Archive | October, 2016

Vanuatu – The Reunion Tour

October 30, 2016 by

Vuda Send-off
We were unaware of the Fijian tradition to sing good wishes and safe travels to departing yachts and were pleasantly surprised by the serenaders at Vuda Point Marina.  It was a heartwarming moment.
We then anchored near Fiji’s reef exit for ships, setting ourselves up for a classic Jason departure. As soon as the faintest glimmer of light appeared in the sky, we scurried on deck to ready Two Fish and weigh anchor. By the time we reached the channel, the sun was fully up and we were ready for our four day passage to Vanuatu. Four days and just the two of us on board. As we tried to adjust the chartplotter screens to our usual passage settings, we noticed that our radar didn’t seem to be showing obvious land features. Seems that the magnetrons in Furuno radomes have a limited life and my perpetual insistence on having radar on at all times while on passage had meant that we reached 3000 hours in just 3 years. Maybe the 20,000+ miles traveled had something to do with that?

Our destination was Vanuatu.  We had never heard of it a year ago, but after being with coconut milk runners (nickname for Pacific cruisers) for so long it now seems like common parlance.  Our Pacific Island geography has certain improved, but Africa remains a sore point when playing TravelerIQ.  Vanuatu has Melanesian roots and was colonized by the French and the English.  They agreed to share it, which they thought of as rather sporting, however I suspect the Melanesians were not too thrilled.  Today, English seems to be spoken widely.

We had a fairly kind passage. As we approached Resolution Bay, we could see the smoke from the Volcano that we were hoping to visit.

On approach

Jason donned his scuba gear to check that the anchor was set and then raised the Two Fish flag. We knew the real fun would not start until Two Fish veterans from our 2014 French Guiana trip arrived. Salwa and Darren first boarded Two Fish in Fortaleza, Brazil for our sail to Jason checking anchorFrench Guiana and Trinidad. Darren could probably single-hand Two Fish and Salwa was the first winner of the crew Small Footprint Award.  My mantra for the previous two months had been, “when Darren and Salwa join, I don’t have to do any more work.” (note: Jason didn’t debunk that opinion until the day before they arrived.)
We were trying to keep a low profile as we hadn’t cleared customs and immigration yet, but that didn’t last long as a neighboring boat alerted immigration to our presence. Thank you busybody boat. Actually, it all worked out well as the immigration rep was in the bay for someone else and was happy to meet us ashore. To give some scale to the fortuitousness of the presence of immigration, one must understand their closest office is a two hour drive away.  The Vanuatuans seem similar to the French, relaxed about checking in. The Brazilians, Americans and Australians could learn a few things.

The next hail for Two Fish was not by radio but via the local communication service: Head to a hill top and yell.  A resident of Tanna was trying to tell us that Salwa had arrived .“Hey, Two Fish, someone has been yelling for you from onshore for the last ten minutes,” our neighbor radioed. Salwa, having survived the 90 minute ride from the Tanna airport to our bay, quickly decided that accommodations on Two Fish were superior to the mosquito cabins onshore. The cabins had received very high scores on Trip Advisor, but were just thatched huts with no screens, a bit too open in a sometimes malarial zone.

Darren had a bit more of a challenging approach; he had missed his second flight in a series of many. So now he would be delayed a couple of days and have a large layover in the Vanuatu industrial core, Port Vila.   The final salt on the wound was a five hour car ride with stops for taxi repair and picking up a new beer fridge.   He took it in good spirits but the effects showed up as he was first to bed that night.

The next day we tackled the volcano. We could see the tell tale sign of venting gas from the shore near the anchorage. We traveled by pick up truck (men outside and women in the cab) for the nighttime trip to the Volcano at Mount Yasur, but it was well worth it.

The village at Port Resolution has suffered much damage from cyclones and we had brought some nails across from Fiji to help in the reconstruction. The village is remote and is a bit stuck between a traditional way of life and the pull to modernization. The fishermen using canoes in the bay have cell phones but now they need to worry about electricity for charging them.

To our delight, we managed to catch up with fellow Antares Field Trip in Port Resolution. The previous time we had seen them was when they visited our NYC Apartment a few years ago. We watched Field Trip sail down the East River in 2013, only imagining that we might be doing the same at some point. It wasn’t all “delight” as one night we returned to the boat to find some bugs both on our table and next to the winch buttons. I shrieked and panicked until I realized they looked dead. Michael, on Field Trip, had dinghied over to play a trick on us with his plastic replicas.

Field Trip has impressed us with their slower paced voyage, as they have been able to spend more time in ports and have gotten to know the local residents. On their sail around Tanna Island, they gave a ride to friends from one of Fiji’s remote islands who happened to be in Vanuatu and they have immersed themselves in the local communities as they travel.


Jason and I prepped for our next trip while Salwa and Darren explored the island a bit more and then we were ready to set sail. It was sad to be leaving friends that we had been with for the past six months.  Our friends on Wishanger sent us off in proper style with three blasts from the loud ship horn.  To a sailor, that was a tearful moment.  Our friends were continuing on their circumnavigation, while we were off to New Caledonia.

Photo credits in this post go to Salwa, Darren and Mark.


Anchorage

iOS Sailing Apps

October 29, 2016 by

In 1992, I (Jason) sailed from New York to Florida; our GPS was a white brick attached to the lifelines that only displayed a Lat and Lon.  It was not networked, it had no charts or graphics, but it seemed like wonder technology.  It cost $1,000.  Six days after leaving the dock it beeped at the right time for our approach mark to West Palm Beach.

Now iOS apps offer a myriad of features, including GPS. Many have been tested aboard Two Fish.   Here is a list of the must haves, the OKs and the duds.

I think blue water cruisers are much safer with a proper chart plotter at the wheel.  If there had been a chart plotter on team Vestas they might have avoided the reef.  However, iOS apps offer many features and cheaper pricing, so they can be a primary for a budget cruiser and a back up on a decked-out boat.

This post is rather long so here is the MUST HAVE LIST

  1. An anchor drag alarm:  Anchor
  2. NMEA data view (NMEA to wifi hardware required):   Edo Instruments by Seamantech
  3. Weather app:  Weather Track
  4. Navigation app: Navionics
  5. Reference Programs

 

Anchor Drag Alarm

Anchor

anchor-track-1-of-1The iOS app Anchor (link to iTunes store) best addresses our fear of dragging anchor while asleep on windy nights.   After dropping hook, you input into the app the distance to the anchor, the bearing to the anchor and the size of the safety circle.  It works without cell towers but if you are lucky enough to have an internet connection then you will see your location on a satellite view.  The photo to the left was taken without internet and in light air with current.  When the breeze built, the boat headed to the edges of the circle, but in light air we sat on the anchor.  The purple arrow is the anchor, the boat is Two Fish and the red circle  is the drag alarm range.  The great feature of this app is the ability to view the history of your location.  When you feel a big puff or a weird sensation in the middle of the night, you can quickly check the app and confirm the boat is still on the same arc.  I still go on deck to survey, but now my second wake up only requires a quick glance at the app.   A feature we don’t use because we often lack cell signal is messaging.  An iPhone with the Anchor app can SMS or email another iPhone onshore if the boat is dragging.  What do you do when you are four hours away on a hike and you get a message that the boat is dragging?  The only shortcoming of the app is a lack of an alarm for wind shifts.  This would be good in tidal streams or when you are counting on the trade winds.  The apps draws down the battery so we sleep with the iPhone plugged into our 12 volt USB outlets.  We have not experienced app crashes, but in tricky anchoring spots we will have both iPhones running the app.  Works on an iPad as well.  Must have app, will make anchoring much more relaxing.

Other apps we tested:

Boat Sentry:  This app was a runner up for our needs.  It has the ability to warn you of 180 degree shifts via a very flexible set of menus.  Not the easiest app to learn but powerful.  However it lacks the satellite view feature, which I found very useful when we had a internet connection.

Drag Queen:   Sassy name for the app but it lacks a graphical interface.  Prefer an easier format to read when being woken up at 2 am. Skip this app.

Our chart plotter has a simple anchor alarm but we do not use it because keeping the chart plotter on consumes too much electricity and the alarm noise is soft.  We bought our AIS for its low power anchor alarm but had to wait 3 years for the feature to become part of the software.  Even now, the iPhone alarms seem to dominate.

Wind Alarm

When anchored in Tonga, a gust hit our anchorage.  Our friends were woken up by an alarm warning them of the gusts.  The AIS confirmed that our friends were not dragging, but they saw another nearby boat traveling at 2.5 knots.  The other boat was dragging for sure.  We organized a rescue party and the boat was re-anchored.  Now on Two Fish we have a rule that 100% of the time at anchor or on a mooring ball we leave on the AIS and the wind alarm.   If I have anchored in light air, I will set the alarm at 25 knots.  If I am woken up and confirm all is good I reset the alarm at 5 knots higher.  With the AIS turned on we get two advantages: first, late night arrivals to the harbor can see Two Fish, and second, our instrument data is sent out via wifi, a segue into reviewing the group of  apps that can display wifi NMEA data on iOS. For non-techies, NMEA is the name for the data interface used to communicate between a boat’s data display instruments.

NMEA Data Viewer Apps

iRegatta

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I like the ability while sailing or at anchor to quickly look at key data.  Wind speed, depth and true wind angle are favorites.  iRegatta will display most NMEA data transmitted on a wireless IP address.  In other words, if your chart plotter or AIS or add-on device transmits the NMEA data wirelessly,  you can use this application.  It is a bit like a chart plotter in your pocket.  It will also show AIS targets and try to calculate your polars.  This did not work for me, but it might be my fault.   I have used the app for a few years and it is a must have for me but there may be a better solution.

Seamantech (EDO Instruments)

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I just started using EDO instruments by Seamantech.  I give it a 10 out of 10 rating.    It is early days, but I think it will displace my regular use of iRegatta because of its more pleasing layout.   The app can also efficiently calculate polars by  recording data (wind speed, wind angle and boat speed) while sailing.  Over time, with enough data, the app will plot the top speeds for each angle and wind speed.  The user can correct the app if you think the data was corrupted by current or by surfing a wave.  You can also create different polars for different sail plans so you can really know the cost of tucking in the second reef.  Sounds like I will be busy doing some data recording next season.

By the way, rumor is they are coming out with a brand new app.

Furuno Chart plotter App

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Furuno offers two apps that run on both iPhones and iPads.  After paying a king’s ransom for the hardware, the app is free.  The first is very useful and allows a duplicate image of the chart plotter to appear on the iPhone.  During my off-watch I enjoy checking on the helm without getting out of bed. Don’t worry, someone else is always at the helm on Two Fish.  I can see the radar and then change screens and see the chart with all of the wind data, course information, rudder angle and depth.  Whenever I connect the app, the chart plotter beeps, warning the helms person that big brother is spying.  I have disabled the ability for an app user to adjust the chart plotters.  This was a Gail requirement.  If you are lucky enough to have Furuno TZ’s, this gives you an extra chart plotter in the cabin, in the galley or even down in the bilge.  This is a most powerful app, but I only use it when sailing since I don’t want to run  the chart plotter while at anchor.  As a side note, I often notice large sport fish boats will leave their chart plotters on when docked with no one on board.  What’s up with that?  Furuno has another free app, NavNet Viewer, which streams data from the network.  It is passable but I prefer Seamantech’s viewer mentioned before.

Weather Apps

Most weather apps are driven by the same NOAA-produced GFS forecast data.  I have watched people open up four weather apps to reassure themselves of the weather for their upcoming trip, yet the apps are all using GFS data. So at times, what distinguishes them is presentation.

Some apps do allow a switch to the European model or the Canadian model.  For no good reason, we tend to prefer the GFS model. Additionally, Wind Guru and Predict Wind both massage the data, but I tend not to value their efforts.  I do not connect my iOS devices to the web while at sea, so I only use these apps while lingering onshore at our lunch stop before long trips.  If I see another sailor, we might grunt about the forecast being interesting, code word for lousy weather.

I do not value forecasts beyond 48 hours.  But we will delay if the forecast has seas on the nose of greater than 3 meters, wind on the nose of greater than 20 knots, and wind abeam or behind of greater than 35 knots.

Weather Track

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Weather Track has all of the data I need to plan a passage. Wind speed, wind gusts, wave height and direction, ocean current, rain, lightning and more.  I find the display easy to read.  The program does some smart fetching of data from different servers.  It also has a passage planning feature which I do not use, because I prefer Predict Wind’s routing.  At sea, Weather Track coupled with X Gate can retrieve recent forecasts via SSB or Iridium phones.  We use SailMail while at sea, so I can’t review this feature.   Ocean currents are included with Weather Track, a feature which many apps lack. The source is OSCAR which replaces my earlier tedious downloading of the PDF’s  from the government server. (click here to see my 2014 post describing our use of OSCAR in Brazil)  Feeding the data go straight into the app is deluxe.   Additionally, you can purchase more detailed currents from TideTech.   Weather Track is a must have application.

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Hurricane Tracker by Gencode:  We have tried to stay out of Hurricane regions, however, they can cross the path of the most careful sailor.  They arrive while your boat is on the hard or during a late trip down the US coast bound for the BVI.  We also watch the big hurricanes and hope they do not hurt our wonderful hosts on so many Caribbean islands.

Wind Guru

This app is rather ugly and was the benchmark years ago.  It looks like it is a shrunken web page rather than a full blown app. While visiting Uruguay we asked the Coast Guard about good weather since the national weather bureau was on strike.    The Coast Guard handed us a print out from the wind guru website.  The app market has moved on and this app is extinct and Windy replaces it with better presentation and more power.  We view this website when in one location wondering if it will be a windy week at anchor rather than for passage planning.

Windy

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Windy has a beautiful set-up and is good for single spot monitoring.  Is it going to be too windy at my anchorage this week for paddleboarding?  Will it rain during the shoreside BBQ?  These are important questions in my life.  I realize there are plenty of similar apps in this  crowded space but this one works best for me.  I wish it had radar and weather buoys.

Willy Weather

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Willy Weather has radar and tides.  Since the Furuno radar is pretty good at showing rain cells we do not use online radar too often.  However, when I am on smaller boats without radar it adds a nice measure of safety to have access to radar.  Tide tables are built into our chart plotter so we tend not to use other apps frequently for tide data.  In locations with massive tidal concerns I prefer to get the tide tables from the local authority.  We still carried an Eldridge guide while cruising the US east coast.

 

Predict Wind

2016-10-27_10-55-32This app does not compete with the above weather apps.  It has a few nice features that address the offshore sailor.  First the app works easily with Iridium Go.  This is one of its key features, so if you have a cell signal this app is less interesting.  Secondly the app does weather routing, which is only useful for longer trips.  If you have both of those needs I can recommend the app.  Its Iridium Go usage is efficient and it has a decent GRIB viewer.  The interface is much friendly than the free service from Sail Docs.  It lacks gusts in the weather planning module, which is a big oversight, In addition, the cost for a subscription is not tiny.

 

Navigation

Navionics

2016-10-27_15-43-18I use this app frequently for a variety of reasons.  It is great to have when onshore and another sailor tells you of a great bay or an unmarked sand bar.  The alternative, carrying your chart plotter, is not very easy.  I also do some light planning on the phone.  It has an auto router which I do not use, but it is good for a quick check.  Just tell it your start and finish and the router will honor all the appropriate markers.  It also has tides, moon, sun, simple weather data and a basic logbook.    For 22$ you can buy the entire Pacific islands. Raises the question of how long chart plotter companies can continue to kill us with such high prices.  Navionics also tries to have crowd sourced information but it pales in comparison to Active Captain.  They also have more detailed sonar charts which is pretty useful for those going down the ICW.  Must buy.

Blue Chart Mobile

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The only reason we bought Blue Chart Mobile is that it includes Active Captain.  It was convenient wile transiting the  ICW to have the anchorage, shoaling and other navigation warnings in my pocket.  Blue Chart has a friendly interface but leaves out key features to protect their chart plotter offerings.  The app does not display boat speed. Are you kidding me?  A sometimes useful feature is the ability to edit the position of user-input spots. For some reason, once a new spot is put on the Navionics chart, it can’t be altered. We have and use both apps but I prefer Navionics.  Buy this app if you value Active Captain data. There are some other Active Captain enabled apps (see the Active Captain website for the most recent list).

iNavX

2016-10-27_17-03-19Why in the world would I want a third mini chart plotter app?  iNavX offers two things that neither of the big brothers offer.  First, it can display raster charts containing the Explorer Chart guide to the Bahamas.  These guides are by far the best for Bahamian cruising.  This is superior to a hard copy book since it allows for the live location of Two Fish.  Secondly, iNavX can display my entire NMEA network data.  From wind speed to AIS targets.  Nice as another back up.  Recommendation: only buy if cruising the Bahamas.

 

Transas iSailor

2016-10-27_17-17-18Very little experience with this app since it costs a bunch to open up all the features. Pay for AIS, NMEA, charts etc.  Uses a type of vector chart common in the programmer’s home country of Russia.  App has a clean, yet not stunning interface.  Looks to have nice apple watch integration but I don’t have an apple watch. Recommendation: Get a more detailed review from a power user.

 

Marine Traffic

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Ever wonder where the boat you met a year ago has traveled to?  Want to know more about that huge ship that passed in the channel?  Marine Traffic uses AIS data to track other boats’ histories and additional data.  Add friends to the fleet and the app will tell you when they make a new landfall.  Does not help you navigate but helps you stay in touch.  Must have for amusement.

Marine Brazil

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This featureless app offers free raster charts for Brazil.  We carried it as a back-up for our time in Brazil but never used it.  Recommendation:  Its free, why not, if you are going to Brazil.

 

Tides Planner by Imray  There are several  tide planning apps and tide tables come with navigation apps.  But what is the data source?  My watch proudly announces the tides for our current location and it is often horribly off from reality.  Tides are very local and some apps try to use lat / lon to calculate tides via formulae.  That does not work.

Celestial Navigation

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EZ Sights and EZ Almanac  help make the complex game of celestial navigation less confusing.  The apps offer the user two approaches.  The first approach is to type in the observed angle of the object, and the rest is done for you in the app.  The second approach is to look through the same printed tables that are in the books and complete the calculations as if on paper.  I still struggle with either technique.  I do realize that if my iPad is key to using the sextant, I am not free from power failure vulnerability.   I bought the app to help me become a celestial navigator.  I have failed, but no fault is due to the app.

Logbook

I have tried WaveTrax and the log feature inside Navionics.  The former dedicated logbook app was a huge let down.  It is no longer in the app store for good reason.  Navionics’ log book feature is great for a two hour day sail, but if you run it for days it eventually crashes.  I wish Furuno had a logbook feature.  It seems like an easy app to write.   If any readers of the blog know of a better solution, drop me a line.  Until then, I will use the pen and store my GPX files from the Furuno.

NavPlay is a multi-feature navigation app which has a log book feature but I have been let down twice and am shy on spending fifty bucks for another flop.  I asked Gail if she wants to write our own logbook app.  Start the 7 year wait for the app.

Reference Books

Grog Knots

2016-10-27_11-23-19I forget key knots and can not spell but computers have come to my rescue.  Spell checker for one problem and Grog Knots for the other.  Easy to follow animations make rope klutzes into natural born bowline makers.  Carrying this “book” on the iPhone saves space on the book shelves.

 

 

Marine Chart Symbols by Imray

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As a US Coast Guard Vessel, we are required to carry a book that lists all of the chart symbols.  That makes this app redundant, but when bored it is fun to quiz yourself on odd chart symbols.  While on the topic of chart symbols, remember that green “land” is very dangerous.  It will can have a depth of less than one meter except it looks like normal navigable water.  It is easy to get confused when looking at the chart thinking the visible land is the end of the island and accidentally short cut across the shallow green area.   If you see green on the chart, think twice.  Not a required app to buy.

Starwalk

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When watching the phosphorescence illuminate your wake becomes boring, it is time to use Starwalk. Hold the app up to the stars and it will tell you the names of the objects.  You can impress your crew mates by identifying the planets, constellations and even the International Space Station.  Not a required app but what else are you going to do during the night on multi-day passages?

 

Barograph

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We use GRIB files frequently to keep ourselves out of nasty weather and the traditional barometer has taken a back seat.  Recently I have elevated the barometer in my weather tool kit.   Any iPhone 6 or later has a built-in barometer that was added not for weather forecasters, but to help in speeding up GPS fixes. Barograph is the only app I found that graphs the pressure, but it lacks a calibration feature.  I have compared the iPhone to four other sources and it seems within 2 millibars of the other sources.  Must buy if you have no other barometer on board.  My preferred barometer is my Garmin Fenix 3 watch and my least favorite is the fancy Weems and Plath.

Pocket Earth

2016-10-27_12-29-31Our friends from another Antares, Echo, tipped us off on this great app.  When hiking or exploring new towns, it is nice to have maps but often you have no cell signal or lack a local sim card.  Pocket Earth has decent maps which we used in the Galapagos, Las Perlas Islands and French Polynesia.  Very helpful when lost on a hike and the sun starts to dip. Just remember to download the data for each country while you still have wifi.

 

Boat Maintenance

SIM Yamaha:  A simple app that helps in the ordering of parts for our reliable outboard.  Helps finding part numbers.  It is free so you might as well use it if you have a Yamaha.

Volvo Penta Dealer Locator:  Saves time when looking for a real Volvo dealer.  We are picky when we ask for professional help on our engines.  Only pros are allowed on board. It doesn’t have all the dealers, but it is a good start.

Boat Owners Mechanical and Electrical Manual by Nigel Calder:  Originally this book was made into an app but now it is for sale in e-book format.  I would prefer the hard copy but if you are low on space, at least travel with the e-book.

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Boater’s Pocket Reference is another book to app transformation.  It is good but I would hold off if you have a strong boat library on board already.

Travel

2016-10-28_14-03-27The Islands of Tahiti: Official Guide is a government sponsored ad for tourism.  If you travel to buy a T-shirt and go to Hard Rock this is the app for  you.  Else, stick with Soggy Paw’s compendiums.  They are much better and written by and for cruisers.  They are simple PDF’s but will enhance your Pacific crossing.

 

 

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Antoine in the Tuamotos Islands:  Antoine is “the famous singer / sailor in the yellow catamaran Bannana Split”.  I bought this app for comedic value but it fell short.  Again, stick with the compendiums.

 

Collins English French Dictionary  A French, Spanish and Portuguese dictionary have all been used on Two Fish.  I will never forget the word for garden hose in Spanish or thank you in Portuguese.  Looking foolish in foreign languages is one of the reasons I enjoy travel.

Sail Fiji is another travel app that is less useful than the Fiji compendium by Soggy Paws.  To make maters worse they charge you twice to buy the app for east and west.  Decent charts but not a great app for 60 bucks total.  Save the money and buy kava root and ask the locals where to go next.

Number Crunchers

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Boating Calcs:  Can’t track the formula for hull speed or working load? Want to understand the math behind heading to steer vs course made good?  This app will answer those questions and many more.  The app is better for ending disputes at the bar rather than a critical or practical app.  Not a must have but a fun to have.

Beaufort Wind Scale:Some weather forecasts only give “the wind will freshen to force 5”.  In many of the Commonwealth countries they use this terminology on the local news.  However, as NYers, this is a foreign language and this app is no more than a colorful cue card.  Plenty of other places contain this information, but this one is easy to access.

North Sailing Simulator

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You control all the sheets, vang and more on the classic J35 mono hull.  The app scores your set up.  Tweak again and you can get closer to 100%.  Give up and the app will show you the 100% setup.  Then try again with a different wind strength and angle.  The app is kind of useless for catamaran sailors.  Take a pass unless they add a cruising cat.

 

This is by no means a comprehensive list and wasn’t meant to be a complete research project. But, if you are short on time to search for the ultimate app, I hope this list gives you a good start so you can spend more of your time on the water.

 

 

 

 

The Sun Shines on Fiji

October 10, 2016 by

When we pulled into Savusavu after our four day passage from Tonga, we were happy to drop the anchor and get some rest. I had been very stressed about double-handing for four days and nights after having had the luxury of so many great crew during our recent passages.  However, Jason chose an easy weather window and the trip was smooth (code name for I was not seasick).  Jason seems to really enjoy the long passages. He was even starting to be glum about the finish line of the trip being near, despite his being a bit exhausted after so many miles.

Our time in Tonga had been dominated by rain, rain and more rain so the blue skies in Fiji were somewhat blinding. At our first Fijian landfall we were required to anchor in the quarantine anchorage, the only ugly spot in all of Fiji.  I was more Bulaconcerned about bugs from the rusty freighter joing Two Fish, than about Two Fish infecting Fiji.  Three hours and four officials later, all ferried from shore via our dinghy, we tied up to the dock at Copra Shed Marina.  The Marina dock is just a small space for half a dozen boats, but it was very convenient and the price was right: same as a mooring ball!  The first thing we learned was how to say “greetings” in Fiji. Bula!  A lot of Bulas get exchanged in the busy core of Savusavu.  It took us two weeks to stop confusing the Kava ceremony(sevusevu ), the largest town in Fiji(Suva) and our first landfall(Savusavu).

We were greeted by fellow yachties who gave us the lowdown on wifi data cards and food. The highlight from the food front was Grace Kitchen, the quasi-Korean religious sect who believe that the Great Famine will arrive and thus is setting up organic farms in Fiji to feed the people. No proselytizing, just fantastic bibimbap, kim chee and dumplings, and the sweetest cucumbers I have ever tasted.  We came back more than once because the food was good and the employees were so enthusiastic.  If we voiced any compliments, the entire staff would come forward to enjoy the praise, often bringing samples of other tasty treats.


Our trip to Savusavu was calmer than our friends’ trip had been a few days earlier, in unsettled weather.  The wife heard a strange noise and woke up her husband.  An indicator showed that the bilge pump was running.  He opened up the floor board to discover massive amounts of water.    The first check when you see water is to determine whether it is fresh or salty.  Fresh indicates that a water tank has a leak and salty means the great blue ocean is entering the boat.  They realized the source was that the prop shaft had slipped out of the boat.  A three inch hole was inviting the seawater to come in at an alarming rate.  After a very brief period of panic, they stuffed the hole full of odds and ends.  A nearby fellow rally boat volunteered to escort them the last 100 miles.   When they arrived in calm waters, they discovered the shaft was still attached to the boat and could easily be slipped back into place.   Yikes! (FYI, the shaft stayed on because their shaft zincs were in place on both sides of the strut)

The Fijians have been visited by many interested parties over the last several hundred years. Even the US Navy has threatened them once or twice, but the usual Pacific suspects have been more prevalent. Cook came to the middle of the three island chains.  His guide “hid” the location of the main island area.  Today there are charts showing the best anchorages in Fiji, but maybe there are a few that they are still hiding from westerners?  The missionaries traveled here to convert Fijians to Christianity. The Prince of Tonga also settled on the main island for a while. After a confederacy of chiefs was formed, the Kingdom of Fiji was established in 1871; a few years later, Fiji became a British colony-no referendum. One hundred years later, they received their independence and even left the Commonwealth. There has been some infighting between the various ethnic groups and the islands went through a tough period but good relations have been re-established. Unfortunately, Fiji still is challenged by weather events. During February 2016, Tropical Cyclone Winston claimed many lives and destroyed villages across the islands.

After a few days in Savusavu, we bought the requisite kava root for Sevusevu ceremonies and began our Fijian exploration. One of our stops was a small bay with a tiny village on one coast. As is the custom here, we paddled our kava root to shore to ask the village chief for permission to anchor in his bay. After wandering up a village path and through the small groups who were listening to the rugby broadcast, we found him. He welcomed us into his tent; as most of the village was taken out by the cyclone, there were not many freestanding houses left. He rolled out a mat and invited us to sit down so that he could formally welcome us. After he chanted the welcome, he fetched an old children’s map of the world and we showed him where else we had been on Two Fish. He apologized that he was not serving kava on a Saturday, but we were happy not to partake. After a dolphinsslight hesitation, he asked whether we had batteries on board for his flashlight. Jason paddled gail-and-dragonflyback to Two Fish, retrieved some batteries and a solar lamp. We were happy to provide something of value there.

We sailed to Bua Bay at the North West edge of Vanua Levu  and later along the coast of Viti Levu through the “Fiji intercoastal”,  land on one side and invisible reefs on the other. Finding the channel markers is challenging, and nautical charts are not very accurate. Many navigational markers were taken out by Tropical Cyclone Winston and other storms. We transited using charts, offline satellite images and our eyes. The blue dot on the satellite photo above is Two Fish’s GPS location superimposed on a satellite image. Jason was grinning ear to ear as we sailed with spinnaker and full main, wing on wing in a narrow channel beside the coral.  The anchorages are a bit deep (15 to 20 meters) so our other challenge in some small bays was to balance scope with distance to shore and rocks. The reward for our work was entering remote areas with no neighbors and plenty of interesting walks.

After a few anchorage stops, we headed out to the Yasawa islands. Every nation seems to have its Blue Lagoon and Fiji’s is wonderful. At Turtle Bay, we found an awesome snorkeling ground near the beach.  The Yasawa Islands used to be accessible only by private yacht, but now backpackers and celebrities can visit.  Backpackers come via high speed power cats;  the hotels must pick the guests up from the ferry via small speed boats since the islands lack a ferry pier.    The 1%’ers arrive by seaplane, right off the stern of the anchored boats.   Both provide occasional amusement for the anchored boats.

It was hard to leave, but we needed to re-provision, so we headed to Musket Cove resort and then onward to Port Denarau Marina in Nadi. We were given a berth among the megayachts; our yacht friends anchored outside the marina and used our excess dock space as a dinghy parking lot. For the first time ever, we had the luxury of refueling without having to move the boat.  The megayachts fuel at their slips because it is cheaper and easier to run fuel lines to each slip than to build a larger fuel dock.  For the rest of the day Jason kept using the word bunkering, large ship terminology for refueling. We used the extra time to take care of maintenance tasks such as updating our autopilot software. This task reminded me of the old days of computing since we had to connect a cable directly to the processor and keep our fingers crossed that the system would restart.

One of the things we love about Fiji is the range of experiences that we can have here. From unpopulated bays, to small villages, to resort lagoons and marinas, we can understand how other boats have spent multiple years here. At every stop, the Fijians we met were gracious hosts. The snorkel spots have been beautiful and the sharks have kept their distance. As our departure date neared, I was already planning for a return visit.


Roller Furler – How to keep it rolling

October 9, 2016 by

Two Fish has a Furlex brand furler to manage both the genoa and the rarely used jib. Furling headsails allows a single person to manage the sail plan safely from the confines of the cockpit. No clipping in and roaming the decks in the middle of the night. Gail can easily shorten sail when a threatening storm is detected as an orange blob on the radar.

It is the current fashion for boats to hide the furling mechanism below decks, resulting in a modern look. However, I would consider this a liability on a blue water cruiser. I want a bullet-proof, easy to access furler.

furl2-1-of-3

A genoa furler is a bit like a toothbrush, we have used one for years, but, are we using it correctly? Well, here comes a lesson but without novicaine.

 

  • When furling or reefing, head downwind.   The lower apparent wind reduces loads and is kinder on the furling apparatus. A power winch is strong enough to furl while sailing hard on the wind, but at some point it will break your furler. The bearings will seize when you are entering a windy marina or at some other inconvenient time.

 

Aluminimum Foil Inside the aluminium furler foil is a traditional headstay. This wire holds up the mast, not the aluminum foil. The foil spins around the hidden wire headstay. The lower drum has to be attached to this foil to allow it to rotate. There are two large bolts at the top of the lower drum that are screwed into the foil. It is worth tightening these bolts to avoid having the drum come free and lose foil rotation. We experienced the wander bolts; not so much fun, so now we carry spares if any bolts go swimming.

 

  • Another bolt to check is hidden under the drum. This bolt and plastic plate hold the entire drum in place. If this bolt is loose the furling line will come out but the drum will not spin. This bolt is shy and will only come loose on a dark stormy night so check it while the weather is fair.

furl-5-of-7

  • A sail can be furled clockwise or counter-clockwise but only one direction will have the UV protection showing.   Try the wrong way and your sail will look like a barber shop poll. The foil has two tracks. The manual suggests using the track opposite the sail’s first contact on the foil. It is not going to materially impact the furling if fed via the wrong track.

Two tracks in foil

  • When the sail is stowed, I like to have five wraps around the drum. Too few wraps and when you stow the sail under load you will run out of furling line.   We have avoided that horror show. Too many wraps and the jib will not fully deploy as the drum gets too full of line. I recently upgraded the furling line to a narrower 10 mm spectra so I may be able to carry more wraps and should have less friction in the furling system.
  • This should be rule #1. When furling and the winch sounds odd, STOP. Really STOP. Go look at sail, drum, furling line, sheet, halyard at the head and anything else. Then go look a second time. Your ears are not wrong; something needs to be fixed.   You can save time by holding down the electric winch button and after a few seconds you will hear something break. That later technique is more expensive, but is popular. Power winches are evil.   A halyard around the forestay coupled with a power winch can destroy the foil and place huge stress on the forestay. Now you seem very interested in knowing the causes of a wrapped halyard.   A loose halyard, poor greasing of the top drum or using a smaller sail without a pennant all can cause halyard wrap.
  • The distance from the halyard exiting the mast to the rotating drum should be less than 15 inches. This allows the halyard to be sloped towards the foil. If a smaller headsail is hoisted, the distance could be several feet and the foil and halyard will be almost parallel. This increases the chance of halyard wrap. To avoid this, attach a pennant to the sail. I prefer placing the pennant at the foot.
  • When stowing the sail, make the wraps neat so wind can not enter but not so tight that the sail is getting crushed.   However, when reefing the wraps should be tight to have a smaller and higher performance luff.

furl-1-of-1

  • The following diagram from the manual shows grease points. To do this properly the lower furler must be taken apart.   Four screws detach the feeder from the drum. One bolt from the bottom plate. Wash with fresh water and use a brush on the four sets of ball bearings. Then use the Furlex provided grease. Reading the manual somewhere in this process may also be a good idea, as some furlers with durlon ball bearings hate grease. According to a few riggers, 90% of furlex failures are related to boats that have not greased either drum in 10 years. The top drum tends to fail first.

furler

  • Wow, who would have thought that there is so much to discuss on a very basic system? Halyard tension is used to reduce the draft on the sail. Only adjust the halyard with the sail fully deployed. (You knew that!) The trap with a catamaran is that there is a limit to the halyard tension. Since a catamaran lacks a back stay it is possible to add too much halyard.
  • To deploy the genoa should not require a herculean effort. Washing the line organizers or ensuring no twist is in the furling line could solve this problem.

A well-maintained furler and a thorough understanding of its mechanisms can reduce the number of unexpected issues and make a dark and stormy night less scary.