French Polynesia – Makemo Arikitamiro Primary School Computer Learning Project

French Polynesia – Makemo Arikitamiro Primary School Computer Learning Project

by | Jun 25, 2024 | Charitable Trips, French Polynesia

As Seahawk’s 2024 exploration of French Polynesia comes to a close it should be noted that the archipelago is much more than a beautiful natural wonder. Our time here has indeed been magical due to the splendor of so many lush tropical atolls, each offering its own amazing and often unique underwater vista. But the charm of the Tuamotu and other island groups we have visited here in French Polynesia is also reflected in its people, especially the children. Despite the challenges of island life, and there are many, the generosity and warmth extended to visitors enjoy few equals.

Makemo School Children

Seahawk’s repurposing for community outreach and the advancement of science affords many interesting and rewarding experiences. The shark migration work in particular has delivered a unique insight into the amazing biodiversity of the world’s oceans. The hope, of course, is that beyond satisfying curiosity these new understandings will lead to better management of fish stocks and other ocean resources. But science by itself cannot address the impending collapse of the marine ecosystem. As custodians of seas what happens next will depend on what people, especially the next generation, decide to do. The sobering fact is that children in primary school today will likely determine the fate of world, at least in terms of climate and other life-giving resources. Hence the reason to do everything possible to give this new generation the tools needed to make good choices.

Photo by Rodolphe Holler

Seahawk has supported many island communities as part of an effort to better equip this next generation with the knowledge to be careful and prudent custodians. While the ultimate outcome is not known, the hope is that an improved skillset will lead to both greater personal success and better decision making for the local communities and beyond. The idea roots to an assumption that everything begins locally before transcending to something bigger. In essence a collective wisdom is born once local concerns are addressed.

Computers and iPads

In this spirit, and in combination with Yacht Aid Global, Tahiti Private Expeditions, the Government of French Polynesia, and Seahawk Enterprises, I present Seahawk’s latest endeavor, the Makemo Arikitamiro Primary School computer learning project. If successful, primary students attending Arikitamiro school will acquire a practical understanding of modern PC and Apple based technology. More is more when it comes to being both aware and expert in the subject. Those in command of the information, able to communicate that knowledge effectively, will determine the final outcome.

Photo by Rodolphe Holler

Written by: Adam Alpert

To learn more about projects like this, and how you can get involved, please visit: https://yachtaidglobal.org/ 

 

French Polynesia – Plastic Odyssey

French Polynesia – Plastic Odyssey

by | Apr 20, 2024 | Charitable Trips, French Polynesia

“If we do nothing there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.” This is the problem/scary prospect the Plastic Odyssey expedition is trying to address. Specifically, there is a need for a practical solution to the plastic waste problem that is both economically viable and self-sustaining. The idea at its heart is to develop a recycling technology that is simple to implement and easy to operate in places where plastic waste accumulation is most severe. Think third world countries that have few regulations and much consumption of plastic contained products. Senegal, a country experiencing extreme plastic pollution of its coastline already has a facility in place. Key to success, however, is that the recycling enterprise must be profitable to work. Hence the focus on recycling manufacturing designs that are inexpensive to produce and maintain. And this is not just about cleaning up beaches. The result is an economically viable product, e.g., beams, roofing tiles, specialty molded parts, that can be sold on a competitive basis to local consumers.

Plastic Odyssey

S/Y Seahawk was introduced to the Plastic Odyssey team in Monaco coincident with the Royal Yacht Club of Monaco La Belle Class Superyacht Awards. S/Y Seahawk won in the category of “Adventure and Environmental Ethics”. It was at this event that Nicola Watton, Chief Stewardess, receiving the award on Seahawk’s behalf, met Plastic Odyssey’s CEO, Simon Bernard. Her introduction led to the tour of Plastic Odyssey during our visit to Hao French Polynesia.

Plastic Odyssey Hao Pass

The Plastic Odyssey team acknowledges that reduction/elimination of plastic waste entering the environment is an existential challenge. In the interim, boutique recycling systems like those demonstrated on the vessel could serve to mitigate until a more proactive solution is adopted.

To learn more about Plastic Odyssey, visit their website at: https://plasticodyssey.org/en/ 

Written by: Adam Alpert

New Caledonia – Cruising Around Noumea

New Caledonia – Cruising Around Noumea

by | Dec 7, 2023 | Fun Trips, New Caledonia

Seahawk left New Zealand in August 2023 after finishing the 10-month refit it went under in Auckland. It was exciting to say goodbye to the city and re-start our navigation program. It had been waiting for way too long!

Our first stop was Noumea, New Caledonia. Home to the second-largest reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia is renowned for its rich biodiversity of fish and coral structures, and it hosts some of the healthiest reefs in the world.

An Octopus on top of Prony Pinnacle in New Caledonia's Prony Bay

The first trip of the year would take around two months and it would be a circumnavigation of the country, in search of pristine coral reefs and new landscapes. Seahawk was also going to take part in a new science mission organised by YachtAid Global to support researchers in their study of migration patterns of manta rays and leopard sharks in certain parts of New Caledonia. As the regional marine wildlife faces environmental threats from mining, commercial fishing and climate change, further research and conservation is necessary to protect this unique part of the world.

But as so many know, when it comes to boats, plans often change quickly and one must adapt to new circumstances. A combination of some mechanical, weather and personnel issues arose during our cruise, which required us to restrict our trip and head back to Auckland. This advanced our schedule for finishing some necessary warranty work before heading further north.

As described in the owner’s log:

High on the list of mechanical worries was the failure of the rescue tender’s crane system. The rescue tender, a Pascoe diesel craft, is heavy, hence the need for a fairly robust crane assembly. Further, the reef area where the science activity was to take place has very little protection and poor anchorages. While there is an improvisation that leverages the mizzen boom for Pascoe deployment, leadership determined that this system would not be sufficiently robust in the event of a worst-case combination of poor weather and some other kind of emergency that would demand the need to deploy expeditiously. I would note from experience captaining aircraft that often big problems/accidents result from a chain of events. It is rarely one thing. There is truism in flying I can paraphrase: “I would rather be on the ground wishing I had taken flight than in the air wishing I had remained on the ground”.

Seahawk in New Caledonia

However, as short as our time in New Caledonia was, we had the opportunity to cruise for 10 days in the southern part of the region, during which we visited some beautiful dive sites and explored some of the land.

During our dives, we witnessed New Caledonia’s thriving marine ecosystem. Calling it “Green Turtle Paradise” would not be an exaggeration. Or maybe we got lucky with the amount of sightings of these animals. Sea snakes have also found a haven in many of the small islands we visited. Manta rays, humpback whales and even a dugong cruising in the bay of Anse Vata were also some of the exciting sightings, as well as the endless amount of fish and the explosion of colour in the coral systems we visited.

On the other hand, we found concerning the news regarding the shark culling that is ongoing in the country, a response to some attacks that occurred earlier in the year. As some of the targeted species (tiger sharks and bull sharks) remain vulnerable, such a controversial action raises a lot of questions about the future of these animals and the ecosystems in the region. Sharks play a vital role in the health of the marine environment, and culling campaigns haven’t shown to be an effective way of tackling the problem regarding shark attacks. As some environmental organisations have raised their concerns about this practice, it is hoped that a better solution will be brought to the table when it comes to this matter.

Noumea beaches were closed due to recent shark attacks

As for our little expedition, we experienced many diverse landscapes in a relatively small cruising area of the island. From the paradise that is Amédée Island to the dark red hills of Prony and the mangroves of Bouraké, we are still curious to see what the rest of the country looks like. Hopefully, we will be back someday and finish what we started.

For a taste of what Seahawk has been up to in New Caledonia, you can watch the latest video made by Kari Morgan, our dive instructor and videographer on board.

Kayaking in the mangroves in Bouraké Lagoon

References

Chahrazade Douah (2023, August 18th). Outcry in New Caledonia Over Shark Culls and Net Plans Despite Attacks [Article]. Retrieved from https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/18/outcry-in-new-caledonia-over-shark-culls-and-net-plans-despite-attacks

Pew Charitable Trust(2021, June 4th). New Caledonia’s Marine Ecosystem, Among the Healthiest on Earth, Deserves Stronger Protection. [Article]. Retrieved from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/06/01/new-caledonia-marine-ecosystem-among-the-healthiest-on-earth-deserves-stronger-protection

Unesco WHC (2018). Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems. Retrieved from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1115/

New Zealand, Part III – Seahawk’s Splash in Orams Shipyard

New Zealand, Part III – Seahawk’s Splash in Orams Shipyard

by | Aug 27, 2023 | New Zealand, News

After 11 months in Auckland, Seahawk has finally returned to the water and is on her way to New Caledonia, where she will cruise for the next two months. How lovely it is to finally see those sails up and feel the breeze as we cut through the water’s surface in the Pacific Ocean.

For a good few months of the refit in Orams shipyard, we were in the thick of finding new issues we didn’t plan for. These eventualities often mark a depressing period in any refit for the captain, crew and owners, as the continual stream of obstructive discoveries impacts the workload, cost, and duration of the project. However, we pushed through and found light at the end of the tunnel.

The major tasks were progressing, as the welding to the hull and stern tubes came to an end. Significant progress was being made elsewhere, with the rig components returning from service, and the masts completing the painting process.

On completion of the hull welding, the main hull and superstructure painting could continue, with the make-or-break paint shots on the hull; a huge area to paint, and it required to be as perfect as possible to avoid further delays to our schedule. I’m pleased to say that the Orams paint team achieved this, despite the winter weather in Auckland, resulting in a big sigh of relief from all concerned.

Completing this activity was key to the project flow, as we could start to accelerate toward the major milestones of removing the tent and re-assembling the boat. It IS amazing how quickly things do come together when all the pieces are ready to go. The masts were moved for ‘dressing’ (refitting the rig components), the tent cover came off, and 4 ‘crane days’ resulted in the majority of deck furniture and large fittings being re-attached. 

Electrical power was also returned to the boat following the interruption necessitated by the welding work. This was a nerve-racking moment as many will know; re-energising systems after a long shutdown period, especially when so many electronic and computer-based systems are involved, can be highly problematic. We had an added complication, as so much wiring had been disconnected, and many 3-phase motors were removed and re-installed without being able to properly test. So there was a huge scope for issues here.

We got relatively lucky and only had a few issues that were solved with some remote support and the replacement of several system batteries through the boat, but no real show-stoppers. Phew! When we saw green lights on the sail system control PLC, I can assure some of us started to sleep a lot better.

This period is a manic and stressful effort for all concerned, with contractors all trying to squeeze into the same working spaces, crew scurrying around putting things together, and trying to remember where some parts are (it’s common to lose some bits and end up scratching your heads looking for them). Dave White and his rigging team were on a tight schedule too, as they had 2 and a half weeks to rebuild both masts, plus re-attaching all the antennas in readiness for the re-stepping date; a date fixed due to the availability of the crane and associated infrastructure needed. The interior crew gets to see the magnitude of the clean-up task too as protective coverings are removed. While these do prevent a lot of significant damage, there are always areas that need attention and need scheduling around the high activity going on.

However, with all the above taken into account, 3 weeks after completion of the final paint shot, Seahawk was ready to be picked up and put back in the water, and the masts were ready to go back in.

Following those crazy weeks, we finally reached the magic launch day. The original plan had us putting Seahawk back in the water on Monday, June 26th, but the weather was looking like it would have other ideas. With the necessity of a calm day for stepping the rigs immediately following launch, the yard made the call to bring things forward a day; Sunday 25th became D Day, and we were ready!

While lifting a 60m sailing yacht is never a trivial task, lifting one with a brand new paint job requires extra care. The launch becomes more time-consuming than the haul out, owing to the protection needed to prevent damage to the still-curing paint surfaces. The weather gods smiled at us and gave us a dry day ( a rarity in Auckland, regardless of the season). Foam pads and brown paper were applied to the hull in the way of the lifting strops and the machine driven around the boat. Sunday catering consisted of a wonderful fry-up brunch. 

At around 14:00, everything was ready and the satisfying moment of knocking out the wooden blocks under the boat could begin. Then it’s time to stand back and watch as the Travelift carries out its manoeuvre to bring the boat over the launch pit. Then it’s the engineers, mechanics and plumbers’ big moment as the boat is lowered in to test the new valves and seals for the first time. Fortunately, aside from one reasonably sizeable leak on testing the fire main (due to a removed pipe section, unbeknown to those on board prior), the boat was watertight and the launch was considered a success (and one day ahead of schedule!)

If you’d like to know more, watch the video below, made by videographer Righardt Van Hyussten on Seahawk’s splash day.

written by Rotational Captain Steve