We set out yesterday, despite a not-quite-ideal weather forecasts, but the forecasts tend to be wrong anyway and we just wanted to finally sail on. We spent the night tacking up and down, trying to dodge Taenga (atoll between Makemo and Raroia) in winds that were shifting between ENE and ESE. Now we’re finally approaching the pass of Raroia, lots of effort and 6 tacks… Continue reading »
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2019
30
Dec
2019
28
Dec
Christmas blow
Just for Christmas a trough moved along the convergence zone that had been lingering for a long time. It passed to the east of us, but sent us stormy weather with torrential rainfalls over Christmas, so we just stayed inside writing and working for 3 days. The anchorage just off the dock in Makemo was nicely protected, even though the wind shifted around a bit.… Continue reading »
2019
26
Dec
Makatea Gallery
Here our long overdue photos of Makatea!
2019
23
Dec
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
And yet another year has passed–our 8th on Pitufa and we’re still very happy with our life under sails We started the year 2019 quite active working on our mooring project in Rapa Iti and spent the rest of the cyclone season in our favourite corner of French Polynesia–the Gambier Islands. After that we had a few weeks of adventures in the Tuamotus, entering minimalistic,… Continue reading »
2019
21
Dec
Two articles in All-at-Sea’s January 2020 issue
Birgit Hackl, Christian Feldbauer: DIY Waterproofing, All At Sea Caribbean, January 2020, p. 46–48. Free download from allatsea.net. Birgit Hackl: To freeze or not to freeze?, All At Sea Caribbean, January 2020, p. 74–75. Free download from allatsea.net.
2019
19
Dec
Impossible to plan
The convergence zone is still getting on our nerves… Impossible to plan protected, calm anchorages inside an atoll, but also impossible to find sailing windows… Last night we were pitching miserably in winds from the SE. We thought we could as well be pitching underway, so we sailed out through the pass of Tahanea at 4 in the morning. First we had great sailing, then… Continue reading »
2019
14
Dec
convergence zone guessing games
We’ve been having somewhat unusual weather for about a month now. During an El Nino neutral phase (as it’s supposed to be now) the SPCZ (South Pacific Convergence Zone) should be further southwest, but instead it’s hanging out across French Polynesia, just shifting up and down over the Tuamotus, but never disappearing. Whenever we’re on the southern side of it we get southerly winds, when… Continue reading »
2019
04
Dec
Disappointing excursion
When we got back to the false pass of Motutunga in the early morning just in time for the slack tide, we had to find out that the small cargo ship had indeed left as they told us, but they forgot to tell us that they left some workers there for the week to work at a pearlfarm in the lagoon. Their workboat still blocked… Continue reading »
2019
04
Dec
Article about coconut palmtrees in an Austrian newspaper
We wrote an article about the coconut palm, which is the symbol for the south seas, but unfortunately a big eco-disaster. Palm trees are not even endemic here, but were introduced and are replacing the natural vegetation (and habitat for birds). We couldn’t find a magazine for this topic at first as it’s not exactly a sailing topic. Now an Austrian newspaper (OOE Nachrichten) got… Continue reading »
2019
01
Dec
Outpaced
We spent a few nice, calm days in Tahanea enjoying the beautiful pass and the many, curious sharkies hanging out around Pitufa (cleaning fish helps making friends ) This morning we saw an opportunity to sail to the neighbouring atoll. Motutunga is uninhabited, with only a few motus and a false pass on the northern side. Studying satellite images we thought we could take Pitufa… Continue reading »