Earthrace Going Strong
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| The trimaran averaged 23.5 knots in the middle of the Pacific on her 33rd day. |
On Day 33 Earthrace covered 565 nm for an average speed of 23.5 knots, pretty much as fast as she has done any 24-hour stretch.
On Day 25 Earthrace was able to refuel in Hawaii and get away in just 1 hour 50 minutes, something of a record for this trip. But the next day one of the high-pressure fuel lines to the port engine sprung a microscopic leak and began squirting bio-diesel all over the engine room. There were no spares aboard, so the boat had to limp on to the Marshall Islands under a single engine doing about 17 knots.
This fuel line failure has cost Earthrace about 1.5 days against the world record. Nevertheless she is still about 5.5 days ahead of the world pace.
On Day 30 the boat arrived in Majuro, Marshall Islands and a new hose was waiting at the dock. This part of the fuel line is under 35,000 psi and even an invisible flaw can cause a leak. The new line is fitted, the boat refueled, and she is off for Palau.
Following are two installments from Capt. Pete Bethune's log that we feel give you an idea about what life on board Earthrace is like going across the Pacific.
Day 30 My Little Precious
Posted by Earthrace Administrator on 28/05/2008
There’s a real sense of relief as we idle, still only on one engine, into the amazing lagoon of Majuro, and there’s a palpable drop in tension amongst crew. “It’ll be so nice to leave here on two engines”, Mark says enthusiastically, as he’s getting his life jacket ready. “I just hope Groundcrew have sorted that replacement part for us.”
Tropical trees and coconut palms line the various atolls and islands spread around us, and crystal blue water reveals the astonishing corals some 30 metres beneath. Adam and Mark wander out and soak up the spectacle, while Rob busies himself getting footage.
It’s a good half hour later before we finally get tied off and clamber ashore. Fiona is beaming as she greets me. “Here’s your part, she says proudly, handing over a small cardboard package. I quickly open it, and there is the replacement fuel line. “Oh my precious," I say, in my best Gollum accent, holding the part to my cheek. It’s been a good effort by Groundcrew to get the part here before us.
“In fact we nearly had a continental flight drop it off to you en-route”, Adrian informs us, “but they couldn’t reach you on radio.”
I hand my precious over to Tino, who hurries up the gangplank to install it. Fiona heads off with the Customs and Immigration people, while Adrian and Adam start uncoiling hose to start refueling. Mark meanwhile hobbles off to see yet another Doctor about his foot. I look over to the main wharf and there’s a long line of locals waiting patiently, hoping for a chance to wander through Earthrace.
It’s a few minutes later before I’m in the water with my dive mask, and working my way around the three hulls. My first task is to check for any damage, and there’s nothing really significant showing, but I also have to clean off any algae, and I can see sections all along the side where green is starting to show. It is amazing that algae can start growing at all, when you consider most of the time we are traveling at between twenty and twenty five knots. There’re also a few little sections under the hull where little worm barnacles are showing. In the end I grab an old credit card and scrape them off.
Most boats permanently in the water use toxic anti-foul under the waterline to prevent marine life taking hold. Some are iso-cyanate based (cyanide that is!), and leach horrible chemicals into our precious waterways. Others use heavy metals that ablate off, but the end result is still more toxic crap in the water. The results show up in densely populated marinas where shellfish start mutating into all the same sex, and on resident fish species with questionable growths and deformities. The trouble is most boat owners know nothing of the type of anti-foul they have on their vessels, let alone the impact it has on the environment. Ignorance is bliss I guess.
On Earthrace we run a special non-toxic, Teflon based product from PPG, and it is heaps better on the environment, while also giving us really good boat speed. The downside though is that some marine life will grow on it. As I’m now discovering, scraping off another section of algae. But if you can afford a three million dollar boat, you can probably also afford to pay someone to go down and clean it for you. Although in my case I can’t actually afford to pay someone, so I do it myself.
I look down below me and the lagoon floor is full of sea urchins and shellfish, while hundreds of colourful tropical fish amble in around me for a look. Although at times it’s not a bad job to have I think to myself.
In the end our stop in Majuro takes four hours, which is longer than I’d have liked, but then we’re back on two engines now, and I reckon it’s a fair trade. Palau, here we come.
Day 30
Last 24 hours: 329nm (running on one engine, plus port stop)
Total Distance covered: 12,300nm
Ahead of world record: 2100nm
Ave speed last 24 hours: 13.7kn (on one engine)
GPS Location: 07 08.084N, 169 14.790E
ETA Koror – Palau: Sunday early morning (1st June)
Day 33 Groundhog Day
Posted by Earthrace Administrator on 31/05/2008
“You know what? This is becoming like Groundhog Day for me”, Mark says, as he settles into the drivers seat for his afternoon shift. “Every day is basically the same routine.” He scans through the engine numbers then tweaks the port engine throttle slightly.
Thinking about it, maybe it is a bit like that. Especially on this Pacific crossing where there is little else to see aside from a great expanse of Ocean. My day just seems to follow the same routine…and the days are just rolling one into the next right now, with the occasional punctuation of reaching land for a few hours to take on supplies.
I look down at the GPS. Just 350 nautical miles to go until Palau, so we’ll be there soon after dark most probably. Which is no good for photos or filming of course, and certainly not so many people will come down to see us. But if we’re in and out inside a few hours and back into the same routine again I'll be happy.
The good thing with Groundhog Day is it means we’re making good time. The days where it isn’t like Groundhog Day are the ones where we have problems, and they generally have us losing time. Like a burst fuel line, water seeping into the fuel, etc. Or the weather is dodgy, which tends to upset everyone’s routine.
Speaking of which, the weather in the Pacific thus far has been amazing. We've had just a single day of slightly lumpy water crossing the Baja Peninsula, and aside from that, the weather has been awesome. So long may it, and Groundhog Day continue.
Below is my typical Groundhog Day:
06:00. Get up and have breakfast (cereal and fruit).
07:00. Do the numbers on distance traveled, fuel calculations, update log book.
07:30. Write Captain’s Blog.
09:00. Do radio blog via satphone.
09:10. Reply to emails.
10:00. Drive for two hours.
12:00. Exercises (press ups, elbow dips, stomach stuff).
12:30. Lunch (salad and bread).
13:00. Afternoon nanna nap.
14:30. Check engine bay.
14:45. Listen to iPod.
16:00. Read a book.
17:00. Cook dinner if it is my turn. If not then emails.
18:00. Drive for four hours.
22:00. Check engine bay and fuel. Any last emails.
22:30. Off to bed. mmmmm. sleepy tight.
Day 33
Last 24 hours: 565nm
Total Distance covered: 13,887nm
Ahead of world record: 2667nm
Ave speed last 24 hours: 23.5kn
GPS Location: 06 56.558N, 142 42.177E
ETA Koror – Palau: Saturday 8:30pm (31st May)