15 September 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -18.182316 LON: 170.956633
Timestamp: 2014-09-15 09:04 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-18.182316&lon=170.956633
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: -17.959116 LON: 171.590150
Timestamp: 2014-09-15 01:04 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-17.959116&lon=171.590150
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: -17.949550 LON: 171.628950
Timestamp: 2014-09-15 00:34 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-17.949550&lon=171.628950
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: -17.816116 LON: 172.110150
Timestamp: 2014-09-14 18:05 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-17.816116&lon=172.110150
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 September 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -17.653750 LON: 172.570933
Timestamp: 2014-09-14 10:03 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-17.653750&lon=172.570933
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

Approaching Vanuatu

We're about 270 miles from Port Vila at the moment so chances are that
we'll be there either late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Apparently we're due for a bit of weather during tomorrow. The GFS GRIB
forecast that we have shows around 20-25 knots which in reality means
probable wind strengths around 35 knots or so, because GFS is usually
under by about 50%. Fortunately it should only last for about 12 hours
but there is a trough and convergence zone we have to pass through so
that could mean some squalls and rainfall along with it. We are running
with 2 reefs in the main and a genoa at the moment, the plan is to put a
third reef in the main tonight and furl the genoa a bit, then probably
douse the genoa tomorrow and put out the staysail in its place. We have
had steady winds around 15-17 knots all day today which has given us
good miles under the keel but there really isn't any way around this
trough, we have to just push through it as best as we can.

I think the auto position updates are working OK at the moment but there
was a bit of a zig-zag where the program that handles the manual
position updates got the E and W longitude mixed up. In any case we're
back in the E hemisphere having crossed the date line which runs through
Fiji, and heading towards Vanuatu.

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -17.319066 LON: 173.813483
Timestamp: 2014-09-13 17:59 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-17.319066&lon=173.813483
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

11 September 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -15.510549 LON: 178.487533
Timestamp: 2014-09-11 01:50 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-15.510549&lon=178.487533
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: -15.50645 LON: -178.4981
Timestamp: 2014-09-11 01:45 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-15.50645&lon=-178.4981
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: -15.463599 LON: 178.620916
Timestamp: 2014-09-11 00:15 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-15.463599&lon=178.620916
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: -15.3169333333333 LON: -179.122516666667
Timestamp: 2014-09-10 18:48 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-15.3169333333333&lon=-179.122516666667
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

10 September 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -15.1322666666667 LON: -179.633916666667
Timestamp: 2014-09-10 12:54 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-15.1322666666667&lon=-179.633916666667
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: -14.987500 LON: -179.859650
Timestamp: 2014-09-10 08:12 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-14.987500&lon=-179.859650
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: -14.888900 LON: -178.910366
Timestamp: 2014-09-10 00:11 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-14.888900&lon=-178.910366
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: -14.8234 LON: -178.31065
Timestamp: 2014-09-09 18:47 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-14.8234&lon=-178.31065
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 September 2014

07 September 2014

Chiara Stella position report

Current position: LAT: -13.566333 LON: -173.242166
Timestamp: 2014-09-07 07:04 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-13.566333&lon=-173.242166
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: -13.5512333333333 LON: -173.161666666667
Timestamp: 2014-09-07 05:20 UTC
Iridium position: http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=-13.5512333333333&lon=-173.161666666667
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

Departing Savai'i

We had a few fits and starts departing Savai'i.

The wind in the bay where we were anchored kicked up to 20 knots and a
bit more about the time we wanted to leave. Fortunately we'd already
contacted Ian the fishing boat guy at the Va-i-moana resort on shore and
he led us out through the pass. It was a bit easier going out than
coming in, but there was still a significant "washing machine" swell and
a strong cross wind that was making holding a course difficult. The
reef edges were easy to see, however, and the channel appeared wider
coming out than going in. Ian pointed out (as we left the channel) that
our swim ladder was down, due to me having taken a swim this morning so
we hauled it up and continued sailing.

Strong NE winds on the north of Savai'i soon turned E and then a bit SE
so we were able to get some sail out. Once we did, of course, the wind
died off completely and the washing machine swell reappeared, as we
rounded the western tip of Samoa. So we had no option other than to
motor for a few more hours, in fairly uncomfortable conditions.

By 4pm (local time) today the swell had calmed down, and after an hour
or so of coming from every which direction the wind finally settled in
to a 10 or so knot SE wind, at about 120 degrees on our port side (wind
direction measured in degrees port or starboard from dead ahead).
That's a pretty good sailing angle for us so we're now making about 4
knots on the course we want. Not great speed but speed in the right
direction at least, and without having to use the engine.

Forecast for the next 24 to 48 hours is for much of the same so it
should be a slow-ish but comfortable passage to Vanuatu. If the wind
holds OK tomorrow we should be able to fly the spinnaker for a while to
get a bit more way on.

I've logged in with one of the HF radio nets -- Rag of the Air,
broadcast from Fiji, so there are a few other folks who know where we
are and will be keeping tabs. The sked is at 8am our time so I can eat
a bit of breakfast while listening to the radio.

Next stop Port Vila.

Bye Bye Samoa

Today around mid-day local time we plan to up anchor and leave Asau Bay, Samoa. It should be about 10 days sailing from here to Port Vila, Vanuatu.

I have a stack of photos and videos to post but the general internet slowness and cost here prevents me from posting more right now. I will try to upload some in Vanuatu or maybe when I get back to Sydney or Saigon.

Weather for the next few days looks like SE winds around 15 knots, so it even may be a good spinnaker run.

06 September 2014