New week on the Noddi, conquering the Pacific Ocean crossing. The last week ended with a sad news: the engine was not working anymore. This subject animated us for a good part of the following days. Fortunately, the wind was with us.
So we started this new week with 15 to 30 degrees of heel. Well, okay, it's not comfortable but we're doing great! So much so that on Monday, we beat our daily record for distance traveled: 163 mn (302 km). The sails are more efficient than the engine.
At this speed, we do not see sharks again. On the other hand, the birds continue to accompany us, but this time in flight! They took advantage of the sails to rest in flight as wild geese do when they migrate: they put themselves in a V shape and considered the boat as one of their own. A magical moment!
We also take advantage of the silence left by the engine to discuss between us and It feels good! In short, a dream start to the week.
But all this was not going to last; the wind had to calm down. After having beaten our record and passed the 1000 mn (1854 km) mark, the wind is fell this Tuesday. This lull allowed us to work on the engine for the first time to start a diagnosis: removal of the rocker arm cover, checking the condition, checking the condition of the decanters, checking the coolant of the heat exchanger...
We are not specialists and we are working under the supervision of Jean, Emilien's dad and Michel (his step dad). Since the beginning of the breakdown, Jean is on the nautical forums to find help and Michel is a great mechanic so we feel well-supported.
The result? Nothing abnormal. At least to our less experienced eyes. The fluid levels are normal and there is no "mayonnaise" on the rocker arms. This is positive, it seems to rule out the catastrophic theory of the cylinder head gasket.
For his part, Jean has started to contact the repair services in the Marquesas Islands to prepare for the job. If we have to order parts, if we have to go to a specialist, it's a good thing for the engine, but not for Noddi, who doesn't travel about 60 miles away
The next day, here we go again! We are not moving forward again, so much so that Emilien and Lucas were able to sleep during their night shifts! We move slowly and comfortably. We can easily read, chat, cook, play cards. Life is so much easier when we are not moving. We even have the chance to observe schools of dolphins! There are so many of them, maybe fifty. They passed in front of us jumping sometimes up to 2 meters out of the water!
In the air, they give powerful blows of tail before falling down in a huge flat. We also hear their blowholes and the show impresses us. It is in these moments that I feel lucky; when I am seized by the sudden beauty of nature.
We manage to do 80 minutes in a day with difficulty, but above all, we have news from Jean ! He passed on to us some manipulations coming from a diesel engine maintenance center in the Marquesas (MMS shipyard). Michel had anticipated this and was of the same opinion as them.
The next day, we set to work. We drained the engine oil: no water in the oil so it's not the head gasket. Then, we drained and changed the diesel filter and it is probably where the problem came from: Water in the diesel! As a result, this water had to be injected into the cylinders and prevented the fuel from burning properly.
The problem was that the water was coming from the tanks, probably due to poor quality diesel and condensation. With Émilien, we had to purge everything, empty the decanter bowls, clean them, empty the water, little by little It took us 3 hours! A small wink to Lucas who crossed in the place of Emilien is 6 hours in a row. The good thing is that the problem was probably coming from there and it's not a big deal. Just finish removing the water from the tanks and attempt to restart. We will see later.
This day also marks the return of the wind; still shy, a little further back, but well and truly present. We are making progress, and this time, both on the engine and geographically. We are also officially entering the southern hemisphere! A mythical and strong moment. To tell the truth, we didn't really realize it: it's only in the evening, while raising the point that we saw it. So, Emilien brought out a box of squid for the aperitif to end the day in style!
Since that day, we are slowly moving towards our goal. With a capricious wind which weakens at the beginning of the night, it is difficult to keep the average speed of the beginning of the trip and we are approximately 110mn per day. It doesn't matter, we're just getting closer.
We take advantage of each sunset; they are exceptional in this weekend. The air being humid, a small mist diffracts the light of the star and offers us a colorful show! It is as if the sky was on fire. The water darkens and the reflections become orange. A spectacle exceptional
Another evening ritual, and not the least: reading the news of the day. Every day, Jean (Emilien's dad) sends us a selection of articles to keep us informed of the news. From geopolitical news, to scientific articles, without forgetting the local press, crazy stories and Shadocks proverbs. The panel that is offered to us is wide and entertains us when read aloud. Another moment of the day that the three of us share around a meal.
Thus, in spite of the moments of petulance of the week, morale remains high. We know we're making progress and the engine problems don't seem that bad.
We have new manipulations to come but we will have to wait for the next storm, in the Marquesas we hope.
See you the following week for the continuation of the transpacific.