We travelled 2022 nmi from Kwajalein, Marshall Islands to Apia, Samoa with just a couple pit stops at Jaluit and Onotoa along the way. This is the final leg from Onotoa to Apia, and it turned out to be our second longest passage ever, clocking in at just under 10 days.
Logbook – April 11, 2016 (Onotoa to Funafuti)
Passage Log Highlights
1210 Engines on (SB engine started – no problem)
1250 Engines off, main + genniker
1315 Squall – wind shift to the N, 17-18 kts TWS
1800 Main + genniker
Daily Notes
Visited by 2 men from the village before we left. Photos & Tim fixed their outboard
Email to Family and Friends Dated April 11, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Pressing on
We departed Onotoa this morning, and our next stop is likely back in Funafuti, 4-5 days away. This is the polar opposite of our last passage…instead of bashing upwind in strong winds trying to avoid squalls and getting pushed off our course by the current, we are comfortably sailing downwind in light air hoping for squalls and getting pushed toward our course by the current. We’ll see what tonight and beyond brings. Just as we had made the decision to leave this morning, two men from the village came out to the boat to say hi. They brought us some coconuts and asked if they could take some photos, since they’d never been on a yacht. For good measure, Tim ended up fixing their outboard, so needless to say we got a late start. Totally worth it though. Our friends on EOS II (with the two adorable little girls) left Majuro a couple days after we left Jaluit, so they are out here within a couple hundred miles of us, and we are really hoping to converge in Funafuti. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – April 12, 2016 (Onotoa to Funafuti)
Passage Log Highlights
0341 Genniker only
0603 Genniker only
0811 P engine on – low batteries
0828 P engine off
0928 Genoa only
1200 Genniker only
1500 Genniker only
1821 Same
2210 SB engine on
Daily Notes
Skipjack tuna, didn’t keep
Rescued a little bird, died later that night
Logbook – April 13, 2016 (Onotoa to Funafuti)
Passage Log Highlights
0330 SB engine only
0600 SB engine + genoa
0905 SB engine only
1126 SB off, genniker
1500 Genniker only
1807 Same
2320 P engine on
Daily Notes
Sunshine!
Logbook – April 14, 2016 (Onotoa to Funafuti)
Passage Log Highlights
0326 P engine only
0600 P engine only
0843 P engine off, genniker
1200 Genniker only
1500 Same
1522 SB engine on, no sails
1813 SB engine only (squall?)
2120 SB engine off
Daily Notes
Blank
Even a squall can be beautiful sometimes
Email to Family and Friends Dated April 14, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Inching along
We are still out here, still a long way from Funafuti, or so it seems. Right now there are squalls all around us, but we inch along with only 4 kts of wind. We alternate between motoring slowly and sailing more slowly. We are comfortable, but ready to get there all the same. I am looking forward to the rarity of returning to somewhere we’ve already been, a place where I already know the best places to provision and where to fill propane. It’s a small thing, but I’m finding some comfort in it. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – April 15, 2016 (Onotoa to Funafuti)
Passage Log Highlights
0322 Genniker only
0415 Jibe ho!
0600 Genniker only
0917 SB engine on, no sails
1200 SB engine only
1328 SB off
1457 Genoa (2 reefs) + Genniker
1621 Same
Daily Notes
Blank
Logbook – April 16, 2016 (Onotoa to Samoa)
Passage Log Highlights
0300 Genniker + genoa (2 reefs)
0600 Genniker + genoa (2 reefs)
0900 Genoa only
1200 Genniker only
1500 Genoa only – just passed by a squall – max 28 kts
1817 Main (2 reefs) + genoa
Daily Notes
Decided to alter course and keep going to Samoa
Email to Family and Friends Dated April 16, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Weather is king
Within sight of Funafuti, we made the decision today to keep going and try to get to Wallis or better yet, Samoa, with these N-NW winds. It wasn’t as hard of a decision as you might think… backing up a bit, when we left Fiji back in November it was with the idea that we would return in May to haul out and then possibly cruise Fiji a little more. But since then we’ve found out that we can’t actually haul out in Fiji, the boatyards can’t haul boats our width, which means they can’t haul catamarans… I know, we were shocked. So our options became Vanuatu or Tonga, and since Tonga is more centrally located to possibly be more attractive to a buyer, we’ve changed our plans to go back to Tonga instead. Now, for the quick South Pacific geography/weather lesson… It’s really hard to go Southeast, because that’s the direction of the trade winds, and Tonga is southeast of Tuvalu. I’ve been wondering for awhile now how we were going to manage to get to Tonga, and this morning, a weather window presented itself, and if we can get to Samoa we will be in excellent shape. There have been a family of weak lows, and we’ve been riding the top of one to get NW winds in order to sail downwind from Kirbati to Funafuti. Now it looks like we might be able to continue that approach, and hopefully we’ll make it as far as Samoa. So, that’s why it wasn’t a hard decision… who knows when/if another weather window would open like this again. Of course, I’m about to download weather now, and things change and the window could close on us and then we would have to follow one of my 96 contigency plans. Morale is surprisingly high on board considering that this morning we thought we’d be making landfall today and now we have 4-6 more days underway. I made two loaves of bread today, so I think that helped. My crew is pretty easy to please. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – April 17, 2016 (Onotoa to Samoa)
Passage Log Highlights
0315 Main (2 reefs) + genoa – crossed the date line
0530 Squall 30-35 kts – turned downwind and reefed genoa
0600 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
0900 Main (2 reefs) + genoa
1200 Main (2 reefs) + genniker
1500 Same
1800 Same
Daily Notes
Blank
Logbook – April 18, 2016 (Onotoa to Samoa)
Passage Log Highlights
0320 Main (2 reefs) + genoa
Squall 30-35 kts
0600 Main (2 reefs) + genoa wing/wing
0645 Squall 31 kts
0900 Main (2 reefs) + genoa – backside of squall, wind died, not enough for wing/wing
1200 SB engine on
1235 SB engine + Main (2 reefs)
1356 SB off
Squall Max 37 kts
1510 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
1835 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
Daily Notes
Two birds in hospice care
Exodus became a bird hospice care facility. This little guy didn’t make it.
Logbook – April 19, 2016 (Onotoa to Samoa)
Passage Log Highlights
0326 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
Squall max 43.1 kts
0600 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
0610 P engine on to charge batts, 11.8 w/ fridge off 😦
0758 P engine off (12.2 off)
0858 P engine on (11.9 off)
1126 P off, main (2 reefs) + genoa (3 reefs) wing/wing
Called port control, directed to proceed to anchor station for the night
Land ho!From Onotoa, Kiribati to Apia, Samoa – 9 days, 14 hours, 29 minutesFinal approach to SamoaWe entered Apia harbor at night and anchored out until morning
On our way south, we blew past Tarawa, but the wind ran out on us in southern Kiribat. So, we stopped at Onotoa, and since we didn’t have permission to be there, we weren’t sure if they’d let us stay, but a visit from the local police was pleasant and they said we could stay to wait for wind.
Logbook – April 9, 2016 (Onotoa)
Daily Notes
AM squall with rain and south wind. Light and variable the rest of the day
T – spearfished w/ locals
Police came out to Exodus – took our passport #’s and said we could stay
T/B visit village, tour, amazing rope swing
Since it was such calm weather, we anchored on the outside of the lagoon.Try to surf the reef break
Email to Family and Friends Dated April 9, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Anchored at Onotoa
Yesterday, we made it to about within 3 miles of the island of Onotoa by the time the wind had died down, and after overcoming some drama on the final approach which included the starboard engine not starting and a squall with 20-25 kt winds out of a totally unexpected direction (south) we dropped anchor in the late afternoon. We are anchored roadside, on the outside of the lagoon, since we don’t have permission to be here we don’t want to be too pushy. There’s not too much else to write, except it was great to get a good night’s sleep last night. Love and miss you all, -D.
Editor’s note: Once again, we left without clarity on what our destination would be. Maybe Tarawa, maybe Funafuti, but we knew we would have to play it by ear.
Logbook – April 4, 2016 (Jaluit to Tarawa)
Passage Log Highlights
0605 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
1212 P engine on
1530 P engine off
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
Logbook – April 5, 2016 (Jaluit to Tarawa)
Passage Log Highlights
0603 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
0715 P engine on – batteries
0835 P engine off
1127 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
1840 Generator on
1854 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
Daily Notes
2-3 kts current E–> W 😦
D emerges from sea sickness funk
Tentative decision to bypass Tarawa
Email to Family and Friends Dated April 5, 2015
Subject: Exodus – passage to somewhere
We left Jaluit a couple days ago, and I finally came out of my sea sickness funk about mid-morning. After being pretty much non-functioning for the better part of two days, I ended up having a really great day at sea today. I spent much of this afternoon at the helm listening to music, watching the waves, and counter swaying to the motion of the boat, enjoying just being out here, in a way that I can’t remember since our Pacific crossing. I guess after being so low for two days, just a regular day at sea seemed like a high. I really need a shower, though. We are approaching Tarawa, but we are leaning towards pressing on since there should still be wind for a couple more days. I’m not sure where we’ll end up stopping, likely one of the small islands in the south of Kiribati. Alex is happy we are not stopping, because he really likes passages. He likes them because he pretty much gets left alone and can do what he wants all day, alternating between reading, listening to music, and playing the guitar. However, I told him that since I’m out of my funk he can expect me in his hair a little more, in fact, we can even do school tomorrow! Brenden, on the other hand, hates passages, and he’s the only one who’s disappointed we might not stop in Tarawa. He just wants the boat to stop moving. Tim used to enjoy passages a whole lot more than he does now, I think these upwind bashes are really hard on his back. But he sucks it up, like he always does and rarely complains. And they all really need showers too, so be grateful you are not here with us right now, because I can’t imagine the smell is that nice. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – April 6, 2016 (Jaluit to ?)
Passage Log Highlights
0615 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
0950 Same
1555 Main (1 reef) + genoa
Daily Notes
Equator crossing
3-4 kt E–>W current 😦
Logbook – April 7, 2016 (Jaluit to ?)
Passage Log Highlights
0607 Main (1 reef) + genoa (1 reef)
0650 P engine off
0713 Both engines on – SB engine wouldn’t start. Ran port for a few minutes, and then tried again with port running and SB engine started
0803 Engines off
Main (1 reef) + genoa
1711 P engine on – using an engine to try to get closer to the islands and out of the current
2332 P engine of
Daily Notes
Nothing else to report
Email to Family and Friends Dated April 7, 2015
Subject: Exodus – Caught in a current
We are finding it extremely difficult to make any easting due to a 3-4 knot current running roughly east to west. Who knows, we may end up in Vanuatu after all! The good news is that last evening we caught a yellow fin tuna, so our freezer is now stocked with Mahi Mahi AND Tuna so we are good to extend this passage for awhile. The funny part is that with fresh tuna in the fridge available for sashimi or seared steaks last night for dinner, we all opted to have the hot dogs (wrapped in fresh bread dough and baked in the oven) that I had already prepared. I guess that goes which of these is more of a novelty for us out here! Needless to say, tuna will be on the menu for lunch AND dinner today. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – April 8, 2016 (Jaluit to Onotoa)
Passage Log Highlights
0654 Main (1 reef) + genoa
1002 Little jumping dolphins
1438 P Engine on
1451 SB engine on (1)
1605 Engines off Onotoa
Daily Notes
(1) SB engine wouldn’t start. Ran port engine, SB engine voltage 12.6, wouldn’t start. Turned battery charger, SB engine voltage 12.6. Started. Went down to 11.0 when starting.
Wind died to 5-8 kts and shifted E (as forecast) so we engined up and got ready to drop sails when we got hit w/ 20 kt from south. After the SB engine fiasco we tacked and sailed to the island.
Jaluit, Marshall Islands to Onotoa, KiribatiThe atoll of OnotoaAnchored roadside at Onotoa
Jaluit is a little over 212 miles south of Kwajalein and is one of the more southern islands in The Marshalls. We made a pitstop here to relax in a flat anchorage before pressing on south.
Logbook – March 30, 2016 (Kwajalein to ?)
Passage Log Highlights
1539 Engines on
1613 Engines off Main (1 reef) + genoa
Daily Notes
Editor’s note: When we left, we actually didn’t know where we would stop. Ultimately, we were headed back to south of the equator, but weather would dictate our route and timeline.
Speedo not working in the beginning of the trip
Sunset picking
Logbook – March 31, 2016 (Kwajalein to ?)
Passage Log Highlights
0304 Main (1 reef) + genoa
0307 Vessel on AIS – CFA20 15.9nmi
0600 Main (1 reef) + genoa
1125 Same
1724 Same
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
Email to Family and Friends Dated March 31, 2016
Subject: Exodus – on passage
We made a last minute decision to leave yesterday afternoon. The forecast still had an unfavorable wind angle, but light velocity so we went for it. And I must say that bashing upwind in 12 kts is a whole lot nicer than 25 kts! So far, the passage has been uneventful and we are all comfortable enough. No fish yet. I think we will stop tomorrow at an island called Jaluit, but it will be a game time decision. Love and miss you all! -D.
Logbook – April 1, 2016 (Kwajalein to Jaluit)
Passage Log Highlights
0443 Main (1 reef) + genoa
0456 P engine on
0600 P engine + main (1 reef) + genoa
0810 P engine off
1350 Engines on
1603 Engines off Jaluit
Daily Notes
Brenden tries to spear rainbow runners
221 total miles
Scrabble safe arrival
Kwajalein to JaluitThere were rainbow runners swimming behind the boat so Brenden tried to spear one. Rainbow runners 1, Brenden 0.The atoll of Jaluit – We entered through the pass on the southwest sideApproaching the passNice wide pass on the western sideWe anchored near the village and the pass on the southeast sideAnchored near the village at JaluitUpon arrival Tim kicked back with a beer while putting Alex to work. Not sure why Brenden is off the hook.
Logbook – April 2, 2016 (Jaluit)
Daily Notes
Go to shore – walk around the town, paid our fee
T/B – spearfish, B feeds the sharks with a grouper. “Shark ball”
The school at Jabor, the main village in JaluitThis is an old sea wall from the Japanese occupationOf course, we followed the sign.
Email to Family and Friends Dated April 2, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Jaluit
We stopped yesterday at the atoll of Jaluit, which is still in The Marshalls. We are taking advantage of the total independent operation of different government offices in order to stop here after we have cleared out. We have our approval to visit Jaluit from The Ministry of Internal Affairs, which we got in Majuro, and that’s what we showed today to the town council member as our permit to be here, and we paid our fee and all is well. Meanwhile as far as customs and immigration back in Ebeye are concerned, we have left the country. Breaking the rules like this isn’t something to brag about, but sometimes it’s necessary as a cruiser given that the official ports of entry/exit are often dead upwind. The village here at Jaluit is a relatively large one, and unlike Ailuk, there was no smiling welcoming committee of children. I wonder why that is, and I can’t help but cynically think that the kids of Ailuk are used to the cruisers who bring them lollipops, so they are conditioned to rush us when we arrive. I am more and more becoming opposed to all of the well-intentioned charity that cruisers throw at the islands. When I think of the experience we had at Ailuk, I think Tim made much more of a human connection by hanging out with the guys and helping with their copra and by teaching the kids skim boarding and dodgeball than by just giving away a bunch of stuff, like lollipops, that they don’t really need. Anyway, we might leave here as early as tomorrow and try to make it down to Tarawa or we may stay as long as a week. We are back down closer to the equator and it’s HOT and the weather forecast fluctuates immensely, so we’ll see. The anchorage is flat and we are comfortable, so it’s hard to be in a hurry to head off to Tarawa. Love and miss you all, -D.
Ebeye is a very crowded small island in the Kwajalein atoll. We didn’t stay long, just long enough to do a little provisioning and clear out of The Marshall Islands.
Logbook – March 25, 2016 (Kwajalein to Ebeye)
Passage Log Highlights
0735 Engines on
0851 Engines off – Ebeye
Daily Notes
Depart Kwaj – bouncy anchorage at Ebeye
Met SV Cloud Nine (friends of Sweet Dreams)
T/D – shore excursion – groceries
Saw little girl *petting* dog
Changed propane – one empty tank
Moved the short distance from Kwajalein up to EbeyeThe population dense island of EbeyeIt was difficult to find a good spot to anchor, this location had good holding but it was quite rollyApproaching EbeyeEbeye rivals Tarawa for population density. Two differences: 1) better roads and infrastructure 2) Not nearly as many treesWe never did find a good place to tie up the dinghy, so we just had Alex drop us off and pick us up at the wharf
Logbook – March 26, 2016 (Ebeye)
Daily Notes
Boat day. Tim fixed SB macerator pump
Dinner on Exodus with Cloud Nine (Scott, Katie, Nick, Sydney)
Email to Family and Friends Dated March 26, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Ebeye
Yesterday we left small town USA that is the Kwajalein Army Base and we are now anchored only a couple miles away off the islet of Ebeye, which is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Apparently because of the military operations here, the U.S. has moved people off of most of the other islets in the atoll and now they all live here. The landowners get compensated for their trouble, but most of the them are already wealthy and living somewhere else (Majuro, Hawaii…) so the ones affected are just the regular people who have to move from their village homes to this place. We went ashore yesterday to buy a bunch of rice and flour for the next atoll we plan to go to, Ebon, but then found out that missionaries just took them something like 200 bags of rice, so they should be OK for now. We also went to shore to clear out so that we could leave this morning, but Good Friday is a national holiday here so customs and immigration are closed. Weekend in Ebeye it is. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – March 27, 2016 (Ebeye)
Daily Notes
Easter Sunday. Another boat day.
T – worked on stackpack
Sydney & Nick (Cloud Nine) over for dinner and games
Logbook – March 28, 2016 (Ebeye)
Daily Notes
D – to shore to scout gov’t offices (Customs, Immigration) & groceries. Met Mormon missionary caught in the rain
T – finish stackpack
Logbook – March 29, 2016 (Ebeye to Ennylabegan)
Passage Log Highlights
1432 Engines on
1447 Engines off genoa
1603 Engines on
1648 Engines off Ennylabegan
Daily Notes
D – clear out – Customs, Port Authority, Immigration. No boarding party after all.
T – sick 😦
Move to outside of atoll – B in the water with speargun immediately
We moved out to the outside of the atoll to be position for our departure southAnchored off the island of Ennylabegan
Email to Family and Friends Dated March 30, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Cleared out, waiting for weather
Yesterday we cleared out of The Marshalls, and now we are anchored in the lee of an island on the outside of the atoll waiting for better weather, specifically, a better wind angle/speed to head SE. Checking out yesterday was a typical experience in that you never know what you’re going to get. As usual, I went to the offices the day before to ask questions about the process, and it sounded straightforward, just go to customs and immigration, and the offices were right next to each other, and I even took the forms with me from customs so I could have them already filled out ahead of time. Of course, when I actually went to clear out it wasn’t quite so easy. There were several curveballs thrown including 2 additional offices I needed to go to (local government and port authority) and the suggestion of a boarding party for a visual inspection of the boat. I was patient, I was nice, I walked around town and did everything I needed to do, and that paid off, because in the end the customs guy waived the inspection, and in his own words, he’ll just trust me that we don’t have things to declare. We are in a beautiful spot right now, and Brenden was in the water with his speargun before we even had the engines shut down, and he was so excited that he forgot that his primary mission was to check the anchor and Tim had to whistle at him to remind him! Unfortunately, Tim has come down with some sort of stomach bug, so he’s down for the count at the moment. In Ebeye we made friends with another boat who has kids that same age as the boys, and they all really hit it off! The boys loved being back with cruising kids again. Anyway, as soon as the wind shifts back to the NE we will start making our way south with the goal of getting to Funafuti, Tuvalu as soon as possible. Love and miss you all, -D.
(1) Mahi Mahi – hooked both lines, wrapped in jellyfish tentacles
(2) Tried to sail through pass – wind shift + current. Genniker torn along edge
Ailuk to KwajaleinThrough the pass a KwajaleinOn a mooring ball near the base and town A couch and B sits on the floor?? (At Todd and Megan Ropella’s house)
Email to Family and Friends Dated March 15, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Passage to Kwajelein
We left Ailuk yesterday morning loaded up with Marshallese handicrafts. I think I mentioned before that they have a shortage of rice and flour on the island, and since we decided to come straight to Kwajalein (where there is ample provisions) we decided to leave all of our remaining rice/flour with them. Unlike some places we’ve been, though, they aren’t particularly interested in hand outs and they gave us more baskets and wall hangings, so that it’s a “fair trade.” It’s really crime how long they’ve gone there without a government supply boat. The Marshall Islands gets so much money from the U.S. and people on the outer islands don’t have food? Anyway, our passage to Kwajelein was a pleasant downwind run and we made great time, pulling up to the dock at the Army base early afternoon. And now it’s just like being in a small town in the U.S. I’m ready to leave already, but apparently the teenage population here is skewed more girls than boys, so A & B are already getting a lot of attention. So, how can we just rush off? We are checking into whether they can attend the school for a few days while we’re here, and Brenden’s really excited at the thought. I think Alex is too, but as usual he’s a little more cool about it. We also found out there are job openings here, so who knows… Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – March 16, 2016 (Kwajalein)
Daily Notes
Laundromat and internet day.
Tim plays in softball game
Massive amounts of laundry to be done…
Logbook – March 17, 2016 (Kwajalein)
Daily Notes
More laundry and internet
Happy hour at yacht club
Happy hour at Kwajalein Yacht Club
Logbook – March 18, 2016 (Kwajalein)
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
The boys got to go to school for the day.Emon beach
Logbook – March 19, 2016 (Kwajalein)
Daily Notes
Finished genoa and genniker repairs
We turned the Yacht Club into a sail loft for a few days.
Logbook – March 20, 2016 (Kwajalein – Day Trip to Bigej)
Passage Log Highlights
0751 Engines on
0818 Engines off at dock
0925 Engines on
0940 P engine off
1050 P engine on
1205 Engines off Bigej
1558 Engines on
1639 Engines off
1700 P engine on
1823 SB engine on
1830 Engines off at dock
1909 Engines on
1932 Engines off mooring
Daily Notes
Day trip to Bigej
Day trip to BigejOut for a day sail on ExodusSome dolphins stopped by to say hi
Bigej IslandAnchored just off the northern tip of BigejOf course, the kids did some dinghy surfingAlex put on a concert
We finally made it out of Majuro at the end of February and spent a little over 2 amazing weeks at Ailuk Atoll.
Logbook – February 24, 2016 (Majuro to Ailuk)
Passage Log Highlights
1803 Engines on
1927 Engines off, Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
Logbook – February 25, 2016 (Majuro to Ailuk)
Passage Log Highlights
0600 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
1730 VHF call from Pojean – They are outbound Maloelap – Inbound Ailuk
Daily Notes
Mahi Mahi
Hugged the coast of Maloelap
Logbook – February 26, 2016 (Majuro to Ailuk)
Passage Log Highlights
0350 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
1250 Engines off Ailuk
Daily Notes
(1) Drop sails, launch dinghy to recon pass
Went through south pass ~11am. 1 hr before low tide
Went to shore, met Pumpkin and his wife (Anious & Emily)
Police picked up food from mayor
Paid fee to “Red” the acting major
Boys went to shore to jump off dock
Majuro to Ailuk (looks like the inReach cut out for a bit there)Scouting the pass before going throughApproaching the pass at Ailuk. Alex seems to be standing a very good lookout.
Safely through… looking back at the passEntering the Ailuk AtollAnchored off of Ailuk Islet in the Ailuk AtollShortly after we were anchored near the main village a “fleet” of sailing canoes came by. Here on Ailuk they still build and utilize traditional Marshalese sailing canoes
Logbook – February 27, 2016 (Ailuk)
Daily Notes
T/Boys skimboard with kids on shore
Volleyball and dodge ball
Sing-a-long w/ Pojean (Rixine & James)
Alex’s first guitar public appearance
Hokey pokey!
Ashore on AilukThe kids at Ailuk were anything but shyAt least one of them undertood that I was taking a selfie.Tim taught the kids dodgeballRixine and James were like pied pipersAlex in his public guitar playing debut
The sand spit near the village was great for skim boarding so A&B taught some of the local kids how to do it.The local girls just watched.
Email to Family and Friends Dated February 27, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Arrived in Ailuk
We arrived yesterday afternoon after another bouncy and uncomfortable upwind sail. The first night was ridiculous, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t sleep a wink off-watch because I kept catching air while laying in bed. Yesterday was a bit better as we fell off the wind a bit, but then once we were inside the lagoon we had a couple hours bashing into 20-25 kts to get across to the village, and I had to stand on the cabin top on bombie watch the whole time. We’re happy to be here, but to be honest, it’s just another beautiful low lying atoll. About this time I could use a volcanic island or two thrown in for good measure, but atolls it is for another couple months. It’s cooler here, just a few degrees north of Majuro. I noticed it on passage when I didn’t even need the fan on the second night.
We went to shore briefly yesterday afternoon just to say hi and to deliver all the food we brought from Majuro, organized by the mayor. They were expecting us, and they told us there’s absolutely no rice or flour on the island, and one woman asked if we brought more, more than what the mayor had given us to bring. When I said no, she was visibly distraught, didn’t we know what they needed? Didn’t we know that we should have brought more? To tell her that we brought what we could given the space available on board rang hollow. They look at our boat and judge it to be huge (and judge us to be rich) and she just couldn’t get over that we didn’t bring more. Anyway, after I got over my own pride of not being appreciated, and I realized that she wasn’t trying to make us feel bad, she was just honestly disappointed, I started to, well, feel bad about it. We probably could have squeezed another 15 lb bag of rice here or there, but when I asked Tim about it, if he thought we should have brought more, his response was priceless. “Well, it is what it is now.” So true!
Anyway, the boys went ashore and jumped off the dock with some of the kids here late yesterday afternoon and this morning we are going to go play some volleyball.
Love and miss you all,
Logbook – February 28, 2016 (Ailuk)
Daily Notes
Longest church service here! Assembly of God
Local kids are not shy!
T – repair bimini
No sulus/lavakavas, shoes ok inside, microphones, music, dancing
Logbook – February 29, 2016 (Ailuk)
Daily Notes
T – finish bimini repair
Shore party – T – village watermker w/ Pojean
D – purchase animano, boys – play
Tim and James tried to fix the islands desalinator… here they are on the roof testing the solar panels
Logbook – March 1, 2016 (Ailuk)
Daily Notes
3 yr anniversary of arrival in Mexico (Ensenada)
D – walk to give glasses and bags to handicraft ladies
T/B – spearfish, no fish
A – skimboard with local kids
Logbook – March 2, 2016 (Ailuk to Ajirikku)
Passage Highlights
1101 Engines on
1125 P engine off, main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
1129 SB engine off
1226 Engines on
1256 Engines off Ajirikku
Daily Notes
Move to North part of the atoll
A few days ago, solar stopped working. T replaced connector that had shorted due to exposure (ferrite). Now we are noticing improved solar production
Explored the islets out to the reef @ low tide
Sunrise at AilukAiluk to Ajirikku IsletAnchored off of Ajirikku – this was a stunning locationWe left the main village and anchored at this beautiful spot.Brenden can have fun doing anything… here he is snorkeling in about 4 inches of water
Logbook – March 3, 2016 (Ajirikku)
Daily Notes
Tim jumped on an outrigger to go help harvest copra
Tim spent the day harvesting copra with some of the local guys
Email to Family and Friends Dated March 3, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Ailuk
After five days at the village at Ailuk island we have moved further north up the atoll to a collection of small uninhabited islets. I think this is the most beautiful place we have been since maybe Fulaga. The islets are small and they run mostly lengthwise from ocean to lagoon and there are narrow, shallow passes between them where the water flows in and out with the tides. As we were exploring yesterday it occurred to me how seldom we have this kind of solitude. We are totally by ourselves here, no village, no other cruisers. For me it’s relaxing, at least for a little while. We enjoyed our time at the village playing with the kids, trying to fix the village watermaker, buying and trading for handicrafts, and having a guitar sing-a-long. Yes, Alex made his public debut on shore in front of all the kids with a guy from another boat who gave him some pointers and some new picks. Alex had dropped his last pick overboard, so he had made one out of a piece of plastic (that’s what you do when you live on a boat… improvise). The weaving that they do in The Marshall Islands has to be the most beautiful, most meticulous, in the Pacific, and we were told that Ailuk has the best weavers, and we were not disappointed. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – March 4, 2016 (Ajirikku)
Daily Notes
T/A – spearfish @ pass, dogtooth, quickly
B – gets ride on an outrigger
Brenden gets a ride on a canoeho hum, another dogtooth tuna
Logbook – March 5, 2016 (Ajirikku)
Daily Notes
Bombie snorkel – D/T/B
Shore excursion in the afternoon
This bombie was right behind where we were anchored, and it made for decent snorkelingThere were some huge big lipped clams
Email to Family and Friends Dated March 5, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Copra and Dogtooth
We remain at our remote island paradise. I think so far I have failed to mention that here in Ailuk they still make and use traditional outrigger sailing canoes. Everyday, several of them leave the village down at Ailuk island and come up to some of the northern islets to harvest copra, and we enjoy watching them go by. Not satisfied to just watch, day before yesterday, Tim flagged one down as they went past and asked if they would take him. Of course they agreed and he spent the day helping them with the copra operation. It basically entails gathering coconuts on the ground, putting them in piles, then chopping them open and cutting the meat out and putting it in bags. Then they take the bags back to Ailuk where they dry the coconut meat and when the government ship ever comes then they export it for 25 cents per pound. Harvesting copra is something we’ve seen almost everywhere in the pacific, and from what I’ve read the world market for coconut oil doesn’t really support all the copra so usually it is heavily government subsidized. The men appreciated Tim’s participation. They told him he was different than the other yachties because he came to help them. I think this is a somewhat unfair assessment of the situation, for example, the other yacht we were here with brought a ton of food and other items (like reading glasses) for people of the village, and they also spent several hours (with Tim) trying to fix the village watermaker, but I suppose these sorts of efforts are more visible to the upper echelon of the village, while Tim helping with the copra was right in there with all the working men. They stopped by yesterday (while Tim was out spearfishing) and we traded them some rice, DVD movies, and a flashlight for some more handicrafts (I think, we’ll have to see what they bring back), and they gave Brenden a ride on the canoe. One of the men told me that, “Tim is a very good man. He’s very kind.” I said, “who?” No, not really, I said, “I think so too.” Speaking of spearfishing, Alex drove Tim a couple miles over to the pass yesterday and he was in and out of the water quickly with, ho hum, another dogtooth tuna. We gave most of it to one of the outriggers sailing past, but we enjoyed a fresh tuna dinner last night as well. He said it was ridiculous how many tuna there were, he had trouble deciding which one to shoot! Upon hearing about it, Brenden was disappointed he didn’t go, but then he remembered the fun ride on the outrigger. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – March 6, 2016 (Ajirikku to Enijabro)
Passage Highlights
1155 Engines on
1303 Engines off Enijabro
Daily Notes
Move to North in anticipation of stronger NE winds
T/D paddle to the S. end of the little islet of Enijabro
T/B reef lobstering at night with locals
Ajirikku to EnijabroAnchored off of Enijabro. The Island to the Southeast with the small village is Enejelar
Logbook – March 7, 2016 (Enijabro)
Daily Notes
T – spearfishing w/ locals
Boys – skimboard but tide too high
D – paddle to shore
Logbook – March 8, 2016 (Enijabro)
Daily Notes
T/Boys – help with copra
Teacher visits in small outrigger (from Enejelar)
Little boy is scared of Exodus
Logbook – March 9, 2016 (Enijabro)
Daily Notes
D/B bombie snorkel
Alex chooses making copra over school
Logbook – March 10, 2016 (Enijabro)
Daily Notes
A/B shuttle kids to Mariposa for dental work
B – gets to be dental assistant
Alden (Enejelar med assistant) – hangs out with Tim on Exodus
D – beach walk
We traded in the dinghyS/V Mariposa, the floating Dentist officeIt’s sad how much trash washes up here, who knows how far away some of this trash has come fromCleaning some stainless on the backside of the solar panel
Logbook – March 11, 2016 (Enijabro)
Daily Notes
Pig roast!
A/B skimboard/play w/ local kids at sand spit
Pig roast! Tim is showing off our digital meat thermometer.
Logbook – March 12, 2016 (Enijabro)
Daily Notes
Visit village at Enejelar
Pandanas fruit
Getting ready to do some weaving
Email to Family and Friends Dated March 12, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Brenden the dental assistant
Our days at Ailuk are winding down in that we intend to depart for Kwajalein in just a couple days. I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned the boat Mariposa before, we met them in Abemama in Kiribati, and he is a dentist and does free dental work for people on the islands. Well, they are here now, and he ran a clinic the other day, and Alex and Brenden helped ferry people back and forth from shore to his boat. But then Brenden got the good fortune of being recruited as the dental assistant, and he got to pull teeth and everything. He had a great time. In fact, he was supposed to switch half way and give Alex a turn, but that call never came… but don’t feel bad for Alex, he didn’t care. We are up in the far north of the atoll where there is a small village of about 48 people. Tim has gone spearfishing and lobstering with the locals, successful both times. And Alex even volunteered to go spend a day on shore helping the guys make copra. I guess getting the day off from school must have been part of his motivation. Anyway, the weather has calmed down and tomorrow we will go back to the main village in the south of the atoll to say good-bye and give away a bunch of food, since we’ll be heading next to the U.S. army base on Kwajalein. Love and miss you all, -D.
After a three-day upwind bash in the NE trades, we made it to Majuro. Unlike the other islands we’ve recently visited which have more of Commonwealth influence, Majuro is thoroughly Americanized. Their currency is the US dollar, they drive on the right side of the road, and most importantly they use letter (8.5×11) size paper. They even write their dates month/day/year. Crazy! If you don’t know about the extensive nuclear testing that the U.S. did here (Bikini atoll) then look it up. We caused a lot of pain here and most of us know very little about it. I imagine at this point there’s a very complex love/hate relationship but in daily interaction with the people here I haven’t felt particularly loved or hated for being American. Majuro is the “big city”, and we’ve been able to get many things we haven’t seen for years, like Sierra Nevada beer.
Walk to K&K grocery store – tons of American products
Burgers at Tide Table restaurant
Taxi back to NTA for internet.
Dinner w/ EOS II on Exodus – spicy Mahi Mahi rolls
Majuro atollOn a mooring at the town of Majuro in the atoll of MajuroThere is an extensive fishing fleet here. Totally an unsustainable enterprise.
Logbook – January 23, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
Drop off laundry
Hours at the Tide Table getting internet
D/T – drinks on Free Spirit
A/B – Dinner & movie on Sea Rover (kid boat!)
Logbook – January 24, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
Internet afternoon at Tide Table, stayed for dinner
Logbook – January 25, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
D – MIF, Visitors center, NTA, K&K
T – more internet @ Tide Table
Pizza dinner at EOS II w/ Ariel IV
Logbook – January 26, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
B – sick
T/A – cruisers pizza dinner
D – seminar on outer islands
Email to Family and Friends Dated January 26, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Majuro
Majuro, Marshall Islands has been good to us so far. We’ve enjoyed fresh food, restaurants, supermarkets, laundromats, internet, good beer, and catching up with friends. We will be here for another week or two while we wait for our permits to visit outer islands and also while we get organized to get Exodus on the market. That’s right, pretty soon there will be a pretty cool catamaran for sale, if you know any buyers! We are willing to deliver it anywhere in the south pacific. Hope all is well with everyone! Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – January 27, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
D – island permits, K&K, laundry
Internet/dinner at Tide Table
Logbook – January 28, 2016 (Majuro to Enigtu)
Passage Highlights
1134 Engines on
1150 SB engine off + genoa
1245 SB engine on
1300 Engines off – mooring
Daily Notes
Enigtu to make water
Drinks on TBV
T/B spearfish at marker. Nada
Majuro to EnekoOn a mooring at Eneko. The tiny motu to the east is Enigu, I think that is where I got “Enigtu” in the logbook
Logbook – January 29, 2016 (Enigtu)
Daily Notes
T – swim to shore – explore other side of island
D – paddle to floating wrech
B – swim & explore the island
Skua arrives
Three boats on moorings: Exodus, True Blue V, and a half sunk vessel. Nothing strange about that.Finally able to paddle boardThe dark speck on the reef there is Tim. He walk across to scout the outside of the reef for spear fishing.
Email to Family and Friends Dated January 29, 2016
Subject: Exodus – A little more about Majuro
We have escaped the hustle and bustle of downtown Majuro and we are now at one of the other small islets in the greater Majuro atoll. Mostly, we came out here to make water. It is much drier here than it was in Tuvalu and Kiribati, in fact it hasn’t rained since we got here. So, no more filling the water tank with each down pour like we had gotten used to. It’s also cooler here, which is a bit of a relief. But on the other hand, the water is cooler too, down to about 82-83 deg, brrrr. Majuro itself is very American, in fact it reminds me a lot of Mexico. The funny thing is that when we were in Mexico it all seemed so foreign since we were so fresh and home was still in the forefront of our memories. Now after being so many different places, arriving here in Majuro seems so familiar, so much like home. But in reality, it’s just the same as Mexico, it’s just that my perspective has changed. It’s the details that make it feel American… 110V electrical power, 8×10 paper (not that crazy A4 size), driving on the right side, all the American products in the supermarkets, the fact that there are supermarkets. We haven’t gotten to know any of the Marshallese people yet, but there is a small community of expat cruisers who live here now, either temporarily or permanently. It’s weird to have people you can just go ask about things rather than figuring it all out on your own. Although, figuring it out on your own can be fun too. Tim and Brenden went spearfishing for the first time in quite a while, but sadly, no dogtooth here. They will probably try again today. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – January 30, 2016 (Enigtu)
Daily Notes
T/Craig – spearfish – bonita
A/B – paddle to downwind island
Happy hour on Exodus – TBV, Skua, Navire
Happy Hour on Exodus with Navire, True Blue V, and Skua
Logbook – January 31, 2016 (Eneko*)
*It looks like on the map there are two motus right next to each other called Enigu and Eneko. Our location was actually off of Eneko, so I presume that’s why I switched the name in the logbook.
Daily Notes
T spearfish with locals – HUGE dogtooth tuna
Tim went spearfishing with some locals and came back with an 80 lb dogtooth!Sometimes the fish table is just way too small. Notice where the kill hole is… Tim told us he “totally stoned it.” Brenden explained to me that this means when you get a shot that renders the fish immediately motionless (like a stone statue, get it?) You can stone a fish with a perfect head or spine shot. Apparently this one was a spine shot.
Logbook – February 1, 2016 (Eneko)
Daily Notes
Birthday picnic @ Eneko for Lahnee
A beach birthday party for Lahnee (EOS II). That’s the birthday girl in the middle all smily in the pink hat. I think she’s old enough to drink now.Building rock sculptures
Logbook – February 2, 2016 (Eneko to Majuro)
Passage Highlights
1110 Engines on
1124 Engines off, main (1 reef) + genoa
1201 P engine on
1208 SB engine on
1228 Engines off
Daily Notes
Back to Majuro
Afternoon internet @ TideTable
Yachtie dinner at Tide Table
Up close with one of the fishing boats as we sailed byFishing boat raft up
Logbook – February 3, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
D/Boys – museum, shopping
T – internet all day
They have a very small museum here, and the boys and I gave it a visit. This is an exhibit on traditional stick navigation aids. The boys are posing for this photo, they really aren’t that interested.This series of photos is of the shore of Majuro taken from our boat at mooring.
Logbook – February 4, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
D – laundry, internet
T/Boys – internet after school
Logbook – February 5, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
Logbook – February 6, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
Since we have internet, Tim made the boys download some TED videos to learn something. Brenden is learning about artificial limb technology (random) but Alex is learning the guitar. His first song is Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol. Sorry Colin, I will have a new sing along partner soon.He sounded much better after tuning.
Email to Family and Friends Dated February 7, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Fun and Chores in Majuro
We are still plugging away at getting a bunch of chores done in Majuro. However, we’ve managed to fit in a little fun too, including a birthday party on the beach for one of our friends, a couple of “cruiser dinners,” a happy hour on Exodus, and of course spearfishing. Tim went out last weekend with some locals and came back with a monster dogtooth tuna that filled our freezer and fed the anchorage.
Majuro has the best internet since Fiji, but the downside is that it’s only wifi, no 3G. So, when we are in range of a wifi hotspot we have really good high speed internet, but so far we haven’t been able to get it from the boat (only fleetingly yesterday), so we tend to spend our afternoons in a bar/restaurant getting our daily internet fix. At least it’s air conditioned!
Alex giving B some guitar pointersAnother awesome pizza dinner on EOS II with Ariel IVLove this girl!Lahnee rocked the Eukele…… and Slade made noise come out of the didgeridoo (just kidding, he was pretty good!)
No one could touch me on the toy xylophone!
Logbook – February 10, 2016 (Majuro to Anemomet)
Passage Highlights
1044 Engines on
1053 SB off, P + genoa
1133 SB on
1140 Engines off Anemomet
Daily Notes
Blueberry pancakes, Phase 10, family jump off the bow, steaks and mashed pots
Apple crumble and drinks with Free Spirit
Majuro to AnemometOn a mooring at AnemometIt was sort of a gray day when we arrived……but I didn’t care. I had wine. (Notice the color of the Kendall Jackson. I bought it here in Majuro, but it turned out to be bad. bummer.)Brenden took this series of photos underneath our boat at the mooring. This one is a helicopter.There’s a few people who live on shore, and these tow came out to Exodus to say hi. We used to ride the in Mission Bay!Happy Birthday to me!I enjoyed celebrating my birthday with our friends Lauri and Chuck from Free Spirit
Logbook – February 11, 2016 (Anemomet)
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
A whole lot of brain power going on in here……no so much out here.Runaway dingy!The rescue crew in action.
Logbook – February 12, 2016 (Anemomet)
Daily Notes
Engine hours calculation
Port – 1673.5 hr
SB – 1700.6 hr
Logbook – February 13, 2016 (Anemomet)
Daily Notes
Exodus internet cafe & nursery
T/A shore to play volleyball
Logbook – February 14, 2016 (Anemomet)
Daily Notes
Gray & rainy day – no internet
T/Slade – spearfishing – dogtooth
Logbook – February 15, 2016 (Anemomet to Majuro)
Passage Highlights
1027 Engines on
1041 Engines off
1116 Engines on
1132 Engines off Majuro
Daily Notes
D/Boys – HUGE grocery trip, required 2 taxis to get back
Dinner at Tide Table, no internet
Logbook – February 16, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
D – running!
D – MIA, women’s group, K&K
T – work on sink
Pub quiz at MIR
Not a bad spot to get some internet (at Marshall Islands Resort)Tim stayed busy in Majuro repairing our sink
Logbook – February 17, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
D – laundry, propane (w/ Leann)
T – more work on sink
D/Boys – MIR for pizza & internet (internet not workin)
Logbook – February 18, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
Drinks & dinner w/ TBV @ Tide Table
Ailuk – contact acting mayor Red Alfred, MI Alfred
Logbook – February 19, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
Lots of errands – Do It Best, K&K, MIA, Ace
Food delivery for Ailuk
Finally got Kwajalein permit
Email to Family and Friends Dated February 19, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Still in Majuro
Yes, we are still in Majuro. We never thought we’d be here a month, but that’s what we’re pushing right about now. The good news is that we’ve filled up on pizza, burgers, and good American beer, and we are in the homestretch and should be ready to blow this joint soon. Oh yeah, in addition to the pizza, etc., we’ve finished a few projects and we’re putting the finishing touches on the “Exodus for sale” website as we speak. I haven’t really been crazy about Majuro, but I suppose there are worse places to be stuck for a month (like Tarawa!) The first island we are going to is called Ailuk and at the request of the Mayor we are taking a bunch of rice, flour, and motor oil with us, because apparently they are out and the government ship isn’t expected for a couple weeks still. We didn’t have to pay for it, the Mayor had it all delivered to the dock for us, we are just the delivery ship. I have no idea where we will store it all, and I’m a little concerned about bugs, but we are happy to help since we can. I am really looking forward to Ailuk because it is the island where they still make traditional Marshallese sailing outriggers and apparently they also have some of the finest handicrafts. At the museum here we learned that traditional Marshallese navigation included watching wave patterns to be able to recognize nearby land masses. Fascinating. I guess that’s a skill that has not been handed down to the youth of Kiribati!
Our internet account runs out in 3 days, and we are going to try to get out of here without renewing, so after that it will be back to SSB only.
I stayed busy in Majuro hunting down good beer. This selection just about brought tears to my eyes.
Logbook – February 21, 2016 (Majuro)
Daily Notes
Boat listed!
Dinner at Tide Table
Logbook – February 22, 2016 (Majuro to Anemomet)
Passage Highlights
1320 Engines on – no speedo
1332 SB engine off, genoa
1400 SB on
1408 Engines off
1549 Engines on
1555 Engines off
Daily Notes
Escape from Majuro!
Finally finished Phase 10 game
Logbook – February 23, 2016 (Anemomet)
Daily Notes
Boys – start hull cleaning
D – clean bathroom, passage meals
T – repair genoa
Happy hour on Exodus w/ TBV
Email to Family and Friends Dated February 24, 2016
Subject: Exodus – departing Majuro this evening
We’ve finally checked all essential things off the to-do list and we’ll be heading out of Majuro just before sunset today. Our first planned destination is the island of Ailuk to the north. We’ve spent the past two nights out at the islet of Anemomet in the very familiar position of being on a mooring next to True Blue V. We will say good-bye to them yet again, but we’ve said good-bye so many times by now and we always seem to end up back together. Our “northbound” fleet of boats, the group we traveled with from Tuvalu to Marshalls has already started to break up with one boat heading to Micronesia and others at various outer islands here. It’s another end of an era for us, and we’re and, as usual, we’re looking forward to what the next one brings. On another note, Alex is getting really good at the guitar. He plays every spare minute he can, when he’s not sleeping or doing school. It’s fun to see him so interested in something. Love and miss you all, -D.
This photo log has no photos. It was a crappy passage, and we were happy when it was over. I wrote more about it in this post, which is probably more interesting than this non-photo photo log.
Logbook – January 18, 2016 (Marakei to Majuro)
Passage Log Highlights
1021 Engines on
1132 P engine off, main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
1638 P on, no sails
1657 Engines off, main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
1739 Tack, wind died
1753 P engine on
1759 SB engine on
1810 SB off, tack back
1814 P engine off
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
Logbook – January 19, 2016 (Marakei to Majuro)
Passage Log Highlights
0453 SB engine on
0600 SB engine + Main (2 reefs) + geona
0743 SB engine off
1748 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
Logbook – January 20, 2016 (Marakei to Majuro)
Passage Log Highlights
0406 Main (2 reefs) + genoa
0620 Main (2 reefs) + genoa
1435 SB engine on
1528 SB engine off
Mahi Mahi
Irons – accidental tack, fish line wrapped SB engine
1754 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
Daily Notes
Nothing to report
Email to Family and Friends Dated January 20, 2016
Subject: Exodus – low point
I think the time since we left Aranuka until now has been one of my lowest points while cruising. There’s just no way to describe the way the discomfort of a severely rocking boat gets deep in your psyche and makes you want to scream or throw someone overboard, or both.
We are now finishing day 2 of the passage to Majuro, and just now have things calmed down enough that I could sit at the computer and write. We stayed at the island of Marakei for 2 nights and even went to shore and spent time with the man who owns the boat that we rescued. As a young man he worked on merchant ships, and his English was very good. He said we could stay at the island as long as we wanted… we mentioned that we didn’t have permission to be there and he said it didn’t matter. We brought back some of their own, so we are welcome. Unfortunately, the “anchorage” was almost as bad as being underway, so we didn’t stay long.
We still have 2-3 more days out here, so I could use lots of Zen thoughts sent my way.
+++++++++++++++ I wrote that last night, and after re-reading I thought I’d balance out the negativity… since we are on our way to Majuro, where we keep hearing that there are American style supermarkets, we’re getting to eat all the last of the little things that I ration… oreos, ritz crackers, pringles, canned fruit, olives, juice, etc. The boys have been going through the bilges looking for treats I might have forgotten about. We are all hoping for some chocolate, but I’m pretty sure that’s long gone
Love and miss you all, -D.
Email to Family and Friends Dated January 20, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Sensing the home stretch
I’m in markedly better spirits today, and I think that’s for two reasons. First of all, I think that sometimes just letting those sorts of feelings see the light of day inherently gives them less weight, so by writing to all of you just how low I was feeling I immediately felt a bit higher. And second, I am starting to sense the home stretch. Given that the bulk of this passage was going to be in the NE trade winds, we knew that our challenge was going to be being able to actually point upwind at Majuro. So, the first half a day or so we headed East, in order to increase the wind angle necessary later on in the passage. Since we made the tack north, our entire focus has been being able to clear the island of Mihi to the west. We are close now, so even though we are still bashing it’s a little easier to take since it shouldn’t be too much longer.
Our friends on EOS II arrived in Majuro today, so we are the last of our little fleet of boats to get there. True Blue V has been there for a couple weeks now, so it will be fun to roll into yet another anchorage and be welcomed by them.
Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – January 21, 2016 (Marakei to Majuro)
Passage Log Highlights
0359 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
0614 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
0752 P engine on, charge batteries
0828 P engine off
1603 engines on
1752 engines off Majuro
Daily Notes
Passage Summary
Duration: 3 days 7 hrs 31 min
Route miles 359 nmi
Log miles 461
Track miles 398
Avg SOG 5 kt
Avg VMG 4.5 kt (90%)
Engines
Port 0:47
SB 8:49
Both 3:30
Generator 0
From Marakei, Kiribati to Majuro, Marshal IslandsRounding into Majuro
After leaving Tarawa bound for Marshall Islands, a very strange thing happened. We were approached by three young men in a small fishing boat, and it turns out they were lost and were running out of fuel. Their island was 15 nmi away and we didn’t have the right fuel to give them, so we gave them a ride and towed their boat to Marakei.
Logbook – January 15, 2016 (Tarawa to AbiangMajuro Marakei)
Passage Log Highlights
2047 Engines on
2133 Engines off, main (1 reef) + genoa
Daily Notes
Bouncy boat day in Tarawa
Logbook – January 16, 2016 (Tarawa to AbiangMajuro Marakei)
(3) They are headed to Abiang 5-6 days then Butanitari
(4) Small fishing boat. Lost. Need premix. We took them to Marakei
(5) Dropped off our passengers @ Marakei, decided to stick around
Tarawa to Marakei with a drive by of AbiangThere is no pass at Marakei large enough for a sailing vessel, so we spent two uncomfortable nights anchored outside, but it was well worth it
Email to Family and Friends Dated January 16, 2016
Subject: Exodus – Outbound Tarawa
Did I just put pumpkin in a stir-fry? Oh yes I did! Who knew that pumpkin was so versatile? We’ve been having it every night and we’ve only gotten through 1/2 of one of the huge ones we got in Aranuka. Pumpkin is great in curry, beef stew, roasted with onions and garlic, and yes, even stir-fry. Given that my last email included something about a hurricane you might wonder why the most interesting thing I have to talk about is pumpkin? Well, hurricane Pali is no more. There was a rapid change in the forecast over the past 24 hours and now the low is totally dissipated. On the one hand that’s great news, however, now we are left with no excuse to stop at another island in Kiribati after clearing out and so we are faced with a pretty crappy weather window to go to Majuro (Marshall Islands). Our plan was to beg to stay in Abiang until the cyclone passed, then ride the south winds on the backside of it as far north as we could. Now we’re looking at 20+ kt wind on the nose all the way to Majuro, and probably not making it on one tack. Oh well, maybe there’s good rum in Majuro. Love and miss you all, -D.
Email to Family and Friends Dated January 16, 2016
Subject: Exodus the rescue vessel
First off, as we approached the pass at Abiang we made a hard right, went around the southern tip of the island and pointed East to go to Majuro. Majuro is NNW of Abiang, so I’m sure it makes perfect sense that we headed East. The thing is with sailing, sometimes you have to go in the wrong direction in order to get where you want to go. Anyway, for 3 young men in a small fishing boat it turns out that we made a very, very good decision. After battling light wind, no wind, squalls, and big swells, we hadn’t actually made it very far by the late afternoon. When we were about 13 nmi SE of a small island called Marakai, the guys in the fishing vessel approached us. Now, they don’t speak any English, so we don’t know the entire story, but we think they’ve been out fishing for 8 hours, and they got lost (didn’t know which way was back to the island) and they were getting low on gas. Their first question to us was if we had gas, but they have a 2-stroke outboard and we have a 4 stroke, so we don’t carry “premix” on board. So, we are doing the obvious thing and giving them a ride back to their island and towing their boat. If we arrive before dark, we make try to anchor for the night. Unfortunately, there is no navigable pass into the lagoon so we would have to anchor on the outside, but if it’s a tolerable spot maybe this is our ticket to wait for a better weather window to Majuro? Anyway, I shudder to think about the fate of these guys if we hadn’t crossed paths. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – January 17, 2016 (Marakei)
Daily Notes
Visited by the boat owner & the 3 men we saved. Brought us a huge stalk of bananas and invited us to shore
Gresham Family Exodus 