Dateline, Kermandec trench 31.34S178.36W
Salsa af Stavsnas
Ellinor Ristoff Staffan Ehde
Tue 29 Jul 2014 08:29
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Those of you who are observant on our navigation
have probably noticed that as we move eastward we have now crossed the datum
line, we went from 179 E to now 178 E (oh yes we passed 179E on the way). We
will not change any clocks or date because Tonga has decided that they are
on the same side as New Zealand (well the datum line is not there for real
anyway). This is the second time we cross the line (last time westward), nothing
really happens, but it makes you aware that you cannot be further away from
Greenwich than here. The earth is divided into 180 degrees in each direction
from Greenwich (the French must love it).
This morning we had to fire up the engine and it
has been working since then. In a way it is boring to listen to the engine on
the other hand we can use as much power we want and there is no sailing
involved, it gives us a break. The only stressful part today was that our paper
charts revealed a rock called Havre Rock that is just beneath the water, and the
electronic charts had no sign of it whatsoever. So we had to paper navigate to
make sure we did not get close to it. A rock in the middle of the ocean? Well
no, it is more interesting that that, we are passing just below some tiny
islands that are not even inhabited (well a metereologic station on one), they
are called the Kermandec Islands, you cannot see them unless you really zoom in
on Google earth. These small islands are the tops of a huge mountain ridge that
starts under the water from 9000 meter below the surface and move up towards the
sea surface. It is called the "Kermandec Trench" and if you follow the ridge you
end up in Tonga up north and New Zealand in the south. It is all a fault line
that has an active vulcanic area along it. On the charts it even warns you
from vulcanic activity that makes navigation, well lets call it
variable.
The kids and Ellinor really would have wanted to go
to one of these small islands but I feel that every day on the ocean in
wintertime down here is putting ourselves at risk for hard weather.
As I wrote we are motoring and counting on getting
a Northely wind tomorrow morning that will help us get to 175W, from there we
should experience an easterly wind that will help us all the way to Tonga. We
hope, but the forecast looks good right now, maybe a little on the strong
side.
Food is of course an important issue when at sea.
The first days we tend to live from the fridge. It is full of ready made pie
(well ready made by Ellinor), sauce for pasta etc etc.
But now we have gotten to a point were we have to
start being creative. And what we make depends on what is looking like it will
give in first.
Today a bunch of small squash was signaling their
limited life span so I decided to cut them in long thin pieces dip them in egg
and flour and fry them in hot oil, served with risopasta and tomato sauce. Well
at least the kids liked the pasta and the tomato sauce. The adults thought
opposite.
It is amazing when you come up at night to take
your watch and Ellinor has baked a nice sour dough bread in the oven. The boat
smells fresh bread and it is warm and nice (yes we are still freezing-
travelling east you know, not north)
Tomorrow we will start fishing as we now have space
in the fridge.... well good luck to us.
Running by engine is a perfect opportunity to look
at the rigg and we have a troll on board that enjoys messing with two
things:
one is the most fun for her (yes I think it is a
she), that is to twist the anchor chain around so when we drop the anchor we
have to untwist 50 meters of chain. OF course it is a troll! How do you explain
that we have been in a marina for almost 7 months, not even touching that anchor
and when it is time to drop it is twisted!
The other funny item this troll is geting at is our
main sheet, it runs in several blocks but still manages to be twisted.... the
TROLL!
Today we untwisted it ( a big job believe me), lets
see what it looks like tomorrow, I will keep an eye on it whe it is my
wach.
If you think being at sea is getting to my brain,
you are wrong, there are a lot of strange things out here.... Voices for
instance- be Quite!
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