Daily Logs

Aqualuna - 3000 Miles, 2 Sailors, No Freezer: what ocean sailing is actually like on a blue-water cruising boat

Day 19, Leg 4: Galápagos Islands to Hiva Oa, Marquesas: Our freezer finally decided to throw in the towel a few days before we left the Galápagos Islands and with a terminal diagnosis of dead compressors we had no choice but to completely rethink our meal plan and provisioning strategy for our forthcoming 3000 mile voyage to the Marquesas that we reckoned was going to take us about 3 weeks to complete. In many ways it was a relief: it had been throwing a tantrum for quite a while and we were constantly on tenterhooks as to whether we needed to take a chance for this long leg by relying on it, or whether to provision with fresh, tinned and dry goods. At least now we knew what we were dealing with - and we thanked the gods that it had chosen to die before we left. Because there are just 2. read more...

Pat Bon - God ….. I Hate Fish

11:56.051S 129:55.264W“TAKE COVER - incoming squadron of fish”. With that, Val hits the deck or cowers under the spray hood. Or it’s Nathan wearing his new fish slippers - a new fashion trend, although the trail of fish guts and fishy body parts isn’t pleasant, especially after a day in the tropical sun! It’s a nightly and coordinated attack on Pat Bon by our fishy friends - there we are, quietly on watch, minding own business when the unmistakable slap and splatter of a flying fish bouncing around the cockpit. A mad dash trying to catch and return it to its fishy kingdom, but it’s so slippery and almost impossible to catch with your hands - and boy, do they smell, even when alive! Sometimes they’re in stealth mode and they simply hop out of the water and onto the deck, there to remain. read more...

Pat Bon - Boobies, Whales, Sunsets….. but where are those trade winds!

09:12.947S 106:11.799W Pat Bon and her valiant crew are just over a week into the BIG leg 4 of our World ARC adventure, the 3,000+ nautical mile crossing of the Pacific Ocean from the Galapagos to the Marquesas islands. We’ve managed to do over 1,100NM so far and today our GPS system told us we’ve got under 2,000NM to travel until we reach the island of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas. So a third of the passage completed - yay!  The crew have all guessed our arrival time at the finish line in Hiva Oa. This based on the distance we’ve travelled so far, the predicted weather, bearing in mind we only have sufficient fuel to motor a total of 7 or so days and we have to use the winds to sail for over 80% of the time and our planned course, which takes us quite far south of the rhumb. read more...

Aqualuna - Galapagos: Not For The Fainthearted

Galápagos Islands: 17th February - 5th March.  The rollers piling into the shore are awe-inspiring, magnificent, fierce ….. and fearsome. I’ve just commented on exactly this when I realise that the boat has turned to face the shore and the skipper is in fact planning to breach them to enter the lagoon. There is a pause, and the other passengers realise what is happening. The skipper waits - and I feel as if we have stumbled into that Guinness advert with the heartbeat music and the surfers. He stands at the wheel, assesses the rollers, the boat heaving in the swell …. and everyone falls completely silent. The fear is palpable and the skipper watches, turning the boat slowly while he waits for his opportunity. A beat; a pause; and time seems to stop. Then suddenly: he sees his chance! The. read more...

Aqualuna - Aqualuna Turns Into A Stealth Boat

Day 1, Leg 4 Galapagos to Hiva Oa, Marquesa IslandsAfter the excitement of the racing start from the Galapagos yesterday, the sky became blacker over the course of the afternoon. I love the drama of sunshine against dark glowering skies but I also know that out at sea it signals a high probability of rain and squalls. These nasty little weather systems will at best deliver a strong increase in wind - often up to 30+ knots - so we have to be on high alert to shorten sail in plenty of time before we get walloped. At worst they harbour electric storms.Last night it was as black as all hell. Thank god for radar as these beasties show up in glorious technicolour - the deeper the red, the deeper the poo you may be about to experience. As I began the first night watch the radar was. read more...

Pat Bon - Green………… Tomatoes, Bananas & Oranges

Our time in the Galápagos Islands has sadly finally come to an end. We’ve spent a very special two weeks in three of the islands, San Cristobal, Isabela and Santa Cruz, which are the only islands in the archipelago the ARC fleet are permitted to anchor off. But now, as the islands fade into the distance, we turn our attention to the 3,000 miles that lie ahead.The forecast isn’t great for the first few days, with the ITCZ (doldrums) lying to the south of the islands and we have to punch through this band before we can pick up the south easterly trade winds that will take us west to the Marquesas Islands. We’re currently having to motor, as the winds are very light, but of course we have to be careful regarding fuel use for both the engine and the generator. We’ve probably got fuel to. read more...

Pat Bon - Galapagos Doesn’t Disappoint

90:26.2W 00:55.8 SWe’ve just left Isola San Cristobal and are now heading to Isola Isabella in the Galapagos archipelago. We arrived in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the main harbour/anchorage on the island on Tuesday 18th after a 5 day passage from Panama. If you read my earlier blogs, you will know that we had to motor most of the way sadly, as the winds were light and variable the whole way - typical doldrums - and it bucketed down with rain! We crossed the Equator late on Monday evening, which is always a land-mark (or should that be ocean-mark🧐😂) for any sailor.When we arrived, we had to complete the most stringent entry formalities - 12 people came on board, all from different agencies. While it might be bureaucratic in the extreme, you can understand why when you start seeing this. read more...

Gertha 5 - Pacific playlist

00.28N 87.59WSeveral days of this trip the lead band has been Wet, wet, wet accompanied by the famous Harison track , Whilst my Gertha gently weeps.We have now moved to Here comes the sun and Champagne super sailing.Tomorrow sees us cross the Equator and most likely arrive in Galapagos, but as we all know the trip is not over until the Fat lady sings.Boobies sleeping on the guard rails at night. Small black birds with white rump bit like a Martin circle the boat, Dolphins plus some white bird with black on wing , not a Ganet.Progress is not fast , but Yanmar has rested after many days of hard throbbing, shaking and rattling, the sails have resumed their rightful position as main propulsion force.Food into Galapagos is limited , fridge is near empty, a few apples, a cabbage, a pepper.. read more...

Aqualuna - Invasion of the Boobies

Day 4 Leg 6: Panama to San Cristobal, Galapagos We have less than 100 miles to run until we make landfall in the Galapagos - and just under 2 hours until we cross the equator. I am BEYOND excited and finding it hard to believe we’re actually here. Ever since watching David Attenborough’s Life on Earth as a child, the Galapagos has been on my bucket list. And now we have sailed all the way from England to see it with our own eyes. I am so proud of us!We are already seeing a lot of wildlife: large dolphins and huge turtles with other World ARC boats reporting whales, spinner dolphins - and even sharks. In our case we have an enormous number of birds with us - and yesterday a red-footed booby (yes I know, less sniggering please) - an actual native of the Galapagos. However, it is. read more...

Pat Bon - The Equator

00:00.000S 88:35.733WWe’ve done it! We crossed the equator at 2309 local time (GMT -5) on board Pat Bon and are now sailing in the southern hemisphere. This has been one of my dreams from 40+ years ago, to sail across the equator. Sadly we weren't sailing, as the little wind we had was bang on the nose - don’t they say that about Mediterranean sailing😂. We are now about 80nm from arriving in San Cristobal island. We departed Contadore Island in the Las Perlas islands about 20 hours after the main ARC fleet last Thursday 13th February for the 850nm leg to the Galápagos Islands. We knew the leg was going to have light winds, as we were going to pass through the ITCZ or the Pacific doldrums, but sadly the wind has not played ball for virtually the whole voyage. Apart from a few. read more...

Gertha 5 - Pacific not passive

02.57 N 83.56 WLast 24 hour has been squalls, afternoon was raining elephants and dinosaurs, now back to good sailing, Yanmar is having a restSea was a brown red colour with lumps of wood, must be something in the current department Inside temperature is 28 , the major deck washing has cooled the boat.. read more...

Gertha 5 - Very passive Pacific

05 .11n 82.16wNot much wind out here, but we are getting the chance to work the fuel consumption/ engine revs figures.We will have to pace our selves to cover distance to Galapagos.Repaired a solar panel, started and nearly finished a book, cooked chicken curry.Living the sea life in the slow lane.. read more...

Gertha 5 - Pacific

06.39N 80.27WShelter bay is behind us Panama Canal was fun, waking at anchor in lake with jungle noises all round.Panama City, enormous, I took one look and ran away.Now we are in Pacific , slow steady progress to Galapagos, the winds are light or nothing, the wildlife is in incredible, rays doing backward flops yesterday. Today dolphins , whales , turtles and birds all around.. read more...

Pat Bon - The Panama Canal

8:54.49N 79:31.40WWe’ve finally made it into the Pacific! It’s been a frustrating few days for the ARC fleet since we arrived in Shelter Bay Marina, which is on the Caribbean side of the canal, due to the fact that the Panama Canal authorities have been drip feeding the boats through for some unknown reason. We had initially been split into 3 groups of 10 yachts to transit together, but only 2 yachts at a time were permitted. As Shelter Bay marina was located in the old US military base of Fort Sherman and far away from any town or life, there was very little to do. We ate our way through the small restaurant’s menu and Nathan arranged for volleyball games + the inevitable beers and G&T’s. This did give us time however, to lift Pat Bon and get her hull cleaned and repainted ready for. read more...

Gertha 5 - Shelter Bay

We are currently in shelter bay, Panama.I do not think the bay was named after a bus shelter, there are buses here but not many, we are a bit out in the wilds.A cross between a deserted US base, a jungle and a well found marina.The bird and wild life in the jungle is awesome.The deserted American base is strange.The marina cannot be faulted; but a regular buss to town would help.We wait for our slot in the canal, maybe this week , maybe next week...Living in a tumble dryer, hot wind all day every day, can not complain, just checked the weather in Suffolk, looks like the lazy wind has set in.. read more...