Its not just me!

Hakahetau

Nobody can pronounce names in he South Pacific, today's radio net is high farce. Nobody can hear Bali Blue the net controler - maybe his new tattoo is interfering with his SSB (Single Side Band HF radio). Many of the fleet can't remember what Island they are heading for. Fia Tira, not a south pacific name, a boat name are relaying and can't remember the name of the island they are going to much less pronounce the ones they are relaying. Its not they're fault. many boats are headed for Manihi. I've always pronounced it badly as Marni. Cos its neighbour is Ahe. Other pronunciations include "Man a he", "Man ee he", "Manny", "Man a Hi" - there are almost certainly other pronunciations I've missed but they are so far out I can't be sure which Island they are talking about.

The British Admiralty, the greatest most famous nautical publisher in the world, can't even get it right. Rangiroa the island we're headed for they have a tide station listed in the right place, and it likely is Rangiroa as it the biggest and most developed of the Tuamotos they however call it Raroia. So do other publications, if you add an h somewhere or other. Other wise its another island further south.

Please try saying these place to your friends, tell them I was there. On Huku Hiva we went to Hakatea bay where Hakaui village is and visited Hatiheu. We didn't go to Hakaehu, err I think. On Ua Pou (pronounced Wapoo) we were in Hakahetau  not to be confused with Hakaotu, Haakuti or Hakamaii. Now you begin to understand the problem.

 
Guardian S/V Angel

 We're all in the same boat, ok we're not, but all the boats are in the same boat. No wind. We have a guardian angel. Well I hope they're Guarding us. They're defiantly called "Angel" Just beyond them is Aspen. We didn't spot them but during the night Aspen made contact with Peter Pan. Rayla is still in VHF (Very Hight Frequency FM walkie talky style radio, range mast head to masthead about 25 miles). They're, possibly, on route to Manihi. They're all expecting help to get in. We went bump into some coral going in there last time. The guy who helps, Xavia, Ex French navy, has told 2 different boats 2 different tide times. The Island we're going winch the admiralty may or may not have meant by Rairoa I have tide time for. On my iPod (Aye Tides) and my PC, winXtide and Total Tide. They don't agree. There's an hours difference. Aspen's software - possibly sourced from his ray-oh-my-god-its-so-full-of-bugs-I-need-deet-marine Chartplotter. Raymarine = Raytheon bomb 'em first and ask questions afterwards' marine division. Our wind instruments are vibrating like an IT Contractor on too much coffee in the light winds. The Log needs to be switched on and off twice before it will do anything. When it is working it usually lists our top speed as 255Kns, impressive as its 5 times the world sailing speed record. The echo sounder is off and is still managing to tell the Autopilot, that we are aground. We are indebted to Simadrel I think that we are able to use after their rayFail autopilot lost it and careered all over the ocean. They worked out you have to tell it about the southern hemisphere. Oh and the chartplotter-radar- teasmaid screen switches on and off occasionally if you turn the brightness down. Reminds me of windows. To be fair some of these could be fixed with a software update. However we know the current bugs, and they're not a problem better the bugs you know than the bugs you don't.

EDIT: Sorry Raymarine is no longer part of bomb em first and ask afterwards Raython. Still got bugs though.