Yep. Big title, big story behind. At least another hard life lesson for me. I probably could have avoid most of those problems, but I was too tempted with the whole idea.
So, let's begin. I had to leave New Zealand and I started to look for a way to do it. Off course the easiest way is to get a flight ticket, but I wanted to do something more for finishing this amazing year.
Summer is finishing, so season for boats leaving NZ was also finishing, but I managed to find one which was going to New Caledonia.
Just next day after long research I had a meeting with captain and owner of a boat. 2 days after I got a phone back that I am in. Yupi :D It is quite a big thing, 2 weeks before my visa runs out, I have managed to get a spot on a sailing boat. Sounds like a dream, doesn't it?
And it's getting only better. The boat isn't going only to New Calednia, the plan was actually to cross further to Australia, then Indian Ocean and along west coast of Africa to Europe. Good plan for next 6 - 8 months, isn't it? Amazing one, I would even add. That's good side and beginning looks very promising.
I am going to get my own cabin, I need to contribute for food, but I hope to change that along the way and all I need to is to help out on the boat.
I haven't been on the sea for a while, but at the same time I do remember few things and some things you just don't forget.
So, the boat. A big 16 m ketch, with a standing height inside. Duffour built and looking pretty sturdy, but at the same looking weird - as later turned out, the boat originally was a sloop, but was modified by previous owner. Condition? I wasn't impressed when I got there honestly speaking. A lot of "mickey mouse", electrical system in pieces and generally big mess. I was told that it will be prepared for departure in two weeks. I couldn't help with work, as I was still working in Auckland.
So, my last two weeks went really quick and it was time to leave Auckland. First trip by bus in New Zealand on my second last day :P Bike partly sold, waiting for the final payment parked at Leiths place and all unnecessary stuff sold. I am on the move again........
I arrived in Whangarei(home harbour to the boat) on the afternoon and I realized that the boat is actually in the same condition as it was 2 weeks ago. Mess everywhere, cables and just tons of shit all over the place. The only tidy place was the library(which was quite impressive, I admit).
Started to clean my cabin, get my self boarded and help as much as I could.
First morning and I am being told that we are going to departure. My suggestions of sorting out few more things and getting better prepared are not being listened and in the rush, by the afternoon we drop mooring and go for custom clearance. That goes fairly easy and we are on the sea.
I am quite worried, that "we will sort of what we can on the way"(generally speaking working on the boat during passage never works out......), but excitment takes over and with good wind we are heading on course.
So, we are out on the sea. What an amazing feeling :) I grab night shift. Enjoy warm breeze, stargazing and the quiet. Is just me and the sea. Love that unique feeling and I was missing it so much.
The crew, as I haven't mention anything about that before. Captain/owner with previos sea experience on fishing boat mainly(last time on water - 15 years ago), his daughter - zero experience on sea, first aid course though, Alex - a fellow traveler, cycling from NZ to France - zero experience on sea and me.
To make it more intersting, they bought the boat a year before. The very first time when they tried actually sailing it was with me on board, on the first day of passage ! I didn't know that before and that really surprised me. Later it will turn out that this trip will be full of surprises.
Sea sunsets - nothing can beat that.
I think, I look quite serious. Sometimes :)
So, we are on the sea. First 12 h calm and then it starts around tip of New Zealand. We're getting into storm, wind is picking up and we try to trim sails a bit. Roller on Genua is not working properly, blocking all the time. Main sail look all right and trimming goes fairly well, considering that no one knows what to do.
I actually make basic training for Alex of sailing and few things which you need to know how to do on boat. All the operations on deck are directed and explained very carefully by me, so everyone knows what to do, what can happen and how we are going to deal with it. Sometimes it takes more time to explain, then to actually do the job, but what you can do, when no ones knows what to do and captain is not interested in training his crew. He doesn't take initiative as well in stressfull situations, just hiding in his cabin most of the time.
Maybe the previous picture wasn't the best, but this should make up for it.
So, we hit the storm. Big one. Probably the biggest in my life. 15 m waves, strong wind and extreme gusts coming with waves. At first we loose genua, ripped. Main sail was the second one to go. I refused to put up mezan, as we never sailed on it and in those conditions I am not going to figure out how the boat is going to behave with it. I even don't know if everything works and we can put it up. No one ever checked that......
So we started the engine after an hour or so of drifting, which in my opinion was the best thing in last 24 h. Finally we weren't figthing with waves and wind, I could rest a bit after many hours of staying on deck.
As captain wasn't capable of doing any work on deck in this conditions and I was the most experienced I did everything on deck. I had harness and all the gear, but still. Belive me, it was fu.... scary to do anything on deck under those conditions. I was the only one to do it as well, so I didn't get much sleep......
Here is me. Tired and really concern. I really want to leave the boat at this particular moment, but you can't. You are on the sea and either you deal with the problem, weater, yourself or you loose.
There aren't many pictures from that part of my journey. After one day of calm weather we hitted another storm, lighter one but still. For around 20 days of passage we had maybe 2 calm days. So many things broke down, engine started to blow tons of white smoke, 2 sail ripped, extra genua wasn't fit to this boat and didn't work very well, mezan turned out to be a decent sail, but the fact that boat wasn't constructed for having it everytime when we put it on(captain really liked it), the boat was becoming super sensitive for slightest blow of wind and steering was becoming a constant fight to keep the course. Autopilot was turning it self off on waves, as it was designed for smaller boats, toilet didn't work, 3 bilge electric pumps stopped working, another hand bilge pump broke down, leaks all over the boat from mast, widnows, doors. Specially interesting was one over captain desk where all electric switches were getting wet, maps etc.
It was a nightmare. Got to Noumea in New Caledonia and I really kissed the solid ground.
Not long after I was told that I am not the most welcome person on board. Captain can't meet my boat safety requirements and he doesn't feel confident enough with me around. He is the owner of the boat, so he wants all the power. The problem is, when it got "hot" on boat, he wasn't there. I technically brought this boat in one piece to port and made the passage. I trained the crew and gave my best in order to keep it in one piece. I wouldn't agree for another passage until major service was done to S/Y Seamuse.
We said goodbye to each other and I am happy that it happened. My lifetime journey didn't work well. It actually didn't worked at all. All I have is experience and new friend, Alex :)
So, I am in New Caledonia, so better make most of it. I was allowed to stay at Leeloo(Alex's friend) place and after few trips around Noumea, I have rented the car and went around the island.
Time to relax my mind and body.
It's pretty hot here. Former french colony, but still closely connected to France, so food is imported from France :D Milk, butter, cheese, ham....... I love it.
I got few trips with Alex around the Island and as well few lessons on photography, which have actually started on board. Cool stuff :P
Too much light over the sky, I know, but the little waterfall looks so cool :P
Alex was around :P
Waterfall again :D - (wait until Iceland in few posts shows up and then waterfalling will explode :D)
On my own I went to explore the north. Here is chicken rock in Hienghane. What a spot.....
Little kayaking in those waters is simply amazing
Noumea. I got a bit tired of buildings, concrete, traffic and rubbish everywhere. It is not the nicest capital in the world, but country side is amazing. Much poorer, but so beautiful. Simple life, no industry(almost) and just palm trees on beach.
Hey, hey, hey - another waterfall :D
Did I just found another one?
Pacific islands. That's quite a paradise, only if they could speak english, not french.
French colony and off course most of the cars are french. I've got old 206+, which by the end of the trip started to be really noisy. Roads are amazing, on the coast line, in the mountains(quite mountanious country), but at the same really rough. Not everything paved, but hey - it's a rental. It was flying there :D
So, that's how it looks around there :)
Please find a truck on that picture. It is there !
Few days in the north was amazing, slept in the car, slept on the beach. There are many different tribes around the island(around 340 and it is pretty small island !!), some of them can't comunicate each other as the languages are so different. Didn't have enough time to explore it better, but certainly going there with a local person will be an amazing experience.
Country it self is amazing, nature wild, people can't speak much english which makes it difficult, but bearable, coastline and sea - simply wow, one of biggest reefs in the world is around Caledonia(couldn't check that out, as I booked a flight......:( )
Last day, last dinner with Leeloo and Cana at their place, dropping car at the airport and I'm leaving the southern hemisphere.
It was hell of a ride and a passage from New Zealand. I wanted adventure and certainly I got it, but not exactly as I was expecting it. Got to see another country and met really good people there, but time has come for another challenge. Here I come ;)
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