Refuge Cove
Pelican finally dropped her lines and slipped away quietly from south wharf without fanfare at 2030 on friday the 15th of July. Remarkably we were on schedule but the workload of the last weeks had obviously taken their toll on some of the crew. Thanks to all who helped get us away. I will not mention names here for fear of forgetting someone but you all know who you are.
We had a pleasant sail down the bay and passed Port Phillip heads at 0205 on Saturday. From there the wind started to build and by the time we were rounding Wilsons Prom it was gusting well over 40 knots with stronger winds and thunderstorms forecast. We decided to spend the night in Refuge cove and dropped anchor there at around 1600 on Saturday. It was a good first day of around 150 nautical miles in less than 20 hours.
Refuge Cove was deserted and Pelican sat happily at anchor as rain squalls washed her decks throughout the night. Sunday morning was bright and sunny and dark with rain squalls by turns. Pelican's crew set about the many tasks that had not quite been finished before we left Melbourne. After a good nights sleep in one of the most beautiful places in the world our spirits were flying and at 1300 we raised anchor and pointed Pelican's bows towards Gabo Island.
As I write Pelican is Surfing comfortably at up to 17 knots and making great time. We have both genoas set across the bows in about 20 to 30 knots of wind on the stern.
In the 24 hours since departing Refuge Cove we have covered exactly 230 nautical miles. Winds of around 40 knots and rising seas have created uncomfortable conditions for us. Eastern Bass Strait, or The Paddock , as it is affectionately known by generations of sailors, has lived up to its reputation with confused and unpredictable seas but we have made excellent time despite our conservative approach to sail setting. Most of the time Pelican has been sailing at around ten knots and surfing at up to 20 knots under double genoas furled to little more than 10% of their available area from each bow.
As we pass Gabo Island and Cape Howe we gain a measure of shelter from the south westerly swell. The wind also starts to moderate and by late afternoon we are sailing comfortably enough to dine on deck at over 8 knots under reefed main, mizzen and staysail. The rugged coastline of southern NSW slips by on our port side and all is well with the world. I am disappointed not to have seen any humpback whales at this stage but take comfort with a hot shower, a shave and the best damn nachos I think I have ever had prepared by Greg, Elaine and Estelle.
July 19 dawns warm and sunny and Pelican ghosts up the coast in a light breeze with a happy crew.
Refuge Cove
In the 24 hours to midday on Tuesday we covered 161 nautical miles. Wednesday 130, Thursday 152 and Friday 149. The winds have been moderate and variable on the stern making constant course adjustments and sail changes necessary. On Tuesday we found ourselves about 20 miles off the coast battling up to 3 knots of southerly current. The wind against it from the SW created an uncomfortable chop. This is the East Australian Current made famous in the coverage of the Sydney to Hobart Race. We headed close in shore where it's effects are moderated by the shallow water but still found ourselves fighting a southerly set of up to 1.3 knots. Since then it has varied between .3 and 1.5 knots the whole way up the NSW coast. The crew is settling in well and all aboard are enjoying the conditions especially the temperature which is climbing by the day. Friday afternoon saw us in Southport Qld to pick up Mike and Anne O'Mullane who will be assisting us to Mackay. We covered the 996 nautical miles to Southport in just on six days of sailing (if you subtract the 21 hours we spent in Refuge Cove) at an average speed over ground of around 7 knots or just under 167 nautical miles per day. We also managed an evening ashore and some shopping for supplies this morning before heading out to sea once again.
We made a number of whale sightings as we moved up the NSW coast. These were assumed to be humpbacks but positive ID's were difficult in the conditions and at the distances the sightings were made. Directly under cape Byron lighthouse however two humpbacks, a mother and calf, surfaced right next to the boat and continued to swim with us as we gradually overtook them and left them in our wake. Today, Saturday we continue to make sightings as we pass outside Stradbroke and Moreton Islands near Brisbane. Numerous other sightings include dolphins and a large turtle. Sadly we also managed to catch a juvenile gannet on one of our trawl lines behind Pelican. By the time we hauled it in it was drowned.
Another problem has now surfaced in the form of a blocked toilet. Unfortunately the remedy requires calm water and a trip under the bridge deck in a dinghy. We will pull in to the first sheltered water we can find. Fortunately we have a second system to get us through the night. We continue to enjoy excellent food and company. Our crew now numbers 8. Raff, Estelle, Elaine, Greg, Adam, Mike, Anne and myself. All are well as we sail north with twelve knots of wind from the ESE at around 7 to 8 knots. For now at least the adverse current seems to be leaving us alone.
Wide Bay Bar Our search for calm water to effect repairs to our black water storage system has brought us to Inskip point and the bar entrance to the sheltered waters behind Fraser Island. We are one of about 15 vessels lining up outside the bar to cross at flood tide, high water. As soon as we are inside the motion of the boat reduces and a picnic atmosphere settles on board. Deck chairs, sun glasses, and fishing rods appear and breakfast is contemplated over coffee and the Saturday papers, largely unread from Southport.
Pelican finds herself leading a fleet of sailing vessels northwards towards Hervey Bay through the sheltered waters of The Great Sandy Strait. One of them appears to challenge Pelican for speed but as she draws slowly past us we realize she is motor sailing and we good-naturedly give their crew a hard time for cheating. We draw ahead of the rest of the fleet still under sail as we deploy an inflatable dinghy towed from the bow , between the hulls to unblock the black water storage system from underneath the bridge deck.
13:15 sees us well north at position 25 368 S and 152 568 E and I see what I think is an irrawaddy dolphin. It is a small dolphin, brown on the back with a small blunt dorsal fin. It does not show itself much above the surface but appears to be feeding in quite turbid water in a strong tidal flow. Unfortunately I did not see its head and can’t be 100% sure of the ID. In talking to Debra Thiele on the phone and Peter Gill I realised it may have been an Indo Pacific hump back dolphin.
17:30 hours sees us at the northern end of the strait within sight of Hervey Bay when we are unceremoniously brought up short on a sand bar. A quick glance at the chart tells me we should be in 6.4 metres of water. A second glance over the side tells me we won’t be going anywhere until the tide is ready to lift us off. We manage to get the sails down but the leech of the fully battened mizzen, pointing straight into wind presents some problems as the battens catch in the shrouds. Fortunately we are at the extreme of the ebb and a short wait finds Pelican crabbing sideways down wind as each small wave on the flood tide lifts the keels clear of the sand. In an attempt to ease the motion and stop Pelican being swept in the wrong direction I drop a stern anchor to hold her until the depth will allow us to maneuver properly. Unfortunately the situation of wind against tide means that it is extremely difficult to raise the anchor when the time comes, or even get it off the bottom. Raff, Adam and Anne are on the aft deck doing everything they can. Every attempt to position Pelican over the anchor for the retrieval seems to make things worse. With everyone yelling directions I find myself in one of those situations that could so easily have been avoided with more vigilance and now has the potential for damage to vessel and equipment. Finally in a triumph of team work, we manage to position Pelican long enough for the retrieval to be done by hand over the stern. We motor free without damage, another cheap lesson under the belt.
It is dark as we motor northwards across Hervey Bay in a light south-easterly. The bay is home to numerous hump back whales at this time of the year but the darkness prevents us from making any observations.
July 25 08:45 Lady Musgrave Island seems almost deserted as we drop anchor in one of the very few perfect coral cay, circular lagoons in the Great Barrier Reef. We have elected to spend a couple of days here claimed from quick passage times further south. We are due in Mackay on Friday to prepare for our Solomons departure.
Lady Musgrave is remarkable for its ability to absorb punishment. Some hundreds of people visit here daily in peak season. People are walking, swimming, snorkeling, diving, fishing and dropping anchors all over it. Whilst obviously sustaining damage it remains a beautiful place with plenty of fish, birds, turtles, sharks, whales and other creatures sharing it with human visitors. My only criticism of the management is the failure to provide moorings where people are anchoring daily. The result is far more damage to corals than is necessary.
By mid afternoon we are sharing the lagoon with about a dozen private vessels as well as commercial charters bringing paying passengers on day trips. We manage to catch enough fish for a feed, catch up on vessel maintenance, and do a bit of snorkeling where we see numerous small reef fish as well as large trevalley, emporer, turtles and an unidentified shark of about 2 metres. We even squeeze in a snooze on the beach. The next day as we are preparing to leave we sight hump back whales breaching just outside the fringing reef of the cay.
Wednesday finds us motoring a long stretch for the first time since leaving Melbourne. The weather is beautiful, everyone is pitching in wherever they can to help. Pelican is blessed with a fine crew once more. For lunch today Greg prepared a fish risotto from finger-mark bream he caught himself. I always think a fine risotto is the mark of a good chef and this is a fine risotto indeed.
By Thursday afternoon we a tucked up in Mackay Marina and preparing for our departure on Monday for the Solomons. Lots of work to do.
9 People On Board, Peter Gill, Nick Kelly, Rafael Heale, Lara Crew, Marty Gent, Damien Cook, Elaine Bayes, Mike Carter, and myself.
After last minute errands we pull away from Mackay Marina into an uncomfortable SE chop. 14 knots of wind from the SSE allows us to make our heading for Hydrographer’s Passage. This is our chosen route through the maze of coral which constitutes the Great barrier Reef to the north of Mackay. We head off with confidence. The wind however has other ideas and by 13:00 we are beating into an easterly, well north of our intended course. As the wind and chop increase we motor sail in an attempt to get back on course. By 14:00 we abandon the idea and head for Refuge Bay on Scawfell Island to take shelter while we wait for a sailing wind to carry us into the Coral Sea..
Shortly after anchoring at the island one of the other vessels in the anchorage give us two beautiful coral trout, still kicking. Our decision to shelter seems vindicated that night when Damien and Elaine serve them with curry laksa. We spend the next two days walking, fishing, and swimming. The islands steep hills are covered with hoop pine forests which give it an almost Japanese feel at times. This other worldliness is accentuated by the presence of thousands of butterflies. Pockets of rain forest and mangroves behind the main beach make it a fascinating place. Peter places a hydrophone in the water and immediately the sounds of hump back whales can be heard in the distance. Turtles surface regularly near the boat. Mike is a keen bird watcher and between him, Peter, and Damien numerous sightings are made and discussed. We watch as a sea eagle hassles an osprey in mid air until he drops his fish which is then caught mid air by another sea eagle waiting below. The following day we witness a brahminy kite give the sea eagle a taste of its own medicine.
We amuse ourselves aboard with a variety of deck games and a diverse collection of music. Laughter issues regularly from the central deck as our little community take the opportunity to get to know each other. Nick uses the time to bring on line elements of our new computer system. In particular a logging system that enables any person on watch to simply record observations which are then automatically combined with information from any of the on board systems. This includes GPS, speed, course, barometer, wind, depth temperature written observations and so on. This information can be uploaded to the web site daily or interpreted on board.
As soon as we begin the research in a structured way, Peter Gill, will include a regular update as part of this log. Peter’s work and theories are the basis of and the motivation for the expedition to study Blue whales in their winter environment.
AUG 4 16:00 The weather has now moderated and it is likely we will head for Hydrographers Passage and the Coral Sea tonight.
We raise anchor and depart Scawfell Island at sun rise. As we clear the island's hills and coastal cliffs the wind settles in the SSE and we have a perfect days sailing. Pelican is very comfortable in the moderate seas at 8 to 10 knots. Sailing north through Hydrographer's Passage we manage a meal on deck and congratulate ourselves on the wisdom of waiting for the right sailing wind to make the passage.. The following morning finds us well on our way with Marion Reef on our starboard beam and 213 nautical miles on the log for the first 24 hours.
Aug 6 06:00 With winds moderating and tending ESE the next 24 hours is still comfortable but our log records only 172 miles for the daily run. From here things start to become difficult and by evening we are hove to (pointing into the wind with just mizzen set to hold us in balance). In light and variable winds from the ENE we are waiting for a wind that will take us comfortably forward. Our daily run the following morning is down to 101 miles and we raise the main and stay sail attempting to move rather than travel backwards in the "hove to" mode. The wind however rises to 25 knots and even sailing at 45° off the wind, we are failing to make our course. In rising seas I make the decision to wait on the sea anchor for better conditions. Sadly however conditions continue to deteriorate.
August 8 24:00 checking the sea anchor we realize that the bridle is slipping down the anchor line and bringing the load back on to the main line rather than the bridles from each bow as intended. I realize I have tied the rolling hitch upside down causing it slide along the anchor line instead of gripping it. We are unable in rising winds and darkness to manoeuvre Pelican to bring the offending knot aboard for long enough to correct the problem and we eventually decide to deploy our second bridle and set it inside the first until we can bring the whole aboard in daylight and easier conditions. To my relief this works very well.
Aug 9 1800 Still at sea anchor. Winds have continued to rise and most of the day we have experienced winds from ESE of around 25 to 30 knots. Rain squalls with wind speeds over 40 knots have been passing over us at intervals all day with seas rising in excess of 4 meters. One of our group, Marty has now been quite unwell for three days. She has managed to stay hydrated so no great concern at this stage although she has been unable to hold any food beyond a few biscuits. Despite this she remains very positive.
I have set anchor watches around the clock of 3 or 4 hours each and most of the crew take their turns at these. My only fear out here is that of being run over by a ship so every 15 minutes we check the radar. I also institute radio calls every 15 minutes to any ships in the area informing them of our position and our inability to manoeuvre at short notice. In reality we have seen no evidence of other vessels either visually or on the radar for about 4 days.
Apart from these concerns the fact of being 500 miles from shore in the Coral Sea with a happy and perfectly functioning community is quite a buzz. We share meals on deck and much laughter every time a wave breaks over the boat and drenches us. Damien takes the award for the most jokes per minute, Mike for his amazing focus on bird watching even as waves are breaking on deck and drenching him The unseasonable weather is a source of frustration and everyone would love some calm, warm weather to dry themselves out. At this stage all is functioning well aboard Pelican. as we wait. for a change. which must surely come eventually.
Aug 10 We have effectively been stationary for three and a half days. The weather has gradually worsened and last night we experienced regular rain squalls from the east with wind speeds well over 40 knots. The seas are now maxing out at around five meters and producing an uncomfortable wet ride. I realize a better ride would have resulted from a longer line to the sea anchor. The short line (about 80 metres) brings the vessel roughly up wind as the confused and breaking seas try to throw her sideways. This morning when I checked the bridles one of them had dislodged its chafe protection and was half worn through on the fair lead. In moderating conditions at around 10:00 we decide to raise the sea anchor and try sailing once more. The wind has veered slightly towards the SE and we should be able to make the northern end of Rennell Island by Friday evening so long as the conditions do not worsen.
Pete has more or less abandoned the idea of a comprehensive whale survey of the western side of the Solomons and decides to use our reduced time to focus on the areas that are most likely to produce results. He has been suffering the lingering effects of a Victorian cold and woke this morning experiencing breathing difficulty. After speaking to his brother, a GP, on the satellite phone we put him on a course of antibiotics and this afternoon he seems much better. Every one aboard Pelican remains in good spirits. Even Marty who has barely been able to move for five days greets us with a smile when we check her at regular intervals. We have moved her in to one of the deck cabins which means she can be part of the action but also has more air. As I write we are making around 7 knots into a moderating sea of about three and a half meters. We are sailing at around 50 degrees off the apparent wind which is now reduced to about 25 knots. Lara and Mike are on watch in the wheelhouse Damien and Elaine are in the galley every one else is in bed. All is well though we are perhaps a bit the worse for wear. We are determined to do the blue whale survey having come so far.
What a relief to be sailing again after days of squalls and headwinds. The seas have moderated and people are airing their cabins. Clothes and bedding are drying on lines strung around the decks. A holiday atmosphere settles over Pelican. Light variable winds with occasional rain showers become the order of the day. As conditions continue to moderate we experience relative stillness for the first time in ages. People no longer fight to stay on their feet. Marty comes on deck with some extra colour in her face, smiling as always. Hooray at last. She is so happy to be off her bunk,.. Meals are prepared and shared rather than just delivered and consumed. In short life resumes its pleasant aspects as Pelican continues her journey with a gentle motion once again.
By next morning the wind has dropped completely and we find ourselves bobbing gently on a glassy sea with the sails flogging uselessly. We decide to motor rather than stay still for yet another day. I find we can make around 6 knots on a single engine at 2200 revs. This gives us a fuel consumption of about 4 litres per hour or 1.5 nautical miles per litre. Not too bad. Once or twice a day we stop for a swim. The colour of the water in open ocean is a profoundly deep turquoise blue that will take your breath away. Glassy swells lift Pelican gently as we luxuriate in the shade between the two hulls. Lara organizes swimming races which she often wins. Raff does laps around Pelican.
Aug 13 12:53 LAND HO . Rennell Island is sighted off the starboard bow. Our crossing of the Coral Sea has been unexpectedly difficult. We have dealt with everything from regular 45 knot rain squalls and 35 knot headwinds, to total calm and glassy conditions. We had covered nearly half the total distance in two days once we left Scawfell Island but the remainder has taken us a further 7 days. This represents a total of nearly two weeks since we left Mackay. Our bad luck with the winds has put us behind schedule so we decide to head directly to the start of our first transect and commence work ASAP. It feels like our commitment has been tested by the conditions but everyone aboard has re-affirmed their desire to find the whales.
Not long after our landfall, we identify a sperm whale in company with some other whales, possibly beaked. The sperm whale raises its flukes high as it starts a long feeding dive. We divert and move in for a closer look. Pete stops Pelican and puts the hydrophone in the water to record the sperm whale's clicks. Almost immediately a beaked whale of an unidentified species swims within 10 meters of the boat to take a look at us. A short time later three more beaked whales surface just off Pelican's stern. Everyone lines up along the rail with cameras like the paparazzi at a royal wedding. It is a special moment to see these seldom sighted beaked whales so close to the boat. A further bonus is delivered to Damien in the form of a nice barracuda and soon after to Pete as he hauls in a big eye tuna which is renowned as one of the finest sashimi species. Dinner is starting to look very good indeed. In very light conditions we stop without anchoring. We estimate we will drift into our working position for the following morning.
August 14 09:00 After a morning meeting to settle rosters and address the new research status of the vessel we are ready to begin work. We sail the first transect very comfortably on a broad reach in SE winds of 10-12 knots.(where was this wind during our Coral Sea crossing?) On this very day in 1957 the Japanese vessel whose records have led us here, sighted numerous blue whales in this same area. Unfortunately blue whales don't seem to care about human expectations and fail to show up. We do manage to catch 2 very nice wahoo for dinner. We finish the day towards the end of the first transect and set the sea anchor about 20 miles off the mountainous coast of Guadalcanal. The following morning we are following the next transect by 7:30. We continue all day. A whale blow is seen in the afternoon and Pelican is diverted to follow it. The blow is located several more times but we never get close enough for a confirmed ID. Disappointed we resume our transect Pete is particularly keen to check out the Hammondsport Bank where the 3000 meter deep waters shelve sharply to 42 meters. Again no whales but we are compensated with several more fine fish for the table including an unidentified species of tuna and a rainbow runner which is like a yellowtail kingfish. In the afternoon we tack back towards the coast once again. After a long day we set the sea anchor again just on dark about 35 miles from the coast.
Aug 16 07:00 This morning the wind is in excess of 20 knots which is less than ideal for making observations from the boat. We also experience some problems with the desalination unit and decide to stay put to effect repairs and await better working conditions. It appears we will need some spares and may need to arrange for them to be sent. At this stage we still have been no closer than 20 miles to the coast and have not cleared in to the country. We may try to do this in the Russell Islands which are close by and apparently an entrance port. Hopefully we can get the parts we need sent there and perhaps even purchase or trade for some fresh vegetables, which after two weeks at sea are running very low. Persistent rainsqualls wash over us at regular intervals. With the resumption of stronger winds Marty has retreated once again to her bunk, though she smiles and waves as I walk by her cabin on the deck. All is good and spirits remain high aboard Pelican. We are optimistic that we still have enough time to locate the blue whales and are planning the next week accordingly.
Position 10° 20’ S 159° 35’ E Conditions unsuitable for observing whales so we stay on the sea anchor about 30 to 40 miles off the coast of Guadalcanal all day. Everyone on board is tired after days of rough conditions where you never stop working to keep your feet or your seat, or even your bed underneath you. The residents of the forward cabins report “getting air” in bed. We are not having much luck on the satellite phone and are unable to ring any number in the Solomon Islands. Instead we ring contacts in Australia and ask them to chase parts and information for us. We are going to need a new impeller for the low pressure pump on the desalinator. This piece of equipment is a high maintenance item but essential if we want to stay at sea for long periods with any degree of comfort. I decide not to risk the equipment by running it into the ground. I decommission it and go through the process of putting it to bed, which involves flushing chemicals through it to ensure that no bacteria can grow in the osmotic membranes that filter salt out of the seawater. The process is successful but uses about 60 litres of precious water to complete. We commence water rationing which basically means drinking and cooking only. Everything else will have to be done with salt water. We settle in for another day of 30 knot winds.
August 17 08:00 Wind is still blowing well above 20 knots so we decide to head for the coast. We will try to find a sheltered anchorage where we can get some rest. We continue on effort (scanning horizon for whales) but conditions are marginal. We would need to pass fairly close to a whale to have a good chance of seeing it. Today we have a visitor. A black noddy obviously exhausted and near death, flops on to the deck even allowing himself to be handled. We put him in a dark box in Marty’s cabin (sick bay) so he can get some rest. Later that day as we near the coast Pete takes him out and attempts to release him but Noddy is having none of it. Pete returns him to his cosy black box..
At 16:00 we enter Wanderer Bay which we had identified from the charts as a potentially good anchorage. A number of men and boys are fishing from dugout canoes in the sheltered waters of the bay. As we approach they have their backs to us, manoeuvering their frail craft using a carved paddle in one hand as they jig a fishing line in the other. Motoring within a discreet distance I hail them with a friendly hello. They turn, wave and answer back in English.
“Hello”.
“Do you mind if we anchor in your bay” I ask
“No. Go ahead” one of the men reply.
“Anywhere is OK?”
‘Yuh anywhere you like”
We drop anchor about 400 meters from the beach on a sandy bottom in 12 meters of water. The bay is fully sheltered from the prevailing winds, lined with sandy beaches, and coconut palms with steeply rising jungle covered hills behind. Numerous houses or bungalows are visible through the palms behind the beach. This part of the coast has no roads so all commuting must be done by walking tracks which join the numerous villages or by boat. We can make out one or two tinny’s with outboards but most vessels are small beautifully carved dugouts. We have yet to see a vessel bigger than 15 ft since leaving Australian waters almost 2 weeks ago. Despite a population in excess of 600 people in the immediate vicinity the coast appears entirely undeveloped without roads, advertising, or even any obvious clearing. All construction appears to be from local materials.
Even before we have the anchor down men and boys are coming over in their canoes. At first very little is said but everyone is friendly and things gradually warm up. Elaine compliments them on their beautiful bay. Lara introduces herself and asks for names.
One older bloke with a distinguished countenance answers all questions in clear well spoken English. We learn from Alicio that the “tension” came right up to the next village where several people were killed. RAMSI (Regfional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands which includes the Australian Federal Police and Navy ) arrived just in time to settle things down and prevent the “tensions” from affecting them directly in Pasana or Wanderer Bay as most of them seem to call it. They have their own school just up on the hill and a health centre in the next village to the north. No-one hassles us or asks for anything.
August 18 With conditions unsuitable for whale observations we spend the day in Wanderer Bay. It is a blessed relief to get a break from the motion of the boat in open water. Our black noddy when he emerges from his box seems somewhat recovered and spends the day catching small fish then returning to rest on Pelican. We are all very proud of him. We try not to laugh too much as he struggles to keep his footing on the safety lines. The wind is gusting up to 30 knots as williwaws descend from the hills surrounding the bay. Noddy’s antics on the wires as he faces the wind, clinging on with his toes and desperately trying to retain some degree of aerodynamic stability with his wings remind me of something out of a Warner Bros cartoon.
We have not had much luck sourcing parts for the desalinator or in making phone connections with anyone in the Solomons. Even if I was able to call there is no guarantee that anyone in the islands would have the parts we need. I spend far too much time on the satellite phone trying to address these problems via friends in Australia. Our water rationing is becoming tiresome. I also realize that procuring good quality drinking water may be difficult and that our ability to supply our own clean water is a major advantage in terms of maintaining our own health. In my own mind my mistake in not having the right spare parts is costing us dearly both in terms of wasted time and quality of life. I am stressing about how I can rectify the situation. Suddenly the thought pops into my head, What if the impeller was the same as the one on Pelican’s main engines? The chances are not good, totally different brands, countries of origin, etc. To my amazement however it works and I find I have the parts I need among the spares for the main engines. Around the same time Telstra rings up and is able to connect us through to the Solomons. Suddenly everything is looking up. We no longer need to go direct to Honiara for parts as we can enter the country in Yandina in the Russell Islands where the whale work is taking us anyway.
August 19 08:55 Despite continued heavy weather we weigh anchor to head NW along the coast of Guadalcanal towards the Russell Islands. By now the people of Wanderer Bay are paying us little attention. It has been frustrating not being able to visit the village, to go ashore or to invite people aboard Pelican so we are really keen to clear customs in Yandina and hope to reach there before close of business today (Friday) I sound a long blast on Pelican’s Horn in farewell. As we pull out of the bay Noddy does several laps of the vessel then turns back towards the bay. He has made his choice and looking seaward at the large ocean swells breaking on the islands cliffs I think it is a wise one. Goodbye Noddy. Goodbye beautiful bay. We make great time with the wind blowing 30 knots directly on our stern and a single genoa sheeted across the bows.
15:30 Pete steps ashore in front of the police station with our passports and plenty of time. As we wait for him to return we stand off a distance and take in the town. It feels like a real backwater. The buildings are in need of repair and no productive activity is immediately evident. A young man on the wharf where we drop Pete is an imposing presence. He has shoulder length dreads, a muscular build and sports a large scar across his face. When Pete greets him with outstretched hand and a smile he responds in kind. His smile appears to light up the whole wharf as a mob of kids turn out to take a look at us. Elaine does a little dance on the bow which makes them laugh. Pretty soon Pete radios back the bad news. Yandina has not been an official port of entry for some three years and we will have to go to Honiara after all. Ignoring the police sergeant’s suggestion that we tie up for the night directly in front of the police station (where he can keep an eye on us) we depart immediately for Lologhan Island. I am concerned about mosquitoes close to shore and the threat of malaria. The Solomons cruising guide tell us there is a good anchorage and spectacular diving at Lologhan which is at the eastern end of the Russell group.
At Lologhan we encounter a problem that will recur again and again in the Solomons. Unlike Australia that sits comfortably on a continental shelf and has no deep water close to its shores, the Solomon Islands consist of a series of mountaintops poking their heads out of deep water. It is not uncommon to be in 3 or 4 hundred meters of water within 80 meters of a gently sloping sandy beach. This can make anchoring very difficult. Lologhan Island is a spectacular example of a relatively flat, low, limestone island with a fringing coral reef. Arriving just before sunset we hurriedly tried to make our way into the lagoon, which beckons with glassy calm, crystal clear waters. Unfortunately, Raf on the bow frantically waved us back as we approached reporting only a meter of water ahead. Looking over the stern I gazed down into turquoise depths which the depth sounder confirmed to have risen from 400 to 60 meters in a couple of boat lengths. Despite the cruising guide’s assurances that an anchorage could be found here I was completely unable to find anything that would offer any security whatsoever. It was incredibly frustrating after a long difficult day at sea to be confronted with this inaccessible vision of paradise. With a full moon rising over the jungle covered island and sun setting behind us Pelican’s crew are standing on deck uttering cries of “oh my god the coral”. I catch snatches of “ooh ahh, crystal clear, big coloured fish” and so on. As darkness descends, after numerous failed attempts to gain a purchase on this idyllic spot I reluctantly turn Pelican around and head back out to open water and the incessant motion of a vessel at sea.
We retrace our route and after locating some shallows not much bigger than your living room, drop anchor on a coral outcrop near Plantation Island not far from Yandina It is surrounded by deep water on all sides despite being only about 80 meters from the beach. In the morning we all go snorkeling. We are greeted by 50 meters or more of visibility, and fish including schools of wahoo, emperor, reef sharks and numerous smaller brightly coloured reef species. The drop off beckons on all sides but with only a lungful of air we cannot penetrate the mystery too deeply.
Aug 20 07:30 we raise anchor and head east, beyond Lologhan Island once again. We follow a transect all day heading NE for the relatively shallow water between Santa Isabel and Florida Islands. Blue whales have been sighted in these waters and the chlorophyll maps we have suggest nutrients that may provide food for them. By mid afternoon with no sightings we decide to head for what looks to be a good anchorage near the southern end of Santa Isabel Island.
The village of Vulavu does indeed prove to have an excellent anchorage inside a fringing coral reef. On requesting permission to anchor we are immediately welcomed. As before boys paddle out to check us out but our presence causes little excitement in the village. People go about their business. Mike is spotting heaps of birds in the jungle canopy surrounding the village. We spend some time talking to boys in their dugout canoes. We are told they are made from rosewood trees which are not common close by. That night drumming starts up in the village at about 04:00 and continues for some time. We scan the coast with binoculars for canoes approaching under cover of darkness. Our fears prove groundless and we go back to bed. In the morning crowds of people line up on the beach outside a long shed which must be some kind of church. Singing of hymns is heard on the wind at intervals and people emerge hours later and stand around in groups talking. I am not a religious person but that is one church service I would have liked to attend.
The pace of life here appears perfectly matched to the climate and the landscape. We sit apart, each looking at a different world, each longing for a bit of the other. Always at extreme ends, never fully comprehending the aspirations, dreams or realities of the people who gaze back with their own thoughts. The landscape is breathtaking in its contours, its foliage and in its mixing of jungle greens and ocean blues. Coconut palms compete with jungle and vegetable gardens for scraps of steeply sloping hillside. Small estuaries are evident behind beaches and rocky headlands. From 5 miles at sea you would assume the coast to be deserted. Not a sign of development, clearing or building is evident. As you approach however you realize there are hundreds and thousands of people living in small villages along the length of the coast. Only walking tracks join the villages and rugged mountains rising directly behind the coast would seem to provide an effective barrier to the interior. A different world and a different life and yet our conversations with the boys in their canoes frequently include lines such as “have you heard that CD by that guy from New York, um you know that black rapper what’s his name”? Go figure. There is no television here but video must play a role in peoples lives and music is huge.
August 21 08:35 We weigh anchor and head south towards the Florida Islands. Conditions again are too windy to be ideal for whale observation but we stay on station in the hope of making a sighting. We are positioning ourselves to make for Honiara and customs clearance on Monday morning. Again we are disappointed with the lack of blue whales and around mid afternoon we select an anchorage in Sandfly Passage in the Florida’s. The passage is so named after the vessel that first (at least from a western perspective) navigated it rather than for an abundance of sandflies. Not far inside the passage a tidal rip of more than 2 knots is experienced. Large wahoo and god knows what else must cruise this tidal feast zone picking up whatever is washed through the gap. We hook up on a beauty of about 10 kilos just as a rainstorm from hell bursts upon us reducing visibility to about 40 meters. As we approach our anchorage under radar and instruments a couple of young men, fishing, greet us. In response to our request to anchor for the night they tie their canoe to the stern and step on to the bow to direct us through a maze of reef to an anchorage not far from their village. We name this place Waterworld because during our stay (about 17 hours) it hardly stopped raining heavily the whole time. The village called Harua has an enterprising leader, John, who came over to introduce himself. He is hoping to establish a resort and sailing club there. He was much more commercially minded than other people we had met in the villages and quite well informed about a range of issues including conservation. He told us that logging would not be allowed on his land. The following morning people started lining up with CD and tape players for us (Nick) to fix. We finally get away from the land of rain a couple of hours later. En route to Honiara we have the brief company of a pod of spinner dolphins, one of our all too rare marine mammal sightings so far.
August 22 15:00 We drop anchor in Honiara.
Pelican’s crew are enjoying the sights, sounds and people of Honiara and exploring Guadalcanal’s rural areas by taxi. The local markets are a colourful hub of social exchange as well as a source of local produce. The locals enthusiastically explain how various items are prepared and cooked. Damien uses the exotic fruits, and vegetables to further his menu experiments on Pelicans crew.
August 25 06:05 Our extended stay in Honiara loses us three days of valuable calm weather and ultimately our last chance this time around to locate and study the blue whales. We depart Honiara at first light in calm conditions. We motor west out past the Russell Islands once again. We are hopeful of encountering the whales to their south west. Pete’s chlorophyll data and previous sightings information point to their likely presence there. Unfortunately later that afternoon the SE trade winds resume their 30 knot assault on Pelican. Our judgment, in the light of the patterns we have experienced so far is that this weather will settle in for the next 5 or 6 days preventing any fruitful work in that time. We decide to cut our losses and head for Australia once again.
We have been unsuccessful in terms of locating the whales but we have learnt an enormous amount about the local area and the logistics of mounting an expedition of this nature. Next year we will return with better information and better preparation. Hopefully we will be able to raise support to comprehensively and systematically cover all the possibilities that limited resources prevented us from achieving on this occasion. The whales are here somewhere and our failure to locate and study them this time fuels our determination to succeed next year.
Several unexpected bonuses have occurred during this expedition. Nick Kelly and Stephen Gale have developed a system to monitor all on board vessel functions. On this expedition Nick has installed, programmed and developed the management system, which is an integrated vessel computer he built from scratch. All data inputs, logs, instruments, navigation systems, communications, photos, video, weather, information etc can be monitored, analysed, modified and manipulated in an endless variety of ways. Software developed by Nick enables detailed logging of observations and any other data to be uploaded to the Internet. Interested parties such as schools, scientists and others can access the system directly over the net creating a virtual classroom for schools or virtual lab for scientists. Nick has progressively been bringing these systems on line throughout this expedition.
Another related bonus has been the presence of Mike Carter and his expertise with birds. Using Nick’s System every bird sighted and identified by Mike and by the rest of us working under his supervision has been instantly logged and cross referenced to position, weather, time, depth, compass, direction as well as any notes made at the time or added later. This will provide a comprehensive picture of bird related data collected on the expedition that can be delivered easily in a variety of formats as required or again uploaded to the net. Our few whale and dolphin sightings have been logged in the same way, such as the false killer whale that surfaced alongside yesterday in rough conditions.
Aug 29 15:45 Position 160 11.3 S 147 02.4 E .Approximately 85 miles from Cairns.
Our return crossing of the Coral Sea has been uncomfortable but quick. Our daily runs are as follows…..
Aug 26 199 Nautical miles,
Aug 27 206
Aug 28 203
Aug 29 203
We have covered 811 nautical miles or just over1500 kilometers in 96 hours. We have not pushed Pelican at all, being content with a double reefed main and mizzen in combination with the stays’l furled to about 50 %. This enables us to sit on 9 or 10 knots achieving an average speed of about 8.5 knots. A more gung ho approach would deliver more speed, but at the cost of increased discomfort and possible damage to equipment if we were slow to reduce sail during the regular rainsqualls that continue to hammer us.
Life aboard Pelican on a reach in 30 knots of wind cannot be described as comfortable. The 3 to 4 metre breaking seas often knock Pelican sideways making it very hard to keep your feet. A catamaran sits pretty much flat on the water and as waves pass underneath the faces of the waves will angle 15 or 20 degrees one way then the other then back again all within seconds. This continuous movement of the vessel in a beam sea (from the side) can become very tiring and make it quite difficult to perform life’s daily tasks.
Damien, Elaine, Raf, Lara and Mike calmly continue to deliver excellent meals, cups of tea and coffee and generally maintain the galley and deck regardless of conditions. Most of us serve daily and nightly watches of 2 or 3 hours. Marty seems to be developing a degree of tolerance for life at sea and surfaces from her cabin at regular intervals with a smile. We have lowered the Solomon’s flag that we sailed under for the duration of our Solomon’s visit. This was lovingly hand made by Lara, Raf and Marty on our outward journey due to our inability to purchase one before we left. We are still flying the Australian and Aboriginal flags and Pete’s whale expedition flag which will be lowered with due ceremony on our arrival in Cairns to mark the official end of the expedition.
August 30 14:30 After sheltering behind Fitzroy Island just outside Cairns for the night we tie up at Cairns Marina, it is good to be home.
We now have 10 days to rest, re-provision, and repair Pelican before we depart for Hope Vale Aboriginal Community just north of Cooktown for our next expedition This is a community development project sponsored by the ANZ Bank. The precise details of where, what and how will be worked out with the community but we intend to support the communities elders in the training of young men and women in aspects of “country and culture” and to engage them in motivational programs to address social problems within the community.
The captains Log will continue to document and report Pelican’s activities throughout this project. starting September 10.