PACIFIC PUDDLE JUMP RECAP— Way back in the mid-1700s, when the fi rst European explorers stumbled onto Tahiti and her sister isles, the vast rally that we've been promoting and re- to broad reach all the way to Hiva Oa. region we now call French Polynesia be- porting on for more than 20 years. Our passage time was 18 days and 11 gan to earn its reputation as an exotic As in years past, this year's Pacifi c hours." 'paradise on earth' populated by friend- Puddle Jump fl eet set sail for French At the opposite extreme, the Victoria, ly, bronze-skinned people who lived in Polynesia from a variety of ports along BC-based Roberts 44 AfterMath was harmony with their lush volcanic is- the West Coast of the Americas — the forced to endure a miserably slow pas- fi rst departing in mid-February and the sage after she lost her hydraulic steering last shoving off in late May. Among the and her crew was forced to steer with 210 registered boats, at least two sailed the emergency rudder from within the directly from San Francisco, while one left from Chile, several left from Ecua- dor, and a half dozen left from Hawaii, "Another surprise was how which is rare. In all, the fl eet hailed from homeports in 20 different coun- little fuel we used. We had tries. wind almost the whole way Given such variations, it's tough to generalize about the sailing condi- across the doldrums." tions encountered by this year's fl eet. But based on the reports we received, aft cabin — with no forward visibility. it's safe to say that many boats were But many fl eet members monitored her blessed with more consistent winds progress via HF radio and both Cool and less onboard drama than in many Change and Harkequin diverted to give previous years — this seems especially her much-needed water. Aftermath even- true regarding the boats that set sail tually reached Nuku HIva safely. from Mexico. (Every year, the most pop- Another boat caused even greater ular jumping-off points are Banderas concern among fleet members — LATITUDE / ANDY LATITUDE Bay, Mexico, and Balboa, Panama.) As and Coast Guard rescue personnel. Stylin' in the islands. New Zealander Deyell an example, the Oregon-based Hylas 49 Shaun Young and a friend left Hilo, Cameron of the Beneteau 41 'Boombox' had Hylite had a dream trip that any pas- Hawaii, bound for the Marquesas an all-family crew. sagemaker would envy: on May 10 aboard the 29-ft sloop lands and the bountiful lagoons that "We had a good, quick passage — bet- Windweaver, expecting to cover surround them. Given such descrip- ter than we expected. We left La Cruz that 1,900-mile distance in about tions, it's no wonder that still today on a strong Norther out of the Sea of 20 days. When they didn't, Young's the fi ve archipelagos that make up this Cortez and transitioned seamlessly to family became concerned. The French Overseas Territory remain high solid northeast trades about three days Coast Guard's JRCC Honolulu got on the must-see lists of cruising sailors out, which was wonderful. We had solid, involved, as did several South Pacifi c all over the world. consistent wind all the way to the ITCZ. net controllers, but Windweaver's We're happy to report that hundreds "We went a bit further west in the NE whereabouts remained a complete of them realize that dream every spring trades than most and it worked out well. mystery until the two men fi nally by making the Pacifi c Puddle Jump We motored for 34 hours in the ITCZ made landfall at Hiva Oa June 21 — passage — a loosely formed cruising and crossed the equator at 131°W. We 43 days after departure. picked up the SE trades (which were "I am so sorry to have worried Circumnavigators Ross and Jo Blackman of 'Sojourn II' demonstrate the ease of their actually running E to NE at that time), everyone," Shaun wrote us after doubleheadsail 'TradeWinder' rig off Moorea. just below the equator, and had a beam arrival." He explained that after angling to the SE from Hilo, they turned south and "the boat took a hell of a beating," which damaged the roller furling system, and broke both the bowsprit stay and the port aft shroud. Later, they came danger- ously close to running out of water. Although they survived the ordeal, their situation was not helped by the fact that the little sloop was equipped only with a VHF radio; no SSB or satellite communication devices. Every year we poll the Puddle Jump fl eet to get a feeling for what the passage was like. As you'll read below, no two experiences were alike. LATITUDE / ANDY LATITUDE How did your passagemaking Page 76 • Latitude 38 • September, 2018 LIVIN' THE DREAM 30° N Hawaiian Islands • San Francisco experience differ from the expecta- ask one member of the crew to 15° N tions you had before the trip? Were leave the boat at our fi rst port, there any surprises? Nuku Hiva." Routes of the Cool Change — "We weren't prepared Platina II — "Having left Pacifi c Puddle Jumpers for the violent movement of the boat dur- from Panama, the coolness of ing high-wind days. But we were happily the Humboldt Current was a surprised by the degree of variation in surprise. The nights were cool wind patterns, currents and sea states enough to wear jackets, and the along the way. We thought it might be nutrient-rich water left a slimy monotonous, but it wasn't. slick and gooseneck barnacles 0° "Another surprise was how little fuel on the hull. Wildlife was pres- we used. We had wind almost the whole ent every day — lots of birds, way across the doldrums." dolphins, fi sh, whales, certainly Imagination — more than we saw crossing the "We had light winds for Marquesas the fi rst week and I learned to be happy Atlantic. In the South Pacifi c, to be making only six knots. But the last we saw less trash fl oating than Panama > two days the wind was more than 30 we expected. We were pleasantly knots and I was very happy to slow the surprised by being disconnected 15° S boat to less than six knots." from the news, and we gained "The critical element of making sure a much higher level of confi dence than girls consumed those in the fi rst week that the crew is fully compatible. I had to expected. and none went bad. "We expected squalls but had none. "Other surprises were that we made it Mid-ocean respite. Giselle Miller of the Hans We were surprised by how inaccurate in 22 days. And how much we used the Christian 38 'Sedna' celebrated crossing the equator with a dip in the deep blue sea. GRIB files (GFS model) were until spinnaker. We were glad to have it." we reached 5°S, when TaDa! — "We had no surprises. It was they became more ac- pretty much exactly as everyone had told curate." us it would be: nice trade winds, great Sedna — "We did weather, nothing too rough, the occa- not expect the down- sional squall, and some small running wind sailing to be so repairs along the way." uncomfortable. We had Tioga — "We expected the trade winds great wind for the fi rst to arrive sooner and be more steady. The 10 days, but needed fi rst two thirds of the trip involved more to go dead downwind, sail changes, playing the angles to which made living maintain boat speed and keep the sails down below unbear- from fl ogging. We also naively imagined able at times. Cooking the strong trades that eventually fi lled underway was sur- in would be more peaceful, rather than prisingly hard, with the roller coaster ride it was for our fi nal food and utensils fl ying three to fi ve days in the Northern Hemi- around. We also had a sphere. harder time than an- "On the plus side, crossing the dol- ticipated enjoying the drums was less intense than anticipat- journey because we ed. A few minor squalls, one just enough were so worried about to fi ll our water tanks, then nine hours breakdowns." of calm and we were through!" Banyan — "The big- Uno Mas — "Expected much worse gest surprise was how conditions. But we motored more than little of our supplies we anticipated: 8 days of 23." ate and how well our Temujin — "On our trip up from Pan- fresh veggies and fruit ama, we were on the wind far more than lasted, thanks to the expected. But we made better time than techniques of many expected. We encountered a 1.5-knot who came before and counter current at 2°S. There were more shared their advice. We fi sh in the open ocean than anticipated arrived in Atuona, Hiva and we came within sight of more boats Oa, after 22 days and than expected — all fi shing." still had fresh limes, carrots, cabbage, eggs Long passages are often a balance and jicama. But we of highs and lows. What were some of could have tripled our the high points, or low points, of your supply of 50 oranges crossing? and 30 apples. The Banyan — "High point: Departure COURTESY SEDNA COURTESY September, 2018 • Latitude 38 • Page 77 PACIFIC PUDDLE JUMP RECAP— Miss Tilly — "The high points were the us with an unsupported rig 120 miles unending horizons during the day, and from land.