November 2007 Russell, NZ
We had planned to depart Port Vila around the 18th of October. However, by the end of the season with Project MARC (Medical Aid to Remote Communities) we had only 3 people on the crew, our First Mate Kat, Second Mate Seamus and myself. It took nearly a month to find 3 more crew and it was an eventful month.
Kat came down with a serious leg infection and had to be flown to New Zealand for treatment. Then we were two.
Over the next few weeks John and Richard flew in from New Zealand to join the crew. Tony and Bronwyn flew in from Australia. A few days before we departed Australian Aid volunteers living in Vanuatu, Dr. Ali and teacher Julie, decided to join. At the last moment, Seamus’s friend Chris, flew in from the States. Suddenly we were nine!
When asked how long the passage would take I told people that when we made this 1250 mile passage back in 2000, it took 20 days. But if someone could tell me which way the wind will blow I can tell them how long it will take.
The inherent difficulty making a passage from Vanuatu to New Zealand is getting past the south eastern end of New Caledonia. The wind and current are against you. Sailing over the north western end of the island, by way of Grand Passage, is a down wind run, but adds another 600 miles to the distance.
The first day at sea the wind veered to the Sou’ soueast, so we tacked to the East’ noreast. Eight days later the wind backed to the east and moderated, so, we motor sailed sou’ east for 3 days. Eleven days into the passage we were finally in a position where we could sail clear of the southern end of New Cal.
After a day of calms we had 5 days of good sailing. We passed the southern end of New Caledonia and were becalmed again. Another day of calms we drifted west, then two days run to the south the wind backed to the nor’ east and began to freshen. By late afternoon we were hove to with a nor’ east gale force 7 to 8 (35 to 40 knots) with 6 metre seas.
The gale moderated the next morning, so we shook out the reefs and made a good run south for the next couple of days. Then the wind died away to light airs and cat’s paws. We furled most of the sails to prevent them from being damaged as the ship rolled in the calms.
Our VHF radio has line of sight transmission capabilities and does not work for long distance global communication. After 3 weeks at sea and no ships in sight we were surprised to hear a call on the VHF radio hundreds of miles from the nearest land. After listening for a minute and not hearing a second call I got on the radio and called, “Station calling on channel one-six this is sailing vessel Alvei, come back.” The immediate response was, Sailing vessel Alvei this is Air-Sea Rescue 365 we have been looking for you. Thank you for calling. A half minute later a large 4 engine Orion aircraft flew overhead. We were 5 days overdue at Opua and they came out to rescue us. I explained we were seaworthy, but with 200 miles of fuel remaining in the tank and 500 miles to Opua we would have to wait for the wind. Also gave them a revised ETA of 8 to 10 days longer or about the 16th of December.
After two more days drifting at one mile an hour we cranked up the “iron top’sl and motored south for 43 hours. Then Cyclone Dainon, then located just south of Fiji, sent us a large, 6 metre, sea from the nor’ east. This was the kind of sea that usually comes with a full gale of wind, but this time the wind was less than 5 knots. We were rolling up to 45 degrees and nearly becalmed. Again we had to furl the fore and aft sails to avoid damaging them. With the fore and main unbent for repairs the only workable sail in these conditions was our last remaining square sail, the fore course.
At last the sea subsided, a nor’ easter set in and we finished the passage in 4 days. In total the passage was 32 days and 1706 miles sailed.
It seems there was much media speculation about our being lost at sea. At one point there was talk about presenting me with a bill of $40,000 dollars and a reprimand for not having the radio turned on! It turned out a foreign vessel in international waters is not liable for a search that was not requested and not needed. Our VHF radio stays on 24 hours a day. It was on when we heard the Orion. The SSB is used for receiving weather fax’s and to monitor verbal weather reports on a small craft net called Rag-of-the-Air. We do not, however, report in daily as many of the yachts do. Jo Robinson, our former First Mate, contacted Maritime after they called our contact number. She explained to them, before they sent out the aircraft, that Alvei was seaworthy, but slow. Perhaps it was a slow day in the news as well?
The crew went their separate ways the day after we arrived at Opua. Now it is just Kat and myself on board. Our immediate future is uncertain. Kat’s leg is nearly healed, she was able to obtain a work permit and is working 2&1/2 jobs. The permit is good till November, 2008, she is giving some thought to staying and working to pay off her university loans.
It looks like we will be in Russell for Christmas.
Kat came down with a serious leg infection and had to be flown to New Zealand for treatment. Then we were two.
Over the next few weeks John and Richard flew in from New Zealand to join the crew. Tony and Bronwyn flew in from Australia. A few days before we departed Australian Aid volunteers living in Vanuatu, Dr. Ali and teacher Julie, decided to join. At the last moment, Seamus’s friend Chris, flew in from the States. Suddenly we were nine!
When asked how long the passage would take I told people that when we made this 1250 mile passage back in 2000, it took 20 days. But if someone could tell me which way the wind will blow I can tell them how long it will take.
The inherent difficulty making a passage from Vanuatu to New Zealand is getting past the south eastern end of New Caledonia. The wind and current are against you. Sailing over the north western end of the island, by way of Grand Passage, is a down wind run, but adds another 600 miles to the distance.
The first day at sea the wind veered to the Sou’ soueast, so we tacked to the East’ noreast. Eight days later the wind backed to the east and moderated, so, we motor sailed sou’ east for 3 days. Eleven days into the passage we were finally in a position where we could sail clear of the southern end of New Cal.
After a day of calms we had 5 days of good sailing. We passed the southern end of New Caledonia and were becalmed again. Another day of calms we drifted west, then two days run to the south the wind backed to the nor’ east and began to freshen. By late afternoon we were hove to with a nor’ east gale force 7 to 8 (35 to 40 knots) with 6 metre seas.
The gale moderated the next morning, so we shook out the reefs and made a good run south for the next couple of days. Then the wind died away to light airs and cat’s paws. We furled most of the sails to prevent them from being damaged as the ship rolled in the calms.
Our VHF radio has line of sight transmission capabilities and does not work for long distance global communication. After 3 weeks at sea and no ships in sight we were surprised to hear a call on the VHF radio hundreds of miles from the nearest land. After listening for a minute and not hearing a second call I got on the radio and called, “Station calling on channel one-six this is sailing vessel Alvei, come back.” The immediate response was, Sailing vessel Alvei this is Air-Sea Rescue 365 we have been looking for you. Thank you for calling. A half minute later a large 4 engine Orion aircraft flew overhead. We were 5 days overdue at Opua and they came out to rescue us. I explained we were seaworthy, but with 200 miles of fuel remaining in the tank and 500 miles to Opua we would have to wait for the wind. Also gave them a revised ETA of 8 to 10 days longer or about the 16th of December.
After two more days drifting at one mile an hour we cranked up the “iron top’sl and motored south for 43 hours. Then Cyclone Dainon, then located just south of Fiji, sent us a large, 6 metre, sea from the nor’ east. This was the kind of sea that usually comes with a full gale of wind, but this time the wind was less than 5 knots. We were rolling up to 45 degrees and nearly becalmed. Again we had to furl the fore and aft sails to avoid damaging them. With the fore and main unbent for repairs the only workable sail in these conditions was our last remaining square sail, the fore course.
At last the sea subsided, a nor’ easter set in and we finished the passage in 4 days. In total the passage was 32 days and 1706 miles sailed.
It seems there was much media speculation about our being lost at sea. At one point there was talk about presenting me with a bill of $40,000 dollars and a reprimand for not having the radio turned on! It turned out a foreign vessel in international waters is not liable for a search that was not requested and not needed. Our VHF radio stays on 24 hours a day. It was on when we heard the Orion. The SSB is used for receiving weather fax’s and to monitor verbal weather reports on a small craft net called Rag-of-the-Air. We do not, however, report in daily as many of the yachts do. Jo Robinson, our former First Mate, contacted Maritime after they called our contact number. She explained to them, before they sent out the aircraft, that Alvei was seaworthy, but slow. Perhaps it was a slow day in the news as well?
The crew went their separate ways the day after we arrived at Opua. Now it is just Kat and myself on board. Our immediate future is uncertain. Kat’s leg is nearly healed, she was able to obtain a work permit and is working 2&1/2 jobs. The permit is good till November, 2008, she is giving some thought to staying and working to pay off her university loans.
It looks like we will be in Russell for Christmas.