Moving NorthWest

26 Jul Moving NorthWest

Nestled into a quiet corner of the Bay of Islands in Vanua Balavu. We had Starr with two stern ties and two bow anchors holding her firm, she wasn’t going anywhere, and honestly, neither were we. The spot was perfect. Protected, peaceful, and beautiful, surrounded by the dramatic limestone formations where the tiny trees growing out of the lava rock looked like Japanese bonsai.

                                                                                                         White tailed Tropicbird
                                                                                       One of the few birds we’ve come across

It was only after a few slow mornings and long afternoons that it finally hit us—Good Grief! We’d been there for nearly ten days!. Time had slipped by quietly, while we were having fun and exploring.

But, eventually the call to move on returned and we headed  westward toward Viani Bay just across from Taveuni. Taveuni is said to be home to some of the best diving on the planet. (Look up Rainbow Reef and the White Wall if you want your jaw to drop – https://www.diveplanit.com/dive-site/great-white-wall.)

                                                                                                              White Wall Viani Bay

                                                                                                  80nm route Vanua Balavu to Viani Bay

We do most of our navigating using satellite imagery on Open CPN

The passage from Vanua Balavu to Viani Bay is around 80 nautical miles, almost dead downwind. We decided to leave in slightly punchier weather than usual, but with the breeze behind us and Starr in her element, it felt like the right call.

As most of you know we have a rowing machine aboard. But there’s something wild and wonderful about rowing while the boat is surfing waves.

                                                                                                                    Patrick Rowing

                                                                                                                  Sonjia Surfing

As you slide back and pull, you start to feel like you’re moving Starr herself—rowing to keep her on course, rowing to push her just a bit faster down each wave. Your body responds to the boat’s movement instinctively—leaning, bracing, working with her instead of against her.

It turns into this strange game: trying to time your strokes with the sea, throwing your weight around like it matters (even though you know the engine is doing the heavy lifting). You start sweating. You start laughing. You forget you’re even working out until you step off with legs like jelly and realize you’ve rowed through a good chunk of the passage.

                                                                                 Crew on stainless polishing

                                                                                                                        Laura with dinner

                                                                                                                   4 way secured

                                                                                                  Starr on Rails      

                                                                                                             Twin Rudders

I’ve now been aboard Starr for about seven or eight months. In that time, I’ve had the opportunity to really dive deep into her systems, everything from maintenance and power management to how she moves through the water. There’s always something new to learn when you’re living aboard a yacht of this caliber. But one thing I keep coming back to, again and again, is just how incredibly well Starr steers when underway.

In my relatively short, but pretty diverse career working on boats, I’ve had the chance to run a wide range of vessels: trawlers, monohulls, catamarans, sportfishing boats… you name it. Each one is its own beast. Different designs, propulsion methods, handling characteristics, layouts, everything varies. But there’s one trait they’ve all shared in my experience: they struggle to track a straight line in a following sea, especially when under autopilot.

Usually, when you’re in swell and watching a rudder indicator, you’ll see the autopilot working hard to compensate, five to ten degrees one way as the boat crests a wave, then back to center, then swinging five to ten the other direction. It’s a constant dance, and one I came to accept as normal.

Until Starr.

This boat tracks straighter than anything I’ve ever been on, period. In a following sea with 2–3 meter ocean swell, her rudder adjustments can be measured in micrometers rather than inches. When a big wave catches the stern, the autopilot might make a correction of one or two degrees, max. It’s barely noticeable, and it happens with such smooth precision that you hardly feel the boat working at all.

What that means in practice is huge: the autopilot, steering pumps, and hydraulic rams aren’t constantly overworking to stay on course. Instead, everything moves with minimal effort—extending the life of critical gear, saving power, and making for a far smoother ride.

A big part of this performance comes down to Starr’s unique steering setup—twin rudders. There’s an excellent write-up on this on MVStarr.com. In short, the rudders are perfectly balanced and spaced to offer exceptional control, even in confused seas. Unlike a single-rudder boat (which is often fighting against prop wash and asymmetrical loads), Starr’s twin rudders work together to keep her on track with almost no drama.

The result is something you truly feel at the helm. Or rather, don’t feel. No constant wheel twitching. No nervous anticipation every time a swell builds behind you. Just solid, predictable tracking, even in the kinds of seas that would normally keep you glued to the nav screen.

I’ve learned a lot since coming aboard Starr, but this might be the thing that’s left the biggest impression: when a boat is truly dialed in, when the design, balance, and systems are all aligned you don’t have to fight her. You just guide her, and she takes care of the rest.

Patrick Connor

Co-Captain with Don

Related posts:

1082nm from Los Cabos, 09d 55.00 N, 122d 54.00 W – Friday, 23nd March, 2001 Mainland Coast of Mexico: Puerto Vallerta to Barra de Navidad – December 17, 2000-January 18, 2001 Seattle to Mexico – November, 2000 Seattle, Washington – September, 2000