The regular antifoul paint we sailors put under our ship is ablative plastic mixed with biocides like copper (and other metals, if allowed). Ablative means: it works like soap in the water Slowly the paint dissolves and new biocides come free, killing the next organisms on your boat. The plastic and the biocides end up in the water, on the bottom, slowly poisoining the environment. Every year you have to repaint your hull with some layers. A repetitive process of emitting copper and plastic into the environment.
We put coppercoat on the hull of Ya. Coppercoat is a mix of epoxy resin and copper. It also protects your ship from the growth of foul. You have to put 5 or 6 layers on it. This means that you put about 4 to 5 times more copper on your boat. Every year you sand a picometer of epoxy off and then the stuff works about 10 years, or sometimes even longer. This reduces the emission of copper with 50% or more.. the sanded resin is very little compared to the thick layer of ablative plastic. And, now it is sanded off in a controlled environment; the epoxy ends up in the the boat yards sewer tank and finally in an incinerator.
Dave sanded the bottom for days and daysand here he is painting the primer on it, just finishingThis is the resin (component A and B on the right) , the copper (left) and the special sort of thinner, ready for mixing.We started in the morning. Simon shows Dave how the mixing worksPeter and Bear (deep under the ship) are putting the layers of coppercoat on the hull, while Dave mixes, the whole day throughAt the end of the day we did all six layers. It is reasonably flat, so that is a good thing.
The Ya sailed two times through the Gulf of Panama. There is an invisible ocean system working and last year this failed for the first time in decades—shutting down a natural engine that feeds fisheries and cools coral reefs. Scientists say the collapse may be a red flag for deeper climate disruptions unfolding in silence beneath the waves (source)
Sailing with Ya through the Gulf of Panama, a part of the ocean that is know for its calm sea, but considered a vital system for the Earth.
An equatorial ocean system long considered stable has abruptly failed. For the first time in at least four decades, the Pacific upwelling off Panama—a critical process that brings nutrient-rich deep water to the surface—did not occur during its expected season in early 2025.
The shutdown of this upwelling cycle, revealed through long-term satellite data and direct field measurements, has left tropical waters warmer, less productive, and dangerously imbalanced. It’s a development researchers are calling both unprecedented and deeply concerning.
New findings published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences detail what may be an early signal of larger climate-related instabilities in tropical oceans, ecosystems that support major fisheries and coral reef systems across the globe.
A Key Ocean Engine Goes Silent
Each year between January and April, strong trade winds blowing across the isthmus of Panama create ideal conditions for upwelling in the Gulf of Panama. As surface waters are pushed offshore, cooler, nutrient-dense water from deeper layers rises to replace it. This process fuels phytoplankton growth, bolsters coastal fisheries, and cools coral reef ecosystems, helping them survive seasonal thermal stress.
(A) Typical upwelling and study sites. B) Satellite-derived sea surface temperatures (1985-2025)
But in 2025, that entire system stalled. Satellite records showed little to no chlorophyll presence in the water—a stark indicator of diminished biological productivity. Sea surface temperatures remained abnormally high, dipping below 25°C only briefly in early March, roughly six weeks later than expected.
Researchers aboard the scientific research vessel Eugen Seibold confirmed the absence of vertical water mixing, with deeper cool waters staying trapped beneath a stratified surface layer.
Data spanning more than 40 years revealed that the timing, strength, and duration of this seasonal upwelling had never failed in this way. While previous La Niña events affected the system mildly, none had triggered a total collapse like what was recorded in 2025.
A Drop in Wind Frequency—Not Strength
The investigation pointed to a sharp decline in the frequency of Panama’s wind-jets—short-lived, powerful gusts that historically drive the upwelling process. The number of wind events fell by roughly 74% compared to previous decades. Importantly, wind speeds remained close to historic norms when they did occur, indicating that it was the lack of consistency, not force, that disrupted the system.
Annual cycle of the Panama Low-Level Jet (PLLJ) winds speeds calculated at PLLJmax. The arrows indicate the wind magnitude and direction at 10 m from the surface. (IFREMER-CERSAT data 1992-2018. Credit: Andres Ordonez).
Researchers suspect the shift is linked to changes in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a key atmospheric feature whose northward movement during the 2024–2025 La Niña may have contributed to wind suppression. Still, the report notes that stronger ENSO cycles in the past failed to produce anything comparable, raising the possibility that underlying climate warming may be weakening these wind-driven systems in ways models have not fully captured.
The team behind the study includes scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, and several global partners. Their conclusion is clear: tropical upwelling systems may be more vulnerable than previously believed.
Fisheries Shrink, Coral Reefs Overheat
The disappearance of upwelling triggered an immediate biological response. Phytoplankton levels plummeted, depriving the food web of its base. Populations of fish that rely on plankton—sardines, mackerel, and cephalopods—declined in coastal areas, disrupting fisheries that supply both commercial markets and local subsistence communities.
Without the seasonal cooling effect of deep ocean water, coral reefs experienced prolonged thermal exposure, increasing the severity of bleaching events in early 2025. Dissolved oxygen levels also dropped in the water column, compounding stress on benthic and deep-dwelling species.
Coral in San Blas, Panama. The red still lives, the grey is deteriorating.
These cascading effects underscore how a disruption in one physical process can trigger widespread ecological damage—particularly in tropical zones where marine systems are tightly linked to seasonal atmospheric conditions.
The Tropical Monitoring Gap
One of the most revealing aspects of the event is that it might have gone unnoticed without long-running ocean monitoring programs in the region. Unlike well-instrumented upwelling systems in temperate zones, tropical areas like the Gulf of Panama suffer from gaps in observational infrastructure.
This lack of visibility has consequences. Upwelling events, despite their role in carbon cycling, fisheries productivity, and climate regulation, receive limited attention in global climate models. If disruptions like this become more frequent, or begin occurring in other Eastern Tropical Pacific regions, researchers warn that climate impacts may unfold faster than anticipated, and with less warning.
The study’s authors advocate for expanded monitoring networks, improved modeling of wind-ocean interactions, and greater integration of tropical data into global systems. The future stability of entire marine ecosystems may depend on it.
The mast went down, the electrician checked the lights, the radio specialist the VHF radio, the rigger checked the rigging, and in the meanwhile me and David did the work on the fibre glass and more. We even didnot have time to take pictures of it. But here are some
Dave polishes the mastEvery detail is important. Such as what wind sensor is it, to make the replacement easy. The sensor worked about 10 years and Peter never looked at it, since he knows how many knots the wind blows.Ian, the radio technician measures everything to find where the hiccup in the VHF system is.All deckpanels have to be renewed.Anybody? It comes with “Dutch Warranty” (around the corner). ;In this refit Peter does the intellectual work, like throwing the old anchor chain away.
It has been 6 years since the last refit was made on the Ya. So, it is time for the next one. Whangarei, New Zealand, is an excellent place to do the project.
Here she goes, hauled out with the craneAnd then we go straight into the details, like here taking of the Autoprops. The hull still has the antifouling that the Biosecurity of New Zealand required. Here the hull and centerboard and rudderblades are fully sanded down to put the more durable coppper coat on it. By the way, do you see that part of a solar panel on the lift under side?All deck panels are taken off, to be replaced. Three of them were broken. The tropical sun is ruthless , the panel connections became to hot. The new ones will be CIGS, a complete different system and technology. It is cheaper and much promising. See the CIGS field test from 2023 .
We did many more work, and so much work has to be done, we keep you updated.
Superyacht warf Vitters (Netherlands) is working currently on project Zero, a superyacht that will sail fossilfree. Vitters declares that it will change the world of sailing superyachts. She will have no combustion engines and will therefore be zero emission, just like Sustainable Yacht ‘Ya’.
The required energy on board will be generated by solar and wind energy. The yacht has classical lines, with a long lateral plan and long overhangs. She will be ketch rigged.
For us, here on the Ya, it is a feast that a decade after the Ya’s maiden trip, there is a superyacht following us in fossil free voyages.
A few years ago, I was snorkeling in the waters of Bocas del Toro, a beautiful bay in Panama. There, a curious fish looked me straight in the eye. “Hello, I live here, what are you doing here?”
“Hello, I live here, what are you doing here?”
I looked at the situation through his eyes and realized how carelessly we humans treat water in our environment. We build wind farms there, use it as a highway and dumping ground for cargo ships, and as a mining area for precious metals. We discharge our wastewater into the rivers, which then flows to the sea and the ocean. To those fish. For whom that water is vital.
Planetary Boundaries
Looking at the Netherlands as an example, fortunately all sewage systems have been connected to a treatment plant. But worldwide, more than 80% of sewage water flows untreated to rivers, lakes, and seas. And that’s not even counting direct discharges and runoff. It’s truly a miracle that so much life still exists. Nature has an impressive capacity for recovery, but that capacity has limits. Looking at the nine planetary boundaries (as shown in the image), it unfortunately appears that ocean acidification has now also reached a critical level. Source: https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/latest-news/seven-of-nine-planetary-boundaries-now-breached-2013-ocean-acidification-joins-the-danger-zone (internet, October 15, 2025)
Returning from the global issue of planetary boundaries to the Netherlands, we see three groups of substances that are of most concern based on their nature and magnitude:
– PFAS: persistent chemicals that do not break down and accumulate in ecosystems. They are found in firefighting foam, coatings, and even cosmetics.
– Pesticides: pesticides that end up in ditches and rivers via agricultural runoff and are harmful to aquatic life. – Pharmaceutical residues: hormone-disrupting substances and antibiotics that enter the environment via our sewage.
Good news
How much can we ask from the ocean? An overview.
These substances are difficult to remove and remain active for a long time (‘forever toxic chemicals’). Moreover, they not only cause pollution but also indirectly contribute to ocean acidification (see box). So, that all doesn’t sound great. But there is also good news. If we look at PFAS, we see that there is a lot of work being done on innovations in the field of alternative, environmentally friendly materials. Regarding crop protection products, there is increasing attention for conscious dosing and the use of less harmful alternatives. When it comes to removing pharmaceutical residues from sewage, additional purification steps are possible, such as ozonation and activated carbon filtration. These techniques often remove more than 80% of the pharmaceutical residues from the sewage. Adjustments to the treatment plants are therefore possible, but very expensive. That is why it is also important that we are more mindful of our medication use: using fewer medications saves costs and directly leads to less pollution of surface water.
How pollution and ocean acidification interact. Ocean acidification is primarily caused by CO₂, but substances of concern such as PFAS, pesticides, and pharmaceutical residues indirectly exacerbate the stress. They accumulate in the Sea Surface Microlayer (SML)—a crucial layer for gas exchange—and affect microbial processes that regulate the carbon cycle. In coastal areas, often including coral zones, this leads to a dual threat: acidification and pollution. Together, they make the restoration of vulnerable ecosystems even more challenging.
European Guidelines
Two European directives have been developed to protect our surface and groundwater from pollution: the Water Framework Directive and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Every measure to reduce pollution and discharges, every innovation in water treatment, contributes to recovery. The acidifying ocean benefits from this, regardless of all actions to reduce CO₂. If we give the water a chance to remain healthy, it will continue to work for our benefit, as Earth’s inhabitants. And to the benefit of the water dwellers, like that curious fish.
We’re in a carbon tunnel, writes Frits Verhoef. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions isn’t the solution to the crisis.
The EU aims to be climate neutral by 2050, and the Netherlands has promised to stick to that. But now that the low-hanging fruit has been harvested in the energy transition, we see that it’s becoming increasingly difficult. We’ve already made half of our electricity supply sustainable with solar panels and wind energy, but we’re hopelessly behind in other areas: transport, industry, the built environment. Perhaps because we’re pursuing the wrong goals.
We’re in a carbon tunnel: we think CO2 is our biggest problem. It isn’t. CO2 is merely the result of our energy hunger.
Our society has become unprecedentedly complex in 200 years. Not because we are more intelligent than 200 years ago or because the capitalist system is superior. We were able to build this complex society because of a surplus of cheap and easily accessible energy. Historically, we owe our prosperity primarily to an abundance of readily available energy.
Those who focus solely on reducing CO2 emissions apparently assume that we will also have this surplus of energy available in the future, with which we can maintain our complex society. That is an illusion. We don’t have a CO2 problem, we have an overconsumption problem.
The American thinker Nate Hagens calls this the Great Simplification: the inevitable moment when the energy foundation of our economy crumbles. Today’s society will not be the first to collapse due to a lack of surplus energy.
To ensure a smooth transition to this Great Simplification, a different sustainability objective is needed. Not emissions, but our energy hunger should be the benchmark.
2000 watts per person
I therefore advocate for a maximum amount of energy per person, not in total consumption, but in average power: 2000 watts per person. This equates to an annual consumption of 17,500 kWh: enough for heating, transportation, and comfort, provided we make conscious choices. This idea has existed in Switzerland for years. It means you might make your belongings last a little longer. It means you might consider flying and the alternatives. Not out of scarcity, but because there is a limit.
In Zurich, there are 2000-watt neighborhoods: well-insulated homes with shared facilities and smart energy use. The idea is powerful because it is concrete. Unlike CO2 targets, 2000 watts per person is a tangible goal.
What the Earth Can Handle
Moreover, this target does more: Spreading and limiting energy use reduces the pressure on the electricity grid. And by adhering to the same standard worldwide—2,000 watts per person—a fair guideline is also created: not based on historical privilege or purchasing power, but on what the Earth can handle.
Such a target only works if we also account for indirect energy. This is the energy needed to produce goods, build infrastructure, grow food, or manufacture wind turbines. Indirect energy accounts for 75 percent of our total energy consumption.
The beauty of a cap on energy use is that it helps us tell a new story. Such a cap also challenges our assumption of infinite growth. A story in which progress doesn’t equate to more, but to enough. In which we don’t blindly continue to grow, but seek balance. 2,000 watts per person is an invitation to recalibrate our definition of enough. As the Swiss say: In a society with 2,000 watts per person, scarcity doesn’t prevail, but sufficiency.
Frits Verhoef is an entrepreneur and author of Courage and Courage, for a climate of hope and action
“So you want to get yourself a car?” a New Zealander asked me, when I told him about my situation being on a boatyard and then do shopping so now and then. “What about a bike?” I asked him. “Ah, never thought of that”
Have a look at my beautiful bike I bought at a second hand shop.
Okay, it had a flat tyre, but I bought it for the price of…(see next picture)
I couldnot help it and gave 150 NZD for it.
I went for the bike, because it is better for my health, and for your health (less fumes from cars). Also for my wallet. If you hire a car for 2 days with a minimum insurance, you pay more.
Last week, we estimated we were halfway the voyage from Tonga to New Zealand. This week, we will find out how long it will take Peter, Maurits and Ya to complete the trip. Enjoy and find out what the real challenges of the voyage are!
What happened? Read on!
Anchoring in the ocean
Sun Oct 19 2025 07:29:00 GMT+0200
Peter saw an irregularly high usage of the electricity. So he checked all devices, one by one. In this case he forgot to switch back the electric anchor winch. After two hours, suddenly the anchor went out, a big noise of the chain running out. Peter jumped to the switch to check it, switched it on again, and the winch motor started working as a brake, and in about 5 or 10 seconds the running was stopped. Meanwhile, Maurits was already out of his berth. We checked it out, and there was 40 meter anchor chain out, in the ocean, with the anchor on it. The speed of the boat was significantly down with one knot. We were anchoring in the ocean. Technically, since the winch motor worked as a brake, it created electricity, and that burned some electronics inside. So, the winch didnot work anymore. So we had to haul in the chain and anchor by hand. That was way to heavy. So we lowered the sails and connected a line to the chain, then to a big winch. Maurits reeled it in for a meter. Then Peter connected a next line, to the second winch, and Maurits winched that in. Peter loosened the first one, reconnect it, Maurits winched it in for a meter. That is what we did about 40 times. Two hours of hard work, from 9 to 11 in the evening, we were dead tired. But 40 meter chain and an anchor at the end, that weight, in two hours, on a constantly moving ship, this is only possible with great teamwork. So, if you ever want to anchor in the ocean, don’t hesitate and give us a call.
A day at the ocean
Mon Oct 20 2025 08:15:00 GMT+0200
The wind is easy, the waves are easy. The Ya sails easily, we are easy. Peter does his jobs (“one job a day keeps the pros away”) and reads his book, Maurits reads his book and cooks a meal. Today is such a day that could be any other day. This is such a day the ocean sailor actually loves. Easy going, nothing breaks, the ship and the crew are all in laid back mode. Sometimes one looks up from his book or from the chart or weather report and brings up a navigational question. On these days the main question is always what we will eat for supper.
Today we ate a stew of pumpkin with lamb chops and a vegetable mix. With some fresh tomatoes on the side, as a modest salad. And we liked it.
Parasailor with bacon and eggs
Tue Oct 21 2025 09:05:00 GMT+0200
PredictWind predicted just a little wind so this morning we lowered all sails and set the Parasailor. Maurits lifted the sock and wuusssh, the Parasailor opened and the Ya started sailing. From about 3 knots on the regular sails, we went to 4.5 knots on the Parasailor. Since the wind picked up a bit, we even made more than 5 knots for some hours. the Ya glides through the water like a warm knife goes through the butter. Maurits spent some hours in the cockpit just to see the Parasailor work.
Then we ate bacon and eggs, with some cheese melted on it and some slices of tomato.
A day we will not forget.
All for the soup
Wed Oct 22 2025 09:52:00 GMT+0200
The New Zealand government has rather extensive regulations on what food you are allowed to take with you. Some other countries like Samoa have the same rules, but there you sign a declaration that your food will not leave the ship and will only be used for own consumption. The New Zealand authorities don’t give that option. The trip from Tonga to New Zealand is a two week trip. But, since New Zealand is so close to the Roaring Forties, with its deep depressions, we take food and beverage for one extra week extra. three weeks. Like every yacht. We are lucky, the whole trip will take 13 days. So we have food left for 8 days. All our vegetables, all fruit, eggs, meat, cheese, canned meat and more are not welcome must be thrown overboard, or we will face extreme penalties. So what we did was cutting all our vegetables and make a soup from it. We now have our two biggest pans full of soup. If anyone close to Whangarei reads this, you are very welcome to eat soup. Please bring your family, everybody is welcome, all for the soup.
Just in time, or not?
Thu Oct 23 2025 09:50:00 GMT+0200
We have a strange weather pattern. The prediction is pretty hard weather for the last 80 miles on our way to the coast of Whangarei, New Zealand. That is the simple part. But then, the wind will calm and will turn 90 or more degrees. Some weather prediction models say this turn is at 4 o’clock in the morning, some say it i at 6 and even one says it is even at 10 o’clock but we don’t believe the latter one. Would the wind turn at 6 o’clock, we would be just in time. The wind will turn with us, when we change course to the river leading us to the Customs dock. Would it be at 4 oclock, it would be too soon and then we have the wind against us. That would result in an extra 2 or more hours beating against the wind. What will it be? will New Zealand play hard to get?
For lunch we ate an overkill of bacon and eggs. 8 eggs to be precise. With an overkill of cheese on it, it was really much, our metabolism was challenged during the afternoon. We ate a very light dinner, just a bit of salad and a bit of our soup.
Smugglers at last
Fri Oct 24 2025 06:47:00 GMT+0200
We entered New Zealand, so first we had to go to the governmental law enforcement agencies. We entered the Customs Dock and two men of the Biosecurity were already waiting for us. Maurits asked: “Could you take the line please?” No, they can’t, for whatever reason. Not hygienical, because Peter stepped from board and shook hands. We threw away lots of food in the ocean, because New Zealand forbids about everything. Not only the fresh veggies, fruit and meat, but also many canned stuff and seeds, dairy, et cetera. Also no traces of organisms on the bottom of the boat, but that was OK because Peter followed that eleborate and expensive procedure completely. The Biosecurity man started with thick forms, like long questionnaire, an interview, and a complete checklist. In the meandwile the Customs came on board and started to do a big checkup. Open every drawer, searched for everything we even don’t know of. “What is behind that carpentry, sir” . Well, insulation of coarse. “Why are there screws used here? Now there could be cocaine hidden behind it.” Well, shall I ask the carpenter why he used screws? and so on. Meanwhile the Biosecurity searched and questioned about our food. Then we realized we forgot the stuff in the fridge to throw overboard. We seemed to be trustworthy, since we did not get a fine for it. And, the Dutch Edam cheese we bought in Tonga, was suddenly allowed. After an extensive interview about illnesses, ants, coconuts and bacterias, vermin, organisms and what have you, Biosecurity was happy and left after two hours. Meanwhile one Customs officer was checking all medicines on board while the other continued to search in bags, sacks and cupboards. Early afternoon Customs officer started an interview ending up in an interrogation. “this New Zealand crew you once had on board, did he leave happily?” and other weird questions. From Maurits they wanted to know why he sailed a certain detour at the night of arrival. It was because of the sudden lack of wind last night, but did you ever try to explain this to a bureaucrat? Well Maurits could, he deserves a medal. Then, we were getting hungry, so we guess also the Customs officer did, because suddenly he was happy, gave us stamps, including the Immigration formalities. At 2 o’clock we were free to go.
After a good lunch outdoors (there was nothing left on board, it was all in the ocean), we set sail for Whangarei. Peter picked up something in the cockpit and saw a coconut. Which is forbidden!
So, while eating the coconut, concluded we entered New Zealand as smugglers. But, we are there.
The sailing voyage to New Zealand is a special one. A challenging one. The first part of 600 miles is easy. That is just tradewind. But the second half can be with calms and storms. Most boats take lots of diesel with them, to go through the calms. Or much more. 300 liter is no exception. Many boats can even motor more than 5 days, and with a speed of 5 knots. We are happy with 4 knots average on sail, and motoring, no. Well, if we are desperate and when the battery bank is full we can do 48 hours 2 knots in a complete calm. With this limitation it is extra challenging. We have to keep sailing. We have to navigate precise and secure. We will have to make detours to prevent that we would find ourselves in a calm, being imprisoned, when after it a storm will hit us. That is the challenging part.
We rely on the three of us: Peter, Maurits and Ya.
Wet
Tue Oct 14 2025 06:44:00 GMT+0200
We experience a rather choppy sea state our first day. Tonight it was Maurits’ first watch. He took over from Peter, who went to bed. Maurits stepped into te cockpit and splash! A big wave just broke on the hull and Maurits was soaking wet. Baptised, welcome to the sea. The strange pointy waves also manifested this morning. We were fixing a small repair on the bowsprit and a wave exploded when Peter was lying there: wet pants. Then, Maurits got the next one: wet head.
These funny, sharp waves followed us even to the toilet. The waves even managed to push the water through the outlet of the toilet sink and wet the toilet roll next to it.
Energy
Wed Oct 15 2025 06:05:00 GMT+0200
Two weeks ago, sailing from Va’vau, the wind was good, so the speed was good, so next to the wind generator, also the hydro generators delivered much. And there was pretty much sun, so a lot of solar energy. When anchored in Tongatapu, the battery bank was full. Some meals prepared, and that costs energy, but there was pretty much wind and with the wind generator in the aft mast 7 meters high, it delivered more than necessary. We left with a full battery bank. Now, we don’t use the hydro generators, just the solar and wind energy is already enough.
What to do with all this energy? Tonight we will sail into a calm. That will last for one whole day. We have the plan use a lot of the battery bank by slowly motoring through this. Tomorrow we will tell you how it works out.
We ate paksoi and salted meat, with rice and a sniff of Asian tastes.
Through the calm
Thu Oct 16 2025 07:44:00 GMT+0200
We promised to tell you how we would motor through a 24 hour calm. It was predicted from last night till this night. We thought this would be a good chance to get the battery from the 100% . And yes, we sailed straight into it. But the Ya can sail and we can sail Ya, so we managed to keep her going on her sails. The speed was only some 2 knots, but we made progress. Then in the morning the wind dropped till nearly nothing. Then we started motoring. Again, only 2 knots, just enough to steer well. It only costs 1 percent per hour on energy so we can go far.
But already in the afternoon the wind picked up and we started sailing again. We only spent 10% and the props are charging the bank again. So our experiment was not so successful because it lacked a serious lack of wind
Perhaps the next calm is bigger and with a real lack of wind, we keep you posted. But, we doubt whether we will manage to seriously empty the battery bank, because the Ya sails well in light winds.
The weather, from God to PredictWind
Fri Oct 17 2025 08:47:00 GMT+0200
Like everybody, Ulysses sacrificed a lamb or sheep, to Neptune before he chose sea. They did this alreadyfor thousands of years. Some 100 years ago things started changing. One could read the weather. Peter got a heavy examen on Meteorology on his nautical college. Also the old fashioned yacht sailors started to study a bit of it. You learn about High’s and Lows, about depressions and the isobars, how the sky looks like when good or bad weather may appear. Yes, this is old fashioned. Nowadays you check a weather app. Peter sees Maurits working with the PredictWind and after a week he knows all smart shortcuts that Peter has not even discovered in 5 years. And Peter still looks at the cirrus in the key, then the cumulus, slowly forming a beautiful tradewind pattern for the next days, he knows, while Maurits calls the exact numbers of the windspeed and directions for the next days. Till 20 years ago, a yacht skipper prepared his schip well for the voyage from Tonga to New Zealand. Enough food on board? For three weeks at least, because a series of depressions could hit you. People now all think of the food to take on board. Like the barbecue meat to put in the freezer for the extra stop at the Minerva reef. There you check the weather app through your satellite connection for a good weather window. And when that is right, you go lol together wilh the other yachts. Now, the forecast is democratized like the position finding has been 20 year earlier: it is for all yachties who can buy the app and the acces to the satellites.
Halfway
Sat Oct 18 2025 07:05:00 GMT+0200
Today we are halfway our route to New Zealand. So far, we still sail in the Tradewinds. As of tomorrow, we will be out of the tradewinds. From then, the winds can come from any direction. The day after tomorrow we start with a calm, as predicted. It will turn to any direction for a day. Then, the winds will be a Northern and Western wind. PredictWind forecasts a 25 knots blow, and that is unpleasant. Then, we will have a Southern wind for a day or two. With all these changes in strength and direction, the navigation is a challenge. Same with the sail setting, everything, including the cooking. Sofar, we have done the easy part.
We have passed the 180 degree meridian. From then we will sail the Eastern hemisphere, and that feels like the Ya is half way the fossilfree circumnavigation.
(A) Typical upwelling and study sites. B) Satellite-derived sea surface temperatures (1985-2025)
