Hello Graham

This evening my wife is coming back on board after a voyage in Brittany via Melbourne  due to the pass of her mother.

When we'll receive her Aus visa for one year (I got the mine), according the weather forecast and the time to cross to avoid to land Bundaberg out of the week end I hope to leave the New Calédonia in order to arrive before the 22 or after the 23 November.

Anyway after we'll continue to sail to the south until Melbourne, so we'll have a few stops along the coast near Brisbane, Coff Harbour, Sydney, etc.

So if you can't wait for us we can meet us more south.

I take your email adress on this site and phone number. In Australia we'll have this phone number : 0422 673 941 and you can track us via this link . There is a bug on the map and you have to zoom on the position map to see the details of our position.

See you soon

Bertrand

Salut Guy

Félicitation également pour la construction de ton Pollen en alu épais. Je croyais que c'était réservé à la construction professionnelle.

J'apprécie les plans de JP Brouns, et peut -être que dans quelques années j'aimerai trouver un petit troller avec une voile de jonque pour faire du cabotage et pouvoir remonter les rivières.

Désolé, pour le moment notre site internet est en chomage technique , en attendant tu peux nous suivre sur cel blog :  Suivi de navigation de Grand PHA avec commentaires en français

Bon courage pour les aménagements et le gréement.

Bertrand

Hello, one year ago in November 2013 we crossed the north Atlantic from La Palma (Canarias) to St Martin (North Caribbeans) and after a stop of 2 weeks we sailed to Abaco (North Bahamas) after a stop in Great Inagua.

After we sailed south to the "ile a Vaches" (Haiti), and to the San Blas and the Panama canal.

Next the Marquisas, Tuamotu, Tahiti and the leeward islands, next Wallis and now since the 10th September we are in New Caledonia and the loyalty islands in waiting to sail to Australia before the end of November.

One day I'll make a digest of our voyage.

In waiting, here is a video of Grand PHA sailinga  along the oceanic Panama coast.

And so the Grand PHA tracking blog

Bertrand

Bertrand and Marie-Helene,

Great to hear that you are both well and Grand Pha is sailing well; it seems a long time since last summer in the Solent!  It was great to hear of your passage to the Caribbean - Steve and I wish you both well for the next leg of your voyage.

Dear Bertrand,

Good to hear that the latest iteration of your rig is working well.  It raises some interesting points:

- How does it compare to the previous hinged versions, particularly to windward?  Which is better, the smoothness of a full double sided sail with a small amount of beneficial asymmetrical wing shape (due to panel bulging) ,  or the full asymmetric wing shape of the hinged version with the single sided rear flap (David has noted turbulence at the join of the flap)? 

- It is often shown that, for the same wind resistance, a wing section can be many times wider than a circular section (ie mast). This takes some believing, especially when you see that for your sail it is wide enough to climb up inside!   Of course a fabric wing is not going to be as good as a solid wing from which the data taken.    

So, is it the case that the sail, when fully raised, has more or less resistance to the mast with the sail dropped?  With your bi-plane rig this can be readily tested, by mooring from the centre of the front beam, with only one sail up, then see how the boat lies.  Ideally the test would be carried out in different wind speeds.

cheers Mark