Palau

We've pretty much settled into life here in Palau and have a routine going. We've bought bicycles and travel to town pretty much every day to shop a little but the main reason for the bikes is exercise. We're chipping away at various boat projects and everyday maintenance. Our list grew significantly while in Indonesia. We are still meeting all sorts of interesting people, some of them true characters, and this helps us to keep learning about the world from aboard a small yacht. Maybe too it helps us to ignore some of the shenanigans going on back home or the worry of our friends still being held hostage.

At 12/19/2015 and 21:34 UTC (GMT) our position was: 07°20.38'N / 134°27.10'E.



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Omens

Dawn brings us to a full seven days on passage from Momfafa, an uninhabited anchorage we used to clean our hull and propeller. We stayed there four days watching weather, believing the computer-generated GRIBS that westerly winds would arrive. They did not. With no clear "window" to jump off and make progress northbound, we simply went.

The passage from Pulau Waigeo Indonesia to the Republic of Palau - a passage of roughly 500 miles at a bearing of 20 degrees - crosses the equator and an area prone to calms. To complicate matters, strong currents of up to 2 knots or more run westerly north of Waigeo and easterly at or above 04 N, creating a clockwise rotation with a southbound arm that hampered our northbound voyage, reducing our usual passage speed by about 40%.

At the equator, at a change of watch in the dark of night, Philip made an appeal to Neptune to keep us safe and mixed a small tot of aged Filipino rum with the briny sea. If a slow passage defines, safe, than safe we are. Many times Carina bucked like a rodeo bull in confused swell and calm winds going absolutely nowhere but backwards, we wanted to cry (or Leslie did).

On one such occasion, at night, dolphins suddenly began to play around Carina, their punctuated blows throwing mist into the moonlight, as if to say, "stop fretting, life is good". Each night too, falling stars streaked across the magnificent starlit sky, pushing us from frustration to appreciation for being just here, just now, where it is truly beautiful.


At 12/4/2015 and 21:10 UTC (GMT) our position was: 05°09.19'N / 134°30.53'E.
We were traveling 010 degrees true at 3.5 knots.





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Underway

The eastern sky is bright, though dotted with deep grey clouds. The waning moon is still high in the sky. Jake sleeps soundly along the coaming, using coiled lines to cushion his bony old body. Our second night at sea is coming to an end and we are finally sleeping soundly during our 3 hour off-watches. Progress has been slow, though Carina skips along nicely just now with about 10 knots of wind. A series of short period waves has been added to our long graceful ocean swell and the motion is a bit less smooth than it had been. But we are sailing! Dawn yesterday brought near calm and we spent hours moving at a knot or less; vaguely in the direction we want to go. At that point we had used a wee bit more fuel than we'd wanted to on this passage, considering the distance remaining to Palau, so we practiced patience and worked the sails so Carina kept moving. A clear cloudless wind-less sky seemed like a vortex as puffy white clouds surrounded us at a distance. Eventually the clouds moved to us, or we to them, and a breeze filled in just after noon and we began finally to move.

With almost 400 nm still to go, across a sea not known for steady winds, we dare not consider when we will arrive. Better to enjoy the sailing and to see the beauty around us.

At 11/29/2015 and 20:59 UTC (GMT) our position was: 01°15.79'N / 132°30.53'E.






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Bye Bye

Philippines. After a rest day at Balut Island in the Sarangani Islands, we depart for Sangihe, Indonesia this morning. The sun is out, winds are calm. Predictions are for light adverse winds today...we're used to noserlies by now. Getting to Indonesia is difficult this time of year...but worth every effort.

Off we go...

At 9/1/2015 and 0:58 UTC (GMT) our position was: 05°24.09'N / 125°25.69'E.
We were traveling 296T degrees true at 0.0 knots.





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Free at Last

After 10 months on Samal Island - three of them in the boatyard living on the tarmac - Carina exited Holiday Oceanview Marina today looking quite spiffy. We are rusty sailors but exhilarated and maybe just a wee bit exhausted from weeks of frenzied preparation. Throw in weekly motorbike ramblings on the bumpy roads of Samal Island, a trip to the USA, an angioplasty in Manila, dozens of new friends, and you have an eventful and chaotic year. Everyone's healthy and Carina's ready, so off we go to Indonesia to continue our journey.

At 8/29/2015 and 6:27 UTC (GMT) our position was: 06°57.82'N / 125°41.43'E
At Talikud Island's Marine Park, Davao Gulf





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We're Still Afloat

but tied to the dock in the Philippines trying to get "everything" done before our August 31-ish departure for Indonesia. Carina is looking quite fine but she's not quite yet ready for sea.

Jake is still with us and we are thankful for his continued health. He is very very skinny but eating like a lion and as feisty as ever.

Stay tuned.

At 7/13/2015 and 10:45 UTC (GMT) our position was: 07°11.87'N / 125°42.65'E.
We were traveling 113T degrees true at 0.1 knots.





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Almost a Passage

At 0841 local time, Carina's rudder kissed the water for the first time in almost three months. Unfortunately her swim and our expected passage to our slip, was short. A newly installed seacock and its elbow dripped slowly but steadily under the head sink.

All of us, particularly Jake, are disappointed but philosophical as we sit here on the ramp in "our" cradle and Kjartan and Philip re-install the below waterline hardware.

At 4/11/2015 and 1:58 UTC (GMT) our position was: 07°11.80'N / 125°42.68'E.





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Underway Again

Our time in Indonesia drew to a close and we reluctantly said our goodbyes, hugged our friends hard and returned to Carina. Well, almost. While we were on shore at Tahuna, the rising tide and large swell conspired with a stern anchor fast on an unseen rock, to nearly swamp the dinghy. We stood on the city breakwater and pulled but Bacio would come up short on the anchor and ship water. Finally, Leslie removed her hat and glasses, jumped in the water, swam two strokes and hoisted herself aboard. Releasing some line on the anchor and then bailing rapidly, the dinghy was finally stable and able to close the shore to pick up Philip.

We departed yesterday at 1034 local time riding an outgoing tide onto a calm sea. Sangihe's volcano was covered in a storm cloud as we were warmed by the tropical sun. Not expecting wind we settled into a slow motor-sail north. Later, the sun set amongst a sky filled with squally patches bearing ominous grey underpinnings as the nearly full moon rose early.

Thankfully it was a quiet night, though our peace was not complete as the little diesel hummed and vibrated a bit with ever-changing currents. Jake spent the evening accompanying us on watch outdoors, snoozing but ever-alert for small songbirds who would visit to roost and rest. The catamaran Emma Peel moved silently a few miles off on our starboard stern quarter, her shadow steady on our radar screen.

This morning finds us just west of the very top of Indonesia, the diminutive islands of Marore, Kawio and Kemboling. As the sky began to brighten, their navigation lights faded and a north swell and southbound current slowed our progress. There is no hope of making the Philippines by nightfall now.

Still, we'll push on and arrive tomorrow or creep our way in later. Everything now is dictated by currents, predicted to strengthen even more as we head north.

So far, so good.

At 11/5/2014 and 21:05 UTC (GMT) our position was: 04°38.26'N / 125°17.39'E.
We were traveling 016T dpegrees e at 2.3 knots.




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Groggy is as Groggy Does

Our previous post was concerning leaving Sangihe (Sang GHEE heh) Indonesia for Morotai. The frustrating part of this passage (still underway, thus my muddled mind) were the confusing seas and contrary currents and winds on the west coast of Sangihe, not Morotai.

Since clearing Sangihe, we've been sailing hard to weather but it has been mostly quite pleasant. Just in the last coule of hours, winds have begun to veer towards the SW and soon we should be sailing on a beam reach or even a broad reach. Something to look forward to as evening approaches. We hope to make landfall tomorrow.

At 9/16/2014 and 07:47 UTC (GMT) our position was: 02°38.33'N / 127°19.86'E.
We were traveling 119T degrees true at 4.4 knots.





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South from Sangihe

It had been a rolly night and as the tide began to flood, swell came into Tahuna Bay, slapping our large mooring float into the anchor on its bow roller. Groggily we made preparations to get underway as other boats in our small flotilla began to leave for Morotai.

Getting south along the coast of Morotai was frustrating but by 2 pm, we tacked and headed due east out into the Gulf of Halmahera. Holding Carina as tight to weather as we could, we sailed through a glorious night with a late rising moon, smiling down.

This morning, winds have calmed and it is more difficult to maintain a rhumb line but the day is young...

At 9/15/2014 and 21:39 UTC (GMT) our position was: 02°57.71'N / 126°40.25'E.
We were traveling 115T degrees true at 4.2 knots.





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