Borderline experiences

“You don't even notice that you're on a ship,” was the statement of one of our guests who has been on board since last Thursday. This statement was certainly a little premature and resulted from the beautiful weather and the fact that the wind from the northwest has changed back to the northeast trade wind that usually prevails.

Moorea

After a few days of settling in, we set off and sailed to Moorea. This is our maiden voyage and we have a lot to try out on this trip. The wind conditions are favorable and we hoist the gennaker. As soon as we leave the box, I notice a noticeable change in the steering between a hydraulic and a cable-guided system. I preferred the hydraulic system. The weight, which is almost twice as much as our old Katinka, is also noticeable. We reach the harbor basin somewhat cautiously, but undamaged, after the Port Authority has given us clearance via VHF 12. The crew still seems a little rusty. This is partly due to the long time in port and partly because we have landlubbers on board. The huge harbor basin in Papeete is not enough to haul in the fenders. Only a moderate wave awaits us in the open water, but the crew's legs get soft. The first borderline experiences are made and the saying made days before falls silent in the waves of the South Pacific. 

Katinka Enjoy picks up speed

We have almost 20 knots of wind out here and I shoot into it to set the main. Apart from the fact that the catamaran behaves like any other catamaran in the waves, setting the sails with an electric winch and redirecting all the sheets and halyards into the cockpit is a very comfortable story. We drop the main in the first reef and set course for Moorea. We make 5.6 knots with the mainsail alone. I add the gennaker and with 16 knots of wind we add another three knots. That's a different house number to our old Katinka. At almost nine knots, our Katinka Enjoy shoots towards Moorea like a foal let out of the stable. The wave remains moderate at 1.5 meters, which is very good for the crew's state of health.

Katinka Enjoy under Gennacker

We reach Moorea as the wind drops and enter Cooks Bay. We drop anchor on a sandbank behind the outer reef in three meters of water. We've been here before when we had engine problems with our old Katinka. In 14 knots of wind, the anchor chain is tight in the bridle. The wind is blowing around our noses and the boat is moving a lot more than in the marina. Another borderline experience for our landlubbers on board. I jump into the water and take a look at the position of the anchor. Finally, colorful fish around me again. Deep blue with yellow stripes and a black dot. Simply beautiful to look at. The anchor has dug itself in cleanly and I return to the boat satisfied.

Moorea Cooks Bay Outer Reef

During the night, our guests realize that they are on a boat. Gusts of wind cause the anchor to drop into the bridle again and again with a jolt. Our guests have further borderline experiences. It's a very windy corner, but every now and then you can catch sight of a whale. But I'm not just an animal lover, I'm also a philanthropist, so I can tell by the look on the crew's noses that although the scenery is perfect, the external circumstances are making them feel a little uncomfortable. I take pity on them and we weigh anchor to move to the inside of Cooks Bay. There is much less wind here. Due to the steeply rising mountains, we are very sheltered from the wind here. The anchor drops into the mud at 18 meters and we are almost as calm as in the marina. The crew is happy. 

Moorea Cooks Bay

Unfortunately, our dinghy's outboard engine is on strike, so we can't go ashore. Even after cleaning the carburetor, the engine doesn't make a sound. At least we can go on a few trips with the canoe. For me, that means another line on our to-do list. Another point is water ingress in the engine compartment. A lot of water has collected, especially on the port side. The cover to the engine is probably leaking. When the sea is overflowing, the water cannot drain away through the drainage channel in time and enters the engine compartment. Unfortunately, Lagoon doesn't have an electric bilge pump in this area, or I haven't found the right button yet. That's a bit annoying because it's a sweaty job. But what do you have a crew for?

Crew on the lookout for what's coming

As expected, the way back from Moorea to Papeete is a little rougher. The wind direction has not changed significantly and it is still blowing from the east-northeast. Exactly where we want to go. That means we have to tack again. Not exactly the best discipline for a catamaran. Unexpectedly, because the weather forecast had once again predicted something completely different, 25 knots of wind and a 2.5 meter high wave await us. We head north-northeast and manage a wind angle of 40°. But that's also the maximum on the Katinka Enjoy. Half the crew prefer the horizontal resting position, while I let myself be shaken by the waves at the helm. During this phase, we all experienced our own personal limits. At the north-eastern tip of Moorea, I initiate the turn. Fortunately, we were able to hold a course in the middle of the channel between Moorea and Papeete. In the meantime, we have gusts of up to 28 knots and various parts of the interior fittings start to move on their own due to the centrifugal force. That wouldn't be so tragic if they were also taking the height difference into account on their way. This is not the case and so the saloon occasionally makes a huge crash, which at best elicits a grunt from the horizontally resting crew and the turning of the horizontal axis from left to right. To make matters worse, the ferry service gets in the way and we have to motor the last two miles against the wind and waves. After we had to reduce speed on the instructions of the Port Authority to allow a ferry to leave, we were probably all glad to be back in the spacious harbor basin. As far as I can tell, the crew didn't suffer any damage, although when I asked how many fenders we had on the port side, I wasn't quite sure. The first said three, the next four. When I checked for myself, it was five, but you can miscount or miss a tiny fender. However, we arrived safely back in Papeete and so each of us has had our own borderline experiences over the last few days. We will keep you up to date and wish you always fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.