22 July 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -13.737483 LON: -170.134733
Timestamp: 2014-07-22 07:57 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-13.737483&lon=-170.134733
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Winds and storms

The Manua Islands of American Samoa are a set of fuzzy blobs on the
horizon, away to the south of us now. I didn't think we'd be able to
see them at this distance (about 30nm according to the chart) but they
are high islands formed from volcanic activity, over 2000m to the
highest peak.

We've had an odd assortment of winds today, more reminiscent of sailing
in Middle Harbour than in the trade wind belt. We started with the
usual easterly, with a forecast predicting it would swing north easterly
during the day. In fact it started out by dying off, then coming from
due west, and progressing around through south west and south, all quite
light so we motored for a few hours. It's now due easterly again and
we're running with the poled out genoa and the main with 3 reefs sheeted
in tight to reduce the roll. There's still a significant swell although
much lighter than yesterday.

We spent most of the morning dodging storms, which we seemed to do
successfully. We could see quite a bit of activity around us but the
worst we got was a calm between two of them, and the tail end of a bit
of rain.

At the current speed we should make Apia late tomorrow (Wednesday)
afternoon, but I'm still betting on the wind to die off a bit which
means we'll more likely arrive on Thursday morning. I'm looking
forwards to a beer at Aggie Grey's.

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -13.627250 LON: -169.059150
Timestamp: 2014-07-21 15:53 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-13.627250&lon=-169.059150
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

20 July 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -13.378200 LON: -166.473850
Timestamp: 2014-07-20 07:43 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-13.378200&lon=-166.473850
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Onwards to Samoa

We spent 5 days at what has to be the most idyllic place on the planet
-- and you can only get there by boat so it's not crowded with tourists.
At one point there were 8 yachts there (plus the park ranger and his
wife who live there for 5 months of the year) and it almost felt crowded.

We swam with sharks, watched manta rays being cleaned, snorkelled around
coral reefs and took many photos and a few videos -- too much to upload
via satellite phone unfortunately.

We left Suwarrow on Friday around noon our time, and we're now headed
towards Apia, Samoa. With good winds behind us it should be a 4 day
passage but the forecast is for lighter winds after the weekend so it
may be that it takes us 5 days.

I'm trying a new sail configuration -- with the wind directly astern I
have the two headsails poled out, one either side, but I also have the
main sail up with 3 reefs, sheeted in tight to reduce the roll. There's
a fair bit of swell and we're copping some roll but I think it's working.

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -13.357100 LON: -165.059616
Timestamp: 2014-07-19 17:19 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-13.357100&lon=-165.059616
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

14 July 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -13.249816 LON: -163.107483
Timestamp: 2014-07-14 03:35 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-13.249816&lon=-163.107483
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Suwarrow

We have arrived and dropped anchor at Suwarrow atoll, northern Cook
Islands. More to report and photos later. It's a very pretty place and
there are small black tipped reef sharks swimming around the boat.

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -13.249383 LON: -163.107333
Timestamp: 2014-07-13 19:34 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-13.249383&lon=-163.107333
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

12 July 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -14.830166 LON: -162.636483
Timestamp: 2014-07-12 11:28 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-14.830166&lon=-162.636483
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -15.186516 LON: -162.165533
Timestamp: 2014-07-12 03:28 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-15.186516&lon=-162.165533
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -15.800900 LON: -161.842483
Timestamp: 2014-07-11 19:27 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-15.800900&lon=-161.842483
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

new record

I think I just set a new record for this boat -- between yesterday at
8am and today at 8am we covered 163 nautical miles, which is an average
well over 6 knots. Most of that was done on the same course, 340
magnetic on the autopilot with the wind just behind the beam, main with
2 reefs and genoa partially furled. Wind speed was mostly between 22 -
25 knots with gusts to 28 or so (against a forecast of 16 knots). Seas
were a bit too lumpy so it was difficult to cook any food, fortunately I
laid in good supplies of cabin bread, cheese, jam, and even some chopped
liver I made at Rarotonga.

Right now we have more pleasant conditions around 16 knots (against a
forecast of 11 knots) with seas still a little lumpy but much less than
yesterday.

Someone should make available a GRIB file simply based on the GFS model
but with 50% added to all of the wind speeds. Talking to a few of the
other sailors around French Polynesia and also in the Cooks, it seems to
be common knowledge that the most widely used weather model always
forecasts wind speeds that are pretty close to exactly 50% less than
what you're likely to get. Even the one English language weather
channel I found in French Polynesia took the simple route of reading the
wind forecast from the GFS GRIB and adding 50%. The GFS wind direction
seems to be more or less accurate, so if you just took the model wind
speed and added 50% you'd get something reasonably close to an accurate
forecast.

The new water maker is now working, more or less, after I replaced just
about everything in it I could replace -- perhaps 15 hours spent
servicing a brand new machine direct from the dealer just to get it
running doesn't impress me at all. At least Katadyn have replied to my
email giving me a few other things to check.

11 July 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -16.574333 LON: -161.716583
Timestamp: 2014-07-11 11:26 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-16.574333&lon=-161.716583
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -17.488433 LON: -161.657500
Timestamp: 2014-07-11 03:25 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-17.488433&lon=-161.657500
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

not Palmerston

The winds sat around 30 knots most of the night blowing us eastwards, so
we have decided to abandon reaching Palmerston. Instead we have turned
the boat north to make Suwarrow instead. We're now making about 6 knots
roughly northwards with the wind on the beam so we will probably make
Suwarrow by Monday or thereabouts. Unfortunately trying to make
Palmerston from here would be a 90 mile upwind beat and no guarantee of
a safe anchorage when we get there.

10 July 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -18.648600 LON: -161.985750
Timestamp: 2014-07-10 11:19 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-18.648600&lon=-161.985750
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -18.648916 LON: -162.378566
Timestamp: 2014-07-10 03:18 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-18.648916&lon=-162.378566
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Progress update

We are about 70 miles from Palmerston Atoll where we plan to stop for
the weekend. In theory we could make it late today with the current
wind and a bit of motor-sailing but I've decided we're going to take
things slowly. The wind is forecast to move in front of us this
afternoon and so we will heave to when it does, and wait for it to move
back around to the other side of the boat which it should do (according
to the forecast) some time late tomorrow morning.

At the moment it's a pleasant morning's sailing. Wind is about 10 knots
just in front of the beam, seas quite slight with about a metre or so
swell. We have most of the genoa up and 2 reefs in the main (I could
shake one out for speed but couldn't be bothered right now if we're
going to heave to later in the day anyway), and we're making about 4.5
knots.

I have a big bunch of bananas on deck that someone gave us at Rarotonga.
I'm waiting for them to turn over-ripe so I can test out my banana
bread recipe.

Movie time now I think.

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -18.744216 LON: -162.137100
Timestamp: 2014-07-09 19:17 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-18.744216&lon=-162.137100
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -18.85984 LON: -161.953616666667
Timestamp: 2014-07-09 15:20 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-18.85984&lon=-161.953616666667
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

09 July 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -19.053966 LON: -161.756366
Timestamp: 2014-07-09 11:16 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-19.053966&lon=-161.756366
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -19.961650 LON: -161.040816
Timestamp: 2014-07-09 03:15 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-19.961650&lon=-161.040816
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -19.961650 LON: -161.040816
Timestamp: 2014-07-08 19:11 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-19.961650&lon=-161.040816
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -20.0523 LON: -160.940116666667
Timestamp: 2014-07-08 17:36 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-20.0523&lon=-160.940116666667
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

08 July 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -20.427050 LON: -160.569883
Timestamp: 2014-07-08 11:09 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-20.427050&lon=-160.569883
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -20.878850 LON: -160.137566
Timestamp: 2014-07-08 03:06 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-20.878850&lon=-160.137566
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

Leaving Rarotonga again

Well we finally left Rarotoga for the second time, after replacing the
genoa, forestay, and furling luff for the genoa furler. Although it
feels good to be out on the water again, I will miss the folks back in
Rarotonga and will go back there again some day.

Big shout outs to Bret Scott of Scott Sails in Manly Vale, Sydney, for
getting a new genoa made to my previous measurements which he had on
file. Bret I don't know if you're reading this or in contact with Megs
who probably is but the new sail fits perfectly and is currently poled
out on a dead downwind run, about 12 knots of breeze behind us and
drawing well.

On the island big shout outs to Keith Christian of Sail Rarotonga who
acted as a receiving point for all of the parts and was able to
reassemble the furler, the forestay and help us get running again. Also
to the rest of the special crew -- Bridget, Ivan & Linda, Paul, Andy
(digger) and Johnboy who lent a hand where needed and got us moving again.

Having a couple of extra weeks on the island enabled us to get to see a
few things we wouldn't otherwise have made the trip for. The dance show
at the Staircase bar on Thursday night was particularly good, and the
Islander Hotel fed us our last steak before heading into the blue again.
The show at Te Vara Nui was also worth catching, along with the many
other little places that we visited.

We should be in Palmerston in 2 or 3 days time, more likely the latter
because we'll take it slow and easy. The long range weather forecast
doesn't look good for landing there but we'll see what happens when we
arrive.

After that it's on to Suwarrow and then Samoa.

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -21.203383 LON: -159.785500
Timestamp: 2014-07-07 19:15 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-21.203383&lon=-159.785500
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

04 July 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -21.2047 LON: -159.784748333333
Timestamp: 2014-07-03 20:27 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-21.2047&lon=-159.784748333333
YIT tracker: http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella
YOTREPS tracker: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=CHIARAST
MarineTraffic position: http://marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?zoom=10&mmsi=503518300

New Tracker

Today I signed up for the NZ based Yachts In Transit so I should have a new tracker working:  http://www.yit.co.nz/yacht/chiarastella

I can send position reports to that automatically or manually so it might alleviate some of the problems of the other ones.

02 July 2014

Just for anyone wondering where I am

I'm still at Rarotonga, still awaiting the parts to repair / replace my furler and genoa.  The furler parts and forestay are in the country now, awaiting customs clearance, while the sail left Sydney yesterday so I'm expecting it any day now.

So it's given me a bit longer to explore Rarotonga than I had otherwise planned, and there are worse places in the world to be stuck for a couple of weeks.  It has the major advantage (compared to French Polynesia) of being cheaper, at least we're not paying for accommodation except mooring fees (there being no free anchorage), while waiting.  There are plenty of nice places to eat on the island, and we've explored quite a few.  There was a night of buffet dinner and island dancing, a vietnamese/asian fusion restaurant, a lunch with another boat crew, and general getting around the island having a good time waiting for parts.

Of course I've had some work to do as well on board -- serviced the gearbox, serviced the generator, reorganised the storage a bit, etc.  Yesterday we went shopping and restocked the freezer in anticipation of leaving, and that also gave me the impetus to reorganise the pantry, etc.  All of which needs doing much more regularly on a boat than on land, because there is so much less free space so that you have to be careful of how you use it.

We've visited the other side of the island a bit, and checked out the lagoon at Muri.  I'm a bit slack at taking photos, so this one is borrowed:

All nice and tropical looking although the locals have been complaining about the cold recently (it got as low as 18 degrees at one point).

Hopefully the forestay parts will clear customs today, and the sail will go up later in the week so we should be ready to leave around Friday, weather permitting -- and if it doesn't permit we'll stay the weekend, stock up at the market on Saturday morning, and then leave on Monday.

I'm looking forwards to being out on the water again.