Off to an Exciting Start

Last week Jazz climbed the mast to fix a fraying halyard. Last night, a halyard broke. Of course it wasn’t the same one.

Jazz, ready for bed after her eight hour shift on about an hour of sleep, had just woken Andrew for his 5am start when we heard a loud snap. We looked out front to see the spinnaker fluttering into the water. We managed to release one line so that it could float out from under the boat, and haul it back onboard by the other. On inspection, we found about three feet of halyard dangling from the head of the sail in the inverted sock. The rest is presumably piled up inside the mast.

The sail is soaking and salty, and will need a wash and a damage assessment after its keel-hauling. The halyard is fixable, it’ll just be annoying to run a spare down the mast. At least the wind has picked up a little more than forecast, so we’re making good time with the main and genoa.

We’re currently passing the last French Polynesian island, Maupihaa. Sadly we’ll be unable to stop, both because of weather and COVID restrictions. The ride is rolly but not terrible. Morale on board is medium. Skies are gray, so our wet dive gear continues to sit on the couch in a bucket and mold, and the solar panels are barely keeping Otto fed.

1047 miles to Apia.

As always we love comments from anyone reading, just remember we won’t receive them until we arrive in Samoa.

2 comments

  1. Oh dear, “medium” morale! Sounds tough going at the moment, but those beautiful sunsets and views will make it worthwhile at any minute. “Mold” sounds a bit demoralizing….you guys are amazing!

  2. Sorry to hear your halyard snapped, you sounded a bit down and I wondered if you were at the end of your line? 😀 Since it sounds like the second in a short piece of time, what is the service life of the lines used? I will also say that I looked up the population of Apia and thought ‘what a small town’, but I think Bayview is only about 500. Hope your thousand miles went quickly and uneventfully as you read this, and hope you enjoy your time in Samoa. Fair winds and following seas.

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