Erden Eruç (Turkey)

Ending the Pacific Row
May 17, 2008

My row across the Pacific Ocean today came to an end. I made this tough decision today after I received word that our last hopes for a suitable vessel could not reach me roundtrip from Jayapura any longer. I needed this vessel to resupply me with food and equipment at sea.

I had been taken back north with relentless winds which blew from the west, southwest and south respectively over the last 72-hours. I had reached a point within 199nm NE of Jayapura before I was turned back by the seas. When I made my decision to end the row, I was 270nm away, heading north on para-anchor averaging 1.5 knots, back into the problematic counter current area.

With only a week worth of food left, I had just received another 10 days supply from CHAMPION-52 of Frabelle Fishing Company the previous day. This was supposed to hold me over until the resupply at sea, but our team member reported that he could no longer wait in Jayapura with his expiring visa and airline tickets. He could not come to me as I was taken in an opposite direction by the seas, nor could he leave the supplies in Jayapura -- who would deliver?

I could not be a burden on the maritime community, living on handouts, trying to coordinate supplies from passing ships over the next two, three months. Without food I did not have the flexibility to wait out adverse winds.

The typhoon season now already in full swing, made my decision easier. Reaching Jayapura was going to give me the prudent option to wait for better weather. Now I had lost that option also...

Photo by Erden Eruc

CHAMPION-52 has six on board. 
Captain Vicente Obligar is from Ilo Ilo City on the Panay Island of the Philippines.  He leads a crew of five additional men.

Frabelle Fishing Corporation extended a helping hand once more when I informed them of my decision. They are sending back CHAMPION-52 to my location, which will then tow me to their larger reefer vessel PRIMROSE about 120nm away. We will haul my boat onto the deck of PRIMROSE, then I will stay on it until a suitable port, where my boat can be placed in a container for shipment to Seattle.

I will still have my boat to try another time. But first, I will catch up on lost time with the loved ones.

CHAMPION-52 was the one to supply me yesterday.  It is now coming back

Photo by Erden Eruc

Erden Eruç
http://www.Around-n-Over.org

CHAMPION-52 arrived on location at 1453UTC on 17May08
00.01842N 144.61819E
The end point of my row, where GPS chartplotter odometer reading should have been at about 9,684nm based on sunset reading of the same, about 7.7nm earlier.  I did not think to read it...

I was in tow toward PRIMROSE about half hour later, with average tow speed set at 7.7 knots.  We expect to meet PRIM ROSE around 1700 PNG time, after about 15hours in tow.  So we will have enough daylight to set up the boat lifting on deck.

All is well.  I am with my champions on CHAMPION-52.

Erden Eruç
 

CHAMPION-52, a surveyor vessel belonging to the Frabelle Fishing Company, towed my boat in mostly calm seas, 124.4nm due 161 degrees to a floating pad by sun down Sunday night PNG local time.  These perfect towing conditions at an average 7.5 knots improved to dead oily calm seas the further south that we progressed.

PAD location: 01.95185S,145.29425E

A floating pad is a floating barrel with a large 1m hook at one end, anchored on the other.  The vessel approached upstream against the strong westerly current south of the Hermit Islands.  From the bow a bight of rope was lowered to the hook, then secured on the bow.  Once the engine was turned off, the vessel simply flagged downstream, and my boat stretched its bowline as she took her position further downstream. This became the overnight set up, to wait for the daylight to find PRIMROSE 13.3nm due SE.

The captain of PRIMROSE, a "reefer" FFC vessel to collect the fish from all the netted "catcher" vessels , is in communication with Captain Vicente Obligar of CHAMPION-52.  They will have a net ready to safely lift my boat on their deck.  As I understood it, they will also have two piles of more netting, to place under the boat in its chined hull shape before securing it on deck. 

I fully trust these men of the sea.  They are professionals, Cptn Obligar with 32 years of seamanship under his belt.  His preparation of my boat for towing, securing the tow ring base with additional ingenious rope work, was a treat to watch.  My boat is in good hands, though I do participate in the process.

Erden Eruç

Photo by Erden Eruc

Boat in tow behind CHAMPION-52 surveyor vessel of Frabelle Fishing Company on Sunday at sunrise

May 19 2008  12:05GMT CHAMPION-52 surveyor vessel left the floating pad, essentially an anchorage buoy, about two hours before sunrise on Monday, May 19 PNG time. We travelled another 21.3 nm due 203 degrees to find the reefer vessel PRIMROSE 888, operated by the Frabelle Fishing Corporation of Philippines. PRIM ROSE was visible from a good distance with its bright operating lights.

Just as we were within a mile of PRIMROSE, the catcher CAMIA 888 left the area passing near us. This was the catcher vessel that I had already encountered on April 26.

We untied my boat from CHAMPION-52 and I rowed to bring my boat along starboard side of PRIMROSE. Captain Vicente Obrigal of CHAMPION-52 came with me. Captain Antonio Pagaran of PRIMROSE had already thought about the process. Fenders were ready to protect my boat. A fire hose had been prepared to serve as straps. The spot alongside their ship, where the fenders and rope ladder were placed, also was the sweet spot to provide lift and pull from three different boom cables for ultimate control of where to lower the boat.

Boat alongside PRIMROSE 888:
02.27819S, 145.15558E
At 2031UTC 18May2008

Captain Obrigal climbed up, then I removed the rudder in preparation for the lift. I climbed up for introductions, when it was time for the lift, I descended back down.

I placed the fire hose straps in place front and back, where the cabin and front hold bulkheads were, so the lift would not crush the sides of my boat I used strings to secure the hoses in place against sliding, to perform a single point lift. Before I knew it the lifting cable went tight and we were airborne. The two additional cables manoeuvred my boat laterally into position on deck.

Photo courtesy of Augusto Natividad
of Frabelle Fishing Company (Manila, Philippines)

PRIMROSE, a "reefer" FFC vessel to collect the fish from all the netted "catcher" vessels.

The lowering was not smooth at all. The boat dropped a foot at a time each time the brake engaged the cable, then released. This made me especially nervous when we were closer to the deck, where the hard steel would meet my boat's fragile plywood. I could not see below the boat, I had no idea what the preparation was to support my boat during transport. "Wait, I want to see what is below," I called out in desperation, but the winch operator was nowhere near to hear my cry. I feared the boat would come to a hard stop on its fragile skeg against bare steel, then tip to one side once the lift was over.

When the jerky drop stopped, the crews' commands among themselves quieted and the boat did not tip. At the time I had descended to help secure the straps in place, I was under the impression that I could come up to understand the process. Now it seemed to be over already, in just 40 minutes after coming alongside...

I jumped down on the deck to look underneath finally. Two pairs of cylindrical rode line coils were placed a foot apart in pairs, and perfectly positioned fore and aft. All we had to do was to secure these for high seas: the coils against sliding apart, and the boat from moving.

I was happy and relieved. CHAMPION-52 stayed long enough afterwards to take on board 15 tons of fresh water from PRIMROSE, then they left. I had been assigned an air conditioned quarters with a desk and a sink. I had access to laundry and showers.

Photo by Erden Eruc

PRIMROSE 888 reached just south of the Hermit Islands

I had a busy small community working, talking, moving around me. I was back to civilization. I had sampled a laid back family feeling on CHAMPION-52 PRIMROSE felt almost like a busy factory in comparison. The gradual transition to a larger community from my ten months of solitude almost felt intentional. Life was returning to normal.

Erden Eruç

Photo by Erden Eruc

Photo by Erden Eruc

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