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| Jock Wilson - Fete's skipper for the voyage |
This leg is anticipated to be a 2700nm trip around the southern most point of the Big Island (Hawaii), over the equator and into the southern hemisphere for the 2nd time in her life.
In an earlier version of this blog, I mentioned that I would ask the original owner of Fete, Eugene, for a timeline and overview of their foray into the Pacific and below is his reply - I am envious of his exploits as you will read below:
"We left San Francisco in July 1990 the first stop Kaneohe on Oahu. We explored the Hawaiian Islands for a few months waiting out the remainder of the Northern Hemisphere hurricane season. In November we headed south to the Line Islands stopping at Kiritimati(Christmas Island) for two weeks. We then headed south to Papeete and spent several weeks slowly wending our way westward through the French Polynesia islands. We delayed long enough to experience the excitement of the festivals, parties and athletic competitions of Bastille fortnight on Bora Bora.. Thence to Suvarov Lagoon in the Cook Islands where number of other yachties picked up dengue fever which became evident while en route to American Samoa. I spent the first two weeks in Pago treating about 30 cases who were quarantined on board their boats by the local health authorities. We then went West to Tonga for 2 months of cruising in the VaVa'u and Hap'ai island groups. Then on to Fiji where we spent two months cruising many of the limited accessibility islands in the Lau group, having gotten special permission from the government authorities as well as circumnavigating Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. . We then chose to avoid the southern hemisphere hurricane season by sailing down to New Zealand through a nasty three-day storm with 60 knot winds under storm sail the whole way at a slow pace. We pulled into Bay of Islands at midnight with temperatures close to freezing on the first day of Summer.. We spent five months in New Zealand touring and boat repairing. Then up back to Fiji through another bad storm that had such confused seas that we simply hove to, closed all hatches and portholes and spent three days below bouncing around like a cork, reading eating and sleeping until the weather improved..
Next was the Solomons, Guam, Northern Marianas Vanuatu and Japan where we had to replace the engine because of some bad oil we got in Guam. We spent three months cruising the Inland Sea and sharpening up my conversational Japanese. We left Osaka Japan the first day of typhoon season and got hit by a major typhoon that on the third day cracked off our forestay from the bowsprit which swung back with the weight of the furling mechanism and fractured our port spreader. It took two days and about 10 times being hauled aloft in choppy seas to make a temporary replacement fom some wood pieces we carried. We then sailed on a short ssil whenever on port tack so it took us three weeks to get to Midway Island where the U.S. Navy gave us permission to enter. Their repair shop built us a completely new spreader which I installed and we headed east to Hawaii, waited out the West Coast winter storms and finally sailed back through the Golden gate in April 1994.
I could have said simply "we sailed from 1990 to 1994" but I thought I'd give you a little flavor with it. I hope this is the info you wanted. Best wishes for the coming holidays". Gene
As you have just read, Eugene and his crew had a wonderful 4 years on Fete travelling around the Pacific and now it is our turn to get Fete home as quickly as possible so as to get her ship shape and ready for future adventures. So here we go!!!
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| Fete in Radio Bay all ready to go |
0945 hrs - cleared fairway beacon Hilo. wind NE 10 knots and variable. Engine start and ran for 2 hours which Fete covered 4.5nm
1130 hrs - Stopped engine and hoisted headsail, main and staysail - Under sail!!!
1210 hrs - steering 144 degrees (T) - light and variable winds so decided to start engine again.
Position 14nm NW of Cape Kumukahi
1410 hrs - Abeam Cape Kumukahi 0.5nm - wind 10 knots NE - course 160 degrees making 5-6 knots under Main and Headsail.
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| Cape Kumukahi |
1430 hrs Kapoho Point abeam to starboard - steering SSW
0500 hours - Abeam Cape Kahuku and heading home - BYE BYE Hawaii - Fiji here we come!!!
Ran engine to 1115 hrs = 1.25 hrs (4.75 hrs in all)
1200 hrs - Our position is 18.04'N, 156.07'S
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| Abeam Cape Kahuku, Hawaii |
Aloha Hi. - 'till we meet again'
0930 hrs - started engine and raised the Headsail 3/4 as we have only used the Main so far which was enough for a 5-6 knot average SOG. We touched 10 knots earlier, but the wind has moderated and the seas are more regular as we get further away from land.
1045 hrs - 48 hours since we left Hilo, Bob checked batteries which were only showing 12.43v in spite of the fact that the engine running to start them showing 14v (??)
1100 hrs - stopped engine after 1.5 hours
1200 hrs - Position at this time: 16 deg 19'N, 157 deg 47'W - Distance made 300nm - average 150nm per day.
Noon position - 14 deg 19'N, 159 deg 10'W
Distance run last 24 hrs - 140nm
Total distance run to date - 415nm
Engine start 0130 hours to 0600 hrs = 4.5 hrs
Total engine run so far this leg = 11hrs
Wind is ENE @ 20 knots - seas moderate
Last evening battery power was low and the weather was boisterous, winds from the ESE @ 25 knots. Tiller/pilot is malfunctioning due to low power level. Jibed without warning.
At daybreak rigged up Sayers windvane which handled the conditions fine.
Position at 1800 hrs - N 13 deg 45', W 159 deg 33'
0600 hrs - Position 12 deg 30 N, 160 deg 00 W
Wind ESE @ 20 knots, seas moderate, overcast with rain and showers. Bob pumped bilge with manual pump which needed some work on it before it worked well enough. When sailing fast, the prop shaft is rattling loudly, which may be the cause of the extra water in the bilge - too rough to do anything!!
24 hours to noon we travelled 160nm.
Total distance covered so far - 575nm
Position 11 deg 52' N, 160 deg 18' W
Engine today - 1 hr - Total so far - 12 hours
Noon position: 9 deg 49' N, 161 deg 38' W
Distance run today - 146nm
Total distance run this leg: 721nm
Still running under 1 reef in Main and 3/4 Headsail, wind is 15 knots over stern quarter. Nothing (including ships) sighted so far.
NE died @ 1500 hrs, then light to variable until 1800 hrs then steadied in SE to 5-8 knots. Engine time today 1 hour - total so far - 14 hrs
Position as 2 1800hrs - 5 deg 25' N, 164 deg 35' S
Noon Position: 7 deg 37 N, 162 deg 56' W
Distance run to noon - 152nm
Total distance from Hilo - 873nm
Still running on same rig - 3/4 Headsail and reefed Main, Course 215 deg (T) to Fiji
Engine run 1.5 hrs - total engine hours this leg - 14.5
House battery alternator not charging. Jumper leads from Engine to house batteries while the engine is running only.
Wind & sea state the same - 15 knots & moderate
Noon Position - 5 deg 4'5 N, 164 deg 14' W
Wind steady NE as it has been for the past 8 days. Moderate seas. Days run - 135nm - Total so far this trip - 1008nm. Engine hrs today - 1 hr - Total this leg - 15.5 hrs. Early pm NE dropped out and left us in varying calm but mid pm a SE came in and we had good speed for the night with reefed in Main & full No1.
1100 hrs SE dropped out to less than 5 knots
Position at midnight: 05 deg 07 N, 164 deg 48 W
0600 hrs position: 5 deg 00' N, 165 deg 0' W
Engine hours today - 1.5 - Total this leg - 17 hrs
Distance travelled 90nm Total 1098nm.
Basically no wind all night, heavy cloud, heavy atmosphere.
Filled fuel tanks - 21 gals - at tank fill having run engines 18.5 hrs = 1.135 gals per hour
Distance to Fiji @ 1040 hrs = 1565 nm
Wednesday 26th May - Day #10
Noon Position: 3 deg 23' N, 166 deg 28' W
Days run - 100 nm, Winds SE 10 - 12 knots, seas moderate
1st Mate Bob has batteries sorted out and there was no need to run the engine today as batteries were full!!
1800 hrs position: 2 deg 52' N, 166 deg 49' W
Wind and sea the same all day.
Thursday 27th May - Day #11
Noon Position: 01 deg 24' N, 167 deg 52' W
Started engine 1800 hrs - Dead Calm - motored all night
From noon position this day to Horne Isles is 995 nm. Then from above position to Taueuni Is is 1340 nm.
Still calm as - still motoring.
1030 hrs - Crossed the Equator, local time (or 0930 hrs Hawaiian time) at longitude 168 deg 50'
Noon position: 00 deg 12'S 168 deg 54' W
Days Run - 120 nm - Total this trip 1473 nm
All plain sail up - No1, Staysail, Main and Mizzen
Wind E and light. Started engine 1800 hrs May 27th & stopped 1000 hrs 28th = 16 hrs + 4 hours after refuel = 20 hrs. Added 18 gals to fill tanks - work on 1 gal/hr
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| Bobby Lawrence at the helm |
Noon Position: S 02 deg 04', W 170 deg 14'
Days Run: 130 nm - Total this leg - 1603 nm
Wind Light ESE 10-12 knots
Midnight (2400 hrs) N 03 deg 01', W 170 deg 57' - 15nm NE of Enderby Is, one of the Phoenix Group.
Ship passed ahead 2330 hrs at 1nm, Bob called on VHF to check if they had seen us - yes! and headed for Korea.
Distance to Fiji: 1019 nm @ 1700 hrs 29/5 @ 5 knots = 8.5days
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| The skipper, Jock, up forward checking on gear |
Sunday 30th May - Day #14
Noon Position: S 4 deg 10' W 171 deg 33'
Days Run: 150nm - Total so far - 1753 nm
Wind SE 10-12 knots, seas moderate.
Hot and humid!!~!
Distance to Fiji: 898nm
Noon Position: S 5 deg 58' W 172 deg 32'
Days Run 130nm - total this leg - 1883nm
No wind - start engine 1430 hrs (31/5)
Stop engine 0400 hrs (1/6)
Total engine run - 14 hrs
Distance to Fiji: 779 nm
Noon Position: S 7 deg 26', W 173 deg 36'
Days Run: 110nm - Total this leg: 1993nm
SE wind kicked in this am - 10-12 knots. low seas, clear skies, hot!
Windvane now on Beam reach which didn't last long - rain squalls about, calms & strong wind -
Engine ON, engine OFF
Distance to go (using New arrival point) - 840nm
Wednesday 2nd June - Day #17
Noon Position: S 9 deg 13', W 174 deg 42'
Days Run: 125 nm Total this leg: 2118 nm
Conditions calm - motor sailing
Engine hours to date the leg - 20 hrs
Noon Position: S 11 deg 22', 173 deg 44'
Days Run: 145 nm - Total to date: 2263 nm
Steady SE 10-15 knots + gusts - Reefed No1, Staysail and Main - Rolling Along Nicely!!!
Just like the leg from San Francisco - to Hilo, Hi, we have been on a port Tack the entire trip or 4175 nm being SF to Hi 1915nm + Hi to current position 2260nm.
Saw 3 vessels only this leg so far.
Distance to go: 570 nm
Changed over to Fiji/Australia time.
Noon Position: S 13 deg 30' W 177 deg 14'
Days Run: 156 nm. Total 2419 nm this leg
Engine hours: Today 4.5, To date 20 hrs Total this leg: 24.5 hrs
Dead Calm - engine on 1600 hrs
Sighted Iles Futuna on Starboard beam 1830 hrs Hawaiian time. First sight since May 17th. Dist 367nm
Distance to go: 414 nm
0400 hrs - Position S 14 deg 45', W 177 deg 59'
Rain Squalls overnight - winds very variable
Noon Position - S 15 deg 13', W 178 deg 17'
Days Run: 120 nm - Total this leg: 2539 nm
variable squally overnight. SE came in this am @ 15-18 knots, slight seas. Laying course for Fiji entrance. Bearing set to West.
Passed into Nanuku Passage 200 hrs. Calm night working into Koro Sea with steady SE'ly & no swell.
Distance to go: 294 nm
Sunday 6th June - Day #21
Breeze held till 1000 hrs - started engine
Noon Position: S 17 deg 14', W 179 deg 44'
Days run: 143 nm. Total this leg - 2682 nm
steaming to Suva with Nukutolu Is abeam.
Crossed 180 deg (E/W) Prime Meridian 1600 hrs on 6/6/2010.
Main, Headsail, Staysail and Mizzen all DOWN!!!
Motored all night.
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| Jock having that well deserved smoke on entering Suva Harbour |
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| Entering Suva Harbour after another 22 day marathon at sea |
Monday 7th June - Day #22
1130 hrs - Arrived Suva Harbour and contacted Harbour Control for clearance. We were instructed to wait at anchor and they would come to us. This did not happen and we cannot go ashore until they do.
1200 hrs - Position - Suva Harbour - S 18 deg 07.6', E 178 deg 25' -
Days Run 135nm.
Total this leg - 2817nm
Engine hrs since this time yesterday - 26 hrs
Total engine hours since Hilo - 24 hrs + 26 hrs above = 501/2
This passage - Started May 17th 2010 - Radio Bay, Hilo, Hawaii
Ended June 7th 2010 - Suva Harbour, Fiji
Total Days at sea - 22
Total Nautical Miles travelled - 2817 nm
Average daily run - 128 nm and all done on the Port tack same as 1st leg.
Total nautical miles since San Francisco - 5043nm
"END OF THIS LEG" (or so we thought!!)
Tuesday 8th June (actually 9th having crossed 180 deg) - Day #23
Over the VHF we heard that the Custom's Control people were coming out to clear all vessels this morning.
0930 hrs - they finally arrived only to inform us that they weren't going to clear us as we had not given the required 24 hours notice of entry. We had to complete some more forms and write a letter to the big honcho stating the reasons for not complying with the regulations.
They could not or would not understand that we had sailed a Rhum line from Hawaii to Fiji and that we did not have the capacity for email or long range communications on board. It took 5 days to clear Fete with threats of $10,000 fines and with confiscation of the vessel if we do it again.
So to all those out there thinking of travelling to Fiji - BE WARNED!!!
Whilst in port and going thru the clearance procedures, Bob drained and flushed out the water tanks beside the fuel wharf at the Yacht Club. Clearance was to take 5 days.
