Happy New Year,
We are anchored off a small island near Gizo that boasts two little resorts. A short ways to the NE is Plum Pudding Island, aka Kennedy Island, the spot where Lt. John F. Kennedy USN and the other survivors of PT109 swam ashore and hid from the Japanese while Kennedy's message, carved into a coconut, was sent by canoe to Rendova. Strange to be here.
The coral gardens here are amazing. So many colors of coral and fish. The best diving we've had yet. A few days ago a tropical storm formed 100 miles east of us, and as it moved south of our location formed into tropical cyclone Freda - now on it's way to New Cal. The storm has made it a bit windier than is ideal.
While diving we've seen sharks, sea horses, amazing corals, and so many new fish that it dazzles the eye. The boat is still in chaos from the holiday, and having our top sides clear of things that might be pinched during the night. I was considering titling this entry A sailboat Named Entropy.
Now to see what our next weeks weather is likely to bring. We hope everyone has a nice New Years, ours was quiet - just the wind of a rising rain squall punctuated the night when the clock ticked over. We're going to watch a movie today, and see if anyone on shore wants a baby bird.
Owen
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This is the blog for SV Madrona and her crew Griffyn, Tamsyn and their parents Carrie and Owen, as we navigate new waters for our family.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Madrona at anchor in Gizo harbor
Merry Christmas again.
We had a nice Christmas day, and today - Boxing Day - has been very relaxing. We had a great morning yesterday and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Our dinner was shared with Gene and Cherie from S/V Reflections, a nice spaghetti, salad and brownies! The kids watched a pixar movie called "Brave" and enjoyed themselves. Then we all played a board game called Apples to Apples, and Griffyn won.
Today it is hot and humid, with thunder in the distance, and the hope of collected drinking water later tonight. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Just wanted to thank everyone for your holiday greetings. It is so good to hear from you all. Don't freeze. We'll write in a few days to let everyone know what's up in this neck of the woods.
Owen
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We had a nice Christmas day, and today - Boxing Day - has been very relaxing. We had a great morning yesterday and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Our dinner was shared with Gene and Cherie from S/V Reflections, a nice spaghetti, salad and brownies! The kids watched a pixar movie called "Brave" and enjoyed themselves. Then we all played a board game called Apples to Apples, and Griffyn won.
Today it is hot and humid, with thunder in the distance, and the hope of collected drinking water later tonight. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Just wanted to thank everyone for your holiday greetings. It is so good to hear from you all. Don't freeze. We'll write in a few days to let everyone know what's up in this neck of the woods.
Owen
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Merry Christmas and holiday season thoughts from "The Slot"
Hello everyone.
Merry Christmas! Griffyn, Tamsyn, Carrie and I want to let everyone know how often we think of you, family and friends back home. It's has been a long and eventful year. December 21st (on our side of the world) finds us motoring up a passage running NW with New Georgia Island to our west, and Santa Isabel Island to our east.
We are a day and a half out from Honiara on the Island of Guadalcanal - mostly sailing in very light winds. We are still a little gun shy of the engine after we sucked some air last week, and it took three days to sort it out. We hope to be in Gizo in about 36 hours. There we plan on spending a quiet Christmas.
Right now it s very hot aboard. The equatorial sun makes it almost painful to be out in the full sun. This morning our backup GPS bit the dust, so that caused some stress. Also the current coming down the slot is reducing our forward progress to 3.5 knots, so that's a worry too. As the kids are madly cutting out paper snow flakes, and taking care of their new pet - a Kura Kura bird (police bird) chick that fell out of its nest on Guadalcanal, I've had a chance to step back for a few moments and look at our year in perspective.
We are healthy, generally happy, and together as a family. It is this time of year that it is hardest to be away from those we love. We are thinking about Carrie's brother Tim, and wish we could be more supportive to him and his kids. We are thinking of Torrie Jane, and though we know her husband and family are around her, we wish we could be too. And we wish we could be around my father, Hinka and Lois, and see my nephew's new baby. But here we are.
Last night sailing, we left a long phosphorescent trail through a sea so still and smooth that the stars overhead cast mirror images in the water. I remember that dark night a week or so ago when we were engineless in zero wind off a lee shore while lightening played all around us - dolphins were jumping and frolicking all around the boat. I think of the mysterious Island of Tanna, with its spectacular volcano and warm people. I think of the many new friends we have made in Fiji and other places. We wonder how Sisi and Eshwini and their families are after the cyclone hit Fiji. I think of our kids making so many friends and playmates among the peoples we have visited. Tamsyn and Griffyn are still kids, each with their issues and challenges, but I watch with pleasure as they are deepening, and growing in compassion and understanding. And they are not done. Soon they be trading with peers and that will be a joy to watch.
So from ours to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas. We will touch base when we get safely to Gizo.
Owen
8 13.110 S
158 26.250 E
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Merry Christmas! Griffyn, Tamsyn, Carrie and I want to let everyone know how often we think of you, family and friends back home. It's has been a long and eventful year. December 21st (on our side of the world) finds us motoring up a passage running NW with New Georgia Island to our west, and Santa Isabel Island to our east.
We are a day and a half out from Honiara on the Island of Guadalcanal - mostly sailing in very light winds. We are still a little gun shy of the engine after we sucked some air last week, and it took three days to sort it out. We hope to be in Gizo in about 36 hours. There we plan on spending a quiet Christmas.
Right now it s very hot aboard. The equatorial sun makes it almost painful to be out in the full sun. This morning our backup GPS bit the dust, so that caused some stress. Also the current coming down the slot is reducing our forward progress to 3.5 knots, so that's a worry too. As the kids are madly cutting out paper snow flakes, and taking care of their new pet - a Kura Kura bird (police bird) chick that fell out of its nest on Guadalcanal, I've had a chance to step back for a few moments and look at our year in perspective.
We are healthy, generally happy, and together as a family. It is this time of year that it is hardest to be away from those we love. We are thinking about Carrie's brother Tim, and wish we could be more supportive to him and his kids. We are thinking of Torrie Jane, and though we know her husband and family are around her, we wish we could be too. And we wish we could be around my father, Hinka and Lois, and see my nephew's new baby. But here we are.
Last night sailing, we left a long phosphorescent trail through a sea so still and smooth that the stars overhead cast mirror images in the water. I remember that dark night a week or so ago when we were engineless in zero wind off a lee shore while lightening played all around us - dolphins were jumping and frolicking all around the boat. I think of the mysterious Island of Tanna, with its spectacular volcano and warm people. I think of the many new friends we have made in Fiji and other places. We wonder how Sisi and Eshwini and their families are after the cyclone hit Fiji. I think of our kids making so many friends and playmates among the peoples we have visited. Tamsyn and Griffyn are still kids, each with their issues and challenges, but I watch with pleasure as they are deepening, and growing in compassion and understanding. And they are not done. Soon they be trading with peers and that will be a joy to watch.
So from ours to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas. We will touch base when we get safely to Gizo.
Owen
8 13.110 S
158 26.250 E
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Friday, December 14, 2012
Madrona in Honiara
Hi folks. Madrona is in Honiara these last few days. We sucked some air into our engine, so have spent three very frustrating days bleeding the system, and re-bleeding the system. During this time we had to conserve power for engine starts, so that's why no messages.
We had a bit of a scare when the engine went down 20 miles north of Honiara in no wind. Swells were pushing onto a lee shore,and thunderstorms with no wind were sending lightening everywhere. But wind did re-appear and e sailed bacck to town here to sort ourselves out. This is not a god anchorage, so we are anxious to get out of here. We trashed our bow roller for the anchor, so we have to rebuild that up by Gizo. Oh well.
Time to wrap this short note up. Look forward to sending more emails and talking to folks back home. we hope o leave for Gizo in a day or so; weather dependant.
Owen
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We had a bit of a scare when the engine went down 20 miles north of Honiara in no wind. Swells were pushing onto a lee shore,and thunderstorms with no wind were sending lightening everywhere. But wind did re-appear and e sailed bacck to town here to sort ourselves out. This is not a god anchorage, so we are anxious to get out of here. We trashed our bow roller for the anchor, so we have to rebuild that up by Gizo. Oh well.
Time to wrap this short note up. Look forward to sending more emails and talking to folks back home. we hope o leave for Gizo in a day or so; weather dependant.
Owen
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Friday, December 7, 2012
Lazy Sunday enroute to Guadalcanal
So we are having a lazy Sunday here in the tropics. For the first time in a couple of days it isn't raining, or thundering, so we are content to sail along at a leisurely 3 knots towards the Solomon Islands. We jumped from Vanuatu on the evening of the sixth.
Our first day out we had to motor a lot, as there was No wind at all. The 550 miles to our next port stretched out like a huge gulf what with the knowledge back in your mind that all that open ocean wouldn't be a good place to get caught in during a hurricane.
The last couple of days we've sailed - yesterday with strong winds (25 knots!) and today with 5 to 8 knots. The forecast is for the wind to peter out sometime in the next 24 hours. We'll probably motor again when that happen.
so here we are, enjoying the sun and a nice little breeze. On the stereo the kids are listening to Christmas music from WWII; Dinah Shore, Judy Garland and th usual suspects. I've been reading and dozing, Carrie is doing sudoko (I know, I know), and the kids are cutting out fantastic paper snowflakes. We all got the bed late last night, as school ran late, dinner was late (rice and red lentils)and the movie we watched (the 2009 Star Trek) also ran past 9 o'Clock. Tired kids, long night of watches coming.
Then it was time to rig the lee cloths and make up the beds. While that happened I thought I'd peak at the engine fluid levels. It would only take a few minutes to do (no really - I believed that would be the case)to take raise the ladder and remove the two engine covers. Ha. Taking off the second cover I son found that on one side the insulation - which dampens sound and acts as a heat barrier, was falling off, hanging down where it come in contact with the engine. Bad.
So for the next hour out came the tools, drills, screws, washers, silver insulation tape. A proper mess. It all got sorted out better than it had been. Oh... and I checked the engine fluid levels. They're fine, thanks for asking.
So by the time it was lights out, Orion was high overhead ( upside down I might add) and the Southern Cross hung over our cockpit (that detail's for you Rob). It was a quiet evening during which we made fifty miles. More importantly there was little swell so our sleep was deep and uninterrupted.
So here we are, plugging away towards Guadalcanal, trying to conserve fuel, and keeping an eye on the weather. We are over half way on our trip, and the majority of oen water is behind us.
Owen
2:00 UTC Dec 9th (1:00 pm Solomon's time)
S 10 46.374
E 164 04.237
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Our first day out we had to motor a lot, as there was No wind at all. The 550 miles to our next port stretched out like a huge gulf what with the knowledge back in your mind that all that open ocean wouldn't be a good place to get caught in during a hurricane.
The last couple of days we've sailed - yesterday with strong winds (25 knots!) and today with 5 to 8 knots. The forecast is for the wind to peter out sometime in the next 24 hours. We'll probably motor again when that happen.
so here we are, enjoying the sun and a nice little breeze. On the stereo the kids are listening to Christmas music from WWII; Dinah Shore, Judy Garland and th usual suspects. I've been reading and dozing, Carrie is doing sudoko (I know, I know), and the kids are cutting out fantastic paper snowflakes. We all got the bed late last night, as school ran late, dinner was late (rice and red lentils)and the movie we watched (the 2009 Star Trek) also ran past 9 o'Clock. Tired kids, long night of watches coming.
Then it was time to rig the lee cloths and make up the beds. While that happened I thought I'd peak at the engine fluid levels. It would only take a few minutes to do (no really - I believed that would be the case)to take raise the ladder and remove the two engine covers. Ha. Taking off the second cover I son found that on one side the insulation - which dampens sound and acts as a heat barrier, was falling off, hanging down where it come in contact with the engine. Bad.
So for the next hour out came the tools, drills, screws, washers, silver insulation tape. A proper mess. It all got sorted out better than it had been. Oh... and I checked the engine fluid levels. They're fine, thanks for asking.
So by the time it was lights out, Orion was high overhead ( upside down I might add) and the Southern Cross hung over our cockpit (that detail's for you Rob). It was a quiet evening during which we made fifty miles. More importantly there was little swell so our sleep was deep and uninterrupted.
So here we are, plugging away towards Guadalcanal, trying to conserve fuel, and keeping an eye on the weather. We are over half way on our trip, and the majority of oen water is behind us.
Owen
2:00 UTC Dec 9th (1:00 pm Solomon's time)
S 10 46.374
E 164 04.237
----------
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