Pacific Crossing, Mexico to French Polynesia

On leaving Banderas Bay Taiko headed out into the Pacific bound initially Mexico’s Revillagegido Islands 310 nm away on course 250T. We were able lay the course in light WNW but it was slow progress and our first day’s run was only 65 nm. The wind strength varied and was generally light. Our log has only four entries where our boat speed reached five knots. The wind also became steadily more westerly until it became impossible to lay our course of 250T for the most northerly island of the group, Isla San Benedicto, and it became necessary sail a more southerly course for Isla Sorrocco. 

Four days later the anchor was down in Braulie Bay. We had decided to make a stop at this island group to make sure that we were both well and did not have Covid 19 before we set off out into the greater Pacific Ocean, though the chance of surviving a 300 nm sail back to mainland Mexico while desperately ill would probably be slim. Two days were spent at Isla Sorrocco fixing window leaks and attending other small boat chores. 

Two hundred miles further west is the last of the Revillagegido group, Isla Clarion. Like Isla Sorrocco it has a small Mexican Navy base on its southern shore. At 0030 hours on the 29^th of April 2021 Taiko was sailing nicely in NNE wind towards Isla Clarion. Good progress was made for about 36 hours until the wind lightened and our boat speed slowed to under three knots. We persevered under sail to anchor at 1030 hours in the lee of the island below the small Navy base. It had become necessary to make some minor alterations to our running rigging and control lines on our wind vane steering. Renate hailed the Navy on the VHF radio to ask, out of politeness, for permission to remain at anchor while minor repairs were executed. Strictly speaking an expensive permit is required to anchor in this island group. The Navy officer granted permission without hesitation; I suppose they have better things to do than to chase yachts for permits issued from Mexico City.

Renate baked bread and cleaned out the engine raw water strainer while I put plastic water pipe over running lines to reduce friction against the masts and re-routed the servo pendulum lines on the wind vane steering to reduce chafe. A day later, 2^nd of May, sail was set in a brisk NE wind that saw Taiko sailing fast towards the SW. It now felt that we were really on our way across the Pacific with the equator to cross and no more land between us and the Marquesas.

Thus far we had enjoyed very good weather, warm and comfortable, and no sea or rain water in the cockpit which allowed us to relax in cockpit for much of the time. This was made much more comfortable by the use of two rectangular bean bags made by Renate, an idea taken from yacht Boundless. The bean bags mould to your body and keep you in place in the boat’s motion. They were also helpful when sleeping of watch. By jamming the bean bag between body and lee cloth it was possible to relax without bracing against the ship’s motion, allowing the off watch to descend into sleep more quickly. In the absence of a gimbals table, another effort to improve the quality of life while under way, was to place wooden wedges under plates and cups to compensate for the ship’s lean to starboard.

 

Being in the NE Trade Winds meant rapid progress towards the SW until, at about the latitude of eight degrees north, we sailed in darkness into bad weather; torrential rain, thunder, lightening and wind from the south. This required sail handling and resetting the steering to cope with the conditions. We were drenched, inside and out. Rain water ran down or main mast into the cabin at a furious rate and our dorade boxes were overwhelmed by the down pour. Twelve hours later the weather improved and task of sponging the rain water out of the bilge began. Strangely, the main mast has never leaked past its deck partners before or since this incident and it has been regularly tested, without leaking, in heavy rain here in the Marquesas. Being in the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone meant sailing, or even motoring, to avoid these cells of bad weather. There were several to be avoided before the ITCZ was exited.

During this brief spell of bad weather, one of the lines I had carefully installed from the servo pendulum to the tiller parted, due to having to operate in heavier weather. Taiko was immediately hove-to so that Renate could effect a replacement by lying across the Monitor wind vane frame. She was tethered by her harness to the boat, of course, but it seemed precarious and it felt to me like ‘holding the lantern while your mother chops wood’; I was indeed holding the lantern. 

Undaunted Renate thought nothing of it, arguing that I would pull her from the water much more easily than she doing the same for me. The parting of the lines was a continuing problem. There were two more failures before the problem was permanently solved by replacing both lines with dyneema. Lucky we had some on board that was given to us by Mark from ‘Del Viento’. Thanks mate!

As we emerged from the bad weather cell the wind backed to the south and we began to feel the effect of the Equatorial Counter Current opposing our progress towards the south-west. The ECC was setting NE, this combined with a southerly wind made for frustratingly slow progress and very wide tacking angles. One day we made good only six nautical miles in 3 hours. It was a week later before the wind began to back to the SSE and the current let us out of its grip. This was at about latitude three degrees north. 

A day later, at two degrees north, we knew we were in the SE Trade Winds. It was with great joy that we sailed in 20+ knots of wind with two reefs in both sails making for a fast and comfortable ride. Our watches and the days slipped by as our speed seldom dropped below six knots. As Taiko covered a thousand miles in a week I thought that this was how I imagined it would be. At this stage of the voyage there were no sea birds to be seen. Taiko had sailed out of the range of the Frigate Birds and Boobies. The Boobies became a pest as they liked to land and rest on our solar panels and radar dome. Having them aboard is not a problem, it is what they leave behind that is irksome. I developed a technique to discourage them by quickly popping up behind the solar panels and whacking the offending bird with a shoe. Approaching the Equator Renate insisted that I was baptised before Neptune with salt water. Being the curmudgeon that I am, it must be confessed that, I was a reluctant participant in the said baptism. However, the job was done and two bottles of fine German beer that had been saved and chilled for the occasion were drunk by the crew.

Taiko had been sailing for some time with a broken block on the starboard side foresail lazy jack, which meant that the foot of the reefed sail was not gathered up as it should be. This was perturbing as a junk sail depends on its lazy jacks to sail safely when reefed.

With a steady wind on starboard tack it was deemed time to do something about the problem. Using Annie Hill’s Advantages of a Junk Rig number fourteen Renate climbed easily up the foresail battens, tethered herself to the mast and replaced the broken block. I have to admit to not insubstantial feelings of angst while she did this, again, she thought nothing of it. 

Fishing from a yacht I have always found to be fraught with difficulty due to the ease with which fishing lines are prone to tangle with running rigging, sails, prop, and rudder. The menace of a large hook swinging about in the swell ready to relieve someone of an eye is a disagreeable sight for me. 

I also dislike the gore, slime and fish scales deposited over my boat as the poor creature is dispatched. I know this very un-blokey, but I feel if you want to fish from a boat buy a tinny. On our last ocean passages from NZ we seemed to hook only enormous fish that were too big for us to deal with aboard, for example, several marlin, sharks, dog toothed tuna and an enormous Wahoo that we gave away to a Kanak family. Catching something pan sized is much more appropriate for me. Renate has insisted we troll a lure whenever possible, to my pleasure results have been poor. Two juvenile Dorado, which we released and one Bonito. The Bonito I refuse to eat and its filets languish in the freezer yet. Furthermore, our fishing attempts usually result in the loss of large amounts of line and expensive lures. I would really rather not bother, it is cheaper to buy fish when you want it. I did, however, tend to the fishing rod when required.

 

At dawn on the 25^th of May Nuku Hiva was in sight. Renate was off watch asleep as we made our approach and missed the excitement of seeing our landfall before we were quite close. The anchor went down in Taiohae at 1030hrs. Exactly the date and time given on our application for authorisation to sail to Nuku Hiva. More good luck than good management! It had been a good ocean passage with very little in the way of challenging conditions. We kept in touch by email, via Winlink, with Wulf Henning who gave us weather information. Wulf Henning kindly supplied the image above  that outlines Taiko’s track from the position reports sent to him.

BaBay of Taiohae

On clearing in with the local Gendarmes we were alarmed to discover that we were allowed only four days to refuel and reprovision, after which, we must leave the country. Merde! Ou est qu’on puet aller? A la Nouvelle Zealand en hiver? This was not the fault of the unfortunate Gendarme of course. We called at the local yacht agent who suggested we apply for permission to remain in order to make repairs. I immediately did so with exaggerated flourish, though what was stated on the application was not untrue. Authorisation to remain for repairs came back a few hours later but we were not allowed to do any cruising and had to remain in Taiohae.

Our boat, prior to purchase, had lain uncherished in the Mexican desert sun for twelve years which had taken its toll on some items. Sun damaged plastic upper bearings on the Monitor wind vane had finally given up and had to be replaced. Fortunately I had ordered the parts in Mexico and had them on board. Taking apart a spring loaded fiddly mechanism over 10m of cloudy water with 1.5 m swell was exasperating and caused many expletives to be issued forth. A bed sheet was tied beneath the Monitor which successfully saved a crucial part from being lost to the deep on three occasions. Both main and fore sail yards had to be repaired with fibre glass, the fore sail yard for the second time. The yards, also victims of the desert sun, were repaired ashore under a boat tent. The repair was straight forward, though time consuming, the greatest difficulty was keeping them dry through the process.

 After a month in Taiohae we tired of the rolly rainy hull fouling anchorage and made a circumnavigation of the island, stopping at Controleur Bay, Anaho Bay, Hakaehu Bay and Marquesienne Bay. All of the anchorages were greatly more comfortable than Taiohae and we slept well for a change. Interestingly, the island has a rain shadow on its NW corner, where it is dry and the sun shines. Great for the solar charging.

 

 Bay of Hatiheu

Now, back in Taiohae we have said our farewells and are ready to depart for other islands as we have finally been granted permission to remain in French Polynesia and cruise islands. Our political and official worries appear to be over and we can get back to the normal cruising concerns of weather, navigation, water, fuel, food, etc.