Damn IT!

The air pressure is very low in the entire region around Tahiti. In addition, two lows are approaching us from the Fiji region, which will reach us at the weekend. Up to 27 knots with gusts of over 30 knots are forecast in the weather models. Unfortunately, the models are in agreement this time, which increases the probability even more. So we are preparing for this weather event. Like everywhere else, sailors have different opinions about what the best preparation is. Papeete Marina is not considered particularly safe in north-westerly winds. This is mainly due to the fact that it is open to the northwest and the swell from the open sea can penetrate the reef almost unhindered from this direction. In the marina, the wave is then reflected by the promenade wall, which results in strong eddies. Some therefore prefer to leave the marina and seek refuge in a bay, while others stow their boats as if in a spider's web.

Lines and fenders chaos

We prefer to stay in the marina and bring out a few extra lines and fenders. Katinka Enjoy is now well moored in her anchor box. It's hard to believe, because the weather is as calm and warm as ever. But we have also experienced a few heavy downpours in the last few days and know that the weather on Tahiti can change very quickly. In addition to a water ingress in the engine on SV Tuvalu, which was caused by a defective seawater pump, I take SV Odysseus for a test drive to have a look at the engine mounts. The bearings are getting on in years and should be replaced, but they will last until New Zealand or Australia. The SV Tuvalu is a different story: the water has to come out of the engine again, which proves to be very stubborn. After eight oil changes, the oil is clear again. The engine runs like clockwork and everything is back to normal.

Weather forecast

Which is more than I can say for myself. Unfortunately, when I checked the engines on the Katinka Enjoy, I noticed that water was beginning to seep into the oil on the starboard side of the saildrive. I'll be monitoring this over the next few weeks, but I hope I can wait until Fiji.

Motor starboard Katinka Enjoy

Another problem was the router setting. I switched Starlink to 12 volts and replaced the Starlink router with a 12-volt router. The connection between the antenna and the router was somehow always there, but the Ethernet connection was not stable. Certificates were no longer recognized and various websites could not be uploaded. It was still possible to trick the mobile devices by changing the MAC access, but the laptop refused the Internet service. I spent three days looking for the setting hook until I found a note on the router's support page that it could be found on a third-party site. Damn IT! I mean, who does shit like that? At least I managed to get to grips with it with my modest IT skills. Now we have a secure Internet connection even at sea, without our energy budget being overwhelmed. There's still the problem of the MMSI changeover for the EPIRB and the AIS alarm that keeps going off.

New 12V router replaces Starlink router

But at the moment a viral infection is once again putting the brakes on my zest for action. It started with Gaby last week. In the meantime, she's largely got it under control again. I'm currently in the phase where I have a very sore throat and have lost my voice. The coughing fits at night keep me awake for several hours. Fortunately, there is an improvement on the third day and the sore throat is no longer so bad.

Due to the heavy rainfall in the last few days, we have swapped our sun protection for a boat tarpaulin. This creates more living space, as the outside area in the cockpit remains much drier. You can sit on wet cushions, but it is rather uncomfortable. Now we let the tarpaulin down and we can stay dry in the cockpit even in the rain.

Tarpaulin instead of sun protection

Another Tahitian characteristic that we got to know this week and that was very easy on our wallets is that many stores close for a week after New Year for stocktaking. This means that work is at a standstill because nobody can get hold of spare parts. We have never noticed this before on our trip around the world. At least the supermarkets are not affected. So we are waiting for the forecast weather and our visit and look forward to reporting back to you in the next blog. Until then, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.