THOR HEYERDAHL'S KON-TIKI EXPEDITION
UNSOLVED MYSTERIES:
SOLUTIONS WRITTEN IN THE SAND AT LOW TIDE
In spite of living in the age of information, there are many unsolved mysteries in the world yet. These are mysteries that may not ever be solved. Nonetheless, there have always been and will always be people unsettled with not knowing, asking questions, seeking answers, inventing theories, proposing possible solutions, and testing ideas. The question of human migration is one such mystery shrouded in many theories that do not all agree thereby leaving the definitive explanation as elusive as sailors plans written in the sand at low tide.
Luc & Viviane – Fountaine Pajot 42′ The story of Thor Heyerdahl can be found in books, museums, and in movies. He was born in Norway in 1914 and grew into an inquisitive and adventurous archeologist, geologist, ethnographer. He is most known for proposing, testing, and potentially proving his theory of human migration from South America to Polynesia. He surmised that Polynesia was actually populated from the east by Indigenous South Americans who drifted aboard balsawood rafts across the ocean. He sought to prove his theory by building a balsawood raft, which he named Kon-Tiki, lashing it together with natural materials as it may have been, setting out to sea, and drifting to Polynesia. However, in the spring of 1947, Kon-Tiki, Thor, and her crew put out to sea in search of ocean current that runs west from South America to Polynesia. After 101 days alone at sea, Heyerdahl completed his so-called Kon-Tiki expedition, leaving the world in awe. Kon-Tiki and her crew crashed into the eastern side of the Raroai Atoll in the Tuamotus in French Polynesia. Thor met few scholars who supported this theory of Polynesian settlement stemming from South America then or even now. However, his drift theory has been looked to by some as a testament to oceans as conduits for cultural transmission.
Set among a million shades of blue, a beautiful anchorage and a small monument to the Kon-Tiki expedition can be found on the inside of the Raroia Atoll in the Tuamotus.
MEET THE FLEET: SV SMALL WORLD III - Darren & Karen
MEET THE FLEET: SV SMALL WORLD III
Darren & Karen
After 30+ years of work in the Seattle area, Darren being a licensed professional civil engineer, and Karen an office manager; a plan was hatched to sell everything they owned, buy a sailing vessel, and travel the world. This afforded them the opportunity to retire 5-years early, planning to return to the USA at the age of 65, when healthcare becomes more affordable. June, 2020 their house of 20-years was put on the market.
June 15, 2020, Darren & Karen departed Washington in a rented motorhome bound for Ventura, California to search for a worthy blue water sailing vessel. Enter Todd Duff, Caribbean Sailor, Author, and Marine Surveyor. Todd had purchased a 1988 47.7 Bristol Cutter Rig in Florida. She was de-masted and he trucked Small World III to Ventura, California where he had worked on an extensive re-fit for an anticipated South Pacific / World Circumnavigation. Due to personal reasons, he sold SV SMALL WORLD III to Karen and Darren.
Karen and Darren departed from San Diego California, November 9, 2020 after finally receiving Certificate of Documentation from the USCG. The marina reservations in Ensenada, MX were in place. Two hours into Mexican waters the marina captain called to say, the previous owner of Small World III, (vessel named Anhinga) had a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) that had not been canceled, and instructed Karen and Darren to return to San Diego. A four hour downwind run immediately turned into a 8 hour upwind beat to return to California. While this wasn’t the beginning of the learning process, it was one of the more painful experiences. Two days later Small World III returned to Mexican waters and the adventure started AGAIN.
While in Mexico, they did some work on SMALL WORLD III and travelled inland. Highlights included, new Bimini and dodger in La Paz, new 50-gallon fuel tank in Mazatlán, and an AstraZeneca shot in small mountain village San Sabastian.
They continued to travel down the pacific coast cruising in El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama. Lessons: 1. Don’t runover lobster traps at 0400 hours leaving Turtle Bay, Mexico. 2. Don’t trust an English mechanic in La Paz, that he has fixed a leaking fuel tank. 3. Always be ready to sail your vessel because old fuel tanks cause plugged filters at the worst time. 4. make sure that your secondary anchor is available and ready for use as you sail up to anchor and find that your windlass is not operating and putting your primary anchor out of commission.
The big decision they had to make in November 2021: turn right to the South Pacific, turn left through the Panama Canal? Since French Polynesia, New Zeeland and Australia where still closed due to COVID the left turn was made December, 2021. In Panama, improvements included: new AGM batteries, a new 3.5 Kw NextGen generator, and a trip to San Diego for boat parts.
Once they got through the Canal, they spent three months learning about Caribbean Trade Winds and exploring San Blas, Shelter Bay Marina, Boca de Toro, and many other places. In March 2022, they made an upwind slog to Santa Marta Columbia. The highlight of this slog was hitting the Columbian coast 30 NM south of Cartagena and motoring into a 25 kt wind making 2.5 knots. They made an exceptionally brief stop in Cartagena for four hours to dry out and check weather. Their stay was brief, and Karen had to explain to the Port Captain on the radio that we were promptly leaving his authority and would check in to Santa Marta when we got there.
As promised their next port was Santa Marta. They checked in and then spent three months in Santa Marta, Columbia making land-based trips, to Cartagena, Bogotá, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Peruvian Amazon, Lake Titicaca, and Aramu Muru. At the marina in Santa Marta, they dropped their centerboard to its max depth of 11’ so the boys could clean the barnacles off it. After about 3 weeks in a marina that was only 11’ deep they found the centerboard pin had worked itself out of the hull on the port side. SURPRISE....A 2” diameter by 14” naval bronze pin worked its way out rendering the centerboard nonfunctional. Unfortunately, Santa Marta is not an economical place to haul out: $2,500 was the quote, excluding work, which they would not let the boat owner do. They found a better solution, but they had to work for it. In June, 2022, they commenced a 3-day upwind beat to Aruba, where they could be haul in and out for less than $600. They then took a quick couple months back in the states, returned to Small World III, which had a new centerboard pin and bottom paint. Problem solved! Then they sailed off to Curacao and Bonaire, for the balance of the hurricane season.
November 6, 2022, Karen and Darren crossed 550 nm of the Caribbean Sea from Bonaire to Saint Martin. Our buddy boat a 42-foot catamaran called 2CAN, was fraught with problems, losing their wind instruments on day 2 and engine problems on day 4. SMALL WORLD III provided wind information and weather forecasting every 6 hours for the rest of the passage and kept a close eye on them, as they motor sailed to the French side of Saint Martin.
We then ventured to Saint Kitts, Antiqua, and Guadeloupe. That’s as far as we got towards the windward Caribbean, as our destination was actually Florida to stage for our Atlantic crossing. Back we went to Saint Kitts, and Saint Martin. From there it was the BVIs, USVIs, one month in Puerto Rico, one month in Dominican Republic while Karen recovered from a broken foot. Then on to Turks, Exuma's, Bahamas, then West Palm Beach, Florida..
June 6, 2023, we departed Savannah, Georgia. They spent 21 days making way to the Azores, had an8-day weather delay, and then took 9 days to Tangier Morocco. Gibraltar, Valencia, Spain, Ibiza, Majorca, Minorca, Sardegna, Corse, Italy, Sicilia, and then in November to Tunisia, for the winter. We had checked into the EU in Valencia, and checked out in Messina, Sicily. Three months had flown by way too fast, and we were troubled by the odd looks we got at both check in and check out.
By April 2024 with new bottom and hull paint from Monastir, Tunisia, we departed for Malta. Upon entry, we were delighted to get a crew list stamped rather than our passport. Three weeks later we departed for Venice with 800 AH of new lithium batteries on board. What a game changer! To Sicilia, Italy, Croatia, finally arriving in Venice May 15, 2024. Still no stamp on the passport, yea. In Croatia, we obtained a Navigation Permit with the assistance of an Agent, and our tourist tax was paid online. In Venice, we removed our 00000 Turbo for service and cleaning, a routine item. Unfortunately, the authorized Yanmar dealer was not equipped for maintenance and only offered a new replacement at 2000 euro. We ordered a turbo core from the US. It made it to Tessera Italy in 4 days, and that’s as close as it got, about 15 NM from us. We waited for two more weeks and it was apparent that it was never going to clear customs. We left, the core went back to the US, and by the way, because the turbo was disassembled for the core replacement it ended up getting cleaned and found to be in good operating condition. Just what we wanted anyway.
SMALL WORLD III departed Venice on June 6, 2024 and went back through Croatia. They then, checked into Greece June 15, 2024 with the use of an agent. We now have a Greek Transit Log, paid for four months, thru September 2024. Still no stamp on our passport. They have since visited many islands in the Ionian Sea, and crossed the Corinth Cut on July 5, 2024. More recently, they have cruised around many islands around Athens, then north to the Sporades, followed by cruising to all four major islands, and making our way to Mykonos on a downwind run in the Aegean Sea.
We are currently in Paros, south of Mykonos, with the intent of heading east to Kos and Rhodes. We’ll try to figure out a way to visit Turkey that is economical; their inflation rate in the past five years is so far out of hand that marinas that were once less than 500 euro per month are now 3000 to 4000 euros per month.
We plan to head back to the Caribbean this Winter. From there, we don’t know. Or we could winter in Malta or Tunisia, and do another lap next year. Time will tell.
SV SMALL WORLD III Karen & Darren - Bristol 47.7
THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION!
WHEN THE HALYARD SKIES OFFSHORE...WHAT DO YOU DO?
WHEN THE HALYARD SKIES OFFSHORE...WHAT DO YOU DO?
On every passage there are sail changes and shifts that go smoothly or even better than expected...and then there are the surprises. Some surprises are more or less demanding than others. Our most recent surprise underway gave Captain Mike the opportunity to go up the mast in the middle of the ocean under clear blue skies over gentle 2 meter seas.
His thought was, "I'd rather see what it's like now under these conditions in case I have to consider going up the mast in anything else."
Here's what happened:
Last week, we sailed from the Marquesas to the Tuamotus. Conditions were excellent; we decided to go dead downwind and fly our Main and Jib wing and wing. We poled out the jib, adjusted our course, set the main, and put a preventer on it. The boat felt rock solid sliding down waves and sailing at 9-10 knots.
The wind slacked, we shook out the reef and sailed for maybe 5 more minutes before we heard a "floosh" sound and SURPRISE our mainsail lay a limp pile on the boom.
After minimal discussion, Mike went up the mast to retrieve the halyard. He used his ascenders on one of our spinnaker halyards and we backed it up with our second headsail halyard. At the second spreaders we swapped and he was raised the rest of the way on the headsail halyard and the spinnaker halyard was his backup. Now with all these halyards, where is the backup main halyard? THAT and a backup mizzen halyard are now on our list. Had we had a backup main halyard we could have waited to ascend the mast on anchor instead of underway. Hindsight is indeed 20:20!
Once down with the skied halyard, we found that the shackle had opened, the main twisted out, and bent the shackle arms open. We fixed that, reattached the halyard to the sail, raised the main.
Mike's Take-away:
"It was about what I expected. The hardest thing was staying on the mast. I would definitely not want to go up in anything more than that without more in place to make it easier...like maybe some mast steps or a better climbing set-up."
SV WHIRLWIND Mike, Maurisa, Russell, & Josea - Alajuela 48
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURES UNDERWAY
Send our editor your story to editor@oceanposse.com
POSSE PERK: 🗺️ Free aid to navigation 150 Gb OpenCPN satellite charts (mac/pc/android)
POSSE PERK: 🗺️ Free aid to navigation
150 Gb OpenCPN satellite charts (mac/pc/android)
PLUS vetted tracks to safe anchorages
Open CPN is a chartplotter navigation software that allows mariners to upload multiple charts and satellites images that can be overlayed on one another to confirm what one sees (or does not see) with the chart. It is a huge departure from the days of early explorers that navigated by compass, distant accounts, clouds, and stars. Open CPN takes navigating to a whole different level filled with information. Ocean Posse members have access to relavent Open CPN Charts and Files that aid navigation and keep vessels and crews safer on the water. SV Whirlwind used Open CPN above to navigate an entrance through a passage in a reef into an atoll.
They went from this:
To This:
Ocean Posse members have access to Open CPN Charts, tracks, and How to Seminars
STAY SAFE AND NAVIGATE WITH CONFIDENCE
*IMPORTANT OpenCPN Version 5.10.0 was released August 10, 2024*
5.10.0 is a service/maintenance version to 5.8.4.
OpenCPN 5.10.0 series contains some new features and improvements "under the hood". Many of these changes make OpenCPN work even better.
.
Among them are:
- Grib plugin adds direct GRIB file download capability from multiple online resources.
- Enhanced native NMEA2000 network interface capability from numerous third party gateway devices.
- Update core wxWidgets support to wx3.25.
- Full support for Flatpak on virtually all linux distributions, for both x86 and Arm64 architectures.
- Native support for generic Debian linux distributions, particularly plugin system.
- Improved OpenGL graphics support and performance on all platforms.
- Incorporated extensive user feedback to resolve various UI flaws and functional errors.
- Improved embedded User Manual, mirroring evolving online Wiki presentation.
- Improved reliability and stability across all platforms.
It can be downloaded at https://opencpn.org/OpenCPN/info/downloadopencpn.html
GOOD NAUTICAL: ISLA ESPIRITU SANTO, SEA OF CORTEZ, MEXICO
GOOD NAUTICAL: ISLA ESPIRITU SANTO, SEA OF CORTEZ, MEXICO
This link is for the northernmost bay on the island. There are many up and down Espiritu Santo. All are interesting and fun to explore. A Park Pass is required and can be obtained in La Paz: https://goodnautical.com/mexico-pacific/anchorage/el-mezteno-isla-espiritu-santo
Marquesas named UNESCO World Heritage Site
Marquesas named
UNESCO World Heritage Site
According to the World Heritage Convention, The Marquesan Islands were recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "exceptional testimony to the territorial occupation of the Marquesas archipelago by a human civilization that arrived by sea around the year 1000 CE and developed on these isolated islands between the 10th and the 19th centuries. It is also a hotspot of biodiversity that combines irreplaceable and exceptionally well conserved marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Marked by sharp ridges, impressive peaks and cliffs rising abruptly above the ocean, the landscapes of the archipelago are unparalleled in these tropical latitudes. The archipelago is a major centre of endemism, home to rare and diverse flora, a diversity of emblematic marine species, and one of the most diverse seabird assemblages in the South Pacific. Virtually free from human exploitation, Marquesan waters are among the world’s last marine wilderness areas. The property also includes archaeological sites ranging from monumental dry-stone structures to lithic sculptures and engravings." https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1707
The ancient Marquesan anthropomorphic sculptures or tiki have received wide attention since they were first noted in 1595. Oral stories of their significance are difficult to come by as many have been lost. The Marquesan language has been all but lost to French in the islands although, presently there are many people trying to study it, use it, and keep it alive. Beginning in 1980's, there have been academic efforts to trace the history of Marquesan language, spirituality, and stone structures. Stylistically the Marquesan stone tiki followed certain social rules with similar characteristics to tattoos and material objects.
SAFETY ALERT: A SAILBOAT HITS A REEF IN FIJI: LESSONS LEARNED
SAFETY ALERT: A SAILBOAT HITS A REEF IN FIJI
*LESSONS LEARNED*
Some people say that sailing in Fiji is so difficult that the longer one sails there hitting a reef at some point is unavoidable. And then, some people say that with careful planning, constant vigilance, sticking to vetted tracks on Open CPN, and a conservative eye on the weather, one can safely navigate in Fiji. AND, Anywhere on this continuum accidents can and do happen.
Last week a singlehanded sailor hit a reef in Fiji. Below we will be careful to only look at the facts for lessons to be learned and avoid armchair judgements. As mariners we want to know what went wrong and what lessons can be learned so that we can all be safer in the future.
Here is what we know happened:
- A single-handed sailor planned to sail from a marina in Fiji to an atoll. This requires entering the atoll through a clear passage in the reef. There is current to contend with and timing through the pass is very important.
- The route was pre-planned, and the timing was taken into consideration.
- Open CPN was up to date with a vetted track loaded to follow.
- A GPS dongle is used as a locating device for Open CPN on the computer.
- Navionics onboard as well.
- The morning of departure was cloudy and rainy so the computer with Open CPN had to be kept down below.
- A few miles out of the marina, the GPS was not tracking & Open CPN showed the boat still in the slip in the marina
- Sailor decides to use and follow waypoints on Navionics and continue as planned.
(NOTE: the waypoints used are unknown)
- When the sailor approached the reef, the weather was bad and there were whitecaps everywhere.
- The sailor could not see the reef in the whitecaps under the cloudy sky.
- The boat hit the reef outside entrance channel and off planned course to entrance.
Tracks showing routes entering pass and boat (red) off course pinned on a reef
Thankfully, with local help, the boat was freed of the reef, the boat is still afloat, and the captain is safe.
Take Aways from SV MONSOON:
- The boat is an old, stout, and thick fiberglass vessel: The Thickness of the hull was probably a saving grace.
- If the day dawns cloudy or stormy, consider waiting for better weather.
- Travelling through passages in reefs are best done under clear sunny skies mid-day for best visibility.
- Open CPN with up to date satellite charts and previously use tracks by similar boats are the best navigational aides in FIJI.
- If the GPS is not tracking, trouble shoot before continuing.
- No matter how many miles one has sailed, there is no room for complacency in Fiji.
Additional take away from SV AVANT
- Patience is often a mariners second best friend (with luck always being the first and best).
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE HUMPBACK WHALES MOVE TO THEIR BREEDING GROUNDS
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE HUMPBACK WHALES
MOVE TO THEIR BREEDING GROUNDS
It is the austral winter in the Southern Hemisphere right now which means that the Southern Hemisphere humpback whale populations have moved from their feeding grounds along the Antarctic coast to their more northerly breeding grounds. In the South Pacific, that means that humpbacks can be seen and heard in their low latitude breeding grounds where they will mate and calve. Humpback Whales breed around oceanic islands, offshore seamounts, and reef systems.
Where to find Southern Hemisphere Humpback whales this time of year:
- Oceania in the South Pacific islands of French Polynesia, Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji, Niue, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Tonga, and Norfolk Island.
- The Pacific coasts of Central and South America as far north as northern Costa Rica to Ecuador including the Galapagos, and the Pacific Panamanian Islands.
- The Atlantic coastal waters off Brazil around 23 (degrees) S
- Southwestern and Southeastern Africa
- Northwestern and Northeastern Australia
According to Mark Carwardine’s HANDBOOK OF WHALES, DOLPHINS, AND PORPOISES OF THE WORLD: “Humpbacks that feed in widely separated regions in the summer gather together and mix in the same breeding grounds (increasing the chances of finding each other and promoting genetic diversity).” Like sea turtles there is a strong loyalty to natal breeding grounds. Mother -Calf pairs generally stay close to one another and prefer shallower water. They may or may not have another whale with them. Other groups of whales are usually made up of a female whale and a dominant ‘escort’ and perhaps other hopeful ‘escort - contenders’.
The demonstrative behaviors of humpback whales make are very distinct. Both males and females of all ages breech, dive, tail waggle and smack, and flipper wave and slap. They can be seen doing this on their own or in larger groups. Both males and females can vocalize for communications and the Singing Humpbacks are usually lone males. Their songs can travel great distances (tens of Kilometers) in the ocean to be heard underwater and through the hull of vessels. The songs are shared among large groups of whales and evolve. They have been described as everything from haunting to beautiful.
Up until the mid-1950’s the humpback whale as a species was depleted by 95% in the whaling days and today, their biggest threat is entanglement in fishing gear. Other threats include noise pollution, ship strikes, oil and gas development, and coastal habitat disturbance/destruction. Thankfully, global humpback whale populations have recovered significantly with the ending of commercial whaling and despite current threats this majestic whale is thriving.
WHAT IS ZULIP AND HOW THE POSSE USES IT
WHAT IS ZULIP & HOW THE POSSE USES IT
What is Zulip?
Zulip is a communication platform that the Posse began using in Season 7. This post is a refresher on what Zulip is and how to use it.
Zulip is an open-source group chat app that organizes conversations by topic. This structure makes it easy to follow discussions and read one conversation at a time without the chaos of traditional chat tools. It allows multiple conversations to happen simultaneously in an organized way and spreads them over time.
How to Log In
If you're an Ocean Posse member and need a Zulip account, email chat@oceanposse.com to request an invitation. Once you have your login:
- On a web browser, go to https://chat.oceanposse.com and log in.
- Download the desktop application for your PC.
- On mobile (Apple/Android), download the Zulip app from your app store, register chat.oceanposse.com as your server, and log in with your username and password.
Main Concepts: Topics and Streams
Zulip organizes conversations with topics, like lightweight email subjects. All messages with the same topic are shown as conversation threads, making it easy to follow one conversation at a time. Topics allow for multiple conversations to happen simultaneously without interruptions, and everyone can respond at their own pace.
Streams are groupings of topics that define who sees a message. You need to subscribe to a stream to see its conversations by clicking the plus sign at the bottom of the stream list and selecting the ones that interest you. Our streams are divided into:
- Location-based: For countries and regions, such as Mexico-Pacific, Columbia, Panama, Jamaica, etc.
- Subject-based: For example, Weather, Boats with Kids, Awards, etc.
- General-purpose: VHF16 for important, time-sensitive updates, and VHF68 for general conversation and non-critical information sharing.
Navigating Conversations
To find posts of interest, you can:
- Click on 'Recent Conversations' in the left navigation panel to see all topics across your subscribed streams.
- Click on a stream name to see all conversations in that stream or select individual topics.
- Use the search icon to find specific posts, filtering by stream and topic name if needed.
How to Post
To write a post:
- Choose the stream your message should go to (e.g., a geographical region like Columbia or a subject-specific stream like Weather). If unsure, use the VHF68 stream.
- Pick an existing topic name or type in a new one. You can post a message without a topic.
- Type your message and press 'Send'.
Don't worry about mistakes; messages can be moved between topics and streams if needed.
More info
- Please at least read this documentation page from Zulip: Getting started with Zulip | Zulip help enter
- Last season we recorded an overview of how to use Zulip: PANAMA POSSE - the inner workings of ZULIP
- Zulip for communities
THANK YOU MACIEK FOR DETAILING ZULIP SO MORE MEMBERS CAN USE IT WELL!
SY QUE VENDRA 🇺🇸 Olena & Maciek – Outbound 46’
Quote for 8-11-2024
Onward, Outward I must go
Where the mighty currents flow.
Home is anywhere for me,
on this purple tinted sea.
Star and Wind and Sun my Brothers,
Ocean one of many mothers.
Onward under sun and star,
Where the weird adventures are!
Never lonely shall I be, I am wind and sky and sea!
- John G Neihardt (1881- )