Starblazer - 17/09/2015 – The challenges of sailing

The wind is free, it can do as it pleases and often does! The first few

days from Lombok to Christmas Island were characterised by feeble winds

which are not meant to drive heavy cruising boats. Most of the fleet tried

to sail until early evening when the wind died further and there was an

adverse current, speed towards the waypoint reduced to a crawl. The lighter

‘flyers’ were ahead and kept a bit more of the breeze though all boats

reported some engine hours on the 0900 SSB net.



To motor at a reasonable speed one needs an adequate fuel supply reaching

the injectors, that is where our problems began at 0300. The engine died so

John got me back on watch to restart the engine while he bled the injectors,

something which had worked when we had a similar problem in Cairns and again

just before leaving Gili Gede. The engine restarted but it wouldn’t rev so

we bumbled along at about 2 knots over the ground, thank heavens for a

favourable current. After the radio net John started taking bits off the

engine to check for: diesel bug – all clear; blocked filters – all clear;

finally diesel lift pump – not working properly. The solution, a little

agricultural but functioning, was to plumb a water pump into the system just

before the lift pump which supplies the injector pump. This worked for a

while until the lift pump went on strike so the water pump was replumbed,

bypassing the lift pump but getting its feed through a filter. Success.



We motor-sailed all Monday evening and night in a bid to catch up with the

back markers, until 0740 Tuesday when John got up and I mentioned that the

engine bilge pump had gone off fairly frequently. Engine off, doors opened,

water spray everywhere! The culprit was the rubber end fitting on the heat

exchanger which has two metal pipes inserted into rubber necks, one of which

had almost torn off. The repair, which took about 5 hours, saw John stick

the fitting together with the two part adhesive we bought for repairing our

hypalon dinghy, strengthening it with a hypalon bandage and a strip of beer

can then snugging the jubilee clip down right at the base. It seems to be

working. Our 7 hours without an engine and very little wind added 23 miles

towards our destination, better than the 25 in 9 hours during Monday!



Since Tuesday evening we have been sailing, which is what Starblazer is

meant to do so long as the wind puts in an appearance. Our ETA at the finish

line just off Christmas Island is the early hours of Friday morning, later

than we wished but much earlier than if John hadn’t managed to effect the

engine repairs. Tuesday evening was remarkable for the number of fishing

boats we passed, many apparently moored but some moving. They use very

bright lights and it was possible to see the loom of the lights long before

the boats appeared on the horizon. Wednesday night was completely devoid of

fishing boats though we had an AIS contact with a yacht, not part of the

rally, we appear to have lost him now. We are, however, within VHF range of

two rally boats, Allegro and Lunar Quest so we are not alone.



Sunday and Monday were so calm I painted a courtesy flag for Christmas

Island, using acrylic paints on a blank nylon flag I’d made for our Atlantic

Circuit in 2009-10. I think we’ll probably be the only boat in the fleet

with one as we must fly the Australian ensign as well. Tuesday and

Wednesday I stitched some Christmas decorations, anything to keep busy. I

also made some carrot cake cupcakes yesterday. The trouble with cupcakes is

that they get eaten very quickly whereas a slice of cake takes a little

longer to find and cut!



Joyce