Time to Change the Impeller

 

It was time for one of the most tedious but necessary boat maintenance tasks.  We were at 500 engine hours since the last change, and the gurgling sound when we turned off the Yanmar engine wasn’t as happy as it used to be.  

Here’s what we saw when we uncovered the old one.

As you can see, the blades are curved in opposite directions- not good. We used a ziptie to hold all the blades on the new one in the same direction while inserting it. This took a few tries, as  the lubricated impeller was slippery and difficult to insert.

Finally! Success!  The new impeller is inserted.

The best part of the job was the cooldown.  We jumped into the water and swam to the beach.

Courage

I have had my courage tested in recent weeks, first with the tsunami hitting while Curtis was away back in the States and I was by myself aboard Manna in an anchorage in Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia. 

I and some buddy boats were enjoying sundowners (we had heard about the earthquake in Russia and about the potential tsunami but we were acting like high schoolers in hindsight)  when the call came in over the VHF from French Polynesia authorities that all boats anchored in the Marquesas Islands that were able were to immediately leave their anchorage and move to deeper water - 1000 meters. Or go to shore.  We were to be prepared to be at sea for 48 hours. 

It was about 6:30 pm and already dark out.  And of course the anchorage was super swelly.  Two of the crews left immediately to ready their vessels and I was left with my friend Sharon, a single hander on an 2007 Amel 54.  I talked to Curtis and we decided that the best course of action would be for me to secure and leave Manna, who was stern anchored and with plenty of scope in 35’ of water.  I did not feel able to pull the anchors up by myself and sail out.  Sharon was the only friend who was willing to take me back to to Manna to secure her (I didn’t even have my own dinghy launched).  

So we launched her dinghy in the dark, in the swell, after a few rum drinks.  We zoomed to nearby Manna and I battened down all of the hatches and port windows, grabbed my ID and iPad and said goodbye.  The tsunami wave was forecast to hit at about 1:00 am and waves were predicted to be 4 meters.  The swell in the dark anchorage plus panic made for a lot of adrenaline which helped us hoist and secure Sharon’s dinghy aboard her boat, remove sun covers, and prepare to pull anchor.

About 15 boats left our anchorage and we sailed slowly back and forth all night between Nuku Hiva and Ua Pou, a nearby island.  Sharon’s boat had some electronic issues which Curtis had been helping her troubleshoot, but required new parts to repair, such as her AIS antenna.  So we are out all night on the open sea with a flaky AIS. Avoiding other boats relying on eye of sight on a moonless night.  It was quite a night.

We thought we may have felt a wave pass under us around 1:00 am.  It was impossible to differentiate between a tsunami wave and the normal ocean waves.   We sailed slowly all night. There was a meteor shower, so we enjoyed that show as best we could.  Once the sun rose again, we felt somewhat relieved and were also receiving information that nearby ocean waves monitoring bouys had detected only waves of less than 1 foot.  

We were instructed not to return to the anchorage until noon, but around 9:30 am we heard a loud bang on the Bimini above our heads.  Sharon’s topping lift that held her boom up had a shackle failure.  Her boom was resting on the metal framing. Fortunately the mainsail was down when this occurred. We secured the now hazardous boom.

So we motored back to the anchorage a bit early.  I helped Sharon anchor and replace her sun covers.  We ate some breakfast.   I could see Manna nearby, she looked fine. The water in the anchorage was nearly flat calm, a very rare condition here.  Thankfully, Manna was unscathed.  When I went down below, not even the glass of water I had left on the table had spilled. The tiny 2” paint by number of Bob Ross that I recently did in my spare time was still standing on it’s flimsy easel. I was beyond grateful for my boat and God’s protection over it.  

The experience taught me many things.  First and foremost, I need to practice pulling the anchor all by myself.  We always tag team this task, with me at the helm and Curtis handling the windlass.  I haven’t touched the windlass in years.  That is going to change.  Also, having the boat always ready to move with 30 mins notice.  If we had lost our dear Manna, the insurance company could have easily denied our claim because I did not follow the instructions of the authorities to leave the anchorage. 

All’s well that ends well.  Our buddy boat used AI to generate the regatta flag below, which garnered a lot of chuckles on What’s app the following day.  Curtis is back after being gone for 2 weeks.  His was back in the Seattle area because his father died - not unexpectedly.  The funeral went well and now he’s busy continuing to handle his duties as executor of his father’s estate.  He returned just yesterday. I’m so happy to have him back. 

Oh, and the other thing that tested my courage happened just this morning while Curtis and I were unpacking our genoa that we had repaired locally here in Nuku Hiva.  We had been too lazy/tired to try to cram the repaired sail into our V berth so we just left it in it’s bag on the foredeck for the past two weeks.  When we were unrolling the sail, two large cockroaches scattered out!  I grabbed some nearby cardboard from a box that was sitting in the cockpit (don’t want to bring any eggs into the boat via the cardboard, right?)  I was able to squish both of the cockroaches before they got down below, pfhew!  We were so glad that we hadn’t stored the sail properly down below! 

It’s always something in boat life.  I don’t think its 30% boredom.   

Marquesas French Polynesia

We set sail from San Diego on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025. Manna was ready to go.  New solar panels, Highfield dinghy, new steering cables, and rebuilt water maker.  We were ready to cast off the dock lines and return to the magnificent Marquesan Islands.

Our 23 day passage was much more challenging this time, with frequent squalls and a massive ITCZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone).  We flew our jennaker quite a few days.  Our new ATN snubber sock made deploying and retrieving our pretty sail a breeze.  

Wildlife sightings were rare.  We saw a frolicking whale one day out, other than that only sea birds, which we sometimes had to shoo off of our shiny new solar panels.  We did have one boobie travel with us for several days on the bowsprit, so all of its poop only hit the anchor, which was fine by us. 

Our arrival in Hiva Oa could not have been timed more perfectly, mid afternoon on a Monday, May 12.  It was wonderful to finally drop the anchor and stop moving. 

The next morning we went to Atuona and cleared in at the Gendarmerie (police station) easily on our own, without having to hire an agent.  FP now has an online form to fill out in advance of arrival which makes clearing into the country quite easy.  

The sweet floral smell of terra firma and the beautiful views were wonderful.  

 We will be departing the Marshall Islands going to Seattle, WA soon! Tracking information at the bottom of our home page. This will be a 4-6 week journey for us.

Snorkeling in Majuro Marshall Islands

We are fortunate to be able to snorkel and dive in Majuro. Thankfully COVID has not shown up here, so aside from some restrictions meant to protect the people of RMI, we are still free to enjoy the underwater world. Here is a short underwater compilation using a not so good camera.

The colors are much more spectacular and the numbers and variety of fish is much more than our camera can capture.

Maloelap, Marshall Islands March 2020

Ha’apai, Tonga. May 2019 Continued...

Part 2 – Arrival

In late afternoon, we finally ended up finding an anchorage at Ha’aFeva Island that offered good holding and protection from the wind. It wasn’t the prettiest island, and there was a hulking old Tongan supply ship anchored out just beyond the cement quay, with small boats picking up cargo directly from the ship.  But we were so happy to stop the boat.  Thankfully the ship left shortly after we anchored and after a nice cooked dinner, we enjoyed a peaceful full night's rest, which felt wonderful.

New Zealand to Ha’apai, Tonga. May 2019

Part 1 – The Passage

Our passage northwest from Opua, New Zealand to Tonga was a challenging kick-off to our second year of cruising.  We were sailing against variable 20-30 knot winds with sea waves and swell 2-3 meters high coming from three different directions. Within 8 hours of sailing, Julie was seasick for the first time. We were in coconut run cruiser's “survival mode” for 8 days.

Cruising Musings: Crossing Invisible Lines

In our first year of South Pacific cruising we have crossed several invisible lines: the equator, the international dateline, and significant marks on our personal timelines – we began our 27^th year of marriage and Curtis turned 50.

Crossing the equator is maritime rite of passage steeped in tradition, when a mere “pollywog” sailor transforms into a seasoned “shellback.”  All simply by crossing an invisible line quite literally in the middle of the ocean. We became shellbacks at 5:45pm on the 17^th of April 2018, nearly one year ago. After 16 days of sailing without any landmarks, watching the numbers steadily decreasing on the GPS latitude becomes quite exciting, along with anticipating the thrill of making this exciting announcement when checking in with fellow cruisers on the evening’s SSB radio net.

Many sailors celebrate with elaborate ceremonies, dressing up in costumes and enjoying a rare libation at sea, pouring some overboard to appease King Neptune. We skipped the costumes and feasted on homemade Key Lime pie, thanking God for his presence and protection on our journey.

We crossed the international dateline when sailing to Tonga. A few days of sailing at a brisk 8 knots from Niue to Neiafu, and we skipped right over Monday (if you’re going to skip a day of the week, Monday’s a great choice). We arrived on Tuesday, the 28^th of August. “It’s Tuesday, Grommit” we smiled happily as we cleared customs and began six weeks of relaxing island hopping in the Vava’u group.

“Time and tide wait for no man” is another nautical notion that we are reminded of almost daily living on a boat and dragging our dinghy up beaches.  Time passes invisibly, the days and years rapidly slipping away like water in a wake behind us. We celebrated our 26^th wedding anniversary on October 30^th in New Zealand. Here we are living on a sailboat in the South Pacific, feeling a bit like newlyweds embarking together on an entirely new life.

We celebrated Curtis’ 50^th birthday on the 3^rd of December 2018.  (Not far behind, Julie began the last year of her 40’s on March 6^th, 2019). We realize each day aboard Manna is a gift, and we experience with fresh awareness God’s daily provision. Just as he provided manna each morning for the Israelites to eat while sojourning in the desert, God provides for us in often unexpected ways!

inReach message from Curtis&Julie Denmark

We're exploring islands near Auckland. Great Barrier is a nature lover & hiker's dream. Waiheke is lovely-more urban& touristy

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Manna is happily sailing after our haul out. Fresh bottom paint & waxed hull seem to be helping her sail to Great Barrier Isle.

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We are enjoying the tramping (hikes) in NZ. Today we tramped Dukes Nose. A steep hike with rock climb at the end. Nice pipe handhold embedded in the rock!

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Merry Christmas! All is Merry & bright here in New Zealand. It's windy but we have a protected anchorage in islands and a pod of dolphins just swam under Manna

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Fatu Hiva - The Marquesas – French Polynesia – May 2018

Fatu Hiva’s Bay of Virgins is the most photographed anchorage in The Marquesas. We arrived just before sunset, a stunning time to admire the beauty of God’s creation. This small island, southernmost in the group, was formed by two successive volcanoes, the second being inside the crater of the first. Rock spires are the remnants of viscous lava surges hardened rapidly into stone and later eroded by water and wind. Vibrant green plants grow here, evidence of plentiful rainfall which we soon experienced.  

 

Up early the next morning, we joined our new friends Henk and Lisa from Harlequin, avid hikers from British Columbia, Canada, to discover our first waterfall.  The winding trail through the jungle and the rhythmic beat of falling rain on huge overhead plant leaves was exotic. When we reached the waterfall, we all waded in wearing our clothes, as we were already drenched by rain.  

Cool and invigorated, we continued up the road which runs along the ridge formed by the inner volcanic crater. Our rest stop provided a breathtaking anchorage view surrounded by volcanic hills.

 

We decided to complete the 17 km walk to the village of Omoa. We picked up countless mangos, a nice snack along the way. We peeled the mango skins off with our teeth and bit into the fruit, which left pulpy flesh clinging between our teeth and  sticky juice running down our chins. Lisa kept a keen eye and ear out for wild lorikeets. Late in the afternoon, as we descended the switchbacks to the next village, we knew that we would not be able to walk back to our boats before dark. Just about that time, a man walked out of the bushes wearing shorts and rubber boots, and Lisa struck up a conversation with him in French. Turned out he worked on the island restoring habitat for endangered Monarch birds, and he offered us a ride back to our moorage in his boat for a reasonable fee.  After walking for over 6 hours, we were certainly glad for a fast boat ride back.

A Day in Hanaiapa, Hiva Oa -The Marquesas – French Polynesia – April 2018

This day we explored the quaint and charming village of Hanaiapa on Hiva Oa.  Our photos tell the story, as well as the date and not the real time stamped on each one. (We fixed this later.)

We start the day with classic French Polynesia fare – a baguette and brie. Bon Appetite!

 

Full sun protection

Julie's first Polynesian quilt sighting

 

Copra - dried coconut used as an ingredient in many products, is an important export crop in French Polynesia

 

Phone booth in paradise - we never saw anyone using a phone booth in French Polynesia, but every village had one.

 

Pae Pae are stone platforms from old homes

Petroglyphs are found throughout the Marquesas. This one was most likely moved from it’s original location just so that Julie could find it.

William’s Yacht Club is unique in all of French Polynesia. A destination for cruisers who find this subtle sign, the club is located on William’s front porch.  William is warm, outgoing, and welcomed us with cold water and bananas.  He loves meeting people from all over the world who visit his village. He taught himself English and speaks bits of many languages.  He has volumes of notebooks where cruisers sign in and add their boat card. We were happy to add Manna to William’s record books.

The sign near the driveway reads "Yacht Club William Hanaiapa"

 

Lisa, Laurie, Julie and William proudly displaying his English-Marquesan lexicon

 

William and Captain Curtis



After a long, hot day of exploring it was wonderful to relax in the cockpit and watch the moon rise over Hiva Oa.

 

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First anchorage away from Opua! there are brown kiwi birds on this island. The sun is out, low 70's, bbq NZ lamb tonight.

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We will turn off our Garmin InReach soon. Please send us an email at svManna@outlook.com or use messenger to reach us in NZ.

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Watched a copper moon set slowly in the west at 5:40am. Seas are as smooth as molten lead. Manna is 162nm from NZ, motoring @6k

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We are halfway to Opua, NZ. It's been a windy, bumpy ride. 20-30 knots wind all the way so far. We are thankful to be sailing!

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We're officially on passage to NZ. Sailing 7k in 25k ESE wind. Main reefed, staysail up. Hope ocean swells will be tolerable.

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