Skipper’s Update No.3 2019

Greetings Everyone,

The voyage to Misima was the usual smorgasbord — light winds to start with and motor sailing, three days of rotten weather with winds over 35 knots and big seas and finally a couple of very pleasant days sailing.

We arrived at Misima Thursday morning exactly seven day from Bundaberg. Couldn’t find the health officer to get praticque so will do it when we go back to Misima. Off-loaded a stack of gear for the Misima hospital then met up with a yachtie couple I had met about ten years ago and they invited us over for dinner that night.

Early Friday morning we took on board four locals including (for Pam and Dianne’s benefit) John Cameron, Dailo and Pastor Gwaibo from the Bethel Centre in POM and a load of luggage and headed for Rossel Island.

I’ve only had one worse trip over here and that was fourteen years ago when we took Gwaibo to Rossel to do some ordinations. This time the wind was on the nose all the way, usually in excess of 20 knots and in the Calvados lagoon with wind against tide it was one long slow bash for hours. We anchored at grass Island at 9pm for a sleep and left the next morning before dawn to try and get through Snake Passage before the wind got up too strong.

Snake Passage is a passage through the coral at the end of the Calvados chain. It is about 100-150 metres wide, 50-60 metres deep and has several hairpin bends in its two mile length. Either side of the passage the coral is only a metre deep and it has a strong tide running through it. Makes for interesting navigation.

Then we bashed against 20kts until we got a few hours sailing either side of the Rossel lagoon entrance then another 15 miles of short steep seas to arrive at Rossel Island at 7pm tonight. This is nat a bad anchorage except for the 20 knot plus bullets that keep coming down the mountain.

The passengers have gone ashore in a dinghy and will be back tomorrow for their luggage. Meanwhile Bruce is cooking a baked dinner (baked beans) while I write this.

Tomorrow we will go to church and catch up with a lot of old friends. Then there will a fairly big job of unloading all the gear that has to go around Rossel island. I think a rest might be in order then but knowing Pastor Sigi (the pastor here at Damunu village) that’s not very likely.

Appreciate your prayers for wisdom as we make sailing decisions in this weather.

For those of you who have been following us on AIS we turn it off over here for safety.

God bless,

Phil and Bruce

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Skipper’s Update No 2 2019

Greetings everyone,

We finally left Southport after an eleven day delay and sailed to Tin Can Bay and got some new clears made for the sides of the cockpit and then on to Bundaberg.

Caught up with a lot of friends here at church on Sunday and at the local Gideon meeting on Monday night. We were even able to attend the Wide Bay regional Seniors Conference Friday night and Saturday.

Glenn went back home as soon as we got to Bundaberg and Bruce Bentley, the friend who sailed across the Atlantic with me, has joined the crew. Bruce has sailed a number of times to the Louisiades and he and his wife lived there for ten months at one time.

The days have been very busy provisioning and loading all the gear we have been given to take over. As well as 23 boxes of Bibles we have enough first aid equipment to start a small hospital. The foreward cabin is packed to the deck-head with cartons of medicines. There is the usually wad of exercise books, pens, pencils etc. for the schools and kids clothing. Bruce has to sleep on one of the settees in the saloon as there is nowhere else for him.

This time we are taking 85 litres of petrol as deck cargo for use in the local dinghies when we get there. Last time we had to wait weeks to get fuel to visit the remote outreaches as the trading boat are not always carrying bulk fuel these days.

We are booked to clear customs tomorrow morning and then to depart for Misima — about 860 nautical miles. The weather as this stage looks OK for the trip.

God bless,

Phil and Bruce.

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Skipper’s Update No 1 2019

Greetings Everyone,

The Admiral has promoted herself to a shore-side job so the skipper will be doing the updates this year. I am doing one last trip to the Louisiades to finish off some jobs there. Bruce Bentley — friend who sailed from Tunisia to the Caribbean with me will crew from Bundaberg. Bruce used to sail his own yacht to the Louisiades and has lived there for almost 12 months at one time. We are both looking forward to meeting up with our close friends over there.

My son Glenn is crewing with me from Iluka to Bundaberg. We left last Tuesday and had a lousy trip to Southport. The wind was over 30 knots going from on the nose to right behind as the squalls passed through. Add the 2-3 metre swells just aft of the beam and we had a very rolly trip. Glenn was sick for the first 12 hours but after a couple of Kwells and a good sleep he really brightened up.

We look like staying at Southport until the weekend as the strong winds are putting a 3-4 metre swell on Wide Bay Bar which we have to cross to enter the Great Sandy Strait. A yacht went across it a couple of day ago and lost everything off their deck including the dinghy. We’ll wait.

God bless,

Phil

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