EYE of the World Crew Journal - Alan

Bula Bula!

2010-07-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

Bula! Bula! (hello or welcome in Fijian). We arrived in Lautoka today after a 24 hour sail from Savusavu on the north island of Fiji. Most of the sailing was through passes of calm water with coral reefs all around but we tried to time the trip so that most of the passes were done in daylight. I have been pretty surprised at what Fiji is like. I guess I thought it was a tropical island paradise like bora bora. If you had told me it was lots of mountains, Indian food, hot springs, pine forest and sugar mills I'm not sure I would have believed you. It certainly has a little bit of everything. I know that I could spend a month here and not get bored or see it all.

Lautoka, also known as the sugar city for its big sugar exportation industry is the 2nd largest city in Fiji and has a much different feel than Savusavu. It is much more "city like" with literally hundreds of busy shops mostly run by Indians who are decedents of the migrant labor brought here to work the sugar plantations. There is a bus station and a train, a mall, large produce and handicraft market and a large shipping port. Similar in many ways to Papeete, Tahiti.

We anchored around noon and cleared into customs and spent the day on the town. We found a place to get some cheap food, and saw the produce market. I bought a small bag of ground Waka which we will use to try and make Kava later. Kava is the ceremonial drink of the western pacific islands. It has a mild grassy flavor and gives a feeling of relaxation to the drinker. It is very similar to tea and also very traditional and ceremonial. Later on we split up. Will and I went off on our own and Adam and Amanda went exploring elsewhere. We have done this so far it works well since we walk slower and tend to stop and smell the roses a lot usually without a plan just breathing it all in and going with the flow. This method of exploring a new place has worked very well.

We stopped at a barber shop because Will wanted to get a hair/beard cut. Almost every Indian shop here advertises as a barber and a tailor for that matter so it wasn't hard to find. I was even asked if I would like a haircut while walking down the street. Will got a very nice haircut for 3 fijian dollars but I opted to stay a spectator. Afterwards, we wandered into some random shops and looked at everything from second hand cloths to DVD's to handicrafts. We enjoy just walking around and reading the random advertizing signs like, "Meat Bird for sale, Inquire inside", or "Cloths for sale, 5 dollars each." Many eateries offer "takeway" food and almost every single shop has fried food that has been sitting under a hot lamp which is usually cheap and delicious. Of course, a day in town wouldn't be complete without also finding some ice cream.

Later we met back up with Adam and Amanda and headed back to the boat to get a good nights sleep after a long day of exploring in Lautoka. Fiji has been nothing like (yet so much more than) I expected and I know that I would love to come back here again one day.

-Alan

American Samoa

2010-06-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

My first impression of American Samoa was in the wee hours of the morning. When we came into the harbor the first thing I noticed was the cloudy harbor waters and then the stench of the tuna canneries. Then I noticed bags, cups, and bottles floating in the water. All I could think was, “gross, this place is awful!” This impression did not improve after we finally got the boat tied up and the bright lights of the McDonalds lit up the sky. It wasn’t until the next morning walking around the town of Fagatogo that my first impressions were proved wrong. The shock of a real American McDonalds after so long in French Polynesia wore off within the first bite of my double quarter pounder with cheese. Walking around town and checking out the local hangouts and restaurants I found myself immersed in one of the friendliest cultures I have been in.

American Samoa seems to have a little bit of the best of everything all rolled into one. Sure I miss the delicious baguette bread of French Polynesia but it has been great to be back among English speakers after what feels like so long. Will and I successfully located the cheapest ice cream cones yet here at just 50 cents for a scoop of chocolate ice cream. Stores here are cheap and have everything (and sometimes more) that you would expect to find in an American hardware of grocery store especially snack foods. I was surprised after one trip to a small store when Will walked out with a bag of “Cuttlefish Chips” and yes, they taste just like cuttlefish…I think. Busses here run everywhere just like in Panama for a dollar a ride and they even blast loud music. The internet here is still not free but it is a fraction of the cost of French Polynesia and is unlimited which makes emailing and web browsing much less stressful. The post office here is USPS and postage to the mainland is as cheap as if I was right back in North Carolina. American Samoa is also wonderfully lacking in tourists which gives it a small town feel which I have really enjoyed.

American Samoa isn’t without its own bad luck though. Minimum wage is on the rise to match that of the U.S soon and unemployment is becoming a bigger and bigger problem as the tuna canning factories that used to employ hundreds are leaving Pago Pago. Tutuila was also hit by a major Tsunami in late September of 2009 and the damage is still very evident in some boarded up buildings and even some boats that are still high and dry. Waterfront businesses in Pago Pago harbor were hit hard and some have yet to recover.

My favorite thing about American Samoan culture is the great emphasis on family and community. This trickles down into everyday interaction between Samoans as well. Everyone I have met has been respectful, ready and willing to help, and friendly on the street often stopping to talk to us. Samoa is definitely on my return-to list and I will do my best to take a little bit of Samoan culture with me. I think we could all take a lesson in family values from the Samoans.

-Alan

June 14th, Day 10

2010-06-16T13:54:00.001-07:00

We have arrived! We just tied up in Pago Pago, American Samoa. There is industry everywhere, it smells weird, and we can see a McDonalds from the boat. Yup were in America alright. I'm sure it will look better when the sun comes up.

Stay tuned for updates and pictures as we explore this strange new land.

-Alan

June 13th, Day 9

2010-06-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Little to report, light wind this morning with some really rolly swells. We started the motor around noon and have been motoring ever since in hopes of speeding up our arrival. We are surrounded by small rain showers that we can see off in the distance but we've managed to sail around them so far.

Well I probably sealed our fate with that sentence. We just sailed into the rain. Hatches closed and now it's getting hot down below decks. Such is the life of a sailboat in the pacific I suppose.

Were almost there! All is well.

-Alan

June 12th, Day 8

2010-06-13T03:32:00.000-07:00

This morning we sailed through a drenching rain shower accompanied by another wind shift. I guess the rain likes me since I was again on watch just minding my own business watching the sunrise and here comes this rain shower to get me all wet. I turned the tables though and got a great freshwater shower from it. When Will came to relive me of the watch, naturally the rain subsided and there was a rainbow. Why do I get all the luck?

For dinner, a cold chili with beans and crackers with cheese and spinach dip! We are motoring now due to the light wind that has settled over us in the late afternoon but hope to be under sail only soon. With just 250 miles to go, were all ready to feel dry land again.

-Alan

June 11th, Day 7

2010-06-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today was another hot one but with good steady wind. We now have about 450Nm to go. In the late afternoon, some scattered clouds started building around us and we could see numerous rain showers. By about 10pm the rain hit in a big downpour that lasted about 20 minutes accompanied by a wind shift to the Notheast. During the downpour I was able to fill all my water bottles and made some gatorade. The downpour ended and so did my shift. We have had to start the motor however to give the batteries some juice. They have not been benefiting from the wind generator at all in the light conditions and the solar panels are shaded for half the day and are not able to keep up with our power usage.

We checked in with the "Pac Sea" radio net this evening. Loud and Clear!

-Alan

June 10th, Day 6

2010-06-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

Today was a hot one. Staying cool under the shade of the bimini cover was a must. We had a little wind shift in the morning but it straightened back out after lunch and we have made good steady progress directly on course all afternoon at around 5.5 knots. Skies have been clear, sun had been hot, wind has been windy from the SE around 5-8 knots.

This evening we listened in on and joined the Pacific Seafarers Radio Net. This net covers the entire Pacific ocean and meets daily at 3:30 UTC. With the help of about a dozen relay stations from Minnesota to New Zealand to Australia, these ham radio enthusiasts (some with large and powerful antennas) volunteer their time to listen in for any emergencies out on the pacific ocean from any vessel and take position reports from cruising vessels and make sure they arrive safely in their destination. We will be checking in with them every evening until we reach American Samoa.

In other news, our supply of baguette bread was exhausted today and just in time too as the final piece was starting to look a little green. We are starting to get very creative with out meals and are looking forward to some restocking in American Samoa.

-Alan

June 8th and 9th, Day 4 and 5

2010-06-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today have kind of blended together. I had a late watch and we changed time zones again. We are now 7 hours behind Eastern Standard time and in the time zone of the Samoan Islands (GMT-11).

The trade winds have returned and we have been enjoying wispy scattered clouds with a beautiful blue background and some great sunsets. The wind has been relatively steady around 8-12 knots out of the SE and the seas have been calm making life onboard pleasant. We made a soup last night in the rice cooker of peas, carrots, and canned chicken which was pretty good and today we made two pots of rice for lunch. We are running low on baguette bread but we have a surplus of cheese and onions. Also, we may all be addicted to Nutella chocolate and I for one hope we don't run out!

600 miles to go!

-Alan

June 7th, Day 3

2010-06-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

Last night was cloudy and rainy. We had light and shifty wind and we were motoring on and off to keep moving. In the morning it was still mostly overcast but as the day progressed we sailed out of the clouds and the wind improved. By this evening we were sailing nicely and we haven't had to use the motor much today. With some luck we will see the trade winds fill back in for us and it will be easy sailing the rest of the way. We also had quite a few birds following us around today.

Everyone has been doing lots and lots of sleeping and reading while off watch. I think I probably slept for most of the day today. We are not sick of our baguette bread and cheese yet but we have plenty of time for that I suppose. The rice cooker has been doing a good job so far with meals and we even managed to cook eggs in it last night.

Nothing major to report really. No fish to speak of or freak waves but we'll keep our eyes peeled. All is pretty quiet really, maybe too quiet....knock on wood just in case.

-Alan

June 6th, Crossing to Samoa

2010-06-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

5:30pm local time:
It is our first full day back at sea on our way to Samoa and we have been enjoying light wind and very calm seas which we hope will continue for the rest of our crossing.

Unfortunately, we ran out of propane in Bora Bora so we were forced to make this crossing without but we still have the electric rice cooker and have been doing pretty well and trying to be creative with meals. We have lots of fresh bread and today I made a Tuna salad for lunch. We also have coconuts gathered from Bora Bora that we have been munching on.

At our current rate of speed, we hope to arrive in about 8 or 9 days for now. Too bad for Will, that won't be soon enough to catch the World Cup match between the USA and England. We will however be looking to see if we can pick up the game on the radio.

-Alan

June 5th, Another Farewell

2010-06-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

So long French Polynesia. We have said adios to our last French Polynesian Island, Bora Bora, and are currently back at sea. With a light Easterly wind we slipped our mooring and sailed west under main and jib through the pass without even starting the motor. A very peaceful departure indeed. With light but steady winds expected for the next 5 days we hope for at least a smooth if not also quick crossing. Knock on wood of course.

I cannot really say that I will miss the aggravatingly slow internet or phone connection afforded to the French Polynesian islands or the relatively high cost of my favorite delicious treat, ice cream. But I will definitely miss yummy cheap baguette bread (which we loaded up on before leaving) and cheeses and I will of course never forget the kind and hospitable people that we met in the Marqueses, Tuamotus and Society Islands. What an incredible experience we all had.

I am also looking forward to the future. Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu and Australia are all places I have never been and surely they will bring new and exciting experiences in the months to come as we continue to ride the trade winds across the pacific.

Look for more updates from our crossing to the Samoan Islands soon.

-Alan

May, 29th Spearfishing in Moorea

2010-05-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we moved over to Moorea (the island just to the west of Tahiti) we spent the day here and plan to leave tomorrow afternoon for Huahine about 80 Nm further west.

Before leaving Tahiti, Will and I went in on the purchase of a shiny new spear gun with dreams of catching fish dinners for the rest of our pacific tour. Today, while anchored in the beautiful and crystal clear waters of Moorea we got to try it out. The days total...4 fish after about 6 hours in the water before noon and then again until sunset. Not exactly the 19 that we had in Takaroa but it's a start. Will claimed the first 3 and I nabbed the last bugger. They were all small parrot fish which we had some experience catching in Takaroa with our friends there. Unlike in Takaroa however, the parrot fish here seem to be very intelligent and we soon found ourselves trying to hide the spear gun until the last possible moment. Surprisingly the fish here seem to know exactly what we were up to and they were very careful to keep their distance from us and run away at the slightest sign of our hostile intentions.

Meanwhile, Adam and Amanda made a trip to shore to hike around and explore the local stores, trails, and mountain vistas. The anchorage is very picturesque with high green mountains just inland of the shore. Inside the outer reef, the water is very calm and flat and we can see straight to the bottom in about 25 feet of water.

With some luck and more practice, Will and I hope to improve our spear fishing technique and maybe we will find some fish that have never seen a spear gun before.

-Alan

My Marquesian Tattoo

2010-05-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

I have always admired tattoos but never really thought I would get one. That is until we arrived in the Marqueses where the tradition of tattooing is centuries old. I saw tattoos everywhere and with incredible detail and meaning in their design and I was hooked. The first introduction to tattoos was from explorers like Captain James Cook who brought back drawings and tales of the tattooed inhabitants of these remote islands. Some crew members of those first voyages even chose to remember their trip by receiving tattoos themselves so in some ways I have followed in their footsteps. A tattoo from a far away island with great personal meaning and deeply rooted in tradition. A super souvenir if you will.

After making an appointment with the local tattoo artist on Nuku Hiva I spent some time thinking about what I would want on my tattoo. When I returned, I gave him some ideas of the things that are meaningful to me with a rough idea for the tattoo. After that his skill and experience took over. He marked all over my arm and chest with pen and explained where the different parts would be but at that point it didn't look like much of anything. It soon became clear though that the detail and intricate design was all in his head and flowed from mind though the needle and into the design. He freehanded most of the tattoo occasionally pausing to consult an old book of ancient Marquesian symbols. The result was very impressive.

My tattoo covers my left shoulder and forearm as well as my chest over my heart. Over my chest in a large circle is a bird with wings spread wide. The bird is the Marquesian symbol for exploration. Birds are the great explorers of the earth, not bound by land or sea, they travel thousands of miles going where no one has been before. In the middle of the bird almost riding on its back are four figures representing my family (Mom, Dad, Sister and Me). Above the bird is the Marquesian symbol for clouds.

On the round part of my shoulder is a large sun or ìOmatiî in Marquesian. In the middle of the sun is a symbol called ìPeka Enanaî specific to the Marqueses. Around the sun are the symbols for moon, stars and sky. Under the sun is a warrior Tiki paddling a sailboat. The Tiki is the Polynesian form of spirits or gods that embody different aspects of life such as war, fertility, or long life. The boat itself is covered in Marquesian symbols for waves and morphs into another Tiki head at the stern that curves like the crest of a wave. The sail of the boat is filled with the symbol for wind or ìmetaki.î

So, did it hurt? Yes, it hurt a little (kind of a like a lot of bee stings) but it was bearable and definitely worth it. I am very pleased with the result and have no regrets whatsoever. I wasn't sure how my parents would react to my tattoo. I grew up knowing that they were opposed but times change and people grow up. After hearing that I got one, they were fine with it. Hoping that I don't regret it and also wondering if it can be covered up. So, would I get another one? I think I got my fill for a while but I'm certainly not opposed to the idea...just don't tell my parents.

May, 21st Takaroa Tre Magnific!

2010-05-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

We bid a fond farewell to the beautiful island of Takaroa this morning after 3 full days of exploring and great times. We leave with generous gifts, full bellies, and some wonderful new friends. Nothing could have made our stay more enjoyable.

We were very very fortunate to have met Luo, Jeanlou, Vehia, and Hinanui on our very first day in Takaroa. They are four friends, all our age, who come to Takaroa for one week a month from Tahiti to work part time on Pearl farms and installing solar panel systems. They did not hesitate to pick us up just hours after we rowed ashore as we were hitchhiking a few miles around the island to see a shipwreck that we had heard about. They were excited to see other people their age and told us that we were the 6th cruising sailboat to visit Takaroa this year! They gave us a grand tour of the shipwreck and we all instantly bonded. In no time we had made plans to move the boat across the atoll and they invited us to dinner at their house.

That afternoon we moved the boat to the east side of the atoll. This was another first for a cruising sailboats since the coral heads are very dangerous. Luckily we had expert local guides to get us snugly in some shallow sand. We spent a few hours just talking and sharing pictures of fish we had caught and some of our travels. They fed us a great dinner and then after sundown we all walked across the narrow strip of land to the ocean side to go lobster hunting! Wading through the shallow water with spears and buckets we had no luck but Luo said that this is how he has caught dozens of lobsters on a good day. Afterward, we were shown our "guest house," a normal looking house with kitchen, living room, and wraparound porch except that it is built entirely over the water right over the coral on stilts (as was their own house) with a pier walkway out to the front door. They build the houses over the water to keep down mosquitos. We had a fresh water shower and mattresses! There were mosquitos but we all survived the night.

The next morning we woke up to see black tip sharks, octopuses, rays and fish of all kinds right off our back porch literally! After we all ate breakfast it was time for some spear fishing! Luo is an expert spear fisherman and almost every time he went down he broke the surface with a yell "yipee!" and had a huge parrot fish on his spear. Will didn't have quite so much luck but did claim to have made a glancing blow at one point. All told we had 20 fish about 10 inches long average. Just four of them made for a great feast of a dinner that night along with clams and rice. I spent a lot of time that evening building up a Tahitian dictionary. Hinanui, who speaks French and very good english but not Tahitian helped me translate Vehia and the others and everyone was excited to tell me new words and I wrote as fast as I could. Since I have family that live in Hawaii and have visited there many times, I picked up a few Hawaiian words which came in very handy as the pronunciation and spelling of the polynesian languages is all very similar. Talking to our new friends, we also learned a lot about the Tuamotus islands and Tahiti, pearl farming, fishing, marine life as well as what it's like to live here. Once again we stayed in our guest house and woke to another breakfast.

On our third day Vehia, Luo, and Jeanlou had to go to work but Hinanui offered to accompany us on a tour of the village on the other side of the atoll where we first landed to show us the work of a local Takaroan artisan who sells hats made of palm fronds and other decorations for weddings and festivals made of shells and pearls. We were taken to the home of Tave and Maui. Tave is an expert local crafts-woman. Her palm leaf crafts which are called "rimai" in Puamotu (the Language spoken on Takaroa) are very popular on Tahiti and some of the other islands and she regularly sells out on her hats or "tapos". The conversation turned to language and I found myself once again furiously writing in my journal new words, this time in Puamotu, which Luo and the others are not as familiar with. Many of the words are similar but not quite enough that a Tahitian speaker could communicate with a Takaroan or a Marquesian for that matter. My favorite Puamotu word so far is the word for moustache or "umiumita" (pronounced oomy-oomy-ta). Before we left, Tave insisted that we should have palm frond hats and offered them as gifts to us that we should pick up before we leave. She had us try on one of her hats to get an idea of our sizes.

After returning for the evening we washed up and prepared for another dinner this time with a neighbor of our friends named Robert, but everyone calls him "Papi" (like grand-dad). He lives here with his wife but they travel a lot. He grew up in Tahiti but stowed away on a ship to Australia when he was just 16 and learned to speak English and has many many great stories. Like 90 percent of Takaroa and many others in the French Polynesian islands, he is a Mormon. He exclaimed that, "we don't drink wine, but we DO EAT! They had prepared for the 7 of us a feast that rivaled some of the thanksgiving dinners I have had. It was incredible. First, there was bread, Taro, and fish seviche from the fish that we had caught. Then came fried fish, more bread, and rice with a barbecue sauce that was good on everything. THEN fried chicken, spaghetti, and for desert! ICE CREME...with chocolate syrup! They also had some of the best tasting water which they collect during the rainy season and filter. Only sometimes do they need to buy water from Tahiti. After the meal we talked and talked over bowls of hershey's chocolates and pitchers of ice cold water. They were so nice and we were sad that we could not stay and spend more time with them on Takaroa.

I stayed up with our new friends until about midnight showing them many more pictures of our trip. They were particularly interested in pictures of the Panama Canal, the fish we had caught, and of other countries in general. Remarking, "cool, they have coconut trees also." I burned them a CD with all the pictures we had taken hanging out with them over the last three days and they made each of us a pearl necklace to take as souvenirs. Pearl necklaces worn by men have just one pearl not a long string or them. We stayed up late and then all fell into deep food coma still stuffed with that delicious dinner.

This morning all of our friends work up early to see us off. Hinanui and Jueanlou even motored ahead of us in their boat out of the anchorage to help us spot coral and make sure we got out safely and once clear of the reef, we stopped at the dock to meet Tave and Maui who had followed through on their promise of new hats. We received three beautiful new palm leaf hats which we have been sporting ever since. Thank you very much! Merci Bocu! or "Maitaki!"

Now underway for Tahiti and back out to sea for another few days, my thoughts and maybe even part of my heart are still very much in Takaroa. The last three days are certainty some that I will never forget and we will definitely keep in touch with our new friends. I hope that I can one day fully repay their incredible hospitality.

-Alan

Onboard Update, May 17th

2010-05-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
This morning went from glass flat water to 15knots out of the SE in about 3 hours. We swapped out the #1 for the #4 and at one point were blasting along at 7 knots dodging rain showers and occasionally missing. Now we have settled down with some steady wind and are making great progress under sail (imagine that) with hopes of (knock on wood) making landfall by this evening. Likely we will anchor in the Lee of an atoll and make our entrance through its narrow channel by day.

This morning we had TWO great satellite phone conferences with Lisa Palmer's class and then with Mr. Joy-Hogg's Class moderated by our very own Trevor! who was there on scene to talk about his experience onboard with Eye Of The World. It was great to answer some questions about what we are up to and what is coming up next.

This is our fourth full day at sea since leaving Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas and we're ready for some more land already! Everyone is back in the boat routine again. Looks like it's time to do the dishes again though.

***The Boat***
All is well, the engine is finally getting some rest after motoring us along for nearly two day straight and the batteries are well charged.

***Weather***
SE 10-12knots with 2-3 foot swell.

Position 1:00pm LT:
13 deg 36' S
142 deg 56' W

Alan and the Crew

Sunday May 16th

2010-05-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
Today has been a day of motoring. With the wind down to almost nothing. We have been motoring since about 6pm last night. While it is good to still be making progress, we keep our eyes out for any wind and will sail as soon as possible. The engine makes it hot and noisy down below and of course it burns fuel.

One benefit of running the engine is that we have more power than we know what to do with. Everything gets charged and we have been enjoying a tripple matinee ("Oceans 12" followed by "The Waterboy" and now "Cool Hand Luke") movie segment in the cockpit on Will's computer with shade tarps strung up all over to keep out the sun.

***Weather***
Very light wind. Direction, hard to say. 1-2 foot long swells. Very clear water.

Position 3:45pm LT:
13 deg 36' S
142 deg 56' W

Alan and the Crew

Saturday May 15th, Onward

2010-05-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

***A fond farewell***
We bid a fond farewell to the island of Nuku Hiva, our last Marquesian island stopover on Thursday evening and decided to put to sea again for the Tuamotus islands.

Our stay in the Marquesian islands of paradise was short lived but packed full of great experiences and wonderful new friends. Some of us, myself included, even decided to take part in the ancient Marquesian ritual of Tattoo. I will be writing a post about my Marquesian tattoo soon. While tattoos may leave their mark, the real lasting impression of Marquesian culture that I sail away with is that of kindness and selflessness. As was their custom hundreds of years ago, Marquesians seldom let you pass their home without inviting you to come inside or to take some fruit from their tree. Almost everyone we met tried to send us away with as many mangos, bananas, lemons or grapefruit as we could carry especially when they heard we were to set sail soon for some new destination.

While cellphones, Internet, TV and other modern "conveniences" that most US families now take for granted make their way to the small islands, I hope their influence will never be so great as to change the simple island life that most Marquesians enjoy. Fishing, farming, song and dance, and kindness and generosity to ones neighbor.

***Life on board***
For now, I hope to be back here with more regular updates. Having had some success lately with our radio communication system. It is 2:20pm onboard the WTP and we are currently in route to the Tuamotus island chain the lies south and west of the Marqueses islands. We are about 220 miles north of the islands and are sailing mostly due south and a little bit east of our propper course partly due to the NE wind direction and partly due to the area of very light wind that we know to be south and west of us.

***Weather***
Light NE wind at about 5-8knots with 3-4 foot NE swell. Last night a rain shower passed over us but we saw only a light drizzle.

Position 00:00pm:
10 deg 28' S
138 deg 40' W

Alan and the Crew

Isolation and Beauty

2010-05-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

May 5th Fatu Hiva and Onward!

Our time in Fatu Hiva was short, only 3 days but with two trips to the awesome waterfall and a 20 mile hike on the second day I definitely felt like I had spent my time to the fullest. We decided to move on to Hiva Oa yesterday and sailed through the night arriving at sunrise. We had another full day today and will sleep very well tonight. Tomorrow we will head to another anchorage where we were promised there is fruit just falling off the trees! I am really looking forward to some delicious fruits.

In other news, multiple sources (other cruisers) have reported that they have been able to connect to stations using their radios to Winlink stations and so I have concluded that our ground plane needs some work. What that means is that I will be taking up some floor boards on the boat and adding some copper foil to our antenna to improve the signal strength. Hopefully that will restore our connection ability and the daily updates will come through once more.

It has been difficult dealing with the remoteness of the islands here. Internet is all but nonexistent, phones are difficult to use and SIM cards for my cell phone are unavailable. But HEY that’s what we’re here for right? Sometimes the remote places are the least travelled and thus more unique adventures can be found. Everyday here is an adventure and I wake up every morning what the day will bring.

-Alan

Day 20, LAND HO!, May 1, 2010

2010-05-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***

LAND HO! It's 11:30am on this fine May first day, our twentieth day at sea, and LAND HO! the island of Fatu Hiva bears dead ahead at a distance of about 32 nautical miles according to the GPS. Will and I were sitting in the cockpit discussing when we thought we would first sight land. Will guessed 10 miles out and I, between 15 and 20. I looked out ahead off our bow just for kicks and... "Well I can see it now, so we're both wrong." What an agreeable thing to be wrong about! LAND HO!

With about 30 miles to the island and another 15-20 to get around it to the west side where the anchorage is, it will be a race against daylight to make it in by sunset tonight. We are bound for the anchorage of Hanavaee on the North West quadrant of the island.

We motored past the northern side of the island all the while looking up in awe of the very tall and lush cliffs covered in trees and grass that make up the middle of the island. With seemingly no flat ground anywhere it's a wonder that anyone can live here.

6:30pm - Land Fall

With the sun setting we dropped anchor in a small cove with about 15 other boats. We were greeted by a French couple who gave us some great info on the village here and how to go about clearing in with the 1 police man that lives here. We were also told that there is one shop that doesn't have much but that there is a local lunch held on the beach tomorrow that we should go to. We can't wait to explore the island some tomorrow.

***The Boat***

With power on the low side, running the motor for the last hurrah today into the anchorage was a welcome break for the batteries.

***Communication***

With still no connection on the ham radio for sending emails, this (and the other updates) will likely make it to the website at a later date.

***Weather***

We are crossing our fingers for a little bit more wind so we can hold a pace that will put us in the anchorage with enough daylight to spare. Once the sun goes down, it will be pitch black save for the stars until the moon rises, about 2 hours later. The wind is currently out of the East at about 8 knots average and we are making barely 5 knots average with the main and #1 headsail wing on wing.

Position (12:00am): Land HO!

10 deg 26' S

138 deg 09' W

Position (00:00pm): At anchor

10 deg 28' S

138 deg 40' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 19, Onboard Update, April 30, 2010

2010-05-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***

We had another great classroom phone conference this morning with Mr. John Poole's class. Thank you! What great questions like: "Who smells the worst?", and "How is your food supply holding up?" they really got our brains working. We really enjoy having other people to talk to and it is so nice to know that we are making a difference for you guys back in the US. Keep up your great support!

A small rain squall that washed over us this morning seems to have brought more consistent winds from the ENE today that have been steady at around 8-10knots. We have been able to hold about 6 knots of boat speed directly for our destination. We have high hopes of making the anchorage before sundown tomorrow! Knock on wood.

Other than our excitement at the prospect of soon having firm ground to walk on, ice creme to eat, phones to call our loved ones, and internet to check out what's been going on in the world, life on board has been much the same as the last week or so. Everyone getting plenty of sleep due to the easy motion of the boat. Lots of relaxed time for reading, writing, playing music and watching movies.

We have been extremely lucky on this crossing. It has been downwind the whole way, sometimes with a nice current boost, we have been in contact with plenty of other cruising boats in our vicinity, nothing has broken, no storms to report, no days of heavy rainfall that kept some boat in steady rain for up to 2 days straight, and all the while good food, plenty of sleep and almost daily movies for entertainment. What a life!

Just 152 nautical miles to go. Almost there!

***The Boat***

Our power is down to 60% but with (knock on wood) about 24 hours to go, we hope to hold out a little longer. Although, we WILL have to recharge that power at some point. Perhaps the wind will pick back up and help us out a little.

***Communication***

We checked into the Barefoot net again tonight. They are asking for more people to volunteer to be "net controller" since soon many of the boats that have been checking in and working as net controller, will have arrived in the Marquesas! An interesting problem but I'm sure new boats further down the line will take up the job to keep the net going.

***Weather***

Steady 8-10 knots from the ENE all day. Short lived rain shower this morning. Scattered cloud cover and sunny.

Position (11:00pm):

10 deg 32' S

136 deg 10' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 18, Onboard Update, April 29, 2010

2010-05-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***

More of the same. Light shifty winds from the ENE and we are making better progress today sailing wing on wing at the moment and averaging just a tiny bit under 6knots. The sun is hot and it is a partly cloudy and very bright day.

I have finished my hammock to the point where the next step is to hang it up and make sure everything looks good before permanently tying the last bitter ends together. The boat is rocking too much to make a test on the bow feasible so I may have to wait until we are at anchor in the Marquesas to really test her out.

Adam made a delicious spaghetti dinner with a chicken, tomato paste, and pineapple chunks sauce. We enjoyed it in the cockpit and discussed our arrival in Fatu Hiva in the coming days. We have calculated that if we can hold out 5.8 knots we will be in before sunset in 2 days and thus "save a day" in the islands. If we are on the borderline for this cutoff we may decide to crank up the iron topsail (i.e. the engine). This would also help out the batteries which are not seeing much charging lately with our light wind downwind heading.

***The Boat***

Battery power is down to 65.3 %

***Communication***

Checked in with the Barefoot net this evening. One of the boats that has been regularly checking into the net has arrived in Hiva Oa. Everyone else gave their positions and it seems that other boats on our same latitude are having simlar wind condition.

***Weather***

Partly cloudy and bright, moon out full last night. Partly cloudy in the evenings.

Position (7:00pm):

10 deg 29' S

133 deg 55' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 17, Onboard Update, April 28, 2010

2010-05-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***

It was a slow day today. The wind has been variable and shifty from a generally Easterly direction but shifting 5-15 degrees at times to the south or to the North away from ENE. We have changed tacks multiple times today to try and keep the boat "on course" with the shifty wind. We all got lots of sleep and being on watch was to try and keep in the shade and daydream.

It was a TUNA day (no we didn't catch one) I made a pot of grits this morning and tried it out with a can of tuna dumped in. Gross!...you may say, but it as actually not half bad. Then for lunch/dinner Adam and I made a tuna salad (tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, pepper) to be eaten on tortilla shells, which are not gone, and also a tuna casserole with macaroni noodles. In an effort to conserve water, Adam baked the casserole with no added water from the tanks and instead used only the drain-off from the cans of tuna to reconstitute the noodles during baking. It worked quite well and even the noodles tasted like tuna.

I have made great strides in manufacturing the hammock which I began work on about a week ago. The "laying down" part is nearly complete and the final end (where it all comes together) will soon be close at hand. I can't wait to go relax in my new hammock.

In the evening we knocked out a couple more episodes from the BBC series "The South Pacific". These movie files are in HD (and thus very large) and Will was anxious to delete them from his computer so we can do more work on some new EYE videos that should be forthcoming.

***The Boat***

With the burden of laptops, chart plotters, lights, and I-pods, our battery bank is down to 68.4% today.

***Communication***

Checking in with the Barefoot net we learned that our friend "Dignity" was experiencing similar light and shifty conditions mostly out of the ENE. Although the swells are well reduced from days past, it is pretty astounding how much even the small swells can get the boat a-rock'n and even throw things across the cabin when we crest several swells at just the right angle.

***Weather***

Shifty and Variable all day mostly out of the ENE with 2-5 swell from the ENE. The temperature during the day has been in the mid 80's in direct sunlight and the high 60's at night. Recently the days seem to have gotten a little hotter but perhaps the decrease in wind could account for this. Sky was mostly clear today although the night brought a small dark cloud that lightly rained on us for about 30 minutes.

Position (7:00pm):

10 deg 29' S

132 deg 06' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 16, Onboard Update, April 27, 2010

2010-04-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
Some milestones reached onboard today. We crossed into another time zone last night and are now in Greenwich time plus 9 which makes us 5 hours behind you guys on the east coast of the US. We also crossed the "500 miles to go" mark this afternoon. Woohoo! A celebratory honk of the horn announced this to the wind a waves.

The Wind was light all day today and we have averaged just under 6 knots most of the time. The wind and well shifted more easterly as well and we gybed the #1 headsail and main accordingly this morning. Since then we have been sailing on the starboard tack! Imagine that. Starboard tack after 15 days of leaning to starboard. What a difference.

Will is on watch now and I have the 8-midnight watch. At our current rate of about 140 miles per day we would reach Marquesas in about three and a half days. Knock on wood.

***The Boat***
Our spare jib halyard jammed at the masthead sheave this morning and Adam was hoisted to the top of the mast to free it. Luckily the wind was very light and it was no big deal. We will also look into the cause of this when we are inspecting the Navigation Lights.

With the light wind of the last few days and our downwind heading, the wind generator has been mostly relaxing and enjoying the weather and not charging our batteries. The solar panels alone cannot handle out consumption alone and they do not receive full sunlight all day long since they are shaded by the sails shortly after local noon. Thus, our battery bank is down to 79.9% and we will need to be more power conscious from here on out.

***Communication***
We checked in with the Barefoot net again this evening. All is well.

Today is the first day that we have not been able to send any emails over the SSB radio. We are about 2500 NM from the CLOSEST Winlink email stations in Hawaii and about 2700 NM (and increasing) from the Stations on the West coast in California and Panama. Hopefully we will pick up new stations soon but for now it looks like the connection will be light and we may not be able to send the daily updates as regularly as we have been. Knock on wood though.

***Weather***
The wind and swell is not out of the ENE and much calmer. The swells are down to 3-5 feet and we have had about 10-11 knots all day. Clear skies and very very bright moonlit nights lately.

Position (11:00pm):
11 deg 33' S
129 deg 41' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 15, Onboard Update, April 26, 2010

2010-04-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
We are doing well on our new heading but the wind has decreased today and so added to out one headsail a second on the opposite side and are holding it out open with the end of the boom (still no mainsail up). In this way we added a little to our speed and are making just under 6 knots which is still pretty good all considering.

I made pancakes today and later Adam made a stew out of leftover beans and rice which was quite good. Lazily we read and pondered and slept. Will worked on some video editing and I did some writing on my computer. We plan to watch another movie tonight.

***The Boat***
We have had some problems with the Navigation light at the top of the mast and are now using only our anchor light as a signal to other ships at night. We narrowed down the problem to be in between a connector just under the mast and the fitting at the mast head so someone will have to go up the mast to check the connection at the fitting when we get to Marquesas. It would not be something we can easily do at sea. If need be, we have temporary navigation lights that we can run up the mast or affix to the bow pulpit.

We also discovered a small crack in the plexiglas window ontop of the main companionway hatch. We will attempt to reinforce the area with a piece of wood as a permanent fix when we arrive in the Marquesas.

***Communication***
We checked in with the Barefoot net again this evening. Propagation was not so good and everyone was having a little more trouble than normal copying the net controller but we got our report in.

***Weather***
The swell is about the same but the wind has died down today to around 10-12 knots out of the ESE. The boats motion is still pretty harsh, rocking and rollling around when the swell catches us a little sideways and not dead from behind.

Position (11:00pm):
11 deg 37' S
127 deg 37' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 14, Onboard Update, April 25, 2010

2010-04-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
We made a pretty big change on board today. We did some math and decided to try a new sail combo to make better progress toward the Marquesas. We ended up taking down the mainsail completely and going under just the #1 headsail with the whisker pole out to hold it full. In this way, the mainsail cannot cast any wind shadow on the headsail and we are able to head more downwind and actually straight for our destination! Even though we are making about a half a knot slower on average on this new course, we still estimate that if the wind continues steady and from the same direction, we may shorten our crossing by as much as a whole day.

There are other perks that have come with the change. Firstly, the boats motion is different mainly owing to our new heading being almost exactly with the large swell that is coming in from the ESE. Although reduced somewhat, the motion is now equally to port as to starboard meaning that some items which have been tied up perfectly for our previous heading began flying across the cabin since they were not used to leaning the other way. "The wet" is much less able to go splashy splashy over the rail and onto the unsuspecting watchman which is good. The sail is full all the time whereas before it would sometimes backwind and flap loudly or snap like a whip. This is NOT good for a sail so we are glad to be mostly rid of that. Additionally, simply being more "on course" for the Marquesas has improved moral. Just under 800 NM to go!

The only real downside of having only the #1 headsail up are than without the main available to blanket the sail, it would be more difficult to take down the whisker pole or to drop the sail in general since we usually use that wind shadow to our advantage when doing so. Theoretically, if the wind picked up very quickly, we could hoist the main back up in order to more easily drop the headsail but with a steady forecast there is little concern.

Adam made some Almond biscuits today that were pretty good. Tasted kind of like pancakes as I'm guessing pancake mix was a large ingredient but they were hot, new, fresh, and biscuity so they were GREAT!

***Communication***
We checked in with the Barefoot net again this evening. They asked "where are you going?" and we had to explain a little about our heading and how we were hopefully more "on course" now. Most of the cruisers headed to Fatu Hiva are staying much farther north in the favorable current before cutting south toward the islands. Sometimes it's good to be different I guess.

***Weather***
The weather has deviated little from yesterdays wind and wave state. Still about 12-15 knots out of the ESE with accompanying 5-8 foot swell with the occasional 10-12 footer. It is still pretty choppy but with our new heading, the boat is staying pretty dry.

Position (11:00pm):
11 deg 43' S
125 deg 31' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 13, Onboard Update, April 24, 2010

2010-04-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
We are making fine progress, albeit still a little southward, toward Marquesas. We put a reef in the mainsail which seems to alleviate some of the wind shadow problems that that headsail was seeing.

Lots of sleeping and reading (of course) today. Adam baked a peach cobbler in the oven which tasted incredibly just like peach cobbler! not that I doubt Adams cooking ability but I do doubt that we had ALL the proper ingredients for a peach cobbler so well done Adam. It was delicious.

Being on watch still means hiding from "the wet" as it has been pretty choppy on top of the swells for the last few days so that does not help. Sometimes we get a big dumper that nearly breaks right next to us and either send a big splash of water into the cockpit (and sometimes on top of YOU), or it breaks midships and washes over the dinghy and, if the main hatch is not closed, right down onto the cabin floor YIKES! We usually always keep the hatch slid closed but sometimes we forget and of course that is exactly the moment the ironic forces of the sea choose to SEND THE WET! Fortunately we only get one of these about once or twice a day and then only under perfect splashy wave conditions. Usually it takes a couple of waves combining at exactly the right moment to get water high enough to come over the rail.

In addition to the wet and all of its nuances. We have also discovered a weird growth about the ship that has manifested itself in the corners of the deck near the scuppers where water continually flows and also in an area on the side of the hull about 1 foot above the waterline (apparently also where water is constantly splashing up onto. The grown in the scuppers is just an rather indistinct slimy film but on the side of the hull there are clear orange and yellow circles of growth and also some bigger mushroom like structures the biggest being about 2 inches long and a dark red color from what I could tell. It had some kind of base attached to the hull just above the water line with a stalk and then some kind of a ploom at the top. Perhaps some kind of muscle creature. There are quite a few of them in various stages of growth.

***The Boat***
We ran the engine up to operating temperature today so it does not feel left out and really to make sure that it is still working fine (it was). When done, we closed the water intake and exhaust exit sea cocks just to be safe. The starting key is clipped to the handle of the water intake seacock so that the engine cannot be started unless the water intake is opened or at least not until someone takes it from the handle (and hopefully opens the valve!). Otherwise the boat is doing fine, no problems. Knock on wood.

***Communication***
We checked into the Barefoot net today again with our position as always. Also, today I learned that "Barefoot" or the "Barefoot Route" is another name, apparently of German origin, for the "Milk Run" which is generally the name of the cruising grounds that stretch across the Pacific from Panama to the Torres Straight.

We also heard from our friends on S/V "Tahina" who just left Isla Isabela in the Galapagos and are now heading for the Marquesas. They were very light on the radio but then again they are nearly 2000 nautical miles away.

***Weather***
Wind today has been mostly our of the ESE and around 12-15 knots with 8-10 foot seas. Occasionally we line up just right on the front of a swell and ride down the face very fast sometimes hitting 10.5 knots in the burst. It has been partly cloudy today but overall a nice day.

Position (6:30pm):
10 deg 45' S
122 deg 37' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 12, Onboard Update, April 23, 2010

2010-04-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
We made good progress today but are being pushed farther and farther south so at some point we will have to make a turn and head more westward for our destination. The wind direction and swell have made it difficult if not impossible to hold a straight line course for the Marquesas which is a little hard to explain since it is downwind from us. Should be easy right? Well it mostly has to do with the fact that the mainsail casts a "wind shadow" on the headsail when you sail very deep downwind and that causes the headsail to Luff or Flog which can tear it to shreds and must be avoided. So we have to "head up" and thus end up just off of our course (too far south in this case). Our choices are to gybe and do the same thing the other way or to sail "dead-down-wind" which can be dangerous in large swells if the boat turns too much to one side. It could cause us to broach which would be bad.

Not as many flying fish today. Perhaps they are regrouping for another attack. Lots of sleeping was done by all aboard. Adam made some rice and peas and corn in the pressure cooker which we have been munching off of for most of the day.

***Communication***
Checked into the net this evening. We are the furthest boat to the south and out of the westward current by all accounts further north. But at this point, it would be a full days sail due north to get back into the current (which is around 1 knot at most) which would not be worth it.

We received an email from our old friends Asia and Alek onboard "Mantra Asia" who we met in the San Blas and helped transit the Panama Canal. They are on their way to the Marquesas for the second time after turning back with Wind Generator and Engine problems which they were able to fix in the Galapagos. Perhaps we will see them in the Marquesas.

***Weather***
It was overcast for most of the day and is also a bit cooler in the evenings enough that i wore my foulie jacket on my watch. We had a wind shift from the East for a few hours but it returned to SE in the later afternoon. We will see what wind the night brings.

Position (11:00pm):
09 deg 28' S
120 deg 01' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 11, Onboard Update, April 22, 2010

2010-04-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
We had a slower day today. We have gotten pretty far south now and have lost some of the extra speed we were getting from the SEC (South Equatorial Current) so our average has dropped down a bit. We sent up the #1 headsail on the whisker pole today to try to make more progress west and less progress south (this is having mixed results). Eventually we may have to turn "dead down wind" for a bit to gain some northward and get back into the current. The sail change and the large swell is making the boats motion quite uncomfortable and we are rolling back and forth sometimes violently and without regularity. The problem is that the boat has a hard time sailing at an angle just off of dead down wind. It either likes to sail directly with the wind or about 45 degrees off on either side. THe course we want to take is right in between these at the moment so we have to pick. Since the Marquesas is still south of us, we will probably just stay on the southward heading otherwise its almost like going the wrong way (north)

There were mountains of flying fish today. Will was struck by, not 1 but 2 large flying fish this evening while we were sitting in the cockpit watching a movie. He is apparently quite the flying fish charmer. The decks were covered with them this morning. Adam reported throwing off 18 dried out fish that flew to their death in the night. They smell terrible and leave their scales on everything.

We made a soup today and then rice and chicken noodles for dinner with a can of mixed fruit on the side. Counting down the miles.

***Communication***
Checked in with the net today. They are moving the check in time for the morning net since everyone is headed west and it is getting a bit early be having a net.

***Weather***
Lighter wind today but building back this evening. Swells still up and chop down a little.

Position (8:30pm):
08 deg 27' S
117 deg 50' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 10, Onboard Update, April 21, 2010

2010-04-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
Yesterday I had a hard time connecting over the radio so I'm putting this update up a little late. It's 7:30am and Adam is on watch. Conditions have remained the same all night and yesterday. Yesterday morning it was mostly cloudy and we watched a small rain shower on the radar pass 2 miles south of us on a parallel course but we never got any rain.

Yesterday afternoon the weather cleared up and last night was a very clear night with the moon full and lighting up the clouds like it was daytime.

Will concocted some salmon/tuna cakes that he fried in the frying pan and we sprinkled corn flakes on for dinner. We also had a movie night last night and watched "Austin Powers" (one of them not sure which) down below. The person on watch, had to go up top every few minutes and check on the boat.

Having finished my latest book. I have now taken to a project that I thought of and bought the materials for while in Panama. I bought a bunch of rope and and am in the process of building a homemade hammock.

***Communication***
Checked in with the barefoot net again yesterday. They are talking about moving the times for the net so that the morning one is not so early. For us it is at 4:30am! and we usually miss it.

***Weather***
Nothing new here.

Position (11:00pm):
07 deg 50' S
116 deg 24' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 9, Onboard Update, April 20, 2010

2010-04-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
Today was a windier and wavier than normal day and we took several dumping waves over the windward rail that put about 6 inches of water in the cockpit. It was a wet day to be on watch. The swell was around 8-10 feet all day (but I saw some 12 footers in there) and we have had steady 15 knots all day.

We set up some spray dodgers on the windward side to keep splashes of water from making it down the aft companionway so that we can keep it open during the day. Otherwise it would be very hot and unpleasant down below.

We have been running under full main and #3 headsail since last night when we dropped the mizzen as the wind picked up. We have plenty of wind and plenty of speed and are ready to reef the mainsail if the wind picks up further.

Cereal for breakfast and PB&J tortillas for lunch. Will baked an awesome "half way" cake to celebrate our 1/2 way point to the Marquesas! Very yummy. Adam made a great stew for dinner from miscellaneous cans that were starting to rust a little.

Tonight we pass through the western edge of the standard time zone known as "Mountain Time" and enter the "Pacific Time" region. At sea this technically occurs at 112.5 degrees. Tonight we change the clocks back another hour and will be 4 hours behind Eastern Time. We will be in this time zone for the next 900 miles (about 5 days at our current pace) until 127.5 degrees West Longitude where we will set the clocks back AGAIN!

***Communication***
Checking in with the net this evening revealed that we are about 100 nautical miles ahead of our closest neighbor "Dignity" who reported slightly more wind than us and a higher speed, although the proof is in the miles :)

***Weather***
More wind, more waves, and still lots of water. Partly Cloudy.

Position (11:00pm):
06 deg 49' S
112 deg 12' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 8, Onboard Update, April 19, 2010

2010-04-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
More of the same here on the open sea. We busied ourselves reading and fooling ourselves into thinking we saw a boat on the horizon only to find it to be a capping wave. We have been now 7 days without seeing another boat or any other humans for that matter. (We saw one boat our first day out). We had a snack of canned fruit today and also the Ginger Snaps which were opened just yesterday are now mysteriously gone (big surprise). For dinner I made a tuna soup macaroni casserole which was pretty good. We also finished up the last of the chili and rice from the night before.

I found this morning the largest flying fish I have yet seen. He was about 8 inches long and I took a picture. We also found another squid (this one bigger) sun-baked onto the windward side deck.

I also furthered out course on my plotting sheet and took today a morning sight, fore-noon sight, noon sight, and after noon sight. Thought the moon is out earlier each day it is hard to shoot a sight of it because it has been very faint. At night the horizon cannot be distinguished for taking sights and I have yet to master the morning and evening twilight sights of stars and planets. Those require some planing and pre-calculation so that you can take the sights quickly before the the horizon disappears in the evening or the stars disappear in the morning. I'll be working on it.

***Communication***
We managed to miss both morning and evening nets today first by sleeping in and then by watching a movie. OOps. We will be sure to check in tomorrow morning.

***Weather***
Nothing new. Good wind, going fast.

Position (11:00pm):
06 deg 05' S
109 deg 44' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 7, Onboard Update, April 18, 2010

2010-04-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
Another beautiful day in the South Pacific here onboard the WTP. We had grits and tuna scrambled eggs for breakfast and for dinner Adam made a chili soup with rice AND cornbread. Man we sure are suffering our here. We also opened our bag of Ginger Snap cookies that we bought in Panama. I wonder how long those will last.

I spent a lot of my day, when off watch, working on my navigation and taking sun and moon sights and plotting our fixes. My best fix today put is within 5 miles of our true position once again after deviating a little overnight.

After dinner we watched another episode of the BBC mini series "South Pacific". We learned that a type of bird we have spotted out here on the ocean can stay airborne for 4 YEARS continuously! No wonder they are so far out here. I wonder if they will fly their whole lives and never see land.

We have made our first time zone change since leaving Galapagos. We are now in what is called "Mountain Time" in the mainland US. Out here however, it's called "zone time" GMT +7. That is, you have to add 7 hours to get to Greenwich Mean Time. We are 2 hours behind Eastern Standard Time. But with daylight savings time it is 3 hours.

We are making increasingly more miles each 24 hours with each passing day. If we keep up, we may have our first 200 nm day! We are no doubt being helped by the South Equatorial Current that is pushing us along toward Marquesas but we don't have a way to directly measure the speed of the current having no "speed through water" sensor on board. We are however, moving decidedly "faster than normal" compared to the feel of our speed when we are not in any current which we can usually judge pretty accurately.

***Communication***
We slept in this morning and missed the Barefoot net but checked in for the afternoon net with our position. All boats are well and making good progress.

***Weather***
As stated, the weather is unchanged owing to the steady trade winds in these latitudes in this time of year. Steady, SE wind.

Position (11:40am):
05 deg 06' S
106 deg 38' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 6, Onboard Update, April 17, 2010

2010-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
We are generally comfortable onboard these days having fallen into what could be called a "routine" of sleeping, reading, and resting. The days seem to be flying by and our progress toward the Marquesas is very pleasing. Knock on wood.

"The wet"....
With the current combo of wind and waves we experience what I like to call "the wet" on a pretty regular basis (at least once every 10 minutes or so) when out of the relative safety of the cabin. Almost always preceding "the wet" is a loud THUMP on the side of the windward hull which instantly sets off what is now an involuntary reaction to everyone on deck to jump, dive, or plunge into whatever spot on deck they think the water might miss. Naturally, the laws of irony, of which mother nature has such a keen understanding, cause "the wet" to fall directly onto those places. Occasionally just one of us is on deck and, when hearing the thud from down below, we listen for the always amusing, "Kersplash.....UHHHHHH!!!". We have found that there is sometimes nothing to do but succumb to the salt. And laugh at yourself for getting all wet.

Fishing....
No luck of fishing today. Although this morning, I found a 4 inch long squid plastered to the top of the bimini (which was folded down for the night) so I guess you could say we caught a squid. Not having an appetite for squid at the time, I used him as bait on my lure but it was, in the end, not to be. Maybe tomorrow.

Navigation....
I took two sun sights and one moon sight just a few minutes ago today. The sun sights, taken before and after local noon revealed that our dead reckoning position was about 30 or so miles off our true position. With the sights factored in, our new DR (dead reckoning) position was within 5 miles of true. I am getting better and faster at taking sights and doing the calculation and it is good to know that I just might be able to navigate us somewhere in the event of a total electrical failure. Knock on wood.

Will is on watch, Adam asleep after having made a delicious soup for dinner and I about to turn in in preparation for the midnight watch.

NEWS FLASH...Will was just moments ago struck in the back by an enormous flying fish while on watch. One of the biggest I have seen. Well done Will. He even had the courtesy to throw it back. Add one flying fish to the days catch list.

***Communication***
We made contact with the barefoot net today in the morning and evening. The closest boat to us is still "Dignity" who is about 60 miles south and 75 miles east of our position.

***Weather***
The weather here has been almost the same for the last 3 days. Wind from the SE, 5-8 foot swell that make the cockpit semi wet and mostly clear skies with occasional clouds. And STAY there! says I to the weather. Knock on wood.

Position (11:40am):
03 deg 21' S
99 deg 41' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 5, Onboard Update, April 16, 2010

2010-04-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
Today has been another day of fine sailing. The wind has been unchanged since the night before last. We are sailing on a Port tack (boom on the starboard side) and on a broad reach at an overall average of just a hair over 7 knots with full main and #3 headsail. The boat has been heeling to starboard from the wind at about 15 to 20 degrees almost constantly for the last 3 days. Today was partly cloudy most of the day and it got fairly hot down below in the cabin. Lots of sleeping was done. We have put out the fishing lure again to try to score some fish meat. Fingers crossed.

On the early morning watch this morning, I spotted a large sea turtle about 3-4 feet in diameter and we sailed past him about 2 boat lengths away. He didn't seem to mind much at all as he never budged. On the same watch I also spotted a green plastic gallon jug possibly for holding antifreeze of some other engine related liquid. It had seaweed and barnacles on its underside that I could make out and has probably been floating for some time. There sure is trash everywhere you go now a days.

On the evening watch the moon and Venus were out bright. The moon is just a sliver of silver now and getting bigger each night but with a clear sky it still makes a great reflection in the sea. I was watching the reflection when I saw the outline of a dolphin jump into the air. Dolphins at the bow and around the boat jumping out of the water. A sign of good luck for a sailor.

My tracking of our progress by dead reckoning and sextant sights has been working quite well. It helps that we have steady wind and are going in a straight line. I have found that when compared to the GPS for any particular dead reckoning position I have not been more than 5 miles off our "true" position which is quite close enough for making a landfall I think and, I hope, will improve with practice.

***Communication***
We had our first teleconference with Mr. John Poole's Class today! It was about 15 minutes long and we really enjoyed answering the class's questions about wind and weather, solar panels, Alan's moustache, Will's beard, our progress so far, fishing and various other great questions. Thank you!

We made our contact with the 'barefoot net' again this morning although the connection was not so good for whatever atmospheric reasons that block radio wave propagation. We connected with them again this evening at 6:30pm with another position report. There are about 10 other boats on route to the Marquesas also checking into this net regularly.

***Weather***
It has been blowing a steady 15 knots for the last two days with no signs of letting up in the forecast. It is still fairly choppy and the swell is around 5 to 8 feet but it is not so bad in the cockpit that one cannot read a book (as long as you don't mind reading a slightly damp book)

Position (11:40am):
03 deg 21' S
99 deg 41' W

Position (6:30):
03 deg 31' S
100 deg 30' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 4, Onboard Update, April 15, 2010

2010-04-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
Last night we were welcomed into the Pacific by flying fish. We have seen them constantly since leaving but it seemed that last night they were particularly happy to go midnight flying. Unfortunately it landed many of them on our decks to dry out. We found about 10 crispy flying fish of various sizes (the biggest about 6 inches long) on the decks this morning and even one in the head! What a way to go. First your flying along happily through the night and then into...what's this, a window? then SLAM! right into a closed door. As you take your last breaths wondering where all the water went, you stare up wondering what that big white bowl thing is and why it smells a little weird in here. (of all the ways to go). Today on watch another fish jumped on board right in front of me and bashed into the mainsheet. He was one of the lucky ones as I threw him back. I have yet to be struck while on watch by a careless flying fish but it's good to have things to look forward to.

We have had great wind all day and by 8am this morning had made a well rounded 90 nautical miles in 12 hours running full bore through the night. We commonly saw speeds of up to 8.5 and 9 knots in bursts. Unfortunately with more wind comes more WET and it has been a bit of a wet day on watch with a stray spray coming on board every few minutes or so soaking its unsuspecting victim.

I have had good luck tracking our position using only dead reckoning and celestial navigation. It has been hard not to peek at the GPS however and I have found that I am plotting our "true" position on the same sheet at intervals to see how far off I am. SO far not more than 5 miles. The noon sight (A sun sight taken at noon) was obscured by clouds but an afternoon shot of the sun put us right on with the GPS. I also just took a sight of Venus which we can see setting in the North West here every evening as a very bright object so we will see where that puts us.

7:30pm now. Adam is on watch, Will cooking pasta. All is well.

***Communication***
We checked in with the "barefoot" net again this evening and got position updates for all of our new neighbors. Dignity is still the closest boat to us. (about 60nm to our S and E). A large pack of about 5 boats left Galapagos yesterday so there are a bunch bringing up the rear as well.

***Weather***
It has been cloudy most of the day and pretty windy. It even rained on us for about 30 minutes at one point. The sea is choppy and confused but most of the swell is out of the South or South East. Highest winds today reached about 18knots but higher winds are expected ahead of us up to around 25 knots so I suspect foul weather gear will become commonplace in the cockpit on watch.

Position (7:30pm):
02 deg 49' S
97 deg 44' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 3, Onboard Update, April 14, 2010

2010-04-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
This morning brought light winds but now it has picked up and we are making great progress. Adam baked a macaroni casserole for dinner with rice that was delicious and we had another movie night this evening. Adam is on watch now and were looking forward to putting on some real distance tonight with good winds.

Last night during the midnight watch, my fishing pole went swimming. It was in its usual position with the line still out and the mainsheet snagged it and lifted it right out of its holder. Don't worry though, it had a strong line tied to it and it was recovered straight away. Tying lines to things that you don't want to lose is the name of the game out here. Fishing poles, buckets, even people! No luck fishing today. Tomorrow is a new day.

Today I started a plot of our position on a "plotting sheet" that is used in conjunction with celestial navigation to track ones position with a combination of dead reckoning and celestial navigation sights. I am going to try to keep up with our position as we cross the pacific using just the compass, sextant and our speed and heading. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it's going.

***Communication***
We listened in to the "Pan Pacific" net today but found there was not formal net held for whatever reason. So we made a general call for anyone who was on the frequency and were able to speak with a boat named Dignity who is also bound for Marquesas. They gave us the scoop on the other informal net that cruisers use on the Marquesas crossing called the "Barefoot" net and we checked in with them at 6:30pm with our position and got the positions of some other boats around us. This morning we were just about even with Dignity and about 10 miles North of them. By the Evening we were still about 10 miles away but had put them to our South East and behind us. The net meets in the morning and evening and it is good to know that there are other boats in such close proximity to us that we could call on for help if we ever needed it. The Pacific is a BIG place.

***Weather***
It was very clear all day today with only a few trade wind type cloud patters that arrange themselves in small puffy bands that stretch out all the way to the horizon. The wind was light most of the day until around 4pm when it started to pick up and now just after sunset, we have a steady 10-12 knots.

Position (8:30pm):
02 deg 26' S
95 deg 06' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 2, Onboard Update, April 13, 2010

2010-04-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
Today has been a quiet day. We have made some good progress with a more steady wind and lots of sleeping was done during most of the day. Adam and Will did get off one chess game in the early afternoon in which Will was the victor.

We put out our trusty cedar plug trolling lure once more this morning and it has been soaking all day with no fish to show...yet.

Our pot of rice and beans is still lingering in the galley. Perhaps we made just a bit too much of it for the three of us. In general our appetites have gone down quite a bit even in the first couple of days out and with easy sailing and lots of sleep, a mostly sedentary lifestyle, we don't need much. We cut up one of our Papayas today but found it to be not quite ripe and mostly like eating an apple that tasted a little bit like a papaya. I also made some hot water and filled the thermos for the night watch. I'm not much of a coffee drinker so I went looking for some tea. We have a pretty good selection of Tea but about half of them were "organic nighty night tea" which probably wouldn't do for a night watch.

The "bio luminescence" that causes little pankton in the water here to glow when disturbed is very abundant and bright here. While motoring last night we left in our wake a 3 foot diameter tunnel of light just under the surface churned up by the spinning propeller that was so bright as to almost spoil your night vision. Our bow wake was just as awesome sending bright splashes of glowing water 10 feet out on either side of the boat with every wave. It looked as though we had installed white neon lights all round the outside of the hull.

We have seen birds still today. Small black swallow-like birds as well as larger white and grey birds which almost always have been in pairs.

***The Boat***
The batteries remained topped off all day thanks to the wind generator and strong sunlight.

***Communication***
This morning we made contact via the "Pan Pacific" radio net and gave our check in and position. We know of at least 4 other boats ahead of us en route to the Marquesas all of which have between 1 and 3 days lead of our position.

***Weather***
The sun rose and fell bright today and the sky remained a clear blue almost the entire day save for some thin low clouds on the horizon in the evening. The wind has slowly shifted more and more to the south and we hope that by tomorrow the wind will be off our port quarter and we will be able to make our course on at least a beam if not a broad reach. We think we are also starting to feel the effects of the favorable SEC current and this evening we have been making steady 7 knots sometimes more over the ground.

Position (2:27pm):
01 deg 33' S
91 deg 55' W

Position 9:00pm):
01 deg 41' S
92 deg 51' W

Alan and the Crew

Day 1, Onboard Update, April 12, 2010

2010-04-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Eye followers, the crew of the William T. Piquette is once again on the move. Destination Marquesas. This will be your main source for updates from us as they pertain to our daily life onboard the ship during our longest crossing. We officially left for the Marquesas at 9:30pm on April 11th, 2010

Nothing Lasts Forever. For the crew of the WTP, last night was a tough one. We said our fond farewells to Trevor. Howling wind and pounding rain, sweltering heat and bitter cold, windless nights and unforgettable trips, Trevor has been through it all with us in these last 5 months. A special bond is formed among friends who triumph together in the face of adversity or against the elements. For a sailing ship where close quarters, limited privacy and no secrets are the norm, this is especially the case. Trevor, you will be greatly missed and we wish you the best of luck and success in your coming months of new jobs, new opportunities and new friends. Don't forget to write!

***Life on board***
It will take a few days for us to settle into a routine of sleep, cooking, and sailing and with 3 people onboard, watches are more frequent and sleep becomes a spontaneous happy place that one strives to visit as often as possible. However, there are some good aspects to a crossing of the south pacific ocean in mid April. The ocean is quite calm almost all the time and storms are very infrequent. The trade winds in this area are from the SE which means smooth downwind sailing as long as we stay in them. There is also a Southern Equatorial Current which flows westward at between 1 and 2 knots. If all else fails, we will eventually drift there (we hope all else does NOT fail).

8:30am- Adam is on watch and Will is in his happy place. I go on watch in an hour. With any luck we will be out of the light stuff today. We took on limited provisions in Galapagos mainly due to the lack of stuff on the islands period. We have 2 Papayas, a large melon, some bread, lemons, and tomatoes which obviously won't last the whole trip. We will start to tap into our canned food stores and get creative with SPAM while also offsetting our non-perishables with (knock on wood) more delicious fish.

8:15pm- I am on watch now till midnight. Adam and Will have just turned in. I made dinner (rice with a can of black beans, chili beans, and beef stew in the pressure cooker, pile onto a tortilla with some hot sauce and yummy!). We also just finished watching the first in a BBC documentary series called "The South Pacific". It is similar to the planet earth series with great camera shots and stories about the isolated pacific islands. Mid way though the movie, the wind died. Progress S and W has been difficult today with a light and variable SW wind. You may notice tacks on our track that seem irregular and inefficient. We think so too, but such is the way with a North setting current at the Galapagos that seems to keep "sucking" us in. We will just keep pushing West and South (now under motor power) until the SE trade winds return and the current shifts to the west.

***The Boat***
-A note on TIME, As we move farther and farther west, we will be sailing through time zones at a rate of about one every 8-9 days (or every 15 degrees of longitude). In the Marquesas we will be six hours behind Eastern Standard Time. We are currently 2 hours behind EST. Our ships clock will be updated to reflect local time while our "HOME" clock will remain in EST. All the times in our updates will be in in local time.

The boat is ship shape. Nothing to report.

***Communication***
The Ham radio is once again our main source of communication with home and our source for weather information. We are also looking forward to using the Sattelite phone for communicating with some classrooms back in the US during this long crossing.

***Weather***
8:30am- A light southerly wind pushed us westward away from San Cristobal last night but until we get a little farther west, there is a north setting current which makes progress south difficult. This morning, with very light winds we turned on the motor to get some distance between us and the Galapagos. Once we get far enough south and west, the trades and SEC (South Equatorial Current) will take over and (knock on wood) we can let the engine sleep the whole way there.

8:15pm- More light winds with unfavorable components have turned what could have been a swift departure from the Galapagos into a slow zig zagy crawl. The sky may make it all worth it however. Last night I counted 4 shooting stars that lasted over 3 seconds. I think I can honestly say that I can see ALL of the stars.

Position (8:30am):
00 deg 54' S
90 deg 17' W

Position 8:30pm):
01 deg 06' S
90 deg 52' W

Alan and the Crew

The Cockpit Sessions: Volume Two

2010-04-12T18:14:00.001-07:00

The Cockpit Sessions, continued.

San Cristobal Island Adventure

2010-04-09T10:31:00.001-07:00

We arrived safely on Tuesday morning in Wreck Bay here on the island of San Cristobal. A crossing of just under 7 days which is quite good for this area which is notorious for unsettled and light winds. We managed to ride a steady breeze for almost the entire trip.

Our first day on the island was mainly exploratory. We completed the check-in process, found lunch, had some ice creme (of course), and stopped in at a grocery store for hamburgers and hot dogs which we grilled that evening. We were relieved to find the check-in process was not as difficult as we thought and the town in Wreck Bay is wonderful. It is well policed and well lit, there are shops everywhere, and the people are very friendly and helpful. The most noticeable thing about the island is the amount of life here. There were sea lions swimming all around the boat as we anchored, manta rays off the coast as we approached the island, and birds of every shape and size.

Wednesday, we chartered a taxi for a trip across the island. We made stops at "El Junco" (a freshwater lake formed by a volcanic crater), the Galapaguera, (a preservation habitat for the giant tortoises), and a beach on the other side of the island that had some great body surfing. We finished up with a trip to a farm for lunch with some of the freshest fruit I have ever had.

Thursday, Adam and I signed up for a diving trip to "Kicker Rock," see Adam's Journal post Galapagean Scuba Trip for the details. Great diving in an entirely unique location! Who knows what other adventures await us in the coming days. Stay tuned.

Good Evening, Update Day 6, Mon. April 5th

2010-04-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

Good evening from onboard the WTP

***Life on board***
8:15pm- Today was a great day of sailing with a big wind shift all day which allowed us to make a lot of progress south. We are however, now motoring (i know i know) but we want to arrive in the morning and since the wind died about two hours ago we decided to motor and push on rather than sit all night and arrive late tomorrow.

Today marked one of the biggest milestones of the Eye of The World Journey, our first crossing of the EQUATOR!! What a great accomplishment. In naval tradition, the crossing of the equator is a right of passage for seafarers. Before one has crossed the equator at sea he or she is known as a "pollywog" and afterward is known as a "shellback". Today we all became "shellbacks" horay! We decided that it would be fitting to hold our very own equator crossing ceremony in true EYE fashion...

Accordingly, we decided that a bit of humility would do well to please the unseen but always present forces of the sea and graciously allow our humble vessel to safely continue its passage of her vast ocean waters. In order to show our humility to the sea we each gave up something of ourselves and in this case it was to be...our HAIR. At around 2:30pm we began the process of cutting off all of our hair. I volunteered to go first and Trevor (who has experience cutting hair, namely mine which he cut in Jamaica) equipped himself with the buzz clippers and went to town. "As short as you can", I said and he did. Afterward, since I figured there could not be a better time than now, I decided to go all out and my head was shaved smooth as a baby's bottom. Alan is bald as bald can be. Adam was next and elected to self-cut his hair to a fuzzy and very short buzzed length. Will (with the longest hair of the group by far) went under the buzzers next with Adam as the barber. First trying on a fabulous mullet and admiring it in the mirror for a few minutes, he had the rest gone soon after. Will, seeing my bold/bald statement, decided to step up to the bald plate also and we both now sport looks that would make a cue ball jealous. Trevor couldn't stand all the hair we were depositing into the sea without him. Though initially only planning to shave his beard for the ceremony, he couldn't in good conscience, make such a minor contribution and handed me the clippers telling me to, "do it fast before I regret it" which i did to a well suited 1/2 inch buzz. Excited over our new looks and with Will and I having already applied copious amounts of sunscreen to our newly exposed melons, I counted down the minutes to the equator crossing as Will and Trevor worked on grilling up some grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch.

At 3:15pm the moment came. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (we counted down the seconds on our latitude) ZERO! we had arrived at the equator. We backed the headsail and put the boat into a stall to "park" her on the zero'th line of latitude. We decided that a swim around the boat full circle would be quite fitting and in pairs we flipped, jumped, or dove into the crystal clear and unimaginably deep pacific blue. We swam the circumference of the boat to complete the ceremony. We relaxed for a bit and continued jumping in for fun, cooling off and taking the opportunity to get clean as well. After we were satisfied that we had succeeded in an appropriate ceremony we got back underway.

We made some progress after that but soon the wind died down and Will made a great dinner of rice and, sadly but thankfully, the last bit of the enormous fish we had caught nearly 4 days ago. Afterward, with just 90 miles to go, and realizing that we would not make it to the anchorage until late tomorrow at this rate, we decided to save tomorrow and star the motor. What a successful wind driven crossing we have had so far. We were not at all reluctant to give a last little push especially since we had planned to motor so much more.

Trevor is at the helm now, and we motor along at about 6 knots in very light wind gazing at the stars. THE STARS!! They are the brightest and most amazing stars I have ever seen. Like the blackest of black dark rooms with pinholes punched into it letting light in the sky is littered with stars, nebulas, and the most milky and incredibly milky way. We watched Venus and Mercury set into the western sky just after sunset and then picked out Saturn, Sirius, Taurus, Orion, the big dipper, the southern cross, and with the help of a star chart a few new ones.

Life is good aboard the WTP. Cannot wait go see the Galapagos.

***The Boat***
Nothing to report here. All is well. The engine charges our batteries without complaint and we are running radars, and laptops, and lights, oh my!

***Communication***
We checked back in with "Gemini" this evening and told them that we were motoring and hoped to make the anchorage by tomorrow. They indicated that they would be on a little later probably not until Wednesday. We also are looking forward to meeting our German radio friends.

***Weather***
The sky is as clear as clear can be. The wind is light from the southeast. It is chilly on deck after sunset and coats will be needed tonight.

Position (8:30am):
00 deg 09' SOUTH!!!!
88 deg 39' West

"Cue ball" and the Crew

Good Morning, Update Day 6, Mon. April 5th

2010-04-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Good morning all, this will be a morning update and I will attempt to follow up with it, an evening update as well.

***Life on board***
8:30am- Adam is on watch, Trevor and Will are sleeping. The boat is making great progress south on a heading of about 215 degrees. We're just watching the miles count down toward the equator now.

Bobby, the bold boat bird, banished himself from the bow at about 8am this morning. He made several "false good byes," reported Trevor, whereby he launched and then promptly returned 3 or 4 times before finally deciding that it's what he really wanted. He will be missed.

It appears (knock on wood) as though this evening may be our last one on the open pacific before making landfall. If this wind holds out (knock on wood again) we could make landfall in as little as 16 hours putting us off San Cristobal at around 4am in the morning tomorrow (Tuesday)were we would wait for sunrise to make our final approach. Of course, you didn't hear me say that since (at least I think) it is pretty unlucky or, at the very least useless, to try and forecast anything relating to future progress or estimated time of arrival. We shall see.

***The Boat***
All is well with the boat. Batteries are charging at about 5 Amps/hour and holding 85.7% of full with the help of sun and wind. The head still works, the lights work, the stove works, nothing is out of place.

***Communication***
We made contact with the Panama Connection net over ham radio on a frequency of 8.107Mhz just a few minutes ago and relayed our new position. We also were updated by Gemini who experienced similar winds last night and is now making great progress as well. They reported their position as almost exactly 60 miles due East of us.

***Weather***
8:30am- The weather this morning is clear and sunny with a cool SE wind at around 12knots. Last night we had a great amount of dew on deck and everything was wet to the touch from it. Almost as soon as the sun went down last night, our long awaited wind shift came and we have been laying a course well south of our layline to the Galapagos ever since. We will take full advantage of the shift until we are sure we can comfortably point for our destination. Of course, we hope this wind keeps up throughout the day.

Position (8:30am):
00 deg 22' North
87 deg 50' West

Evening update to follow
Alan and Crew

Onboard Update Day 5, Sun. April 4th (Happy Easter)

2010-04-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Sunday Eye fans,

***Life on board***
7:20am- The wind calmed overnight and has shifted a little to the east (to our great relief) and the boats motion was calm and relaxing all night. Yesterday we noticed, and now more so, that the air is cooler than before and jackets were required last night sitting outside. The water temperature (according to our sensor under the boat) is unchanged so perhaps a cooler wind from the south has made it to us. We are making a heading of about 250 degrees. I logged into the ham radio email to get more wind forecast data. Adam is on watch reading. Trevor and Will are sleep soundly.

Once everyone started moving around, Adam set to work on an Easter Sunday breakfast. We all sat down to the cleared and unfolded dining room table while the windvane steered us happily along. We had soft boiled eggs, peas and carrots, pita bread, crackers, cheese, and sliced pears. A great breakfast feast.

Around noon, much reading was accomplished and everyone lazed about. Alan read part of 'Evolution's Captain' aloud to Trevor and Will. It is quite a timely story to read on our way to the first island that Charles Darwin visited in the Galapagos. Can't wait to get there.

2:09pm- A ship is spotted! Our first sighting of another ship since our departure. She is pretty far off to our north but we try channel 16 on the VHF just in case. A response! She replies to our hails in French and Adam (having studied french in high school) is able to learn that she is called "Lazareene" and is also sailing for the Galapagos but bound for a different island. She left around the same time as us. We kept track of her for about 3 hours before the large rolling swells obscure her from our view once again.

6:00pm- As the sun is going down we hang out in the cockpit and, to our surprise, watch as a pretty big bird starts circling the boat. This is a new bird, one which we have not seen until now. He makes a close pass and a bold attempt at what (to him) must be most akin to a jet making an aircraft carrier landing at sea. He is eying the protruding railing of our bow pulpit and makes his approach. Unfortunately he has sorely misjudged his distance and, instead of perching gracefully, his upper torso makes pretty rough contact with the railing rather than his extended landing gear. Seemingly unfazed he backs off and sets up for another approach. This time he stumbles but is able to recover and pulls it off. Obviously tired (or maybe just lazy) he has been sitting there ever since (nearly 2 hours so far) despite our close investigation of him with up close cameras and an attempt to see if he likes crackers (he doesn't). We have named him "Bobby".

8:00pm- With the sun down we are settling in for our 6th night offshore since leaving Panama. Adam is working on a fish stew in the pressure cooker and Trevor and Will are already thinking ahead to some fried fish tomorrow OR perhaps some grilling? The wind and sea will tell if that might be possible. Will is working on his computer and treating us to some new tunes from his I-pod (new music on the boat is always a welcome thing), Trevor is taking a rest and Adam is on deck taking his watch as his stew is stewing in the galley.

***The Boat***
7:20am- With lighter wind and cloudy overcast skies, the chances that any major battery charging will result are slim. The batteries however are still feeling the effects of the past days charging and are now at 85.3% of full. Later, the wind picked up and sun came out and the generator began whirring once again. So far so good with the boat.

***Communication***
This morning we checked in with the Panama Connection net as well as the Pan Pacific net this morning and spoke to "Gemini" again for their position update and to share wind conditions. They reported similar conditions and a position to our south and east.

At 10 till 7pm we checked in with "Gemini" again for another update. To our surprise they reported that they had experienced an almost windless day today and have moved just 19 miles from their mornings position. In contrast, we have made nearly 55 miles in that time. This was surprising given our close proximity to them (less than 100 miles). Surely we would have expected her to have experienced at least as much if not better pressure than us being farther south. I guess if just goes to show that nothing is a sure thing out on the ocean.

Also, as mentioned above, the WTP made sucessfull contact with the French vessel "Lazareene" also heading for Galapagos.

***Weather***
7:20am- This morning, overcast and cloudy (a medium dark grey all around) with light southerly winds. The wind forecast data retrieved for this morning indicates that perhaps we won't see any more wind shifts from the west anymore which is good news. With luck the wind will remain due south and light today and shift to the south east and build to around 10-15 knots later. With a shift like that we COULD be home free to sail a straight course for the Galapagos on a steady south-easterly (knock on wood)

8:00pm- The wind steadily built today as the sky cleared and it was a very bright and sunny day all day. We have had very steady wind all day from the south and have maintained a steady 5-6 knots on a heading of about 250 degrees. New forecasts show a shift to the SE that we are very much looking forward to.

Current Position:
1 deg 07' North
87 deg 03' West

Happy Easter everybody
Alan and Crew

Onboard Update Day 4, Sat. April 3nd

2010-04-03T18:30:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
7:56am- Last night we feasted on Rice with chick peas, fish curry delight (one of Trevor's specialities), and fish stir-fry with peppers, onions and some peanuts! The fish is keeping very will in our ice cooler. And yes, we still have ice! Will is finishing up his watch now and I will be on momentarily, Trevor and Adam are both out like lights. Adam on the floor and Trevor in Adam's bunk. Sometimes we sleep in each others bunks when the boat is rocking because the two aft bunks are by far the most comfortable when the boat is moving around a lot so we swap in and out. Adam is on the floor because the two aft bunks were taken and the floor is the next best place especially with a big v-berth cushion thrown down.

Will reported seeing a pod of about 30 dolphins this morning just after sunrise, "but now they are gone. I got some video though!" he said excitedly. My watch went by pretty fast with not much to report. We have noticed a cooler breeze today and more birds than we have seen in the last two days. Some of them are larger white birds and occasionally they fly very close to the sails but only for a moment getting some kind of lift from the boat and resting.

7:12pm- We just finished up dinner. Fish with onion and pepper stir-fry this time with cheddar cheese melted on top then put in a pita bread with onions and mustard YEAH! We also had crackers and cheese. We are lucky to have a block of cheddar cheese and to be able to keep it cold. If we had known the ice would work so well me might have brought more cheese.

Not much to report today in terms of boat life. The days seem to be going by very fast (as least to me) and I spent a majority of the day awake reading since I got a good long chunk of sleep last night.

I am currently reading a book called 'Evolution's Captain' by Peter Nichols about the voyages made by Captain Robert FitzRoy aboard the survey ship HMS Beagle in the 1830's including the famed 5 year voyage with Charles Darwin who gained fame through this voyage with his meticulous preservation of animals, plants, birds, bugs, coral, and even fossils from around the world. He is most well known for his eventual realizations on the evolution of some of the species that he collected, especially those in the Galapagos Islands. It is a great historical read and gives some incredible insight into what it was like to be a discoverer of new lands in the not so distant past. Voyagers who took to the sea then are most akin to the astronauts of today, boldly going into the unknown in the name of science and the human race. Sailors and discoverers (as they are synonymous) of the world were literally sailing right off their charts. The Beagle, a specially outfitted survey ship carried precise instruments for making measurements of position by celestial observation. These were later used to improve, or in some cases map out for the first time, coastlines, safe harbors, and dangerous rocks for ships to better navigate by. Darwin's position of "naturalist" onboard the survey ship was more or less a fortunate coincidence.

Nowadays with GPS, Radar, and accurate charts of anywhere you want to go, a circumnavigation seems almost easy by comparison. It makes me really in awe of what Captain FitzRoy accomplished with few charts, no GPS, no Radar, not even waterproof Raincoats! And what's more, Darwin and FitzRoy were 22 and 26 years old at the time of the famed voyage. Inspiring!

***The Boat***
As expected with the wind on the nose, the battery bank is charging well thanks to the wind generator. We are currently a healthy 86% of full. Windvane, sails, rigging, stove, electronics (everything) are all working smoothly but as always...we knock on wood. You can knock on it for us too. You can never be too careful.

***Communication***
After checking into the Panama Connection net this morning, we re-connected with the sailing catamaran "Gemini" also bound for Wreck Bay on San Cristobal, Galapagos. They were to the south and east of us (about 80 miles) as of 8:30am and we checked in again with them at 6:50pm just to say hi, check out each others weather conditions and position. They seem to be gaining on us slightly and also possibly experiencing more wind (being further south) than we are. Time will tell. Needless to say, the race is on.

***Weather***
Early this morning, the wind shifted more to the west and pushed us from a heading of about 250 degrees onto a heading of around 280 degrees (North away from Galapagos) after which we tacked onto a heading of about 140 degrees so as to make some progress south. As the wind shifted again back into the south we started making more easting than southing so we tacked again back on a course just high of our layline to the Galapagos which lies at around 230 degrees. We continue on this course now. Our forecast indicates that another shift like the one experienced today might occur again tomorrow and then, with luck, another shift bringing wind from the SE will allow us to head right for our goal. (knock on wood). We have been immensely lucky so far to not have not had to turn on the engine ONCE! (knock on wood again)

***Special Upcoming Events***
We are all (well at least I am) very much looking forward to our crossing of the equator! We are planning a very special ceremony. It will be my first time EVER in the Southern Hemisphere (south of the equator). I can sit in the cockpit saying to myself, "I've never been further south than THIS"..."Now, I've never been further south than THIS!!" It's fun at first but then it gets old.

Also coming up will be our crossing of the 90 degree of longitude which signifies our passing into another TIME ZONE! We will be in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) minus 6 hours. GMT -6 and the ships clock will be adjusted as such. Also by a great coincidence, The Galapagos is situated due south of St. Louis, Missouri, USA (and therefore shares it's time zone) the home town of none other than Eye crew member Trevor!

Current Position:
1 deg 53' North
84 deg 55' West

Sailing Along
Alan and Crew

Onboard Update Day 3, Fri. April 2nd

2010-04-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
It is nearing 4:30pm onboard. This morning I took the 5am to 8am watch. This watch is agreed to be one of the best watches due to the fact that you get some light but it is still nice and cool. And you get to see the sunrise. On my morning watch. I took note of the following things floating by:

-6:19am A black flip flop, overturned
-6:32am A broken black bucket
-6:47am Something yellow
-6:58am A pair of corks floating together
-7:01am The other flip flop
-7:14am A white piece of foam and a waterbottle

In addition, we have seen lots of birds despite being far our to sea. Also, as of today, there is a large brown and grey moth about 2 inches long hitching a ride on one of our backstays. Perhaps a stowaway from Panama, I saw him flying around this morning and he has been resting on the aft deck ever since.

We have been able to sail all day today although a wind shift last night (see weather) has changed life on board a little. We are now sailing into the wind and no longer with it. Our house is therefore leaning a little to starboard which (as you already know, if you kept up with Trevor's post about the effects of heel on boat life) causes us to have to close the drain for the sink lest it flood the galley meaning that dirty dishwater must be scooped out manually. It also means that anyone venturing into the head may have to coordinate with the helmsman if they wish to have any water with their flush.

The other major downside to sailing upwind (also called "beating") is that unless the water is perfectly flat, which it is not here, (actually its quite choppy right now) then there will be spray coming over the windward rail which may or may not make it into your lap as you sit reading in the cockpit. This also necessitates that the windows on the port side (in the V-berth and the head) remain closed as well as the two cabin hatches on top so that we don't get everything inside the boat wet. This in turn makes the boat hot and muggy down below. It's not nearly as bad as if we were running the engine (knock on wood) mind you but it is still a little uncomfortable.

For breakfast this morning we had cereal (Rasin Bran) and milk (powdered milk) and for lunch, FISH. This time a baked fish dish with a mango salsa (mango, onion, red peppers, garlic some oregano and a pinch of salt piled on top of 4 big fillets in some oil). For dinner...you guessed it. As soon as this is sent, I'm on dinner duty.

***The Boat***
A benefit (yes there are some) of sailing upwind is that our apparent wind (the wind that we feel on deck) is greater than the actual wind speed due to the fact that we are moving. This makes the wind generator very happy and we are charging a lot more now. The battery bank is currently at 70% of full and we expect it will improve if this wind keeps up (knock on wood).

***Communication***
We successfully checked in once again to the "Panama Connection" ham radio net this morning at 8:30am to report our updated information.

***Weather***
Last night the wind died briefly and filled back in eventually from the south. We are now sailing a course of about 240 degrees magnetic and are glad to be making south and westward progress without the use of "the iron tops'l". The wind is currently out of the S at around 15knots and we have swapped the #1 headsail for the #3 which is working out well.

Position:
2 deg 45' North
83 deg 40' West

More to come
Alan and Crew

Onboard Update 9:30pm (A Fishy Tale)

2010-04-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

Get ready for a fishy tale...

It all started when we spotted a lot of birds hovering over one spot out ahead of us. Occasionally they would dive down to grab a meal. Little fish on the surface usually means bigger ones down below. In no time we had pulled out our brand spanking new "mahi-jet" lure (which we had been saving for a pacific occasion) This lure has it all: green and yellow flashy colors, squid like rubber dangle-do's, even slits cut in the front which make a bubble trail behind it with beads inside that "rattle" as it is pulled along. Of course it also has a nice big shiny hook hidden in the tail. So we let it out and sure enough in about 20 min of trolling. we hear that now oh so familiar sound and we know exactly what to do.

"Ziiizzz Zizzzz," the line is flying off the reel and the pole is bent back hard. Trevor jumps for the reel and starts to tighten the choke which slows down the release of line but it just keeps spinning out and out. Then the line goes taught and for a second there is silence before...sssBANG! the line shoots back down the pole and the now broken end flops tensionless in the cockpit. The fish was gone and so was our lure. Thus ended the life of the brand new "mahi-jet" lure. A short lived yet probably intensely exiting life.

We got over it pretty quickly and soon we had new line on the reel and a new lure out in the water. This time a trusty favorite the "cedar plug" this is just what it sounds like, a cedar (wooden) plug about 5 inches long with a line running through it and a hook on the end. We dressed it up a little with some yellow and green rubber squid tentacles that slid over the top and we thought disguised the hook quite well. Now we wait.

We went about other things. Including a jam session in the cockpit with all instruments present and cameras rolling. I made PB&J sandwiches for everyone and we hung out in the cockpit just sailing along. And then...

"Ziiizzz!!! Zizzz!!! "Trevor the reel!", "Get it, Get it!", "I got it, I got it!". He tightens the choke but it is obvious that this is something very very big. "I'd better let it out some," he says, "we gotta try and tire it out" and boy was he right. Suddenly, we saw it... A sea monster of enormous proportions leapt from the water about 50 yards off our stern. We were speechless, aside from our lunatic screaming, "holy cow it's huge! What are we gonna do?" It's a fair question, this is by far the biggest fish we have ever hooked. Adam and Will set to work slowing the boat down (we were doing almost 8 knots) and I grabbed a pair of gloves and our gaff hook (our 3 foot long gaff hook, at that moment seemed like a joke). Trevor worked the monster fish for about 30 minutes trying to tire it out. It continued to leap out of the water flashing its huge body at us. We were stunned. This can't be happening.

Finally Trevor brings it close in and now it's hugging the side of the boat but it hasn't given up yet and I tell him to let it back out again. It would be suicide to attempt to bring it on board with so much fight left in it. It was thrashing and jumping. It could easily have knocked one of us out or trashed the cockpit if it got free. We used the time to regroup and plan the next moves. We cleared the deck and put away the headsail. By now the sun has set and I am using a headlamp to watch the fish from the bow. My gloves are on and with gaff hook in hand, Trevor and Adam both lead the burdened fishing pole around the rigging to the bow. I reach down and go for it. I hook the gills and pull it up out of the water grabbing hold firmly with my other hand and put it on the deck. Trevor jumps onto the tail and holds it down firmly. "Don't let it get free i say!" The adrenaline is rushing. Now the yucky part...

Up until this point the fish we have killed had been small enough that a firm thrust with a sharp knife put them out of their misery in no time flat. This however was a whole new ball game. I was given the gruesome task of dispatching the beautiful beast as I have done with our previous fish. I guess I'm the fish guy. With bigger fish we had read that a club was sometimes used to literally knock the fish out. Having no club to speak of, we employed the 3 foot long heavy steel handle of the anchor windlass to great effect. I'll spare you the details. "How long is it? get the tape measure," Adam says. We hold the tape measure from the tip of the tail to the tip of the nose. Are you sitting down?...7 feet 1.5 inches and we have pictures to prove it. I told you this thing was a monster.

It took a further 45 minutes to clean the fish. It just kept giving and giving. We filled a large cooler bag full of boneless, skinless fillets which went immediately on ice. Thank goodness we filled the cooler with ice before leaving Panama. Throwing back nothing but inedible bones, it is good practice to waste nothing that you must kill. Personally I feel this is important out of respect to the animal (fish in this case).

It is now 9:30pm. Everything is mostly back to normal (save for the cooler full of delicious fish). We have the sails set again and are still sailing well (and in the desired direction, always a plus). Trevor is on watch, Adam is resting, I am writing this update, and Will is, what else, cooking fish! I can smell it from here. Pan fried, bread crumbs, egg. --Update-- I just had the fish. It was delicious! Man oh man. What a fish. Can't wait to share the photos.

Position (9:30pm)
3 deg 53' North
82 deg 18' West

Thanks to the sea. She provides for us once again.
Goodnight
Alan and Crew

Onboard Update Day 2, Thurs. April 1st

2010-04-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

***Life on board***
Yesterday afternoon the crew continued to enjoyed calm seas and following winds making good progress south. At around 5pm we spotted dolphins off the port side but they didn't investigate us for long. We also came upon what looked like a black balloon off in the distance which turned out to be a small black flag on the end of a pole stuck into a buoy. Nearby there was also a small white buoy. We are not sure what these could be but our best guess is that they were marking some kind of a net. Dolphins were jumping nearby perhaps warning us to steer clear.

Our newly installed "boat horn" (installed in colon) has been a great moral booster lately. It is a small electric horn mounted under our radar dome which has a push button switch near the wheel. We love honking the horn gleefully for passing boats at anchor but also like to honk just for the fun of it. Most recently, honking the horn has been used to great and hilarious effect to interrupt people before they can speak. For example, Alan says, "Hey Trevor, what is that over there?". Trevor turns and says, "I don.....HONK! HONK!" See? Hilarious!

Last night we all sat down to enjoy MOVIE NIGHT during which we watched Austin Powers. Shortly after, the night watchers hit their bunks and the boat was quiet till morning.

It is now almost 1pm onboard. Trevor is resting. Adam is on watch and Will is trying his best to photograph some birds which have made their way out to sea with us. This just in! A turtle was spotted off the port side. It was swimming next to a big log about 6 feet long. Maybe it is a "LOG"-gerhead turtle. Hey Trevor, put that in the "LOG" book. Haha. All is well with the crew.

***The Boat***
This morning we noticed a small amount of wear on the leech of our #1 headsail no doubt caused by rubbing on the mast. The loose threads appear superficial and we are keeping an eye on it. Repairs are now scheduled for this sail to keep the wear from getting any worse.

Our wind generator is whirring now but we are still very power conscious and have turned off electronics save for the GPS during the day to give the solar panels and wind generator maximum effect to recharge the batteries. Currently our battery monitor says that we are at 79%. With the wind predicted to die off soon, the engine may soon become "the great recharger" allowing us to power whatever we like but until then we must try not to take more than we can make. Other than some pots and pans finding a home on the floor of the cockpit last night, all else is well with our beloved home.

***Communication***
This morning we successfully "checked-in" with both the 'Panama Connection' and the 'Pan-Pacific' ham radio "nets". These nets meet every morning to keep track of vessels underway and to give vessels underway an opportunity to communicate with one another. We reported our destination, position, weather conditions, speed, and heading so that others may plan their own crossing and or keep track of us. We also made a friend this morning who is also underway to the Galapagos just ahead of us. See the Science of Sailing Post "A friendly race to the Galapagos".

***Weather***
We are glad to report that we are still enjoying a north wind which is pushing us south at a healthy average of around 7 knots. Unfortunately, the forecast calls for the wind to die at any time today. Last night we observed some heat lightening way off to our west but the sky above was clear and the moon shone brightly. This morning we have a mostly clear sky and bright sun.

Position:
4 deg 57' North
81 deg 13' West

Over and Out
Alan and Crew

Onboard Update Day 1, Wed. March 31st

2010-03-31T08:28:00.000-07:00

EYEOTW students, teachers, and followers alike,

Alan here with an update from the WTP. As you may know we shoved off on a falling tide yesterday at around 6pm local time (GMT minus 5 hours). In no time we had the mainsail and our large #1 headsail set and the engine went silent. Weeeee! Finally sailing again and it sure feels great. We cruised with the wind from behind at about 7.5 knots (nautical miles per hour) while dining on our dinner of chicken and rice with tomato sauce onions and corn. Will took over the helm at 8pm and everyone else hit the sack. At 11pm Alan took the wheel for the 11-2am shift, Trevor 2-5am, and Adam 5-8am. Sailing in shifts gives everyone some free time and time to sleep.

Life onboard: It is 10am onboard now and everyone is awake. Adam is cutting up some mangos, leftovers are waiting for anyone who gets hungry, Trevor is lounging in the V-berth and Will is taking his morning shift. Our fishing pole is set, dragging a tasty lure. A cool breeze occasionally wafts through the cabin. The days heat has yet to build. All is well.

***Update as of 4:30pm*** Since writing the above, the wind has calmed. We are still making 6 knots with the sails "wing on wing". Tuna salad sandwiches for dinner. Lots of resting and reading being done by all.

The Boat: The boat is in top shape. Our wind generator is currently charging our batteries at a rate of about 3-5 Amps per hour depending on the wind and the solar panels though partially shaded by the sails are doing their best. During the day we are using minimal electronics to give the batteries a chance to recharge. Our wind-vane "self steerer" (which acts like an autopilot for steering) has been in action almost constantly since we left. This is great because it means that the skipper can read or eat during his watch while occasionally scanning the horizon, checking our heading, and making necessary adjustments.

Weather: We are enjoying a northerly wind at around 12 knots and are still making about 7 knots under sail heading SSW. Our weather data tells us that we should have wind today and hopefully tomorrow but that we may see a drop off as we enter an area known to sailors as "the doldrums" (also called the Inter tropical Convergence Zone).

Position:
7 deg 19' North
79 deg 47' West

That's all for now.
Alan and Crew

Poised for the Pacific

2010-03-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

With nothing left to fix (imagine that) I've got my sunscreen on and a shiny new bag of fish hooks! I am ready for the pacific.

Things to watch for. More or less daily updates here on my journal via the ham radio. What we are doing, weather and wind conditions and any oh so important food updates! (Fingers crossed for fish)

I will also be checking into the "Panama Connection" SSB ham radio net each morning where we will report our progress toward the Galapagos to whoever is listening. We will also get valuable info on wind and sea conditions from other boats checking into this net. Its nice to know that were not completely alone out there.

Off we go into the wild blue! Check here for more updates soon!

Back on Board

2010-03-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

What's been going on in Alan world? Well let's see...

With Adam off defending his dissertation, my wonderful girlfriend Taylor (who is currently studying to be an ESL teacher) flew in to visit for a week. Trevor, Taylor and I had an awesome week of exploration into the western regions of Panama.

We took a bus to David and stayed at the "Purple House," a hostel for backpackers. We went up into the mountain town of Boquete next to the Baru volcano and the highest point in Panama. It sure was cold and rainy up there but a welcome change from the heat of the lowlands. We got lost hiking an easy 3 km trail and managed to turn it into a 6 km adventure in the mountain rain but with smiles the whole way.

For a change of scenery we headed south to Sona and to the beautiful, and practically undiscovered beach of Santa Catalina. We stayed in a small cabin by the beach for next to nothing and were amazed at how much tidal influence there was on the pacific shore.

Finally a trip into the old city of Casco Viejo (a world heritage site) rounded out our trip. Although once all there was of the original Panama City before it's expansion, today Casco Viejo is made up of fascinating old buildings including cathedrals, theaters, and most of Panama City's monuments. Despite it's charm, abandoned buildings and rocky ruins still tell of the attack on the city by the pirate Henry Morgan.

I sure was glad to have traveled and seen some of the "real" Panama. Colon (easily the most dangerous city we have been to) definitely paints an unrealistic picture of this friendly and beautiful country.

And Now?
Now I am back on board awaiting our canal transit date with much anticipation and working to finalize our pacific preparations. I was fortunate enough to have a whole week back in the US (in the Florida Keys) to visit my dad and sister. We were all there supporting my mom who was finishing a week-long kayak race in the Everglades. Chances are that our next stretch in the Pacific will make visiting very difficult and it was great to see them again.

A Great Time in Cartagena

2010-02-24T05:35:00.000-08:00

While my time in Cartagena was short lived, my experiences there were incredible. The Walled City "La Amurallada" was by far the coolest place I have been thus far. There are friendly and beautiful people everywhere, delicious food to be had for next to nothing on every street corner, and tons of history. Beautiful parks, old forts, museums, and old cobblestone squares everywhere. Based on what I saw in Colombia, it is hard to imagine that poverty, civil war, and oppression can be found in other areas of the country so we had to keep reminding ourselves that it wasn't perfect here but Cartagena is a friendly and beautiful place nonetheless.

One of my favorite parts of the city is the incredible number of street vendors! You can get pretty much anything you can think of food or otherwise right on the street. Fresh Watermelon, fried plantain chips, shrimp ceviche, "arepas" (fried biscuits with cheese), coconuts, "paletas" (homemade ice creme), any fruit you can think of and much more. One really exotic fruit that I ate (which was completely new to me) is called a "granadia". It is round and orange with a small stem. You knock on it with your knuckles and the hard skin breaks just like an egg shell (totally weird). Then you break away the shell to find a spongy white sack that you make a hole in and use to suck out the seeds inside which are small, black, crunchy, and surrounded by clear slimy sweet nectar which is delicious. When you suck out all the seeds you peel off the rest of the "shell" and eat the spongy white sack part TOO! What a weird fruit but so good.

I also really enjoyed the Colombian culture. We saw that people in Cartagena eat a large lunchtime meal which was the largest meal. Afterward, shops closed for a few hours around the middle of the day for "siesta" which is a fancy name for nap time (what a great idea). Then people just snack for the rest of the day which is easy with street vendors everywhere before having a late dinner. The atmosphere in the city is incredibly relaxed. There are beautiful parks all over the place most with large shade trees and fountains. Historic statues and comfortable benches to sit and relax are also easy to find. Later in the day the streets are bustling with people going to dinner or shopping. The markets open up with beautiful crafts and jewelry. Street performers come out and musicians play in the squares. There was never a dull moment and I can't wait to get back to Cartagena!

Scuba Dooba

2010-02-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

Today I tested out my scuba gear at the dock. I checked for leaks and adjusted the straps to fit me so that I will be ready to use it later. After finding no leaks, I went down about 25 feet under the boat and swam around the muddy bottom for about 10 min. I saw lots of fish and a sunken boat under the big boat docked next to us. I found two discarded leather belts and a small jamaican flag just like the one we are flying. You just never know what you will find on the bottom. I am looking forward to doing more scuba diving soon. Stay tuned.

Mi viaje a Santiago y Santo Domingo

2010-01-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

While in the D.R. we decided to split up and travel into the country to explore, learn, and experience for ourselves and to have some time away from the boat. That way, we all met different people and had completely different experiences. My visit to Santiago and Santo Domingo is one that I won’t soon forget.

My journey into the city began on Tuesday afternoon. I left Luperon, where we are anchored this week and took a car to Imbert which branches off to Puerto Plata and Santiago. The first person I met was an American named Rodger, he is an older gentleman living in Puerto Plata but originally from the United States. I spoke with him on the car ride to Imbert about how he came to be in the Dominican Republic and what it is like living here. He came here on a sailboat which he sold long ago and has been living here for the last 8 years. The advantages of living in the D.R., he says, are that it is cheap (He is living on social security from the government and served in the armed forces), the weather is nice all year round, and the few laws they have here are seldom enforced. Rodger said, "You can drive the wrong way down the street all the way to Puerto Plata and never get stopped," however, this has both positive and negative aspects. If your home is being robbed for example and you call the police, they might show up the next day to see how you did and then ask you to help pay for their gas. Why would they want to come then, there is a ROBBER! In other words, if you have a real problem you are pretty much on your own in his opinion. Rodger's least favorite thing about the D.R. is how it is normal to pack as many people as possible into taxis and cars. It is common for 4 or 5 people to cram into the back of a small car and at least 3 in the front. Just as he told me this, our car stopped to pick up 3 more people and Rodger and I got to know each other a little bit better as we finished the drive with 4 adults now in the back seat.

Seat belts are another example. It is illegal to drive/ride without wearing a seat belt (I am told the fine is 500 pesos) but there are so few police that nobody obeys the law. There are no consequences (unless of course you are in an accident). It is also illegal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet but hardly anyone has a helmet for the same reason. While I did see some riders wearing helmets, most choose to wear them hung under their handlebars. In my short time in the city even I was in a small accident while riding a bus or "GuaGua" across the city. We got too close to a car next to us and broke his passenger side mirror right off. The bus stopped and the drivers got out but no body else got off the bus and in under 3 minutes we were on our way again. How efficient! In the U.S. an accident like that could take over an hour to call the police, file a report, collect insurance information, etc. Unfortunately in the D.R. it probably means tough luck for the owner of the car.

I arrived in Imbert and bought a van ticket to Santiago. It took about 45 min to get there and after I got my bearings I walked through the city to the Monumento a los Heroes del la Restoration. Along the way I stopped and bought a carton of orange juice and later, a huge slab of pineapple on a stick from a street vendor. You can buy almost any fruit or vegetable you can think of on the street and you can always find a street vendor. There are street vendors for food, cloths, trinkets, DVDs, watches, shoes, anything. It was getting late in the afternoon and looked like it might start to rain so I made my way back to where I knew there was a hotel and got a room for the night. The room had everything you could need including; a bathroom, shower, a bed, and a television! I watched some news in English and the end of a movie with Spanish subtitles. I fell asleep as it started raining. In the morning, it was damp outside but turned out to be a very nice day. I took a bus to the Centro de Leon museum of art and history on 27 de Febrero street. I was one of the first visitors of the day and the museum was mostly empty. There was a very interesting exhibit about the original Indian inhabitants of the D.R. including artifacts and tools found during excavation of burial sites and dwellings. There was also a gallery of modern art by the Dominican painter, Fernando Rena Defillo. Many of his paintings are interpretations of the Dominican lifestyle and culture such as the marketplace but there were also many abstract paintings of beautiful Dominican landscapes. The museum was very modern looking with high ceilings and even an escalator but unfortunately no pictures allowed.

I decided that I would go to Santo Domingo that afternoon and I was able to get directions to the metro station from the receptionist at the museum who spoke English although I tried to practice my Spanish as much as possible. Having studied Spanish in elementary, middle, and high school you might think that I would be right at home in a Spanish speaking country. Unfortunately, having never had the opportunity or desire to practice speaking Spanish regularly before this trip, I have forgotten a lot of what I had learned. I wish I had paid more attention because I sure could use it now. I am learning more every day and hope to be a lot better in just a few more weeks. It also helps that everyone here is very encouraging and many people enjoy the opportunity to practice speaking English.

I took a nap on the bus and in about 2 hours I was in Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo is a much larger city with a very cool historic district, some large parks, government buildings, malls, schools and an international airport. There are chain restaurants (McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut) just like in the US but street vendors can still be found everywhere. I walked through the city just taking in the sights. I walked around the National Theatre and the National Library inside the Plaza de la Cultura (Cultural Center) and I saw the U.S. embassy. There are some large parks in the city that offer some peace and quiet away from the traffic and honking. I started looking for a hotel around 4:30pm. I had seen a few while walking and checked in with them first. I was surprised to learn that they were all full and fairly expensive otherwise. In hindsight, I probably should have called ahead but in the end I am glad that I didn’t. Finally I stopped and asked a security guard standing outside a bank if he knew of a cheap hotel nearby. This turned out to be a very good thing.

The security guard didn’t really know how to answer so that I would understand and so he led me inside the bank where he introduced me to someone who spoke English. In about 5 min there were three guys in the lobby, including the security guard Carlos, helping to try and find a hotel. They were all surprised that there wasn’t a single hotel with a room available due to all the recent visitors in town to help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Then Carlos offered that I could stay with his family for the night if I wanted. After I figured out what he was telling me, I very graciously accepted. He called his house and asked his daughter, who spoke a little English, to interpret for him. He said that I could stay at his house if I promised not to leave until the morning. He was worried about my safety at night and of course I agreed.

In general Santo Domingo is very safe he told me and everyone is very nice but it is not a good idea for a foreigner to be walking around alone at night in the city. Bad people can be found in any city of course and it is important to always be careful. That problem can be amplified for someone who stands out or is traveling alone who may look like an easy target.

While I waited in the lobby for his wife and daughter to come to the bank, I spoke with Carlos about my trip to the D.R. and told him about Eye of The World. It turned out that we didn’t have much trouble communicating with just a little effort. Carlos’ wife and daughter arrived in their car and took me across town to their home. They live in a small apartment in a gated apartment complex with an armed security guard. It is common for large buildings, banks and even some residences to have armed security guards 24-7 here. On the way we stopped at their church and I met many people who spoke way too fast for me to understand but they were all extremely nice and happy to see me. I was treated like family and had a delicious dinner of fried yucca (like a potato) before bed. In the morning I had a shower and for breakfast, boiled plantano (like a green banana).

I spoke with Carlos’ daughter as much as I could about her school, about my trip to the city, and about Eye of The World. She is 16 years old and in 7^th grade. Her favorite subject is English and she also wants to learn French. Her and her friends all study English in school but she has not had much chance to practice, imagine that. She likes music and talking to her friends on the phone. She is very smart and I could tell she is a hard worker. I saw Carlos again in the morning and thanked him and his family as best I could in Spanish and rode with them halfway back to the city and took a taxi the rest of the way. I could not have been more fortunate than to have met Carlos’ and his family. I walked around the city Thursday morning with a newfound appreciation for the wonderful people who live here.

I walked down to the National Congress building and saw the southern coast of Hispaniola. From the water, I could see how big the city was. It is much too big to see in just one day but what a great inside view I already had.

On the bus ride back to Santiago I sat next to a 7^th and 8^th grade teacher and medical professor from the D.R. She spoke English very well and was surprised that I was exploring the city by myself and even more surprised that I had managed to find my way here by bus. She was not at all surprised however to hear my story about Carlos’ family taking me in the night before when I couldn't find a place to stay. “Everyone here is glad to help,” she told me. In her travels to the United States she said that one thing she noticed is that not as many people say “HI” and people are not as eager to help a foreigner especially one who doesn’t speak English or one who speaks very little English. She also made a point of telling me that we were both Americans saying, “I am Latin American, and you are North American.” I don’t remember being taught THAT in school, at least not in that way. She was very interested in Eye of the World and we will definitely stay in touch. In just a few short hours I was back in Luperon Thursday evening having dinner with Adam and Trevor.

What an incredible few days I had traveling in the D.R. I would never have imagined that I would meet so many kind and interesting people in such a short period of time. However small, I feel lucky to have seen what I believe is a very genuine view of the Dominican Republic.

Future Astronomers

2010-01-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

This journal post is directed to anyone interested in astronomy and learning about the stars, the moon, constellations, and planetary orbits. Astronomy! To Lisa Palmer's 5th grade class, this is for you. There is a great computer program that you can download for free that is great for learning about the stars and stargazing.

I have been interested in astronomy ever since I was little and had a small telescope growing up that my dad used to show my sister and me comets when they went over. Later I learned about celestial navigation which is navigating using the sun, moon and planets. It's easy to learn but you have to start with the basics.

The computer program I use when I want to know what I'm going to see when I go outside to look at the stars is called "STELLARIUM" and you can download if for mac or for pc at www.stellarium.org . This program shows you what the sky looks like wherever you are on earth in real time. You can even use it to see what the stars look like from another planet. You can track planets and choose to show or hide their orbits. You can show or hide the constellations and the ecliptic or equator lines. You can also "fast forward" in time to see what is going to happen! You can jump 1 day ahead or 1 week ahead. You can zoom in and see nebulas or count the moons of a planet.

One of the best things about stellarium is that if you are able to install it on a laptop, you can take it with you when you go stargazing and use it like a map of the sky to easily identifying stars and planets. If you don't have a telescope, don't forget that binoculars work great too!

After downloading and installing…
Here are some helpful startup tips and hints.

1. Mouse over to the left hand side to "location" to tell stellarium where you are. Otherwise the sky may not match what you see when you go outside. You can search for your city or type in your latitude and longitude.
2. Make sure to check that the date and time is correct.
3. Be sure to look at the help menu "F1" and look at the shortcut keys. J, K, and L for example "rewind", "stop", and "fast forward" the time. If you get "lost in time" just hit the number "8" and you will be returned to the current time and date. There are TONS of shortcut keys.
4. Mouse down to show the menu for toggling on or off (show or hide) constellations, planet labels, nebulas, and grids. I recommend you turn ON "Cardinal Points" which show which way you are looking (North, South, East or West). You can also hide the atmosphere which is what makes it look like daytime. You can show or hide the "ground" so that you can see below the horizon and also turn on or off the "fog of the horizon" which is why it looks hazy just above the horizon.
5. You can "Search" for planets and nebulas by hitting "F3"
6. HAVE FUN!

Here are some activities to try:

1) How to find and check out a planet or a star…. Do it for a couple or all of them. (Don't forget about the sun and the moon!)
1. Find you planet of choice. Use F3 if you need to and the click on it.
2. If it is under the horizon then hit "g" to turn off the ground. If its daytime then hit "a" to turn off the atmosphere
3. Look in the top left of the screen to see important information. Write down it's Magnitude and its distance for comparison to other planets or the Sun. The distance in measured in "AU" which stands for "astronomical unit"
Q: How big is an astronomical unit?
4.Now zoom in to get a better look by hitting "/" backslash a couple of times. Too big? Zoom out with "\" (opposite slash).
Q: How many moons does it have? How many do you see? Which one is the biggest?
5. If it has moons, try fast forwarding with "L" and watch them rotate. Make sure you have clicked on the planet and hit "space bar" to track it or it will move out of the screen. Planets are NOT stationary!
6. Now try to figure out when it will rise. Turn on the ground if it is off and fast forward with "L" (the more you hit it the faster it goes so be careful) until you see your object rise above the horizon. Hit "K" to stop. What time is it? If it is night time then chances are you can see it if you go out side tonight and look in the right direction.

2) Check out the North Star

If you are in the northern hemisphere (North of the Equator) then you will be able to see the North Star at night. It is the special because if barely moves from its spot above the North Pole. All other stars appear to be rotating around it rising in the East and setting in the West.

1. Find the North star and click on it. If you can't find it then don't worry, just make sure you are looking North and….
2. Fast forward using "L" until everything is spinning. Find the star that isn't moving. That's the North Star also called Polaris. "8" to return to current time.

3) Our SUN and the Seasons
The sun is really cool. It makes the earth warm, influences currents in the ocean, creates weather patterns in the atmosphere, and it's the reason we have seasons.

1. Turn on the atmosphere "a"
2. Find the SUN
3. Fast forward to "noon" or until the sun is above South. Stop by hitting "K". Good.
4. Now turn on the Equator line by hitting "." Period. This is just a projection of the equator in the sky. Think about someone standing on the equator with a laser-beam waving it east to west above their head. This is what you would see.
5. It is IMPORTANT to notice that the equator goes through East and West but it does NOT go directly overhead unless you are standing on the equator.
6. Follow the equator across the sky.
Q: Does it appear to be leaning to the north or the south?
Q: Does this make sense for where you are on the earth? It should.
Q: What would it look like if you were on the north pole?
7. Now look at sun again and fast forward this time by ONE WEEK at a time. Hit the "]" and "[" square brackets to go forward by this same time one week from now. What do you see? Hold down "]" so you really get it moving. You should see the sun going up and down up and down above and below the equator.
Q: When is the Sun at its highest? What day and month of the year?
Q: What about it's Lowest?
Q: When is the sun directly on the equator?

But Why?
The earth is tilted on its axis (23.5 degrees to be exact) which is why the sun appear to "wobble" up and down above and below the equator. The seasons follow a regular pattern with the wobble of the earth.

Think about it…
Now think about what time of year it is. When I wrote this is was January and that means Winter in the USA. Where is the Sun in January? Below the equator right? It should make sense to you now why there is winter and summer! When the sun is below the equator and farther away from YOU, you don't get as much warmth from it. When it is above the equator or closer to YOU you get more warmth and it is summer.

Bonus questions:
Does the Sun always rise exactly in the East and Set in the West?
When is the longest day of the year for where you live?

4) The Moon (the earth's moon that is)
1. Find our moon.
2. Click on it.
3. If it's daytime hit "a" to turn off the atmosphere.
4. Hit space bar to "Track" it.
5. Zoom into it with "/".
6. Now watch the moon's phases by fast forwarding by one day forward or backward by holding down control key and hitting " + " or " - " plus or minus.
Q: What phase is the moon in now?
Q: When is the next full moon?

5) Check it out for yourself !
Don't forget that this is just a computer program and you should go outside and double check it to make sure that it is correct! Go see if the sun sets where you think it will. All you need is a compass. Figure out when Saturn will rise and then go see if you can see it. Look for other bright stars around it to help you find it in the sky.
Hints for star viewing:
1. Go somewhere dark away form a city if possible or on a rooftop if possible. Turn off any bright lights.
2. Check the weather and make sure it will not be cloudy.
3. It you want to see stars, go when there is no moon out. It will make it a lot easier.

I hope this guide to Stellarium was helpful to you. If so let me know by sending us an email to crew@eyeotw.org. Tell me what you learned and ask questions!

-Alan
Captain, Eye of The World.

Our Beloved Dinghy

2010-01-17T05:17:00.000-08:00

On board the WTP we have everything we need to eat, sleep, work, and go to the bathroom. But when we get cabin fever and want to travel ashore to explore the local town market or culture, we need a dinghy! Why? because the sailboat cannot sail in water any shallower than 6 feet (which means if you don't carry a smaller boat with you, you are going to be swimming to shore).

---STORY TIME----
"The day we almost lost the Dinghy" (lets hope its the last)
Date: Jan 16th 2010
Time: around 6:00pm (after sunset)

We had sailed all day from sunup to sundown upwind. The boat was heeled most of the day and we had tacked a number of times while keeping a close watch for coral heads (to make sure we avoided them) while crossing Sapodilla bay. It was blowing around 18 knots and we had one reef in the mainsail. We were making good progress, but the sun was setting and we were about 5 miles from our anchorage. On our next tack (around 5pm) we dropped the headsail and the mizzen and motor-sailed (sailing with the motor on) the last stretch to make it through a narrow deeper section into the anchorage. I had jumped into the dinghy that was being towed behind us and bailed out the water that had splashed into it while we were sailing. The dinghy was secure.

Sunset was at 5:25pm. At around 5:45, the sun was under the horizon and there was just a hint of yellow orange glow behind us illuminating a small island to our south. Adam looked back instinctively like checking your rear view mirror while driving and something was a little off.
"ALAN! Where is the Dinghy"? He shouted into the wind (where I was keeping watch on the bow at the time). "You mean it's gone"? i asked. It was pretty unbelievable. I had seen the line secured to the cleat not more than 45 minutes before and it had been secure almost all day long. We immediately made an about face and headed back toward the dying glow of the sunset. Adam carefully backtracked over our same GPS track to give us the best chance of spotting our beloved dinghy. In that 45 minutes we had gone about 3 and a half miles. We just hoped we could spot it in the darkness.

Trevor and I went quickly down below and gathered the binoculars and night-vision scope. We started scanning the horizon from the bow. It was getting very dark and hard to see and we were still 3 miles from where we made the turn and the last point at which we know we still had the dinghy attached. It had to be somewhere between here and there. We figured it had drifted downwind too and were looking mostly in that direction. About 20min went by (although it felt like an hour following our track). It was just plain dark now. No moon, only starlight. We were sure it had to be close. We were all very engaged in the search, but in the backs of our minds we were thinking, 'man where in the world are we going to find another dinghy? this stinks.' Then all I could think about was how our poor little dinghy was just bobbing out there in the cold and what an awful feeling he must have had as he lost his grip and watched us motor away without even noticing. It must have been like that feeling you get when you miss your bus ride home from school and think that there is no way for you to get home. "What is That"!? shouted Adam over the wind. I turned to light it up with the spotlight and sure enough, there was our little dinghy sitting there, sadly hoping we would come back for him. He was floating just yards from our track but we almost motored right past him in the dark since we were all looking far off in the distance.

We motored close and hooked the bow line, I led it back and reattached the tow line with the most secure knot I know. Relieved, we congratulated each other on a job well done and headed back for the anchorage. What a relief it was too. Without a dinghy, we are "boat locked" and unable to get to shore. Thank you dinghy for patiently waiting for us to return and collect you - and don't do that again!
-THE END

More about our dinghy:
Our dinghy is about 8 feet long and quite seaworthy in all but the nastiest choppy sea. It can be rowed with oars (which we use mostly) or sailed with a small sailing rig. It can hold 3 people + gear max or 4 people very carefully and only in flat water. We usually store the dinghy on-deck in mounts made specifically for it. When we are at a destination or just making small day hops in relatively calm protected water (not offshore) we tow the dinghy with a tow line.

When we go to shore, we lock the dinghy to something permanent like a tree or dock cleat with a bicycle cable lock so that it is sure to be there when we return. We also keep a bailer made out of a gatorade bottle in the dinghy for bailing it out if we ever get some water over the side.

Things we use the dinghy for:
Most importantly, traveling from shore to the boat. It carries: our laundry, our computer, our water jugs, our shower sprayer, our food from the market, our bicycles, our scooters, and us but not all at the same time so many times more than one trip is necessary.

Our dinghy is also well suited for snorkeling and diving. You can throw your gear in and row out to a coral head and drop a small anchor. The dinghy will wait right there for you while you enjoy the underwater wildlife. If you see a shark you can jump back into the dinghy! And no, I have not seen a shark yet.

Food from the Sea

2010-01-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

While my lobster dinner is still eluding me, there are other food items that the sea has been providing the eye crew recently. We have been catching fish at least once every time we sail over an underwater "shelf" (a spot where the water depth changes significantly).

On a more recent snorkeling (hunter-gathering) expedition, I found a large Caribbean King Crab that we boiled for our first crab dinner. Today I brought back 3 large conch (which are legal for harvesting in the Turks and Caicos, long as they are 7 inches long and weigh at least 8 ounces). Conch are more difficult to clean than lobster, crab, or fish in my opinion, and can be an acquired taste. The raw meat (yes, I tried it raw) tastes a little like chewy, under-cooked chicken meat. However, fried and tenderized it's quite good.

Trevor told me that he thinks I am forming a deep bond with the sea and the animals I have been catching, preparing, and eating. Maybe so; maybe I'm just hungry; maybe both. I hope the sea continues to be so generous ... and that I catch some lobster soon.

Alan's Birthday

2010-01-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

Last friday was my birthday the big 24. I think that if 5 years ago you told me that I would be living on a boat in George Town, Bahamas on my 24th birthday I would say you were crazy but here I am.

We have a Birthday Banner aboard that I brought from home and that we used for Liz's birthday party in New Bern, NC and I slipped it to Trevor on Thursday for him to put up so that I wouldn't have to decorate for my own birthday. He did and we had a great time on Stocking island across from Georgetown hanging out with local cruisers and playing some volleyball. Then we cooked a huge dinner of pasta and chicken cheese steak and Adam even baked a cake for the occasion. It was technically a pineapple right-side-up cake and it was delicious. We even had eggs to put into the cake (a real treat). We didn't have any candles aboard but a few matches stuck in the top and of course the birthday song made it as good a birthday as ever. We also enjoyed the company of a new friend Doug and his girlfriend who are also headed south to Panama. Doug has lived in Panama for quite a few years and we had plenty to talk about. I hope we run into them again somewhere down south.

So what did i get for my birthday? I was finally able to open the birthday gifts given to me in Hampton, VA that I have kept under my bunk (thanks Mom and Dad) A tin of chocolates, a new quick drying long sleeve sun shirt, and a harmonica! And of course thanks to my girlfriend, a BANJO! That's right, a shiny new banjo. We have been having some impromptu band practices on the boat and I am catching up with the banjo parts. Seems like we could have a pretty good run as a bluegrass band after all.

We have been waiting out a front that blew though on Sat. and plan to leave tomorrow morning for Turks and Caicos when the winds and seas are forecasted to die down.

Alan's Lobster Hunt

2009-12-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

In my college days, I took a scuba class where we learned how to skin dive first i.e mask fins and snorkel before we learned how to scuba dive and we practiced a lot. Now that we are in the Bahamas around all these tropical islands I am getting back into skin diving and have been doing as much as possible lately and also mainly in search of a big juicy LOBSTER! MAN i want a lobster so bad.

Yesterday after we left Great Harbor Cay we went and anchored in "Slaughter Harbor" and as soon as we anchored I jumped in my wetsuit and went looking for a lobster after checking to make sure our anchor was set well. I swam about a 1/3 mile to the rocky shore all about 15 feet deep and saw a sting ray, lots of conch (smaller ones) and a beach chair on the bottom. As soon as i got to the rocks i found a huge conch and lots of small reef fish and star fish all over the place. Sea urchins and anemones and sponges. Then i saw the antenna of a lobster! a big looking one with thick antennas. I mentally prepared and went for his antenna and right as i grabbed hold he slipped away pulling hard through my fingers back under his big rock. i couldn't believe it. I dove all around the shore looking for another one with no luck coming back to the first rock to see if he had re-emerged but nothing. I couldn't lift the rock so i had to let it go. The crew almost didn't believe me so i can't wait to bring back a lobster and prove IT.

So lobster around there have to have at least a 6" tail in order to be harvested legally. They don't want everyone taking all the baby lobster. So today has been my third attempt at lobster hunting. We anchored in between Hoffmann and Devils Cay and Trevor, Deb and Adam went south to Devils Cay to try and find a blue hole that is somewhere in the middle of the island. They say they saw it but couldn't get there due to the dense plant growth and lack of trails.

Meanwhile I proceeded to dive the entire cove we were anchored in looking for a big fat lobster for dinner. I saw... two large sea turtles one right under the boat and one hiding in the coral, more fish than ever some red, some blue, some tiny yellow and black and some very pointy with huge black eyes. Sea Urchins are all over the place too hiding in the rocks and you have to be very careful if you are walking on the bottom.

I took a rest on a small island with a beach and walked up the hill to take some pictures and there were hermit crabs everywhere just like in the pet store only all over the ground so that you had to be careful where you stepped or you might crush one. I also found some garbage on the little island unfortunately. Some bottles, an old fire pit, a broken pair of shoes and some plastic stuff. I didn't see any trash in the harbor however which was nice.

So the hunt for a lobster continues...stay tuned.

Ham Radio Email Update

2009-12-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. We are having a rainy day here on the WTP waiting for the weather to change around in our favor so we can cross the gulf stream and get over to the Bahamas. Meanwhile, I have been working on setting up our capability to send emails over the ham radio! This is a test of that system. This journal post was sent completely over ham radio from south Florida. No, blackberry, no internet. That means that this post could have been made while in the middle of the ocean! I for one am exited to have this system working.

A Trip to the Everglades

2009-12-12T08:46:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures I took from our trip to the Florida Everglades. Enjoy

Alan is Alive!

2009-12-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

Thats right, i'm here and kicking. Here is an update for all of you Alan fans out there.

Life on board the WTP has been very exiting over the past month since leaving Virginia. Every day there has been something that needs doing from the to-do list and there is always something new to see or learn about. I have always loved building things and working with my hands. So far living on the boat has been like living in an Alan playground of electronics, mechanical systems AND it's also a sailboat!

Working on the electrical system is very rewarding. Especially when I can watch us use energy to power lights and recharge laptops and then during the day watch the solar panels and wind generator just charge the batteries back up again. It gives a lot of satisfaction seeing that we are essentially a zero energy home meaning that we use only the energy that we produce ourselves! This is something that is pretty difficult to do on land in a "normal" home. And not only energy but water too. Since we have a water maker on board we are that much more self sufficient at sea.

Eating on board is also very interesting and can be exiting depending on who is doing the cooking. Everyone has their own style of cooking. Trevor cooks with love, Adam cooks by the seat of his pants (which actually works a surprisingly large part of the time) and I just try to make it taste good and sometimes employ Trevor when in doubt. Overall I would say we have been eating much better than I ever did living in Raleigh in an apartment since we are forced to make a meal more often than we can just go to McDonalds or Wendy’s although we still enjoy a good burger and fries of course. We are all looking forward to catching more seafood once we get moving.

Everyone we have met and told about Eye of the World has been very impressed, intrigued and interested in the website and following us along which has made us very hopeful that the program will continue to grow and more schools and classrooms will tune in. Much thanks to those of you who are already following and emailing us regularly. You keep us on our toes and we love getting emails from you!

Of course I miss my friends and loved ones in North Carolina and I am very thank full to have such great support from them for something that takes me away from home for such a long time.

-Capitan Alan

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

2009-11-05T11:33:00.000-08:00