Outfitting My Cheoy Lee 25 for Passage to Tahiti

[captain58sailin]

BWS,
We made the run from San Diego, down to the Marquesas back in the mid 70s, and did not have all the trappings that are available today. We made the crossing 2700 nm, in 23 days, we had very good weather and only one day in the doldrums. Our equipment consisted of a Ham radio, SSB, Vhf, a 60' , 60 fathom flasher depth finder, and a sextant with the needed tables, we mostly took noon shots, with the occasional, moon shot. Usually we could update our position once every 24 hours. The equipment that is available now is most impressive, I think a gps is great, you could power up twice a day and keep yourself on course very well. The LED lights though I have not yet used them seem like a good way to conserve battery power. Solar panels are terrific, they are reliable, and low maintenance. A 5 gallon bucket is one of the most versatile tools to have on board. As far as a salt water pump in the galley, why? The ocean is right there just sling the bucket over and catch your dishwater. A real help is rigging up water catchment to take advantage of the squalls, we blocked the scuppers and hooked our trusty 5 gallon bucket up at the juncture of the main mast and the boom and caught more than enough fresh water. I would keep some aloe vera for burns. Nevia skin so soft, usually keeps most flying carnivores at bay. Snorkel, mask & fins. Fire extinguishers. We trailed a net bag off the transom to clean our clothes, we would do a prewash in our 5 gallon bucket with soap, and then toss them in the net bag and trail them behind the boat for awhile, one needs to be careful about how long, it doesn't take much to turn cutoffs into tatters. The only thing we used fresh tank water for was drinking. Come to think of it, you might want to take 2 or 3, 5 gallon buckets, they stack pretty nicely, if they get stuck together you can put 3 gallons of water in the top one and with steady even pressure on the rims will allow you to pull them apart. We liked Nuka Hiva, and Fatu Hiva, the Tuamotos were nice too, the navigation into some of the lagoons can be kind of tricky, with the coral heads and all, and some of them had a lot of current. We had no refrigeration, we used the little on board refrig. like an ice box when ice was available. We caught fish all the way across. When we got to Nuka Hiva, we made a bee line to Maurice's store and bought cold Hinano beer and thought we were in heaven, the other craving was for fresh meat, chicken, pig or cow it didn't matter. With the little sprout gardens they have today, you can keep yourself in fresh greens with out too much problem. All the best on your sail
Brad

[roverhi]

Haven't been back here for awhile to see how you are doing. Sounds like things were going fine till you ate it on your bicycle. Bike's are great transportation and exercise but terribly unforgiving of error or inattentive drivers. Have ruined both my shoulders trying to ride above my skill level. Hope you are heeling well and off the crutches by now.

We made the trip south from in the '70s in . I believed in KISS then and still do. Glad to hear that your seeing it that way also. It seemed that the more toys on the boat, the more the misery. We had no refrigeration, kerosene 2 burner stove with oven, kerosene lamps, a mast head fluorescent running light, self steering vane, a ham radio with manual tuner, and four sails.

Our W32 was a true cutter, the rig we sailed with most of the time. We had a Reacher drifter for light air conditions. The main had three reef points. An asymetrical spinnaker instead of the Reacher and a genoa would be the only sail changes I'd make in retrospect. Would put roller reefing on the head stay. We sailed most of the time with a double reef in the main. seldom used the first reef point and the third reef point only once. We had a single spinnaker pole for poling out one head sail. We dropped the main and used the main boom to pole out the other headsail for dead downwind sailing. On your boat, you will probably get more drive from the main. Would definitely have a third reef point added to the sail when the wind kicks up and you need to go to wx. The conditions sailing around the Islands will give you a better idea what you need for headsails. If you don't go with roller furling, consider having a reef point added to your working jib. It will carry you through all but survival conditions and cut down on a sail bag. A genoa and an asymetric would probably keep you sailing in almost all conditions.

Kerosene lamps don't work in SoPac. The water and air temp are so high, the lamps make the cabin too hot. Get some efficient fluroescent or LED fixtures for the lights that you will need use the most.

If there is any way to swing it, try and get a 6-12 month visa before you leave. We loved the Marquesas, visited all the Islands and then went on to a couple of the Tuamotus before going on to Tahiti. We had a 6 month visa so weren't rushed to get on to Papeete like most of the rest of the cruisers. Papeete is forgetable unless you like to be tied up next to a freeway. Only stay there as long as it takes to do what you need to do there. We really liked the solitude of the Marquesas in June-November. The freeway was closed from the US by the Hurricane season so we had the Islands to ourselves. Of course, there were a lot fewer boats out there then so there may not be a low season anymore. You will probably not be able/want to try and lay the Marquesas from Hawaii. It will be an uphill trip from Tahiti but not a bad sail.

The Tuamotus are great if you like to dive. Take a good spear gun, not one of those junk Hawaiian Slings. You'll have fresh fish for every meal if you care to jump in the water and paddle around. Be sure that you are set up with a good mask and fins and a weight belt so you can make yourself neutral buoyant. It's easy to get down to 50' free diving if you are slightly negative buoyant. A rash guard would be a good thing to have but you won't need a wet suit. A decent dive light will also insure unlimited Lobster. We got so sick of lobster that we turned it down if people offered it and only dove for it ourselves a couple of times a month after the new wore off.

Food stuffs to take. Canned butter, it will keep for about 6 months without refrigeration. Really needed for those Lobster feasts and the good French Bread available everywhere in FP. Take plenty peanut butter. Never ate much of it before or after FP, but the baguettes cry out for PB. It's grossly expensive to buy it down there. Popcorn makes a great/easy snack, is easy to store, and cheap. There were no greens available, except Papaya, outside of Papeete when we were there. If you crave fresh greens, and you will, get a sprouting kit and stock up on seeds. The Mormons are a great source for dehydrated/freeze dried foods. We bought a lot of different stuff but wished we'd taken more soup mix, dried green peppers, and cheese. The stuff wasn't the most appetizing by itself but really added to stews, noodles, beans, etc. when mixed in.

Talk to the local fisherman and get yourself set up with good lures and a fishing kit. You don't expensive rod and reel. A couple hundred feet of 200# test hand line and Stainless Steel leader will get you a lot fish for not much money. We always dragged a line when approaching an anchorage even if we didn't want to eat a fish, if caught. A nice Mahi will win you lots of friends among the locals and is a good barter item for the local produce.

One note of warning. Don't eat any reef fish in the Marquesas, lobsters and Pelagic fish are safe even if caught close to shore. Ciguatera is endemic to those islands and the locals don't know what's safe. Fish in the Tuamotus, that we visited, are safe but check with the locals before you go spear fishing. The Tahitian Islands have some Ciquatera but they are pretty much fished out so not that much of a concern. The locals seem to know what areas are safe to fish if you do try your hand.

As I said before, get an awning. It will keep the sun off the decks and make the boat livable. An awning just over the cockpit is nice but won't do a thing to keep the cabin cool. We made a pup tent like wind scoop for the foredeck. It was basically just a rectangle of sunbrella with grommets at the middle and corners of the edges. Tied the peak to the head stay and down to the thwarts at the front. Strapped it down across the deck just aft of the fore hatch. It made a very effective funnel to force air through the boat all day long. Only worked at anchor as the bow had to be faired into the wind.

Get an Avon Redcrest/Redstart or the Achilles equivalent inflatable. You should be able to carry it, with one half inflated, aft of the mast. It can serve as your combination dinghy/liferaft. These are good boats for diving, and shore access. They are reasonably easy to row, will carry 2-4 adults, and lots of gear. We rowed ours for miles around SoPac after our motor gave out. Don't know if I'd even want to take an outboard with me next trip.

BTW, may have a 50 watt solar panel available this summer if you need one. Have located a couple of used 130 watt panels and won't need the smaller panel. Of course I have to get the boat to Kona from SF but that's planned for this summer. Any plans to sail to Kona anytime soon. I keep getting a sailing Jones with my boat in Alameda and me here most of the time. Might even be talked into helping you with some projects.

Aloha
Peter O.
Pearson 35

[BlueWaterSail]

Brad,

Thanks - great advice - going to scale the bucket down to 2 gallons due to space limitations (doubles up as a trashcan), but will stack 2 of them, .

BWS

[BlueWaterSail]

Peter,

Mahalos for the detailed comments & advice.

Have furling on the jib, thinking of a staysail addition to allow more sailplan options. The main already has 3 reef points, going to carry a spare.

I'm totally new to solar, need to research more before deciding on which setup I want. Thanks for the offer, though.

I'm really limited on space for carrying a dinghy, my current thinking is a fully deflatable model which I can stow as part of a bridge deck in the cockpit.

BWS

[Nowell]

If you practice, and your boat balances well, sheet to tiller is a great self steering. Personally im still trying to perfect it.

I think everyone else has covered all the good KISS stuff.