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.

One moment we are sailing 10.6knots...the next we lost over half our sail area and over half our speed.

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!

NOTE: While the hull was rocking in 2 meter seas, the top of the mast was swaying maybe 20' or more from side to side. Good thing he loves a wild ride because at the top he had to hang on with all his might.

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

by EDITOR

Marquesas named UNESCO World Heritage Site

Marquesas named

UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Marquesan Islands are the most isolated island group on the planet in the northern reaches of French Polynesia. They have abundant fresh water, fertile soil, many valleys, and an year round growing season. They were once the home of tens of thousands of Polynesians. Now the 12 islands are home to under 10,000 people.

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.

Copra, drying on the left, is a very common economy for local Marquesans

There are huge basalt pinnacles on Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas

by EDITOR

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.

by EDITOR

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’

by EDITOR

ANCHORAGE RECONNAISANCE BY DINGHY

PAYS OFF

Uncharted rock found and now entered into Navionics

MV MARTINI shares some of their best practices with us:

We’ve made it a habit if possible to take our tender and scope out anchorages if possible before bringing Martini in. This time it saved us. We found a huge rock submerged just below the surface at mid tide, and NOT on the chart. So if you’re heading south and want to stop at the anchorage between Playa Tulemar and Punta Quepos please add this note to your navigation software.

This rock has since been added to Navionics and marked as a hazard for all mariners to be aware of.

Sunset on Anchor in Costa Rica well away from that pesky rock

MV MARTINI Bryan & Mary - Nordhaven 63

THANK YOU FOR HELPING KEEP FELLOW MARINERS AND THEIR VESSELS SAFE!

by EDITOR

BOCAS DEL TORO BEACH CLEAN UP

Beach clean up crew in Bocas del Torro, Panama

Stewardship in action: So much plastic we find on the beaches we visit is floating in from somewhere else. Local people appreciate all the help we can give to keep their beaches clean.

Report from Maison de Sante:

We had a nice group of Posse boats and local residents here in Bocas Del Toro, Panama who came out this morning for clean up on Red Frog beach. Many pounds of plastic garbage was collected 😊. The strangest items collected included a bicycle mud flap, a scuba purge valve, and a diaper🤢. Some people had to leave early so not everyone is pictured. Stay tuned for a future date where we can ALL participate in beach clean up wherever you are located!

SY BISOU 🇦🇺 Robin and Tad - Fountaine Pajot 44′ & SY MAISON DE SANTÉ 🇺🇸 Nicole & Keenan - Cal 46'

THANK YOU FOR BEING STEWARDS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT!

by EDITOR

MUST SEE: LEVUKA, FIJI

THE ORIGINAL GUNKHOLES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC

Levuka is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian Island of Ovalau. Up until 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. Currently, this strangely haunted town has a population of about 5,000. It is the economic hub of the largest of 24 settlements on the Island. Levuka was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2013, in recognition of the port town's exceptional testimony to the late colonial port towns in the Pacific Ocean.

The modern town of Levuka was founded around 1820 by European settlers and traders as the first modern town in the Fiji Islands. Levuka quickly became an important port and trading post in the Pacific. A disparate band of settlers made up Levuka's population- traders, missionaries, shipwrights, speculators, vagabonds, and even respectable businessmen. Much of Levuka’s unique heritage is in its wooden architecture (highly vulnerable to fire).

The South Pacific’s first Masonic Lodge is Levuka’s only Romanesque building.

The South Pacific's first Masonic Lodge was built in 1913 and housed the Freemasons that were established in Levuka by Alexander Barrack in 1875. There is much controversy about the Masonic fraternity in Fiji. The dominant traditional Christian faiths consider the Masons to be devil-worshippers. The Masonic Lodge was burned down in the 2000 Fiji coup d'etat. The Lodge contained priceless historical artifacts and records of Levuka's history dating back to 1875. The arsonists have yet to be identified and prosecuted.

by EDITOR

GOOD NAUTICAL: BAIE MARQUISIENNE

Nuku Hiva, Marquesas

8°54.8555'S, 140°13.4389'W

At Anchor — SV WHIRLWIND in Baie Marquesienne: Looks like we are anchored in a desert!

Baie Marquesienne is on the western facing side of the island of Nuku Hiva. The Trade Winds generally blow from the East or SE; the swell is similar so this anchorage is generally in the lee of the island making the anchorage very calm and surprisingly dry. Since the water is calm, the clarity is pretty good too and there is a nice spot to snorkel on the N side of the anchorage. I saw sharks, dolphins, and lots of very colorful fish among large boulders and small bits of coral here and there. The bay is surrounded by rocky hillsides that appear to be dry with patches of green vegetation where wild goats roam and bleat all day long. A valley winds up into a steep canyon.

The head of the bay is a rather steep too so landing is not really an option. We have four people onboard and were fortunate to have two that wanted to stay onboard and two that wanted to explore. So, we got dropped off on the beach, brought a radio, some water, and headed off into the wild. There is no marked trail to follow but there are waterways (some dry, some running, some rushing) that we followed up and up and up...until we could not go up any more. As we travelled up the valley we found an oasis and a waterfall, wild pigs and goats, many different flowering trees and plenty of shade to stay cool.

The head of the Bay is like a steep and rocky dam separating a small (this time of year) estuary from the bay

The vegetation along the dry creek bed getting greener as we go into the valley.

Exploring up the valley from the Bay we found an oasis.

Palm Tree reaching for the sun in the steep and deep desert like canyon.

A small but mighty waterfall found. The picture does not do justice to the fact that we could not go any further up from here.

The explorers: Mike and Maurisa enjoying the Polynesian Paradise and the Desert Oasis

The sunsetting on the rocky outcropping lining the dry creek bed we followed up and down from the Bay.

https://goodnautical.com/french-polynesia/anchorage/anse-uea-bai-marquisienne

by EDITOR

LAND TRIP: DELTA SWIZZLER BEATS THE MEXICAN HEAT AT 5000'

LAND TRIP: MV DELTA SWIZZLER CREW

BEATS THE MEXICAN HEAT AT 5000'

Mexico is known for so much: rich history, relics of ancient civilizations to modern cities, colorful art, lively music and dancing, and flavorful food to name a few. Mark and Cindy on MV DELTA SWIZZLER have been members of the Posse since the beginning. They have travelled down from California through the Panama Canal and back to Mexico over many years. Currently, they are beating the heat at sea level and enjoying some of Mexico's many and varied communities at higher elevations inland. Travelling inland is an excellent way to see more of what Mexico has to offer.

Mark and Cindy and friends enjoy a night out at Go Bistro.

Whimsical Statue on the Malecon in Jocotepec

MV DELTA SWIZZLER Mark & Cindy - Vantare 58

STAY COOL AND THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURES INLAND

by EDITOR

POSSE PERK: UP TO DATE AND VERIFIED INFORMATION BY FELLOW YACHTS

POSSE PERK: UP TO DATE &

VERIFIED INFORMATION BY FELLOW YACHTS

Ocean Posse members share a chat group where members ask questions, share informations, and pictures. Members appreciate the 'Up to Date & Verified Information' shared in the group chats.

Recently, Lyle on MV ALGONQUIN asked:

Hello. For those in the know could we get some information on how far out we should be contacting the agent to schedule our canal transit? Rough plan at this point is late December early January transit west to east.
Currently boat less in Canada Vancouver Island preparing the house for rental and disposing excess land assets in preparation for full time live aboard. Returning to the boat in PE mid September.

SV MAISON DE SANTE answered from their experience going through the Panama Canal last season:

In Season 7 SV MAISON DE SANTE sailed to Panama, turned North, & went through the Canal

I don’t think any time is too early to connect to an agent because you can reach out and get the list of info they will need like photos and measurements for the boat and just be that much more prepared. South to North didn’t start getting busy until mid January last season so picking a transit date would probably be important to do by November. They don’t like changing dates so try to firm it up when you’re closer and pretty certain on a date.

I’ll reach out to Erick Galvez.

.....After Reaching out to Ocean Posse Canal Agent Erick Galvez.....

🇵🇦PANAMÁ CANAL🇵🇦

You must be near the Panamá Canal with a verified arrival either with AIS validation or a photo of your vessel anchored near the canal or at a nearby marina. If anchored, they will visually look for your vessel.

Last season, you were allowed to request a transit date prior to arriving in Panamá and it created too many issues, according to Erick Galvez.

You are allowed to leave once you have your date confirmed. The furthest out you can request your transit date is 2 months.

The average wait time for the earliest transit date is as follows, according to Erick.

December and prior: 3-4 days
January: 5-10 days
February: 10-20 days
March: 20-30 days

THANK YOU FOR ASKING QUESTIONS,

SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE AND USEFUL INFORMATION

by EDITOR