The Reliability of Generosity

Almost nothing is reliable in my world. I've seen failures in pumps, motors, line, anchoring, sails and my little dinghy. When in a place like I am where very few basic items and services are available, mending those failures can be a difficult task. However, in my quest to do so I have found that there is one thing in French Polynesia that is almost always reliable. It's the kindness and good-nature of the people I have met.

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Another atoll, another adventure

At anchor in Takaroa

Echo has made her way to Rangiroa, the second largest of the Tuamotu atolls. Rangiroa has much more infrastructure than most of the ports we have called upon, and now that internet access is back so are the updates on SailorRob.com.

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How Black Pearls are Farmed in Paradise

On the atoll of Takaroa we were able to visit a black pearl farm. The manager was happy to show us around and explain the process of farming the pearls. He said we were the first outsiders to ever visit the farm, and was pleased to be able to share his knowledge by giving us an informal tour and answer all of our questions.

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Tuamotus: the dangerous Archipelago

I nearly lost the ship on a Tuamotu reef.

After a 500 nautical mile crossing from Nuku Hiva we sighted Takaroa. This gorgeous atoll in the middle of nowhere is unseen by most. The pass to get into the inner lagoon is far too dangerous for most cruisers, as currents in the narrow pass can get up to ten knots.

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Gathering fruit and friends in Taipivai

Yesterday I had an experience that has altered the way I view the world. There are few events that I can recall that have changed me in such a way, but I know that this is one that I will remember for a lifetime.

Echo in Comptroller Bay

With plans to sail for Ua Huka from Nuku Hiva, Echo raised anchor for a new shore.

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Review: Attwood Float Switch

Any cruiser knows the only way to survive in places where no help, parts, and materials are available is to be self-sufficient. When lacking the conveniences of major hardware stores and chandleries broken equipment must often be jury-rigged using whatever is at hand. A cruising boat is filled with all sorts of equipment being put to use in a harsh marine environment, making failures and breakages of equipment not at all uncommon. It is, however, unfortunate when an item unnecessarily fails due to a poor quality of construction.

I could almost forgive a bit of gear that is poorly constructed if it is able to be repaired with common and available parts. Unfortunately that is not the case with the Attwood Float Switch, model 4202A.

These float switches are often used to activate extremely important bilge pumps, keeping a vessel dry and afloat. Fortunately for me, it was only being used in a sink sump box when it failed, but the situation could have been much worse.

The float switch was merely a month and a half old when it failed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. One day I noticed that the bilge pump inside of the sink sump box turned on and ran continuously. Upon further inspection it was clear that the float switch had flooded, causing an electrical short within the unit. While this was only a headache for me, it could have possibly burned up an integral bilge pump if that is what it was wired to. Nevertheless, it had to be fixed before the sink would drain properly.

Rather than manufacture a quality product
they just tell you where to buy more!

For an item to be worthwhile on a cruising boat, it must be able to be repaired. Attwood, the maker of the float switch, obviously was not clued in to this important aspect. The molded plastic housing encasing the electrical switch mechanism was pressed and glued together, making disassembly and repair nearly impossible. Clearly this float switch was not designed to be repaired, the company’s solution was simply to put a sticker on the sump box detailing the exact phone number that could be called to replace it! They’d rather you spent more money, and gave them more business purchasing another flawed product to replace the previous one. Even if I could call and have them deliver one to the middle of the ocean, I would rather opt for a quality product.

With the float switch opened up the low cost materials used
in the manufacture of the float switch can be seen

I eventually fixed it using a combination of rice (don’t ask), a fine toothed hacksaw, marine adhesive/sealant, and liquid electrical tape. I would however, advise anyone sailing a long distance from replacing this flawed unit. The seal is of a poor design, it’s difficult if not impossible to fix, and it is awfully expensive for two bits of plastic and a lightweight switch. As a replacement I would highly recommend a Rule float switch. I have always had good luck with Rule products and all of the ones I have on my boat are going strong.

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Mexico to Marquesas

31 days at sea. That is how long it took to sail Echo from Mexico to the Marquesas. Most would count the days, one by one, dreaming of the time when they could finally get a freshwater shower and an iced drink. To most, it would seem an arduous voyage laced with sacrifices of the most basic conveniences available in the 'civilized' world. To me, it was a liberating time that allowed me to leave behind the responsibilities of land to focus simply on sailing.

On the 22nd of March, 2012 the sailing yacht Echo set sail from Ensenada, Mexico bound for Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas. She was well stocked for the voyage, her lockers stuffed with food, tanks full to the brim, and all the perceptibly necessary spares were loaded on. Her bootstripe was no longer gingerly kissing the ripples of water as they lapped on her sides but now plunging deeply into the surface, only coming up for air when she rolled. Echo was ready, and so was her crew. We had never been to our destination, had never set out on such a small boat for longer than a week, and Echo herself had never sailed so many miles at once. We were setting off into the unknown. The feeling was exhilarating, but also one of great respect for our situation. Anything could happen out there, and there was nobody to rely upon but ourselves and our 55 year old wooden boat.

canned tuna!

On the evening of day one we landed a skipjack tuna, a welcome supplement to both our stores and our bellies that night. We ate half the fish over the next two days and used the pressure cooker to can the other half, a skill that I had become interested in and taught myself because of my grandmother's delicious homemade strawberry jam. Without refrigeration, canning the fish was a great way to preserve it, and it was eaten weeks later for a special treat during our crossing of the equator.

Damage from the jib boom

It was still cold, the sea was rough and as I was being tossed around Echo's small cabin I imagined us as two yachtzee dice being shaken in a wooden cup. At least, that's what I felt like. I awoke on day two to find that sometime in the night the jib boom's gooseneck had sheared a bolt, forcing the boom forward and tearing a chunk of mahogany with it. This was bad, and I needed to repair the damage that had been done. Just to the south was a little known island, a Mexican nature preserve, called Guadelupe. I planned to anchor the vessel off Guadelupe for a day while I made repairs. Unfortunately the nature of rocky seabed and the lack of a good protected anchorage in the area kept me sailing on, only being there long enough to trade a bottle of wine for some fish with a couple of local fishermen.

just before her swim across the equator

The temperature was beginning to warm. With every degree of latitude that we moved south it was noticeably warmer, and in a few days we caught the tradewinds, putting a fresh breeze behind Echo's sail all the way to the equator. We had somehow missed the inter-tropical convergence zone. Better known as the doldrums it is an area famous for it's light winds and frequent heavy squalls. For centuries the doldrums have plagued sailors, sometimes becalming them for weeks at a time, with winds only coming in the form of strong thunderstorms. At that time of year the doldrums were meant to be between 2 and 9 degrees north, but we had seen none of it. The wind only ceased long enough for Tine to accomplish her goal of swimming across the equator. At 8:14pm on the 10th of April we crossed over the center of the earth at latitude zero and longitude 129° 45.88' West.

Securing a flogging kite in the doldrums

Soon after our equator crossing however, our good luck with the winds had run out. We had found the doldrums, though not in their expected position, they were there. The sea flattened, and the wind died. I've seen ponds that had more ripples on their surface, and been inside buildings that had a stronger breeeze. Echo was completely becalmed for days. The hot and sweaty weather was no longer augmented by a temperate breeze, and sweating in place was all that we could do. I could have easily fired up Echo's diesel motor and powered our way south of this area, but it was against my principles. Captain Cook didn't crank a diesel to get him around an area of rotten wind, and neither would I. So we sat, and we sweat. On Friday the 13th of April we went backwards 2.6 miles, rolling our way further from our destination. The winds were taking back our hard earned miles and chipping away at our resolve. It's difficult to describe the feelings of a sailor caught in the doldrums, but the best I can come up with is something in between frustration and helplessness. However we took advantage of the storms when they came, and eventually drifted our way to four degrees south where we picked up the trades again. Immediately our spirits were lifted, and we had just over 500 miles to go.

The last 500 miles were the home stretch, and Echo dashed through them with amazing speeds. With only the spinnaker up, we made just over 160 miles in one day. Echo was ready to get there, but her crew was somewhat apprehensive. We had seen the great open ocean. We had crossed thousands of miles, and seen the endless starry nights. We had traveled for weeks on merely wind and solar power, self sufficient in our ways. We had gotten so good at saving fresh water that we only used 190 liters (45 US gallons) between the two of us. The constant rolling of the boat that had once been a nuisance was now just normal. We slept well, ate well, and got into a rhythm with the sea. We had left behind all that we knew and immersed ourselves so well in this new world that it was now our new 'normal'. I wasn't sure if I wanted the voyage to end. I was simply enjoying seafaring and didn't much care about cold drinks ashore, such luxuries seemed trivial and unecessary. I wanted to get to the destination because that is what I had set out to do, but rather than looking forward to our arrival I began to see it as an end to a glorious voyage.

at our anchorage off Nuku Hiva

On the morning of April 21st our destination was in sight. The huge mountains of Nuku Hiva were in the distance. The familiar smell of the sea was replaced by one of vegetation and cooking fires. It was almost surreal to see land again. Just before noon we anchored in Taiohe bay, suddenly in the presence of other people and land. There was a great sense of accomplishment, having spent 31 days at sea braving both squalls and calms over the course of 2990 nautical miles. At first it seemed to be the end of a great voyage, but in reality it is the beginning. It is the beginning of our inter-island exploration, for from here we will be jumping from one tropical paradise to the next and getting to know the people and customs of largely forgotten and unknown areas of the world. For me, substance is found mostly in the voyage, not the destination. However the voyage hasn't ended, it is simply a different one. One that will be supplemented by fresh mangoes!

Unfortunately I will be unable to add more photos or posts until I can secure a reliable internet connection.

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Setting sail for the Marquesas

The engine is running, our tanks are topped up, fresh fruit and veggies are aboard, and the sail covers are off. Echo is moments away from setting sail for the Marquesas, 3400 or so nautical miles away.

I'll update the blog when we get there, but I won't be available until then and that's the way I like it!

Get onto our facebook page and "like" us to receive updates via facebook.

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Food and Drink in Ensenada

My absolute favorite thing about Ensenada is the amazing food and drink available here. The markets give a new meaning to the word fresh, and the restaurants and street food prepare food to a high standard. Eating here is less about simply filling up and more about a taste experience.

It's easy to laugh at the "organic" stickers on crummy fruit and vegetables available in most westernized supermarkets when you have shopped in a place like Ensenada. There is no need for a sticker here, it's all organic and locally grown. Small craft farms and local fisheries fill the shelves here, not massive corporations trucking vegetables cross country to sit on a supermarket shelf under altered lighting. Mexican people place a much higher priority on the quality of their produce, demanding much more than tasteless tomatoes or under-ripened fruit. One can walk right outside of the fish market to see the boats unload their day's catch, there is no question about the age of the fish. The available ingredients are of the highest quality, and are always fresh no matter where it is you shop or eat. Even the dirtiest little taco stand on the corner of the street uses high quality ingredients, but that's just because it's the norm around here.

Speaking of taco stands, some of the best food in Ensenada can be found by the side of the street. The best street food can be found using the following steps:

1. Wear some good walking shoes, there aren't any seats at most street food stands.
2. Walk as far away from the cruise ship docks as possible.
3. Use your nose and follow the smell, sometimes a good barbecue stand can be smelt from blocks away.
4. Choose a stand with lots of locals, they know what's good. If it's hard to get to because of the crowd then it's a good spot to eat.
5. If there is no menu, then it's probably good. If there is a menu in English, then move on.

That's basically it. Tine and I sampled a dozen different stands serving a wide variety of food. Taco stands are great, we judge them by the types of salsas we can see displayed. We haven't had a bad ceviche here yet. The ceviche in Ensenada is ridiculously good, probably because of the fishing industry here. 

Ceviche de la Casa @ Muelle Tres

Of course, sometimes it's nice to sit down and when we want to sit down we head over to our favorite restaurant in Ensenada, Muelle Tres. The food there is absolutely out of this world. We  like to order something new every time we go, and have never been disappointed. However, one item that we always get is the Ceviche de la Casa. I've sampled ceviche all over the world, and their's is by far the best. It's fresh, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. The wines are hand-picked by the owner, who obviously cares a great deal about the food in his restaurant as he serves it himself. He personally waits on every table, making sure that the food is satisfying and delicious. 

It's not just the food that is delicious here though. Just outside of town is Valle De Guadalupe hosting some fantastic little vineyards and wineries. We got scooped up by some friendly cruisers from the yacht Desire to have a little tour around the valley. They brought us to a few great little vineyards, but our favorites were Tres Mujeres and Sol y Barro. 

Tres Mujeres, meaning three women, is a small artisan winery producing roughly 300 cases of wine a year. Only recently have they decided to get labels for their bottles, with most bottles still being hand signed and labeled by one of the proprietors themselves. Their wine is an art for them. They focus upon making small batches of delicious wines rather than growing the business or attempting to distribute to a wider range of shops. When I asked if the wine was available in any stores the owner had to think for a moment before telling me that she thought it was in two different shops now. Our tasting was held in their old wine cellar, converted to a tasting room and filled with the arts and crafts done by the women that run the winery. During our tasting fruits from the trees and cheeses from her home were brought out by Ivette, one of the owners of the winery. Their wine was delicious, and it was the best I have had since visiting some different wineries in Northland, New Zealand.

Sol y Barro, meaning sun and clay, was our other favorite winery in the area. It's a one man show over at Sol y Barro, and the wine is merely a hobby, as is the rest of the ranch. Aime built the place with his own two hands, starting with nothing more than a piece of dirt. He taught himself how to build clay adobe structures, and spent years building the entire ranch out of clay. When we were there tasting his wine I spent most of the time asking him about his buildings, and he was more than happy to tell me. He was so happy to share his work, and it was easy to see that he had found happiness in his ranch and gained a great deal of satisfaction from doing it all on his own. His wine was fantastic, but I was most impressed by his work ethic and his own personal satisfaction in completing a project. I think I saw a bit of myself in him, and I could really relate to the joy he found in creating something from nothing, using his own two hands.

There are some photos of the wineries in my Ensenada album, and they are definitely worth having a look at. The food and drink here is what I will miss the most when I go. I know I'll be thinking of those delicious wines and shelves full of fresh vegetables when I am in the Tuamotus with nothing more than coconuts and fish.

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