Nearly time for the first episode of Big Pacificsail, click here to see the trailer #BigPacificSail !!
Monday 21 December 2015
Saturday 5 December 2015
Iwa Island, PNG!
Iwa island in the Marshall Bennet group of islands was our stop off point on the way to the Trobriand islands. We were greeted by the now customary paddle out by locals in their homemade fishing canoes. Everywhere we go the art of building these canoes is known and practiced. People in Papua New Guinea, particularly in remote areas, have learnt over hundreds of generations to be some of the most resourceful on the planet. The island is believe to be 4 million years old and is seldom visited by any yachts or cruise ships. Its sheer rock faces shoot steeply up out of the water to a height of 200 metres above the ocean. The island is surrounded by a shallow lagoon, the very narrow reef system drops off about fifty meters or so out from the shore line. The ocean plummets hundreds of meters down, so much so that there is no available anchorage, it's too deep! We drifted around in the current, occasionally turning the engine on and motor back towards the island.
A narrow beach lays at the bottom of some of the towering cliff face in other places there is no beach, only the bear rock. The beaches and the flat tabletop of the island are covered in rough, lush green jungle. One would have negotiate his or her way up 200 meters of cliff to the top of the island. Coconut trees poke their heads out above the lush green jungle canopy and their profile can be seen from a distance. There is very little fertile land on islands like these, for the many hours of toil the locals put in there's not much reward.
We did three dives, these could have been the first ever scuba divers to dive this reef. Being an ocean mount Iwa island is exposed to big oceans swells and storms which have an impact on reefs condition. In some places the reef was whole and healthy, coral bleaching had occurred in places, while big sea storms had destroyed others which are bare and barren. Even on this remote reef the diversity of coral species was exceedingly high, I counted at least five different types of plate coral and many other species. Being a very steep sloping drop off there wasn't much coral to be found past 25 metres, it's ran into bed rock and sandy patches. We encountered pelagic species on all three dives, giant barracuda, large tuna, jacks, trevally and on the last dive several scalloped hammerhead sharks.
Our first dive was along the South East side of the island, the current swept us along through clouds of fuzerliers and other reef fish. A small shoal of big-eyed barracuda patrolled up and down the reef past us. Four or five large tuna cruised by towards the end of the dive very close to the surface. At some points clouds of dirty water moved out from on top of the reef and caused a reduction is visibility to a depth of five or so meters.
The second dive was on the North 'slack side' of the island, on this day the current shot back out in the ocean before it reached this point consequently it was very weak/nonexistent on this spot. We saw a small pod of dolphins from the tender on the way. Pelagic action here wasn't anything like as good as on sides of Iwa that are exposed to currents however the coral growth and variety didn't appear to be affected.
The third and final dive site was done on the southern side of the island where the ocean current meets Iwa's sheer reef wall and shoots in different directions around the island. We encountered most of the fish life here, tuna, rainbow runners, large schools of surgeon fish, several species of barracuda and a brief and distant sighting of hammerheads. A strong current helped us along at a nice speed and provided the perfect environment for these species. We passed under several overhangs and part of sheer wall with no coral growth on them at all.
Unfortunately none of us made landfall on the island itself. I feel we barely scrapped the surface of Iwa island. Of particular interest are the hammerhead sharks we encountered, whether these sharks often frequent Iwa Island when the current and conditions are favourable remains to be seen. Another magical day in Papua New Guinea's incredible islands!
BigPacificSail (a short clip)
Enjoy this short preview all the way from the Louisiade Archipelago in Papua New Guinea!
Follow the link to the video BigPacificSail (preview)
Follow the link to the video BigPacificSail (preview)
Friday 27 November 2015
16 November 2015
My dive buddy and I spent a good 15 minutes taking photographs and videoing it. I also glimpsed a turtle.
We've moved further into the lagoon and now we're anchored quite near the reef, about six or seven miles into the lagoon. This was so we can speed over the submerged part of the reef and dive on the outer walls, A group of us went to scout the diving at sunset this evening and then we went to watch the sun set on one of the sandbanks of the reef.
There's nobody else here, we haven't seen a boat for a while since leaving Alotau. It's a beautiful place, another uninhabited spit of land in the vast Pacific Ocean. Super blesses to be here! I'm looking forward to what tomorrow holds
14 November 2015 Whale Shark sighting
Most of the dive spots we've visited so far on Infinity have been very off the beaten track! While some of the spots we're diving may been fished by locals, there's a strong argument that suggests we're the first scuba divers to dive here and that's exciting!
The second dive was just Sam and I and within second of us dropping in below the surface we bumped into a whale shark! It wasn't yet fully grown and was cruising by, talk about being in the right place at the right time. We attempted to keep up with it but nothing doing, two flicks of its tail and it was gone. My first encounter with a whale shark, absolute magic!
You never know what you're going to encounter when you drop beneath the waves, that's what makes it exciting!!
13 November 2015
We left Alotau four days ago on the 10th of November at sunrise. Time is flying by, before you know it my time here will be up. Since leaving we've slowly been moving out of Milne Bay towards East Cape, Papua New Guinea's most eastern point on the northern shore at the entrance to the bay.
We picked up several new people in Alotau who have joined the boat, some for the next few weeks others for a longer trip to the Philippines. There's Fin and Tom from Germany, Manuel from France, Anna from Switzerland, George from the Netherlands, Oscar from the UK, Sam from Australia and Katie from the States, but who lives in New Zealand. All of these guys and girls are super excited to be on board and to get out into the middle of nowhere.
We picked up several new people in Alotau who have joined the boat, some for the next few weeks others for a longer trip to the Philippines. There's Fin and Tom from Germany, Manuel from France, Anna from Switzerland, George from the Netherlands, Oscar from the UK, Sam from Australia and Katie from the States, but who lives in New Zealand. All of these guys and girls are super excited to be on board and to get out into the middle of nowhere.
We spent two days at the uninhabited Haro Wani Island, very close to the northern shore. It was a picturesque setting, the water went from deep dark blue into torques and then into very light blue and up out of the water to a white sandy beach. A small coral reef surrounded the island which we dived on a couple of times.
On our second and last evening their a group of us went and hand a bonfire on the beach which we cooked dinner on. Away from the lights of Alotau the stars shone out brightly, standing there looking up at them with nothing but the flickering flames lighting the beech I wondered how many people had stood in this spot and done exactly that.
The island wasn't always uninhabited, a short walk through the jungle revealed at least five grave stones, not much further and the remains of what according to locals was once a missionary’s house. The roof is missing and the branches and roots of trees have grown over and through it. It's quite incredible how the jungle takes reclaims buildings and ruins. I was reminded of the Japanese ruins on Tonowas island in Truk Lagoon last December. Time has worn away at the stones themselves which guard the secrete names of their inhabitants, I wonder who they were? What there names were? How they came to be buried in this beautiful spot.
On the morning of the 12th of November at 4 am we raised anchor and continued east 12 miles to Dana Gedu Reef where we stayed for the day. After a early morning dive with Menno, Oscar, Fin and Sam we spent the day chilling. We did another dive that afternoon, the reefs are full of fish big and small. I'm working on my photography, shooting above the water in manual mode on my camera is helping me get better shots beneath the waves.
Before the sun went down the that evening we moved again, to the north point of the same reef, very close to East Cape. From here we'll continue to the Conflict and Engineers groups of islands then turn north towards the Trobriand Islands, famous for their detailed wood carvings and diving. Things are good, we're cruising.
Thursday 19 November 2015
9 November 2015
We'll be departing the sleepy town of Alotau, Milne Bay today at noon. The plan is to cruise around for the next few weeks in the Engineer and Conflict groups of islands to the east. From there we will turn north towards the province of East New Britain and the town of Rabaul.
It's been a busy and exciting time here in Alotau. The festival has allow me and everyone on infinity to experience and see into Papua New Guinea's vast cultural pool. It's been a busy time filming and interviewing the chairman of the committee, the heading of Alotau's tourism board and a few others including a colourful cultural group.
This is defitely somewhere I'm going to be returning to. I have written a number of posts but have been unable to post them due to the slow internet connection. They will appear in the future.
For now I need to publicly thank Jaymataio, Ralph Numa and Joey Tau. Without there help visiting Alotau would have been a different experience.
We should be arriving into Rabaul before the 28th of this month. I will keep another ships log and hopefully get it all up before I leaving PNG at the beginning of December.
Tuesday 3 November 2015
Papua New Guinea Pt
Papua New Guinea is made up of twenty-two different provinces, from hidden highlands to white costal paradise beaches, PNG has it all! At least 860 indigenous languages are spoken in the country, this accounts for over one tenth of the world's total, 80% of the population live in rurally and is home to hundreds of different ethnic groups and thousands of different cultural groups many of whom have there own art, dance, costumes, weaponry, music and architecture!
According to Archaeologists, humans first arrived in Papua New Guinea between 42,000 and 45,000 years ago. Mysterious traditions and beliefs are still hugely popular in the local psyche, and spirit houses line the banks of the Sepik River. Witchcraft is widely respected and still practised, especially on outlying islands. Heading hunting and ritual cannibalism have been eradicated for several decades but were once practiced throughout the country mainly as warfare rituals. Evidence of these rituals can be found in an account of Harry Dauncey, an early twentieth century missionary, who is believed to have found 10,000 skulls in caves around New Guinea. Wood carving often in the forms of plants or animals is believed to represent ancestral spirits.
In some regions it's also believed that the sexual intercourse and pregnancy are not related. Instead, a child's spirit hangs over the ocean until her brother orders it into the woman via her brain. Sadly, sexual and domestic violence is a major problem throughout the nation. According to the World Health Organisation, PNG has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world.
The deeply entrenched Wantok system is a fundamental part of Melanesian culture in Papua New Guinea. Wantoks are those who speak your language or what's known locally as a tokples. It works almost like a social security system; the shared language is the qualifying mark, and within each tribe or clan every person can be expected to be fed, housed, and have a share in community assets.
The Second World War added yet another layer of history to the country. A major military campaign was fought between 1942 - 1945 during which approximately 216,000 Japanese, Australian, and United States service men died. The Japanese Imperial Army began invading Milne Bay in August of 1942 and soon established a 2400-strong army. They were rapidly defeated by the 5th of September.
Alotau is a small town situated at the southeastern tip of mainland Papua New Guinea. It is the provincial capital of the Milne Bay district, and is also our point of entry into Papua New Guinea. The province sits between the Solomon Sea and Coral Sea, and the mountainous peninsula curves away protectively to the east to Cape Vogel.
The Milne Bay Kundu & Canoe festival runs annually in the first weekend of November. Dozens of canoes full of traditionally dressed warriors all paddling to the beat of huge war drums is the reason we've wanted to arrive in PNG before the 5th of November! This year over 800 boats have entered! Excited doesn't quite some it up. The photos will be something spectacular to share!
Alotau, Milne Bay
We made it safely to Alotau, Milne Bay province. We arrived yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock. It's been an incredible journey, many adventures had and hundreds of stories to tell. We had an overnight wait for customs and immigration who stamped us all in at about 10 o'clock this morning.
The landscape is incredible! The picture above is the view from the boat. I've written a whole ships log which will appear shortly and a few other posts. Keep your eyes fixed here!
27 October 2015
GPS
coordinates: S1100.250 / E15424.007
1 week at sea
We're drawing ever nearer to Papua New Guinea, I feel like I've been saying that for a long time though. Hopefully, that conveys how slow sailing really is, if you've got to be somewhere in a rush get a plane, not a boat. Air travel is a luxury, imagine being James Cook or one of his contemporaries. He spent months on end at sea in search of new places. I don't think I'll ever complain about a delayed flight again, imagine the airline cancelled all its flight but offered to sail people to their destination?! Your holiday would be over before you even arrived...
We are sailing across an unending ocean. Here time doesn't really matter, it's like being in space, technically we're nowhere, there's no address or PO-Box. One day sort of just drifts into another while your at sea. Light changes to dark and day time changes to night time and back to day time in the blink of an eye, there's no other indicator. It could be day one or day one hundred and one. The only real indicator is the GPS computer chart which counts down our miles. The little boat indicator on the computer monitor mocks its aeroplane cousin found in interactive maps on the back of aeroplane seats, and I thought that moved slowly.
We're 44 MM from Rossel Island in Louisiade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. Alotau is still 235 MM away, that's both exciting and really depressing, still so far!
I think there's a plan to pause somewhere in the archipelago and do a dive or two. Obviously this is dependant on the wind and other conditions. The idea of stopping after traveling for what seems like a lot longer than a week is an odd one.
1 week at sea
We're drawing ever nearer to Papua New Guinea, I feel like I've been saying that for a long time though. Hopefully, that conveys how slow sailing really is, if you've got to be somewhere in a rush get a plane, not a boat. Air travel is a luxury, imagine being James Cook or one of his contemporaries. He spent months on end at sea in search of new places. I don't think I'll ever complain about a delayed flight again, imagine the airline cancelled all its flight but offered to sail people to their destination?! Your holiday would be over before you even arrived...
We are sailing across an unending ocean. Here time doesn't really matter, it's like being in space, technically we're nowhere, there's no address or PO-Box. One day sort of just drifts into another while your at sea. Light changes to dark and day time changes to night time and back to day time in the blink of an eye, there's no other indicator. It could be day one or day one hundred and one. The only real indicator is the GPS computer chart which counts down our miles. The little boat indicator on the computer monitor mocks its aeroplane cousin found in interactive maps on the back of aeroplane seats, and I thought that moved slowly.
We're 44 MM from Rossel Island in Louisiade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. Alotau is still 235 MM away, that's both exciting and really depressing, still so far!
I think there's a plan to pause somewhere in the archipelago and do a dive or two. Obviously this is dependant on the wind and other conditions. The idea of stopping after traveling for what seems like a lot longer than a week is an odd one.
26 October 2015
(watch 16.00 - 20.00)
GPS coordinates S11 / E11
Day 6 at sea
The wind has really picked up this evening. We're whizzing along heading straight for New Guinea and there are less than 500 miles to go. We hit a new top speed of 10 knots this afternoon. It's amazing just zooming along with the waves. Our speed has dropped to about 7.5 knots this evening. We'll be there in know time! I can't wait, but at the same time this long haul ocean sailing is pretty epic!
The dolphins were super cool, I can't get over that we saw that many all in one go! That's a story I'll tell everyone from here to South Africa.
Fortunately I don't have a night watch tonight so get a full helping of sleep! We've been rocking out to very loud Queen, AC/DC and Motörhead at the helm this evening. It's immensely empowering and also very humbling standing at the helm steering over huge waves especially as light begins to fade. You realise what a tiny blot this boat is in the ocean. Like the last few nights the moon and boats lights the only illumination for miles around. Our radio did crackle with static earlier today and a very distorted voice could be heard, I'm not sure what is was saying but that was the first outside contact we've had since leaving Vanuatu. If you can call it contact.
I'll rest well tonight, this voyage will soon be over and the Papua New Guinean one will begin!
GPS coordinates S11 / E11
Day 6 at sea
The wind has really picked up this evening. We're whizzing along heading straight for New Guinea and there are less than 500 miles to go. We hit a new top speed of 10 knots this afternoon. It's amazing just zooming along with the waves. Our speed has dropped to about 7.5 knots this evening. We'll be there in know time! I can't wait, but at the same time this long haul ocean sailing is pretty epic!
The dolphins were super cool, I can't get over that we saw that many all in one go! That's a story I'll tell everyone from here to South Africa.
Fortunately I don't have a night watch tonight so get a full helping of sleep! We've been rocking out to very loud Queen, AC/DC and Motörhead at the helm this evening. It's immensely empowering and also very humbling standing at the helm steering over huge waves especially as light begins to fade. You realise what a tiny blot this boat is in the ocean. Like the last few nights the moon and boats lights the only illumination for miles around. Our radio did crackle with static earlier today and a very distorted voice could be heard, I'm not sure what is was saying but that was the first outside contact we've had since leaving Vanuatu. If you can call it contact.
I'll rest well tonight, this voyage will soon be over and the Papua New Guinean one will begin!
25 October 2015
(watch 00.00 - 04.00)
GPS coordinates: S1126.481 / E16100.690
Average speed: 6 kn.
27 degrees Celsius.
Day 6 at sea.
The moon is nearly full, the wind has picked up and Rennell island grows steadily closer. At 2.00 am when Eric took over steering I got my camera from my cabin and began shooting at the sky. I can't really put into words what it's like to look up and see the heavens revealed so clearly, words can't do it justice. I'm sure you've all experienced that at one time or another.
We're trying to sail as close to the wind as possible, our bearing is 255 degrees. Even as Eric and I stood at the helm you could feel the wind strengthening. It's set to pick up over the next few days and should speed us on our way.
I did a lot of thinking during this watch, reflecting on how lucky I am to be here on this sailing boat, about how I used to be petrified of jumping into a swimming pool even if somebody was standing there to catch me, how did I end up on a large sailing boat in the middle of the ocean which is bouncing around in the wind and waves. How did that happen?!
Only once before in my life have been woken up by or to look at animals, the first was in Tanzania when two love making hippo's disturbed my slumber. Today was the second, I'd only been asleep 2 hours or so when Menno came into my cabin and excitedly to me there were false killer whales on the bow. No one was quite sure how many there were but they were dancing and jumping everywhere! Keeping up with our boat with such ease, myself, Sarah and Menno stood right on the bow of Infinity. This was my first real encounter with relatives of the dolphin family. They must have been with us for about an hour, definitely worth waking up for. I shot over 100 photos and a whole lot of film in that time.
We're also passing between the main Solomon Islands group which is out of sight to the North and Rennell Island which lies to our South at distance of about 6 nk miles.
GPS coordinates: S1126.481 / E16100.690
Average speed: 6 kn.
27 degrees Celsius.
Day 6 at sea.
The moon is nearly full, the wind has picked up and Rennell island grows steadily closer. At 2.00 am when Eric took over steering I got my camera from my cabin and began shooting at the sky. I can't really put into words what it's like to look up and see the heavens revealed so clearly, words can't do it justice. I'm sure you've all experienced that at one time or another.
We're trying to sail as close to the wind as possible, our bearing is 255 degrees. Even as Eric and I stood at the helm you could feel the wind strengthening. It's set to pick up over the next few days and should speed us on our way.
I did a lot of thinking during this watch, reflecting on how lucky I am to be here on this sailing boat, about how I used to be petrified of jumping into a swimming pool even if somebody was standing there to catch me, how did I end up on a large sailing boat in the middle of the ocean which is bouncing around in the wind and waves. How did that happen?!
Only once before in my life have been woken up by or to look at animals, the first was in Tanzania when two love making hippo's disturbed my slumber. Today was the second, I'd only been asleep 2 hours or so when Menno came into my cabin and excitedly to me there were false killer whales on the bow. No one was quite sure how many there were but they were dancing and jumping everywhere! Keeping up with our boat with such ease, myself, Sarah and Menno stood right on the bow of Infinity. This was my first real encounter with relatives of the dolphin family. They must have been with us for about an hour, definitely worth waking up for. I shot over 100 photos and a whole lot of film in that time.
We're also passing between the main Solomon Islands group which is out of sight to the North and Rennell Island which lies to our South at distance of about 6 nk miles.
24 October 2015
(watch 10.00 - 14.00)
GPS Coordinates S1103.672 / E16248.582
Day 5 at sea.
Fortunately for me I have been given a full nights sleep, my shift isn't till 10.00 o'clock tomorrow morning. However, this didn't stop me waking up at 1.30 am. Emerging onto deck I discovered that we've finally turned straight West, 270 degrees and have begun our drift down to PNG. This marks the halfway point in our voyage, perhaps not on paper but certainly mentally, we're headed in the right direction.
The jib is now flying on the starboard side and according to the weather chart the wind is set to improve over the next few days. It hasn't yet reached full moon, but it's the main source of light on deck. Illuminating the ocean below and the clouds above. We have seen another boat since our first day at sea, we're the only spectators of an awesome sight in the heavens above.
San Cristobal, one of the Solomon Islands, is visible on the horizon this morning. I thought I could make out Guadalcanal in the very distance but couldn't be sure, maybe that's wishful thinking. This is as close as I'll get this expedition, I guess I'll have to save that for another adventure. We'll be passing Rennell Island on our port side at some point.
Now on the straight and narrow down to Alotau. It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Our heading is 255 degrees and our GPS position is S1116.320 / E16155.326. Menno reckons we've broken the 700 mile countdown mark and he's just been confirmed that there's 680 miles to go.
It's been another hot day out on the ocean, I've managed to sun burn my forehead. We haven't seen another boat for the last 4 days. The Police weren't lying when the sang "More loneliness than any man could bear" in their song 'Message in a Bottle'. Still I suppose this voyage is good preparation for the 1700 mile crossing from Papua New Guinea to the Philippines. It think we're in PNG for exactly a month, from the 5th of November till the 5th December.
GPS Coordinates S1103.672 / E16248.582
Day 5 at sea.
Fortunately for me I have been given a full nights sleep, my shift isn't till 10.00 o'clock tomorrow morning. However, this didn't stop me waking up at 1.30 am. Emerging onto deck I discovered that we've finally turned straight West, 270 degrees and have begun our drift down to PNG. This marks the halfway point in our voyage, perhaps not on paper but certainly mentally, we're headed in the right direction.
The jib is now flying on the starboard side and according to the weather chart the wind is set to improve over the next few days. It hasn't yet reached full moon, but it's the main source of light on deck. Illuminating the ocean below and the clouds above. We have seen another boat since our first day at sea, we're the only spectators of an awesome sight in the heavens above.
San Cristobal, one of the Solomon Islands, is visible on the horizon this morning. I thought I could make out Guadalcanal in the very distance but couldn't be sure, maybe that's wishful thinking. This is as close as I'll get this expedition, I guess I'll have to save that for another adventure. We'll be passing Rennell Island on our port side at some point.
Now on the straight and narrow down to Alotau. It's 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Our heading is 255 degrees and our GPS position is S1116.320 / E16155.326. Menno reckons we've broken the 700 mile countdown mark and he's just been confirmed that there's 680 miles to go.
It's been another hot day out on the ocean, I've managed to sun burn my forehead. We haven't seen another boat for the last 4 days. The Police weren't lying when the sang "More loneliness than any man could bear" in their song 'Message in a Bottle'. Still I suppose this voyage is good preparation for the 1700 mile crossing from Papua New Guinea to the Philippines. It think we're in PNG for exactly a month, from the 5th of November till the 5th December.
23 October 2015
GPS coordinates: S1208.613 / E16512.481
Average Wind Speed 6.5 knot
Day 4 at sea.
After making a cup of tea and grabbing some chocolate that I'd brought with me I relived Kila from her steering shift. We were sticking to a bearing of 280 degrees, more west now that north. The plan is pass by the Solomon Islands and pick up the southeasterly wind which blows through later this week and will carry us down to Alotau, Papua New Guinea. We're still running on the engine as the wind is being silly, with the engine on we average about 6 knots.
Looking out from behind the wheel the moon shone bright on the port side it's light illuminating the ocean waves. To my starboard clouds covered the sky reaching as far as the eye could see, in the very distance lightening flashed. An incredible contrast in conditions and an awesome sight to behold.
Average Wind Speed 6.5 knot
Day 4 at sea.
After making a cup of tea and grabbing some chocolate that I'd brought with me I relived Kila from her steering shift. We were sticking to a bearing of 280 degrees, more west now that north. The plan is pass by the Solomon Islands and pick up the southeasterly wind which blows through later this week and will carry us down to Alotau, Papua New Guinea. We're still running on the engine as the wind is being silly, with the engine on we average about 6 knots.
Looking out from behind the wheel the moon shone bright on the port side it's light illuminating the ocean waves. To my starboard clouds covered the sky reaching as far as the eye could see, in the very distance lightening flashed. An incredible contrast in conditions and an awesome sight to behold.
22 October 2015
(watch 00.00 - 04.00) GPS Coordinates: S1248.786
/ E16601.971
Average Wind Speed: 13.9 knots
Day 3 at sea!
Did a night watch last night, 2 am till 4 am, I drove for the first 2 hours and then was support for Eric. I had a nap before hand, what wind we had must have died while I was asleep because we were motoring along with just the mainsail up when I got onto deck at midnight.
We were making steady progress past the Vanuatu's most northern group, the Torres islands, which we passed on our starboard side at a distance of about six miles. Our heading was 305 degrees, north west-ish. The moon and stars had hidden themselves in clouds and the night was dark. I walked around a little up to the front of boat, I didn't stay long. An irrational fear that something would swoop down onto the foredeck and kill us all wouldn't leave me alone. In my mind we'd all have fight off a horde of Doctor Who monster death angel things. Off in the distance an occasional flash of lightning made me certain they were about to land on our boat and turn is all to stone and through us over board.
The only visible lights were from the our own boat, the main cabin, the green starboard light and red port light shone out bright. Beyond that I couldn't see anything. You've just got to stick to your bearing and occasionally check the computer chart GPS system to find out exactly where you are.
Such was the lack of wind that we took the mainsail down at about 3.15 am. Our bearing changed to 280 degrees and a course was set towards the Solomon Islands. I was relieved when Menno showed up to begin his watch, tiredness has been eating away at my eyes for a few hours and I was ready to sleep.
It was cloudy all day, the sun hid in the clouds. Wind conditions had picked up again and we made progress for a while. My day watch began at 14.00 and was nothing special. I reflected back that growing up as child I'd been petrified of water, it took a long time to persuade me to jump into a swimming pool. If you'd told me then that while in my twenties I'd be sailing around the Pacific Ocean, scuba diving etc, I'd have told you where to go...
Until about 17.50 the highlight of the day had been seeing a bird...not entirely sure what type it was, Zoe said something about an albatross. Life at sea can be rather repetitive and if you let it, boring as hell. Everything looks the same, once you're out of shot of land you could be anywhere on any ocean. At ten to six one of our fishing lines began to run out, something had taken the lure on the end of the line! Timo slowly began to pull the line in, occasionally frantic splashes greeted us as the mahi-mahi tried to get free. This super streamline fish lives in the open ocean eating whatever it can find, other fish, squid and fishing hooks apparently.
Sashimi was added to the dinner menu, it was so good, melt-in-your mouth protein. It was especially good after a few days of purely vegetarians dishes which I'm not used to. A good ending to another day at sea...
I went for a nap after doing some washing up in preparation for being up midnight for my watch.
Average Wind Speed: 13.9 knots
Day 3 at sea!
Did a night watch last night, 2 am till 4 am, I drove for the first 2 hours and then was support for Eric. I had a nap before hand, what wind we had must have died while I was asleep because we were motoring along with just the mainsail up when I got onto deck at midnight.
We were making steady progress past the Vanuatu's most northern group, the Torres islands, which we passed on our starboard side at a distance of about six miles. Our heading was 305 degrees, north west-ish. The moon and stars had hidden themselves in clouds and the night was dark. I walked around a little up to the front of boat, I didn't stay long. An irrational fear that something would swoop down onto the foredeck and kill us all wouldn't leave me alone. In my mind we'd all have fight off a horde of Doctor Who monster death angel things. Off in the distance an occasional flash of lightning made me certain they were about to land on our boat and turn is all to stone and through us over board.
The only visible lights were from the our own boat, the main cabin, the green starboard light and red port light shone out bright. Beyond that I couldn't see anything. You've just got to stick to your bearing and occasionally check the computer chart GPS system to find out exactly where you are.
Such was the lack of wind that we took the mainsail down at about 3.15 am. Our bearing changed to 280 degrees and a course was set towards the Solomon Islands. I was relieved when Menno showed up to begin his watch, tiredness has been eating away at my eyes for a few hours and I was ready to sleep.
It was cloudy all day, the sun hid in the clouds. Wind conditions had picked up again and we made progress for a while. My day watch began at 14.00 and was nothing special. I reflected back that growing up as child I'd been petrified of water, it took a long time to persuade me to jump into a swimming pool. If you'd told me then that while in my twenties I'd be sailing around the Pacific Ocean, scuba diving etc, I'd have told you where to go...
Until about 17.50 the highlight of the day had been seeing a bird...not entirely sure what type it was, Zoe said something about an albatross. Life at sea can be rather repetitive and if you let it, boring as hell. Everything looks the same, once you're out of shot of land you could be anywhere on any ocean. At ten to six one of our fishing lines began to run out, something had taken the lure on the end of the line! Timo slowly began to pull the line in, occasionally frantic splashes greeted us as the mahi-mahi tried to get free. This super streamline fish lives in the open ocean eating whatever it can find, other fish, squid and fishing hooks apparently.
Sashimi was added to the dinner menu, it was so good, melt-in-your mouth protein. It was especially good after a few days of purely vegetarians dishes which I'm not used to. A good ending to another day at sea...
I went for a nap after doing some washing up in preparation for being up midnight for my watch.
21 October 2015
GPS coordinates: S1407.599 / E16649.546
Day 2 at sea.
Just had a bit of a sailing lesson and my mind is spinning. It's rather a lot to take in, I probably understood 10% of what was said.
Things I did understand include; The capsize angle of the boat is 110 degrees, that there are many ways to sail a boat and many ways to manipulate the wind using sails to move you along. The the top of a sail is called the head and the bottom a foot. The keel of the boat stops us flipping over and that the sails of a boat act a lot like an aeroplane wing. There's also a sheet which runs along the bottom of the boom and the halyard which runs from the masts bottom to top.
Steering Infinity is know walk in the park, these watches are an active two hour activity the difficulty of which is subject to weather conditions. One must keep an eye on the compass at the helm and also the bow of the boat. Steering one way hard means counter steering the other way where necessary to maintain a straight course. Landmarks make this easier to do but there really aren't many in the middle of the ocean. By night one can use the stars, moon or clouds, there's no auto-steer.
Day 2 at sea.
Just had a bit of a sailing lesson and my mind is spinning. It's rather a lot to take in, I probably understood 10% of what was said.
Things I did understand include; The capsize angle of the boat is 110 degrees, that there are many ways to sail a boat and many ways to manipulate the wind using sails to move you along. The the top of a sail is called the head and the bottom a foot. The keel of the boat stops us flipping over and that the sails of a boat act a lot like an aeroplane wing. There's also a sheet which runs along the bottom of the boom and the halyard which runs from the masts bottom to top.
Steering Infinity is know walk in the park, these watches are an active two hour activity the difficulty of which is subject to weather conditions. One must keep an eye on the compass at the helm and also the bow of the boat. Steering one way hard means counter steering the other way where necessary to maintain a straight course. Landmarks make this easier to do but there really aren't many in the middle of the ocean. By night one can use the stars, moon or clouds, there's no auto-steer.
20 October 2015
Infinity has been a hive of activity over the past few days particularly this morning. We pulled anchor up at 7.15 am and the engine rumbled into life. We turned west and motored slowly down the Segondo Channel towards tuba island. We halted at a dock and a petrol tanker arrived after about 10 minutes.
It took a good hour and a half to pump 6000 litres of fuel into Infinity's three fuel tanks. Captain Clemens was super happy as the fuel was super cheap, only 80 Vatu which is about 0.48 pence a litre.
While this was happening the floors were being swept, mopped, the kitchen was being cleaned. Once filling was complete a group of us mucked in and cleared, scrubbed and jet washed the deck. The sun was beating down on while we worked. I reflected that, once upon a time not so long ago men fought WW2 in this climate, they couldn't just stop because it was too hot.
We then loosened the lines and pushed off, with the help of the outboard tender we moved out into the channel. For me this was a significant moment, the thought of not being on land for two weeks is an alien one, I don't know what that feels like. My negative anticipation had be blown away, excitement replaced all!
Once we made it around the headland we were exposed to a little more wind, wind is an overstatement, a light breeze is a better way of describing it; the seas are calm, almost flat.
We raised all three sails, the mainsail first, then the mezzanine and lastly the jib. Another group effort to get them all winched up and flying! It's an amazing site, the boat seems to grow larger when they're all up. Infinity is a double masted vessel, the masts are 32 metres high. We then knocked the engine off and let the wind take over!
We turned east and sailed up the coast of Espiriti Santo. A light breeze was blowing to the south west and filled our sails. Sitting at the helm with Eric, I remembered Fiji and how from our current position it was a straight sail South East and we were traveling West. It struck me then that a sailing boat holds infinite opportunity, to go any and everywhere one wishes. In that sense it's total freedom in that sense. We could load Infinity full of food, fuel and all other essentials and be at sea for two - three months, a crazy thought.
We continued north west on a bearing of 325 degrees throughout the afternoon. Due to a lack of wind we turned the engine back on to make progress. The sun grew really hot and rather uncomfortable. It began to set not long after this, an incredible site, so big, bright and beautiful. At dusk we pulled down the jib and knocked the engine off and went for a swim. It's quite something being able to just stop somewhere with a backdrop that beautiful and swim in the ocean, that water was 26.6 degrees.
Slowly the stars revealed themselves and the moon shone down on us, not a cloud in sight. It grew dark quite quickly, the port and starboard lights were switched on, quickly the boat became the only artificial lights visible. Not another boat in sight...
We all have scheduled watches, they're 4 hours long. 2 hours of driving and 2 of assisting the driver, this can involve making tea or driving while they go to the loo. My first watch is at 22.00 tonight till 02.00. The first two hours I'll be driving and the second I'll be assisting Sarah as she drives. I had a nap for a couple of hours before beginning my watch.
Driving was rather confusing at first, the aim is to stay on a compass bearing, in my case it was 315 degrees. With the wind and swells this becomes a little harder, so one must steers one way and until the course is corrected and then counter steer.
It took a good hour and a half to pump 6000 litres of fuel into Infinity's three fuel tanks. Captain Clemens was super happy as the fuel was super cheap, only 80 Vatu which is about 0.48 pence a litre.
While this was happening the floors were being swept, mopped, the kitchen was being cleaned. Once filling was complete a group of us mucked in and cleared, scrubbed and jet washed the deck. The sun was beating down on while we worked. I reflected that, once upon a time not so long ago men fought WW2 in this climate, they couldn't just stop because it was too hot.
We then loosened the lines and pushed off, with the help of the outboard tender we moved out into the channel. For me this was a significant moment, the thought of not being on land for two weeks is an alien one, I don't know what that feels like. My negative anticipation had be blown away, excitement replaced all!
Once we made it around the headland we were exposed to a little more wind, wind is an overstatement, a light breeze is a better way of describing it; the seas are calm, almost flat.
We raised all three sails, the mainsail first, then the mezzanine and lastly the jib. Another group effort to get them all winched up and flying! It's an amazing site, the boat seems to grow larger when they're all up. Infinity is a double masted vessel, the masts are 32 metres high. We then knocked the engine off and let the wind take over!
We turned east and sailed up the coast of Espiriti Santo. A light breeze was blowing to the south west and filled our sails. Sitting at the helm with Eric, I remembered Fiji and how from our current position it was a straight sail South East and we were traveling West. It struck me then that a sailing boat holds infinite opportunity, to go any and everywhere one wishes. In that sense it's total freedom in that sense. We could load Infinity full of food, fuel and all other essentials and be at sea for two - three months, a crazy thought.
We continued north west on a bearing of 325 degrees throughout the afternoon. Due to a lack of wind we turned the engine back on to make progress. The sun grew really hot and rather uncomfortable. It began to set not long after this, an incredible site, so big, bright and beautiful. At dusk we pulled down the jib and knocked the engine off and went for a swim. It's quite something being able to just stop somewhere with a backdrop that beautiful and swim in the ocean, that water was 26.6 degrees.
Slowly the stars revealed themselves and the moon shone down on us, not a cloud in sight. It grew dark quite quickly, the port and starboard lights were switched on, quickly the boat became the only artificial lights visible. Not another boat in sight...
We all have scheduled watches, they're 4 hours long. 2 hours of driving and 2 of assisting the driver, this can involve making tea or driving while they go to the loo. My first watch is at 22.00 tonight till 02.00. The first two hours I'll be driving and the second I'll be assisting Sarah as she drives. I had a nap for a couple of hours before beginning my watch.
Driving was rather confusing at first, the aim is to stay on a compass bearing, in my case it was 315 degrees. With the wind and swells this becomes a little harder, so one must steers one way and until the course is corrected and then counter steer.
Monday 19 October 2015
Vanuatu to Papua New Guinea
Today is the day! We’re setting sail for Alotau, Papua New Guinea! A voyage of 1400 NMs. It’s been as amazing time here in Vanuatu, I’m glad we’ve had these five days to settle in.
It’s something new and an adventure in its own right. I’m super excited but its also rather scary at the same time. i’ll have to give you the whole run down when we arrive.
Communication will stop while I’m sailing and resume when I find a wifi signal at PNG.
That’s it for now! Talk soon!
#BigPacificSail #Vanuatu #PapuaNewGuinea #Pacific #sailing #InfinityExpedition
Saturday 17 October 2015
Voyage Preparations
Preparations for our voyage to Papua New Guinea have begun. There's a lot of fixing, stitching, list writing, provisioning, buying of supplies and general tidying up of the boat. The chain on the front winch needed reconnecting to its handle. One of the storm jibs needed to be dried and repaired before being stowed away.
It's a 1100 mile journey to Papua New Guinea as the crow flies. Very rarely with big ocean sailing can you sail in a straight line, so our course across the Coral Sea will probably be slightly longer. We'll have to sail south west with the wind then gybe North towards Alotau, so we're looking at more like 1400 miles, although it's hard to give a specific figure.
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| A rough plan of our route to New Guinea. |
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| A fishing boat at Million Dollar Point, Santo. Notice the boat hull resting on truck frames. |
Upload looks unlikely before I hit the Philippines. Writing posts and a uploading picture takes long enough on an island, so it's very optimistic of me to promise anything to anybody. In the end its probably a good thing to focus on filming now and piece it all together later on.
That's all for now folks!
Follow the dive log on Twitter! @thedivelog101
Follow the dive log on Twitter! @thedivelog101
Million Dollar Junkyard
Like so many Southwest Pacific Islands, Espirutu Santo, Vanuatu's largest island, was occupied by the United States during the Second World War. Establishing a base on Espirutu Santo allowed the allied forces to launch attacks against the Japanese in the Pacific. The island later became the biggest military base and port in the South Pacific during the war; It had four runways and five military hospitals.
The biggest legacy the allied forces left behind during their departure from the island was Million Dollar Point, the site we dived today. It's both historically fascinating and perhaps more worryingly environmentally destructive.
During the 1940's Vanuatu was known as the 'Condominium of the New Hebrides' and was jointly colonised by Britain and France. At the time came for US departure from the island, thoughts turned to the bases which were full of vehicles, furniture, clothing and other troop sustaining equipment. A decision had been made not to repatriate any of the equipment, but instead to offer it to the Condominium at rock bottom prices. However, the Condominium refused the offer in assumption that they would eventually acquire everything for free.
This was a rather unpopular idea with the United States military who, in a moment of madness, took all the vehicles and other gear to a wharf on the south side of Espirutu Santo. The army then drove the vehicles into the sea, then used bulldozers to dump everything else over the wharf before ditching the bulldozers themselves in on top. Millions of dollars of goods were destroyed in a span of two days, contaminating the channel with fuel, rubber, metal and coca cola.
Today, this dive side is a must dive spot on Espirutu Santo. Myself, Menno, Zoe and Timo got a taxi from the Beachfront Resort where we're anchored to Million Dollar Point. One can see the all rusting vehicles, a mash-up of twisted metal cranes, bulldozers, trucks, tyres and goodness knows what else. It's rather hard to distinguish what exactly you're looking at; The site is basically an unsorted underwater junkyard! I had a rather leaky mask which proved to be rather irritating, but still managed to get some photos of the site and got rather close to a turtle which is cool!
Seventy odd years later there are discussions debating whether the United States military should return to clean up the site. Perhaps it's to late. Million Dollar Point, like so many World War Two sites, is now part of history. A part which, despite its initial detrimental impact, now generates a tourism economy from the scores of scuba divers that flock their to explore the junkyard.
Wednesday 14 October 2015
Arriving on Infinity
After almost thirty hours of traveling I final made it to Infinity! First mate and dive instructor Menno along with Zoe, Kila and Sarah met me at Santo Airport yesterday evening. From there it was a short cab ride to the Beachfront Resort situated just outside of Luganville, the main town on the Espiritu Santo. It was dark when I arrived so my filming ideas went rather to pot. The smells and just the general feel of the place took me back to being in Fiji, I feel like I never left, just had an extended leave of absence. It's a wonderful part of the world to come back to.
It was a short boat trip from the beach to the boat, I really did get the sense of beginning something epic heading out towards Infinity. She's is certainly a lot bigger than I'd imagined. I have my own cabin, it's big and spacious and the guys here are supper friendly and helpful a great bunch of people I'm going get along with just fine.
I got a full tour of the boat from Zoe, from the bow to the stern. We then had some dinner which was very welcome, soup, garlic bread, fish and salad! I think this is something unique and special about Infiniity, that community feel. It's a really mixing pot of people and backgrounds all brought together in the passion for adventure and exploration. They're only a few of us on board now, although things may get busier later in the trip. I felt like right at home from the off and so welcome. We sat around chatting for a while afterwards. Then it was bed time for me I went out like a light!
The Plan.
The Kundu War Canoe festival begins on the 5th of November in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. We'll be in Vanuatu till the 20th of October and then we begin the 1000 mile voyage to Milne Bay! This is a slightly overwhelming thought but something I'll just have to get used to as an adventure in itself. I can't help but think that's why I came in the first place. We have a couple of dives here in Vanuatu booked for the weekend which I'm excited about, the wreck of the USS Coolidge and Million Dollar Point.
It's great, I'm glad I'm here and extra blessed that my bag made it when I did too!
More coming soon!
P.S
Got a question? Tweet @thedivelog101 and I'll try and get back to you ASAP. The internet situation isn't great, luckily the Beachfront Resort are welcoming to those anchored in the bay use the wifi for free! Communication will stop when we're sailing, but I'll be writing and filming in the meantime and will respond to your tweets when we're hooked back up to the World Wide Web!
Tuesday 13 October 2015
Australian sky
Like the initial spark on a gas stove the fiery red glow of the sun rise sparks and burst into life on the horizon. Red fades into gas-stove light blue and then to a calmer, deep darker shade. Above, the stars reign, shinning out from their deep black velvet blanket of sky, silently watching over all.
The light illuminates the clouds thousands of feet below, from a distance it looks like the surface of a frozen ocean of cotton wool, still, completely quite and peaceful.
The glow burns brighter still, yellow and orange appear and the stars are folded back into their dark blanket, now hidden from view. The clam pale blue spreads higher into the sky and we continue East, across the Australian desert at 37,000 feet. Day break is upon us and the sun rears its shining face, illuminating all, from it nothing and nobody can hide.
Day light has reached the Australian rim of the Pacific Ocean. A new day full of opportunities and infinite possibilities. Infinity awaits...
Friday 2 October 2015
Stay connected!
Just over a week until the #BigPacificSail begins, stay tuned!
#BigPacificSail starts 12th October
I think the video says it all but just in case you don’t understand. I’ll be off on another expedition, this one runs from the 12th of October until the 10th of January! I’ll be sailing from Vanautu to the Philippines via the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
Keep you’re eyes fixed here: thedivelog.tumblr.com for all the latest news right from the front line! You can follow us on Twitter @thedivelog101 and get instant notifications when new posts arrive and/or on our Instagram account, search ‘thedivelog’
Also, checkout the guys I’m sailing with, Infinity Expedition here; infinityexpedition.org
A look back at Truk Lagoon.
Footage shoot on the Truk Lagoon Expedition back in December 2014/January 2015! Follow the link to watch the video: https://vimeo.com/139829467
Truk Lagoon or as its also know, Chuuk is one of the fours state which make up the Caroline Islands or Federated States of Micronesia.
Task Force 50 contained 6 Task Force 58 aircraft carriers the USS Yorktown, Essex, Enterprise, Bunker Hill, Cowpens and Intrepid. The operation was conducted by Admiral Reymond Spruance. A two day bombardment on February 17th and 18th was closely coordinated saw regular strikes against. Pre-drawn raids were ordered to neutralise all Japanese air opposition before the dive and torpedo bombers swept in to begin their attack on the armada. Many of the Japanese battleships, destroyers and carriers had escaped prior to the attack. Still, American crosshairs found over 60 targets within the lagoon. Over 45 ships were sunk including two light cruisers, four destroyers, five special auxiliary vessels, five minor combat vessels and many more, this totalling over 200,000 tons. 270 of the 365 aircraft stationed in Truk’s airfields, destine for the Solomon Islands or Rabaul were destroyed and only a few were left operational.
Later raids on Truk lagoon occurred in April of that year, the B-24 and B-29 bombing raids caused havoc amongst the Japanese fortifications. Theses raids rendered it useless to the Japanese, naval installations and airfields were effectively eliminated. No amphibious landing was made the decision was made to forego the lagoon, it’s supply lines were completely cut off, it lay isolated and was no longer considered a threat. Instead, the U.S. advanced North West towards the Japanese homeland.
The Japanese legacy has majorly influenced Truk Lagoon today, the events of February 1944 attract some 6000 divers per year. A vast collection of shipwrecks and aircraft lay on the seabed waiting to be explored. It’s a World War II enthusiasts dream, each wreck is unique and is resting like a dormant giant on the sea floor.
Truk Lagoon or as its also know, Chuuk is one of the fours state which make up the Caroline Islands or Federated States of Micronesia.
Truk Lagoon offered the strategic potential of a huge natural harbour with fortifiable volcanic islands, this was particularly evident to Japanese naval planners. Entrances into the could be closely policed or sealed off with sea mines while island provided spaces for ship anchorages. The presence of flat calm water allowed sea planes to land and take off while air strips could be built on some of the islands.
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A Japanese freighter in Truk Atoll is hit by a torpedo
dropped by a TBF Avenger from USS Enterprise during
Operation Hailstone, Febuary 17th 1944.
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The allies two pronged Pacific counter-attack against the Japanese, saw movement through the South Pacific and the other through Central Pacific. Truk proved to be a major obstacle in the allies advance and capable of disrupting the allies advance. It became obvious that if the naval base at Truk stayed intact the allies northern advance would be in doubt. The lagoon was shrouded in mystery, little as known and as is often the case with mysteries its strengthen was over-emphasised, the word ‘impregnable’ while others often compared it to Pearl Harbour or “Japan’s mid-Pacific Gibraltar”. Two American surveillance aircraft PB4Y Liberators flew over the lagoon on February 4th 1944. Photographs taken during this flight showed the lagoon full of Japanese ships, it became apparent that the lagoon was invulnerable to surface to surface bombardment. Only a carrier-based air power could deal the lagoon a knock out blow. Operation Hailstorm saw some of the most aggressive action by the United States rained down on the strongest Pacific Japanese Outposts.
Later raids on Truk lagoon occurred in April of that year, the B-24 and B-29 bombing raids caused havoc amongst the Japanese fortifications. Theses raids rendered it useless to the Japanese, naval installations and airfields were effectively eliminated. No amphibious landing was made the decision was made to forego the lagoon, it’s supply lines were completely cut off, it lay isolated and was no longer considered a threat. Instead, the U.S. advanced North West towards the Japanese homeland. |
| US surveillance photographs taken over Truk Atoll early 1944. |
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| Inside the fuselage of the Betty Bomber, just off the end of Ettin Island runway. |
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| The bow gun on the Fujikawa Maru, Truk Lagoon. |
Featured wrecks in the video, Fujiwaka Maru, Sankisan Maru, Nippo Maru, Yamagiri Maru and Jill Nakajima Carrier Attack Bomber.
Follow the link to watch the video: https://vimeo.com/139829467
Stayed tuned to the dive log for the #BigPacifcSail commencing October 12th 2015! Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guniea, Palau's southern reefs and the Philippines!!
Follow the link to watch the video: https://vimeo.com/139829467
Stayed tuned to the dive log for the #BigPacifcSail commencing October 12th 2015! Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guniea, Palau's southern reefs and the Philippines!!
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