The Final Instalment - Part 1
Final Installment -Part 1
Every tale has a final installment
and this, I suppose, is it. I've known about the contents of this installment
for quite a while now - I just couldn't get around sharing it. It's not a sad
installment, just final and that's quite difficult for me.
It seems such a long time ago now
when I started writing this Blog with so much enthusiasm and anticipation and
it's just hard to believe that the time has gone and it's done. The adventure
is now only a memory and my beloved Life's A Dream relegated to just a former
home.
Am I sad? In a way, yes. But I'm
also happy and fulfilled and I have finally realized a dream that started 40
years ago.
So here goes - a description of the
final legs, Mauritius to Durban, and Durban to Cape Town, and then some more...
Mauritius to Durban
You may remember from my previous
post, Stuart returned to the UK and Robin and I flew to South Africa to meet
Tatyana (Robin's wife) and her parents for a trip to the Game Lodge, leaving
Life's A Dream parked in the La Caudain basin in Port Louis awaiting my return.
The game lodge as per
usual was a super week. But in the blink of an eyelid it was time to return to
Mauritius for the final haul to Durban. Robin and Tatyana were returning to
Hawaii, and I had arranged a new crew (friends Theo, Rudie and Don). Don pulled
out a day before but I was quite happy to have Theo and Rudie aboard. Rudie had
arrived in Mauritius a week earlier, and Theo and I flew into Mauritius on
November 6th, 2010. Our plan was to spend as short a time as possible
provisioning for the trip to Durban and leave on a favourable wind. This was
duly achieved and 3 days later we were on our way.
I had expected a
rough ride to Durban but we were very fortunate and it turned out to be one of
my most pleasant passages. Theo and Rudie are super crew members and we
experienced the nicest weather, good fishing, and loads of fast sailing.
Our arrival in Durban
on the evening of Friday November 19th was bitter sweet for me. It is unlikely
that I will have this experience again but, at the same time, there are many
new adventures ahead. Thanks to all my various crew members over the years,
family and friends, who have been there when I needed you, gave me
encouragement when I was down, and cajoled me to write this blog.
Durban to Cape Town
I tell everyone that I have
circumnavigated the Globe on Life's A dream. That's not strictly true. I had
Royce Black sail her from Cairns to Darwin during the Australian leg, as I was
otherwise occupied with my son's wedding and my daughter’s birth of her first
child. Likewise the short hop from Durban
to Cape Town was skippered by my good friend and accomplished sailor Theo while
I was visiting Colleen in the UK. Theo and his crew left Durban on the 4th of
January, 2011 and after a fairly uneventful trip arrived in Cape Town on the
8th of January, 2011.
So Life's A Dream completed her
round the world trip on that day while I was gadding about in the UK.
And Then Some More
I truly believed that Cape Town was
to be LAD's final port of call with me as owner and skipper. That was not to
be, and I have been able to re-live my dream for a little while longer.
I expected to sell her in South
Africa after the refurbishment. The work done on LAD took about 6 months while
I was moored at the Royal Cape Yacht Club. This included a deck paint job, full
repair of her port hull, full hull inspection, replacement of the steering
system, full engine and prop service, anti-fouling and a myriad of other
smaller jobs. Once again Theo worked closely with me and we spent many hours
aboard, under, above, inside of LAD.
About the middle of 2012 it became
evident that I would have to sail her either to the US or Europe to sell her,
and it was like déjà vu all over again as I began the arduous preparation for
another trans Atlantic trip. I decided, for a number of reasons, to complete
preparations from Port Owen which is about 120 miles North of Cape Town on the
West Coast. The next 9 months was spent generally enjoying life and spending
most weekends up at Port Owen tinkering and getting her ready for the sail, and
waiting for the perfect weather window. The departure date was set for the end
of March 2012, and the itinerary started taking shape.
My original idea for the trip was a
quick delivery to Ft Lauderdale in the US with short stops on St Helena and the
Caribbean. Robin was having nothing of that and persuaded me to make the trip
more of a pleasure cruise. This is how we planned it: I would sail LAD to
Barbados where Robin, Tatyana, Tavo (my then 3 month old grandson), Tom
(Tatyana's father), and Dorothy my girlfriend, would join me for a cruise up
the Windward Islands to St, Thomas. There all would depart except Robin who
would do the last 900 miles across the Gulf into Ft Lauderdale, with me.
Watch this space for my final blog entry chronicling this
last adventure.
Cairns (Australia) to Mauritius
Since my previous post when I wrote from Cairns in Australia almost 2 years ago, so much has happened that I am literally only now finding the opportunitty to update my Blog. Anyway it's not such a bad thing - restrospective writing allows hindsight and poetic licence!
I have divided this blog entry into 3 sections each representing a separate cruise:
- Cairns (Australia) to Brisbane (Australia)
- Brisbane to Cocos Keeling
- Cocos Keeling to Mauritius
Cairns to Darwin
As I mentioned in a previous blog, I was flush with family commitments and I had hoped that Rory Cremer (who accompanied me on the leg up to Cairns) would skipper LAD around the north side of Australia, and then onto South Africa. That had fallen through and the new plan involved finding somebody to sail LAD to Darwin while I was fulfilling family commitments and then I would re-join the boat in Darwin and do the legs across to Mauritius with my two sons Stuart and Robin.
I was really fortunate to hook up with Royce Black, a professional delivery skipper, who together with his girlfriend completed the delivery for me. By all accounts they had a wonderful trip and Royce really enjoyed sailing Life's A Dream.
Darwin to Cocos Keeling
I attended Robin and Tatyana's wedding in Hawaii on August 10 and left soon thereafter (August 23) for Darwin. Stuart and Robin arrived 2 days later. LAD was in great shape. Royce had moored her on anchor off the Fannie Bay Yacht Club. A very nice safe anchorage but murder to come to shore by Dinghy. The tidal range is large and going on shore at high tide involved dragigng/ carrying our very heavy dinghy and 15 hp motor about 150 meters before we were at the waters edge. Thank goodness Robin and Stuart are fit, young and strong.
We had only planned to stay in Darwin for a few days to complete provisioning for the long haul across the Indian Ocean with stops in Cocos Keeling and Mauritius. So it was a really hectic time but we did have some time for fun and sightseeing. Fortunately a very kind friend of Royce lent us a spare pick-up (bakkie) during our stay and that made things a lot easier.
Fannie Bay Yacht club was quite delightful and we were somewhat disappointed that we were on such a tight schedule to get to South Africa.
We left Darwin bound for Cocos Keeling (about 2300 miles to go) in a light East North Easterly on September 1, 2010. For the first 5 days the wind did not get above 15 knots with lots of 5 and less. We mostly motor sailed. It was a great time for Stuart to get familiar with boat life on LAD. We played lots of Scrabble, ate really well, caught a few fish and generally had a great time bonding as a family. The only diversion during this time was the regular visit each afternoon of an Australian Border Patrol plane which would buzz our boat and request the same information - Port of Registry, number of crew, where we had come from, where we were going. They would then fly off just to repeat the same process each day. Australia has many problems with boat loads of Sri Lankan "illegals" trying their luck, so the patrol is quite vigilant.
5 days into the trip the wind picked up, the plane stopped it's visits and we settled into a solid routine. The wind blew consistently from the ESE but was a little too variable in strength for my liking. Also the wave action was quite rolly and uncomfortable - thank goodness we were on a catamaran. We had quite a few squalls as well, but unlike what I had experienced in the Atlantic they are generally quite civilized with no high winds.
We caught lots of fish and constantly came into contact with marine life (Fish, birds, dolphins). We hooked a MONSTER marlin. Just after the strike it jumped, and even at the distance that it was from us we were awestruck - certainly the biggest marlin I have ever seen. Not surprising the line snapped within the first 5 minutes much to my relief and Stuart/ Robin's dismay.
18 days later we made landfall. It had been a very slow trip but very enjoyable.
Cocos Keeling to Mauritius
Cocos Keeling is fairly uniques in many ways. It is one of a very few islands in the South Atlantic conveniently situated halfway between Australia and Africa. It consists of a group of 5 land masses in the shape of an Atoll. This means a ring of islands with a channel into the ring where the water is generally calm shallow and perfect for anchoring in the lee. Exactly what we did - in the lee of Direction Island with lovely coral formations lots of fish life and perfect visibility.
Cocos is an Australian territory and the residents are Australian. It has a fascinating history and an old world feel. The residents are a mixture of mainland christians and moslems originally from Malay.
There were a number of boats in the anchorage including the fleet of boats participating in the 2010 ARC rally. This is a round-the-world yearly pilgrimage of cruisers who enjoy sailing in a group They are usually first time cruisers looking for experience and safety in numbers. We also met up with "Stealaway" a 43 foot Cat from South African skippered by Alan Dawson with his delightful wife Kerry-Ann and their two daughters, "Cheshire Cat "(a 48 foot Morris) owned by Michaek Thienenman and skippered by Justin Danby, and "Son of the Sun" a 43 foot Wauquiz skippered by Franz Kroeplien and his first mate Kerry Boe.
We could have spent much longer in this delightful anchorage but as seems to be the case so much during this cruise, we were pressured by time. There had been some bad low pressure systems around the atoll over the week that we were there and it would probably have been better to stay put for another few days, but time constraints just did not allow. We left Cocos on September 25 just behind "Cheshire Cat" and just in front of "Stealaway".
Not more than 1 hour out we caught a beautiful Wahoo but then had problems with our Jib and lost 4 hours sorting this out while Stealaway disappeared over the horizon.
For the next 2 days we ran comfortably under main and jib on a broad reach but then the front caught us and it was siege time! Winds rarely dropped below 30 knots apparent (closer to 35 knots actual) with gusts in the 40 - 50 knot range. The sea state was very uncomfortable. Wave direction from the South West and wind direction from the South East - not nice. For most of the next 6 days we sailed under a severely reefed jib with no main and speeds rarely below 8 knots. Unfortunately the wave direction ensured that we were constantly awash with water. Here is a typical remark from the log "LAD handles shit well. Lots of water Ugh!"
Sometime during this period we passed Stealaway. Amazingly, not more than 30 meters seperated us at one stag. we actuall changed course slightly to avoid getting even closer. They have a smaller boat and had a far worse time of it than we did. In fact, at one stage during those 5 days, Stealaway buried her bows and as Alan relates it "I wasn't sure she would recover - it was quite frightening".
It was nice to have a daily sched on radio with Cheshire Cat and Stealaway, as well as some other boats on the ARC rally who had also left just after us. Unfortunately the weather reports were not too accurate and everyday we were "promised" improved weather which never seemed to materialize.
13 days and 2400 miles later we arrived in Mauritius after an eventful trip. Lots of fish, lots of heavy sailing, and to put the cherry on the top we had problems with the starboard propellor and arrived in a windy crowded anchorage on one engine (not easy on a large Cat like Life's A Dream". As a consolation we had nice winds on the last few days and even managed to fly our one and a half ounce (heavy weather) spinnaker.
We were all happy to be in Mauritius. All in all it was a fitting destination for what had turned out to be one of the most enjoyable legs of the trip. I think that the reason I felt so good about it was the special opportunity afforded to me to have my two sons sailing with me on the long haul across the Indian Ocean.
The ARC rally boats had booked out the complete La Caudan Waterfront marina area which really upset all of us cruisers who had been promised accommodation on arrival. Fortunately I had made contact with Bertrand Hardy of Yacht Management Services in Port Louis and he arranged moorings for all of the arriving yachts in a fairly derelict marina area just outside La Caudan. It turned out to be a really convivial and friendly time as we all rafted up together (Cheshire Cat, Stealaway, and a number of other arriving boats) and many happy parties were managed over the next 10 days.
Robin and Stuart partied like there was no tomorrow. We also managed some sightseeing and we hired a car and travelled around the island.
Once again there were deadlines. Robin and I were meeting Tatyana and her parents in South Africa to travel up to my Game Lodge for a week as part of their (Rob and Tats) honeymoon, and we had scheduled to leave Mauritius on the 18th of October, 2010. I also had to take care of the engine/ prop problems so it was quite hectic between partying, sightseeing, and taking care of LAD. As always seems to happen, it all panned out just right and we managed to get everything into shape to leave. Bertrand Hardy and his able crew were going to watch over LAD which I had now moved into La Caudan as the ARC cruisers had departed. She was a grand sight parked right on the beautiful waterfront and attracted lots of admirers.
Trip From Bundaberg (Australia) to Cairns (Australia)
As you may remember, my last update included a description of the horrific collision Life's A Dream had with a fishing trawler, as well as an update on the repair which was completed in March 2010. At that time I wrote that I was awaiting the arrival of an American crew member who was to join the boat in Bundaberg Australia. I had planned for the trip up through the Whitsunday passage to Cairns (a distance of about 1000 miles) with stops at a number of the super islands of the barrier reef along the way. I will cut a long story short regarding that trip. There were many good parts: The Whitsunday Passage is truly a breathtaking stretch of water - 150 miles of unspoiled islands stretching from Bundaberg in the South all the way up to Airlee Beach. We had some great sailing and superb anchorages. Unfortunately some of the gilt was rubbed off by a bad crew choice on my part. He turned out to be an excessive drinker who finds it necessary to decorate his exploits with silly lies and (the final straw) who turns out to be a racist of the worst kind. Enough said
The plan was for him to skipper "Life's A Dream" to Darwin and possibly across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius while I took care of the very significant events in my children's' lives. That plan had to be changed when we arrived in Cairns. I asked Rory to leave the boat and we parted on fairly strained terms.
I spent the best part of 6 weeks in Cairns in a super marina, sightseeing, playing golf, and planning the remainder of my year. As always seems to happen, the plan finally came together (yes Colleen, life is a dream!) and everything to date has worked out just perfectly. I arranged for an Australian professional skipper to sail "Life's A Dream" from Cairns to Darwin while I flew to the UK to be with Colleen for the early part of August (3 weeks before the expected birth date of her and Gary's first baby), and then onto Hawaii for the wedding of Robin and Tatyana on the 10th of August. I also persuaded Robin to join me on the sail from Darwin to Mauritius together with Stuart my other son. It just seems to be so fitting to have Rob and Stu on the penultimate leg of my circumnavigation, as crew. Tatyana, thank you so much for assenting to this - it means a lot to me.
Once again the "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men, Gang aft agley..." (apologies to Robert Burns, literally translated it means - the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry), and things turned out a little different. Jacob John Dicker was born to Colleen and Gary on August 2nd, 2010, 3 1/2 weeks premature. The birth was natural and the little guy is healthy and happy, and I am ecstatic. How special it was to be with Colleen and to meet my first grandson. It was with a very happy heart that I departed the UK on August 5th to attend Robin and Tatyana's wedding. Stuart was in Hawaii for the wedding as well, and he and I valiantly and ably represented Robins side of the family. Colleen could not attend, for obvious reasons, and Pat was just not well enough to travel from Scotland. The day was just perfect. The wedding was held on a beach close to Honolulu and was attended by many of Tatyana's friends family (who travelled from the mainland of the USA), Robin's friends from California, and many friends from Hawaii (80 people in total).
The wedding over, I have spent the past week visiting the many friends I have in Hawaii (thank you Frank, Sandi, Joe, Eva, Steve, Jane, Warren, Marby, for your hospitality and friendship) playing golf, and getting all my affairs in order for the long trek across the Indian Ocean on my return to Australia. I leave Hawaii on Monday (August 23rd) for Darwin. Robin and Stuart arrive 2 days later, we will spend a few days provisioning and getting "Life's A Dream" ready for the trip across the Indian Ocean and leave Darwin on or about the end of August.
The first leg is to the island of Cocos Keeling about 2300 miles North West of Darwin situated at approximate 12 degrees 10 minutes South, 96 degrees 52 minutes East (if you would like to locate it on Google Earth or a map). By all accounts, Cocos Keeling is a small unspoiled atoll, very remote, and few people. We will stay there for a few days and then onto Mauritius which is a sail of about 2700 miles. I estimate we will arrive in Mauritius around the end of September. I plan to log the boats position onto Winlink as I did previously. I also hope to have limited e-mail (text only and no attached files please). Unfortunately I am not able to guarantee this communication, so there is a fair chance I will be out of contact for the month of September and possibly the early part of October.
Once arriving in Mauritius the schedule continues to be hectic. Robin and I are booked on a flight to Johannesburg on October 16. We will be rendezvousing with Tatyana, her mom and step dad, Pat and Nita (Pat's sister) and other good friends for a trip to my Game Lodge on October 27 for a week. On November 6th I return to Mauritius with good sailing buddies (Theo, Don, and Rudy) for the sailing trip back to South Africa. We will spend just a few days in Mauritius and then depart for the South African coast (Durban or Cape Town depending on the weather). Once back in South Africa I have two further trips arranged to the Game Lodge, then leave for the UK on December 20th to spend Xmas and New Year with Colleen Gary and Jake.
Labels: Bundaberg to Cairns
New Caledonia to Bundaberg, Australia**Before Reading this post, note that I have simultaneously published two other posts which relate to earlier parts of this current adventure (i.e. Fiji to Vanuatu and Vanuatu to New Caledonia. So if you wish to read chronologically you should first read those two posts. Enjoy!****
There is really not much to be said about this relatively short leg except for the last few eventful hours.
We motored through the western exit of the New Caledonia Northern reefs “Passe de Yande” at 9am on the morning of Saturday September 12, 2009 and once we had cleared the reef we hoisted our jib in 35 knots of wind. We sailed hard on the wind with a reef in the main and our jib to clear some shallows for about 6 hours and once safely past we eased off, dropped the main and continued sailing comfortably and fast on a reach with jib only for the next five days. We made excellent time and it was an easy sail.
At about 6pm on the evening of the 16th of September we entered the shallower water off the coast but still about 50 miles to go to the Bundaberg port entrance. There was a lot of shipping around and it was obvious that this last evening was going to be a busy watch-keeping night. At midnight when Andy came of watch his log entry reads: “Slow lumpy sail. Lots of boats. Beautiful starry night”. I take over the watch and for the next two hours I stay on deck watching the miles tick off. During that time I observe a boat (lots of lights) ahead and slightly to starboard. As we get closer, its position relative to me moves off to my starboard beam. At this stage it’s about 2.15am and the boat appears to be stationary and I estimate about a half a mile to a mile away. Since we have now passed it, I go below to check my position as well as check radar for other boats. I observe on radar another boat about 6 miles ahead and I don’t see the boat we have just passed, however I’m not concerned as there is a lot of “clutter” on the radar for a radius of about a mile (this is normal in lumpy confused seas) and I know we have passed it.
Then the nightmare (only it’s not a nightmare it’s real) begins. I return on deck and there no more than 30 meters off my bow is a large fishing trawler with deck lights blazing and engine on high revs on a direct collision course with “Life’s A Dream”. I turn sharply to starboard and my port bow strikes its side and its extended boom hit my port shrouds and a steel cable comes flying through the air hitting various parts of LAD and narrowly missing me. I turn on the engines and attempt to move off only to find the cable wrapped around the swim ladder on the port side and sawing through the hull. By this time Andy, my crew is on deck and he gets out the bolt cutters and we attempt to cut the cable but with no success. The trawler appears to be still moving. I put the engines in hard reverse and after what seems like an eternity we have enough slack to get the cable free. I won’t go into any further details of what transpired over the next 20 minutes but that we established there was no water being taken on and had an insane conversation on the radio with the Skipper of the boat who was swearing and making accusations in between trading registration info with me.
What I have described above is a short and fairly unemotional account of one of the scariest moments in my life. I find it difficult to write about because it is impossible for me to put in words the range of emotions that I experienced in that short time.
We made it into port under our own power. Miraculously there were no holes below the waterline and the engines and propellers were intact. The damage was significant but fixable. There were a lot of cosmetic items (scratches, gouges, broken lights, etc.) and three structural issues but that could be repaired.
My crew member Andy said it best – we were the luckiest most unlucky two guys in that incident. Unlucky to have been involved in such a freak accident and lucky to get out of it alive unharmed and fairly intact.
I have thought about that moment a lot since and in a very objective way this is my considered post-mortem. What happened was a chance in a billion – at the very moment I went down below having “safely passed” the trawler, it was just about to start its trawling run. That run just happened to be a path that took it on a course which converged with the path of Life’s A Dream, and that all happened in a 10 minute period while I was below. Should he have seen me? I believe so – unfortunately he had all his deck lights blazing so his night vision was zero and there was no way anybody on deck could have seen my navigation lights until it was too late. Should I have stayed on deck longer? Hindsight allows 20/20 vision and had I known what his intentions were and that he was about to embark on a run, I would have. But I didn’t know and I didn’t stay. And that’s it.
Fast forward to the present (April 2010). I left LAD in Bundaberg for the summer (this had always been my plan). During that time I spent a wonderful summer in South Africa and returned early in March with my good friend Theo van der Hoek to do the repairs. I could seriously write a book about all that transpired, but bottom line is we completed the last task on Friday March 26 (new shrouds on the port side) and had a very pleasurable and successful test sail on Saturday.
YIPPEE!!!! I have a sailing boat once more. I really cannot say enough about how much Theo contributed to this incredible feat. We did everything (including servicing props, replacing sea cocks, fixing the gaping hole in the port bow, fixing the kick up rudder system, completely overhauling and replacing the steering system) WITHOUT TAKING LAD OUT OF THE WATER! I won't bore you with the minutia but here are some stats: Estimated 400 man hours of work; we worked 7 days a week for the four weeks; we completed 65 separate important pieces of work, the cost was approximately 10% of what I had been originally quoted; we consumed seven bottles of scotch; Theo needs a new shoulder; my shins are full of scars; but we did it! What a satisfying feeling!
And so on to my plans. They are still much as before. Rory Kremer, a buddy I met in Hawaii and an accomplished sailor, joins me next week for the leg up to Cairns through the Whitsundays. I plan to have the boat in Mauritius by the end of October so that we can sail her to Durban by not later than middle of November. In the meantime I will be attending Robins wedding in Hawaii in August and I want to be with Colleen and Gary in the UK for at least a month sometime after August. Not sure how to achieve it all but it will all happen.
Here is a before and after picture of the hole in the hull from the collision and the repair.
Hole In Hull.
Repaired Hole in Hull
Labels: Australia, New Caledonia to Bundaberg
Trip From Tanna in Vanuatu to New Caledonia and our Adventures through the North Passage.Having decided on the route and carefully planned it, we set sail from Resolution Bay, round the eastern side of Tanna and then westwards through the northern passage of New Caledonia and then onto Bundaberg, Australia.
I had a choice - either to bypass New Caledonia south of the island group or go north. Going north seemed obvious except that to have a clear passage I would have to go north of the island group by some 80 miles to avoid the reefs extending for a long way out. Now if only there was a passage through the reefs. C-Map was singularly unhelpful and as I did not have detailed paper charts it looked like I would have to bite the bullet one way or the other - south with the extra distance (and a tougher sail) or north with about 100 extra miles tacked on and then a more difficult sail to my destination in Australia.
Just to digress just for a moment. On my previous cruise on Fleur du Cap in the 1980’s I carried with me a set of Pilot books for all areas of the world. These “Pilots” provide narrative information to assist mariners and date back to the 1800’s when maps and charts were not as reliable as today and first-hand experience was embodied in the pilot to assist sailors. I had transferred these books onto Life’s A Dream never thinking that I would ever use them. Would you believe it, the Pilot for the Pacific contains detailed information describing the Eastern passage through the reefs as well as the Western exit. This together with C-Map gave me all I needed! Not only did I have a short-cut but also the possibility of a refuge for a couple of days while we motored through the passage.
After two wonderful days of downwind spinnaker sailing we tentatively entered the eastern passage of “Passage D’amoss” and our New Caledonian adventure started. The plan was to anchor the first night in a little channel marked as “Pam Telegraphe” on C-Map. On arrival at about 3 pm local time the calmness of the anchorage convinced me that we should make hay while the sun shines and move onto the next anchorage marked on the chart, about 10 miles further on. Big mistake! On arrival we discover this anchorage is open to the South Easterly which by this time is pumping at 30 knots. The only way is to continue on to the next anchorage which is on the lee side of the prevailing wind and thus sheltered. By this time I am concerned with the oncoming darkness but as it is only a few miles further I am satisfied that we have enough time. The chart indicates a clear run into the anchorage but just to be safe I instruct Andy to lookout on the foredeck. As I approach the entrance Andy shouts “rock directly ahead!”, I veer off to starboard and no more than five meters off our port beam is a large rock just below the surface. By now I quite freaked out. The final haven before we reach the western passage out of the reefs (which I certainly could not traverse at that time of the day) is another 5 miles further and we have about 40 minutes of daylight left and the wind, by now, is howling. 40 minutes has never gone so slow. After a harrowing sail we turn the corner into the last refuge and I am relieved to find a calm place to throw down the anchor. Never has a sundowner tasted so good!
The one day stay turns into two as the wind continues to howl and then three. Our stay was not unpleasant. We ate well and generally took the time to relax. We also had a nice diversion when two local fishermen came alongside in their little dinghy and traded the largest lobster I have ever seen in my life for dollars and goods.
On the morning of the third day I decided we had to leave. The wind was definitely abating although still quite strong and Andy had a rendezvous with an airplane in Australia. Also the anchorage had become quite lumpy and uncomfortable. On the 10th of September 2009 we exited the reefs uneventfully through “Passe de Yande”.
Australia here we come.!
Labels: Trip From Tanna in Vanuatu to New Caledonia and our Adventures through the North Passage.
Sail From From Fiji to Tanna in Vanuatu and our Short stay in Port Resolution.In order to clear customs in Fiji we had to return to Lautoka on the big island in Fiji. Mololo where we were is a relatively small island with a few lovely resorts and anchorages and little else. The short return trip to the main island was uneventful (just a few hours sailing). We moored for the night in a secure marina close to Lautoka called Vuda Point. David from “Lady Nada” was there as well and we had a delightful farewell dinner. We we were joined by a Scottish lass and chatted and laughed the evening away.
Clearing customs the next morning involved a short taxi tide into Lautoka, then some last minute shopping and we were on our way. The short trip to Vanuatu would only take a few days – about 450 miles.
It turned out to be a quick but uncomfortable sail. Mostly on a fine reach but with apparent winds of 30 to 40 knots for most of the time and it was quite wet. “Life’s A Dream” has a habit of going quite fast and, when it is into large seas, one has little chance of staying dry while on watch. Certainly not as wet as a mono-hull but the god of water will make sure the unwary watch keeper will be doused at every opportunity!
On arrival at the island of Tanna which is one of the smaller Vanuatu islands we anchored on the South West corner in a lovely little anchorage, Port Resolution. There were just three other boats in the anchorage including “Tin Soldier” skippered by Glen. The highlight of our very short stay in Tanna (two nights) was a bumpy ride on the back of an open truck driven by one of the locals, accompanied by Glen, to one of the few live volcanoes in the world. It is situated atop Mount Yasur, which is some 360 meters or 1800 feet above sea-level. This was definitely one of the highlights of my life (and I don’t say that lightly). The volcano is truly alive, it rumbles continuously and hurls out rocks and lava with an almighty roar, seemingly at will.
We arrived at dusk and had the enormous privilege of watching it from a distance of no more than 200 meters do its “thing”. I was spellbound and could have stayed there the whole night listening and watching. It was a cool evening and at that height the cold wind contrasting to the hot inferno before me together with the pungent smell of sulfur and the roaring sounds, combined to provide a variety of sense-assaulting ingredients, awesome each of them, but as a symphony, simply mind-blowing. I attach a photo just to give you a small taste of what I experienced.
After the night of the volcano we had very little left to see or do on this small island with its delightfully friendly people and we departed for Australia via New Caledonia on March 13, 2009.
Labels: Sail From From Fiji to Tanna in Vanuatu and our Short stay in Port Resolution.
Stay In Fiji August September 2009
My first impression of Fiji on our first visit to the small town of Savu Savu was of a bustling cosmopolitan society consisting of local Fijians and the large local Indian population with a fair sprinkling of English and other European nationalities. It felt vibrant and exciting, certainly the best vibe for me since beginning our adventure in the South Pacific. The fresh produce market was chock-a-block of fruit and vegetables, and the supermarkets had most things one would find in first world countries. Locally produced stuff is really cheap.
After a few days of dining out, enjoying the local yacht club bar, and meeting many cruisers we felt the need to explore the island and decided to wend our way along the southern shore of Vanua Levu fishing, diving, and enjoying the local sights and sounds.
There were a few anchorages that looked really good but had really narrow entrances and, although we had C-Map and GPS for navigation, the charts were not always accurate (sometimes off by as much as 300 meters). I had heard from a fellow cruiser that he had used Google Earth pictures of narrow entrances to get really accurate coordinates. I decided to try this approach. Wow, it really works! The picture of the entrances to the anchorages we wanted to visit was clear and the coral surrounding the entrances was really obvious. Since placing ones cursor anywhere on the Google Earth picture gives totally accurate coordinates I was able to plot a totally accurate track through the coral. Superimposing this onto C-Map confirmed that they were indeed off by a couple of hundred meters.
For the next 5 days we sailed along the coast visiting Fawn Harbour, Ndakunimba Bay, and Viani Bay. All wonderful anchorages but there are two memories that will stay with me forever. The first was a trek along the river at Fawn Harbour to a hot spring. I lay in the shallow water of the spring for 30 minutes in an absolutely weightless state enjoying a perfect temperature with the water quietly gurgling past my ears with a perfectly blank mind – a real hypnotic state that I had never experienced before. The second was our meeting with the village people in Ndukinimba Bay. We presented them with the traditional gift of Kava root and were invited to drink Kava with them which we did for 6 hours straight! Kava is the traditional drink – it is mildly intoxicating, tastes like mouldy leaves, and has the colour of brown mud. Nevertheless spending the time grouped around the Kava bowl, chatting, singing, laughing will remain as a precious memory with me forever. At the end of the evening we were ceremonially accepted as “family” which means that we can come back anytime and stay in the village as part of the community. Oh yes, sometime during the evening Andy and Doug went crayfish hunting with the local fishermen and two hours later returned with 9 assorted crayfish and “bugs” which we later cooked up and had a memorable feast. The next morning I helped one of the fishermen patch his boat before we departed.
On our return to Savu Savu we stayed for as few more days, said goodbye to Doug who was returning to Canada, were happy that Shannon had decided to stay on to accompany us down south to the main island in Fiji of Viti Levu where we planned to check in at Lautoka and then proceed to a small island off Viti Levu called Mololo in an anchorage called Musket Cove which hosts an annual regatta and welcomes cruisers. Our plan was to take a few days to explore the numerous anchorages on the Northern side of Viti Levu before checking in at Lautoka. It turned out to be a wonderful few days – we caught a very large Mahi Mahi (delicioius eating), we had dolphins swimming with the boat, we saw pilot whales, Shannon continued to bake wonderful goodies – ah life was good!
On arrival in Lautoka we wasted little time in clearing in, and spent the day exploring the town of Lautoka (bustling, vibrant, great food, lots of fresh vegetables), but we were eager to get to Musket Cove.
The next day, Saturday August 22nd dawned bright and clear. We said goodbye to Shannon and upped anchor. About 2 miles out of Lautoka we encountered 20 to 25 knot headwinds with a sharp short choppy wave action. David on the Catamaran Lady Nada who was travelling in tandem with us decided to turn back and wait for better weather. Andy and I were keen to continue on to our destination and for the next 4 hours endured the uncomfortable passage.
Entering Musket Cove was relatively easy – the wind was pumping but the visibility was excellent and all of the reefs were clearly visible.
Once in the anchorage we found one mooring (number 13 – I’m not kidding) unoccupied. I noticed that it was very near an ominous looking reef but felt confident that we would pick up the mooring with no problem just as we have done many times before, in time to enjoy a quite sundowner after the rough passage. I motored up to the buoy and waited for Andy to get the bridle ready to attach to the mooring. How it happened I am still not sure but in what seemed like seconds the wind was on LAD’s beam and we were over the reef. As I “gunned” the engines to regain way, one of the yachties nearby shouted across “you are very close to the reef”. Too late! I heard a tearing grinding noise of glass fiber breaking and all hell broke loose! We had struck the reef. A cold fear gripped me – my life passed before my eyes. I realized we had to get away quickly and I opened the throttles to full. Now time seemed to be an eternity but it was only seconds and we were free. Between all of the expletives and shouting I was trying to come onto the mooring and Andy was trying to pick it up but LAD was not reacting well. I feared the worst and imagined the underside of my beloved boat torn to shreds, the propellers and sail drive irretrievably damaged. Two cruisers had in the meanwhile had raced up and were trying to help us keep LAD into the wind and retrieve the mooring line. Finally we secured LAD on. I raced down below got my goggles and flippers on and dived to see where the hole was and what the damage was. I could not believe my eyes – the undersides were intact, the propellers were undamaged. The awful rending sounds of tearing glass fiber had been caused by the kick-up rudders lifting up on striking the reef thus breaking the sacrificial plates that secure them. The damage to the rudders was minimal – a small amount of surface damage. We had dodged a bullet!
Musket Cove was a very different experience. It was like being on vacation at a posh resort. All the amenities including a large pool, island bar, golf course. Talk about culture shock! Here we were in a first world environment lounging around the pool, playing golf. We met lots of cruisers who had arrived for the regatta and it was a fun time.
Andy and I had planned to stay for the regatta and then leave for Australia via Vanuatu and New Caledonia arriving sometime after the end of September. That all changed when Andy delivered his news. He had always planned to leave the boat in Australia but he would have to leave earlier as he had an interview in Canada on September 22, 2009. My decision wasn’t too difficult – rather than wait for the regatta, we would leave earlier to get Andy to Australia in time to fly to Canada for his interview. Rather than single-hand or get new untried crew for the trip to Australia it was a small sacrifice to miss the regatta.
The decision being made we wasted little time in getting ready for the trip to Australia – a distance of some 1500 miles but with short stops in Vanuatu and New Caledonia to break it up.
Labels: Stay In Fiji August September 2009
Tonga and Cruise to Fiji July/August 2009
In many ways our arrival in Tonga was the most significant part of my cruise to date. I had spent many hours over the past five years while building Life’s A Dream and then cruising, dreaming about this landfall. Tonga is a cruisers paradise it epitomizes for me the South Pacific cruising dream. I was not to be disappointed.
The Tongan islands consist of three major groups of islands each very different topographically and politically. The most northerly group (Vava’u) consist of many islands clustered fairly closely together with good reefs and majestic volcanic land areas. The anchorages are numerous, spectacularly beautiful, very protected and invariably occupied by some sailing boats. The main island and harbor is called Neiafu and is the charter boat center of the Moorings Charter Company. It was also our first Tongan landfall and the port that we cleared customs and immigration. The central group is called Hapaii and consists of hundreds of relatively unpopulated islands generally smaller and less spectacular than Vava’u but with loads of beautiful reefs, thousands of (also) spectacularly beautiful anchorages and generally devoid of cruising boats. The Southern group is called Nuku Alofa (also the name of the main town) and is the capital of Tonga and the seat of the royal family. It is quite busy with relatively few great cruising islands and certainly the least attractive.
We arrived in Neiafu after a fast uncomfortable sail. However once in the protection of the main island it was smooth and fast and we gunned both engines as well, in order to make the harbor before dark. 6.30 pm saw us safely moored with drinks in our hands and chatting with Kevin Keys on the small 33ft Cat called Tere Hau Nui. The last time we had seen Kevin was in Hawaii where he had stayed for 5 years and then decided to move to Tonga. My crew members, Robin my son and Andy my buddy are the most compatible group and we were all relaxed and happy to enjoy the Tongan way for the next six weeks.
The time just sped as it always seems to when I’m cruising. We did loads of sailing around the Vava’u group, met lots of cruisers and local people, drank loads of Tongan beer, and generally had a fantastic time. Just so that I don’t forget, these are some of the great people we met: Ben and Lisa ex-owners of Aquarium Café, Mike new owner of Aquarium Café, Steve and Tessa owners of Crows Nest Café, Alex and Trish owners of the Balcony Restaurant, Richard and Samantha, Jenny, Vicki, Alia, Shannon, Dave, Gaspar. There were many others as well.
Tatyana, Robins girlfriend was due to arrive in Nuku Alofa early in July to spend a couple of weeks with Robin and cruising with us. The trip south of about 170 miles was fast and tough (going to windward is becoming a nasty habit of mine). “Tats” arrived safely and once she had settled in we spent a leisurely 10 days cruising North back to Vava’u, stopping off at some wonderful anchorages each evening, diving, snorkeling, exploring, fishing, and enjoying some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Much to Robin’s dismay the time just sped along and it was time for Tatyana to depart. We were all sad to say goodbye to Tatyana, but I was looking forward to my very good friend Rob Fourie and his grandson Brendon to arrive for a week’s fishing.
They flew in 3 days later than expected due to visa issues in Tonga but Rob was undeterred with all of the hassles and he and Brendon arrived eager to get going. Rob also brought a load of spare parts that I needed from South Africa so it was like Christmas for me. The week just flew by – we spent most of the time fishing. Robin was in his element teaching Brendon the “ropes” and catching fish. It could not have been better – we caught a number of Tuna and Wahoo throughout the week and on the last day hooked and landed a BIG yellow-fin Tuna (about 60kg – 130 pounds for my American friends). We ate a lot of fish but sold everything we could not use to the local restaurant.
After Rob and Brendon left, the last 2 weeks was spent doing a lot of cruising around the Vava’u islands, fixing many of the boat issues using the spares that had arrived. We also had an addition to our crew. Doug, Andy’s brother arrived from Canada to spend a month with us. The plan was that he would sail on the relatively short sail to Fiji and leave from there to return to Canada.
Robin had decided that he needed to return to Hawaii to be with Tatyana, set up a land-based life, earn some money and go back to University. He planned to leave at the beginning of August and although I was very sad at his leaving I knew that his decision the right one. August 1st dawned and Robin was due to leave. It was a very sad and emotional parting. But there are always new beginnings and Fiji (our next port of call) was beckoning!
We had a 4th addition to the crew for this leg. We had met Shannon Gentry a young American woman who was working on a two-year volunteer stint with the Peace Corps had been on a couple of short cruises in Vava’u and was eager to sail with us to Fiji for her annual vacation. She is a delightful, bubbly, enthusiastic person and I felt that she would contribute and fit in so I invited her to join the crew.
August 2nd dawned and we were ready to leave, bound for Fiji and embark on the next chronicle of our cruise. The weather forecast was good and, finally, we were going to be sailing with the wind on our backs!
While in Tonga we had met David van Ryswyk an ex South African who was single-handing a 47 foot Lavranos design catamaran for the season from New Zealand. His next port of call was planned to be Fiji as well and we left at the same time. Lady Nada (David’s Cat) is a fast light boat with a big head sail and he was soon out front. We were quite content with this state of affairs as we had the wind on our stern and with just the jib up having a wonderful downwind sail. And so it continued for 3 days, good winds, good food, and a happy crew.
On the last day (3rd day out) we capped off a great trip with a smooth and fast spinnaker run. The total run to Savu Savu which was our planned port of call in Fiji is about 400 miles so, by LAD standards it had been a slow trip (only 150 miles per day!) but absolutely enjoyable.
Savu Savu is the check in port for the northern island of Vanua Levu in Fiji and as we sailed into the river mouth which is the entrance to Savu Savu and picked up a mooring opposite the Copra Shed Marina I knew it was going to be an enjoyable stay. David on "Lady Nada" had arrived the previous evening, and after clearing customs and immigration we joined him for a cold and welcome beer at the local yacht club.
Labels: Tonga and Cruise to Fiji July/August 2009
Suvarov In The Cook Islands to Western Samoa (May/June 2009)On the 19th of May 1974 Colleen, my daughter was born. Precisely 35 years later our crew left Suwarrow bound for Apia on the island of Upola which is part of Samoa. Our time in Suwarrow had been simply sensational and unbelievable in so many ways and we were really a nostalgic bunch of crew when we finally took our leave of this beautiful sanctuary. The lagoon was starting to fill up with arriving boats and officially we could only stay two weeks. I know that John the resident park ranger would have easily and happily extended our stay but we had other things on our mind – new exciting places, getting rid of Walter M. our mutinous crew member, and the opportunity to stock up on dwindling supplies.
The weather forecast was for light variable winds over the next few days and Apia is only 400 miles due west so we expected a slow motor sail. And that’s exactly as it turned out. Relaxed, lazy, sometimes frustrating but a pleasant change from some of our earlier experiences from Hawaii. Our crew for this leg was the same as before: Myself, Robin, And, Walter M.. Everybody was in high spirits for a variety of reasons and harmony prevailed. Here are some extracts from our log for the trip which took four days:
May 19, 2009 1605hours – Sails up, caught a 25lb Tuna. Life’s a dream!
May 20, 2009 0805hours – Motor Sailing = Blah.
May 20, 2009 1400hours – Spinnaker up.
May 21, 2009 0200hours – Motors on. Stars out in force.
May 22, 2009 1220hours – Wind 15 knots on the beam. Sailing. Lumpy but nice.
May 23, 2009 0800hours – Great morning. Can see Samoa!
May 23, 2009 0915hours – Arrived Apia.
Apia is a large commercial harbor and yachties cannot anchor. There is a port authority marina where all boats tie up. It is reasonably priced and has all the facilities (water, electricity, Wi-Fi internet). What a shock for the crew who had been for the past 2 months in remote islands with no facilities.
Customs and Immigration were closed until Monday but we had itchy feet and dry throats and hit the picturesque and very neat and tidy town with a vengeance. In short order we were eating ice cream, devouring fresh bread, and very soon thereafter drinking beer.
The plan had been to stop in Apia only long enough to provision and bid our farewell to Walter M. but, as so often happens, the days get swallowed up with spontaneous activities, friendships are made, boat work needs to be completed, and when one looks up almost two weeks are gone.
Samoa is a very ordered, happy, society with a strong culture of clan hierarchy. Each area or village has a headman and a council and each village is represented at an area meeting held whenever regional issues need to be discussed. There is a central government which works hand in hand with the clans. All in all a very sensible and successful democratic system.
As a South African I was extremely well received. The Samoans to a person are rugby fanatics and they love talking about the game. As an aside, I witnessed the demise of the Chiefs (New Zealand team) against the Bulls (South African team) in the 2009 Super-14 rugby competition at a get together in a local bar at 4 am in the morning.
Our original plan was to leave directly for Tonga from Apia but my crew convinced me that the next-door Samoan island of Savaii was a must. It’s a very short downwind sail of about 70 miles and sort of on the way. Since we had no deadlines, I agreed. What a good decision that turned out to be. We made for the North West corner of this large island and entered the very protected but remote harbor of Asau. The entrance is narrow and hairy but once inside it is a calm, rural setting with a great secure anchorage just off a resort tucked away in the western corner. It was very uncrowded – we were the only boat! I can only imagine it’s to do with the obscure entry passage as everything else about the setting is wonderful.
As always the people turned out to be just great and we had some memorable encounters with local people. One in particular stands out in my memory – an afternoon that Andy and I spent being hosted in their home by the local clan chief and his family as well as being driven down to the family’s private beach, snorkeling and then being driven back to the resort where LAD was anchored, and sharing a sundowner beer with them.
Finally we felt the time had come to hit Tonga and we left this wonderful island group on June 8, 2009 bound for Vava’u in Tonga a relatively short sail of about 300 miles.
Labels: May/ June 2009
Sail From Penrhyn To Suvarov In The Cook Islands (May 2009)May 6, 2009 dawned bright and clear. We had decided to leave Penrhyn notwithstanding that the weather forecast indicated very light winds for the next few days. One seems to know when it is time to depart – we had absolutely loved this first taste of the South Pacific but new islands beckoned and we were now all very motivated for Walter M. to leave and the quicker we moved onto an island which had a commercial airport the sooner Mr. M. would be on his way.
Our next planned port of call was Suvarov (also known as Suwarrow), which is another atoll in the Northern Cook group of islands. One could hardly call it a port as it is uninhabited except for a park ranger who is there for six months of the year. The write-ups on Suwarrow are highly complimentary and it is regarded as one of the gems of the South Pacific. The strong need to reduce our crew by one member as soon as possible was overshadowed by our desire to experience a this unique anchorage .
We cleared customs in Amoka and left at 4.30 pm o a cloudy day. The exit and entrance to the anchorage is littered with coral heads. We had been extremely careful coming in and the recommended route worked out perfectly. Over confident and eager to leave, we decided on a shortcut on leaving. The sun was low in the sky on an already dull day and it was not easy to spot the heads. Almost disaster! Our daggerboard clipped a coral head and I consider us extremely fortunate to get out with no damage. Once through the channel (also quite hairy with strong currents and lots of coral) we were quickly on our way and celebrated/ commiserated our leaving with a welcome sundowner.
The weather forecast proved quite accurate, unfortunately, and the trip to Suwarrow was five days of mostly no wind, sometimes light wind, and rarely anything over 10 knots. We motor-sailed through the day and lay a-hull at night (so that the skipper could get some sleep). The trip was uneventful and we were very happy to make our next landfall, Suwarrow.
Unlike Penrhyn, the entry was dead easy, the chart was very accurate, and we entered the most idyllic anchorage I have ever encountered. You have to try and picture the sight that greeted us – a large calm lagoon with crystal-clear water, sandy white beaches, waving palm trees and a deserted anchorage. Well, there was one boat. “Raven” had arrived a few days earlier and was just getting ready to leave. I had found paradise yet again!
We quickly launched the dinghy and made our way to shore. One dinghy was tied up at the neat little jetty and a tall flagpole proudly carried the Cook Island flag. The beach was a white strip of newly-minted sand - perfect – and the palm trees were heavily burdened with their fruit – yummy! Further inspection revealed a “welcome” sign to the nature reserve of Suwarrow and a path leading into the trees. The whole place seemed deserted except that there were hammocks lazily swinging between trees and the unmistakable smell of burning vegetation. We followed the path to a clearing with a two-story building bearing a large sign “Suwarrow yacht club” with an inviting open area verandah festooned with hanging flags from yachts that had previously visited. It was obvious that cruisers were welcome.
The ranger and his four boys were clearing an area alongside the building and his wife, Veronica, emerged from the thicket with a big welcoming smile. With the minimum of fuss she cleared us in, welcomed us, and said that her husband the ranger would welcome us later. That was our introduction to eight days of absolute delight.
Here are the highlights (I could write a story but will only bore you with a summary of our time on this wonderful preserve of nature):
• John (the ranger) his wife Veronica and their four boys Jeremiah, Jonathan and the twins Augustine and Giovanni, were a hospitable delightful family with whom we spent a number of happy evenings, singing, drinking and eating;
• Fish (and sharks) were plentiful. We ate our fill of lobster, Rainbow Runner, Travalle, Tuna, and more. Literally we caught our food just whenever we needed to;
• The reefs are littered with beautiful unspoiled coral and colourful reef fish;
• The sunsets were unforgettable. The visual splendor was spectacular but the accompanying lowering-of-the-flag ceremony was icing on the cake. One of John’s sons would blow on a conch shell while another would slowly and proudly lower the flag. I was always so busy marveling at the sights and sounds while sipping on a scotch that I never even videoed it! Oh well I have the memory.
By the end of our time there, a number of other yachts (including Coco Kei) had arrived and we were OK with leaving. Our next planned port, Apia on the Samoan island of Upola, would enable us to stock up on much-needed basic supplies, fuel, and propane gas. But most importantly it has an airport and Wally M. would leave us.
It was sad saying goodbye to the wonderful family of John and Veronica and the boys and we left with many many fond memories.
Labels: May 2009
Trip From Hawaii To Penrhyn In The Cook Islands (April 2009)I was determined this time to successfully leave Hawaii. Life’s A Dream has now spent almost 2 years in the Hawaiian Islands and it was definitely time to move on.
The previous April (2008), Robin and I made two abortive attempts to leave, both ending in somewhat frustrating returns.
The first problem involved a serious leak in the hull joint between the dagger board case and the hull. This happened just forty miles after leaving Ko’Olina Marina with water coming into the starboard hull at a fairly sedate rate of 2 gallons an hour but still very scary. We made it back without any further incident. After ascertaining the problem in its entirety we decided to haul the boat out to undertake the repair. We spent three frustrating weeks on the hard getting the join between the hull and the dagger board strengthened and rebuilt and then getting ready for our second departure.
The second major problem occurred five hundred miles into our second attempt – this time the steering cable broke and we were once again forced to turn back using the emergency tiller. On our return I took the decision to stay another year in Hawaii and wait until the next season to go into the South Pacific. This turned out to be a really fortuitous turn of events as we picked up yet another serious build issue while participating in a fun race from Ko’Olina (on the Hawaiian island of Oahu) to Nawiliwili (70 miles north of Oahu on the Hawaiian island of Kauai). This time it had to do with the steering and rudders. To digress for a moment - after doing a temporary fix on this problem we spent one night in Nawiliwili and then cruised North up the island to an idyllic anchorage on Kauai called Hanalei Bay (of “Puff The Magic Dragon” song, fame). Here we spent 3 carefree weeks during which time Robins’ girlfriend Tatyana flew out from Oahu to spend some time on the boat and Colleen, my daughter, flew out from the UK for 10 days. I will always have very fond memories of our time in Hanalei.
On our return from Hanalei back to Ko’Olina, I worked out a way to repair the rudder problem with minimal effort and without taking “Life’s A Dream” out of the water. We found a great fiberglass repair guy who did a first rate job on the repair.
I had always planned to return to South Africa for Xmas and decided to leave soon after the repair was completed to spend some time in the USA and then onto Johannesburg and Cape Town where Colleen was getting married. Robin would stay in Hawaii and care take “Life’s A Dream while I was away. He was also attending the wedding in South Africa and would be away for three weeks and our good friend Blue would check on LAD while Robin was away.
Fast-forward to March 2009 and my return to Hawaii. Six weeks of hectic activity (including yet another haul out) and I was satisfied that we were really ready this time to hit the South Pacific. As it was a year later, I decided to give the French Polynesian islands a miss and head directly for the Northern Cooks. We had acquired two new crew members (Andy Paton, a Canadian friend I had met a few years earlier while Scuba diving in Mozambique) and a high school friend of Robin whom I will call Walter M. (not his real name).
We left Ko’Olina at 5pm on Monday April 13, 2009. The forecast was for good North Easterlies and we were looking forward to a fast, comfortable beam reach. Not to be – the wind remained very easterly for the first five days and we were treated to an uncomfortable but fast fine reach. The winds rarely dropped below twenty-five knots and the seas were confused and quartering –the foredeck was constantly awash and any little leak found its way inside.
We all experienced seasickness for the first few days to a lesser or greater degree –Andy and Walter M. spread what little food they ate, liberally across the North Pacific.
I tried unsuccessfully to make position reports and send e-mails using Ham radio through Winlink, but to no avail. This persisted for the duration of our trip to Penrhyn much to my dismay and Walter M’s chagrin (“grumble, grumble, you promised us communications and we don’t have any, etc. etc”.).
Our first problem occurred 2 days out. The Freezer water pump stopped pumping and the replacement only lasted a day, so my hopes of “rocks” for my sundowner scotch during the trip were quickly dashed.
Problem number two was lurking just round the corner. No sooner had we resigned ourselves to not having a freezer when the second reefing line frayed and one of the reefing cringles popped causing a small but ominous tear in the mainsail. Robin and I showed off our previously untested prowess in repairing sails and four hours later we were once again underway. We did however finally solve what had been a recurring problem of the reefing line fraying and we now have a permanent and good solution.
Four days into the trip we were all gaining sea legs, making good progress (200 miles per day), and starting to feel good with life. We caught a really nice Wahoo and the eating was just fantastic. However problem number three was just about to strike. Day five had just dawned when the steering cable parted ways. I’m still not sure how this happened but it appears that the cable somehow slipped off a sheave and eventually frayed on the sheave bracket. This time I was determined not to turn back – if necessary we would use the emergency tiller all the way to Penrhyn! We hand-steered using the emergency tiller for a day until the weather calmed sufficiently for the crew to dive on the cable and twelve hours later we had repaired the cable and were once again underway. The strong winds had abated and we now had steady 15-knot easterlies and a fairly comfortable sail. Just one problem, Walter M. had cracked and I realized we had a bad egg on board – one that I couldn’t toss into the ocean! Robin and Andy understood the situation as well and we agreed to tiptoe round the problem in order to preserve order and sanity.
Our trouble-free sail was short-lived however. Day seven dawned to the sound of our autopilot groaning loudly. On investigation we discovered that the port helm had a problem turning to starboard. The starboard helm seemed to work fine but the port helm was where the autopilot is situated! I estimated we were five or six days out of Penrhyn at our current rate of progress and we had no option but to revert to hand steering. While LAD was well balanced, our point of sail (which was now a beam reach) did not allow her to self-steer well. With four crewmembers, 2 hours on and 6 hours off was quite bearable and the last five days into Penrhyn was enjoyable. We had the wind on our beam and arrived in Penrhyn with no further mishaps. The entrance is very tricky with reefs all over the place and the trip to the anchorage in Omoka Village (population 200) is literally a 3-mile obstacle course.
There was one other boat in the lagoon, a 55-foot Deerfoot, “Raven”, with the owner Mike and his wife Carol and two crew members (Rod – skipper and his wife). Mike has all sorts of electronic goodies on the boat including an Iridium phone, which he kindly allowed us to use to make contact with the outside world. Robin contacted Tatyana who had just put out a “watch” call on the Internet for LAD, as we had not had any contact for 13 days. Colleen was also really worried and Tatyana promised to contact her.
We stayed at Amoka for a day during which time we cleared customs, met some wonderful local families (we will never forget Alex and Christine and their great family including Gertrude the resident police woman on the island – lifts to the Telcom, ice creams, coconuts, breadfruit, gifts of cowry shell necklaces for each of the crew, etc. etc. etc.), but “Raven” convinced us that the anchorage 8 miles across the lagoon at Te’tatua village was the place to be, and that’s where we went.
Their recommendation was spot on. We had found paradise. The village of about 10 families is small and picturesque; the entrance to the lagoon was chock-a-block with fish life (including lots of sharks, mostly black-tipped Reef sharks), spectacular reefs and crystal clear water. Again we met wonderful and generous people – Napa and her family stands out. I used her phone to contact Ron and Lynda in Australia and have an hour chat for $NZ10. Our days were mostly spent fishing, diving, eating, sleeping, and socializing. We were definitely recovering from our trip down, with a vengeance! Our big boat-achievement was to fix the steering. The wheel-turning problem was a combination of lots of little issues. A thorough service of all the parts and a careful balancing of the rudders, plus re-setting two of the sheaves, and our steering was back working really well. As a postscript, I am not happy with the steering system as a whole and am planning a replacement with something less basic, more robust, and more reliable.
All good things come to an end and Suvarov (another little atoll in the Northern Cook island group) was calling. Also we were quite keen to say goodbye to Walter M. and the sooner we get to an island with an airport the sooner he leaves. We had heard really good things about Suvarov, which is uninhabited save for the park ranger (Suvarov is a proclaimed National Park) and they welcome cruisers, and it is en route to Tonga and just a short sail of 380 miles.
On the day of our leaving, Greg and Jennifer and Jennifer’s daughter Coco, arrived on their boat Coco Kai, and they checked in just as we were checking out. I had looked at the weather charts for our upcoming sail and it called for light to no winds. I was very tempted to stay put but I could see that my crewmembers were keen to leave, so at 3.30 pm on May 5, 2009 we upped anchor and departed.
Our first landfall in the South Pacific had more than met my expectations. I will remember Penrhyn forever. Everything was perfect but a special highlight for me was attending the Sunday morning church service in Te’Tatua. Ronnie, the pastor (who also gave us fresh Tuna on our first day) welcomed us to the service. It happened to be the first service of the month and the whole congregation except for Andy and me, wore pure white dresses/ suits. The service was conducted in Maori but every now and then, Ronnie would say some words in English for our benefit. The reading was Psalm 92 and 93 but what really stuck out for me was the singing. No instrument accompaniment and everyone singing in perfect harmony and so true! I just wish that I had recorded it but maybe the way it was is best, as my memory will always be the same thrilling recall.
Labels: April 2009
