Separating Australia and Papua New Guinea, the Torres Strait is a narrow archipelago of scattered islands with some fascinating history, cultures and ancestry. Strong currents and blistering hot sun but it leads us to the Arafura Sea, Timor Sea and on towards Bali. When we pass into the Torres Strait we leave the South Pacific Ocean behind and are in the approaches to the Southern Indian Ocean.
We sailed November 15 from the wharf at Luganville on the island of Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu. Fueled up, provisioned up and keen to get back to sea. Made our way out of Sugund Channel under power against a head wind the 8 miles to the sea and another 20 to be clear of land altogether. All mountains and bush or jungle – then by 1900 under all plain sail – small seas fair winds but light.
November 16 – wind pooped out altogether, fired up the main engine at 1000, pushed at 7.5 knots until later afternoon. With SE winds making up, set all sail in rising but not strong winds – seas small.
November 17 – sailed overnight but wind petered out, fired up in the morning. Looks like decent winds tomorrow, but we will motor overnight. Wire splicing instruction by me for Bosun Line and Clara, with Dirk and Spring. Making a new wire fore t’gallant halyard pennant. Sailmaking on the hatch under the awning – Rachel, Andreas and Liam stitching away on a new topsail we laid out in Tahiti. Starboard rigging screws (aka turnbuckles) getting serviced: clean of any rust, some rust converter, then painted up plenty and threads greased and parcelled and served with marline. Fire hose power shower at 1300. Hot enough and motoring down wind in light breezes makes it hotter. Good to have the main deck awning rigged. Quite a few small logs drifting in the waters around us. Must have flowed out of rivers in Santo. Dirk led an Ocean Currents workshop on the hatch this afternoon. Nice job.
November 18 – winds filliing from the SE and now a beautiful day. Secured the main engine at 0800 and set all sail including royals and spanker. Seas still small. Kept the main deck awning up and set the bridge deck awning. The sun is very strong hereabouts, and with a diminished ozone layer, the sun can hurt. Diane making new head curtains with pretty pareau fabic we got in Tahiti. Dan and helper greasing and oiling this and that. A traditional Saturday task for the carpenter in a windship. Leo washing clothes so much I lent him my Grenadian wooden washboard. A sacred object. Now afternoon. Journal writing on the hatch, Alex and Lyra play cards. Yards braced up halfway on port and the winds carry us along. Some flying fish now and then, always good to see them. Hosting an ‘older guy’ Captain’s dinner tonight with Leo, Stan, Mike and myself. Quite pleasant and we understand each other’s reference points.
November 19- Sunday at sea morning. Breeze filled in nicely overnight, sailing along at 6 knots, seas small. Good sailing all day with a marlinspike and “popcorn day.” Soon to establish the Royal PC Marlinspike-Popcorn Day Steering committee, to ensure future excellence on future Popcorn Days.
November 20 – Day comes in mostly cloudy and muggy. Sailing along 4-5 knots. Some squall activity building to staboard and to windward. Cleaning the koste-skab, even the cleaning gear needs cleaning sometimes. And cleaning eggs. If an egg cracks it goes bad and stinky. Ever heard the phrase “he is a bad egg?” Well, its origins are clear. Standing by for squalls at 0830. Took in royals but no real push in these squalls so far – but you never know. But change always indicates change so, even if no big push maybe a longer term wind shift or force change to come. We will see. Always do. 550 miles from Santo. 850 miles from Torres Strait. Rain squalls past, set royals again. Ratline workshop for lead seamen this afternoon. How to make nice square and even ratlines. Nice ratlines indicate good seamanship in other parts of the ship. Spring led a new celestial navigation class.
Looks like fair winds all the way to Torres.
