How we almost sank our boat in Papua New Guinea: video

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Jim Thomsen

GILow,
If you do get the chance to sail around New Zealand I would highly recommend it. Not many boats do it, I think only 5 or 6 a year? The southern part of the South Island and Stuart Island are very remote, but it's so cool to be able to anchor in the exact cove that Captain Cook anchored in and it still looks the same.
I have not heard of any major changes, but I would still recommend that you do it with plenty of time to wait out big storms and I would highly recommend using Commander's Weather as a resource. They understand New Zealand, especially the South Island, I think even better than local weather people. The radio net for the south is very informative, so have SSB would be great. If you have any other questions feel free to ask anything. Good luck!!

Jim,

Great to hear things have not changed, and thank you for the additional info on weather and radio.

As plans currently stand, if we do go to N.Z. we will be able to heed your advice and give it plenty of time, as if we go, we would plan to spend at least 6 months there.

It all comes down to how much we do or do not like cruising. If we like it a little, it will be just one year around Oz, if we like it a fair bit, then we will do two years and include Vanuatu etc, and if we like it lots and lots then we will do at least three years and include N.Z., plus maybe French Polynesia etc.

I figure we'll know which it will be within a few months of our departure, which is not for another 3 years, 6 months and 12 days... but who's counting.

Matt

P.S. Of course, we may absolutely hate cruising and turn back after two days... but I hope it doesn't come to that.

[Jim Thomsen]

GILow, Matt,
Sounds like you have a perfect plan. That was our plan...one year in the Mediterranean and see if we like it. Katie had never been on a sailboat, so it could have gone either way. You have a lot of fun cruising just on your east coast! We thought we could make it to Tasmania, but it took most of the summer just to get to Sydney. So many beautiful places. But I think Vanuatu remains our very favorite destination, so I hope you make it that far.

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by Robert C

If I understand correctly, you dropped anchor on a 'pristine' coral ref not once, but twice. First, on the possibility that the mooring line might not hold, and the second time, because you didn't want to take a chance on offending the natives. Try this. Take your boat somewhere where you can anchor.

It's worthwhile thinking twice, especially on CF, before critisizing others! Especially as a new user I would tread more lightly.

[Robert C]

I have no wish to offend anyone, but I cannot understand the priorities here. Maybe I'm too much of a conservationist. I freely admit to having a serious bias. It's just that most of the boat people I know personally have a deep love for the ocean and want to protect it. So, I would simply explain that it is done out of respect for you. So, 'I'm sorry, I'm afraid if I get that close I might damage your reef.' Or, as I was implying, move the boat to a nearby island, and use the skiff for local transport. In my previous life, I was a truck driver. There is always some well meaning soul telling you exactly where to drive your truck. But when it goes wrong, it's on you. I think the same applies to boats. My apologies to any that were offended.

[hzcruiser]

Originally Posted by Robert C

I have no wish to offend anyone, but I cannot understand the priorities here. Maybe I'm too much of a conservationist. I freely admit to having a serious bias. It's just that most of the boat people I know personally have a deep love for the ocean and want to protect it. So, I would simply explain that it is done out of respect for you. So, 'I'm sorry, I'm afraid if I get that close I might damage your reef.' Or, as I was implying, move the boat to a nearby island, and use the skiff for local transport. In my previous life, I was a truck driver. There is always some well meaning soul telling you exactly where to drive your truck. But when it goes wrong, it's on you. I think the same applies to boats. My apologies to any that were offended.

No dramas Robert.

As Jim and Katie were saying in the video, they felt really bad about it themselves and are well aware of the consequences. They were literally coerced by a local to anchor in that specific spot.

So don't sweat it, a lot more sh$t happens to any and the best of us at times!

[Jim Thomsen]

We did hate to anchor on a reef and over the past ten years we have anchored well over 1000 nights and this is the only time we have anchored on a reef. So I do understand your thoughts. That is one of the reasons we are telling this story.
Luf Island was a 5 day sail from the nearest town, Kavieng. The next islands were 2 more days sail. Only a couple of boats stop there each year and we had friends who had stopped here a couple of years before us. They wanted us to take some things to the people there...seeds, sewing supplies, rice, etc. Other than the surrounding reefs the depths are 35-45 meters-too deep for us to safely anchor is high winds. We could have not stayed, but the people are very excited to meet people from the outside world. They are living without electricity, phones, internet, plumbing, etc, much like they have for hundreds of years. Yes, anchoring there is a problem, but I hope this does not stop someone else from visiting these wonderful people.
The really sad thing is not that a small section of reef was damaged, but when sea levels raise one meter they will lose the entire village. That is something we should all care about.

[JPA Cate]

I have some take-aways from their video: First, that they seem like nice cruisers, and more adventuresome than many.

1) Never, ever, trust someone whose boat draws inches to lead your deep draft boat anywhere. It is not that he cannot get you in safely, but that they don't understand about swinging circles. In some instances, there may be a hidden agenda, but mostly, not, at least in the places we have been.

2) It is probably a good idea to have an extra hundred meters of line to extend your rode when you have to anchor deep.

3) Their situation would have been much worse without chain rode. If you're considering getting far off the beaten path, then don't mess around with rope rode, except as an extender for a goodly length of chain rode.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I have some take-aways from their video: First, that they seem like nice cruisers, and more adventuresome than many.



1) Never, ever, trust someone whose boat draws inches to lead your deep draft boat anywhere. It is not that he cannot get you in safely, but that they don't understand about swinging circles. In some instances, there may be a hidden agenda, but mostly, not, at least in the places we have been.



2) It is probably a good idea to have an extra hundred meters of line to extend your rode when you have to anchor deep.



3) Their situation would have been much worse without chain rode. If you're considering getting far off the beaten path, then don't mess around with rope rode, except as an extender for a goodly length of chain rode.

Oh oh. I can feel an anchor thread starting.

Does anyone have a fire extinguisher handy? :^)


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[JPA Cate]

^^^^Some on here have cruising aspirations. Not so much, an anchor thread, though thanks for the chuckle, GILow, but caveats relative to preparedness for dealing with unexpected events. The better equipped you are--and this includes exploring ideas for leaving places that are tricky, whether you jury rig buoys, keep entry tracks on your GPS, or what, the more creative you get with your thinking about how to get out of tricky situations, the better. Eventually, your continued experiences teach you guidelines.

One thing we do is have the person on the foredeck point to the hazard, not the direction to go in. Even for someone who sometimes gets left/right confusion, they can point at the object. Same for whoever's on watch when we have guests aboard, someone is the designated pointer, always on the person in the water. We have a folding prop, and it self closes when we're in neutral and gliding. You can get the boat moving, then glide over sea weed, and other stuff, too. It's useful to have a folding prop, as well as economical. You don't have to haul the bucket.

A

[pickpaul]

Was it a Rocna or Mantus? :-)

[Paul L]

Nice video. Sure not a place you'd want to end up on the reef.

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

......
One thing we do is have the person on the foredeck point to the hazard, not the direction to go in. Even for someone who sometimes gets left/right confusion, they can point at the object. ......

We use the opposite rule, ie always point at the direction you want the helmsmen to steer. Pointing at the danger isn't enough info to decide which way to turn. Say the danger is on the bow. The helmsmen hasn't seen the danger and now they need to decide to turn to port or to starboard. It's better if the lookout informs them where the clear water is.
Either way, the rule only works if you trust the lookout. In the case where the lookout is not experienced the point at danger is simpler but not that useful.

[JPA Cate]

^^^^Point taken, Paul. Mostly where we have been recently, it has been a question of not hitting a mooring, but where the choice of which way to turn is largely determined by what boat is facing which way relative to the turning radius we can achieve. Sometimes, if there's room, we reverse away. And there are maneuvering tricks to consider.

For some tight maneuvering, we have one aloft a bit, and use walkie-talkies to communicate, and there, it is, "turn to port" or "starboard". One problem with hand signals, which usually serve us quite well, is that sometimes the one who's signalling gets their body in the way between the helmsman and the signaller. Hand signals don't work too well at night, unless the deck light's on.

Still, the "pointer" must point at the MOB. They're too easy to lose in any chop or swell, and you dare not take your eyes off them.

To the guy asking about what kind of anchor (ha!), it looked like a Delta to me, but i'm no expert.

[cruiser_wannabe]

Great video. We are the Americans you met in Bruinisse, The Netherlands way back in 2006. It is wonderful reading about your adventures.


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[landlockedsquid]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed it and now I want to go visit the Hermit Islands. So thanks for that.

[Jim Thomsen]

Cruiser wannabe.... WOW! Yes that was awhile ago. Are you in Anacortes? We drove up there last winter to visit Jon and Amanda from Mahina.

landlockedsquid.. Thank you. And it you get a chance to visit the Hermit Islands or Ninigo Island don't pass it up! If you read the book "We The Navigators" the traditional navigator on the sailing canoe was from Ninigo and his family still lives there. We gave our copy to the grandson. It has photos of the sailing canoe that many people remembered, but no one had seen the book.
Maybe Papua New Guinea was out favorite country.

If anyone does plan to go there we do have many waypoints for this pretty much uncharted area.