Sailaway Sarantium

Warning: This post is boring!

So I have had a slow drip from the stuffing box for some time now, which I have known. Part of the reason for the neglecting this was because I didn’t know where to even begin.

For those who don’t know what a stuffing box, it is the is a mechanical seal assembly used to prevent water from leaking around a rotating shaft, such as a boat propeller shaft. Some water needs to be present to cool the shaft, provide lubrication of packing material and keep it from overheating. It works by compressing packing material around the shaft using an adjustable nut, allowing the shaft to move while creating a tight seal.

The slow drip turned into a fast drip once back in the water and I knew it was time to do something about it, as my bilge was fuller than normal this morning. With the encouragement from my good friend over the phone, I started to hammer away to loosen up the locking nut and packing nut. Since the stuffing box is in an awkward tight place behind the engine I also checked off my yoga for the day. After a few hours of loosening the locking nut and tightening the packing nut, I managed to stop the leak. Tomorrow, I will run the boat in gear to make sure I haven’t tightened it too much and as a result overheat.

As soon as I think there is nothing more to learn, Sarantium throws me another opportunity to learn!

The lower nut is the packing nut and the one directly above is the locking nut, which does exactly that; blocks/locks the packing nut from moving back.

Folks have asked for to do a recap of how I prepared the boat for six months on the hard, here in French Polynesia… so here is how I “winterized” or rather “summerized” Sarantium.

Bedding and clothing

I packed away all bedding and “vacuumed packed” as much as I could in plastic bags. I stood all cushions up to minimize mold on flat cloth surfaces. I wiped down all surfaces with vinegar and some areas with bleach.

Food

I threw out everything that was opened and double bagged all dried food, such as flour, rice, nuts, oats and pasta.

Toilet and Holding Tank

I flushed the toilets and holding tank prior to getting hauled out. I flushed it ten times because I knew I would be replaced the waste pump once I was back. I made sure I had zero water in the toilets as it attracts insects. Same for the bilge.

Hatches and Portholes

I greased all rubber seals around windows with cylicon spray. And wiped glass with vinegar. I also added hatch covers to protect from sun.

Batteries, Solar and Power

I decided to leave the Solar Panels hooked up, even though some would recommend to detach them from batteries. I was worried about coming back to dead batteries. I turned everything off on the panel. I left the bilge pump on in case of a leak during the cyclone season. Upon arrival, batteries were full and I could start using the batteries again. To be expected there was some water in the bilge and I am guessing that the bilge pump had done its’ job during th six months I was gone.

Sails

Sails were taken down and packed away. Among many other items, new ones arrived to Apataki while I was away. I placed a fairly big order with Island Packet Yacht Parts and Mack Sails in Florida during the autumn of 2025. The shipment from Florida was smooth and at a reasonable cost. I had to pay a small customs fee since I have a temporary visa for FP and a EU passport.

MAST and Rigging.

I packed away all the ropes, halyards and sheets and wrapped the winches and bottom of mast to protect from sun, with a tarp. I also wrapped the furlors in plastic but the wind and the sun threaded these and I came back to plastic strings. I also wrapped my hydro vane and removed the Hydro Vane Rudder.

The owners of the boatyard do not want to any tarps on the decks as the winds during cyclone season are so strong that it will rip off tarps and end up all over the yard.

THROUGH HULL SEACOCKS

I greased all seacocks and made sure they all opened and shut easily, prior to leaving.

In case of a flood, it is recommended that the two lowest through hull fittings are open, for drainage. I decided to leave one in the bow and one mid ship open. I added material to work as a strainer to try and keep mice, rats and other critters from climbing aboard. I have not seen any evidence of mice being onboard. I only found a couple of geckos and some ants. Quite a few boats in the yard have had rats living in their boats while owners were away. I am grateful that I had such a clean boat when returning.

Propane

This goes without saying, I turned this off.

FLOORBOARDS and all cabinets doors

All were left open for good ventilation.

FOUR CEMENT Blocks

… to fasten boat to the ground in the case of … use your imagination here. I paid extra for this but I thought, this would be more valuable than an expensive insurance policy.

At the end, I decided to NOT pay the boat yard to check on the boat, as I had heard of people doing this and noone ever checked on the boat. I also, witnessed this myself when I was there for the three weeks before flying home. I also didn’t want anyone in my boat opening hatches (this is a service you can pay for) to ventilate, and then forgetting to close up before the big squall.

I am thankful I spent the extra time to “summerize” the boat and as a result I came back to a mold free and odour free home! AND A BIG THANKS TO THE DAILY FRESH WATER SHOWERS that the cyclone season brought. The decks and topsides were the cleanest I have EVER seen.

Spic and Span

The Lift on the trailer was modified and the broken cylinders was fixed temporarily to splash two sailing vessels on Monday morning. My launch was smooth at a raising tide. Alfred pushed the trailer and Sarantium into the water and Tony removed webbing and I floated off the cradles. Tony then spun Sarantium around with his bare hands. I put the transmission in forward gear and motored out to anchor…

Two days later, I am preparing to leave Apataki! I have been weather routing and timing it with slack tides both for here and for entering Fakarava. It will be tough to make the slack on a day sail as I a will be on an upwind sail for part of the route. Therefore, a night sail is the best in regards to timing the passes. Plan for now is that I leave on the 10 am slack from Apataki and sail the 68 Nmiles to Fakarava and enter first light into Fakarava the following morning. All in all, it looks like a nice sail in 10-14 knots of East Wind. I am excited to to sail again!

It feels so good to be back to my boat after 6 months of being away! From seeing family and friends, mountain biking in New Zealand, skiing and ice plunging in Tromsö, walking my dog and cycle touring in the UK and much more, I have arrived back to Apataki with 62 kg of boatparts. The boatyard is empty but that’s about to change as people are starting to arrive to prepare for the sailing season. Lots of people have asked me if the boat was in good condition when I arrived. I was pleasantly surprised to find the boat without mould, odd smells and being dry. No major clean up was needed and I could get to work right away.
After replacing the inverter, the waste pump, the traveller, the head sails and odds and ends, I’ve booked to haul Sarantium back in the water. If all goes well, I will again be floating in the turquoise water in French Polynesia. 🥰

I stepped onto the train in Malmö with the intention to end up in Oslo, but decided to stop in Varberg, halfway up on the west-coast of Sweden, to visit some childhood friends. I stayed there for four days before continuing to Oslo, where family and friends live.

Oslo, The Tiger City, a small city, has managed to keep its old charm even though modern buildings make up its skyline.

Skriet…

Gustav Vigeland Park… Gustav dedicated much of his life, creating 212 unique sculptures. It’s the world’s largest sculpture park created by a single artist.

The sculptures are made from materials including bronze, granite, and wrought iron.

Oslo is called Tiger Staden… the name originated from a poem by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson in 1870, where the tiger symbolized the dangerous and cold city, while a horse represented the safe countryside.

Three days of wandering around Stockholm…

ABBA ….

Alla Helgonas Dag…

Such a beautiful way to celebrate the past lives of others…🖤🧡💛

… feels different this time.

I left England by plane for Copenhagen. As I’ve done so many times before, I jumped on the train in Copenhagen Denmark, and after 20 min I stepped off in Malmö, Sweden and within minutes I dropped my bags on the floor at my parents flat in central Malmö. I was home again after three years, but home felt different this time. I was here to stay for a month, with plans to really feel what it was like to be here in case I decide to eventually move back to where I was born and raised.

I have filled my days with daily walks in the city, drinking strong coffee, eating shrimp sandwiches and smörgåstårtor, lakrits and amazing cheese in abundance.

Malmő Gamla Stan, where people meet after work for a drink and tourists take it all in. Dad’s walk with dad’s pushing toddlers in strollers mid day and mid week, because they can! Dogs are accompanying their owners into many stores.

A day of wandering down memory-lane in LUND…

What I have missed most…

And…

Time to leave the city for some country air…

SMÅLAND next stop..

Into the wooded SMÅLAND, with its charm of red buildings…where old never gets old…

An Amazing two days with a childhood friend enjoying wine, cheese and walks through Smålands woods.

….Open landscape… Sverige! A month flew by quickly. I had a wonderful time visiting with Annika, Rob and Kosmos and exploring on foot, cycle and ferries parts of England! I pack my bags for Denmark, Sweden and Norway and leave the land of pubs!

Although England is congested, the country’s dedication to bike lanes and sidewalks , especially in urban areas, is noticeable. Everyday, I either wander around on foot, or ride my bike, with no real destination in mind, however pubs are usually the end result!

I have week left here in England and then off to Danmark, Sverige and Norge!

Happy October! Autumn is in the air!