Preparing for a Month at Sea - Onward towards Alaska

It is a long way to Alaska and our path will be longer than the red line shown due our usual crazy zig-zagging with the weather.

As you likely picked up from our previous blog posts, Fluenta and her crew are intending to leave shortly for Alaska.  Expected landfall is Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. The distance down the rhumb line is about 3000 nm but being on sailboat we rarely travel in a straight line.  Depending on the winds we are estimating a passage time of about one month.  On our way north we may stop at an atoll to check over the various repairs and adjustments we have made.

The last, very long, blog post talked about the maintenance we have done over the last little while.  Of course, other preparations like victualing - embarking food - are important too.

Loading up with food for longer adventures is not new to Fluenta but any cold weather sailing seems in the distant past.  I did not even own any shoes - other than flipflops - until yesterday.  Not to worry, we have been on a mail order frenzy for warm clothes and everybody is kitted out with new layers including some awesome merino wool clothing.  I am sure you will see pictures of the new gear in use when we get back into internet land on the other side.

After six weeks in the same location the kids built quite the climbing gym.  Unfortunately it had to come down if we are going to actually use the sails.

After six weeks in the same location the kids built quite the climbing gym.  Unfortunately it had to come down if we are going to actually use the sails.Add caption

Lightening up the load on Fluenta - Giving some books to the local library.  As five bookworms we somehow collect a lot of books.

and more load lightening.  One of two deliveries to the Canvasback Wellness Centre.

and loading up with diesel.  Lots of heavy diesel.   Getting less expensive diesel at a roadside fuel station rather than the overpriced fuel at the dock.

At the scenic dock. In total Johnathan and I hauled 23 jerry cans of diesel over four trips.

Lots of food onboard for the expected month at sea plus a big amount for "contingencies".  Here Liz has canned some meat.

As we have done for the last few years, we will usually post update on how we are doing, weather conditions, fishing report etc to Yachts in Transit daily on passage.  Our page on Yachts in Transit is here.

The Fluenta page on Yachts in Transit.  We try to update this daily on passage.

We also intend to blog more frequently while on passage.  Everything is transmitted over our Iridium Go so lots of text but no pictures.  You can also track our progress with the map at the top of the blog page.  It is updated automatically by Predictwind and, if you click the "settings gear" in the top left of the map you can see the forecast weather at our location.   With a change in Facebook policies we can no longer post directly to Facebook so you will have to check on the blog to see what we are up to.

The normal tracking map you see at the top of every SV Fluenta blog post courtesy of Predictwind's magic.

and if you select the "Gear" button shown circled in red in this picture, you can see Predictwind's forecast for our location.

As in previous years, a reminder that if you notice that the tracking is not working please do not revert to "panic stations".  There are all sorts of technical and operator issues that could cause the systems to not work.  If we do have an actual emergency we will activate the EPIRB(s) and PLB(s), use the SOS buttons on the Iridium Handheld or Go and/or call RCC directly.

Sigh ... not many tropical sunsets left for us.