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- Values, goals and expectations
- Resources and perks
- Ongoing information
- Participation and involvement
- Social events and activities
- Check-ins and feedback
- Emergencies
- Milestones
& Awards
- Ongoing learning
- Q&A & Meet the Editor
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Quintessential South Pacific resorts
9) SEASON GATHERINGS 🎉 CELEBRATIONS
SAVE THE DATE
SAT AUG 31, 2024 NAWI ISLAND MARINA 🇫🇯 FIJI
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10) THE ITCZ
AKA THE DOLDRUMS
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The Inter-tropical Convergence Zone, known by sailors as the doldrums or the
calms because of its monotonous windless weather, is the area where the
northeast and the southeast trade winds converge. It hovers near the
thermal equator and its specific position varies seasonally
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Our strategy was to bring enough diesel and ready to motor for up to 600 nm.
Since it’s pulsates and is hard to pinpoint we eventually turned on the
engines in the fading winds below 4 knots of SOG and motored for 425 nm
~2.5 days to get through it
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In addition to heat and glass like conditions it does bring the danger of squalls, and quite strong ones too.
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The ITCZ area can even create micro burst which are very intense and
played a role in the loss of Air France Flight 447 in May of 2009
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Squalls are visible for us on our radar and the sky itself ( less so at night ) and
their general direction can be tracked. The only time we diverted from
our rhumb line course was to avoid squalls
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Even when the ITCZ is present, however, it is constantly moving and changing
in intensity. It varies from 3° N to 10° N. It can be anywhere from 50
to 300 miles wide. The dousing we got with one of these squalls was also
a welcoming source of delicious fresh water and clean decks
11) 1,000+ SOUTH PACIFIC ANCHORAGES
IN GOOD NAUTICAL
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Full
access to Good Nautical with 1000+ hard to find anchorage data compiled
over the last 12 years by participants and explorers.
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Routes through reefs are also avail in GPX format in Good Nautical
here
is the venerable and tricky pass to be validated to Marina
de Hienghene in 🇳🇨 New Caledonia ( Cyclonehole )
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Hienghène’s
renowned Poule Couveuse (Brooding Hen) rock formation sits on one side
of the entrance to Baie de Hienghène, facing the Sphinx on the
other.
12) PASSAGE 🛠️ PREPARDENESS
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RUNNING RIGGING AND CHAFE MITIGATION ON LONG PASSAGES
From the Rigger: There are many ways to extend the life of your rope. Here are some of our favorites…
End-for-Ending –
This very simple solution is definitely under-utilized. Simply flip
your rope around end-for-end to vary stress and abrasion points. For
example, the end of the jib sheet attached to the sail becomes the end
in the cockpit. And as you end-for-end each rope, take the opportunity
to visually inspect the entire length for damage and uneven wear.
Chafe points
– It is so sad to see perfectly good rope chafed at one spot (Murphy’s
Law: usually in the middle). And when there is chafing, people often fix
the rope without addressing the source of the chafe. Look for points
along the path of your ropes that are likely to cause chafing. Are
fairleads well-greased and running smoothly? Are metal chafe points
protected with tape, leather, plastic or cloth? And be proactive…
Technora® chafe sleeve to the section of rope that passes through your clutches.
Consider applying “millionaire’s tape”
to abrasion points along the length of your rope. This high pressure,
low-friction tape comes in a variety of materials, widths and colors.
PROtect Tape® and 3M®, which can be purchased by the foot or by
the roll.
Sky Your Halyards
(intentionally!) – If you want to extend the life of your halyards, do
what the serious racers do… sky your halyards. Carefully attach a
retrieval line to each halyard (or you might be climbing your mast),
then pull the halyards into the mast to protect them from exposure to
sun and heavy weather. Just to be on the safe side, we suggest that you
do not use the releasable part of a shackle to sky your halyards.
Cleaning
– limit the cleaning of your rope to a fresh water rinse to remove salt
particles and loose dirt. If you must use a cleaning solution, stick
with a small amount of a very mild detergent in warm water and
rinse it well. Avoid contact with anything stronger, especially in the
earlier years when the rope still has the coatings and lubricants
applied by the manufacturer. Then simply lay the rope out to dry. Never use bleach.
Storage
– We suggest that you neatly coiling your rope for storage and hang it
by an endpoint. Rope stored on the ground is more likely to collect
moisture and dirt. Make sure that your rope is stored dry to avoid
mildew and rotting. Avoid kinks and knots which can weaken the fibers in
the rope. If possible, store your rope in a shady spot out of direct
sunlight. Avoid contact with chemicals such as leaking hydraulic fluid,
gasoline, oil, acids, etc.
Protect Rope ends –
Splice where possible. Proper splicing creates less stress on
your rope than standard knots which weaken rope fibers. Consider adding Dyneema®
chafe sleeve to the working end of your rope. Use halyard balls at the
end of your spinnaker halyards to prevent over tightening.
Overload
– Make sure that the rope you select is adequately rated for the job at
hand. Overloading your rope can result in excessive stretching,
diameter reduction & hardening.
Overheat
– Rope manufacturers, warns that synthetic rope is very susceptible to
heat, including heat cause by friction. Rope that exceeds 250 degrees or
is too hot to touch is likely to be compromised.
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13) FREE FLEET TRACKING ’24
🛰️
WITH PREDICT WIND
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About Tracking:
Designed to give interesting parties an overview. For specific vessel details including their float plan,
latest updates, changes, positions and specific location related
questions please contact each vessel directly. If you are on
passage all of us and the fleet can monitor your progress.
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