Skipper’s Update No 10 2019

Greetings Everyone,

Well I am finally back at Brunswick Heads — we moored the boat at Iluka at 6.30am on Friday.

Sam reckoned he got a pretty good cross-section of sailing on the trip from Townsville. We had a great sail to the Whitsundays but after that the wind died for a couple of days and we motor-sailed until just north of the Percy Islands when we had thunderstorms on three sides of us during most of the night. At one stage the wind did a 360 degree shift in a couple of minutes which made sail setting somewhat difficult, then we had wind against tide around Thirsty Sound where the tides are 5 to 6 metres.

We decided to have a rest day at Pearl Bay and wait for the northerlies to return. Then we had lovely sailing all the way to Mooloolaba when the wind increased to 30 plus knots for the next two days. We were goose-winged and at one stage did over 8.2 knots — the fastest the vessel has ever moved and considering its maximum theoretical hull speed is only nine knots.

Sam reckoned he was “worried” for much of this section of the trip.

We got to Southport right on low tide so had to go out to sea for a couple of hours until the tide was suitable for the bar crossing. Meanwhile a thunderstorm swept across the Gold Coast just as we were approaching the Seaway Tower and it totally obscured the leads so we came in using the instruments. The strong northerlies over the past days had built up quite a swell and the bar crossing was interesting.

The net result was Sam thought he had got his “money’s worth”. It was his first sailing trip.

At Southport Wayne and his wife Sue came to look at the boat as they were interested in buying it. They put a deposit on it and Wayne came back the following week and sailed with us to Iluka.

I have a couple of small jobs to do on it and I expect we will finalise the sale next week. It is 44 years since I started building my first yacht.

As this will be the last Skipper’s Update I will be closing down this Ham e-mail address so anyone wishing to contact me will have to use the gmail address.

And finally, thank you to all those who have supported us over the years as we worked in the Louisiades and especially those who regularly prayed for us and for the work. We very much appreciated all that you did for us.

Where to next — well I might sign on with the YWAM medical ship next year for a few weeks — we will see.

God bless you all,

Phil

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Skipper’s Update No 9

Greetings Everyone,

Well we got into Townsville four weeks ago and booked into the marina. As I had to wait a couple of weeks for Sam, my crew, to sail south from here I decided to get some repairs done to the sails. The sail maker said two weeks but ended up taking four.

Well we left Townsville today (Wednesday) with a very good weather window for the next few days. Those following us on AIS should be able to pick us up as we will be fairly coastal for the rest of the trip.

There are a couple of people interested in looking at the boat to purchase so I am praying that it happens quickly.

God bless,

Phil

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Skipper’s Update No 8 2019

Greetings Everyone,

We finally left Motorina Island on Wednesday 4th after waiting a week for the 25 kt southerlies to abate. We gingerly motored out from the lee of the island and found the wind was still 20 knots on the nose and with wind against tide in the Calvados Lagoon we had seas 2.5 metres and very steep. Had to motor hard for seven hours before we cleared all the reefs and get over the Sunken Reef into the ocean.

Had a rough 15 hrs sail until the wind dropped a bit and the seas started to settle. The previous week’s strong winds had certainly built it up.

Had a lovely sail until 10am Saturday when the wind died completely and we started motoring. The wind came back about 4pm Sunday and has been on the nose ever since. This is supposed to be the season of the south east trade winds — well we are getting 17-20 knots from the south west and we are travelling — you guessed it — south west to Townsville.

As Bruce commented — This year has been one long bash.

Hopefully we will get into Townsville later tonight and clear customs tomorrow morning.

Want to buy a yacht anyone?

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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Admiral’s Update No 16 2017

Greetings Everyone,

Home at last!!!! It’s been a good year but a tough one — tough weather-wise, tough travelling to and staying in very remote villages and tougher still saying goodbye to the people we’ve grown to love. Phil hopes to return some time to check the radios but I feel my time has come.

So this is probably my last Admiral’s Update to you (does that mean I get a new Admiral??). I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have supported us, prayed for us and shown concern for and interest in what we have been doing in the Louisiades. However, when God closes a door He always opens another so who knows what lies ahead.

Phil and I wish you a joyful Christmas and all the best for 2018.

God bless you and love from,

Pam and Phil

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Admiral’s Update No 15 2017

Greetings Everyone,

We are slowly making our way south — very slowly — over a fortnight in Townsville where we had the rigging replaced for insurance purposes; four days in Shute Harbour while Phil went to a reunion in Sydney; a week in Pearl Bay sitting out a 30 knot southerly and rolling abominably; a rough bash through southerlies to Sea Hill and then through the Narrows to Gladstone where we are tied up snug in the marina enjoying a rest and catching up with Bruce and Dianne who also shared ministry in the Louisiades and at one time lived there for ten months.

All this time we have been in company with Geoff and Marina Jansen and their son Scott on a catamaran “Island Home”. We met then very briefly before we left Bundaberg for the Louisiades then caught up with them at Rossel Island. They love the islands and the people and have a great desire to return to serve them. It’s as if we are passing the baton!!

When will we be home? Who knows? The elusive northerlies are as elusive as ever.

Phil is 72 today.

God bless,

Pam and Phil

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Admiral’s Update No 14 2017

Greetings Everyone,

After a rough start, the seas and wind settled down and we did our fastest trip ever back to Townsville — 4.5 days averaging 5.5 knots.

When we arrived we had a very pleasant surprise. The marina people came down to us at the quarantine wharf and asked,”Do you know a man called Guy?” “Yes, Guy Wood.” “Well he’s paid a weeks marina fees so you can have a good rest.”

It was the best gift he could have given us and just what I needed. I am enjoying the still bed, sleeping in, endless hot showers and of course every mouthful of fresh salad, fruit and veges. Phil has been able to get medical treatment for his ulcerated toe before it dropped off. We have been able to catch up with friends. Sunday night we shared our experiences with a small local church run by our friends Patrick and Bernadette Russel who head up Christian Friends of Israel in Australia.

From here we will make our way slowly south as the weather permits. We might stop off somewhere as Phil wants to get to a Narcotics Bureau investigator’s reunion in Sydney in early November.

God bless,

Pam and Phil

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Admiral’s Update No 3 2017

Greetings Everyone,

We are anchored in the Burnett River at Bundaberg awaiting some supplies — HF radios, solar panels and regulators, etc and the weather. We had ideal conditions sailing up the coast from Iluka with 10-15 knot south west winds. We left Iluka Wednesday afternoon and managed to keep ahead of the bad weather and arrived at Wide Bay Bar at mid tide enabling us to cross the bar and take the tide all the way up the Great Sandy Straits, under a full moon, to Kingfisher where we anchored for a night’s rest then on to Bundaberg the next morning, arriving there at 9 pm Saturday night.

It has been great to catch up with old friends here. One couple have loaned us a car which makes provisioning so much easier.

We hope to leave Bundaberg sometime next week. Please pray for the right timing and an eight day weather window to get us safely to the Louisiades.

God bless,

Pam and Phil

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Admiral’s Update No 2 2017

Greetings Everyone,

Things are falling into place. We had a false start on the antifouling as the slipways had a backlog due to the previous rain. They put us off for a week and we just scraped onto the cradle with the lower tides. Coming back down we had to sit on the cradle and wait for the higher tide at midnight to float off. Still, the antifouling is done and that’s the beast part of antifouling.

We have some YWAM fellows taking over our house while we are away — a blessing to us and to them. The YWAM base is affiliated with our church at Byron Bay. Young people come from all over the world to train for short term missions. It’s refreshing to partner with them.

The only hold up we have is waiting for a new masthead wind transducer. A bird has bitten off a part of it — a $700 snack!!

We are moving down to Iluka after the weekend and leaving as soon as the weather permits. Please pray for fair winds as we make our way up to Bundaberg where we have to pick up more equipment to take over with us.

God bless,

Pam and Phil

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