Oct 2012 STILL WESTWARD HO

Oct 2012

Westward Ho.

We leave French Polynesia behind departing from Bora Bora and head for the NZ protectorate of Niue a distance of 1100 miles.  The breeze has us passing close by a number of small atolls one of which is picturesque Aitutaki in the Cook Islands group and another NZ protectorate. We decide to make a small detour to port to make a stop at Aitutaki for the renowned Friday night festivities but the anchorage is rolling and with current sweeping round the island we were not happy at the prospect of leaving Musketelle anchored off the reef whilst ashore.  We drifted around from arrival 0400 in the approaching dawn light until we could raise the Port Captain at 0800 and get more information. That information confirms with our deep draft it is impossible to enter the channel to the shelter of the lagoon so therefore stopping is not viable.  We continue on the remaining 570 miles to Niue having an amazing ride in enhanced trade wind conditions.

Idyllic tradewind sailing

We come across a massive flock of seabirds the largest we have sighted. The birds are massing around ducking and diving down to the water with a surprising number on the surface feeding on bits and pieces resulting from the dive kill activity.  In places the water is white with the interaction of fish and birds meeting.  We can only imagine the size of the bigger unseen fish below causing these smaller fish to stay on the surface for the lesser evils of the unseen flying peckers from above. Nature at work on an impressive scale.  Amateur pics’s never seem to catch the excitement and enormity of the moment like Attenborough would.

Mid ocean seabirds conducting mad feeding frenzy

Niue Island

A  0200 arrival in the dark without any moon to show the way but that’s fine as this is an island without an outer reef and lagoon and with deep water right up to steep cliffs.   We approach from the east with wholesome southeast winds and enhanced swells but once we round the southern end of the island we are quickly in the lee and the swells dissipate.   In pitch dark we drop sails and motor with radar overlaid onto electronic charts on the chart plotter to locate one of 20 mooring buoys laid close to the shore by the NYC (Niue Yacht Club).  The water is too deep to anchor without getting too close to the narrow slither of coral that surrounds the island.  In the light of morning Niue reveals itself to be a pancake flat rock sitting 20/30 meters above the sea with lush vegetation atop surrounded by unwelcoming cliffs.

Niue open roadstead deepwater anchorage off Alofi township

We go ashore to complete quarantine, customs and immigration formalities with locals that have a cute kiwi twang in their island speech that has us acknowledging we are nearly in our own backyard again.  But that is jumping forward because landing on Niue involves timing the constant ocean swells to position the dink adjacent to a crane lift out pulley hook that you must tie the dink to then jump onto the concrete wharf and push the buttons to activate the electric motor to lift  the dink on to the wharf away from the energised swells that continually ply the coast.  This is the only way ashore and if the wind decides to come from the west then it’s time to high tail it off Niue or risk being pummeled on the coral and cliffs.

The Yacht Club promotes itself as the biggest little yacht club in the world with 1600 odd foreign members when the island only has 1400 inhabitants.  Although in reality it’s not a real yacht club as it only provides the moorings and the social aspects.

Navigatoress outside NYC with local member

The NYC is located below the backpackers lodge and is the nexus for visitors by air or sea and the central point for guidance and information over a coffee or a beer.  Within an hour we had the obligatory where how and when questions answered and also a local Kiwi by the name of Jim from Motueka had offered to run us around the island the following day to show us the sights.

Next morning the swells were tame as we came ashore and off we went in Jims clapped out Mazda Bongo van now accompanied by wife Patricia.   

Patricia alongside their Bongo van……note Port passenger side window

They spend 8 months of the year on Niue running a string of Kiwi style bach self catering cottage stays and we visited one of the properties in a magnificent situation with spectacular cliff top reef and ocean views with access to a private reef swimming spot below plus its own network of caves beneath the grounds. To top it off paw paw and mango were growing wild everywhere.

 Kiwi style holiday bach “Clifftop Fale” with ocean and reef views

By 1000 Jim was offering refreshments in the form of NZ brown ale from the chillybin so you can visualise the laidback style of the island with just 40km to drive around and only 1400 people including children, and being a midweek morning we seemed to have the place to ourselves.

Jim with “brown can sandwich” for morning tea driving us round Niue

Zero traffic on a mid week morning

Interesting village hall usage sign....read line 5

You can park your outrigger canoe inside or outside

Stopped along the way to walk down some of the ‘Sea Tracks‘ to excellent swimming and snorkeling spots on the reef with pristine waters, not to mention the numerous caves. The eastern coast is windswept whilst the west more benign.

Stunning coastal vistas

On return to the NYC mid afternoon we were somewhat pooped not just by the physical tour but by the volume of information we had been given by our enthusiastic hosts including their take on the current politics, economy, tourism opportunities and overall future of the little island.

Avatele Village Show Day…and more

Each of the 6 major villages on the island has a Show Day to exhibit its cultural, cuisine and handicraft capabilities providing an opportunity to outdo its neighbors.  This was the Avatele Village show day at their village located on the southeast side of the island.   We had hired a car so we could make our way nice and early as recommended for the traditional food.  The day dawned typically fine and sunny although we noted the swell was running as we made our over way to an American yacht whose crew who we had offered to take along in our rental car.  They were anchored closer to the wharf and had been monitoring the swell situation and they reluctantly declined to come to the show sighting concern about getting ashore.   So we pushed on alone monitored the swells for a few minutes and then gunned the 15hp Mercury outboard to time the swells to perfection and get on the crane hook and  ashore in a lull in the swells without major drama, but yes it was a bit hair raising. We get to the show early for the colourful action……..

Handicraft and traditional food including Uga (big crabs)

Colourful cultural scenes at the Avatele Show Day 

We have a memorable time at the Vaitelle Show until lunchtime when we motored back into the main settlement to check the dink at the wharf and we were concerned to now see waves practically breaking on to the wharf which is about 3 meters above the normal water level. 

Waves all but breaching the top of the landing wharf

We decided to move our dink up to a higher ramp area above the dock further away from the wharf proper.  Aussie cruisers, Scott and Karin who we had just met at the show also decided to shift their dink at the same time. 

Drama Time

Later that afternoon we  were having a beer at the NYC when the Commodore came rushing in to say there was mayhem at the wharf, which saw everyone scarper the 500 meters to the wharf to witness kids body surfing on waves surging across the top of the wharf and one of the 2 dinks plus the club’s trolley gone.    And yes it was Musketelle’s dink that was nowhere to be seen. Phew what a calamity....until a local lad Oscar who turned out to be the local dustman informed the Commodore that he and two other local kids (children of the Government Treasurer) had rescued a dink from the foaming surges and wrestled it over the reef to a rocky cove beyond the surging waters.  In no time we all scampered after  Oscar and we were reunited with the sad sight of our half inflated dink full of water with the 15hp Mercury outboard slumped inside the hull but still padlocked by chain, the fuel tank floating and oars still lashed. 

Sad sight of Musketelle’s beached dink and removal of outboard motor

Within 30 minutes we had the outboard and tank up at the yacht club and a combined effort had the motor flushed with freshwater, plugs removed and cleaned and the carburettor stripped and cleaned and in no time the engine was running again.   

Resuscitating outboard back at the NYC and getting sprayed in the process

The rescue of the actual hull was left until next morning when conditions had moderated somewhat with Scott and Karin giving us a hand to retrieve the damaged but repairable now leaking hull.  The clubs launching trolley was also recovered the following day. We made a contribution of $50 and the Club $25 to the young people who had helped out. Thanks to Oscar and friends and to the NYC.

We observed that this all happened on the 13^th, we were tied up to buoy 13 and it was the skipper’s birthday !!!  

Next Stop Vavau Tonga

We head off west on the 250 mile passage to Vavau Tonga and for once it’s a magic sail in a stable 15 knots Southeast in 1 meter seas that has us reaching at 7.5 knots the entire way with the only hiccup being the fact our autopilot is still not holding course on a port course when it holds perfectly on starboard.  We have another request for information and help into the Raymarine Tech Desk.

Westing to End

17 Oct was our last full day sailing east to west so we savoured our last Sunset on the bow, for from this point on we turn to Port and head south for NZ which will see us with sunsets on starboard. Likewise dawn 18 Oct we have our last Sunrise over the transom before we arrived off the entrance to Port Refuge at the northern tip of Vavau, Tonga. 

Last westbound Sunset over bow and last Sunrise over transom before turning South

Big 360 Achieved

0700 18 Oct 2012 off Port Refuge, Vavau, Tonga after sailing over 28,000 miles Musketelle crossed her outgoing wake from 2007 so completing her circumnavigation. Done Deal !!

It was a perfect morning and following a congratulatory peek on the cheek we took pics to record the event which is momentous for us as a sailing couple although looking at the half asleep faces in those pics you would never know. 

Vavau Tonga at dawn

 The 360 Moment

We had both been up all night both willing Musketelle over that line and silently worrying something might stop us even though we were in clear waters in benign tropical conditions.   Ironically the last 20 miles were self imposed  tough because we were running dead downwind with the prospect of gybing challenging ourselves to not change course to ensure we got around the northern tip of Vavau, and we did.

When got into the protected waters of Vavau we proceeded to anchored in the hurricane hole of Neiafu town and completed the same old border control formalities which in Tonga include Customs, Health, Quarantine and Immigration all of whom work independently of each other, without any changes since 2007.  With in excess of 400 yachts coming through each season coming up with a simplified system would be a good PR exercise.  The following morning we tuned into the vibrant local cruisers VHF radio net and when the coordinator asked for any new arrivals B still excited got on and announced Musketelle and added our circumnavigation milestone here at Vavau.   A few listeners said congratulations and that was that.   We are not normally big on such public consumption stuff like but it’s not every day you circumnavigate….but so what.   However since then numerous cruisers have rocked up to us to say wow! Congratulating us.  Most of these cruisers are seeking the same outcome and we wish them well telling them it’s a breeze……all you need is time and a bank balance that can live with negative gearing for the duration.  

Circumnavigation Cake

Its a time for momentary reflection as we revisit what we have achieved on this loop of the orb readily recalling the good times and experiences and conveniently forgetting the not so good.  Looking again at those pics as we arrived off Port Refuge we are reminded we respectively had a 4 and a 5 in our ages when we were last in Tonga, and now we decidedly do not  !!

We have had a celebratory Kiwi roast lamb dinner swilled with a nice Turkish White followed by peach melba dessert.  To continue the celebration B has promised a ‘Circumnavigation Cake’ and Cookies.

Vavau Worklist

Celebratory reflections aside the near landlocked lagoon of Neiafu is the perfect place to cull the worklist in sheltered conditions without the Pacific swells.  

Musketelle at anchor early morning calm off Neiafu town, Vavau

We currently have a  short list with the dink repair following the Niue incident now the most pressing so we will try to hire a dink whilst we repair our dink on the aft deck.  Three or four days should see us sorted. Then we have to drop the mainsail on the deck to repair the section damaged on the top spreader before we head south into more boisterous conditions. Finally on the mechanical side its change engine oil, filters and anodes.

Sadly October is the last full month of our voyaging, in fact the 66^th month of the voyage and as if time has momentum of its own this month has literally flown more than most. Musketelle has a sniff of the finish line, not to mention WiFi who says enough is enough is enough.                                                   

We unashamedly acknowledge we have been chilling out swimming, reading, imbibing and dining and savouring our remaining days in the tropics in the knowledge of our pending return to more the volatile temperate climate of NZ.

Yes the end really is in sight as October closes.