90. A Half Way Pit Stop

I’m writing this post from Minerva Reef. An atoll two thirds of the way between New Zealand and Fiji. A reef that barely rises above the surface of the ocean, just high enough to protect its interior from the ocean swell outside. The reef offers no protection from the wind but with depths of fifteen odd meters inside, it is essentially a perfect mid-ocean parking lot for cruisers that want to take a break during a long passage in waters that often offer challenging conditions. In my case it was the perfect spot for me to spend a few days relaxing, snorkelling and licking my wounds after getting hit by a serious squall a few days ago.

The reason that I’m able to post this from the middle of nowhere is that I’ve finally equipped Saoirse with a Starlink antenna. Which essentially means that I can be connected to the rest of the world, wherever I am in the world. I can make internet calls, browse the web and look at uninteresting people dancing or playing with their cats all day long. But more importantly, I can consult the web anytime I’m having a technical problem onboard and I have backup for my Iridium satellite router. A true game changer for any long distance sailor but far from the only upgrade I made in New Zealand.

First and foremost, I had my rudder completely rebuilt. It was on its way out. And when I say out, I mean out of the hull! Through the bottom of the boat. I don’t even want to think of what that would have meant. It’s impossible to say how long that would have taken and it would have been impossible to detect the damage had I not decided to pull it out and have it checked as a precautionary measure. There is no suggested schedule that I’ve seen recommending this. It just felt like it was time.

I have also installed a complete new autopilot. One with a gyro that is better at compensating for waves. The old one will serve as a spare and I’m able to switch between the two in less than a minute. Self-steering is essential for a solo sailor and having a backup is a huge comfort. Particularly now that it’s attached to a rudder that I can trust.

During the past couple of years I have generally sailed in areas with limited marine traffic. With the exception of the Panama Canal area I can only recall a handful of reasonably close encounters at sea. Almost all other vessels are easily identified via AIS and any risk of collision feels very remote. But this assumes that everyone out there wants to be seen. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to apply to fishing vessels. Last year, in pitch black conditions outside Tonga, the whole ocean suddenly lit up by an entire fishing fleet that decided to make its presence known at the last minute. With only flood lights. No navigation lights. No AIS. And no VHF response. Being only a nautical mile from sailing into God knows what I ended up having to ask my buddies on Traveller to track them via their radar in order to avoid collision. It was a close call and at the time I promised myself to install a radar when I got to New Zealand. Particularly as I will be entering much more populated areas in Southeast Asia. I now have a new Doppler radar that not only tells me what’s out there but also how it’s moving in relation to Saoirse. There is no hiding from me now.

I also took the opportunity to replace my old chart plotter in the cockpit as the old one started to act up. And in the process I decided to add a second unit at the navigation station inside and replace a whole host of other electronic and electrical equipment. Including my whole electrical distribution panel and a ton of cables and connectors that had been damaged by the very same wave that took out my Iridium router last year.

I’ve also added three more solar panels at the back of my arch. In an effort to try to keep up with my ever increasing need for electrical power. But with Starlink, fridge, freezer, navigation lights, autopilot, radar, ten different display screens as well as all normal household type equipment plugged in I doubt that the 1000 w of solar panels that I have installed will be enough. I will no doubt have to resort to using my engine or generator from time to time. Particularly when I need to make water.

Saoirse’s engine has also had a major overhaul. The cooling system has been rebuilt with stainless steel parts, a much improved fuel filter system and the sail drive seal and engine mounts have been replaced. The latter should not have been needed for several years but the crane operators at the boat yard managed to put one of the lifting straps under the drive leg and there was no way to make sure that all that pressure hadn’t caused any damage.

So there you have it. At least some of the jobs I had done during my New Zealand pit stop. With a new rudder, most of the electrics and electronics replaced and the engine upgrades I feel that Saoirse is more than ready for the second half of this circumnavigation. In fact, when I updated the Equipment and Upgrades page on this website it struck me that there is not a lot left of the original boat. And she is still only in her early teens. But then again, the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans are waiting ahead and it feels so nice to confidently be able to move on.