Having a much bigger boat, what could possibly go wrong this time..
So the idea was, after purchasing IRResistable, that we could fix up the most important things and then to baptize her in the Gummert fashion sail her to our favorite Pandan Island for Christmas and New Year. After several attempts we had done the same with Magayon II several years back, which had ended up being ship wrecked on the Pandan Island hours reef during a tropical storm and then Miriam staying 3 months on the island to take care of the boat until weather had improved. Now we have a bigger boat with a more powerful engine, so what could go wrong this time?
Martin went to Puerto Galera one week before Christmas to continue working on the electrics and to get three basic functions reactivated: Navigation lights, the anchor winch and the depth gauge. Joel had reinforced the starboard deck where the winches are located and sealed all the bolts with through hole fittings. Just the evening before the scheduled departure the depth gauge was running, the navigation lights that had been lost in the Lazada delivery chain located, retrieved and installed, and the anchor winch was installed and working. When testing the anchor it became clear that the clutch of the winch was broken. Schwamm drüber, who needs an anchor winch anyway with strong crew on board.
Puerto Galera to Pandan Island
Miriam came by bus on December 21, the night before we were planning to set sail. I still had not bought supplies and fuel, so the next morning was filled with errands, including parking the car with some of the tools inside at a local mechanics workshop to keep it safe over the extended time.
We raised anchor exactly at noontime of December 22, raised the Genua immediately and the Main with 1 reef once we had cleared the Manila Channel.
Amihan was blowing from the back and we quickly passed White Beach and then Abra de Ilog. We decided against anchoring at Abra because the wind and waves were onshore and anchoring did not sound save. Instead we planned to go around Calavite point and anchor somewhere in beach sheltered from the wind by Calavite, expecting to be able to drop anchor around 22:00. This meant sailing at night, but in that area there is very little fishing gear in the water and visibility was reasonable OK with no clouds in the sky. As a concession to safety we lowered the sails and were running with motor so that we could maneuver quickly should it be needed.
Around midnight we tried one spot that looked favorable on the cMaps chart, but it was very close to a rock wall with the sea ground getting deep quickly. It did not appear save. A quick discussion and we decided to proceed and motor overnight.
In the morning we set sail again, but lowered the Genua, hauled in the main sheets close and motored again, the wind was very erratic with changing direction all the time, we would not have arrived the same day on Pandan Island.
Almost exaclty 24 hours later, at noontime, we reached Pandan Island. Alix had told us to use Rainbow’s End’s mooring, Miriam did, as always, the perfect coil up to the mooring and soon we had our welcome drinks at the Pandan Island beach bar.
Christmas and New Year
The Christmas and New Year parties were typical Pandan Island style. Lots of great food, drinks, gift exchange and games and big fireworks on New Year. Mavic and the Bryant family arrived after Christmas. In between we had some relaxing beach days and I did one dive. No trip to Apo Reef though because a bug went around and prevented some to equalize.
To be completed
Sailing back to Puerto Galera
Or so we thought.
First day of the journey back. Martin fuelled up in the morning while Mavic and Miriam went shopping for food. We left Rainbow’s End’s mooring around 10:00 with no wind, the weather forecast predicted little wind for the next 5 days, but relatively strong Amihan from East in the North of Calavite until Puerto Galera, but then Amihan picked up. In the afternoon we had similar conditions as last year with Naya from Apo Reed to Pandan Island. We put back the first reef in the main and furled in the Genoa 1/3. sailing well doing 6 knots and heeling a lot.
Tomorrow, with, strong Winds from East in the Calavite Passage over the next two days, we would have to tack all the way from Calavite point to Puerto Galera. But we had 30 horses loaded and lots of fuel, provided by Pandan Island resort. So what could go wrong? But first we had to take the usual year end photo, unfortunately again without Kata.
Over the course of the afternoon the wind picked up and we had to reef the main to first reef and furl in the genua to around 1/3rd. We found a nice bay of a fishing village at Igsuso Barangay and decided to stay overnight there.
The bay looked protected on the map for anchoring overnight. When taking in the sails the motor revs went down and then the motor died. Genoa out again to keep control over the boat while rushing to trouble shoot at the beginning of darkness. A bit of fiddling with the fuel lines and another try to start, no action. The starter battery was empty. Luckily the emergency switch that connects starter battery and home battery worked, so we could re-start the engine and reached the bay safely. Anchoring on 10 m with 30 meters chain and 10 m rope. It turned out that the wind is still strong in the bay and the anchor slipped. New maneuver, anchoring on 7m (the chart is very inaccurate, so we don‘t want to risk rocks). Second anchor out in the back to reduce the schwoyen, now it holds. A bit of adrenaline rush at the end of the day. Might need to use the little generator to charge the battery tomorrow. Solar panel power is limited.
The bay was supposed to be safe, behind a mountain range, but nevertheless there were nasty gusts all night long. I slept in the cockpit and woke up from the gusts then checking whether we had changed position with reference to two bangkas on port and starboard and the depth on the depth gauge. Luckily we were safe but I did not get a lot of sleep.
The next day (History does not repeat itself. but it Rimes)
The wind had picked up overnight and we quickly had to put in the second reef in the main.
Yesterday afternoon the trouble had started. The Engine started loosing speed and then turned off. Some error checking focussing on the fuel lines lead to no insights into the problem. Then the starter motor failed to engage. Turning the emergency switch, which connects starter and home batteries parallel, restarted the engine. Cause of the problem? Empty starter battery, we thought. The battery indicator light at the engine control panel was on for some time indicating problems with the alternator. The charge relay obviously did not work either since, if it would, the solar panels would also have charged the starter battery.
We still continued because we still have the little generator which we could use to charge the starter battery. And the emergency switch. Since we only have lights and two fans on the home battery, its SOC was so far always over 95%. 140 Ah home battery vs. 70 Ah starter battery plus solar charging. Should be all right.
That was not the only problem. There also still seemed to be something wrong with the fuel supply. Either sludge accumulated during the years, or from dirty fuel. At low revs the engine works for some time, at higher revs it cuts out often.
Before reaching Calavite Point, at Pamutusin Cove, we had very strong wind with lots of gusts, putting a lot of strain on the main (with 2nd reef) and on the genua, (only 1/4 out). After passing Calavite Point we hit even stonger wind and gusts and then, when trying to furl in the further, it ripped apart in the middle. Now we had only the main sail and a faulty motor left. After beating against the wind for around 30 minutes with the reefed main only, and making almost no height, we decided to turn around back to Pandan Island. I decided to stay there to get the motor fixed and organise the repair of the genua or even a new foresail, while Mavic, Miriam and Regis went back to Puerto Galera by bus and picked up the car to bring it to Subic. Hopefully Iwill not have to stay for 3 months, as Miriam had to with Magayon II several years ago.
Regis and Miriam were having fun of a lifetime because it was sailing pure. I am more thinking about spare part supply chains, or the lack of those. 🤣
After a bit of experimenting we found the reason for the engine always loosing power and stopping. Sludge in the fuel tank. Lots of it. Clogging the outlet hose in the tank and the fuel cock. Using an improvised hose going directly into the tank from the level sensor opening and stopping 5 cm above the bottom made the engine run smooth, for a while. I hope it would last until Pandan Island. Scheduled to arrive there around midnight.
On the way back we had the wind from port, still quite strong but most of the time manageable with the reefed main alone. When it got dark and we were close to a shallow area off Mamburao we started the motor and took in the main. The motor died several times, we then cleared the fuel outlet of the tank repeatedly and started it again. This took its toll on the house battery, around 22:00 it was drained and would not crank the motor anymore. We now relied on the main only. What made things worse was that we had gone very much off land, if we kept the course we would have to tack back against the wind, impossible with only the reefed main. Miriam did a great job for several hours to get as close to the wind as possible, beating against the waves, with water coming over the deck several times (during which we found out that the saloon top hatch is also leaking big scale). To get one more engine start power into the batteries, I pulled out the little generator and connected it to the shore power lines. For around an hour I was holding the generator firmly in place on the heeled deck while holding on to winches for stability, putting around 0.12 kWh more juice into the batteries. Not a lot, hopefully just enough for one more start.
Some time after midnight we then got close enough to the land to make it to Pandan Island without tacking and in relatively calm waters. We have never been as happy as when we saw the lights of Sablayan come up at the horizon. We got close to the island at around 1:30.
We assumed the worse case scenario, that the engine would not start for the docking maneuver. So we had one go to try it under sail, if we missed it we would have to sail out to the open sea and then stay there until daylight and then organize a tow. Karla was at Apo Reef for an overnight dive trip, so she was not an option before she came back in the afternoon. She could probably pick us up on the way back floating somewhere between Pandan Island and Apo Reef. Karla had towed three big dive boats that ran into engine problems in the last week, so considering other boats was also not an option. The cost guard only has a small RIB, not suitable for a tow.
For the mooring maneuver we came up with a plan with 4 staggered options in case some went wrong, and then. prepared the boat for it.
- First try: We sail with the main to Karla’s buoy, make an Aufschiesser, and dock at the mooring with a standard mooring maneuver under sail. Once at the mooring we release main sheet and drop the main immediately, but are ready to raise it in case we need to go to the next mooring.
- Second try: In case we missed the mooring but we are close, Regis to jump in the water with a rope attached to the boat, and attache the other end quickly to the mooring line.
- Third try: Drop both anchors at mooring depth (15-20m).
- Fourth try: Repeat at the more downwind mooring of Rainbow’s End, any of the above that are feasible.
Miriam was on the helm, Regis at the bow with gloves, boat hook, anchor and additional lines, Mavic on deck with a flashlight to help find the mooring lines and I took care of sheet and halyard, and anything else that might appear. We were ready, in the worst case we would visit the house reef for a second time.
Regis had contacted Alix on Pandan Island once we had cellphone reception and explained the situation. Both moorings, that of Karla and of Rainbow’s End were available. Gael had grabbed a fisherman with his small bangka and was waiting at Rainbow’s End’s buoy to assist us in docking.
Alix and Gas were on the beach with flashlights. Gas said later he also had developed 4 options to assist us.
Luckily the wind was significantly weaker and the sea was much calmer in the channel between Sablayan and Pandan Island. We approached, were able to start the engine a few hundred meters off the moorings and Miriam steered the perfect maneuver to Karla’s buoy. Easy. Save. But better to have contingency plans and prepare for them, it could have been tricky if the motor had not started.
Our plan was to sleep on board and sort out next steps the next day, but the fishing boat took all crew except myself on land. They found a space to sleep at Gael’s room and in the massage area.
The rescue plan
January 4.
The first thing was to move IRResistible from Karla’s mooring to Rainbow’s End’s mooring, around 120 meters further West, because Karla needed its own mooring when coming back from Apo Reef. Since the motor was no option, we tied all four spinnaker sheets plus another long rope together. Regis then swam to the other mooring with the rope, attached it, and we then released Karla’s mooring and hauled the rope in and safely moored again.
This time I am staying on Pandan Island with the boat. I will fix the alternator and clean out the fuel system. Always look at the bright side of life: This way I have the chance to meet Pete and Aileen (arriving tomorrow) and Reiner and Biggi (arriving on the 8th).
Mavic, Miriam and Regis left yesterday, picked up the car in Puerto Galera and are now on the ferry. They took the torn Genua with them. Luckily only the seams seem to be broken and the blue UV protection needs replacement anyway. So we probably can fix it. I already contacted Hyde Sails in Cebu for info on repair. If they can do it quickly it should be possible to get the sail back before the end of the month. If Hyde can not do it we still have the option of our SailRite.
Miriam plans to celebrate her Birthday on Feb. 1 on Pandan Island. So after that we can then sail back to PG, either via Calavite again if the wind is calm or around the south tip of Mindoro.
I will go to Cavite for the awarding of the BsC scholarship awards at Girls Town for a few days around January 14, and then also pick up the anti fouling in Cavite, then go back to Pandan Island to fix the new alternator. Go to Subic a week later to organise haulout and some other things, and back to Pandan Island for Miriam’s BIrthday. After that we should be able to sail her back.
P.S. More engine trouble
On January 6 I join a dive trip to Apo Reef. On the way back there are two large diving Bangkas floating powerless around 40 minutes off Sablayan. One had engine trouble and was given a tow, until the engine of the towing boat also failed. Karla picked up their line and we did a slow speed detour dropping the two boats at Sablayan port. On January 11 Karla gave a tow to one of the boats again, engine trouble. I wonder whether there is something wrong with the Sablayan Diesel.
