Location 33° 02S, 158° 51W
Tuesday 12:00, 07.24.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 33° 02S, 158° 51Wat noon on 24 July. We are headed for our turn point at 32S, 155W at hull speed, 10 knots. The weather continues favor us, as predicted, and we have a nice, steady 25 knot Southerly to drive us along. The wind is slowly backing to keep us on a lovely beam reach as we make our gradual turn for the Islands. It is now overcast again with occasional light rain showers, presumably signaling the outer reaches of this next front. The swell has steadied down to 7-10 meters from the SW, with one meter Southerly wind waves on top. Maggie B is riding comfortably with only occasional dollops of spray and occasional lurches. We are still getting occasional 13-14 knot surfs.

We did 219 NM in the last 24 hours, and 1023 NM in the last five days.

We have come 1431 NM from Opua and have 1054 to go to Tahiti. We are currently anticipating stopping at Raivavai in the Australs, which is about 830 NM from our current position. Besides being well-spoken-of by many sailors, it will also give a chance to sit out what may be a big NE’erly coming in the end of the week.

The bird life around us continues to amaze. Sometimes there are perhaps 100 close by, and you think that they should have an air traffic controller to keep order, and then the skies are empty. Today’s crew included a juvenile Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans) and an adult Black-Browed (D. melanophris). Excitement was provided by several Broad-Billed Prions (Pachyptila vittata), which can even out-fly our numerous Pintado Petrels, which is saying something. The prions common name is Whale Birds, and the albatrosses, Mollymawks.

Theresa delighted us today by making lovely whole-wheat bread from a recipe from my father’s cook, Roberta Robinson. It was absolutely delicious, especially spread with NZ Manuka honey. We got the honey when we drove around the north of the Northern Island to see the Lord of the Forest (a huge Kauri tree, see the photo on the web). The honey came from a crossroad called Waiotemarama, which probably isn’t on many maps. We never met the beekeeper as it was just out on a shelf, with an Honor Box nearby. NZ$15 for a kilo! From another grower (and Honor Box, but with the cash out so you could make change!) we bought a huge pile of avocados, NZ$4 for four kilos.

Everyone on board knows when we hit 10 knots with the centerboard down. The centerboard sets up a deep, strong hum just above the threshold of hearing, rather like the sound of someone blowing across the top of a very big jug. Having the centerboard down significantly helps our stability in the more complex wave patterns.

All is well.

What We Are Reading en route to Tahiti

Frank: In Tasmania by Nicholas Shakespeare

Ben: At Risk: A Novel by Stella Rimington (ex-Head of MI-5)

Theresa: Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell

Hannah: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

Location 33° 44S, 163° 07W
Monday 12:00, 07.23.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 33° 44S, 163° 07W at noon on July 23rd. We are booming along at 10 knots in a nice 20-25 knot SSW’erly. The waves have made themselves up into proper swells and are getting interesting. The swells are nice and regular, four a minute, and are 7-9 meters, somewhere between “Wow” and “Oh, shit!” The day has cleared with only occasional little rain showers marching by, leaving more rainbows than fresh-water washdowns. We did 227 NM in the last 24 hours, or 804 in the last four days. We are still riding the shoulder of the storm, keeping between 32 and 33 South, racing for our “left turn for the islands,” which is perhaps a day and a half away.

One of the Schooner Maggie B’s truly lovely characteristics is that even as we are hurtling along like this in big water and doing hull speed, we were able to have a pleasant lunch in the sun on deck (steaks with roasted potatoes, beets and garlic; salad with avocado, apple and macadamia nuts), only occasionally having to grab the HP sauce bottle as it hurtled across the table.

While generally quite dry, the Maggie B does like to occasionally pitch a bucket of water. This morning Ben was tripped up by one of our systems booby traps. Our shower’s control lever, if bumped, sprays the victim with perfect “Indiana Jones” timing. It can be neutralized by turning off an additional valve on the shower head, but that doesn’t always happen. This morning, while getting ready for watch, Ben got an unexpected and unwanted shower below. He went on deck, somewhat drenched, to complaint to Theresa. Just as his head appeared from the hatch to voice his irritation, the Maggie B finished the job with a perfectly-aimed bucket full. He got no sympathy from T’Weez.

One skill highly important for long-distance cruising, but not taught in most sea schools, is being a good librarian. Ships have endless systems: life rafts, watermakers, fuel pumps, portable VHF’s, roller furling, stove gas shut-offs, transformers, etc., etc. Everything comes with installation manuals, parts catalogs and operating instructions. If you have the paperwork and reasonable spares, you can fix most everything. Without the manuals you have to be a plumbing, electrician, diesel mechanic, rigging superman, or wait for the next port and hope. The Maggie B has a shelf about a meter long of just manuals.

Sailing in the dark on night on the shoulder of a storm can be a marvelous experience. Last night was mostly overcast, but with occasional stars shining through gaps here and there. The sea was large and boisterous, but only letting occasional mists of spray on board. The rain had ended. White caps were faintly visible in the light of the red and green riding lights. The wake could be seen briefly lit with the white stern light, rushing into the night at ten knots. Black-on-black waves intermittently blocked the faint horizon like 2-D cutouts moved back and forth in a school play’s seascape scene. Just at the setting of the half-moon, a small gap opened in the clouds to light the scene:

The setting half moon
Seen through a break in the rain:
A last kind gesture.

All is well.