Galapagos to Marquesas –10 May 2024 – Day 9

Charles and I were on at 5.00am and we had to be woken as we were in a deep sleep. We were greeted by the Watson brothers who we always take over from with a cup of tea and a grin. Charles and I realised why as we found chocolate wrappers in the cockpit after they went to bed. They must have raided the naughty cupboard.

We were quite a way off course due to the wind direction and heading too far south. The books suggest you keep north of 4-degree latitude and that those who go south say below 5 degrees have a slower passage. Normally the winds are southerly, but we are having southeasterly and easterly winds. I therefore did a weather download and in following the models we should be heading more northerly to keep up to the right latitude and it looks like we will have to gybe back and forth. We therefore gybed and were then making a better course and the current was helping us as well.

We sailed along well and really there was little sign of life – no dolphins, no whales and all we have seen is the odd bird. We have seen more flying fish who fly out of the water in shoals and then land with a splash and as there have been quite a few it is like bullets hitting the water from a machine gun !. We finished our shift and Keith as usual wanted bacon and egg and well we all sort of joined in. Who can resist a bacon and egg sandwich?

We spent the morning chatting and reading doing emails and having a rest and we needed it after yesterday. I also charged the batteries and used the watermaker and this time there was no electrical trip which was great. We will just have to keep an eye on this. The wind had reduced and we thought these were conditions for the Blue Baron which would allow us to go deeper in terms of angle. We therefore prepared the Baron which took a bit of time as we were putting it up on the opposite side of the boat. During this I noticed a small tear at the bottom of the mainsail.   

We rigged the lines and prepared for raising and then up she went. This is the second time we have flown it and we adjusted it and sailed with it the rest of the day. It is a great sail and smooths the swell and it looks fantastic. The wind strength was about 10-12 kts and it even went up to 15 kts and this pushed us along nicely at 7-8.5 kts. We have decided to have a rule that if it goes beyond 15 kts that we will bring it down.

Mark and I looked at the mainsail and have put some repair tape on it. The reason this has probably happened is the flogging of the sail which is difficult to avoid in  light winds with a swell as when the boat rolls the wind gets the other side of the sail and then when the boat comes down the swell it fills with a flap. If the wind is strong enough this will not happen but when 8-13 kts this is not enough to keep the sail filled at all times. We will just have to sail at a closer angle to the wind and watch the situation.

At 5.00pm we decided to take down the Blue Baron for the night and go back on to white sails. This needed 5 of us but it went smoothly and we tied it down and set sail again. We watched a beautiful sunset and the sun lowered itself to the horizon and sunk down through the water. It really did look like it was sinking and in its aftermath it left a sky getting gradually more and more orange and then ochre. There is very little cloud and it has been a beautiful day.  

Mark and Joyce cooked a delicious chicken stew with mashed potato and vegetables. We did another 172 nm today to 12.00noon which again is not bad despite the lighter winds. Due to the mainsail damage, we are sailing closer to the wind, so our angle is not as good as previously. Hopefully we will get the Blue Baron out again tomorrow and get more back on track.

Crewing Opportunity

We will arrive in the Marquesas in French Polynesia about 20-23 May 2024 and we will then move through to the Tuamotu’s before getting to Tahiti about the end of July 2024. There may be some space on Stormbird during this period should any sailor/reader be interested in joining for this period or part of it in what must be one of the most distant and beautiful places in the world.

Year Two

In addition, in year two I will be going from New Zealand in early January 2025 across to Sydney and up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and probably across the Indian Ocean to Cape Town and I will need some more crew.

If there is any interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

The blog will continue as we head off to the Marquesas and beyond.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com  I can only upload one picture a day and visit our website www.stormbirdgoesglobal.co.uk