The miracle machine

This amazing watermaker was built on board Tintin last year by Steve and Rob.
It uses power from the engine to drive a pump which forces seawater through a very fine membrane at high pressure. The membrane only lets water molecules through. The resulting output of fresh water goes directly into our water tank, and the super salty water by-product goes back into the sea. It produces 120 litres per hour.

Without this machine we would have to limit ourselves to using 4 litres per day per person on the long crossing ahead. With it, we can even have a shower every day. Fantastic.

Pre Pacific voyage preparation

In two days time we start the next stage of our travels, 2910 nautical miles to the Marquesas. We aren't yet half way to New Zealand, but we will be soon.

Here in the Galapagos we are still closer to London than we are to Fiji!

Today the water taxi delivered 400 litres of diesel to top up our tanks (we used quite a bit coming here from Panama, 79 engine hours over 6 days).

We know that we will need to head south from here to find reliable SE trade winds, before we head west across the Pacific to Polynesia. Now Steve is on board we hope for seamless downwind sailing, because that is what usually happens when he is with us!

Rob and Steve spent yesterday in the engine "room" giving the engine its service. We need to change the propeller anode, check the running rigging, and buy fresh food. Then most of the pre departure job list will be done.

The water tanks are full of freshly desalinated water made by our miraculous Steve and Rob Watermaker. I love that machine.

Galapagos landscapes

The landscapes here in the Galapagos vary from scorching dry lava fields with candelabra cacti to verdant forest in the interior.
On our journey from Isabella to Santa Cruz we passed an island which was a volcanic crater, horseshoe shaped, sheer and arid.

Reef sharks, rainbow fish, turtles and rays

Underwater Galapagos

The island of Isabela is shaped pretty much
like a sea horse. Yesterday we took a snorkelling trip to the SW corner of the island, together with the Aurora B team of Ed, Gemma, Henry and Eva, and a very knowledgeable naturalist guide called Rodolfo. The boat Anita was crewed by Captain Klever with his sidekick Captain Banana (according to their T shirts).

Our destination was Los Tuneles, part of the coast where lava has left incredible rock formations and arches, and it was snorkelling paradise. Much shallower than the seas around Kicker Rock off San Cristobal island, it was less daunting to slip over the side of the boat even though we knew that these too were shark infested waters. But only reef sharks, Rodolfo reassured us, and apparently they aren't remotely interested in us.

Our bravery was rewarded instantly by a little Galapagos penguin whizzing around just next to us underwater, chasing his lunch. We encountered enormous sea turtles who didn't seem at all bothered by our presence. Rodolfo found a sea horse, about 20cm long, wrapped round a stick on the sea floor.

Photo credits: Rob and Rodolfo

Isabella Island

Each time we go ashore we are surprised by another treat of close up and completely unafraid wildlife

Flamingos today!

Fresh Face

Hello, Steve here adding to the blog for the first time.

I arrived 2 days ago from home on three flights which all went smoothly until the end.

After the 1 1/2 hour flight of the last leg from Guayaquil, the approach seemed a bit lumpy and the pilot then soared away to go round for another go, This happened twice more after which he turned around and went back to the start. Information was scarce, but we gathered in the end that we were refuelling and going back to try again.  All communications were meant to be off during refuelling so apologies for the lack of information to anyone following my progress.

Second attempt was fine and I was met by Rob who told me that everywhere had been under water at the time of the first attempts and they had not actually seen the plane at all, just heard the attempts. 

Rob and Jo and in fine form and, of course, very welcoming. I find I have a reputation to live up to as a bringer of fair winds that avoid the need for tacking. I have perhaps 4,000 sea miles in my history and only one (at most) tack in the lot of it.

The Galapagos are both similar and different to what I was expecting. The town of San Cristobel, where I landed, would remind you of a small, low key, slightly touristy, Mediterranean coastal town. 

The other areas, though, are exactly what one would expect. There is wildlife everywhere.  Virtually no mammals, but vast quantities and varieties of birds, fish and others. 

The group though is much larger than I had expected. The island where we are now, Isabella, is the largest and is 100 Km from North to South. I am informed that only 0.01% of the total area is accessible to tourists.

Yesterday we had a trip further along the island for a walk, beach swim and snorkelling. A hard life indeed. The snorkelling was particularly special. At a place called Kicker Rock fish were evident in their droves, like a huge aquarium. This was combined with sightings of sharks (not aggressive or hungry), turtles and sea lions. 

I should say that sea lions are everywhere. They will come and plonk themselves on any comfortable surface they can get on. You can't leave a dinghy tied to your boat; it will end up swamped with them.

The distinguishing feature of the wildlife seems to me to be that it just ignores you.  It isn't scared of you, but neither does it come up to you for food. It might land on something you bring, as with the sea lions, but then you have to be persistently noisy male yourself known to them to shift them off.

We travelled overnight, mostly motoring, to our current location in Isla Isabella and the morning is being occupied by catching up on sleep and similar activities.