Ingo

Faule Haut has got a new windlass.

Faule Haut’s windlass broke a few weeks ago. That caused a lot of inconveniences because I had to use my spare anchor which only had a rope of 23 m. With that one I could only anchor in shallow waters.
I finally bought a new windlass here at Opua, New Zealand. It took me a few days to dismount the old one, close the holes, reinforce the place with fiberglass and install it. l could not paint the fiberglass yet because it has to cure for a few days. I didn’t want to wait that long. I will paint it later.
Here is the result.
Im happy that I can anchor again in deeper water.
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I changed my cruising plan. I will skip Australia.
My next destination will be New Caledonia.
I still have places available on board.

Skipper Ingo on Faule Haut.
www.faule-haut.de

All clear.

Looks like I can give an all clear signal concerning the cyclone “Oma”. I feel relieved.

This ist the latest news from the weather forecast:

„Severe Tropical Cyclone Oma has made a sudden change in direction and is now bearing down on Brisbane and the Gold Coast.“

Oma is moving southwest towards Queensland, Australia, and not southeast towards New Zealand. If Oma stays on that predicted course, I’ll be safe here.
My cruise will lead me along the coast of Queensland as well, but that will be around beginning of April.

It might be good that they get the cyclone there now, so that when I get there, it’ll be gone by then. And it’s not very likely, that they will get another one in the same area. You neither hit the jackpot twice within one season. (OK – I admit- I’m smooth-talking the danger.)

Thanks for all the good wishes and prayers. It worked out.

Instead of a cyclone picture, I give you a beautiful shot of the beloved Faule Haut.

Skipper Ingo on sailboat Faule Haut at Opua, northern New Zealand.

Actually – I do have enough problems with my broken anchor windlass and replacing almost all of my running rigging.
But it looks as if I have another problem:

The fisherman that helped me to work on my broken windlass just came over to my boat while I was having breakfast to tell me that there is a cyclone (named „Oma“) at New Caledonia which is heading south and expected to reach northern New Zealand. That’s why I got ashore to check the weather on the internet to see what’s going on. Looks like he is right.
I have to check the weather constantly now and make emergency plans in case it’s really coming this way.
The cyclone season lasts until the end of April in this area.

The red spot north of Auckland shows my position.

Skipper Ingo on sailboat Faule Haut.
www.faule-haut.de

⛵️Faule Haut has reached New Zealand.

After having spent six days at the Kingdom of Tonga , ⛵️Faule Haut left the island Tongatapu on Jan. 29th, 2019 and reached Opua, (northern) New Zealand on Feb 6th, safe and sound. This was ⛵️Faule Haut‘s fastest passage so far. She covered the distance of 1,025 nm within 8 1/2 days, averaging a speed of little over 5 kn. Windspeed was mostly above 25 and 30 kn, so that the sails had to be reefed almost permanently. High waves and gusty winds from abeam made it a tough ride. Wind and waves – which the autopilot often could not handle. It quit working often and made the nights a drag. Jumping on deck in the middle of the night because of an alarming and not functioning autopilot is no fun and wears you out after a few nights. Sleep deprivation is the hardest thing to endure when singlehand sailing and has exhausted Skipper Ingo up to the max.

But now he has dropped the anchor in a beautiful bay at LAT 35° 07.022’ S, LON 173° 58.931‘ E, close to Opua, and is looking forward to meeting the Kiwis – but first … sleeeeeeeep.

Faule Haut is currently at Bora Bora. My anchor windlass broke and I tried for three days to fix it. Did not succeed yet because of broken tools and drill bits. I have to wait till I am at Tonga, which will be my next stop, to buy new tools. 1250 nm to sail.
During the night from the 30th to the 31st of December, my outboarder, which was mounted on the yacht, got stolen. This is another setback for Faule Haut, for there is no money left to get it replaced.

Actually I was preparing the yacht for leaving to Tonga this morning when two Frech cuties showed up and showed me an impeller, a muffler and a tube, asking if I had those as spare parts on my boat. They tried to get those parts at Bora Bora, but no chance.
These French girlies, Sandrine and Margot, had flown over from France, four months ago and bought a very old steel sailboat at Tahiti. Since than, they are cruising in Frech Polynesia.
Really courageous. Chapeau, chapeau!
In fact, I saw their boat at Raiatea, a few weeks ago. In Moorea their motor broke down because of a broken impeller. They dared and managed to sail to Bora Bora without any motor power.
Now they are tied to the same dock with their boat right behind me here at BoraBora.

These girls were lucky. Their motor uses the same impeller than mine. And I had a spare one on board. So I went to their boat and helped them to install a new impeller. Furthermore their plastic muffler was in bad shape so that the exhaust pipe came off and did not hold anymore. I heated up the muffler over the gas stove and bent the connecting piece back in shape. We worked for several hours and managed to get the motor running again.
These girls were so happy and thankful, I forgot all my problems with my broken windlass and the stolen outboarder.
Because of the time I lost with the repair job, I decided to stay another night here and leave tomorrow.
The girls were happy and showed me another island on the map they wanted to see. They are leaving now. And I ? I follow them. They were too cute. I need some company, once in a while.