Steering problems overnight repaired by morning light

Hi all,

Just touching base. Remembered that the Captain of the container ship called us up on the radio as we had our closest approach and told us what a nice boat we had, and enquired if we want to trade boats. I said some days I surely would.


Had some serious steering problems overnight when the quadrant became detached from the rudder post. All better now. Looks like the problem came from the folks at Edison Steering and the manner they made the the quadrant bolt onto the rudder shaft. They used bolts that had no nut - just a threaded hole on the mate half of the bronze quadrant. Also - they engineered it so the bolt heads were unable to be inspected without a mirror on an extension arm. So no way to lock the bolt and no way to inspect without a great deal of work and help from circus acrobats. Well thought out clearly.

So after determining that one bolt backed out unseen (remember - no way to lock it) it's mate sheered off, and another bent, so the quadrant slipped on the rudder shaft, then jammed. Now all the bolts have big old nylock nuts on the other side and we should be good. Not a fun 10 hours of repair in big seas with 20 - 25 knots of wind. Needless to say we only sailed 30 miles last night - steering only by trimming minimal sails.

Carrie "drove" the boat, I did repairs while upside down laying on welded steel angle iron, and Tamsyn (what a trooper) was the tool gopher. We all were toast by the time the sun came up. Griffyn slept like a baby and was terribly frustrated no one would play with him all day. Ha.

So it was a day of recovery, minimal sails out and sleep being the priority. I shudder to think what would have happened had that bolt broke in the Torres. It's interesting to think what a difference a few years make. Had this happened in Mexico I would have been much more panicked Now it was just like, I'll go below and fix it - feeling fairly confidant it would all work out. Maybe it's just proximity to the "She'll be right, Mate" mentality of northern Australia.

Potato pancakes for diner and maybe a Star Trek.

12 08.731 S
150 40.318 E
273 degrees true
40 knots

Owen

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Slow going across the Coral Sea

So we have been playing dodge ball with bulk carriers the last 24 hours.

Eight of them in the last 3 hours alone. We talked on the VHF radio to the Captain of MV Fulvia. He was very nice, from Montenegro and looking forward to being back in Europe in 4 months time. Anyway, this enormous ship was headed right for us, and I thought maybe I should... I don't know... call them or something. So I did. And this little guy answers and takes our course information and says he will take our bow (pass in front of us, and Carrie and I look at each other - both thinking not good. A short while longer another voice calls us on the radio and says he is the Captain and they will of course take our stern (pass behind). I did mention he seemed like a nice fellow. One good thing - all the ships we talked to could see us on radar!

So this has been going on all day. At one point we had four huge bulk carriers passing us every which direction. We figure this is a dry run for the total chaos that will be the Torres Straits.

Every night this week the wind dies to nothing for pretty much the whole night long. We are 50 to 70 miles off shore, so this is frustrating - and making this trip long. There is also a wicked big swell coming up from the south, from somewhere in the Tasman I'd guess. That big swell is messing up our downwind run, so we can't run the sails as well as would be the case in a more subdued sea state. Basically we're rolling like mad. Frustrating for cooking as you can imagine.

We'll be a number of days into Port Moresby yet, as this wind is nothing like the GRIB files and light much of the time.

12 02.168 S
151 57.259 E

Owen and family

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The sounds of night watch

Hi,

The winds are still light, and we are still sticky, but the rains only come once every few hours and then only for 20 minutes. We are leaving the Solomon's and her weather behind. We've been sailing with 8 knots of wind at times, then roll around with 5 knots of wind for an hour until the next little squall brings a freshening breeze. This is sailing close to the equator. I guess we asked for it.

We want to say a special hello to Braeden and his dad Carl and their family. Tamsyn says hi, and we all hope your summer vacation is fun. Tamsyn is still in class for a while yet, as we skipped her studies as we worked hard to get ready for another sailing season. Tamsyn is looking forward to seeing Komodo dragons on their home island soon.

Last night when I was on night watch I reflected on how much one can grow to love the sea in many of her moods. The southern stars were out in all their glory for much of the night. Early on an orange horned moon hung in the western sky as the cries of pelagic sea birds wafted down from above. The kids were long asleep; Griffyn talking occasionally in his sleep. "I'm not going to sleep there." being one outburst I remember from last night. Tamsyn sleeps silently, dreaming of Xanth - her series of books she's engrossed in currently. She dos sleep with her legs akimbo all the time - even crossed sometimes. Carrie rests hard. Her work keeping us going are never ending.

I think it's the sound of the wind that I like the most on passage. When it whispers a tentative hum in the rigging I know those licks are from a gust front some miles away. Then they thrum more stridently like the breath they are the sails stir lazily. Soon the sound of water starts gently lapping against the hull as we begin to move.

After a time when we are not making long passages, I always listen for new sounds and strange noises. Hopefully I'll catch her keening before something breaks. Hopefully. Last night it was a new squeek/thump. I harnessed up and went forward to discover one of the lines for the spinnaker pole had loosened. I tightened it up, and returned aft, and only then saw the myriad splashes of bio luminescence all around the boat. Glowing torpedoes that were Jacks. Bright stars that were some type of disturbed plankton. Then as I looked a last time over the rail before going into the cockpit I stopped transfixed. A golden wave of light glides under us - Manta ray silent and unremarked except for the startled brilliance of it's prey.

So that's all from us tonight. Mackerel, coconut milk and rice with onions for dinner, then he second half of Harry Potter number two for entertainment. Then another night watch. We should pass just west of Pocklington Reef tonight - which is itself then easternmost part of the Louisiade archipelago and part of PNG. So we'll keep plugging away and hoping for wind.

S 10 08.447
E 155 49.547

4.2 kts at 220 degrees true

Night.

Owen & famiy

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Becalmed in heavy rain

Hi,

Just touching base. We are having a difficult time getting away from the Solomon's. The day of our last blog entry we were set to leave and then five hours of heavy rain set in. So we left yesterday instead. It was rough seas. All of us were green. 3 meter seas with short period and rain. Cold rain.

By then end of my last watch of the night I felt like a wet rat. Now the forecast indicates our wind will disappear for two more days, but that the rain should lessen. spirits are a little soggy.

Our mileage total in the no wind downpour and lightning fest last night - 16 miles. Distance out from Gizo - 60 miles. That's 28 hours of sailing folks. Sad.

Other than new drips appearing, and a burned out LED light bulb in the V-berth, all is well. Headed SW on a course of 200 degrees.

Owen

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Across the Coral Sea

So today we set out across the Coral Sea.  

We hung back a couple days from when we first intended to go due to very heavy swell and high wind.  It looks to have calmed down now some.  Looks like four days of decent wind before it gets light for a few days.  We will try to post from the SSB to let folks know of our progress.

Hard to say goodbye to all our friends here in the Solomon's.  We will miss them.  We are full up on fuel and water, and have lots of provisions, so we should be good.

Happy father's day Dad.  Next time we will have real internet will be in Port Moresby - the land of 30 foot electric fences topped by razor wire.  Can't wait to be in and out of there.  Not safe much.

More later.  Have a good weekend.

Owen and crew of Madrona

Repairs, Pictures, and almost time to leave the Solomon's

Hey all,

So we just got back from over two weeks up at Liapari Island; a lovely island paradise which incidentally is the only place around where one can get some stainless steel welding done.  So win - win I guess.  

What we wanted to work on is our Monitor wind vane - which steers the boat when under sail, and is referred to as "Monty" by all aboard.  Well, of the many brands on wind vanes out there Monitor's are among the best, but like any part of a sailing vessel exposed to the stresses and conditions of year after year of use, they do need repair on occasion.  We had a cracked weld on one of the supports.  Our Monitor is a 1999 model.  A couple years after ours was build Scanmar International - who builds the Monitor - made standard some cross bracing between the upper and lower support frames; a move which greatly strengthened the units.  Ours alas had no such bracing, and and at sea one could see a slight flexing of the whole unit on occasion.  Not good.

So basically after I had all the welds inspected and some redone, I had some gusset plates made for strength, and then I manufactured and installed the cross bracing our Monitor lacked.  Now our Monitor is stronger than it was originally, and is significantly stronger than a brand new one.

So hurricane season is done as of a couple days ago anyway, and the Coral Sea is calling. Time to get some fuel, and provisions and start watching the weather windows.

Madrona is visible just right of center.   The island in background is a volcano. 

So I thought I would post a few pictures.  The Solomon Islands have been a very cool place to spend time in during cyclone season.  It's true the heat and humidity have been stunning.  It's also true that water can sometimes be a problem.  But holy cow - is this place beautiful. The people have been great and we have made some real friends.

Our friend Salome's daughter and nephew

Puppies have become a big deal lately

Dinner at Salome's house in the hills.  To reach her home one walks a couple miles down dirt roads, then ascends several hundred feet up slippery muddy trails to a snug home situated on an airy bluff.

The maintenance guy going into battle

That's all for now.  It's late at night and everyone is long asleep.  It is fantastically humid and rain comes and goes.  People are going by in dugout canoes singing.  We will miss this place, though welcome a change of diet.  We hope all of our friends and family are well.  We miss you all and look forward to easier communication somewhere down the line.

Owen