Position 13°17’905S 134°24’519W
South Pacific Ocean.
Hi dear friends, thank you for following my journey. Here is this week’s update.
Each day now blends into the next for I have now been at sea, alone for 36 days. I have surprised myself by how many books I have read this week.
Life Onboard:
Day 29, I have run out of breakfast cereal, well that’s not entirely true I have 2lb of oats however they taste and resemble cardboard dust and know matter what I do to it I cannot give it any flavour. For this reason I am baking bread every two days now instead of every three days.
The rest of the food is holding up well, I have enough tinned food for another ninety days or so. Water, I have a quarter of a tank left which should see me to Tahiti, I can run the water maker if I need too. Whist the bread making can carry on so long as I have cooking gas, that’s about two and a half months worth.
Monday the 4th June, spotted land for the first time in 30 days. A small atoll called ‘Pukapuka’. it would be the first off over 50 plus such ‘atolls’, and the first (from the East) from the group know as the ‘Archipel Des Tuamoth’ that I would sail bye. Over 90% of the ‘Atolls’ here they have not been surveyed so no charts exists for them.
An ‘ATOLL’ can be descried in many ways, the ‘atolls’ here coral reef / islands. Basically, an almost circular reef with one or two entrances into a lagoon. They can be difficult to spot especially in the early morning or evening for they are only about a meter above sea level. Most have palm tress around the outside, which dose help to locate them.
The depths inside vary and as I mentioned early most have not been surveyed, on the chart it just say depth’ 0 – 1000 meters.
Sailing back near to civilisation;
Wednesday 6th June first sighting of sea birds for many weeks then on Thursday 7th June, day 34 I spotted my first vessel, a green navigation light at 04:30hrs (GMT) at position 15°38’940S 142°18’702W, judging by the angle she was sailing SE around 2.5Nm off my Starboard quarter. This was followed by a daylight sighting on Friday 8th June, day 34. I spotted a sailing vessel heading north some 3 miles off my Starboard bow.
The Boat:
PINTA is holding up well considering, there are no new problems this week although on Sunday the 3rd June at 12:07hrs (GMT) I was woken by a ‘Bang’ that echoed around down below. The Port, Aft, Inner shroud finally parted company with the swaged terminal, the backup wire I put in place took the strain nicely.
EMAIL CONNECTION IS STILL DIFFICULT FROM THIS LOCATION; IT MAY TAKE A FEW DAYS TO REPLY.
Fair winds and calm seas
David.