Odessa 09.09.26

The maiden voyage

The overseas biking seems to have come to an end, but I was given the opportunity to sail with out friends Alan and Lyudmila Powell on their brand new catamaran Odessa. They had it made in a factory in Cebu, Philippines – where we were collecting it from.

Our plan is to sail it to Townsville Australia, with a stop at Kavieng New Guinea. From there we were to fly back to NZ leaving Odessa for Alan to come back to.

Alan met me at Cebu airport after a 21 hour trip.

Alan took me to his hotel so we could get an early start in the morning.

It’s a public holiday but the authorities are going to go through the departure legalities so we can get away.

It was a hair raising trip across the Island to the factory and I wasn’t surprised to see my blood pressure was up when I had my mandatory health check (it did come back to normal after I’d had a chance to settle down)

The factory was building at least 20 of this model.it’s in a tax free zone where they also make ships. 16,000 workers, all with jobs because of the tax breaks.

Then out to the wharf where Odessa and one other were ready to go.

Some of the staff took us for a short sail, then after waiting a few hours for the last of the government departments to show, we decided to get a few miles behind us while the wind was favourable.

The route we were to take was predicting head winds for the first 140kms and then light winds east of the Islands. (Blue is light, green is about 10 knots)

So we are the white dot and we’ve decided to take the north route to the open sea instead of the other way. Both ways are about 250kms to the ocean. anyway we’ll just do a couple of hours then anchor for the night.

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OPEN SEA 14.09.26

We had fishermen around us last night. They have these very narrow boats with outriggers and a little diesel engine.

Lyudmyla steers the yacht into the wind while we raise the huge mainsail.

We normally let the auto pilot do the steering. We’ve got a good SW breeze and Odessa was doing about 12knots here (about 25kms for you Ash)

Alan’s steering from here now using the auto pilot. Also a good place to watch for fishing buoys as the front windows open right out.

Someone left a porthole open and Alan and Lyudmulas bedding got wet. It’s hot so it won’t take long to dry.

It’s 1.30am and I’m in the “drivers seat’ negotiating our way to the ocean. It’s been a long day, We got away at daybreak (6am) and sailed all day to this northern outlet. We were planning to stop about 80kms back but our wind predictor said there would be no, or very little wind in the morning, so we decided to sail on while we still had a good SW wind. It’s 30 kms to San Bernardino lighthouse and from there NOTHING until New Ireland on the Eastern end of New Guinea. As predicted, the wind has now dropped right off, so I’m motor sailing while Alan catches up on some sleep.

Ok, it’s now 2am and about an hour of motoring to reach open water. We only did 280 kilometres today but it’s going to feel so good to turn south after 2 days of going in the wrong direction just to get to the open sea.

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11.09.26

INTERNET AGAIN!

Alan had a Star Link put on the yacht, but the first deal was for the Philippines and it didn’t switch across when we got out to sea. It took until midday Monday to get it on again so now we can catch up with family, get wind predictions and catch up on the rugby (the downside of internet as it happens)

As we were heading to the north entrance on Thursday night we lost our navigation momentarily so started the motors to avoid the local fisherman. Unfortunately, the port reacher sheet had come undone and fell into the water. You guessed it, it wound itself around the prop. It wasn’t too much of a problem with 2 motors, so we carried on until the next day and when we were becalmed, we stopped to clear it.

Alan went under and cleared it but discovered that the winding of the rope had pulled the prop shaft out of the dog clutch inside. We decided to think about it and tackle it tomorrow.

It’s a relief being out in the ocean with no fish nets or boats around. all you do is watch the radar and check the sails. If there’s a sail change needed, you wake up the cabin boy;)

So the next day during a calm period we attempted the prop shaft. Alan got in the water and after trying to push it in manually, we tied a rope onto the prop and the other end to a block forward and back to the main winch. We then winched the shaft forward while Alan wriggled the prop back and forth and I guided it into the clutch. We discovered the shaft was slightly out of line with the clutch so I lowered the rear engine mounts a little.

SUCCESS! And we were off again, no Internet at that stage, but at least with two motors again.

We used a little pump to transfer some of the 25 extra diesel containers into the fuel tanks.

It’s worth mentioning here that Alan and I have a few things in common. We both served our apprentices at the same time, both got married at 18, both took our eldest sons on honeymoon with us. Mind you he’s 2 months older than me, so that’s why he’s Captain.

He’s also just as bad a fisherman as me. this giant got sick of waiting so just flew on board by himself.

No whale sightings yet, but there’s been a few birds hitching a ride. this little girl, Fifi we’ve called her, has explored most of the boat. she even landed on Lyudmilas head. Can’t call her a freeloader though as she took a turn at the helm.

We went through another windless patch this morning so found a waterhole for a swim.

So now that we’ve got ‘predict wind’ we have altered course to clear the top of Palau. Still 2 days to go though.

By Sunday 13th we were getting into a higher wind zone and Odessa was loving it ( so was I ) . It was a broad reach with winds at 15 knots and we were doing an easy 12 -15 knots as we surfed down the long swells, the auto pilot doing all the hard work leaving me to do my Sudokus and read my online book. I would have preferred to go to the south of Palau to avoid any coral reefs but as Alan pointed out we took the risk of running into huge calms as we neared the equator. Looking at the navigation charts there was a huge gap between Palau and its northern island of Orukai 40kms at least, with no sign of reefs. ( at this point we didn’t realise we had the wrong chip for the Pacific in the navigation system)

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PALAU 15th September

Still flat sea and 12 knots of wind. It built steadily all day until it was 25knots and we were surfing down long swells at 15knots plus. The auto pilot was doing all the work while we read and did sudokus

When it got too hot I could go to my airconditioned room or take a shower in my own bath room . I had the whole starboard hull to myself. That’s a hatch in the shower where I can look at the seas racing between the hulls

The gap was 40kms wide according to the chart

Craaaash ! Oh SHIT ! !! 16th September, At 6am there was an almighty bang as the centre boards smashed into a coral reef. We rushed on deck to find we were in the middle of a reef with no apparent way out. We dropped the anchor in a small pool and got the sails down. The sea was remarkably calm considering the huge seas we had been in the night before. I sent out a mayday call which I then changed to a pan pan after we realised we were actually in no danger. This was a very remote area and didn’t really expect to find anyone near us. Odessa looked to be fine except for the pieces of centreboard floating around us. Our distress call was answered by the vessel Tara, 6 miles south of us who then dispatched an IRB with 2 people on board

Tara’s patrol boat feeling her way through the coral to us

The starboard motor started giving trouble which we found was water getting in to the diesel. Then the port motor stalled with a damn fishing net wrapped around it. Michele ,one of our rescuers,went down with a knife and cut us free

The net is visible as Michele cuts us free

Julian , the IRB skipper,suggested we follow them back to the Tara . They had a depth sounder on board (ours wasn’t working ) so we followed them closely as they threaded their way out of the coral. We anchored close to Tara then set about rigging up a system to feed our starboard motor with jerry cans.

The chart looks completely different to google earth ( Tara uses google earth in preference )

Unbelievably we must have passed through the north west passage. It’s only about 2 miles wide and if we had been a mile further south probably would have exited again out the eastern passage.

the Tara has a strong link to New Zealand .It was called the Seamaster and was Sir Peter Blake’s scientific vessel that he cruised the world in doing all sorts of ecological work. He was killed by pirates on it at the mouth of the Amazon. They are coming to get us later for a visit and the captain will give me the all important waypoints to get us down the coast to Koror

Michele brings the IRB alongside for us. Tara’s captain ,Charlie , helps us aboard .

Peter Blake’s picture hangs in the galley : *captain Charline ( Charlie)*

There is a crew of 6 sea men,7 scientists,a photographer,and a full time artist. All French

Food storage. The yacht was designed to work in the Antarctic and is incredibly well built for all conditions

After getting the coordinates off Charlie we returned to Odessa and had an early night .It’s going to be a big day getting to Koror tomorrow.

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KOROR 17.09.26

8.30 am and we are going to follow Tara for the first leg until we head out to sea

The inner route was poorly marked so Charlie had me follow the course that the Tara had followed a week before.

We left them about Badrulchau and turned out to sea. Huge swells were breaking on the reef either side of us as I headed further out to sea. It wasn’t as rough when we were a couple of miles off shore so I turned south to the next waypoint off the southern entrance.. When I reached that waypoint we could then see the gap in the breakers that marked the main shipping entrance. I couldn’t even take the time for a photo as we passed old ship wrecks but oh what a relief once we were in the channel proper with nice big channel markers on either side of us. From 8.30 in the morning, it was 5.30pm before we finally dropped anchor in Malakal bay off Koror and I called the port authorities.

Tucked in against the southern shore we had a peaceful night out of the wind

I woke up to see a turtle swimming past us this morning. I finally got hold of the port authorities on the radio but I had to actually ring the immigration dept .( surprised my phone actually worked there). They had us come into the boat harbour and eventually got us to tie up on the container wharf where all the officials were gathered waiting for us

We were the only craft in so we got the full treatment

After they had secured us we were boarded by most of the authorities including the drug dog. Immigration,customs ,health dept ,port control etc etc. Very intimidating!

After the port authorities had the landing fee sorted Alan and I caught a taxi to immigration dept downtown to pay them their fees and to get our passports back

This is where we parted ways as Alan went back to Odessa and I walked off to find the BnB I’d booked for 2 days. Alan’s son Tony has arranged to join Alan and to take Odessa bake to Cebu to repair her while Lyudmila and I will fly home on Sunday morning

Koror 19th September

I had trouble standing next morning with the floor moving up and down so I lay in until 10am ( sea legs still ) What I needed was a good walk so I headed off downtown to find a coffee shop.( breakfast was delivered to my room but it was a Korean breakfast and I couldn’t eat it)

I found a coffee shop and also a new best friend ! Ben was an amazing source of local knowledge and he offered to take me around to see this part of Palau

This is the beach below his village . Ben showed me how he makes up his beetle nut wad. First the leaf, then a slice of lime then sprinkle a little ground up coral on it. *Chew then spit ,repeat….*

We got to meet several of his friends and we’d swap stories. This is another Ben. He was fishing under the Japan friendship bridge

This is Titus or chief Techidib. He’s the chief of this whole region. Such an interesting man. The bamboo behind him is going to be a raft he’s going to build with local youth. Ben and I went for lunch then he dropped me at my hotel assuring me he would come at 6am next morning to run me to the airport.

Well I never expected to visit Palau but it’s turned out unexpectedly well. I’ll be following Alan’s progress as he makes his way back to Cebu.

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Published by Wallis Don