Pitufa.at

We’ve had a rather annoying night with some squalls. Lack of sleep is the main problem on a passage when only 2 people can share the nightwatches and stumbling out of the bunk in between in howling winds and pouring rain for sail changes doesn’t help. This morning it’s sunny again, so we hope for a pleasant last sailing day. 100 nm to go!

Even though we’ve had a lure out right from the start (yep, even when it was rough and we felt more than a bit queasy), we haven’t caught a fish yet. Today our course came close to two atolls and as fishing’s always best near an island we sailed along their southern and southeastern outer reefs. Edging in towards a breaking reef under sails with… Continue reading »

We are sailing nicely along in calmer conditions, but still going fast. Of course we tried to stock up as much fresh veg and fruit as possible before we left the Gambier, but now the two stacks of green bananas have gone all yellow long before we have reached our destination. Going bananas towards the Tuamotus with 360 nm to run!

With the prediction forecasting strong winds we buckled down when we reached a bank of dark clouds yesterday. Instead of the expected 20 knots we got no wind and gusts over 35 in between with lots of lightning. Not great. We ended up motoring for a few hours to get out of that soup and finally found the northeasterlies at midnight. Now we’re sailing along… Continue reading »

Last night the wind set in and we’re going fast and close-hauled in 15 to 20 knots now. The weatherforecast predicts rain and squalls, but it’s still sunny.

We left the Gambier again today at noon, despite light northwesterly winds (yep, northwest is where we should actually sail). Our plan is to sail up north first and gain a headstart on a front that is supposed to arrive tomorrow with rain, squalls and northeasterly winds that should pick up and take us straight towards the Tuamotus. 655 nm to go to Tahanea (we’ll… Continue reading »

When we were just outside the southern barrier reef outside the Gambier archipelago yesterday (all sails up, going 6 knots, 2 fishing lures out), suddenly the water alarm in the bilge went off. Rip out the floorboards–stick a finger in the brew–taste–freshwater–ooofff. So no immediate danger, but still not great to have the bilge full of water. We sailed up through the Southeastern barrier reef… Continue reading »

The day before yesterday the northwesterly died down and then the wind set in again from the east instead of the promised southeast, so we’ve been fighting as close-hauled as it gets to hold our course to the Gambier. A rough end to a pleasant passage–we should arrive early afternoon.

Usually we dread too little wind on passages, because that means rolling in confused seas and flapping seas. This time though, wind and seas gradually calmed down together, so this morning Pitufa is gliding over flat seas in only 8 knots of breeze. It’s sunny, no clouds in the sky and the sea has this peculiar shade of blue that is so dark it almost… Continue reading »