With a necklace of white clouds hanging calmly Santa Marta, it was time for us to leave the enchanted islands on March the 22nd. We would now start our next leg of approximately 3000NM from Galapagos to Marquesas on the other side of the Pacific. An important part of the departure planning was, as always weather forecast and routing. We were lucky we could sound-board our routing and departure data with John at C&OC, a seasoned Pacific Ocean sailor and weather guru in New Zealand.
At 10.30 AM we got a team of authorities onboard for clearing us out and make the required exit inspection, stamping passports and issue the zarpe certificate. After half an hour, we could heave anchor and leave all sharks and iguanas behind. As Galapagos is just about south of the equator, and north of the southern hemisphere’s trade winds, there is normally necessary to start off by motoring, not seldom for a couple of days. We motored SW for 45 minutes on a flat sea with compassionate sunshine before we got enough wind to set sails. We sailed with a speed of 7 knots in 8-10 knots of wind, competing with the Estonian Oyster Larimar.
Our first 48 NM across the southeast Pacific from Galapagos to Marquesas we sailed in a beam reach of 10kts, speed of 6-7 kts STW and 8-9 SOG with an extra help of current going our way. Even though no other vessel was in sight, we didn’t feel alone. Our Milky Way whatsapp buddy boats were somewhere on the ocean, either close bye or already on the Marquesas.
We quickly got used to a life on the Pacific Ocean. Sailing with a beam reach up to 10 knots. Now almost 400NM SW of Galapagos and another 2600NM to go, before reaching the Marquesas.
The first night we had the most comfortable sailing on rather flat water, and brightness from an almost clear sky which also offered a beautiful view of the stars, including the Southern Cross.
The second night was gray with drizzling rain for some hours, variable winds and a bit more bumpy waves and swell. Small rain showers scares the wind away and we motor for 10 minutes. But after 6AM the sun was rising and dried all the rain away.
We could sail on beam reach in more than 10 knots over ground.
Anders night watch was completed with Nilla serving Oatmeal-Banana pancakes with homemade jam. Red super delicious bananas from Isla Isabel – a stock with ca 50 fruits for USD and jam from special Galapagos pears, not that tasty to eat directly but made a very nice jam.
Small repair project on deck – small but essential set of screws on the side of the boom hade became loose, noticed by Nilla who found a screw on the deck. Anders could tighten them with Loctite and the remedy seemed to work.
On our fourth day, we were flying over the ocean with the wind of 19 knots and Yaghan made even 11 knots of speed over ground (the ground is 4000 meters under us…)
We sailed out of the cotton candy fog and a clear moonlight lightened up the vast sea. Soft waves swung us gently. The swinging shaved the preventer line, so it was time for captain Anders to fix it. In comfortable 6 knots we sail through another moonlit nigh with some soft clouds.
We soon got the rhythm of long-haul sailing with only the liquid sea and open sky as company. During daytime we had all three sails up, but at night we rolled in the staysail.
We enjoyed this kind of downwind sailing. On the sixth day of our Pacific crossing, we were 1100NM from Galapagos and had still 1900 NM to sail to Hiva Oa in the Marquesas in French Polynesia. Life was blue and life was good.
This red footed friend of ours agree. He landed on our davit and stayed there for a few hours until he found his spot slightly higher up, on our stern radar mast. He was sitting there for more than 48 hours. After some infrequent flights to catch some flying fish around the boat he returned to his lookout.
On March the 29th our red footed booby (lat. sula sula) was spending his fourth day onboard and had sailed with us over 600NM. The wind was becoming more absent, and it was hard to keep the course. Another silent night on the pacific ocean.
Under the smooth surface some greedy longnecks were having a perfect feast on Yaghans hull. We tried to get rid of them while rubbing a long line from portside to starboard. We might have succeeded with the strategy because the speed exceeded with one knot after the treatment.
On April the third we had less than 1000 nautical miles to go, still with the company of our booby bird friend. He on the other hand was accompanied by two other red footed boobies, not to his liking. He (or she) was loudly upset and tried to push the others into the sea. Very interesting fellows.
During the night some strong squalls come close, and we reduce our sail area. Som strong squalls in the night and we reduce our sail area.
One magical sunset is following the other and we continue to sway our way to the Marquesas. Wave by wave we are coming closer and on the sixth of April we had less than 500Nm to go. With great sailing during the day in the southern trade winds Yaghan flies forward. At night a lot of rain pours down on us and we are surrounded by confusing sea. We jibe.
Our booby bird left us after 15 days and we continued our fluid days on the ocean with navigation and changing sails. The whisker pole came down again and we continued with beam reach. Only two days left to our destination and we are curious to arrive to the legendary Marquesas.
On April the eight, we finally see another boat on our plotter. A yellow boat on Navionics, revealing our friends on the Swedish boat Idalina. We contacted Tina and Ingmar on WhatsApp and were happy to sail close again after 17 days on the Pacific Ocean.
Around noon Tina called us and said that they were having some steering problems. We asked if we should turn around and help, but Tina reassured that we could continue, and she would let us know when they knew more. Anders woke Nilla out of her lunch nap and we discussed the situation, we felt quite worried, having read about too many steering problems not ending well. Anders found the Swedish sailing vessel Pacific Wind sailing 12 NM behind Idalina, so he called captain Ulf, who directly altered the course to get closer to Idalina. Tina and Ulf didn’t answer our messages, which was worrying, so we decided to turn around and motored against 25 knots of wind and 2-meter-high waves. After an hour Tina called, explaining that their rudder shaft had snatched and the hole in the hull was growing bigger and bigger due to the movements of the rudder. They had tried all their best to stop the leakage, but without success. The hull had an uncontrolled water influx.
The only remaining thing to do was to prepare the life raft and to leave the boat. As a pilot and well trained in emergency situations, Tina was very calm, and she and Ingmar managed to collect nine bags of food and clothes and food and fill the life raft in the rolling sea. We saw the sign of Pacific Wind approach Idalina, reaching closer minute by minute, until Idalina disappeared. She sunk to a depth 4000 meters 200 miles before planned arrival to the Marquesas and luckily Tina and Ingmar were safe in the life raft and to be picked up by Ulf and Monica on Pacific Wind. Luckily it was daylight and boats nearby. Yaghan and Pacific Wind stayed close to each other the remaining way to Hiva Oa in the Marquesas.
On April the 10th we arrived shattered but safely in Hiva Oa after 3300 NM crossing of the South Pacific!! The nearly three weeks on the ocean have been a kind and meditative journey which only the ocean can offer, but sadly we also saw how fragile one can be and how quickly your home and all dreams can be smashed and lost. We deeply felt the shock and despair of crew Idalina and offered them to come and sail with us and heal among the sailing community. We are happy that they came onboard Yaghan and stayed for a month.
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