Saturday 31 July 2010
We've arrived in Niue
Hooray...after our four day slog we are very happy to tie up to the one and only mooring ball left. The winds are still high and it will be rolly until this front passes in a couple of days - but We are happy to meet up with many of our cruising friends amongst the 17 boats here. We expect to spend at least three weeks exploring all the hikes, dives, caves, etc. that Niue has to offer. I'll update the blog next Friday with pictures of what looks to be like an exciting island. Have a great weekend.
Almost There
Good morning. We had another gruelling overnight sail, with sloppy, angry seas. To make it a little more interesting we had a few squalls, one of which caused a large wave to break in to the cockpit, drenching everything. Not the stuff that cruising dreams are made of. We have abour 40 miles left to go (at 7:00 a.m. local time) and we will both be very happy to make landfall in about 8 hours. There is high wind warnings in effect and a major storm forecast for Sunday, so many boats are currently hightailing it for Nieu. I will just do a quick update once we arrive and are snug as a bug on a mooring.
Almost There
Good morning. We had another gruelling overnight sail, with sloppy, angry seas. To make it a little more interesting we had a few squalls, one of which caused a large wave to break in to the cockpit, drenching everything. Not the stuff that cruising dreams are made of. We have abour 40 miles left to go (at 7:00 a.m. local time) and we will both be very happy to make landfall in about 8 hours. There is high wind warnings in effect and a major storm forecast for Sunday, so many boats are currently hightailing it for Nieu. I will just do a quick update once we arrive and are snug as a bug on a mooring.
Friday 30 July 2010
Day Three at Sea
Good news. We managed to thread the needle all day yesterday and all evening, by somehow avoiding most of the squalls. We had the occasional short-lived rainfall, but other than that, we had ideal, cloudy weather, keeping the temperature quite pleasant. The winds were mostly 20 knots, with some gusts to 30. The seas are very high, with lots of rocking and rolling, but QuickStar is sailing well (and I'm not nearly as freaked out as I would have been only a year ago). For the most part, we been able to maintain course on the rhumb line (the direct route to our destinatin) leaving us only 155 miles left to go to Nieu. If all goes according to plan we should arrive before sunset tomorrow evening. Hopefully we'll start seeing whales soon. One of the other boats that we are maintaining radio contact with had a 40 foot whale come and rub up on one of his hulls (he has a catermaran). A little close for comfort. Will check in again tomorrow on our final day at sea.
Thursday 29 July 2010
Pink Sky in Morning...
....Sailors take warning.
We left Palmerston at first light yesterday. We had planned on staying a bit longer, but it was a bit too weird for us. I felt like we had been plunked down in the Stepford Wives movie set. Everything that we were "allowed" to see wasn't quite as it was. A fabulous experience though and not to be missed. More about this in the blog update on Friday.
Our original plan was to head for Beveridge Reef, which is a two night sail. Yesterday and last night we had a lovely sail; fairly calm seas and consistent, although light winds. It doesn't look like the weather gods are going to be shining on us though, as the forecast calls for higher winds (20 plus knots), squalls and high seas of 3 - 31/2 metres. We have decided to alter course to head straight for Nieu as we suspect Beveridge will be untenable. This will take another 2 days/nights and will most likely test my newfound sailing courage. It has now just started to pour - and so it begins.
A big thank you to Cindy on Beachouse for giving me the tip about napping for 20 minutes at a time while on watch. It does work and I'm not exhausted anymore, which is great considering that we'll need our energy for the conditions that are coming our way. THANKS!!!!
I'll do an update tomorrow morning, weather permitting.
Tuesday 27 July 2010
We've just arrived in Palmerston
With the full moon setting in the West, and the sun rising in the east, we had our first sighting of Palmerston, after another slow, but comfortable overnight sail. Schools of flying fish escorted us in. There are currently five other sailboats here. Upon our approach we received VHF contact from Edward, our designated "host family". He was insistent that we anchor, as he didn't have any moorings left. There were two moorings still available, but they weren't his. As mentioned earlier there are three families and they take turns being your host. The seas are pretty big, with large swells and a very scary looking reef. There is no inside lagoon anchoring, so all boats are on the outside of the reef. As insistent as Edward was about us anchoring, Peter was equally as insistent that we go on a mooring ball. Peter won the "discussion" and we are safely on a mooring ball. Edward said he would go and talk to the owner of the mooring ball and see what he could do, but he emphasized for the time being we are "in his house". So, we've already sparked some politics on this quaint island.
We have a large shipment of supplies for Jock Marsters, and when we advised Edward he said that they were aware of that and he will make arrangements for its' delivery. Not sure if this will also upset the apple cart.
We are now to wait on the boat for "customs" to come out. We are rocking and rolling as if we are still out at sea, so this is not going to be a comfortable stopover while we are aboard. We will stay either one night, or two and then begin our next 3 night passage to Beveridge Reef. Thanks to our Ham contact, Peter in California who Peter checks in with every night while we are underway. We will be in touch when we are ready to leave to set up our next schedule. Thanks again Peter for being there with us on all our passages. To our friends and family back home, I will keep in touch by updating this blog daily once we head off on our next passage to Beveridge. Until then...stay safe and remember to smell the roses.
Monday 26 July 2010
Underway from Autitaki
Just as we were about to get underway from Autitaki yesterday morning, a new boat arrived and started coming through the passage. They almost made it, but took the final corner a little too wide and ended up on a reef. We already had our dinghy on the deck, so were unable to render assistance. Two of the other boats in the harbour were also getting ready to leave. We spoke to the new boat on the radio and Peter gave them some local knowledge about how to proceed through the rest of the passage, once they floated free, to make it in to the harbour.
We had one last minute item to do before heading out, and that was accepting a shipment of supplies from a local family to deliver to Palmerston. Once we got loaded up with a box of fresh bread, boxes of fresh fruit and other items, we pulled up our anchor. We had a very small window in which to leave as this was the highest tide in the next two weeks, and due to our draft we needed every extra inch. Even this high tide was 2 - 3 inches less than when we came in. We finished draining our water tanks, by giving the anchors a great fresh water soaking and then we headed out.
As we approached the shallowest part, Peter told me to hold on, as I was on bow look-out. Sure enough we touched bottom, not just once, but eight times. Luckily it is a sandy bottom in this section, so Peter just powered through it. The good news is the bottom of our boat got a good cleaning! So without further drama we made it out to sea. The wind was light and variable all day, which made for a slow and sloppy sail (I was in the prone position for most of the day). Last night we had a good sail because we are one day away from a full moon, so it was like we were sailing in daylight. Our average speed is below 4 knots, so we will not arrive tonight, but hope to arrive tomorrow by lunchtime. With the full moon tonight, it should be magical!
P.S. The other boat that went aground did manage to get off the reef just before we left.
Saturday 24 July 2010
Cook Islands
A typical view of the lagoon
We have spent 10 wonderful days in Aitutaki and will be sorry to leave tomorrow. We have really loved it here and would highly recommend it as a holiday destination. It is very laid back, the locals all get around on scooters; there are no major hotels or stores, etc. The locals all speak English and are very, very friendly. We love the quaintness of it and have enjoyed buzzing around on our scooter and becoming part of the community.
The way kids ride on the back - Oma would have an absolute fit watching it!
Because this island is remote, they only get a freighter in to deliver supplies every few weeks. There are a number of local growers and small stores on the island, so shopping involves going from one to the other for various items. Quite fun. We order bread, buns from the gas station, we order eggs from a local lady, we get lettuce from a store on the backside, etc. If we were at home, we’d go stark raving mad doing this, but here, it is a treat to drop in and say hello and pick up odds and ends. Right now, as I write this Peter is off in search of a bottle of rum and to pick up our bread.
Large Banyan trees
Here in the little harbour of Aitutaki, it is very interesting and quite challenging. First off, getting in the passage is quite tricky. It is shallow, narrow and not well-marked. We shouldn’t actually be inside as we draw more depth than the channel has, except at very high tide – which is what we came in on. Tomorrow will be a challenge leaving as we will have 3 few inches than we had coming in, but it is the highest tide for the next few weeks. We will use up all our water, so that our waterline will gain a couple more inches.
Leaving the harbour to get to the pass itself is also tricky as it can be windy and the boats are all in here pretty close and personal. When Scott and Cindy left it took a couple of us with our dinghies and almost an hour to get the stern and bow anchor up and fending them off from other boats. The sailboat Bubbles (with three young guys) came in the pass and went aground and had to wait for high tide to float off. When they left yesterday they also went aground. They draw about 6 inches less than we do!
In the anchorage another boat Bubus got in to some trouble as the mooring they were on broke! This meant they drifted back on another boat (with Bernard aboard, who has broken ribs from his passage here). Again, lots of drama to help get him settled and re-anchored. We also required assistance when we re-anchored as the current was stronger than the wind and we decided to move deeper in to the harbour. Makes life quite interesting.
Our turn for assistance
There is also the “outside of reef” anchoring, which is for boats (our size and bigger). It is really rough out there and rolly, but the only option for those boats smart enough not challenge the pass! It is a fun anchorage and very sociable…we have met people from South Africa, two Belgium boats, Germany, Australia, the U.S., etc.
View from the top
The island itself has lots to offer – great snorkeling, great lagoon trips, $20 a day scooter rentals, good walking/hiking areas, lots of great little places to eat and drink. We spent a day going to the top of the hills where you get a 360 degree view. The dirt roadways are a joy to explore. Last night we went to an outdoor buffet and show. We left after it was over and as soon as they started coming for audience participation! ! It was another fun event to go to church on Sunday and listen to the singing, although here the men need long pants and women need long sleeves and a hat. Since I didn’t think my baseball cap would fit the bill, I wore a scarf and a sweater. Peter said I looked like a Mormon or something!
Unique Fruit
The sad thing here is that a major cyclone went through in February with winds in excess of 235 kilometres. It destroyed a number of homes and ripped the roof off many, many more. The banana trees were also badly damaged. Many people are living in tents beside their houses. The community spirit is wonderful though and they all work together to rebuild houses – starting with the elderly and sick. The Cook Islanders are resilient and have taken it all in stride.
The costs of goods here are less than in French Polynesia, but still are about 80% more than in Canada due to the shipping costs from New Zealand. It’s still excellent value and we can’t recommend it enough
On this, our final day, we will do our last minute running around, including getting Peter’s hair cut by the local baker.
Sail Repair
We are off tomorrow morning on the early high tide to head to Palmerston Island. This is a very remote island with only 30 inhabitants (about 4 different families that don’t get along). It is a unique situation because when you arrive, they fight over you and one of them gets to “claim you” and then attach your boat to their mooring, This means they are your host family for the entire duration of your stay. You can’t use your own dinghy, but they are at your beck and call to come and get you and escort you on land. They treat you like an honoured guest. You can’t mix with the other families, or other boats that have been claimed by another family. Our friends that are there now, say it is an experience not to be missed. We are taking lots of items and fresh produce to give them, as well as taking goods from Islanders (boxes of fresh bread, etc) to distribute.
Stocking up as we head into more remote areas
The crossing to get there should be about two nights depending on weather. We are not sure how long we will stay there and then we will continue on for another two night passage to Beveridge Reef – which is simply a reef in the middle of the ocean! If the seas are too high we will have to just sail by and continue on to Niue.
Next week, I’ll try to update the blog via ham radio from wherever we are. Have a great weekend. P.S. We just got some distressing news from home. Uncle Don is quickly failing. We are sending our love and best wishes to Aunt Margaret and the kids at this very difficult time.
We have spent 10 wonderful days in Aitutaki and will be sorry to leave tomorrow. We have really loved it here and would highly recommend it as a holiday destination. It is very laid back, the locals all get around on scooters; there are no major hotels or stores, etc. The locals all speak English and are very, very friendly. We love the quaintness of it and have enjoyed buzzing around on our scooter and becoming part of the community.
The way kids ride on the back - Oma would have an absolute fit watching it!
Because this island is remote, they only get a freighter in to deliver supplies every few weeks. There are a number of local growers and small stores on the island, so shopping involves going from one to the other for various items. Quite fun. We order bread, buns from the gas station, we order eggs from a local lady, we get lettuce from a store on the backside, etc. If we were at home, we’d go stark raving mad doing this, but here, it is a treat to drop in and say hello and pick up odds and ends. Right now, as I write this Peter is off in search of a bottle of rum and to pick up our bread.
Large Banyan trees
Here in the little harbour of Aitutaki, it is very interesting and quite challenging. First off, getting in the passage is quite tricky. It is shallow, narrow and not well-marked. We shouldn’t actually be inside as we draw more depth than the channel has, except at very high tide – which is what we came in on. Tomorrow will be a challenge leaving as we will have 3 few inches than we had coming in, but it is the highest tide for the next few weeks. We will use up all our water, so that our waterline will gain a couple more inches.
Leaving the harbour to get to the pass itself is also tricky as it can be windy and the boats are all in here pretty close and personal. When Scott and Cindy left it took a couple of us with our dinghies and almost an hour to get the stern and bow anchor up and fending them off from other boats. The sailboat Bubbles (with three young guys) came in the pass and went aground and had to wait for high tide to float off. When they left yesterday they also went aground. They draw about 6 inches less than we do!
In the anchorage another boat Bubus got in to some trouble as the mooring they were on broke! This meant they drifted back on another boat (with Bernard aboard, who has broken ribs from his passage here). Again, lots of drama to help get him settled and re-anchored. We also required assistance when we re-anchored as the current was stronger than the wind and we decided to move deeper in to the harbour. Makes life quite interesting.
Our turn for assistance
There is also the “outside of reef” anchoring, which is for boats (our size and bigger). It is really rough out there and rolly, but the only option for those boats smart enough not challenge the pass! It is a fun anchorage and very sociable…we have met people from South Africa, two Belgium boats, Germany, Australia, the U.S., etc.
View from the top
The island itself has lots to offer – great snorkeling, great lagoon trips, $20 a day scooter rentals, good walking/hiking areas, lots of great little places to eat and drink. We spent a day going to the top of the hills where you get a 360 degree view. The dirt roadways are a joy to explore. Last night we went to an outdoor buffet and show. We left after it was over and as soon as they started coming for audience participation! ! It was another fun event to go to church on Sunday and listen to the singing, although here the men need long pants and women need long sleeves and a hat. Since I didn’t think my baseball cap would fit the bill, I wore a scarf and a sweater. Peter said I looked like a Mormon or something!
Unique Fruit
The sad thing here is that a major cyclone went through in February with winds in excess of 235 kilometres. It destroyed a number of homes and ripped the roof off many, many more. The banana trees were also badly damaged. Many people are living in tents beside their houses. The community spirit is wonderful though and they all work together to rebuild houses – starting with the elderly and sick. The Cook Islanders are resilient and have taken it all in stride.
The costs of goods here are less than in French Polynesia, but still are about 80% more than in Canada due to the shipping costs from New Zealand. It’s still excellent value and we can’t recommend it enough
On this, our final day, we will do our last minute running around, including getting Peter’s hair cut by the local baker.
Sail Repair
We are off tomorrow morning on the early high tide to head to Palmerston Island. This is a very remote island with only 30 inhabitants (about 4 different families that don’t get along). It is a unique situation because when you arrive, they fight over you and one of them gets to “claim you” and then attach your boat to their mooring, This means they are your host family for the entire duration of your stay. You can’t use your own dinghy, but they are at your beck and call to come and get you and escort you on land. They treat you like an honoured guest. You can’t mix with the other families, or other boats that have been claimed by another family. Our friends that are there now, say it is an experience not to be missed. We are taking lots of items and fresh produce to give them, as well as taking goods from Islanders (boxes of fresh bread, etc) to distribute.
Stocking up as we head into more remote areas
The crossing to get there should be about two nights depending on weather. We are not sure how long we will stay there and then we will continue on for another two night passage to Beveridge Reef – which is simply a reef in the middle of the ocean! If the seas are too high we will have to just sail by and continue on to Niue.
Next week, I’ll try to update the blog via ham radio from wherever we are. Have a great weekend. P.S. We just got some distressing news from home. Uncle Don is quickly failing. We are sending our love and best wishes to Aunt Margaret and the kids at this very difficult time.
Saturday 17 July 2010
We are in the Cook Islands
The sky during our passage
Coming to you from Aitutaki, Cooks Island.
Temperature 24 degrees, sunny, nice gentle breeze, humidity 78%.
Yeah.....making landfall in the Cook Islands
We survived the crossing, although it was a rough and exhausting one. You can see the previous “daily crossing posts” above if you are interested in talking yourself out of every making a crossing. It was wonderful to make landfall, although we had to stay out in the rough seas outside the entrance for a few hours while we waited for high tide. It was great to reunite with our friends Scott and Cindy on Beachhouse, who we met last year. Scott came out with his dinghy and guided us through the narrow and shallow unmarked channel. They don’t recommend any boats that draw over 1.5 metres to come in. We draw 2 metres, but like living on the edge!
Hoisting the Cook Island and the Quarantine flag
We made it in without incident, but the little harbour was full with 3 cats (or double-wides as we monohulls affectionately call them) and one sloop. We tied up to a barge at the mini-pier, but it turned out they were painting it, so when I jumped off to tie up, I got some nice fresh black paint on my sandals. We spent just one night there, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner aboard Beachhouse, and then we had to move the next day because of a freighter arriving, which requires the use of the barge. So yesterday, we went out to another area, that has minimal depth and it took us over an hour to anchor with both bow and stern anchors, and a lot of help from Scott in his dinghy acting as a bow thruster. The currents are strong here and they win over the winds, so it makes for an interesting, and unsecure holding, amongst lots of coral heads, which doesn’t make our Captain happy. We stayed on board for the afternoon and had Scott and Cindy over for dinner. So great to have outside social contact again.
Scott and Peter making the dry run through the pass
This afternoon we will assist Scott and Cindy and another boat that is leaving on the high tide. Then we will move in to the harbour and stay until next week or however long the mood strikes us. We will rent scooters this afternoon (very affordable at only $20 a day) and then we are going out for dinner with Rob and Ruth from Albatross (a South African couple) who have sailed from South Africa and going to New Zealand to immigrate. The big rugby game (tri-country tournament) follows dinner and tonight it is South Africa against New Zealand. Apparently the New Zealand team has one Cook Island player on it, so it should be quite lively in the bar.
Scott and Cindy from Beachouse onboard QuickStar for the sunset
It is fantastic to be in another country and it seems like we have entered another world. The Cook Islands is part of New Zealand, which means that the locals all speak English in addition to their local language. They are warm, friendly and welcoming. It seems surreal to hear English spoken (with a Kiwi accent). That means that now I can get back to my Spanish lessons, as I couldn’t do it while in the French speaking countries, as I was totally confused!
The little boat harbour
As I write this, we are sitting on the bottom (sand), with the lowest tide in about two weeks. Once we get floating again and get moved over, we’ll head to the major hotel so that I can get internet access and send this. We expect to be here till next Wednesday or Thursday and then we will have a two night crossing (joy, oh joy!) to Palmerston Island, a remote island of the Cook Islands. I will do the next update while underway on the Ham radio.
Until next Friday…..enjoy a magical sunset
Coming to you from Aitutaki, Cooks Island.
Temperature 24 degrees, sunny, nice gentle breeze, humidity 78%.
Yeah.....making landfall in the Cook Islands
We survived the crossing, although it was a rough and exhausting one. You can see the previous “daily crossing posts” above if you are interested in talking yourself out of every making a crossing. It was wonderful to make landfall, although we had to stay out in the rough seas outside the entrance for a few hours while we waited for high tide. It was great to reunite with our friends Scott and Cindy on Beachhouse, who we met last year. Scott came out with his dinghy and guided us through the narrow and shallow unmarked channel. They don’t recommend any boats that draw over 1.5 metres to come in. We draw 2 metres, but like living on the edge!
Hoisting the Cook Island and the Quarantine flag
We made it in without incident, but the little harbour was full with 3 cats (or double-wides as we monohulls affectionately call them) and one sloop. We tied up to a barge at the mini-pier, but it turned out they were painting it, so when I jumped off to tie up, I got some nice fresh black paint on my sandals. We spent just one night there, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner aboard Beachhouse, and then we had to move the next day because of a freighter arriving, which requires the use of the barge. So yesterday, we went out to another area, that has minimal depth and it took us over an hour to anchor with both bow and stern anchors, and a lot of help from Scott in his dinghy acting as a bow thruster. The currents are strong here and they win over the winds, so it makes for an interesting, and unsecure holding, amongst lots of coral heads, which doesn’t make our Captain happy. We stayed on board for the afternoon and had Scott and Cindy over for dinner. So great to have outside social contact again.
Scott and Peter making the dry run through the pass
This afternoon we will assist Scott and Cindy and another boat that is leaving on the high tide. Then we will move in to the harbour and stay until next week or however long the mood strikes us. We will rent scooters this afternoon (very affordable at only $20 a day) and then we are going out for dinner with Rob and Ruth from Albatross (a South African couple) who have sailed from South Africa and going to New Zealand to immigrate. The big rugby game (tri-country tournament) follows dinner and tonight it is South Africa against New Zealand. Apparently the New Zealand team has one Cook Island player on it, so it should be quite lively in the bar.
Scott and Cindy from Beachouse onboard QuickStar for the sunset
It is fantastic to be in another country and it seems like we have entered another world. The Cook Islands is part of New Zealand, which means that the locals all speak English in addition to their local language. They are warm, friendly and welcoming. It seems surreal to hear English spoken (with a Kiwi accent). That means that now I can get back to my Spanish lessons, as I couldn’t do it while in the French speaking countries, as I was totally confused!
The little boat harbour
As I write this, we are sitting on the bottom (sand), with the lowest tide in about two weeks. Once we get floating again and get moved over, we’ll head to the major hotel so that I can get internet access and send this. We expect to be here till next Wednesday or Thursday and then we will have a two night crossing (joy, oh joy!) to Palmerston Island, a remote island of the Cook Islands. I will do the next update while underway on the Ham radio.
Until next Friday…..enjoy a magical sunset
Thursday 15 July 2010
Land Ho!
Good morning. We are within four miles of land. I am very happy about that, especially after another very uncomfortable 24 hours. We are rocking and rolling, and will arrive sporting a few more bumps and bruises. During the night, we had a wave crash over the cockpit, soaking everything, just to add a little bit of humour to things. They say that it takes three days to get in to the blue ocean routine, so we have only been out long enough to stay beyond the comfort zone. I have to admit to being exhausted and grumpy and will be one very happy camper to set down the anchor. This hasn't been an easy crossing, and even singing along with Tom Jones/Diana Ross/Tina Turner and witnessing the shooting stars that flashed out through the dark clouds didn't help my sagging spirit much.
We will be arriving at the outside of the reef by about 9:00 a.m. local time and then will drop the anchor until 11:40 when we will attempt the shallow pass during high tide. It only has a depth of 6 feet and that's what we draw, so we expect to power through the sandy bottom to make it in. Last week a boat got stuck coming out and they had to stay aground overnight, heeling and wait for the next high tide the following day (and help from our friend Scott on Beachouse) who will be keeping an eye out for us and coming out to meet us in his dinghy if he isn't out diving this morning. We will be hoisitng our Cook Island Flag and the quarantine flag shortly. Peter will go to check in with customs and immigation and bring back the health inspector and the food inspector. Once cleared, we are free to leave the boat, although I suspect that for today, we'll catch up on some much needed sleep. Our plan is to stay here a week, where we will do lots of exploring and diving and also do some sail repair and clean-up before the next two day crossing to Palmerston (joy, oh joy!) There isn't easy internet access here in Akitati, so I may keep relying on the ham radio email for the next couple of weeks. Thanks for coming along with us.
P.S. Wasn't able to send it earlier. It is now just past 8:00 a.m. local time and we have the anchor down in 20 - 25 knot winds, in a large sea. Feels like we are still underway. Scott has already made contact with us as we were approaching, so he'll come out shortly in his dinghy to give us the lay of the land and to assist with our transit through the narrow and shallow pass in a few more hours when it is high tide. I sure hope we can make it in as the prospect of spending a night at anchor in these conditions, is far from inviting. Take care.
We will be arriving at the outside of the reef by about 9:00 a.m. local time and then will drop the anchor until 11:40 when we will attempt the shallow pass during high tide. It only has a depth of 6 feet and that's what we draw, so we expect to power through the sandy bottom to make it in. Last week a boat got stuck coming out and they had to stay aground overnight, heeling and wait for the next high tide the following day (and help from our friend Scott on Beachouse) who will be keeping an eye out for us and coming out to meet us in his dinghy if he isn't out diving this morning. We will be hoisitng our Cook Island Flag and the quarantine flag shortly. Peter will go to check in with customs and immigation and bring back the health inspector and the food inspector. Once cleared, we are free to leave the boat, although I suspect that for today, we'll catch up on some much needed sleep. Our plan is to stay here a week, where we will do lots of exploring and diving and also do some sail repair and clean-up before the next two day crossing to Palmerston (joy, oh joy!) There isn't easy internet access here in Akitati, so I may keep relying on the ham radio email for the next couple of weeks. Thanks for coming along with us.
P.S. Wasn't able to send it earlier. It is now just past 8:00 a.m. local time and we have the anchor down in 20 - 25 knot winds, in a large sea. Feels like we are still underway. Scott has already made contact with us as we were approaching, so he'll come out shortly in his dinghy to give us the lay of the land and to assist with our transit through the narrow and shallow pass in a few more hours when it is high tide. I sure hope we can make it in as the prospect of spending a night at anchor in these conditions, is far from inviting. Take care.
Wednesday 14 July 2010
Day Two
Good morning. We had a much smoother day yesterday with consistent swells and clear skies. It rained most of the night making the night watches rather damp and miserable, but at least the sea wasn't like a washing machine, as it was the day prior. I have my sea legs now, so that helps also. We have less than 125 miles to go. Right now at daybreak, the sky is 95% overcast, with dark, ominous looking clouds. Don't think we'll need to worry about sunscreen today. We should be hoisting the Cook Island flag about this time tomorrow. Will check in when we make landfall. Have a great day.
Tuesday 13 July 2010
Underway to the Cook Islands
This blog update is coming via our ham radio email. We have almost completed the first 130 miles in 24 hours. As dawn breaks, we still have a very lumpy, bumpy ride with variable winds between 15 - 20 knots and dropping. Neither of us were able to catch more than a little sleep here or there , nor were we able to read, eat or do anything else (except me getting sick over the side of the rail) as the boat was rocking and rolling to beat the band.. The swells are only about 8 - 10 feet with a 1- 2 foot chop, but the sea is confused and coming at us from all quarters. The good news is we did make it out of the narrow pass at Mopelia without incident, so that was a great start. We also didn't have any rain, and that is about the longest stretch since we've been here this season where it hasn't had some rain in a 24-hour period. Here's hoping the next two days won't be quite as rough. I'll check in again tomorrow morning and hopefully have reports of whale sightings! ETA Akitaki, Cooks Islands, Wednesday, July 14th around 11:00 a.m.
Monday 12 July 2010
Departure Delayed
Good morning. Happy Birthday to Joe. Today is also a sad day, as it was one year ago that our former employee and friend, Trisha Carlson was killed in a car accident. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.
Just a quick blog post to let you know we've delayed our departure by a day. We had blustery winds yesterday and the weather forecasts predict that the front will diminish today, so we planning on heading out as soon as the sun is directly overhead so that we can pick our way out through the coral heads and the narrow pass. Yesterday two more boats made their way into the lagoon. They made a few aborted attempts and then stood off for a couple of hours, but they ultimately made it in safe and sound. Hope that bodes well for our departure. I'll update the blog tomorrow morning while we are underway.
Cheers...
Saturday 10 July 2010
Bonjour from Paradise
Tuna caught while underway
Note: It is now July 16, 2010 (Cook Islands, Black Rock Cafe) and I'm updating this post with photos from Maupiti and Mopelia.
Peter trying to get the internet in Maupiti
View of the main village in Maupiti from the motu across the lagoon
Farewell Maupiti - port marker on the way out
The crashing surf as we are leaving
This is being sent to you via Ham Radio from our picture perfect anchorage in Mopelia. We arrived here after an overnight sail last Sunday, and we could stay here forever. It is our kind of Robinson Crusoe island - with only 12 inhabitants divided amongst four families. There are no facilities of any kind and the families live a basic and self-sustaining lifestyle.
Approaching Mopelia...
Made it through
There are two lovely anchorages here. We spent the first four nights in crystal clear water facing the motu with miles and miles of white sandy beaches fringed with coconut trees for as far as the eye can see. I've never seen a nicer beach anywhere in my travels. We moved this morning to the northern anchorage where we'll stay for the next two nights. This gives us easier access to go snorkel the wreck of the Sea Adler. We attempted it today, but the waves were too high, the swell too strong and the current too dangerous, so we had to turn back in our dinghy. Hopefully we can do it tomorrow afternoon. That was the main draw for coming here, but we are so glad we didn't listen to the guidebooks, that basically said it is a narrow and dangerous pass (which it is) and difficult to navigate both in and out.
Isn't this amazing!!!
The pass was quite intimidating as it is very narrow, with unforgiving coral on both sides all the way through. The books go on to say that most people who have ventured in have said it wasn't worth the stress of getting in and out. We think it is a golden jewel and it is our favourite place that we've come across this season (yes, it even beats out our second favourite place of last week, Maupiti, but only because it is so isolated!
Beautiful shells for us to leave for the next people to enjoy
We do hope we'll get out without any problems. One of the ham radio fellows told us that he went aground on the way out and had to kedge off and dig the coral off his hull. He then returned for 4 days to calm down, lick his wounds and try again!
Endless ocean
We went for a long walk around the motu and then crossed through the coconut jungle for the round trip. Can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is here. Next week, when we get to internet range, I'll post some pictures.
Here's some photos - Di walking on the wild side
We did go visit the key family here. The husband is Kamili and he is a big, welcoming guy who speaks a limited amount of English. We had some interesting conversations with hand signals. His sons were busy getting the roasted-in-the-sun coconuts ready in big burlap bags. Once every four months, a ship comes to the pass and collects their harvest, which is their only source of outside income. We'll be here today to see how the transaction takes place.
Kamili's family home
Another gorgeous rainbow
He also showed us his huge coconut crab. When we went snorkeling yesterday on the reef, he came over and taught Peter how he hunts for Oysters and they ate one fresh from the sea. It is wonderful to see pristine coral, alive and well. We haven't seen beautiful coral like this since last year in the Tuamotos and the Marquessa Islands.
Coconut Crab
The plan is to leave Saturday morning (we could leave today, but Peter adheres to the Sailors creed of not beginning any passages on a Friday). I could happily stay here forever, but we must start heading west and there is still so much to see. We will up-anchor on Saturday morning and head toward the Cook Islands. It will be with some sadness that we take down the French flag as well as the Polynesian flag, in readiness to hoist the Cook Island flag.
Taking down the French Polynesian flag
We expect the crossing to take about three days. I admit to being a little nervous as this will be the longest crossing with only Peter and me. One of the cruisers who just arrived in Akitaki (where we are heading) broke his rib on the crossing. Hopefully we'll be a bit luckier.
Heading out of the pass from Mopelia
The weather has been quite unsettled, with squalls and rain, so we expect we'll be weathering some of that. As requested, I will try to post a message on the blog each morning, beginning Sunday morning for the duration of the crossing. There is no guarantee that we can get reception, so if there is not a posting one day - please do not worry. We should make landfall sometime Tuesday.
A little intimidating...but here we come
Hope everyone is well and happy. Although we do love it here, we miss our friends and family and think of you all often.
smiles from the South Pacific
Until Sunday..have a great weekend.
Note: It is now July 16, 2010 (Cook Islands, Black Rock Cafe) and I'm updating this post with photos from Maupiti and Mopelia.
Peter trying to get the internet in Maupiti
View of the main village in Maupiti from the motu across the lagoon
Farewell Maupiti - port marker on the way out
The crashing surf as we are leaving
This is being sent to you via Ham Radio from our picture perfect anchorage in Mopelia. We arrived here after an overnight sail last Sunday, and we could stay here forever. It is our kind of Robinson Crusoe island - with only 12 inhabitants divided amongst four families. There are no facilities of any kind and the families live a basic and self-sustaining lifestyle.
Approaching Mopelia...
Made it through
There are two lovely anchorages here. We spent the first four nights in crystal clear water facing the motu with miles and miles of white sandy beaches fringed with coconut trees for as far as the eye can see. I've never seen a nicer beach anywhere in my travels. We moved this morning to the northern anchorage where we'll stay for the next two nights. This gives us easier access to go snorkel the wreck of the Sea Adler. We attempted it today, but the waves were too high, the swell too strong and the current too dangerous, so we had to turn back in our dinghy. Hopefully we can do it tomorrow afternoon. That was the main draw for coming here, but we are so glad we didn't listen to the guidebooks, that basically said it is a narrow and dangerous pass (which it is) and difficult to navigate both in and out.
Isn't this amazing!!!
The pass was quite intimidating as it is very narrow, with unforgiving coral on both sides all the way through. The books go on to say that most people who have ventured in have said it wasn't worth the stress of getting in and out. We think it is a golden jewel and it is our favourite place that we've come across this season (yes, it even beats out our second favourite place of last week, Maupiti, but only because it is so isolated!
Beautiful shells for us to leave for the next people to enjoy
We do hope we'll get out without any problems. One of the ham radio fellows told us that he went aground on the way out and had to kedge off and dig the coral off his hull. He then returned for 4 days to calm down, lick his wounds and try again!
Endless ocean
We went for a long walk around the motu and then crossed through the coconut jungle for the round trip. Can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is here. Next week, when we get to internet range, I'll post some pictures.
Here's some photos - Di walking on the wild side
We did go visit the key family here. The husband is Kamili and he is a big, welcoming guy who speaks a limited amount of English. We had some interesting conversations with hand signals. His sons were busy getting the roasted-in-the-sun coconuts ready in big burlap bags. Once every four months, a ship comes to the pass and collects their harvest, which is their only source of outside income. We'll be here today to see how the transaction takes place.
Kamili's family home
Another gorgeous rainbow
He also showed us his huge coconut crab. When we went snorkeling yesterday on the reef, he came over and taught Peter how he hunts for Oysters and they ate one fresh from the sea. It is wonderful to see pristine coral, alive and well. We haven't seen beautiful coral like this since last year in the Tuamotos and the Marquessa Islands.
Coconut Crab
The plan is to leave Saturday morning (we could leave today, but Peter adheres to the Sailors creed of not beginning any passages on a Friday). I could happily stay here forever, but we must start heading west and there is still so much to see. We will up-anchor on Saturday morning and head toward the Cook Islands. It will be with some sadness that we take down the French flag as well as the Polynesian flag, in readiness to hoist the Cook Island flag.
Taking down the French Polynesian flag
We expect the crossing to take about three days. I admit to being a little nervous as this will be the longest crossing with only Peter and me. One of the cruisers who just arrived in Akitaki (where we are heading) broke his rib on the crossing. Hopefully we'll be a bit luckier.
Heading out of the pass from Mopelia
The weather has been quite unsettled, with squalls and rain, so we expect we'll be weathering some of that. As requested, I will try to post a message on the blog each morning, beginning Sunday morning for the duration of the crossing. There is no guarantee that we can get reception, so if there is not a posting one day - please do not worry. We should make landfall sometime Tuesday.
A little intimidating...but here we come
Hope everyone is well and happy. Although we do love it here, we miss our friends and family and think of you all often.
smiles from the South Pacific
Until Sunday..have a great weekend.
Saturday 3 July 2010
We've died and gone to heaven
This is a view that you see almost anywhere you look
Wow – we’ve found our favourite place so far in the South Pacific. The tiny island of Maupiti is a well kept secret. There are only three sailboats in the entire lagoon. There is no major tourism here, only the odd small pension, and the locals want to keep it this way. They have successfully resisted all attempts to become the next Bora Bora.
The tricky entrance with breaking waves
The island combines the best of both the atolls of the Tuomotos with the high cliffs of the Marquessa Islands. What keeps it “off the beaten track” is the very tricky pass to get in. With any kind of southern swell, it becomes impassable. We planned accordingly with the weather and arrived at noon last Friday. It was quite hairy coming in, but of course, Peter loved the excitement.
A motu on the left-hand side as you come in to the pass.
We had planned on only staying about four days, but due to high wind and heavy swells, we aren’t leaving until Saturday – although we love it here, so that is no hardship. I’d arranged via email in Bora Bora to go for a dive on Saturday, so the Dive Master Lionel came out to our boat to meet up with make the arrangements.. My main diving goal has been to swim with the Manta Rays, and we accomplished that on Saturday. Yahoo!
It was absolutely incredible. We dove in only about 30 feet of water and we positioned ourselves by the “cleaning” rock. The current was quite strong so we had to hang on, but that is the reason the Manta Ray’s come there. They literally float over the large coral head and open their gills and the many fish come out and “clean” them. Once done, they danced over top of us, making direct eye contact and coming within touching distance. We saw five of them, up close and personal, and it was amazing. A definite diving highlight! We didn’t get any photos as our camera doesn’t work for diving.
All family members are buried in front yards. This is a common burial plot.
That afternoon we walked around the 11 kilometre island. There is hardly any traffic as the locals ride bicycles or scooters. They are very friendly and welcoming to the few tourists that they get here.
The front of the church
On Sunday, we went to church – the first Protestant service that we’ve been to, as most of French Polynesia is pre-dominantly Catholic. Usually when we drop in at church we sit at the back so that we don’t take the spot of regulars. We tried to do the same here; however, a member of the church service moved us to the front row and presented both of us with a live floral lei. The service was all in Tahitian, but one of the speakers spoke directly to us in French and welcomed us to their church. We’re not sure what all she said, but we just kept smiling and nodding. After the service, they shook our hands and thanked us for coming. We felt like honoured guests.
A picture of our beautiful lei’s with the church in the background
The main island is surrounded by a coral reef with three motu's just inside the reef. They are all public, with miles of white, sandy beaches and we have gone for long, leisurely walks around the motu's. We’ve also wandered around and explored the “mari’s”, which are ancient sacred sites.
The most famous sacred site
We had two little girls who were our unofficial tour guides. They talked passionately about the mari and pointed out all the special features – all in French. Again, we just smiled and nodded. I sure wish we could speak French so that we could communicate better with these friendly people.
Our adorable tour guides
We also went for a strenuous hike, attempting to get to the top of the mountain. The trail was very rugged, under and over trees, and we ended up running out of daylight and having to turn back without making it to the top. The views were inspiring though and we got lots of exercise.
View from one of the lookouts to the two false passes
We celebrated Canada Day, by being goofy and wearing our Canada paraphernalia. We were thinking of everyone back home and hope you are all enjoying a nice long weekend.
Wishing everyone a Happy Canada Day
I am updating this blog at the home of one of the locals here. We will go for a last dive this afternoon and then if all goes accordingly to plan we will leave at noon tomorrow for an overnight sail to Mopelia. This island also has a tricky pass, so we may not make it in if the conditions are too rough and then we will just keep on going to the Cook Islands.
At low tide you can walk from the mainland beach out to the Motu
Assuming we make it in, we will stay for a few days and go snorkeling on the sunken World War I German schooner called “Sea Adler” which was used for raiding. Our friends that have gone ahead of us say it is really interesting. The island itself is all but deserted, with only 12 residents remaining on it. There are no services.
Once we leave for the Cook Islands, which will be sometime next week, I’ll update the blog on a daily basis for the four day crossing. This will be the longest stretch that Peter and I have done alone. Wish us luck!
Until next time….celebrate the long weekend.
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