Before anyone asks to see my doctoral thesis or accuses me of plagiarism, the Dr. does not stand for doctor, but for degeneration and practice in the sense of practical application and not the doctor's practice as the place where medical treatments are applied. Nevertheless, it is not bad to have a broad spectrum of knowledge on such a journey. In fact, everything seems to be slowly unraveling. It starts with Gaby and extends to some of the plastic parts on the boat and the oil pressure sensor on the engine. It shows that some things are not made to last forever. Even if I didn't manage to get a doctorate in my professional life, you gain a huge amount of knowledge on a trip like this.
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| Everything in the green zone |
Looking back, when we started our trip four years ago, it was preceded by a medical seminar in tranquil Bad Reichenhall. In the idyllic mountains of the southern German Alps, we were taught the basics of emergency medical care. At the time, we had firmly resolved never to use this knowledge. But as is the case in life, illusion and reality often go separate ways. In the meantime, we have often been able to put what we have learned into practice. We are no longer shy when it comes to setting limbs and stitching wounds, and if it was still a pig's knuckle in Bad Reichenhall, we soon realize that a human knee is no different. At least as far as sewing is concerned. This week we took the stitches out of Gaby's knee so that she is partially mobile again after her accident. Her elbow is also developing well, but still needs to be kept still for at least another two weeks, which is of course much more difficult for her now than when her arm was still in a plaster cuff. So the only thing left is the eye, which will force Gaby to fly to Germany early.
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| Stitches removed |
In the meantime, I'm waiting to find a suitable weather window in the direction of Tahiti. Even if the hurricane tracks continue westwards towards the south-east, it is not entirely safe to sail from the Marquesas towards Tahiti. At the moment there is heavy rainfall in Papeete and the few moorings are unsafe. The weather in Papeete has prompted some owners of mega yachts to sail to the Marquesas and wait out the storms there. On Nuku Hiva, four of the yachts over 30 meters are moored in the bay. In addition, it cannot be ruled out that a hurricane like this might move a little further east. So we'll have to wait and see what the weather does and then hopefully make the right decision.
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| Always document everything nicely |
In the meantime, I have completed the machine maintenance, which has brought partial success. At least the oil pressure lasts for more than two hours before it starts to weaken again. There is a Yanmar service in Papeete, which I will visit urgently. However, this also means that the engine can only be used as an auxiliary machine. So I just do what I've always done. Sailing! We've already covered the 4000 miles to the Gambiers under sail, although there have been days when we've made just 13 nautical miles. That's why it's now 51 days. The plan is now to get to Tahiti. Although I don't think it will take as long as last time. Yes, and then I hope that I can find a place for our boat so that I can fly to Germany.
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| Megayacht on Nuku-Hiva, Marquesas |
But we are not there yet. However, the degeneration cannot be stopped by the turmoil of the weather or technical challenges. It flops and a black plastic lid, following a spring, bounces against the inner transom of our dinghy. It bounces merrily through the boat, still with plenty of kinetic energy, and is just about to go over the side of the boat into the sea when I abruptly interrupt its momentum with my foot. An examination reveals that the mechanism that attaches the fuel line to the tank has come loose. The plastic has simply dissolved in the sun, and the groove that held the cap in place has disintegrated. The spring pressure did the rest. I used a wire to fix the spring and the lid and hold both in position. At least it will hold provisionally until I buy a new tank, as the connector for my old tank is of course not available. So much for spare parts that you drag halfway around the world: you never have the right part with you. With this in mind, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.
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