christmas from 1.14N 147.06E At the moment we are heading for Japan the way the wind is blowing but will shift our course by tomorrow. We had some nice wind since we left PNG but late this afternoon the sails started flogging and after it got dark Bill discovered a couple of broken shackles. Lucky the moon is out and with the aid of a head torch all is repaired. I've been busy baking Christmas goodies today - kerstkruntz with an 'interesting' pastry. The roast chook had to be done tonight as it is so hot during the day. But now we are in the Northern hemisphere shouldn't get cooler as it's winter?
Anyway we have about 850 nm to go. I do hope we make Palau yacht club for New Years eve - nice to have some company. Palau has a big American influence and many more yachties go there. We saw none in PNG.
Internet was almost non existent in PNG and Palau is supposed to be slow too.
The website needs a lot of fine tuning and I didn't have time to do anything on the blog drive....
Bill is still figuring out how to make weather grib files work through saildocs. At the moment we can only get general weather reports with text from saildocs.

MERRY EQUATOR CHRISTMAS!

24 December 2007-12-24
At 3 minutes to 1am we crossed the equator! The pineapple Bill is holding is our xmas tree. We sent a note to King Neptune in a bottle and Linda sacrificed her last lime bought in Townsville to the sea. Of course we had a glass of champagne!
Its 9.20 am and our position is 00.31.3 N 148.05.5 E . In the 1st 24 hours we did 149 nautical miles. (that's not bad) In total we have done 250nm from Kavieng (left 3pm 22 Dec) 915 nm to go!!!
Have a great Christmas everyone and think of us out here looking at the ocean and each other for another week!!



24 Dec 2007
Sails are flogging - wind has died down. Chook is in the oven and I've baked kerstkruntz (dutch almond ring) and there's prezzie under the pineapple tree! We have 850nm to go - hell of a long way!!
Not much else to report except the moon is beautiful and makes it easy to see at night. Bill has to repair a couple of shackles.....I'll give him a xmas sherry when he's finished.

23 Dec
About to leave? at 1:02 am? perhaps the time on the email is wrong.
Took a look at the weather map. Those 10-15kt winds have retreated
northwards a bit (1200UTC 22 Dec), so while the direction is good for Palau,
it doesn't look like a fast trip.
Fair winds...
Jerry


Well I don't know if Jerry is right or wrong. It hasn't been too bad and we've been sailing quite nicely most of the time. There's a nice 10-14knot NE blowing now. Lets hope it stays like that all the way to Palau. No more logs please! I better get their flag made - sky blue with a yellow ball - easy compared to PNG! I will also have to do a stores inventory for quarantine....