January 19th, 2008 Albany, Western Australia
After six wind filled days, Dick and Peggy have safely arrived with Katmai at Albany, Western Australia for a few days rest and to wait for winds to subside before the final 420 nautical mile leg (3 days) to Fremantle. Fremantle will mark the end of a 7 month semi-navigation of the globe on this journey from Alaska.
The passage across the "Bight" (pronounced "bite") during the southern summer (now) is often dominated by moderate winds and sailing during the day and low winds / motoring at night. Summer has been slow to arrive in the Southern Ocean, and last week when Dick and Peggy made their crossing was one of the most stable weather windows this season! Prior to that time, the region was been dominated by more winter-like weather with significant lows sweeping across southern Australia every few days. Eric successfully picked a moderate weather window for the long passage from Port Lincoln, using the model weather data from buoyweather.com.
Despite carrying jerry cans of diesel in addition to the 115 gallons on board ...just in case the weather was too calm and tankage proved to be too little fuel to motor across....... Dick and Peggy only motored for a total of 6 hours in the more than 144 hour passage. They also made a trip record of more than 200 nautical miles (230 standard miles) in one 24 hr period on January 15th. With strong east to southeast winds of 15 -35 knots, and a short period southwest swell of 10 to 15 feet it was a down-wind run with swells on the port bow quarter. Definitely uncomfortable at times, but the Monitor wind vane steered through it all.
Only problem was the lost of the signal from the wind instrument at the mast head....which really does not prevent sailing safely.
Strong winds are dominating the south west coast of Australia right now, especially the Cape Leeuwin area, but are expected to abate about Tuesday. When they do, Katmai and crew will depart for the last 400 nautical miles to Fremantle, the port city of Perth and the final destination for this trip.
Before returning via air to the USA, Dick and Peggy plan on spending several weeks exploring western australia....via automobile !
January 14th, 2008 Port Lincoln, South Australia
After a week in Port Lincoln waiting on a weather window, Dick and Peggy are eager to cross the last long leg of their 7 month journey (odyssey ?) from Alaska to Western Australia. Ahead lies the Great Australian Bight, 1000 miles of remote waters of the Southern Ocean with no place to seek shelter and a dramatic lee shore. Low pressure systems march from west to east across the Southern Ocean circling Antarctica all year long like a predictable dance. A very strong summer storm passed south of them while they were in port creating dangerous sea state with waves reaching to 50 feet. This past week was a smart time to stay in port and enjoy the wonderful local hospitality of Port Lincoln. The weather has improved dramatically and the outlook is fine until they reach their next port, Albany. They departed Port Lincoln this morning for Albany, the last stop before rounding one of the three great Capes of the World, Cape Leeuwin, and heading north for the final 500 mile leg to Fremantle, Australia.
Cape Leeuwin
While in port Dick and Peggy hired a diver to clean Katmai's bottom and replace zincs. They also were greeted by Malcolm, harbor master, who waited for them on the docks on a Sunday morning to catch their lines! Their first floating docks since leaving Seward. Peggy was relieved for once not to having to tend the mooring lines all night as the tide ebbes and floods! The people of Port Lincoln have been particularly friendly and helpful. Malcolm arranged for a diver and a rental car and then invited Dick and Peggy for dinner. A captain from the local tuna fleet came by in his 55 foot motor yacht to invite them for lunch. Peggy says, Port Lincoln is similar to Arizona in climate and scenery, even the houses are similar, except Port Lincoln is on the sea.
January 5th, 2008 Kangaroo Island, Australia
South East winds to 40 knots and SouthWest seas to 25 feet made for a very rough ride of 470 miles from Portland to Kangaroo Island just south of Adelaide. The breaking beam seas forced the need to hand steer by Dick and Peggy. Dick: "It wasn't fun, but at least the wind was from behind and not on the nose". The Southern Ocean swell was forecast to have a period of 12 seconds. Not so, the period was less than ten seconds. Not a ride in the park with 40 knots blowing at right angles to the swells. Dick and Peggy arrived well, but tired, in the lee of Kangaroo Island which is just south of Adelaide for a needed break. This afternoon they departed for the 110 mile run to Port Lincoln. In Port Lincoln they will re-provision, do some maintenance and wait for a good weather window to head across the Great Australian Bight - an 1100 mile run through the Southern Ocean to Albany. This is a major ocean crossing that can not be taken seriously enough, but then Dick and Peggy did just traverse the full (north to south) length of the Pacific Ocean! An incredible feat.
January 1st, 2008 Portland, Australia
Katmai and Crew had a relatively smooth sail through Bass Straits. They left Eden on the tail of the 72 racing yachts that were making their way south along the coast to Hobart. They spent one night in Refuge Cove along the south Australia coastline in the middle of Bass Straits. This is the southern most point of the trip. Dick mentioned that he's never seen so many Sea Lions and black flies. I imagine the sea lions were the more interesting. They also saw a Great White Shark. They reached Portland, Australia, just to the west of Bass Straits just in time to bring in the New Year. Portland is a old but nice Australian town, with a old marina, too shallow to allow Katmai moor to the pier, so they had to transport 60 gal of diesel by jerry can from the local BP station. Not a small chore. Tomorrow, the 2nd, they will depart for Port Lincoln. The weather should be fine but quite windy for this 470 mile passage.
December 28th, 2007 Bass Strait
Katmai departed Eden, Australia this morning for the Bass Straits and on the tail of the notorious Sydney to Hobart Race. There is much weather uncertainty at this notorious junction of the Southern Ocean and the Tasman Sea. The Bass Straits ocean floor rises abruptly from the depth of the great oceans confining the tidal flows of the two great oceans to a narrow pass of 90 miles producing currents up to 2.5 knots and a severe funneling effect to the previously undisturbed Southern Ocean weather systems. Currently the crew of Katmai is sailing with a pleasant northeasterly behind them, by tomorrow the wind will back to the south west as a cold front passes over them bringing head winds. By Sunday the easterly should return until the next cold front arrives two days later. We are watching the weather carefully and have made every attempt to time the departure from Eden to provide the safest passage of Bass Strait.
December 17th, Ulladulla
Ulladulla was going to be a short stop to Eden, until the depth instruments failed. Laurie flew from Perth to Ulladulla with a precious new depth transducer and other electrical parts. That fixed and while checking systems they found that the starboard steering sheave had quit turning. The steering cable was sliding around the seized sheave - very BAD news. From Perth Eric scrambled to find a replacement sheave, calling all over the world only to learn that a new sheave will not be available from France until the end of January. So Master MacGyver, Dick McKibbin, went to work. With much bodily contortion cramped in a tiny aft locker, head and one shoulder wedged between a bulkhead and the steering quadrant and an incredible perseverance he managed to free the bad-boy sheave, lube it up and watch it happily return to its duty of guiding the steering cable to the quadrant. Once more my hat off to Dick - MASTER MacGyver!
December 1, 2007 Coffs Harbor, Australia.
Hi Everyone,
We
are in a small place called
Peg and Dick
SV Katmai
Wednesday, 31 October 2007 Arrived Bundaberg Australia.
Well we are all checked in to Australia and passed with flying colors and parked in our slip. And it is a REAL marina. How beautiful! Nice green grass and floating docks!
I have had my first glass of milk since leaving home. Ahhhhhhh!!!!!! Things are looking up.
So....got the package...was there just one? We will call the surveyor in the am. Anyway we are here and just wanted to let you know. Passage from Chesterfield was pretty uneventful...motored some the last day. Peg
Monday 28 October 2007 Moving Again, Bundaberg Bound
We are on our way to Bundaberg.
Should be there Wed Oct 31st.
Left about 1pm and I grumbled all the way out.
We passed a reef that I know would have been equal to or better than the
one that we found there. I felt like
I was flying when swam off the edge.
I could not see the bottom...only schools of fish swimming everywhere.
I just started shrieking through my snorkel tube.....it was so cool.
Our position is 19.58.20S 158.18.02E Course of two thirty
eight....my three on the key board won't work.
Wind speed is 11 to 14 SE.
Bar reading is 1015 and hoping it lasts for a while.
Anyway I highly recommend this place.
I hear the one above
Sunday, 27 October 2007
Wish we had more time here, but must move on.
We will spend the day getting the big boy back out and getting ready for
light winds. Last night the winds were more than any predictions. Will listen to
the rag to see what is going on out there for real.
There is an odor that is blown over the tops of the nesting
grounds, but isn't totally unpleasant.
The birds are presently laying eggs and so we try not to disturb them any
more than possible. Sea Turtles are
starting their nesting habits. We
see tracks where they have come ashore at high tide and buried their eggs and
then return to the sea. We went out last night, but didn't see any since it
wasn't high tide. It takes great effort to drag those big bodies up that steep
sand bank and dig those holes. All
in all it is a good place to stop and enjoy. I understand that there are many of
these reefs in this part of the world and many cruisers seek them out.
Wednesday, 24 October 2007
We no sooner emailed you about the lack of wind when we got
plenty. We have had 15 to 20 from
the south and seems to maybe backing a touch already.
Pure Chance is about 60 miles further and some north of us, but he has
southeast at about 15. We are
presently flying the staysail and one reef in main.
Currently Katmai is doing about 7 to 7.5 knots and are hard on the wind.
We are hoping to make
We are about 25 miles out and there is absolutely no wind.
Our grib files confirmed what you said, but that is all we are able to
get for weather. No other weather
available to us. We have hauled out
the big guns. The head sail is down
and the big boy is up and ready in case we do get some wind.
Soooooo Hope you don't mind being our weather man for the trip.
It looks like Dick will live ;)
He was doubtful for a
while there, but is feeling much better and recovering from the flu
although our work is in spurts between bottles of water and rests in the shade.
We are on a course of about 245 and rolling with the sea.
Thank goodness for transderm scop!
Peg
October 23rd: Departed Luganville, Espiritu Santos, Vanuatu
POS 2400 local time is 16° 23'S, 165° 45'E; Speed 6 knots, Course 239°M
Katmai and crew departed from Luganville, Vanuatu this morning bound for Bundaberg, Australia. They were holed-up for a few extra days in Vanuatu due to very strong re-enforced Trade winds. The winds have now gone light (feast or famine) and Katmai is making good about 6 knots. Peggy indicated that they have the "Big Guns" up out of the sail inventory with the hope of getting every possible bit boat speed in these light conditions.
October 9th: Luganville, Espiritu Santos, Vanuatu
Hi friends,
We are still in Vanuatu. Presently on an island called Epi. The anchorages here are pretty rolly so will most likely move on to Malakula after checking out the snorkeling here in the am. We have noticed a lot of star fish here called the Crown of Thorn. These star fish eat the coral and kill it.
We met a few people on the island who were generous with out expecting something in return. I took one woman's picture (her name is Lucy) with her children and several of the men wanted their picture taken. After returning to the boat I printed the pictures out and gave them to them. They were delighted, but more fascinated with the play back on the camera. We traded some things for fruit and a piece of bamboo to make a boarding ladder with Lucy for some fish hooks, tea, and another transaction we traded fruit etc for two slices of fresh baked bread with peanut butter and a bottle of water to Max in his canoe. Later finding out that he visits many boats to get food for his trip home. I have no idea what to do with all these bananas, papaya and grapefruit, but it was sure fun to do the trading. Hopefully we can find someone who would like some bananas that haven't already bought their own large stalk. Fishing has been a bust so far, but we are not the only ones complaining about the lousy fishing.
On Malekula the minister of one of the villages came to us and ask if anyone knew how to fix a lawn mower. Dick being the fixit man that he is said he would give it a try. So off we went to the village. Back in behind the mangroves was a path that led to the village back in the jungle. As we walked through the jungle I was hoping that this guy was on the up and up....as it turns out he was and we did indeed fix the lawn mower. Then he brought out the generator....can we fix that? And then the sewing machine appeared. As Dick did what he could to help the islanders I took pictures of the village and of the children. This was met with giggles and laughter. When it was all over we were unable to fix the sewing machine as it needs professional help and the generator is a temporary fix that will only last a while. For our efforts we got coconuts, snake beans, sweet potatoes, and something that is a root that is suppose to be sweet. Here in Vanuatu, not only the land is owned by the people, but the water and reefs as well. The villagers have gardens that may be on another island near by that they work in each day and gather food for the next few days. To carry this food home they weave baskets out of palm fronds near the garden. The snake beans are okay, but not to Dicks liking and we probably won't eat them often. The sweet potatoes were dryer than the American kind, but still very good and we will have those again. We have signed up for lunch and a native dance performance tomorrow and plan to do some snorkeling in the am. Then we have ordered a lobster for tomorrows dinner, but we will see if that comes to fruition. Sometimes these plans don't pan out. I know that winter is near back home, but it is hard to think about as the sun moves closer to us here.
We will just have to find a way to endure.
October 1st: Port Vila, Vanuatu
Port Vila
What can I say about Port Vila? If is party city. Cruise ships, jet skis, parasailing.....you name it, you got it. It does have just about anything you might need in the way of food, clothing, electronics, hardware...with the exception of marine, and an small major airport.
Port Vila has two supermarkets and a very large veggie market. The best place to put a boat here is on the moorings between mainland and Iririki Island out front or at the sea wall in the same area, but the depth is about 8 ft at high tide in a couple areas including the fuel dock so Katmai was unable to enter that area and had to anchor out side with the bigger boats. The yacht club has very good food and has a dinghy dock that should really be twice the size with the amount of dinghies that tie up there. We left there after my sister Sandy left and sailed up to Port Havannah on the north west side of the island. We will stay here for a couple days and then head up to an island north of here for some snorkeling. We have noticed a temperature change here. It is slightly cooler. A light blanket or sheet is needed in the early morning hours.
We are taking our malaria medication each week, but haven't seen a mosquito since we arrived in Vanuatu.
Peg
September 24th: Tanna, Vanuatu
Hi Friends,
Our trip from Fiji to Vanuatu was slow. We had to motor about 75 percent of the time. Light winds to about 10 knts on a deep broad reach.
Sept 20
Port Resolution:
We arrived at Port Resolution in the late morning and proceeded into the village to see about checking into the country through Lenakel on the island of Tanna. This is the first time I have been in a real native village. This is the genuine thing. We are having difficulty arranging the drive over to Lenakel. The drivers seem to have disappeared. We also plan a trip to the volcano. We hope to be able to do all of this tomorrow.
Sept 21
Trip to Lenakel
We think we have found the place that we always imagined that cruising is like. The western world has not touched the village of Port Resolution. The village is primitive with pigs and chickens running everywhere, the houses are made of woven palm fronds, and the children roam freely with out supervision. They know how to swim, they know where they live and know how to get home. Most everyone carries a sling shot to kill the birds that destroy the eggs of the more desired birds and the spears that they fish with are home made as well as the bows and arrows. Their boats are mostly hollowed out logs with outriggers made with logs and twine. The people here are very poor in a financial sense, but are very rich in their life style. A very happy people who don't seem to envy any of us who sit out here on our fine boats.
The customs, immigration and quarantine are in Lenakel on the other side of the island and to get there you take a truck to the other side. You ride in the back of the truck sitting on board seats and hanging onto the Jungle-Jim like structure over the bed of the truck and I recommend that you hold on tightly as it is 4x4 trails and takes about two hours each way. A cushion is recommended also. The trail is mostly vine hanging jungle and travels up over the mountain past the volcano and down to the other side to the town of Lenakel. We went over on payday which also was market day.
The volcano is one of the most accessible active volcanoes in the world and was a site to behold. As you stand on the rim of this magnificent hole and hear the explosions and watch the lava shoot into the air like fireworks it isn't hard to imagine what the center of the earth looks like.
Sadly we leave Port Resolution for an over night sail to Port Vila to drop off my sister Sandy. She will return to Michigan with much to tell her friends and family.
Hope all is well with all of you. Take care Peg
September 22nd: Tanna, Vanuatu
Well we are still trying to get a ride to the other side to check in.
There are three out of five boats waiting. Then it is off to the volcano this evening. There is ash falling on the boat, but don't worry....Dick says we will keep it shoveled off.
Will let you know when the check in is final. You were right about this being the real thing out in the villages. This is great and Sandy says "for this the long flight was worth it. However, made a mistake in giving Kava to the chief.....his son told everyone that we had Kava from Fiji and we have been offered everything they to trade for Kava.
Peg
September 16th: Fiji
Friends,
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After saying our good-byes to all our old and new friends we prepare to leave
Fiji. We must say it wasn't what we expected. Guess you can't believe all the
pictures you see in the magazines. There are some pretty places....at the
resorts etc., as in most places the real world lies beyond the resorts. Poverty
is apparent
and the industry of the sugar cane is everywhere. The smoke from the burning of
the harvested fields hangs heavy over the whole area while it drops a steady
stream of ash over the coast. We are sorry to say that we didn't see much more
than the Lautoka side, but perhaps another time we will see the other side of
the island. My sister Sandy has flown all the way to Fiji from Michigan and will
be making the trip to Vanuatu with us where we hope to see the Valcano up close
and personal on the island of Tanna.
The
weather seems to be a bit unsettled as the cyclone season approaches and many
boats prepare
to leave the area. Musket Cove Resort on the island of Malolo,
each year has a regatta from there to Vanuatu and I believe they leave Musket
Cove next week. I will try to send a daily report as we sail along. Hoping that
it is uneventful..JPG)
Peg and Dick on
SV Katmai