" A LADY TRIP " Sailing around the World,

A Lady
Stephen Hyde
Thu 25 Mar 2010 18:28
Total distance travelled since last May 2009...............................14,000 miles
Total distance of this leg, ...........................................................3,000 miles
Distance to travel to our destination.................................................43 miles
Distance travelled in the last 24 hrs................................................170 miles
Average speed in the last 24 hrs......................................................7.08 knots
wind   ESE            ..................................................................14  /  17 knots
 
Position...............................09.degrees 44 mins  S            138 degrees 16 mins W
 
TUESDAY  23rd  MARCH    2010
 
05,00hrs   Again, another starry night, We are getting close to Pto. Ayora,  the main port for entry to the Marquesses Islands,
Pto, Ayora is located on the South coast of Hiva Oa, the biggest of the Islands
 
06.00hrs, We can just make out the Islands on the dawning horizon, They look good after 16 days at sea,
 
08.00hrs  The Islands are very clear now, They are high and very impressive from where we are,
               The rising sun is from our stern, so the Islands are really all lit up in front of us,
               The wind has also got very light, so we are only making 4 knots,
               We adjusted the clocks on board and in the computers, -1.5hrs to bring us a total of  - 9.5hrs behind ireland & the UK.
               - 10.5 hrs behind Europe
 
13.00hrs   we are only 8 miles from the finish,
14.00hrs  The wind has all but vanished, so we run the engine and motor to the finish line, just outside the harbour.
 
15.05.30 hrs We finished.... a total distance of 2985 miles in 16 days, 5 hrs, 5 mins, & 30 seconds
              Average speed over the trip.........     7.67 knots
 
15.30 hrs We dropped anchor in a beautifull harbour and after tidying up the boat, we went ashore to do the paperwork and clear customs.
               We met Paul  ( rally control) who was on shore to meet us  on our arrival.and help with all the paperwork.
               We also met " Laurent " the yacht agent for the fleet and the World ARC. we immidiatly arranged with him to have the boat lifted and antifouled
               in Tahiti , before the Pearl Regatta, which we will take part in,  Thats in the first 2 weeks of May.
 
The dirt on the sides of the hull and on the transome is amazing, slime, weeds, barnicles, etc, Cripes, you would think that nothing would
grow as we are speeding through the sea,  We looked like an abandoned ship.
 
19.00hrs, We were collectedand taken to the " Haukee Pearl Lodge "  hotel and restaurant by the manager, ( French man)
               A beautifull lofted timber structure, beautifully detailed and decorated with lots of bamboos and dried plants,
               There was plenty of native timber sculptures , like totem poles, made of mahogany, and the place was adorned with the appropriate
               good looking local girls, dangling from the bunches of flowers on their heads and around their necks
 
THIS  IS IT ,  The trip was worth the effort  just for this, and the food was every bit as good,  a wonderfull evening, and sponsored by Fats
 
23.30 hrs  We crashed out on the boat, No night watches tonight,
               
 
Thats it for today,
 
Signed   :-     Stephen Hyde,, ( skipper )