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June 2009 Nelson - Tonga
Neiafu, Vava'u
Tonga
10 July 09
After being held in port for two weeks by easterly gales in Cook Strait we set sail from Nelson on the 3rd of May bound for Pago Pago, American Samoa.
On board were 2 Yanks, Michelle and myself, 2 Germans, Kat and Lara, 2 Swedes, Emil and Rasmus and 2 Aussies, Pete and Tania. With only 8 on the crew Kat and I stood 4 on and 4 hours off, while the other 6 crew had 4 on and 8 hours off.
With calms we motored out of Tasman Bay through French Pass and the Marlboro Sounds, onward through Cook Strait and past Cape Paliser. Not wanting to be caught on a lee shore we motored another day to be well clear of the land. On the morning of the third day a light westerly set in, so we set sails and shut down the main engine.
Following the way of the old sailing ships the plan was to sail east until you reach the longitude of your destination, then shape a course to the north until you find the trade winds, from there sail direct to your destination.
However there was a twist to this season’s weather. Crossing the Tasman Sea from Australia was a series of steep highs and deep lows. There were calms in the middle and strong winds on the edges of these weather systems. As we worked our way to the north and east, it soon became the voyage of the never-ending cold fronts.
By the 11th day we crossed 40 degrees south, on the 25th day we crossed 30 degrees south and in the 33rd day we crossed the tropic of Capricorn. The cold fronts from the Antarctic mixed with tropical air that gave us squally weather and pouring rain.
The last 8 days of the passage saw us with square sails set running before reinforced trade winds of 25 knots and 3 to 4 metre seas.
In all we were hove to for 63 hours in gales, becalmed for 26 hours, best days run was 121 miles and slowest was 22 miles (backwards hove to in a gale). We caught 10 fish, which included 2 Kahawai, 2 Barracuda, 2 Tuna, 2 Mahi Mahi, 1 Mackerel and a shark, which we tossed back.
Three birds landed on deck, a petrel that died, a cape pigeon who stayed for 2 days and flew away and a short tailed albatross who stayed for half the night before hopping overboard and flying off.
On the morning of the 41st day we had sailed 2642 miles. At 14 degrees south latitude, Pago Pago Harbour lies in the caldera of an ancient volcano. Part of the rim has collapsed letting in the sea. The opposite side rises almost vertically covered with dense green jungle. We sailed in with square sails set. A television crew came down to interview us the next day. And Margaret from Canada joined our crew.
After a busy week in American Samoa provisioning food stores we set sail for the other Samoa. An easy overnight passage found us in the harbour at Apia the next morning. A large cruise liner, the Pacific Sun, arrived an hour ahead of us. With 800 crew and 2000 passengers to process it took most of the day to clear customs and immigration.
We finally escaped the cold fronts. It is 30 degrees here this sunny Sunday morning. Most of the crew has rented a car and gone to the beach. Kat is sewing repairs to the main gaff-topsail and I am writing letters.
Two days before we were planning to depart Samoa a Location Manager visited us from a popular television reality series. He invited us to be a part of the series and asked if we could delay our departure for a week. None of us were happy about sitting in Apia for another week so we were able to compromise on shooting at their location by the end of the week.
It was an intense day of filming involving helicopters, speed boats and a technical crew of about 20 people.
We were not allowed to talk about details before the program is aired, however we will send you more details when it is legally permissible.
We were lucky to have an easterly breeze for the passage to Tonga. Then the ever-present occluded front stalled us 90 miles north of Vava’u. After a couple days drifting in the rain the trade winds returned letting us sail into Tonga.
After stocking up with fresh fruit and veggies we went to a traditional Tongan Feast, found the perfect beach on an uninhabited island and visited the famous Swallows and Mariners Caves.
Back in Neiafu. broke the brake on the starboard side of the windlass. Will stay the week end to build a new one. Then off for Fiji
Evan