Opua: a great day
Opua: a great day
Earlier in the week, today, Thursday, looked to be the best for me to go sailing; but yesterday morning was sunny and perfect, so I dropped the mooring and went. A good decision because today is overcast with a few drops of rain and no wind.
I powered north for a little over a half hour until just past Russell enough wind came up for me to set the main and jib and cut the engine.
This was the first time I had raised the main since I had the local sailmaker install a third reef. I wasn’t certain if the old reef lines would be long enough to reach the higher leech grommet, but they are--just.
With her clean bottom, THE HAWKE OF TUONELA sailed smoothly into the main part of the bay with the tiller pilot steering in light air, exactly what I wanted to set the new spinnaker. The first time up it had to be set flying before it could be furled on the new gear. The sail went up and filled smoothly. Its effect in five knots of breeze was immediate. We picked up almost two knots of boat speed and with the wind on the beam were almost matching the wind speed.
I furled the sail. It came in even more effortlessly than I expected. I continue to be amazed that this is a one hand operation. I pulled on the sheet to unfurl it again, and we sailed for a hour, while the wind built to ten knots. At that point the tiller pilot still had the boat under control, but I furled the sail and lowered it to the deck. Furled it takes up about half the space in its sail bag that it did unfurled.
I wanted to test the Monitor, so I lowered its servo-rudder into the water and disengaged the tiller pilot, then set the jib again.
I considered heading over to Paradise Cove and anchoring for the night, but decided to return to the mooring, which I picked up around three in the afternoon, having successfully tested everything except the windlass.
I don’t know if I will sail again before I depart for Australia.
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While messing about in the bay, I made the decision to enter Australia in Cairns rather than Bundaberg. Sailing inside the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns to Cape York is one of the great sails in the world beside an empty landscape and that will be enough daysailing for me. From Bundaberg north I would have to be constantly on deck because of the proximity of land, islands, and other boats, and spend probably two weeks raising anchor at dawn and hurrying--perhaps often powering--to reach the next anchorage by dusk. Outside the reef I can less stressfully cover the same distance under sail in five days and nights.
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Two days ago I received my Indonesian cruising permit, known as a CAIT, via email from Bail Marina. This cost me $210 U.S. $170 went to the marina acting as my agent and to the Indonesian government. My bank in the United States charged me $40 to wire the $170 to an Indonesian bank.
THE HAWKE OF TUONELA can be in Indonesian waters from June 29 through September 29, 2008. I actually expect to be there for less than one month beginning in early July.
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One of the reasons I returned to the mooring yesterday was to do some work on the boat, as well as watch the start of the last Wednesday night race. New Zealand goes off daylight time this Sunday.
I applied two more coats of oil to the tiller and companionway teak; removed two bolts from the engine to take to the diesel mechanic to obtain replacements; and removed the lifelines to take to the rigger to have new ones made.
Neither EGREGIOUS nor CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE had lifelines, which I believe often fail in their primary function of keeping sailors on boats. However with THE HAWKE OF TUONELA’s cambered deck near the bow and lack of coaming around the cockpit, I feel rather exposed without them. The new ones will be ready next week.
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Thursday, April 3, 2008