Location 55° 26S, 67° 06W
Thursday 12.06.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 55° 26S, 67° 06W at noon on December 6th. We have come 45 NM from Puerto Williams and have 33 NM to go to the Horn. The Horn! We estimate to pass it at 1600.

The weather is nice! We have a light (15 knot) NW wind and the overcast is midlevel. It isn’t raining! There are even “bright intervals.” But this is very much literally the calm before the storm. The barometer was at 1000 at noon and it has dropped another millibar as of this writing. Some very significant pressure is coming in from the West. The Horn should have 30-40 knots tomorrow.

We hope to stay ahead of the storm, at least for a while. If we pass the Horn at 1600, we should be at the Straits of Le Maire (between Terra del Fuego and Staten Island) at about 0400 tomorrow, which would be perfect asthat would be first light and the end of the very vicious north-going flood tide. The Straits have a terrible reputation: 10 meter standing waves are regularly reported when the strong northerly flood is opposed by a strong northerly (opposite) wind.

As always, we are keeping our options open. There are two good anchorages in the vicinity of the Horn — we’ll tuck in one if we get jumped early. Right after the Straits of Le Maire there is an excellent anchorage on Staten Island, which we will use if the wind promises to be too strong for us to head north right away. But so far so good. This is about as good a “window” as one can get for the Horn in spring.

Getting resuppled in Puerto Williams yesterday was a huge teamwork task. With no real supermarket, we got food from three different stores. Propane took several hours and some good luck. For diesel, we had to move to the main Armada pier (after getting permission and getting the gas station to send out their truck). Laundry took a long walk, some cajoling, much money and wasn’t delivered back to the boat until 2300. The Post Office was friendly but complicated — it costs more to send mail from Puerto Williams than Puerto Montt? And the Armada/Customs/Immigration was…bureaucratic. We did not get our Zarpa issued and passports back until 0130 this morning. We left at 0600.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 54° 56S, 67° 37W
Wednesday 12.05.2007

We are moored safely in Puerto Williams near the Club Naval de Yates Micalvi, at 54° 56S, 67° 37W. Micalvi is a former Chilean Navy ammunition ship, sunk on purpose to be the base for the Club de Yates. It has a variety of boats scattered around it like a sow with piglets. Micalvi looks as if it would have sunk by now, even if not sunk on purpose. There is just a little bar that opens occasionally in the old wheel house. Last week the electricity to the boat blew up so there are no lights, no washing machines, no showers.

The raft of boats around the Micalvi didn’t have room for us to join the pile, and many promised to be off early the next day to make space for us, so we went out to a huge Armada mooring buoy, scaring off a nesting gull (sorry WWF). Alden did an upside-down trapeze stunt while trying to set lines, but somehow managed to stay out of the water.

We cleared through the Armada for arrival. Our plan is to watch the weather, load up on supplies, and wander the town a bit. Puerto Williams is a depressed naval base with only a little civilian dressing on it. I suspect that they look across the Beagle Channel at Ushuaia and envy their success at being a tourist destination. We were rather astounded to see perhaps half a dozen tourist boats skittering around the Beagle Channel in the snow, obviously showing hearty visitors a seal, a porpoise and an albatross.

If things work perfectly, including the weather cooperating, we will be off early tomorrow for the Horn.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 54° 58S, 69° 00W
Tuesday 12.04.2007

At noon on December 4th, the Schooner Maggie B was at 54° 58S, 069° 00W, just passing Isla del Diablo in the Beagle Straits. The wind continues to be 10-35 knots directly behind us, whistling down the channel, bringing rain, sleet and snow with it.

We have come 1199 NM from Puerto Montt and have 48 NM to go to Puerto Williams and 84 NM to go to the Horn. We should be tied up at Micalvi Yacht Club in Puerto Williams by dinner time tonight. The Yacht Club is run by the Armada and consists of a former ammunition ship, half sunk on purpose to be a base. We expect it to be full of characters.

We are setting plans to do all our tasks tomorrow: refuel diesel and propane, restock food, mail letters, do laundry, refresh our Zarpa with the Armada, and clear Customs and Immigration.

The weather just might let us go on the 6th. That day is supposed to be pretty good. Light winds — only 15-20 knots. Maybe even clear. The problem is the 7th, when the next front is due, with winds of 30-40 knots. Our choices are three: wait in Puerto Williams for the prospect of two good days together; leave on the 6th and either A) keep going after the Horn (if we leave at 6 AM, would be around at @ 1700), or B) tuck in one of the two safe nearby anchorages after passing the Horn and wait out the blow. We’ll see.

All is well.

someone

Addendum to Posting for Monday 12.03.2007

As the crew of the Maggie B we often are not privileged to proofread the daily updates prior to their posting. As such we are often as surprised as anyone else to learn what happened in the past 24 hours, or at least what the Captain seems to remember happening. Though I am happy to report that everything in updates for December 3rd appears to have happened in reality, it calls for an addendum. The ‘we had trouble’ with the anchor falls woefully short in describing what the crew lists as in the top ten dumbest ideas of all time.

The anchoring process did begin well with the crew working as a well oiled machine; lowering the Reep, setting up and dropping the anchor, playing out the shore lines, and looking ever so good doing it. It was not until Alden and Curtis were fighting a stiff breeze in the Reep to get a shore line set up that the anchor began dragging (’The Italians,’ authors of our cruising guide, gave the spot a ‘fair’ rating, one needs to realize that ‘fair’ falls well below ‘good’ ‘very good’ and ‘excellent’) Returning to the Maggie B, new options were discussed with us settling on rowing the anchor ashore to the rocky peninsula as a bow line. (Alden’s note: I am loath to admit myself an early proponent of this plan, but I would soon pay for this folly.) Positioning Reep under the anchor while trying not to get dragged under the bow, as the Maggie B needed to keep some forward momentum into the wind, we were only able to lower it between the two forward seats and not in the stern (bad idea number 2). To call rowing the Reep into the wind, laden with an anchor, and dragging heavy chain a challenge would be a small understatement, especially as the anchor’s position meant that the chain continuously wrapped itself around Curtis’ oar. With the help of good sailorly cursing and muscle tearing strokes we got close enough to shore to begin shipping oars only to have a gust push away the Maggie B, pulling the chain, pop out Curtis’ oar, and spin the Reep. Starting over Alden and Curtis again made for the shore, pretending not to hear the Captain’s gentle suggesting that the anchor be brought back. Again within striking distance, and refusing to fall off again, Alden hopped out into water putting the future of his progeny in doubt. Throwing out their backs, the (incredibly handsome and strong) shore party dragged the anchor as far as possible before wedging the tip under the biggest bolder and covering the rest with all the nearby stones. Too tired or modest to cheer they returned to the now safely secured Maggie B, grudgingly allowing themselves to be replaced for the next two (easy) shorelines.

So yes, ‘we had trouble’ with anchoring that night.

something to say?

Location 54° 25S, 71° 57W
Monday 12.03.2007

At noon on December 3rd, the Schooner Maggie B was at 54° 25S, 71° 57W, just making our way through Canal Cockburn. The weather continues poor. The wind is from the SW, occasionally 10-15 knots, but with gusts to 40 knots. The sky is overcast with williwaws full of rain, snow, ice pellets and hail. The fresh snow level on all the mountains and hills is down to about 500 feet. Welcome to
Spring in Patagonia!

We have come 1072 NM from Puerto Montt and have 186 NM to go to the Horn. We intend to press on late tonight, hopefully making it to an anchorage in Caleta Emilita at 54° 53S, 70° 23W. From there we will have about 100 NM to go to Puerto Williams, which should be possible in one more long day.

Last night we had trouble getting the anchor to dig in in Caleta Cluedo, a spot described as having only fair anchoring. Alden and Curtis were able to haul the anchor ashore on a handy rocky peninsula, and they wedged it in and covered it with stones. We added two shore lines to be sure of a quiet night.

In the morning as we got underway, a small fishing boat came by and sold us three King Crab (centello) - about 10 pounds worth. We traded for a bottle of Famous Grouse scotch and a pack of cigarettes. They were boiled up immediately with a garlic-butter dipping sauce. It was better than the best lobster I have ever had. We have enough for several days — hooray!

All is well.

something to say?

Location 53° 42S, 72° 04W
Sunday 12.02.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 53° 42S, 072° 04W at noon on December 2nd. We were motoring down the Straits of Magellan with just the jib helping us along. The wind is dead behind us at 20-35 knots. The day has mostly cleared up with only occasional rain squalls. Some sun, even! And the barometer is all the way up to 1001! Please see the web site for today’s Commander’s forecast for the Horn. Somewhat promising.

We have come 1013 NM from Puerto Montt and have 215 NM to go to the Horn.

Last night was quiet and pleasant in Bahia Borgia though initially we pulled out a substantial tree with our shore line during a racha (williwaw). It is a historic cove, a logical spot to stop before or after Paso Tortuoso in the Straits. This is the harbor that has a collection of ship’s names on boards, nailed to trees. Joshua Slocum mentions it in his book “Sailing Alone around the World,” on page 122 of our edition, together with a sketch. He anchored there 111 years ago. We didn’t see his board, but there were many, many others. Slocum found the place depressing — we found it lovely.

The oldest that we saw was from 1958. We added one from the Maggie B, and took lots of photos. I was particularly delighted to see a board with “Jolie Brise” on it. She is a famous French pilot cutter. We have a drawing of her in our house, done when she was in the inner harbor in Honfleur, France. While the Maggie B is nothing like the Jolie Brise, she was in some ways the inspiration for the “look and feel” of our schooner. I am as thrilled and honored to have been in the harbor with her as with the Spray.

Alden is making bread for us tonight!

Tonight, we hope to be in Caleta Cluedo at 54° 16S, 071° 47W or Caleta Luis at 54deg20.4S/071deg48W, both on Isla Clarence, near Canal Cockburn. We hope to be in Puerto Williams by December 4th, and hopefully pass the Horn, en route to Buenas Aires on the 6th.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 52° 45S, 73° 52W
Saturday 12.01.2007

Happy December! The Schooner Maggie B was at Happy December! The Schooner Maggie B was at 52° 45S, 073° 52W at noon on December First. At noon we were rounding Isla Falgate where Canal Smyth meets the Straits of Magellan. We have come 930 NM from Puerto Montt and have 294 NM to go to the Horn.

The weather continues to be poor. Outside, in the Pacific, the wind has shifted to the North at 40-45. Inside that means steady 35 knots with gusts to 45. It hailed on Curtis’s watch, rather coating the cockpit with pea-sized pellets. Rain showers come and go, though we get occasional glimpses of sun.

Yesterday’s trip down Canal Smyth was fairly uneventful. Alden won first prize for spotting interesting sights, first detecting the wreck of the Santa Leono (USA), a huge rusting hulk of a 300 foot steamer, which had missed the turn at Paso Shoal. The steamer Hazel Branch was also wrecked in almost the same spot in 1904, but only a few ribs were left of her. Alden also spotted a school of Peal’s Dolphins which included two mother/baby pairs.

Our anchorage last night was lovely, tucked up in a little narrow caleta calledTeokita. It was so narrow coming in, we wouldn’t have fitted if we had been towing Reep alongside. We had fenders ready though we carried at least 20 feet the half mile in. Because of the wind direction, we set shore lines first, and then slid out to set the anchor. That probably was a mistake as we didn’t dig in the anchor with 50% throttle astern, as we usually do. We set three shore lines in trees, including attaching one to a line thoughtfully left by another boat ona perfectly positioned tree that was relatively inaccessible due to a steep bank. The night was quiet and mostly snug.

In the morning the wind was working its way right down the narrow caleta, blowing 35 knots in the anchorage. The anchor was slipping us back towards shore bit by bit, despite having 120 feet of chain in 20 feet of water. We had faintly been thinking of a “layover day” but the prospect of getting blown ashore quickly dismissed that. Going out was quite wild. We had to keep a fair bit of speed as the wind was throwing the boat around and there was no room to spare. All hands had either fenders or poles to fend off. A two meter swell was breaking across the mouth of the cove. Curtis on the bow made the steering calls and the Maggie B responded to every turn and twist, fair jumping out of the mouth like a champagne cork.

Now we are scudding down the Straits of Magellan under bare poles in a fresh gale with two-three knots of current with us. Thank God we are not trying to get West! We have come through Paso Roughwater and Bahia Corkscrew — ah, these English with their subtle sense of humor!

We hope to make Bahia Borja tonight, which is on Isla Riesco, just before Paso Tortuoso, where the Straits tighten up a bit. The position is
53° 31.8S, 72° 36W. This is a well-known historic cove because it has an arbol con tableros (trees with boards bearing ship’s names). This tradition is very old and was mentioned by Slocum over a hundred years ago. We will add a Maggie B one if we make it safely.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 51° 46S, 73° 52W
Friday 11.30.2007

At noon on November 30th, the Schooner Maggie B was at 51° 46S, 73° 52W. We were motorsailing with just the fore up, in a 15-20 knot Northerly, which is right on our stern as we continue south. We have come 851 NM from Puerto Montt and have 344 to go to the Horn. The day is overcast with occasional light rain. While the wind baffles back and forth down the channels, there have not been any significant gusts. The barometer is up a bit to 997. According to the weather maps, it is continuing to blow 40 knots from the NW offshore.

Happily, the day has been peaceful.

Last night we were in a totally lovely spot up the end of a two mile reach. We carried 50 feet of water almost the whole way in, with the width sometimes being barely 60 feet. There were many wild ducks and geese, with some of the ducks in molt so they couldn’t fly, and they would splash away from us in a tizzy. Our anchorage was about 50 feet wide and 100 feet long — lines from the stern to shore and the anchor outside the notch in 30 feet of water, dug into thick mud. Nothing could have moved us.

Tonight we hope to be down near the end of Canal Smyth, just before it opens up into the Boca Ocidental of the Estrecho de Magallanes. It will be very exciting to see the straits. We may get as far as Caleta Teokita at 52° 41.2S, 073° 45.2W. Still no sign of the SW’erly shift.

It has been wonderful to see lots of Arctic Terns in the channels. We see - literally_ - the same birds in Maine in the Northern Summer. They travel 10,000 NM from the Bay of Fundy to Patagonia, an astonishing distance for what seems to be a very delicate bird.

In making the watch lists, Alden is using new nicknames like “blushiest” and “lawyeriest.” I wonder why he calls me “Dear Leader?”

All is well.

something to say?

Location 50° 45S, 74°48W
Thursday 11.29.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 50° 45S, 74° 48W at noon on November 29th. We were making our way through the Angostura Guia inbetween Canal Inocentes and Canal Sarmiento. It is still blowing out of the NW with an average speed of 15-20 knots. It is overcast, raining occasionally and not too cold. We have the fore up alone, with the engine helping a bit. There is plenty of wind to sail, but it is generally funnelling straight down the channel, which tends to make the jib useless and the main dangerous.

We have come 779 NM from Puerto Montt and have 407 to go to the Horn. The barometer is at 995 and continues to fall.

Last night we tucked behind the well-named Isla Bun in Bahia Hugh. It was perhaps 200 meters by 200 meters, with 10 meters of good mud for the anchor in the middle. I could have dropped our “Away Party” with their lines off over the bow, as almost all the shores were steep-to. The entrance carried 10 meters of water all the way through, though the trees on either side almost brushed the gunwales. The wind whistled overhead, but we barely moved all night. We toasted the Italians for finding this lovely spot for us.

Our trip since the marvelous spot last night has been immensely spiced with dolphin playing around our bow and jumping out of the waves. We believe that they are Lagenorhynchus australis, known as the Blackchin Dolphin. But the usual name in literature is Peale’s Porpoise as they were first classified by Titian Peale, who was naturalist on the USS Vincennes on the 1838-42 expedition to Patagonia. Titian Peale is an ancestor on my mother’s side.

We hope to spend tonight in the marvelously-named “Caleta Moonlight Shadow.” It is a two mile long inlet in Isla Piazzi. The isla was named by Fitzroy in 1830 in honor of Guiseppe Piazzi, the astronomer in the observatory of Palermo. At the end there is a tiny caleta, just 25 meters wide by 100 meters long.

The big news today, though, is that we have had our first knock-down. We were carrying just the fore with the wind at about 20 knots, on the port side at about 140-150 degrees relative. We had been watching a black cloud catch up to us, certainly full of rain, and we expected some more wind. We didn’t realize how much. The wind jumped to 40 knots and all was obscured by the rain and flying spume. All the crew was on deck in an instant, in full foulies, ready for anything. And it was something. The wind increased to at least 62 knots (highest noticed on the wind gauge), and shifted in an instant 40 degrees starboard, jibing the fore. She took a knockdown, burying the port rail and more, but Hannah, cool as a cucumber, eased the starboard, windward, sheet and Freddie trimmed the port. The Maggie B sat right up, responded to her Captain at the helm and took off downwind like a shot.

With steady 40-50 knots, the Maggie B was surfing at 10-12 knots, in zero visibility. We functioned perfectly as a crew. Hannah went forward as bow watch, Curtis was on the radar to help keep us in the channel, and Alden and Freddie stood by the sheets. It was wild but safe. Great credit goes to North Sails for building the fore to take such a ride.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 49° 31S, 74° 26W
Wednesday 11.28.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 49° 31S, 074° 28W at noon on November 28th. We are off the northern tip of Isla Saumarez (yes, the famous English Admiral) in the Paso Abismo (no translation necessary). We are heading south under power, making 8-9 knots with the current. The wind is northerly at 15, blowing in fits and spurts out of the different intersecting fjords. It is overcast with very rare bright intervals. Rain with occasional sleet. This northerly breeze is due to continue for at least the next several days. The barometer is down to 1008 and continuing to fall.

We have come 690 NM since Puerto Montt and have 468 NM to go to the Horn.

The landscape is definitely changing. Now on the high hills there aren’t occasional waterfalls any more, often the whole hillside is a waterfall. All the hills have snow on the top, not just the distant Andes. Trees hide along the shore and in gullies. Low tundra is spread across the open slopes. The water is cold and choppy. Winds alternate from NE and NW, making sailing essentially impossible as we would be gibing every minute. If only Nigel would have let me have a proper yard!

Hannah is making good progress on sewing up or rip in the main. Curtis and I believe that we have traced the Onan generator problem to some feed restriction from the port tank. More investigation to come. Freddie is working on the verses and score to Barrett’s Privateers and painting the scenery; Alden is reading 1421 and Curtis is everywhere.

We are getting good at setting up and clearing from three point anchorages, improving every time.
Tonight we are planning on being in Bahia Hugh, tucked behind Isla Bun on Isla Figueroa, at 50° 24.2S, 074° 45.7W. The Italians describe the entrance as “delicate and difficult to find,” being encumbered with islets and submerged rocks, but once inside “a hurricane proof cove of great beauty.”

All is well.

something to say?

Location 41° 30S 76° 30W
Friday 11.09.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 41° 30S, 76° 30W at noon on November 9th. We are still taking a bit of a beating. The wind is from the South at 25-30, which puts us on a broad reach, but the Southerly waves and swell make up for a short sea that is putting a lot of water on board, and giving the boat an occasional abrupt motion. We still have the main up with one reef and the jib rolled up to a bit less than 50%.

We have 117 NM to go to the mouth of the Channel into Puerto Montt. We seem to be right on time to arrive at about daybreak tomorrow. If we need to wait for the start of the flood, there is a protected bay where we can hang out.

We have 15-20 Pintado Petrels doing their aerial ballet in our wake. Hannah saw them doing a “walking on water” technique to attract food. It is behavior that I only associate with Stormy Petrels.

As with most boats that get themselves in a churn, our fuel tanks produced a big load of water and junk for the engine fuel filters. Fortunately the filters are instrumented and warned of the junk, which was removed before any trouble. What a great way to start the day — getting coated in diesel fuel before breakfast!

One more day! It seems impossible.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 41° 30S 79° 10W
Thursday 11.08.2007

At noon on November 8th, the Schooner Maggie B was at 41° 30S 79° 10W. We are thrashing along more or less close hauled in 25-30 knots of wind from the Southeast. A nice Roaring Forties Spring Event. Occasional sleet in the rain showers. Waves making up into a nice chop, but not too serious yet. Supposed to blow through pretty fast, which would be nice. We are under one reef in the main and the jib rolled up about half way. She is handling well, but we’ll take the main in to the second reef if things don’t abate some by sunset.

We have come 4668 NM from Rangiroa and have 281 NM to go to the channel entrance to Puerto Montt.

We are about on schedule to arrive at the mouth of the channel at sunrise Saturday, which is two hours before low water or one hour before the flood starts. If we get there really early, we will anchor nearby at Puerto Ingles, if we get there as late as Noon, we would catch the end of the flood. We should be in Marina del Sur by noon on Saturday.

The storm seems to bring out the Pintado petrels. There is at least a dozen working close in our wake and they fly within arms length of the stern. Big albatross are around also, and a 5-6 foot juvenile Wandering came almost close enough to touch the boat with his/her wing.

Hannah made a delicious soup/stew for lunch that was gulped down in coffee mugs — no soup plates today! Baked potatoes are cooking in the over for later warm-up.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 40° 58S 82° 58W
Wednesday 11.07.2007

At noon on November 7th, the Schooner Maggie B was at 40° 58S 82° 58W. We are still motorsailing with about ten knots of wind directly behind us. We have 428 NM to go to Canal Chacao and have come 4513 NM from Rangiroa. The sky is partly cloudy but visibility is good. It is nice on deck in the sun, but the cabin is chill with the hatches open to air everything out. We are seeing lots of birds again — albatross and petrels — but we are still skunked on fish.

We are expecting a wind shift to a nice fresh Southerly.

Probably more wind than we need now because our target speed is 6.5 knots to get us to the mouth of the channel at about daybreak on Saturday, a hour or two before tide change.

Looking at charts, one way to grasp our position is that we are exactly on the longitude of Columbus, Ohio. The 4513 NM that we have come from Rangiroa is just about the distance from where we are to Atlanta, Georgia, or by plane from San Francisco to London.

Work on board is now all about landfall.

Checking brightness of riding lights (we haven’t seen a boat, even on radar, since Tahiti), cleaning, printing out crew lists, cleaning, reorganizing stores, cleaning, preparing Spanish standard phrases, cleaning, studying charts. We are trying not to go crazy this last step.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 40° 41S 86° 42W
Tuesday11.06.2007

The Schooner Maggie B’s noon position on November 6th was 40° 41S 86° 42W. We are motorsailing downwind towards Puerto Montt at 6.5 knots. The wind is from the West at 10-12 knots. The Maggie B doesn’t do well going directly downwind, and, after about 4000 miles, we are more in “delivery mode” for the last little bit, rather than extracting every last knot out of whatever wind we have.

We have come 4359 NM from Rangiroa and have 597 NM to go to Canal Chacao, the channel entrance to Puerto Montt.

We are focusing on arriving at Canal Chacao at the start of the flood, which is one hour before low tide. Low tide on November 10th is at 0830 local (GMT -3), so we are shooting to be there at 0630 local — better early than late. The math is Fourth or Fifth Grade, but still so often done wrong: at noon today we had 597 NM to go. Ship’s noon now is GMT 1800 (we are now -6). We want to arrive at 1130 GMT in @3 1/2 days, or 90.5 hours. 597 divide by 90.5 equals 6.6 knots average speed. Could we arrive by the end of the Friday flood? It starts at 0940 GMT, it would end at @1530 GMT or 69.5 hours equals 8.6 knots. Hmmm. Could do it, but not with 10 knots of wind on our stern and tight on diesel (we have fuel for 6 knots for 600 NM, but not 8.5 knots - which would require approximately twice the fuel flow for the 40% more speed). So Saturday morning it is.

It was lovely at noontime today. We had lunch at the table in the cockpit. It is so strange to go from snow flurries two nights ago to lunch on deck.

No one on board speaks Spanish, but we are all trying to learn. The Armada, the Chilean Navy keeps tight track on shipping. One must report to each lighthouse or Naval Station one passes. But what to say? Probably not buenas dias or Mas cervezas, por favor, the Spanish we are learning. So catchy phrases like “A que hora es el corriente de creciente nel canal Chacao?” are the order of the day (”When does the flood start in the Chacao Channel?”). But will we understand the answer? We’ll know Saturday. I wish my daughter Alexandra were on board with her fluent Spanish!

I am pleased to report that we seem to have shopped successfully for this leg. It appears that we will have sufficient supplies of good coffee, garlic and chocolate.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 41° 21S 89° 45W
Monday 11.05.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 41° 21S 89° 45W at noon on November 5th. We are making good time, 8.1 knots more or less directly for Puerto Montt. The wind is from the NW at 13-16. It is overcast with fog. Visibility is up and down from 100 meters to 1/2 mile.

We have come 4207 NM from Rangiroa and have 727 to go to Puerto Montt.

This has been a fairly mixed period, with the wind going up and down in strength and all around in direction. I wish that I could say that we are following a clever strategy with carefully defined tactics for dealing with this little high sliding out (the barometer is falling) and the strength of the low coming to bear, but we aren’t. We are just taking the wind and waves as they come and doing our best to keep the boat going as much towards Puerto Montt as we can. In the last three weeks we have been almost completely on the port tack with the sheets almost nailed down. In the last day have jibed three times and even now Hannah (The Watch) is eager to go back to starboard. It “should” steady in from the south, but the wind hasn’t gotten the message as yet.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 41° 05S, 093° 05W
Sunday 11.04.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 41° 05S, 093° 05W at noon on November 4th. We are motorsailing on the Great Circle route to Puerto Montt at 7.8 knots. The wind has backed around to the south at 7-9 knots. We are on the starboard tack for the first time in three weeks!

We have come 4054 NM from Rangiroa and have 882 NM to go to Puerto Montt (or, to be more exact, to landfall at the mouth of Canal Chacao, the entrance to Gulfo de Ancud, or 30 NM more to go to Puerto Montt). Arrival at Puerto Montt on November 9th seems doable, subject to wind, waves and weather. Canal Chacao is about ten miles long and has current speeds of up to 10 knots, with breaking 5-8 meter waves if there is wind against tide. We will be very attentive.

There is essentially no wind. Fog and a low overcast has come in with a moderate drizzle. Cold. The water temperature is down to 54 deg F (12 deg C). The watch is largely kept in the “Winter Porch,” fueled by cups of tea, coffee and cocoa with Hannah’s molasses cookies.

This morning brought a new surprise. On his watch, Robert collected about a dozen inch long pea green round tubes, and asked me what they might be. My first thought was some strange sort of chewing gum pieces. On inspection they proved to be the inner rollers of one of our Lewmar main sheet blocks, which was spitting them out. We rigged a replacement block and were able to replace all the rollers in the original. Situation solved? Nope. Two other similar Lewmar blocks proved to have far less than their full compliment of rollers. Hopefully Lewmar will sell us some replacements and we can get them to Chile with our crew change at Puerto Montt. #@$%!!& Lewmar.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 40° 55S, 96° 41W
Saturday 11.03.2007

At noon on November 3rd the Schooner Maggie B was at 40° 55S, 96° 41W. We are still making good time: 7.0 knots on a heading of 075 degrees magnetic, holding only a little north of the Great Circle route as we sharpen up to follow the wind as it backs around to the West.

We have come 3885 NM from Rangiroa and have 1043 to go to Puerto Montt. We were disappointed that with the lightening, backing winds, we were only able to go 166 NM in the last 24 hours, so our five day run was 990 NM. So close to the darling 1000!

We are expecting the winds to fall off further and back around to the SW, and do at least one full 360 in the next 36 hours. A little high is coming through and we expect tomorrow to be motorsailing, washing and cleaning. Following the high should be a nice breeze from the SSW, starting at 25-30 and then tapering off to a fine 15-20 knot southerly to blow us all the way in.

As mentioned previously, we have gone through our starboard, smaller diesel fuel tank and are on the port, larger one. We estimate that we have 150 gallons left, which is about 150 hours steaming at efficiency cruise, which gives us about 6 knots in a calm. Thus we have about 800-900 NM steaming range if the wind fails us. We also carry 10 gallons (60 NM) in jerry cans. We thing that we will buy and fill additional jerry cans in Puerto Montt, as fuel between Puerto Montt and the Horn is chancy at best, and only available from a filling station ashore, if available. The Maggie B may end up looking a bit like a pack horse, but that beats running out.

I smell Hannah’s tea biscuits coming out of the oven…

All is well.

something to say?

Location 40° 41S, 100° 20W
Friday 11.02.2007

The Schooner Maggie B Noon Position on November 2nd was 40° 41S, 100° 20W. We are making great time, going 7.9 knots in a wind from the NW at 13-17. The sky just has a thin high overcast and there is a long SW’erly swell of perhaps four meters. The air is definitely chill and we all are living in our thermal underwear, under our other gear.

We have come 208 NM in the last 24 hours and 823 NM in the last four days. We have come 3719 from Rangiroa and have 1208 to go to Puerto Montt.

It looks as if this lovely sailing weather will continue for most of the way into Puerto Montt, with just a slight intermission for maybe 1/2 day on the 3-4 November when a small high will go over us. We may need to motor for a bit but then pick up a nice SW’erly. We could chase either south to 45S or north to 39S to keep the wind, but either way would take at least 1/2 day and we have plenty of fuel to motor through the calm winds straight for Puerto Montt. Anyway, that way we would make enough hot water for hot showers for all!

We’re now doing our homework on the arrival in Chile. The channel into Golfo de Ancud, Canal Chacao, between the mainland and Isla Chiloe 41° 47, 073° 40W, runs at up to 10 knots of tidal current. The channel is about 30 NM from Puerto Montt which is at the top of the Gulfo de Ancud, or four hours steaming/sailing from the channel. Since we will want to do it all in daylight, we’ll have to be very attentive to the timing of the flood.

We are all on crash courses to try to learn Spanish. We are accustomed to “Island Time” from French Polynesia, but it was still a surprise to get introduced to “Manana Time” from the Spanish course, where it is advertised as “Speak Spanish in a Week,” but it has four weeks of CD’s and workbooks.

Insurance is always an interesting issue. Our “Jackline” policy seems well suited to what we are doing and is carefully sculpted to fit the known dangers. We paid extra to be allowed to sail south of 50S, but it is limited to after November 30th. On inquiry, the insurance company will allow us to head south a week earlier, for an additional $450. Why $450? Because.

We have switched to GMT-7 time. This is particularly exciting to me because it is the same time zone as Chicago, my home (give or take DST). If we were coming east from Denver in a prairie schooner, we would be coming up on the longitude of Kearney, Nebraska.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 40° 03S, 104° 27W
Thursday 11.01.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 40° 03S, 104° 27W at noon on November 1st. We were making 9.1 knots with 20 knots of wind on our port beam. The seas have settled down a bit and the skies are clearing. We are catching up to the High — the barometer is up to 1027 Mb — so we may not have this marvelous sailing much longer. In the Roaring 40’s, this is as good as it gets. But for the chill in the air, all is perfect.

We have covered 410 NM in the last two days. We have come 3529 from Rangiroa and have 1401 NM to go to Puerto Montt. We are about 800 NM SSE of Easter Island.

We got the fore back up at 0900 this morning. The tear along the leech line is not structural in any way. We are still keeping one eef in the main.

It looks as if we are south of the main high, but that another one will form behind us, about on the same latitude, towards the weekend. The two highs will eventually join. We may be able to stay in front of the new one, or we may have to head a bit south of the Great Circle track to keep a good westerly into Puerto Montt. We should be able to figure it out in the next day or so. Once past the highs, we should have a good Southerly to blow us in the last bit.

I’ve previously mentioned how international the Maggie B is: Japanese radar, French navigation software, English blocks, Danish riding lights, American Watermaker, New Zealand anchor, etc. I’ve also been noticing how international our food is: Thai rice, Guatemalan molasses, New Zealand beef, Argentinean chicken, French cheeses, Australian anchovies, American mayonnaise, Danish bacon, Canadian maple syrup, Brazilian sardines, Dutch salt, Mexican hot sauce, Swiss beef stock, South African chutney, Laotian mango slices, Chinese sesame oil, Japanese teriyaki sauce, Scotch whiskey, Barbados rum and French Polynesian beer!

All is well.

something to say?

Location 39° 09S, 108° 28W
Wednesday 10.31.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 39° 09S, 108° 28W at noon on October 31st. We are still blasting along at 8.9 knots with 20-25 knots of wind on our beam. We are right on the Great Circle Route to Puerto Montt. We made 217 NM in the last 24 hours. The skies are clearing and the waves are settling in a bit more regularly, though still with a SW swell against a Northerly wind-generated waves. We have come 3336 NM from Rangiroa and have 1595 to go to Puerto Montt.

It looks as if we will have two more days of this great breeze. Our high is steadying into place ahead of us and we are running into it — our barometer is up to 1022 Mb. Another high looks to develop behind and below us, but we may slip through the gap between the two before it overlays us and stops our progress. We’ll have some tactical decisions to make on November 2nd, at which time we’ll have only a little more than 1000 NM to go.

We are now on GMT -8, the same as California (give or take DST). While we are sliding Waaaaay South, it is amazing to us that if we were in the US, we would be about crossing the Utah/Colorado border now. Puerto Montt is at about the same longitude as New York City. A usually successful “bar bet” is asking what South American city is directly south of Miami. The answer is: none — they are all to the East. When we go around the Horn, we will be about as far East as Halifax.

Robert is earning a new name: Splash Gordon. He seems to have unerring ability to arrive on deck just as the biggest splash within hours zeros in. This morning he went out for his watch at 0900, having been informed by Kath that there had been no spray for an hour. On emerging in his foulie bottoms, to put on his top and harness on deck, he got the Three Bucket Special square on his head. Like the candidate for Dial soap in the commercials, nobody wants to stand near him on deck.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 38° 06S, 112° 53W
Tuesday 10.30.2007

At noon on October 30th, the Schooner Maggie B was at 38° 06S, 112° 53W. We were snorting along at 8.3 knots with full jib, one reef in the main and the fore furled up. The wind has been pretty steady at 310-320 degrees at 20-25 knots with gusts to 32. There is a medium high overcast but no rain, only occasional spray on the boat.

We have come 3119 NM since Rangiroa and have 1812 to go to Puerto Montt. We did 209 NM in the last 24 hours. It looks as if we will keep this ride through November 2nd. We should be within 1000 miles by then.

Last night at midnight we took in the fore. What was special about it was that it wasn’t anything special about it. The wind was steady at 25 knots with gusts to 32. The Maggie B was going hull speed and then some and though still pretty dry with the scuppers clear of the water, she felt over-pressed. All Hands were called at midnight, gear and harnesses went on quickly (over jammies), and we did a quick brief in the galley. Deck lights on, a dose of chocolate, and everyone went to their stations. One, two, three and down came the fore into the Lazy Jacks, to be tightly furled up and lashed down. The off watch were back in their bunks by 0030.

We spotted what looked like serious fraying along the leech of the fore, but today, on inspection, it appears to be only the sheath for the fore leech tension line, and not anything serious. We will be able to fly the sail when the wind abates and have it stitched up in Puerto Montt.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 37° 00S, 116° 57W
Monday 10.29.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 37° 00S, 116° 57W at noon on October 29th. We were rushing along at 9.0 knots directly on the Great Circle route to Puerto Montt. The wind was NW at 17-19 knots, essentially right on our port beam. There is a medium level thin overcast, but the sun is still fairly warm through it.

We have come 2935 NM from Rangiroa and have 2016 NM to go to Puerto Montt.

It looks as if we will have a marvelous ride the next five days. We have a big high (1034 Mb) centered about 700 NM in front of us and a deep low (950 Mb) about 1100 NM South of us. We should keep a Northerly 15-30 knot breeze right on our beam for the next five days, which should move us half the remaining way to Chile. We reefed the main down one reef after lunch and will consider doing the same to the fore before dark.

When we get to 9-10 knots in the Maggie B, a faint hum develops. Technically it is probably some interface with the centerboard, but we all think that is is just the hum of happiness.

The Captain has to make tough decisions. That comes with the job. Last night there was a big one. When I came on watch at midnight, I was presented with the dilemma of choosing between a slice of Hannah’s fruit pie or her cinnamon cake to go with my cup of Earl Grey tea. Showing the deep experience of a Blue Water Skipper, with a nod to Solomon, I took have a slice of each….

Jodi Farrar, Robert’s wife, sent us a blessing that I wanted to share:

“……..Sure and may there lie a sea before you,
the likes of which have never been sailed before,
inviting you to proceed without interruption, upheaval, or
problems in a steady flowing motion, without jolts or interruptions,
in honor of the greatness that is upon your vessel.”

All is well.

something to say?

Location 36° 02S, 120° 05W
Sunday 10.28.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 36° 02S, 120° 05W at noon on October 28th. We are back under all plain sail, slipping along at 5.0 knots in 8.0 knots of wind on our beam. We have a series of complex mid-level overcast clouds with occasional light rain. The barometer is just barely beginning to fall from a high of 1020 millibars. The waves are relatively flat with just a long period SW swell to give definition to the wide waters.

We have come 2751 NM from Rangiroa and have 2179 to go to Puerto Montt.

Today was “Clean the Boat” day and Robert showed off his Beginner’s Luck by pulling “Head and Shower” out of the hat. We also started securing for a blow, putting on our extra baffles to help secure the ventilation system, installing the heavy windows on the aft side of the pilot house and tightening up all deck equipment’s lashings, especially Reep’s. We practiced setting “Kathy,” our storm main staysail between the main and the fore masts.

We are beginning to see albatross and petrels. My favorite, the Pintado Petrel, showed up yesterday. We haven’t been able to ID the albatrosses because as soon as they see Robert’s camera with the 300 mm lens, they take off for Antarctica.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 34° 15S, 125° 28W
Saturday 10.27.2007

The Schooner Maggie B’s noon position on October 27th was 35° 11S 122° 49W. We were motorsailing, or mostly motoring, at 6.2 knots along the Great Circle line to Puerto Montt. The wind was 290 degrees at 8 knots, or pretty much dead astern. There is still a long swell from the SW and the sky is now overcast with mid-altitude clouds.

We have come 2609 NM from Rangiroa and have 2321 NM to go to Chile.

We are definitely getting into the Southern Ocean. The water temperature is now down to 62 F (17 C), where it was 82 F (27C) in Rangiroa. Finally we are seeing some birds — petrels and albatross.

Last night there was a big ring around the almost-full moon. It was “three fists” wide, meaning that the weather was three days away. It is strange that we are using pre-industrial weather forecasting (”fists away” and wind direction) with Seventeenth Century technology (the barometer) with satellite analysis, to gauge our weather and the prospects.

I had a “waking dream” yesterday that I was in a big kitchen or bar and had a huge pile of limes that I was squeezing in a sparkling juicer. (I don’t remember seeing any rum or tequila — too bad). When I woke up I took it as a direct signal from my body and went and make limeade for all hands. No scurvy on the Maggie B!

By the weather charts, it looks as if we have maybe one more day of motoring and then this front will catch up with us and we will have all the wind we should want, which will blow us most of the way to Chile. We are ready for it. We ran our first, little, tank dry this morning — meaning we have used 120 gallons and have 200 remaining, with an additional 10 in jerry cans. It appears we are getting about 5-6 NM per gallon, so we should have at least 1000 NM of steaming remaining, plus the emergency 50 NM. Should be fine.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 34° 15S, 125° 28W
Friday 10.26.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 34° 15S 125° 28W at noon on October 26th. We were sailing at 6.7 knots with full main and fore and The Bird G2 gennaker up. The wind is from the NW at 11-14 knots. A long swell is making up from the SW and there is a high overcast filling in. We are headed about 100 degrees magnetic (125 True) along the Great Circle course for Puerto Montt.

We have come 2465 NM from Rangiroa and have 2463 to go to Puerto Montt.

We are just skirting the SW side of the building high, which will remain a factor for the next several days. The big low to the SW is too far away and South to affect us, but a front off of it should bring us a good breeze early next week. The full report from Commanders will soon be up on the web site, but here is an interesting quote:

“3) I would not oppose going down to 40s if you were game for NNW 25-40 kts in the Tue-Wed period
a) but point out that details of the guidance 4-5 days out may be less than precise
b) also, in this remote part of the ocean, cannot find detailed model output on pressure and wind field from US Navy or other models that we often use to sanity check the workhorse GFS model - i.e. no second opinion
4) suggest we take another look by Mon-Tue”

We will be down at 37-39 South by Tuesday and will certainly keep our eyes open and consult with Commanders again in a few days. Earlier I described catching a low or its attendant front is like the timing to catch a bus. Rather it is perhaps more like catching a ride on a freight train, as in getting your timing or positioning wrong can be serious.

Analyzing the halyard block problem…

We have had a very interesting analysis of our breaking throat halyard block problem from the Atelier of Nigel Irens. It is a bit over my head. I will post it on the web site as soon I get permission. The essence of the analysis is that the gaff INCREASES the load on the throat, not decreases it. Conventional thought is that the throat tightens the luff and carries part of the strain of the sail, with the gaff and peak halyards carrying a full share. The new analysis is that the very vertical gaff has a significant downward force vector that increases the load on the throat. Looking at it now, it seems obvious. The analysis also emphasizes that a single triple block is getting pulled at least three different ways at the same time, which would further reduce an otherwise “pure” breaking load.

About two weeks to go to Puerto Montt.

All is well.

someone

Location 31° 00S, 127° 56W
Thursday 10.25.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 32° 48S 127° 56W at noon on October 25th. We are motorsailing at 6 knots towards our turn point at 35° S 125° W. The wind has stayed light from the NW at 8 knots, or about directly behind us. The weather is lovely and clear, though a big swell is beginning to make up from the SW, foretelling a serious low.

We have come 2309 NM from Rangiroa and have 2615 to go to Puerto Montt. We are rather out in the middle of things, with Pitcairn Island being 500 NM away to the north, Easter 1000 to the NE, and Papeete 1500 behind us to the NW. The ocean seems very empty. We haven’t see a ship since Papeete, and only get faint “cheeps” on our See-Me Radar Detector. There have been no birds for the last several days and, alas, no fish have taken our lures.

Beside the full moon tonight, Sirius and the Big Dog, followed by the Ship Stern, fill our skies.

The long swell from the SW is an obvious clue and our GRIB weather reports promise us some wind in a day or so. Maybe a lot of wind. With the frontal passage, they are predicting at least 30 knots. With Commander’s Weather’s help, we will focus tomorrow just how to best catch a ride with this next system, wanting a bit of wind, but not too much. If we time it right, we might get a ride most of the way to Chile on this low.

For those of you eager for a plumbing update, the head is fixed and fully functional, though a slow leak persists. The new gasket hasn’t helped. We have lots of sealants on board, but not the right on for this application. The toilet directions say IN BOLD PRINT: “Do not overtighten or you will crack the bowl!” A little leak beats a broken head. We will get sealant in Puerto Montt.

Movie Night tonight is Prairie Home Companion.

We have a series of podcasts of Garrison Keillor’s “News From Lake Woebegon” on our iPods, which make great night watch listening. A few nights ago I was shocked that in his September 8th report on the funeral for Miss Lewis, Garrison butchered the Shakespeare Sonnet #116:

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments.” For the line “[Love] is the star to every wand’ring barque, whose worth’s unknown although his height be taken,”

Garrison replaced “height” with “depth.” While I understand that the depths of Pete Petersen’s love for Miss Lewis are unknowable, what was he thinking? Miss Lewis did teach him English, after all.

Speaking for wandering barques, or at least wandering schooners, we take our celestial navigation very seriously. And this line seems to clearly indicate that the writer was very experienced with sailing. In it I can so clearly see the master of a barque, far from land with position unknown, spotting a star through the scudding clouds and taking its height with his octant, but not knowing its value until he gets other clues. Certainly the writer was comparing how stars help guide ships to safe harbor as love guides people. Garrison should know better. I sent a “concerned” email. Probably the only one he gets this week from the Southern Ocean.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 31° 00S, 130° 15W
Wednesday, 10.24.2007

The Schooner Maggie B’s noon position on October 24th was 31° 00S, 130° 15W. We were motorsailing at 1800 rpm towards our next decision point at 35S/125W. The wind, as expected is 8-10 knots from the NW, which is generally just not enough to keep us going above out arbitrary “motor” point of four knots. We have been able to sail only about 1/2 of the last 24 hours, though the sails have always helped somewhat. We expect to have a few days of light or no wind, by which time we will be at the decision point, where we will chose how far southerly our track to Puerto Montt should be, balancing favorable wind against the chance of getting too much of a good thing.

We have come 2151 NM from Rangiroa and have 2769 NM to go to Puerto Montt. Life is settling in well for the long leg, as it should after a week at sea. We are doing the usual sailor’s make/mend work: new sheaths for knives, leather wallets for shore, patches for clothes. We wash our laundry, chase leaks in the head and go over the rigging. Hannah baked a “Lady Baltimore” cake, and Kath, Hannah and Robert went for a quick dip/drag when we were ghosting along. Tonight’s entertainment is a “poetry slam” with all bringing a few favorites to read aloud.

In all the discussions about things that break or are poorly made, I want to recognize systems that do their duty day in and day out without a problem. Today’s Star goes to our Spectra Watermaker, which has run almost with no problems for 532 hours over the last year and a half, making about 3200 gallons of fresh water to sustain us.

All is well.

something to say?

Location 29° 35S, 132° 21W
Tuesday, 10.23.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 29° 35S, 132° 21W at noon on October 23. We were just barely sailing at 3.7 knots in an 8-10 knot breeze from the NW, which put it on our port quarter. We had “The Bird,” our G2 gennaker up with full main and the fore doused, to give more of the breeze to the Bird. All our tricks were of no use as the breeze died out to 6-8 knots and we started the engine, at long-range cruise of 1800 rpm, using about one gallon per hour to get six knots.

Our basic rule is that if we can see any white caps, we can sail. Sailors will recognize this as Beaufort Force Three.

We have come 2007 NM from Rangiroa and have 2910 to go to Puerto Montt. We shifted to GMT -9 when we crossed Latitude 135.5. Papeete was -10, the same as Hawaii, and Chile is -4, the same as Halifax (depending on DST).

Furuno USA have been a huge help with technical advice on our radar/GPS/autopilot system. Some might say that a really good system shouldn’t need technical advice after 1 1/2 years at sea, but ours is sophisticated and complex and takes some care and feeding. It is so great to be able to reach a knowledgeable person first try (from 10,000 NM away) and get an answer that solves our problems. If Jorge, the autopilot, is happy, the crew is happy.

Every season, passage and watch has its celestial delights. Right now my midnight watch is blessed by having moonset, followed not long after by Arcturus, the Bear Keeper, rising in the ENE, bright like container ship’s steaming light. Orion and the Pleiades stick with me the whole watch.

Hannah made dessert for us today. Fresh tea biscuits with canned peaches and mandarin oranges, covered with strawberry yogurt. Yum!

All is well.

something to say?

Location 27° 40S, 134° 36W
Monday, 10.22.2007

The Schooner Maggie B Noon Position on October 22nd was 27° 40S, 134° 36W. We were making 8.7 knots on the Great Circle route to Puerto Montt. The wind is a very pleasant 15 knots on our beam. Just another pitch about how wonderful the Maggie B is — we are doing almost 9 knots in 15 knots of wind, and with our main at one reef!

We have come 1845 NM from Rangiroa and have 3067 NM to go to Puerto Montt.

Things are looking up — we found an old French Press coffee maker, hidden away for just such an emergency as the Captain losing part of the espresso maker overboard.

Robert made a lovely lunch: chicken with a sauce of shallots and garlic in a court bouillon reduction, finished with morel mushrooms “rejuvenated” in red wine. Assorted vegetables and saffron rice on the side. In the midst of this delicious meal, the strap holding the main peak block to the top of the mast parted. Having our priorities right, we lowered the main, took in the jib, and proceeded under fore alone while we went back to lunch. The triple Spectra strap was an experiment, to reduce metal to metal wear between the masthead fitting and the block’s shackle. The experiment was unsuccessful as the strap only lasted 2000 NM.

Our world is getting colder as we make our way South. It seems like just yesterday that we would wake with sweat soaked pillows in Bora Bora, and now we are digging out favorite blankets and even wearing shoes on night watch!

Today we made the tough decision to bypass Easter Island. The reality is the wind. We are right on the island’s latitude and only 1300 NM away. But a high pressure is filling in over us and if we keep on the way due East True, we will have little wind and what there is, right on our nose. We have about 1100 NM of diesel left for motoring and 3000 NM to go to Chile. And there is usually no fuel available at Easter Island. So it really isn’t a choice, it is reality.

So, following our instincts, the indications from the GRIB weather files, and guidance from Commander’s Weather, we are now headed somewhat aggressively South to 35S/125W, which should set us up for favorable wind from this next front, without dipping in too deep into the Southern Ocean before we have to (Puerto Montt is at 42 South, the Horn at 55 South).

All is well.

someone

Location 25° 40S, 137° 27W
Sunday, 10.21.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at at noon on October 21. We are making 8.2 knots close hauled to the southeast, more or less on our Great Circle for Puerto Montt. The wind is 15 knots from the ENE. The weather is lovely with little scattered clouds.

We have come 1648 NM from Rangiroa and have 3261 to go to Chile. We did 180 NM in the last 24 hours.

There was no noon report yesterday because Our Captain and Chief Plumber was making a heroic but unsuccessful 15 hour attempt to fix our toilet. It was disassembled and reassembled. Joker valves were replaced. Hoses were switched and decalcified. The Black Water tank was plumbed. Seacocks were checked to be clear. Nothing helped.

Today Deputy Chief Plumber Robert Farrar is attacking. Pressures are being applied and we all hope for success.

I know that friends who were shocked that we have only one head are saying “I told you so!”

For you arm-chair plumbers, here’s the problem:

1. When is use, it will not pump out. It is as if an exit valve were shut off. But there is no exit valve. The problem came on quickly, rather than gradually “closing down.”

2. If the “Out Hose” to the bottom of the Black Water tank is detached, the toilet will pump easily and merrily without effort.

3. The Black Water tank is empty and appears to be completely open to the sea through the hull.

4. The inlet pipe in the Black Water tank is plumbed from the bottom and supposedly ends just before the top of the tank. It shows some calcification, but we could ram a thumb-sized electrical cable up it, and it seemed to bang on the top. The Inlet pipe is not accessible except from the bottom.

5. When we tried pumping with the hose connected to the Black Water tank, with the tank’s deck pumpout fitting open, it wouldn’t pump.

6. When we tried attaching the “out hose” from the toilet to the through-hull fitting, it would not pump. Though that was late at night and perhaps the seacock was not open. We will that recheck today, if nothing else works.

7. We cleaned and decalcified and ensured that the “out hose” was clear and clean as a new hose.

Any ideas would be welcome.

All is well, if you don’t mind peeing and pooping in a bucket.

something to say?