South Pacific: Charging Problem

Eddie,

Please thank Joe Kerr for me. He analyzed the problem correctly and gave me the exact information to solve the Xantrex charging problem. I will have to wait to try his fix for the Balmar alternator. For over a week now I haven't used the main engine. In fact, I have been sailing at over 8 knots average for the last 3 days in 16-18 knots of ESE winds and I have my third day in a row of over 200 nautical miles in a 24 hour period. It looks like more of the same from here on. I have less that 1400 miles to go until Nuka Hiva Marquesas. I will however leave for US Samoa soon after. You and Greg can get ready to send me some needed parts to Samoa when I am about a week out from there.All systems are working perfectly, even the Fischer-Panda is running and charging without as much as a whisper.

Mike

South Pacific: Downwind Sailing

This photo shows the boat at a steady 11 - 12 knots sailing downwind in 16 - 18 knots of true wind. The sails are set the same for the last 5 days.

The Main is all the way up and out full to starboard, just touching the upper spreader. It has a preventer from the boom end up to a forward cleat. The staysail is out to starboard to balance the main and to add some extra sail area in the 'slot' between the main and the genoa. The genoa is out to windward held there by the Selden carbon-fiber pole and the sheet lead through the poll end back to the spinnaker winch in the cockpit.

This is a very efficient and safe way to move the boat along downwind keeping the wing 15 - 20 degrees off the stern port side. However you need to be careful that a wave does not spin the boat to windward and 'back' the genoa. That will violently spin the boat more to windward and flog the main.

1000 Miles Out from the Galapagos

2000 miles to go to Marquesas...

There is really only one Cruising Sailor's "Guru", the well known and highly respected Jimmy Cornell. (See his website, http://www.noonsite.com/) I am not sure of his history, but every single cruising sailor I meet out here (except the French) have at least one of his books. Most will have "World Cruising Routes" in one edition or another. Some are proud to have the worn and tattered First Edition, I have the latest 5th edition personally signed by Jimmy himself. He was at the Annapolis Boat Show a year and a half ago. 'Cruising World Magazine' (For which he regularly writes articles) had an offer to sign up to spend an hour talking with him about your own cruising plans. I signed up for 2 hours. It was well worth it.

I had purchased my new Hunter 46 at the 2002 Miami Boat Show with plans to sail her to Europe to make some television documentaries for a German TV station using 'WanderLust' as a base of operations while I cruised from one well known European resort city in the Med to another. That worked out fine and was very successful, but I had no real plans after that. "I guess I'll sail her back to California" was my next thought. Our President Bush put an end to those plans. At the entrance to the Suez Canal, which I intended to transit on my way back to California, I was told that because the USA was dropping bombs on Iraq, all US flagged private boats 'Are Strongly Advised NOT to be anywhere near the Red Sea or, for that matter, anywhere in the Middle East.

I had to change my plans. I had to return back to the Atlantic Ocean, cross from Africa to South America, visit the Caribbean, transit the Panama Canal, voyage to the South Pacific and finally, by way of Hawaii, return to California.

It took 2 more years but I finally did just that, and enjoyed every minute of it.
Now that I was back in California with my boat, what to do now! I didn't buy this boat to sit on it in some marina and tell sailing stories over weekend cocktails, I bought it to go somewhere with it and experience those places and meet those people you can only reach by boat. I will now 'Sail-Around-the-World'.

Hunter liked what I was doing with my pictures and stories I was telling at the boat shows, so when they heard of my plan to Sail-Around-the-Globe, they asked if I wouldn't rather trade my 'old' Hunter 46 in on their brand new model 49 that would replace the 46. It would take more that a year to develop the mock-up and draw the plans for the new boat, but I was invited back to the factory in Florida and asked my opinion on various thoughts and ideas the engineers were working on. Hunter has a very experienced group of engineers lead by Glen Henderson. I was honored that they valued my opinion. I was able to view the plywood and cardboard mock-up at 3 different stages of development and finally wrote a 3 page summary of my thoughts with 34 suggestions. After reviewing those suggestions last month, I noted 28 had actually been implemented. Of course others at the factory had similar or the same ideas, but it showed to me that Hunter really does listen to their customers.

I had one year to develop my own new plans. What to do with my new boat now that I have sold the old 46. I had 2 choices, sail around the world in a Westward direction by way of the South Pacific, Australia, Indian Ocean, cross the South Atlantic into the Caribbean and finally back to Miami or Sail around the world in an Easterly direction, as was my original intent, by way of Europe, Middle East, South East Asia, Philippines, Japan, Alaska and home.

It was at this planning stage, more that 6 months before my new boat would be ready, that I went to visit Jimmy Cornell. I was sure that I would be so much wiser after talking with him. Jimmy was a joy to be with. He has so much knowledge gained through experience that he nonchalantly talks of crossing oceans as if crossing town. He has such a wealth of sailing and cruising knowledge that it is easy to see how he fills the pages of his numerous books and countless magazine articles.

His suggestions to me made it sound like both directions would be doable, however, it would take 2 years going around Easterly, but by going West around it could be feasible to do it in one year. I took Jimmy's advise and planned for both routes using his book as my guide. West around via Australia in one year, or East around re-visiting the Mediterranean but then new territory for me with Thailand and Japan on a 2 year circumnavigation.

Later that year, I was offered the chance to film for the German TV network ZDF. Germany was going to send a team to the qualifications and the preparations for the America's Cup in Valencia Spain. I wrote to Jimmy Cornell and asked his thoughts on sailing to Spain and staying in Valencia during the America's Cup trials and events and while I worked for the TV station. Jimmy offered his support and would use his connections to find me a spot in Valencia during the events. I was still working on planning for both routes 'Around-the-World', but it looked like I might be able to combine shooting TV and making some money on my voyage if I choose East-Around with a stop in Spain.

Jimmy was very helpful in asking the right people and he somehow was able to garner a space for me and my boat at the Valencia Yacht Club during the trials and the America's Cup events. I would need to get to Spain early enough in April or May and stay until the end of June. I was willing to do that, leave Florida 2 months earlier that expected and stay longer than normal just to be able to be a part of sailing history.

Then came the bad news. No private boats would be allowed access to the venues other that fixed anchor spots. No filming allowed, not even by accredited TV stations, only the official Spanish TV would supply all the TV pool feeds. I would not be allowed to use my boat as a platform for filming TV nor would I even be allowed on the course except in designated spectator areas. Only official 'Press Boats' would be allowed to shoot on the course. I was out of a job.

That made the decision easier for my eventual choice, to sail WEST around the world. I know that I disappointed Jimmy Cornell. He had used a lot of his influence and connections to help me get a good spot, and he also planned to stay with me on my boat during some of the official events. I'm really sorry for that. I owe him a debt of gratitude, but the situation was deteriorating fast for me in Spain, so I made the only choice left open, head to Australia.
I am less than half way there now. I left Miami early March for the Bahamas then, via the Windward Passage, to Jamaica. I then soloed to Panama but had to wait nearly 2 weeks for a transit slot to cross the Canal. I spent 2 wonderful weeks in the Las Perlas Islands with 2 great girls from Denmark. Mia and Louise stayed with me 7 weeks, all the way to the Galapagos. They were pure joy to have as company.

Then a faulty fuel pump kept my generator from running to supply charge power for my batteries. THEN the alternator went out on my main engine. There was no way to charge any of my ample batteries. I had to sit and wait, using as little power as possible. I wasted 3 weeks waiting for the replacement parts to clear Ecuadorian Customs. That puts me a total of 4 weeks behind schedule.

The Schedule -- Using Jimmy Cornell's book, World Cruising Routes, I was able to plan a 1 year circumnavigation of our globe. I could average 1000 miles a week sailing the long passages. It is about 26,000 nautical miles around, so, to average 1000 nm a week leaves enough time to enjoy a week or two during the non-sailing weeks - 50/50 or half & half - sailing or at anchor, 26 weeks of each. It's my plan and I will try to stick to it.

History: WanderLust I

I sailed my very first time with a Balboa 26 on a trailer. My Uncle Jess bought her new in 1976, sailed her twice in Newport Beach Harbor and put her in storage.

In June 2000, My Aunt called to see if I wanted her husbands 'old' sailboat. They had moved to Alaska and didn't want to pay storage for another 33 years. I took my truck down to Newport and hauled the sailboat back to Marina del Rey, near where I live in Manhattan Beach.

I took the Honda 10 hp off the back and into a dealer for service and then started to work on putting the mast up. I had NO idea how it should go. I looked over at other boats and tried to copy what I saw.

After more than 2 hours, I thought I had it up right. Two younger guys drove up next to me with another sailboat, a McGreager, with their mast down. They looked up at me and studied a while before asking "Hey Mister, do you need some help?" I proudly answered "No, I think I got it." They yelled, "We think you don't, the mast is on backwards!"

They helped get everything rigged properly and then the guy brought the outboard back to say she runs great after he changed the impeller and cleaned the carburetor. I launched the boat. 'She Floats!' then started the outboard. I cruised around inside MDR harbor for half an hour then started looking for sails. There were 4 bags under the seats with different markings.

I pulled out the one marked 'Main' and opened it up. I figured, by looking at other boats, that the small pointy end went into the mast track and the leftover end went on the end of the boom. Within an hour I had her sailing. It had similarities with rigging a hang glider and I figured out how to trim her as a hang glider and sailed out the harbor entrance. The plan was to sail out in front of the Manhattan Beach pier and call my renters to say, "Look out front, that's me on my new sailboat." I called 4 MB friends on the Strand and all came out and waved.

I got her sailing pretty fast. The wind was straight out of the West and Palos Verdes Peninsula was straight South so she sailed well. When I got out to the Point I could see Catalina in the distance. I didn't know how to turn her around yet so I just kept sailing. Late afternoon I came into the Avalon Bay and a guy came out in a launch to ask if I wanted a "mooring". I didn't know exactly what he ment but because I couldn't find an anchor on my boat, I asked him to help me, that I was a "First Timer."

The next morning I again raised my 'Main' sail and sailed her back to Marina del Rey. That was a truly GREAT feeling sailing a boat to an 'exotic' island and back again. WOW! I was hooked.

The next weekend I launched her again except going out the harbor channel I noticed the winds were from the South, up from Mexico. I put the nose into the wind, just like setting up a hang glider, then turned the boat NorthEast. I figured this time out I would sail up to malibu and call a couple of other friends to say, "Look out the window, that' ME sailing by."

I was really sailing well I thought so I didn't want to mess it up by trying to turn around. I kept going up the coast to an inlet I knew from surfing. Oxnard Bay. They have a nice shopping and restuarant pier and I hoped to find a place to tie up at the end of someone's dock. I bought an anchor package from West Marine but didn't know how or where to anchor.

Nearing sunset, I found a nice dock and a space right out on the end. I walked into a resturant, had an nice meal in an 'exotic' port and went to sleep back on the boat. I slept well. Then I heard a loud knock on the outside of the hull. "What are you doing here, this is a private dock!?"

I crawled out and had a look around. The dock had a lot of 'For Sale' signs on the boats and a big sign, "Voyager Marine Sales" and "Hunter Dealer" at the building. I answered, "I'm looking to buy a new boat." "Well, come right up to my office and have some coffee."

I figured I would listen to him, have some free coffee then head out back to Marina del Rey. Then he showed me a 1998 Hunter 34. She was 2 years old but had only 18 hours on the engine. She looked brand new, all shiny and clean. I asked how much. $110,000. I told him that I couldn't get that much together. John asked, "How much can you get?" "Maybe $80,000, how much could he give me in trade on my old boat?"

The next weekend he picked me up in Manhattan Beach and drove early in the morning up to Oxnard and sailed with me on my new to me Hunter 34 back down to a transient slip in Marina del Rey. When John rolled out the second sail up front and we sailed more than twice as fast as I had previously sailed back down the coast, I knew I had made the right decision.

The boat also had a name painted on the side, "Wanderlust."

Galapagos - Frustration!

It's just a word. But it can bring about such negative emotion.

When I was younger, little things would frustrate me, like not getting what I wanted or getting something else from what I expected. That was an easy fix back then, I could just change my goals and except less.

When I began competing in sports, I learned that changing the goal wasn't as easy. Everyone's goal was the same, to win! If I didn't win, I needed to work on myself, fitness or endurance or style, to make myself better. Even if I wasn't first place, I always strived to be. Competing in sports taught me that to succeed, to finish a goal the best I could, I needed to work on myself first. Discipline was the key to success. I was successful in a variety of sports which I think helped me be a success in life.

Some things still frustrate me. I still have problems with 'Uniformed Authority'. Someone puts on a uniform or a shiny badge and their attitude changes. They become 'aggressively dominant' or 'All-Knowing' or "In-Command' even if their competency level is not up to their own vision of themselves. Every nation has them, some more prominent than others. They demand respect even when they don't deserve it. Latin and especially the South American nations wear a lot of uniforms. There will be short little guy wearing a uniform all shiny and black as if he were about to invade Poland! He'll walk around very proud and demand respect from all that regard him. If you have to deal with such a person to get any kind of paperwork stamped or signed, you had better learn PATIENCE and smile a lot, or it will take much longer to get your stamp.

Patience is the key to combating frustration.

It is also my mother's first name.

I have never had much patience with people who weren't up to my expectations. I would try to work around or through them rather than deal with people I couldn't respect.

The combination of incompetency and uniformed authority however needs special skills which I am still lacking. Patience is about the only thing I have left and it is now almost at an end.

Ecuador is a very small country. The outlying Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador. This seems to put them far from the minds of the mainland authority.

14 days ago, I e-mailed Hunter Customer Service and the very next day Eddie Breeden got a replacement alternator for the Yanmar on a FedEx plane to Quito Ecuador airport. The local FedEx agent, Johnny Romero in Santa Cruz, promised 3 or at the most 4 working days to get my box from Florida to me in Isla Isabela. Even though this shipment was pre-paid and for a "Vessel-in-Transit" and therefore customs exempt, I paid the $186 customs fees. This is now the twelfth day that I have heard that Ecuador Customs at the airport is sitting on my small but important package, but that it will surely come tomorrow.

I have very little patience left. Frustration has set in.

When I was competing in sports, I was always impatient. I couldn't wait to try something I was working on to improve myself. I would get excited to prove to myself and then to others that I was getting better.

Then I had a horrific sports accident.

I was 11 months in a coma with a myriad of broken bones, including my hips at 4 places, my 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae, the Atlas vertebrae and the base of my skull. I had to lie in a bed for over 2 years. My broken body could not hold itself upright in a sitting position, so even a wheel chair was out of the question. I was so determined to make myself better that I sometimes had to be strapped to my bed post after trying some movement or exercise that had me crashing to the floor.

Finally, the doctors had a special gurney brought in where I could lie on my stomach and roll the extra large wheels to propel myself down the hall to rehab. I was able to work on myself at my own pace. The absolute total frustration of lying in bed for months without even being able to try to improve my condition had finally taught me one thing - PATIENCE.

It took weeks and then years to see any noticeable improvement. The tiniest of muscle, the smallest change from numbness to having feelings, even the addition of a few grams of weight on my own body took weeks to notice. I would sometimes lie at night and silently cry with total frustration taking over my mind. Patience was needed. Patience I still did not have. But I was learning.

There are just some things you cannot force. You can not will it so, as you want. You have to deal with the delays.

Sometimes you just have to be patient, or you get frustrated.

Day 15 at anchor in Villamil Galapagos waiting for a small box to clear Ecuador Customs.

I must change my route to make up for the delays here in the Galapagos. I have to divert from the planned destination of the Sydney Boat Show end of July to Audi Hamilton Island Sail Week in North-East Australia end of August.

Galapagos - New Sailcover and Lazyjacks

Here on the island of Isla Isabella in the Galapagos, I finally got my new sail cover and lazy jacks mounted. Because my Hunter 49 is the first with the 7 foot taller mast, the original sail cover didn't fit the 30% larger than standard sail. The new, custom-made cover fits perfectly.

I will leave tomorrow for the Marquesas and then US Samoa. A simple voyage of first 3000 miles then 2000 more to Samoa.

The goal is to get to the "Sydney International Boat Show" before the end of July.

Galapagos: 12 Volt Power Problem Solved

Here are 3 tips that could help you with onboard charging problems.

Always have at least a beginners electrical knowledge and tool kit before trying any electrical repairs. This fuel pump on my Fischer-Panda generator was faulty. I changed it out with a new one from my spare parts kit but I forgot some basic electrical rules. When you cut two wires next to each other, it might be a good idea to stagger the cuts so that the metal parts are not touching. Then wrap them each separately in electrician tape. You could then wrap both together later or put them in a protective sleeve.


I had no charging power from either my Fischer-Panda generator nor my Balmar alternator on the Yanmar engine. I would not have been able to start either the generator nor the engine without a fully charged 12 v battery. I have a second start battery I use for the underwater breathing compressor. I also carry a small Honda generator as a charging backup. I also use it when I go into a small village and invite the kids to watch a Disney or Pixar movie on the rollup screen from my video projector. I power the speakers and projector with the Honda and give out candy. I'm the hit of their week.


The thin white wire broke. I don't know it's function but I thought it needed to be put back where it belonged. The generator has been working great since I changed out the faulty fuel pump for the new one in my spare parts box and then corrected my mistake of not isolating the 12 v power wire from the ground wire which caused the 10 amp fuse to blow.

Underwater Camera

Here is my recommendation for the absolute best sailboat photo cameras. I have my BIG Canon 16 Mega-Pixel with 10 Pro-Lenses, but on the boat, all the pictures I am shooting now are with the new 'shock and waterproof' small Olympus digital cameras. I have 3, each a little different in the depth they can shoot underwater, but all have the same 7.1 Mega-Pixel. Right: Photo taken with the Olympus Stylus 770 SW (Gray).

My favorite is the Olympus Stylus 725 SW. It cost under $380. at Costco and comes with a floating wrist strap and a silicone clear cover. It is Underwater proof down to 6 meters (20 feet).
The light blue one ( Stylus 720 SW) is my land camera because it is drop and shock proof from 6 feet on concrete. I can attest to that when I slipped and fell down a small cliff, not a scratch on the camera. It is waterproof down to only 3 meters.

The real underwater king of small cameras without a case is the Stylus 770 SW which goes down to 10 meters or over 30 feet. This was proven on 6 dives with my friend Tom. Most of the following photos were taken with either the 725 SW or the 770 SW.

Galapagos - Santa Cruz Island & City

After a 5 night cruise from the Las Perlas Islands in Panama to the 900 mile distant Galapagos, we dropped anchor an hour after sunset on the main island and principal city of Santa Cruz. The anchorage is facing South so the predominantly southern swell with SE winds needs to be countered with a stern anchor keeping the nose of the sailboat into the swell. If you do not do this the boat rolls, sometimes so much so that sleep is deprived. Right: Las Perlas - Galapagos half way

The first was night was terrible and for the first time in over 4 years of sailing, I couldn't sleep a minute. I got up grumpy and 'angry-at-the-world.' It wasn't until daylight when I had the chance to see the complete anchorage that I decided to anchor exactly where, 4 years ago, I wanted to, but didn't because it looked like a locals-only area: "Angermeyer Point". Left: Santa Cruz Island - Galapagos

I pulled the boat up near the cliffs tucked in behind the breaking reef and dropped the anchor in 22 feet of clear water. I didn't want to risk another 'grounding' as in the Las Perlas but the difference in tide height here was only about 8 feet, not the 20 feet in Panama. This spot is right below the most famous "Angermeyer Point" restaurant, Inn and exclusive rental house in all the Galapagos. It was founded 75 years ago by 2 brothers who made their life's work here. Right: My anchorage with Teppy in front of his INN

Sons and daughters of the original Angermeyers have made the Galapagos famous with their books, films and stories. The most original of the young Angermeyers is now 'Teppy', named after the doctor than born him here. His Father was German, his mother Danish and he maintains 3 houses here and an apartment in Copenhagen. The beautiful, white inn on the point belongs to him as well as the big yellow 8 bedroom house that he rents out for $2400 a night. LEFT: The girls go ashore

Tom and I tied our dingy up to his stairs into the water and went in for breakfast while the girls slept the long night out. Teppy came out to great us and was so friendly and informative, we had an instant connection. When I told him we should go back to my boat, literally parked under his doorstep, to pick up the 2 Danish girls, he got inquisitive - Danish? He hadn't spoken Danish in a long while and was anxious to meet Louise and Mia. I thought that Teppy would be a good "uncle" to take over the safety of the 2 girls while I continued alone on to French Polynesia and Samoa.

It was a perfect match and Teppy became our friend over the past 5 days. He gave us tips on the best dive shop and underwater world, good restaurants and even the night spots for the 'younger' crew.

Tom got his flight out to Quito then Panama - Miami so my crew was down to Mia & Louise.
Tom took one last dive with the girls on nearby Santa Fe island and a motor bike ride up into the hills with me before leaving. I'll miss him, he was a big help. Tom vows to return to Samoa with his surfboard and then again in the Great Barrier Reef of NE Australia later this summer.

We three continued exploring and enjoying this fantastic place trying to make the most of the short time I have left here. I want to move on to Samoa and Australia soon. Teppy has offered to let the girls have one of his VERY nice rooms for a backpacker price when they return from Isla Isabella next week. My plan is to leave here by first light tomorrow for the neighbor island, feign a motor problem in order to anchor there without permission and continue on to Nuka Hive alone leaving the girls there in a small hotel room recommended by Teppy. Right: Teppy Angermeyer's Manager Christian

My next e-mails will be from Isla Isabella and then only SailMail aboard Wanderlust on the high seas.

Crossing the Equator at 00.00.00 Lat into the south pacific