Sailing Galapagos to Marquesas, French Polynesia

Sans Peur
Grete & Fred Vithen
Sat 20 Oct 2018 02:32
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We leave Puerto Ayroa, Santa Cruz Wednesday 26th of September at 9 am.

Easter Island next!

At 8 AM we had visitors onboard, Javier our agent, one police officer with a ”drug dog” and one guy from the Habour Armada of Ecuador.

It only took twenty  minutes and the dog found nothing!! Everything was ok and we got our Zerpa. 

We passed by Hafsorkestern to wish them a safe and nice sailing. Their goal is Marquesas, 3 - 4 weeks sailing.


Big change of plans!

After lunch and some planning and after, again, checking the wind pattern we decide to cross the BIG blue, we realise that it will be almost impossible to reach Easter Island, so now we are on our way to Marquesas. We had contact with Hafsorkestern once, we informed them about our new plans and we asked Niklas to inform our daugther Karolina about our new destination, but after that we lost contact. 

Long way to go!! 3100 NM!! (actually 3168)


Today is Monday 1st of October, day six on the sea.The winds have been strong and stable, we are doing plus 6 knots, feels good.

Everything is fine and this morning we got a beautiful Dorado/ MaiMai on the hook!! We have been trying to fisk with all our new lures, but no fish. Yesterday Fred constructed his own lure and we actually got a Dorado yesterday using this homemade lure, unfortunately we lost it, but today we were lucky. That means fish dinner tonight, looking forward!!

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This nigth the horizon was full of lights, like a big city! What is that? 

Hundreds of fishing boats!! It’s crazy, they are going to emty the Pacific! How can we allow this going on and on??

Sea Sheaperd, Brigitte Bardot, was next to us in Santa Cruz, we wonder if they were there checking out all these horrible fishing boats vacum cleaning the seas.


Today is Wednesday 3th, day 8, and at 23.15 we have sailed 1000NM.

The winds comes and goes not so stabile anymore sunny and blue skye though.

We hope to be half way in 3 to 4 days.

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Thursday the wind was more easterly and we desided to use our old yankee and sail wing on wing as we did when crossing the Atlantic. It was a bit tricky to fix it, with the winds and waves trying to throw us over board, but we managed and it worked very well during day and night but on Friday the wind turned back to the ”normal” possition SSE. 

After lunch we changes the sail setting, headsail out, 3 reef and the portside yankee out on starboard side. That means double yankees but with the wind speed we have now it works perfect. Betveen 6-9 knots.

Still we don’t know the speed of the wind, our instrument do not work after the thunderstorm in the Panama Canal.


Saturday, the winds are great, we are doing very well!!


Sunday, day 12 on the sea. Today we will reach the ”half way” point. We have really good winds.

At 1.15 PM we are HALF WAY!!!

We have reached the top and now we are going downhill!! Are we dreaming!!! Wish it was like that.....


The weather has changed now, warm winds, most of the days sunny and blue sky.

We have visitors nearly every day. Schouls of dolphins are playing around the boat. Birds flying around the boat but so far none of them have been ”blind passenger”,but how do they managed to survive out here?

Yesterday we had a big turtle swimming just two meters away. What is he doing out here? The dept is plus 3000 meter....poor guy!

And we saw a whale but quite far away.

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Days are passing, we are in harmoni with the time and the boat.

On this passage we also have 3 hours night watch, but this time we decided to have fixed watches. Every night the same time and it works very well. During the night we watch movies and series on Freds MacAir, makes the watch so much less boring.

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Sundowner.
During days we read a lot and of course the meals are very importent. By the way, Sunday late afternoon, we got a very nice Wahoo on the hook!!
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Wednesday 10 Oct at 06.55 we reach the 2000 NM point, in heavy rain!!

This night we have had strong easterly wind and the waves with us. 7-10 knots speed, sails wing on wing. Max speed 14,8 knots, surfing!


Friday 12 Oct, day 17. For the last three fays the waves has been terrible rough. It is impossible to do things except trying to hold on. Difficult to sleep. We are a bit worn out now. A bit scary sometimes, especially during the nights.

In the beginning we fixed some small issues.

Cleaning the toilet pump (dirty job!!)

Change filter in Water Maker.

Change oil in gear box.

Topping up with coolent.

Adjusting the mast.


Saturday, day 18....

The sea is much calmer now and the winds are ok. We are doing good speed. On our Ipad it says with this speed we will arrive in Nuku Hiva in 3 days and 5 hours!!!

We cross our fingers that we will be able to keep up the speed.


Monday, day 20......

We are still working on the toilet pump!! Makes a terrible sound. 

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Wednesday 17th of October, day 22,

Early morning, a big Wahoo is on the hook!! And we see land!! The island Ua Huka is shinning in the horizon!! Yes!!

We pass this island and go for Nuka Hiva and Taiohaie Bay

We arrive at 15.08 local time. What a feeling to drop the anchor! Soooo gooood to be here!!

Now we will drink a glas of well deserved wine and make a big toast for Sans Peur, Mr Perkins (engine) and Mr Åtto (auto pilot) they all three did a excellent job.

Now it is relaxing time enjoing this beautiful bay for some days.

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