Day 4/ 300-and- something

It it hard to believe that we have been "out to sea" for over 300 days, even if "out to sea" is not exactly the right phrase. I think if one added up our total sea time, or days under way, it would be about 10%. The rest of the time has been spent in idyllic ports. Not bad, eh?

At some point in the near future I am going to give a summary of my first season in the tropical Pacific. I say "tropical Pacific" because technically New Zealand is considered both part of Polynesia and the south Pacific - albeit the very south Pacific. But our arrival in NZ marks a new chapter in the story of this adventure. I have no idea what it is going to be like, but can't wait to find out.

The good thing is I should not have to wait very long to find out. We have been making great time with remarkable conditions: 15-20 knots of wind on the beam, making 6-8 knots consistently, fairly calm seas and sunny skies. In all seriousness I could not ask for better conditions. This leads me to believe that I owe you, the reader, an apology for bitching and complaining so much about the "horrible passage ahead." Granted, we are not out of the woods yet, but the forecast through the end of the week looks great. We should arrive in the port of Opua on Friday. I must admit we have been damned lucky with the weather (or lack thereof) this entire trip - even if it means that I do not have many salty tales to tell of savage storms and the like. I am OK with that.

I do, however, have many sweet tales to tell of, and intend to give a Cliff Notes version - if only for my own amusement (and memory) - in the coming day or two. It's not like there is too much else to do out here...
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At 10/24/2011 9:27 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 27°32.83'S 179°30.75'E

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Day 2

Only 856 miles to go to New Zealand! Yes, I suppose that is quite a bit considering we are traveling at a speed of about 6 MPH, but we are on our way! The conditions are great right now - 14 knots of wind from the East, 1-2 meter seas... I couldn't really ask for anything better.

BUT, it is already cold. Yesterday it was 70 degrees and I had on a hoodie, slippers, was wrapped in a blanket and sitting in the sun, and I was freezing all day. The wind felt icy. I almost would have thought I was sick or something, but aside from being a bit seasick, I felt fine. Today it has cooled off even more to 68 degrees, but I am already acclimating and have come out from under wraps of the blanket. It is still going to be gnarly though.

OK, getting a bit queasy. Send us good vibes of fair winds and flat seas.

One correction: the passage from Nuku'alofa, Tonga to Opua, New Zealand is 1050 miles, not 1,300. Hooray!
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At 10/22/2011 7:18 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 22°40.51'S 177°19.81'W

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I Got Something to Say

I think I have writer's block. Or I don't have anything to say. No - I have a few things on my mind but I am not sure where to begin. So I will just start writing. Sorry if it is incoherent or rambling or boring.

We were supposed to leave for New Zealand yesterday. Perhaps "supposed" is not the right word - we were planning to leave for New Zealand yesterday. The night before the forecast still looked OK, but by the morning the winds had increased to 15-30 knots coming from the direction we are headed (south west) and the seas were 4-5 meters. 15 foot seas are no fun, especially when bashing with high winds. So we decided to wait out the bad weather with the hopes that the next day or two will present us with a better window.

We are buddy boating to NZ with our friends on Sarah Jean, and it was a big decision for all of us to make to stay here. You just never really know how it is going to be out there. However, our decision was confirmed by a Kiwi boat that is just completing their circumnavigation with the final passage to NZ. They stopped by to chat and said that yes, they too are waiting for this weather to pass. In regards to the 30 knot head winds, the woman said, "Better up the ass than on the nose!" In terms of sailing, I couldn't agree more. She also said that this passage from Tonga to New Zealand is one of the most difficult in the world, the other being the passage from Madagascar to South Africa. Having sailed around the world, I believe her, although I am sure there are more I don't want to experience.

You meet all sorts of interesting people out here. A few days ago I met a Hungarian guy who, from 2006-2009, sailed around the world in a 19 foot boat. He was 26 years old when he started. He had all sorts of great stories and showed me pictures of the crazy places he has been, along with a book he wrote afterwards, but it is in Hungarian. He is young (30 is now young), good looking and single, but he turned out to be a little bit creepy. It's all good though... I still have a bit of a heartache for my Slow Dance amigo.

What is not all good is our refrigeration. Last time I wrote that our fridge crapped out but was maybe not broken. It is. This means that we have no refrigerator or freezer (freezer broke back in Vava'u). This means that we can't really prepare meals for the passage, which means that we will have to cook out there. Ugggg. I think we will be eating lots of ramen noodles. And crackers. Nothing cold to eat or drink until NZ. As for beer, we do not drink on passages so that won't be too much of a problem, but it's almost noon and I could go for a cold one now. (Just kidding.)

Speaking of cold ones, apparently it is f-ing freezing in New Zealand right now. Like, 50 degrees. Right now it is 80 degrees in the cabin and it is absolutely perfect. I have decided that 80 is the new 72. Although yesterday it was 90 degrees in the cabin all day, which was borderline sweltering. Fortunately I did not have to do too much... swim, watch a movie, read a book, make sushi... it was bearable. But this cold business? I don't know. We have been in the tropics since January. I have not slept with a blanket on my bed since we left Mexico. Shoes? Don't make me laugh. The only time I wear pants is to keep mosquitos away.

This is all going to change. Even though it is coming on summer in the southern hemisphere I have a feeling NZ is still going to be cold. If you look on a map, you will see that New Zealand is way the hell down there off Australia, damn close to Antarctica. Apparently there can be iceberg warnings in Auckland in the winter. Makes me cold just thinking about it.

And so, I have started digging out the old blankets, hoodies and slippers - all of which smell a bit musty after sitting in the dry bilge for nearly a year. I think I will need to do some serious shopping when we get to NZ. In the meantime, I think I will go for one last swim in this 80 degree, bright blue water that I am going to miss so much.
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At 10/20/2011 9:41 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 21°08.23'S 175°09.80'W

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Tongatapu

Birds eye view of Pangaimotu - arguably the nicest part of Nuku'alofa

Or as I like to call it, Tonga-poo-poo. Granted, a visit to the hospital, an "American" grocery store, customs and a cockroach infested cafe do not warrant a fair judgment of a city, but first impressions are everything. Right?

We arrived in Tongatapu Sunday evening after spending a night in "arguably one of the most idyllic islands in the South Pacific," according to our Tonga guide book. Yes, Kalafesia - the southern most island in the Ha'apai group - is the stereotypical deserted tropical island. It was a bit sketchy getting into the anchorage as the entrance to the lagoon is lined with sharp and shallow reef, and waves breaking on either side. It was no problem for us and we found a nice little spot to drop anchor for the night. Not all boats have been so lucky, as we found a mast on the beach that indicated that a boat sank there recently. Our friends on Sara Jean confirmed that a boat sank there last season. Oops.

We did not sink and had a lovely time beach combing and swimming. The snorkeling was not as good as in other places, but it was cool to be the only people on an island - Robinson Crusoe stylee... kinda. The only other evidence of life we saw was a dog, a few pigs, and chickens. I would like to think I could fare well alone on an island with companions like that, but I decided not to find out.

The other island we stopped at overnight before arriving in Tongatapu was Ha'afeva. I like the cruising style of doing little day sails down an island chain, stopping in places for a night or two. I mean, it's not my favorite way to cruise, but certainly better than doing a bunch of overnight passages. We were only in Ha'afeva for 18 hours, but this gave us time to go for a snorkel and check out an old fishing trawler that sank on the reef years back. It seems like there are a lot of wrecks in this part of the south Pacific. It is a bit disconcerting, but I think most boats are sunk during cyclones, which we are going to New Zealand to avoid.

The wreck was eerie and cool. There is something about swimming over and around a sunken boat that gives me the heebeejeebies (sp?), but also an adrenaline rush. The coolest part of the snorkel was that I found the most awesome shell I have ever found - a bright orange conch shell. I held onto it for about two hours before I managed to give it back to the ocean, one, because there was still a conch living in it, and two, because New Zealand customs will confiscate shells and marine life like that. I thought about smuggling it into the country, but, meh. I think I get a karma boost with the ocean.

Which brings us to Nuku'alofa, Tongapoopoo. The reason we went to the hospital was to visit a friend from a boat who got a serious staph infection in his leg. He and his wife were on their way to New Zealand and he got a fever of 105, so his wife turned the boat around and headed for the nearest hospital. Had she not he would probably not be alive right now.

The visit to the hospital was tough - not only to see Bill and his horrendous leg, but to see the state of health care in Tonga. The hospital was packed with screaming babies and sickly old people. The pharmacy was a shack in the parking lot. There were cockroaches everywhere. Sue, Bill's wife, told us that the families of the patients have to bring everything for the patient - including food, water, sheets... everything you would expect a hospital to provide. Sue told us that Bill is doing much better than he was a few days ago, gracias adios. Going to the hospital and seeing Bill made me so thankful and appreciative that my, my family and friends' health has been so good on this trip.

After the hospital visit we went to the market. I have come to realize that all the markets in the s.Pac are all more or less the same. Fruits and vegetables, baskets and other kitchy trinkets. We bought a few vegetables and then went across the street to an "American" market to buy some supplies. The market was dark and dusty, although they did have a few Kirkland Signature (Costco) products, which is always exciting. We bought a bunch of ramen instant noodles as that is the easiest hot meal on a passage.

After shopping we went to customs where they decided we had to pay a fine of 120 pa'anga because we did not check in the day we arrived - the prior evening. It is ridiculous that they make people check in in each group of Tonga. That would be like having to go to customs when doing interstate travel. What a bunch of BS.

Did I mention that our refrigeration died? Well, I don't know if it died, but it is not currently working. No fridge, no freezer. Warm beer. Shit. A guy is coming today to look at it, but we did not have access to the fridge yesterday. We were all hungry and went to a little cafe for lunch. There were cockroaches in all the corners and a few on the ceiling. The fish and chips were delicious.

As you can tell, Nuku'alofa is not a charming place. Fortunately we are anchored out at Pangaimotu, a little island a mile off the city. This is where the people who live in the city come for a nice afternoon. Big Mama's Yacht Club serves food and beer, has a pool table and free internet. There is also a sunken ship right of the beach which makes for cool snorkeling. This is a nice place, but I don't want to stay here longer than necessary. That being said, I don't really want to leave, because that means heading out on the 1,300 mile passage to New Zealand. Catch-22.

And so we wait. And do laundry, clean, tighten the rigging, and do everything else possible to prepare for what could be a very gnarly passage. But we are waiting for a weather window with the hopes that the passage won't be too gnarly. Vamos a ver. We will see.
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At 10/17/2011 7:15 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 21°07.51'S 175°09.79'W

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Dear Diary

I usually try to avoid the "Dear Diary" crap in this space, but sometimes I can't help it. I have a heartache. I have been trying to stay busy and keep my mind occupied, but when things get quiet in the evening my mind starts to wander. Hence this post describing my attempt to keep busy.

Let's back up a bit. Sunday night Sean dropped me off at Rutea around midnight, and we pulled up the anchor and left Vava'u at 3:00 AM. That was not fun, although the passage from Vava'u to the Ha'apai was an easy 65 miles. We arrived at Ha'ano in the afternoon shortly behind Merkava, and after a celebratory safe passage drink with them, it was time to get in the water.

The snorkeling in Ha'ano was the best I have seen since the Tuamotus. The water was not super clear - only about 50 feet of visibility - but all the cool stuff to see was near the surface anyway. The reefs at Ha'ano are made of huge shelves of pristine coral of all different varieties: table top coral, sea fans, fire coral, soft corals... it goes on and on. The edges of the shelves drop off to about 40 feet, and the sheer walls of coral are home to all sorts of exotic sea creatures. There are also tons of caves and swim-throughs, but I was free diving so I didn't venture into too many. Yuka, of course, was in and out of all the nooks and crannies in the coral.

Perhaps the highlight of the snorkel, aside from the amazing coral, was our close encounter with a 3 foot coral banded sea snake. This snake is one of the most poisonous in the world, although it is unaggressive and its mouth is so small that it can only bite a human in the webbing between its fingers and toes. It was still kind of scary to be so close to.

Sea creatures can be scary - particularly when they are out of the water and do not want to be. We left Ha'ano the following morning, and I decided to put a line in the water and test my luck fishing. After breakfast I was cutting up a pineapple when I heard the line start to zzziing. I have become somewhat of a more adequate fisherwoman since Mexico, and was able to reel in a beautiful little mahi-mahi. I did, however, hide behind the life raft as the fish was flopping around on the deck and while Dad killed it. He was also kind enough to clean the fish... something I have yet to learn how to do. I like choosing a lure, I like reeling in a fish (until it gets too close), and I like eating fish, but I do not like killing or cleaning them. I think that is a blue job, anyway.

Just as the fish was all cleaned up we pulled into Pa'angai, the main city of Ha'apai. I stayed on the boat while Mom and Dad went into town and both checked in and checked out. Ha'apai is still Tonga, but they like to make cruisers jump through their bureaucratic hoops. We were in Pa'angai for less than an hour as it is not the most charming of towns. Then we headed for the anchorage we are in now, which unfortunately I do not know the name of.

When we arrived my friends from the boats Architeuthis and Sara Jean were here so we all spent the afternoon together. Since then we have done a ton of snorkeling, beach combing, music playing, and communal dinners. There is nothing like a nice group of friends to keep the blues away. However, this is where the other half of my heartache comes in. Tonight I said goodbye to Mark and Yuka from the boat Merkava, my best friends here in the South Pacific. Fortunately they are going to New Zealand also, but there is a good chance I will not see them for a month or two.

You see, Mom and Dad are very anxious to get to New Zealand. I do not understand the rush. We are going to be in NZ for plenty of time, and who knows when we will be back in Tonga? Perhaps never. Regardless, we are heading to Tongatapu to wait for a weather window to head down south to New Zealand at the end of the week. Merkava is on the slower track and will be hanging out around here for another few weeks. I shouldn't be complaining because I know I will see them again soon, but if you read back over my posts, most of them are of adventures with Merkava. It is going to be tough not to have them around for a while.

I know, I know, I am sorry to be so whiney recently. But I can't help it. A part of me feels like this trip is coming to an end with our arrival in New Zealand, although I know that it will be another adventure. I think I have just gotten comfortable here in the South Pacific and will be sad to leave it. I guess I had better start swimming or else I will sink like a stone, for times they are a changing.

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At 10/13/2011 1:42 AM (utc) Rutea's position was 19°50.94'S 174°24.95'W

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S/V Slow Dance (and Friends)

The legit crew of Slow Dance

Last night I rejoined Rutea after spending a week on S/V Slow Dance, and I think it is going to take me another week to recover.

Slow Dance is an 80 foot luxury yacht with an owner, captain, chef and crew that work hard and play harder (although maybe it is the other way around). Being on Slow Dance was not only a ridiculous amount of fun, but it also gave me perspective on situation on Rutea. A win-win situation, really.

Boat/yacht/ship - whatever you want to call it - Slow Dance is one of the nicest I have ever been on. There are 3 generators on board to power all the electronics and toys you could want. There are 2 huge water makers to ensure that everybody can take hot showers every day. The stainless is brightly polished decks are spotless. The tender (dinghy) is fast and comfortable to mob around anchorages in. However, to maintain all these luxuries is a TON of work.

Sean (the captain), Suzy (1st mate), and BJ (2nd mate and Sean's brother) work their asses off every day to keep the boat running smoothly - or at least as smoothly as possible. Inevitably once one project - such as repairing a generator - is finished, the refrigeration goes out. Such is life on a boat, but the smaller and more bare bones the boat, (generally) the less there is to fix. But to cruise around in wealth and style is sexy and fun - especially for guests such as myself. And did I mention there is a live-aboard chef? Victoria is not only a very cool lady, but cooks delicious, fresh and healthy meals every day.

During the week I was on the boat a typical day goes as follows:
Sean gets up early, starts the generator and makes coffee for the crew. I roll out of bed around 8 (depending on the previous night's activities) and hang out in the cockpit playing guitar while everybody else chills out before starting a projects. After a few cups of coffee and some breakfast everybody gets to work, whether it is going up the mast to check the rigging, changing the oil on the engine... whatever. There is never a lack of work on a boat - particularly this one. Not wanting to be a total slacker, nuisance or ungrateful guest, I offer to do some menial, unskilled job such as vacuuming the cabins or cleaning the waterline (an excuse to go swimming). I have to earn my keep, although it is nothing compared to the $3000 per night people have been known to pay to stay on Slow Dance.

Around noon the first beers are cracked. This does not necessarily mean that work stops, but Ron (the gracious owner) and Sean (the slave driving captain) allow the rest of us a few afternoons off to go play and explore a few of the beaches and bays that Vava'u has to offer. We load up the tender's built-in coolers with ice cold beer, bomb-ass sandwiches that Victoria makes, and head out. The tender has a 70 horsepower motor that enables 5 of us to cruise over the bright turquoise water at high speeds without spilling our beers.

When we spot a beach that looks nice we head in and check it out, go for a swim and eat lunch of the beach. There is something about drinking an ice cold beer while floating in 80 degree water that really does it for me. When we feel we have sufficiently enjoyed a place we load up back in the tender, and cruise around until we find another place to hang out or until the beer runs out. It is a tough life, I know.

By this time I am usually pretty wasted - from the sun, of course - so I go in for a shower and a nap, only to wake up to a delicious dinner. Nightlife in Tonga is pretty mellow, and while we have been known to frequent a bar or two, most nights are spent sipping beers and chatting or watching movies.

Saturday night we celebrated Sean's birthday with a bonfire on the beach. Although it rained for most of the afternoon he and BJ managed to get a fire going, and the sky cleared up to give us a nearly full moon and tons of stars. Suzy and I decided to go for a night swim and the water was so clear that the bottom was visible from the moonlight.

Yes, life is good on Slow Dance; life is good in general. But cruising on a luxury yacht is not as glamorous as it might seem - unless you own the boat and pay people to work for you. Yes, my friends are sailing the world in style, and they play hard but work harder. This has given me perspective on my situation on Rutea. In comparison to Slow Dance, Rutea is a humble little cruising boat. However, she is very well maintained by her captain (Dad) and the crew (me) is not expected to do too much, except a little polishing here and a little cleaning there. I can go snorkeling, diving, or surfing (if there were waves) whenever I want. I have absolute freedom and very few obligations - in other words I have it damn good. Not that I did not know this before, but after spending a week on a huge, luxurious yacht my sentiments have only been reinforced.

This does not mean that it was easy to leave Slow Dance. Sean dropped me off on Rutea at midnight with a heavy heart - 3 hours before we left Vava'u for the Ha'apai group in southern Tonga. It was hard to leave my friends. Who knows if I will ever see them again? I am going to New Zealand and they are headed towards Micronesia. But such is the life of a sailor: full of love and heartache, uncertainty and a certain respect for the now.

Speaking of the now, we are currently anchored in a little anchorage off Ha'ano island in the Ha'apai group after a rowdy sail from Vava'u. Ha' ha' ha'. (Does the pun translate?) Anyway, I intended to post a few pictures of the Slow Dance homies and our adventures, but I did not have an opportunity before we left, and there is no internet - let alone many signs of civilization - around here.

In closing, I want to thank Ron, Sean, Victoria, Suzy and BJ for a most excellent week. My favorite part of being out here is meeting and doing fun things with cool people like you. Keep in touch. That goes for you, my land-based friends, as well.

PEACE!
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At 10/9/2011 8:50 PM (utc) Rutea's position was 19°16.97'S 174°15.34'W

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Back to School

Some of the cutest and happiest kids in the world - Nua Papu village, Tonga

I believe we left off with the epic whaling adventure. Since then I have visited a local primary school in a village of 22 families, returned to Neiafu, and to put it bluntly, partied my ass off.

The visit to the school was precious. On Thursday morning Mom, Dad and I went in to shore where we were greeted by a young boy. He led us through the village to the school. We walked under a huge tunnel of mango trees, hopped over fences, avoided pigs roaming through the bush and crossed people's front yards to arrive at the school.

The school is a two room building perched on a wide lawn that overlooks the bay and surrounding islands of Vava'u. The building looks fairly well maintained on the outside, but the floors are peeling up in the classrooms and the benches and desks are.. rustic. However, the classroom we visited was filled with bright posters in both English and Tongan, (well used) school supplies, and a few books.

Upon our entrance into the classroom we were greeted by David, the teacher, who then arranged three chairs for us in the front of the class, while the kids sat at our feet, staring and giggling at us. The school serves as both a preschool through classes for 12 year olds, all more or less in the same classroom. A few of the youngest kids were laying under desks or eating crackers in the corner, while the older kids lined up and introduced themselves. The typical introduction went as follows:

"Hello, my name is Loto. My father is Pino, my mother is Lana, my brother is Dano and my sister is Lana. My teacher is David. And when I grow up I want to be a soldier." Other desired professions were fishermen, nurses, farmers, and an engineer or two.

After the introductions, the kids sang the ABC song, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and some beautiful traditional Tongan songs. A few girls did a very graceful dance that involved clapping coconut shells together. I love that they are not shy in the least about singing and dancing. It is a natural part of the culture - even for teenagers traditional singing and dancing are cool things to do.

Needless to say, the visit to the school was great. In all honesty, and I am a bit ashamed to admit, I have not immersed myself or explored the cultures here in the South Pacific as much as I should. It is so easy to just go diving or surfing every day, or hang out in the bars and cafes owned by Palangis (white people), and mess around on the internet. Sometimes it is a bit intimidating to walk into a school or village or through a market where I know I will be gawked at. You would think I would be used to it by now, but it still takes an effort. It is much easier to make friends with fellow cruisers who speak the same languages and have at least one common interest than it is to engage the locals.

Speaking of cruiser friends, my friends on the boat Slow Dance showed up this week. In Samoa I spent many a late night partying on the 90 foot luxury yacht with the very cute South African captain. We more or less picked up right where we left off, and have been hitting the bars with force since they arrived. The only thing that is different now is that the owner is on board, and he is quite a character. Some would describe him as a "dirty old man", which is accurate enough, but he is also very generous and treats his crew and their guests well.

He is so generous that has agreed to extend me an invitation to join them (via Sean, the captain) on their boat for a few days. Mom and Dad are concerned that I might never come back... which, if I were a total flake, would be a legitimate concern. However, I have committed to sailing on Rutea to New Zealand, and will follow through with that. But.... man, Slow Dance is a nice boat! Electric winches? Check. Huge dinghy with a 70 horsepower engine? Check. Live aboard chef? Check. Compressor to fill dive tanks? Check. Hot captain? Check.

Ok, ok. I'll stop. You get the point. I am sure I will have many stories to tell after my stint as crew with them. Assuming that I can leave. Be strong....