Voyages

These are the voyages of the sailing vessel, Wings.

31 August 2024 | Faa'a International Airport, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
29 August 2024 | Pension Tiare Nui
25 August 2024 | Pension Tiare Nui
22 August 2024 | Pension Tiare Nui
12 August 2024 | Anchorage
28 June 2024 | Anchorage, AK
19 September 2023 | Pension Tiare Nui
15 September 2023 | Pension Tiare Nui
13 September 2023 | Pension Tiare Nui
11 September 2023 | Pension Tiare Nui
07 September 2023 | Apooiti Bay
03 September 2023 | Tapuamu, Taha'a
02 September 2023 | Tapuamu, Taha'a
31 August 2023 | Haamene Bay, Taha'a
29 August 2023 | Relais Mehana Hotel, Huahine
26 August 2023 | Fare, Huahine
19 August 2023 | Aloe Cafe, Viatape
13 August 2023 | Aloe Cafe, Viatape
11 August 2023 | Apooiti Bay mooring field

Work Completed, Departure Tomorrow

29 August 2024 | Pension Tiare Nui
William Ennis | Hot, rainy, windy...the usual
I worked most of the first weekend, scraping, sanding, and varnishing the various teak components on deck. By Monday, the yard guy working below had completed most of what he had been assigned and it did look great. Tuesday, he returned and put on a single last coat of white epoxy paint here and there and did a good job of cleaning things that he had dirtied with dust and returning things that he had moved to work. I'm VERY pleased with the results. The new mast step should be "bomber" since it's a solid block of epoxy covered in fiberglass. Over that are two coats of epoxy white paint (I'm aware of only two, but there could be more). The paint will enhance the waterproofness as well as add dramatically to the appearance of the boat. I feel confident in the strength and waterproofness of the mast step fabrication. By the way, they used micro-balloons in the epoxy. If you're interested in some great technology, follow this link on micro-balloons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_microsphere.

On deck, I used a can of Cetol varnish, our preferred brand, but unavailable here. I bought a can of a French brand "Le Tonkinois Marine NÂș1 Linseed Oil Varnish". According to their site, it's the official varnish of the French Navy. There's a joke in there somewhere but it does flow smoothly and looks very good. Longevity in FP is an unknown, but the yard owner, Dominique, says it's the best that he has. At any rate, I put a final coat, the fourth, on the cap rails, using this stuff. By the way, the infamous Gulf of Tonkin (in the product name) incident piqued my interest and it's the same area around North Vietnam. By this writing, I had put on 5 coats of varnish, including 2 of the Le Tonkinois, which I like a lot so far.

The bottom of the mast has been stripped of old, blistered paint, had an acid wash (dilute hydrochloric, usually) applied to remove aluminum oxide, and then painted with epoxy paint. When that cures, it can be painted. The epoxy grips the aluminum and the paint grips the epoxy. We've had the bottom 10-12 feet of the mast treated in this way so when the mast is done, the yard can begin the mast replacement process. I imagine that the new rigging will be attached to the mast while it's down, the mast lifted into place, then the rigging attached to the boat attachment points. I'm not a rigger but it seems the logical process to me.

Since I leave this Friday afternoon, I've begun to pack and consider what I can possibly accomplish in the remaining time. I spoke to the Carenage financial lady, Vai, and she'll create a bill for me to pay on Thursday. If we owe more, we'll transfer funds from home.

We have decks made of teak strips. To keep them in place, screws are driven through the teak and into the fiberglass deck below. The screws are covered in teak plugs that cover and waterproof the screws. The plugs (bungs) work loose! Damn! I've replaced about 14 on this trip. It's hard work in the sun, on my hands and knees, and working on a multi-step task. It's been a chore.

Thursday afternoon

Yeah, skipped some days since I've been so bushed when I return. Here are the highlights.

I depart FP tomorrow and by tomorrow night will be flying toward Los Angeles. I'll arrive in the morning, clear customs, then have the usual long wait. By Saturday night, my lovely Conni will fetch me at the Anchorage airport, a world away.

We have a mast! Hurray! It's months late in being installed, but my trip would have been somewhat wasted if I had departed and it still not done.

By early week, the mast step had been completed, as I've documented. The entire channel was painted with a gleaming white epoxy, so is solid, waterproof, and beautiful. As the worker chipped away at the rotten wood that caused the entire project, he found a core of epoxy under the mast plate. In all likelihood, the mast would have been stable, but the mess was unsightly, so the work was needed.

The base of the mast itself got spray-painted with white epoxy on Wednesday. Tuputu, the yard boss, sprayed it and it looked great.

The new rigging was delivered on Tuesday, too. Mathieu, the new rigger for the island, is an old friend from Marina Taina on Tahiti, so he's a known quantity. He speaks impeccable English and is a great rigger and generous guy. We met him while we were in Marina Taina in Papeete to replace our engine back in 2019. He gave of his expertise and time generously and showed Conni how to tune our rig and waterproof the mast. He was instrumental in solving that perennial problem and when we offered to pay, he refused to accept it.

Mathieu installed the fore and backstays on Wednesday and the shrouds (stays for keeping the mast stable port to starboard) today.

I went into the Carenage office this morning to pay our bill (gulp) but it wasn't ready. The previous rigger was going to charge for airfare to and from Papeete for he and a helper, and an overnight stay in a hotel. It would have added a thousand dollars to the job. Fortunately, Mathieu lives on his boat here on Raiatea, now. We expect a break in that part of the bill, at least.

After visiting the office, I did a few remaining chores around the boat, went back to the room for lunch and consult with Conni, then returned by 1PM. The boom truck arrived by 1:30 and the mast was in place by 2:30. The new cables are by a Korean company named KOS, and it's some of the best stainless steel that can be purchased these days. Mathieu recommends and uses it.

Tomorrow, I'm outta here. I am so ready to be gone, too. I know that sounds odd, but I seem to stay tired and dehydrated. I'm eating at O'Ray Roulotte tonight, but here in the bungalow, it's usually been pasta, boulonaise from a jar, and Spam. It's not terrible, but it does get boring after a few nights. Yes, I make a huge salad with local lettuce and tomatoes, and have baguette and roquefort cheese with my G&T. Still, it's not home.
Comments
Vessel Name: Wings
Vessel Make/Model: Passport 40
Hailing Port: Anchorage, Alaska
Crew: William Ennis and Constance Livsey
About: We've been married since 1991, and both retired from our respective jobs (teacher and attorney) after long careers. We live in the most exotic of the United States: Alaska. We cruise on Wings for half the year, enjoying our home state the other part of the year.
Extra:
We've sailed Wings Southward from Alaska since August, 2010. We joined the BajaHaha from SoCal to Mexico in 2012. We joined the Pacific Puddle Jump in 2013 and crossed the Pacific Ocean. Wings "over-summered" in French Polynesia. We continued our journey through western French Polynesia, [...]
Home Page: http://svwings.com
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