NEIAFU VILLAGE

NEIAFU VILLAGE

Position: 18D39'S 173D59'W

Sunday, August 28 - Yesterday we spent most of the day exploring the shops and services in Neiafu. It's a beautiful town but the services are pretty basic. I managed to buy a sandwich maker which made my day as we could now add more variation to our diet. The Tongan people that we met along the way were all very friendly and helpful to us. I went to the fruit and vegetable market and the variety of food was incredible. There were lots of stalls all with different local produce. I picked up nice pineapples, bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, chillis and cabbages. Unfortunately the market closed at midday so a lot of the produce was already sold by the time I arrived. As Ian wasn't around I also accidently stumbled upon the crafts market and spent time browsing the carved bone necklaces and woven pandanus mats. Ian eventually found me and we went to pick up our hot bread order. Today is a day of rest in Tonga and nobody is allowed to work which I think is a great idea. However, our watermaker desperately needed repair so Ian spent most of the day down below replacing the pump. The beast worked well for about 10 minutes than developed another problem which he hasn't been able to fix. We are hoping that tomorrow will bring us some better luck.

VAVAU - TONGA

NEIAFU - TONGA

Position:  18D39'S  173D59'W

 

Friday, August 26 - We arrived 12 miles north of Vavau at midnight on Thursday night.  The weather had deteriorated even more during the day and we were looking forward to some calm seas and light winds in the lee of Vavau islands.  Unfortunately the weather wasn't a lot better in the lee and we had to sail up and down the coast until sunrise taking turns to sleep and sail.  When the sun finally came up the clouds came over and we were hit with a torrential downpour.  The visibility was terrible and probably explains why the boat that sailed into the entrance a half hour before us saw whales and we didn't everythough I was scanning the water from high up on deck.  The islands were unusual formed from limestone and covered in lush green vegetation.  There weren't any shades of brown to be seen except for the lower exposed rock faces that met with the seawater.  I put the quarantine flag up and Ian motored through the channel to the Neiafu anchorage.  On arrival we had to tie up with another yacht on the dock while Customs and Quarantine inspected Faraway and then we had to visit immigration for our clearance.  This process took all morning but we got the chance to scan the shops and services and see the fruit and vegetable market. I managed to grab 2 cold meat pies for lunch which tasted pretty good after our journey. After lunch we headed to the mooring ball field but most of the balls were taken due to yachts coming in for shelter from the bad weather.  We motored around trying to find ones that weren't booked and/or secure enough to hold our yacht.  After 2 hours and suffering from complete exhaustion we finally settled at the end of the mooring field in a peaceful bay.  A bit later the Tasmanian yacht Cosimo found a ball right next to us so we had good company as well.  I started cleaning up the boat from our long passage while Ian went to shore to pick up watermaker spare parts sent from the USA.  We collapsed early in the evening and enjoyed our first full nights sleep in a long time.  It was complete heaven to sleep in a comfy bed, not have to get up during the night and more importantly not having to stop yourself from being rolled and thrown around in the cockpit.

INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE

INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE

Position: 17D31.324S 172D47.474W

100 nautical miles left to sail to Vavau in Tonga

 

Wednesday, August 24 and Thursday, August 25 - We have crossed the International Date Line so today is Wednesday and Thursday or to simplify things we have lost a day.  It does highlight the fact that we are now getting very close to Australia.  At least we are now in the same time zone.

 

The weather is still very rough with the sea state around 3 to 4 metres and winds up to 30 knots.  This hasn't been one of our best passages as the conditions are very hostile and the sailing is uncomfortable.  Cooking in the galley is now like trying to eat a hamburger on a rollercoaster ride. You can hang on to some items but a lot of things lose your grip as you struggle to balance with the unpredictable motion of the boat as the waves and wind exert their forces. This morning we had a wave break over the cockpit and salt water managed to wash down into the seating area through the canopy. 

 

We can't wait to get into some calm weather on the leeward side of Vavau later tonight.  Early the next morning (Friday) at sunrise we will continue onto the anchorage.  The next hazard to watch out for won't be reefs or other ships but humpback whales as they congregate in the area at this time of year to breed.  When we arrive in Neiafu we need to clear in with Immigration and do a complete wash down and clean up of Faraway.

SQUALL CATCHER

SQUALL CATCHER

Position: 16D22.978S 170D14.374W

250 nautical miles left to sail to Vavau in Tonga

 

Tuesday, August 23 - The weather continues to be very rough and the South Pacific looks like the inside of a washing machine in the spin cycle.  Ian and I had a busy night on watch avoiding squalls and reefing the sails when the winds became too strong.  The odd big wave has also hit us side on during the night and the only thing you can do is brace yourself for the corresponding roll.  Yesterday we spent the day pretty much horizontal in the cockpit reading books.  Although we are not doing a lot of work the journey has been physically demanding.  We could push Faraway harder and arrive in Tonga late tomorrow afternoon but we have decided to take it easy in these difficult conditions and arrive in one piece!    We will arrive at the northern end of the Vavau chain around 3am on Friday morning (Tonga time). Once sheltered from the heavy south easterly swell we will slowly motor through the island group arriving at Neifu anchorage just after sunrise. Ian has volunteered to cook French toast this morning so I'm looking forward to that and I admire his bravery in the galley.

STRONG WINDS

STRONG WINDS

Position: 15D21.918S 167D47.685W

400 nautical miles left to sail to Vavau in Tonga

 

Monday, August 22 - There is a lot to be said for that saying 'be careful what you wish for'.  We discovered why last night.  Just after sunset several squalls appeared on the horizon and during the night the wind increased to 20 to 30 knots.  The swell also doubled in size to around 3 metres.  For the entire passage we had been chasing wind, hoping for wind, losing wind and gaining wind but now we had more wind and associated swell than was comfortable.  We reefed in the main sail and the head sail during the night in the rain.  This morning we only have 2 little handkerchief sized sails out but are getting speeds between 6.5 and 7 knots.  All you can hear is the wind funneling through the sails as we punch through the big swells.  All the windows are closed tight as waves keep breaking over the bow and beam engulfing every inch of Faraway's exterior.  There won't be a big variety of food on the menu today because going down below is a real challenge.  Just going to the toilet is a challenge getting there and staying on the seat!  Ian managed to have a shower this morning but I'm not sure how he did it.   Looks like we will have a quiet day in the cockpit today tucked into the leeward side corner of the boat.

 

 

HITCH HIKER

HITCH HIKER

Position: 14D16.561S 165D17.440W

563 nautical miles left to sail to Vavau in Tonga

Sunday, August 21- We have had good winds over the last 24 hours and are averaging 6 to 7 knots in the direction of Tonga. Last night the winds dropped and made things a bit uncomfortable in the cockpit with the boom clanging and the main sail slapping in the light wind. Luckily the wind has picked up again and we are cruising along comfortably. Yesterday we had an in water sailing lesson from Ken and Wendy on their yacht Cosimo. They caught up with us after leaving Suwarrow and asked us on the radio if we wanted any suggestions to improve our sailing speed. Of course we did so they sailed alongside and gave us some tips to reset the sails for better performance. During the conversation we found out that Ken had 50 years of sailing experience and was a sailing instructor so we were grateful for their advice. They are also headed for Tonga so hopefully we will meet up with them again in the next few days. There is no doubt that they will arrive in Tonga before us!

We've also had a hitch hiker on board Faraway during this passage. When I was on watch I noticed a young Booby Bird clinging onto the aft deck railing with it's webbed feet trying to balance in the strong breeze. I'm not an animal pyschic but I'm sure it was trying to work out how it could be moving across the ocean without making any effort. It kept staring down into the ocean then it would take off in the wind circle the boat and settle down again with a puzzled look on its face. It was having a nice time chilling out and pruning itself and wasn't too scared when it spotted me taking photos of it. After about an hour it took off to do some fishing and we never saw it again.

We don't have a busy schedule today so that's a nice change. We plan to do some reading then will try and catch a fish for dinner. We have been very slack on the fishing front. The fishing rod we bought seems to be of no benefit. All the other sailing boats use a lure, 10 metres of 200lb fishing line, 10 metres of venetian bling cord and 10 metres of bungy cord with a little metal weight attached with a shackle to a cleat on the boat. When the fish strikes the bungy cord flexes and you can hear the weight skipping on the deck. You don't pull the fish in immediately as you want it to be tired before pulling it up on deck for inspection. We won't keep anything we can't eat so if it's too big we will release it back to the ocean.

Suwarrow

Suwarrow

Position: 13D14.199S 163D14.262W

698 nautical miles left to sail to Vavau in Tonga

Saturday, August 20 - We finally made it but in the last 24 hours of our trip from Bora Bora we struggled to get to Suwarrow. The winds dropped to 0 knots so we had to motor into the night. We arrived at 3am in the morning and did not want to enter the pass at night. The winds had increased slightly so we set the sails and ran north for 2 hours than south for 2 hours arriving at the atoll just on sunrise. What we saw next took us by total surprise. Picture this we have come all this way to a remote atoll to experience true solitude as Tom Neale wrote but as we approached the islands we could see the masts of at least 15 yachts in the anchorage. Then we heard the 8am check in on the radio as everyone went through their plans for the day and evening ahead. It was like a little nomadic community. Our first thought was that Tom Neale would be very shocked by all these visitors (later we found out that 26 yachts had been anchored there the previous week). We motored into the lagoon navigating between the shallow reefs and then struggled to find a sandy bottom to anchor in. The sun was coming up and blues of the water were becoming brighter against the swaying green palm trees of the island. The anchorage was very busy with people zinging around in their dinghies fishing, snorkelling and diving.

As we were only staying for a short time we got the kayaks down and started to paddle ashore to check in. We paddled past 'Cosimo' to visit our yacht friends from Tasmania and had a chat to Wendy who gave us a good brief on the island. Cosimo were originally headed for Nuie but were persuaded to visit Suwarrow instead by friends and were glad they did. As we talked schools of large black tip reef sharks circled our kayaks menancingly so I made sure that none of my body parts were dangling out of the kayak.

When we arrived ashore we met James and John the Government caretakers on the island. They are stationed on the island for the cruising season from the 1st of June to the 1st November every year and wisely leave during the cyclone season. There was an open air building called the 'Suwarrow Yacht Club' for us to complete the official clearing in formalities and we met a lot of other yachties mainly from Australia while we waited for our turn. James informed us that Faraway was yacht number 81 to have visited the island this season. James and John were nice guys and in tune with the local environment and the transient yachting community. The day before John and other yachties had built a tourist sign with the names and distances to different landmarks in the world. Ian and I had our photo taken in front of the sign with him pointing at London and me at Sydney.

After the clearing in and clearing out formalities (brief stay so we did both at the same time) we paddled back to Faraway and grabbed our snorkelling gear. We also packed a bag of very ripe bananas and poplamose for the caretakers who rarely get fresh fruit and aren't issued with many supplies. They were gratefully received by John who started eating the bananas before we had even got back in our kayaks. We beached our kayaks further along the island and went for a very relaxing drift snorkelling along the edge of the coral reef. The corals were in very good condition and we swam amongst parrot fish and small sharks in crystal clear blue water.

In the afternoon it was very windy but Ian had to go up the mast to inspect the lines. I winched him up in the Bosun's chair promising that no I wouldn't let him fall down but still kissed him goodbye just in case! At the top (which he reached abruptly thanks to my over zealous winching) he found a problem with one of the blocks so he had to come back down again and get some tools to remove the block. On the second trip up he took a camera and got some great birds eye view shots of Faraway and the anchorage. When we get to Tonga it is my turn to go up the mast to check if any further damage has been done.

We had a brief, busy but very enjoyable stay anchored off Suwarrow Island. This coral atoll in the Cook Islands is certainly not to be missed off the cruising route. Luckily we have good winds today and the prediction for the rest of our journey to Tonga is favourable. We hope to arrive in Vavau by Wednesday/Thursday but will lose a day due to the crossing of the International Date Line.

North west, North, West, South West, North West, North , West

Position: 13D02.100S 161D41.273W

85 nautical miles left to sail to Suwarrow

784 nautical miles left to sail to Vavau in Tonga

 

North west, North, West, South West, North West, North , West.  A quick summary of this journey.

 

This is by far the most frustrating journey we have been on so far.  The winds have generally been extremely light and unfortunately very variable. We have constantly had to change the plan and seek out the best wind in a bad lot.  We have travelled at 1.1 knots up to 7.6 knots.  Only once have we pointed directly at Suwarrow.  We motored for 1 full night at the start of this journey and it looks like we will have to motor tonight so we can arrive in Suwarrow at first light.  Our sails are set wing on wing for downwind sailing.  We are pointing just north of Suwarrow.  Unfortunately the wind is only around 6 knots.  We are travelling at around 3 knots with the current and a small amount of wind behind us.  At this speed Faraway rolls left and right causing the sails to collapse and then fill.  The result is continuous slapping of the sails.  It is not ideal for the sails but at present it is our only option. It is also placing extra strain on the sheets and connections on the jibe preventer and whisker pole.

 

We intended to skip Suwarrow and go straight for Tonga as we wanted to be there before August 26.   However we are really tired,  the autopilot and other parts of the boat have been working hard for 7 days and the winds are predicted to be light and variable tomorrow.  So we will continue to Swarrow with the intention of arriving early on Friday morning. We will stretch our legs by exploring the atoll and the house where Tom Neale the hermit lived, do some snorkelling, and try to catch up on some deep sleep.  On Saturday the winds are predicted to pick up significantly so we will have to leave.  Initially the wind speeds will be around 15 knots.  Into the week they will increase to the high 20s.  Unfortunately this will also bring a large swell.  We have had around 2-2 1/2 metres of swell all week.  By Thursday the swell south of Tonga will be 5 1/2 metres and it will be head on to us.  That will mean lots of water over the deck.  Faraway was built for this kind of sailing but I'm not sure that Ian and I were.  With Ian's revised plan we will arrive in Tonga on Wednesday (Thursday Tonga Time due to that date line) after a speedy second leg of the journey.  Hopefully we will have found refuge before the big swell arrives. 

 

We have learned not to trust the Grib weather files that we download as they often let us down. Do not be surprised if the plan changes again this week. 

 

Our vegetables are doing well. The lettuce has lasted 8 days and we are still eating it today.  The bananas all turned yellow at the same time eventhough we split them in 3 and placed them around different parts of the boat.  We will have to eat them quickly.  Hopefully we will have some fresh fruit and veg spare to give to the 2 keepers on Suwarrow in exchange for coconut crabs and lobsters.

 

We are at the end of the cooking gas.  Last night we cooked 2 big chickens together in case our gas runs out.  We will be having lots of cold chicken over the next 2 days.

 

Despite all that I have said at this exact moment in time (ignoring the sound of the sails) we are bobbing along at around 3 knots and there is very little swell.  The sea is a beautiful dark blue, there are a few fuffy Cumulus clouds, occasionally 1 or 2 booby birds fly past whistling in the hope that we will feed them,  there is a very light breeze through the cockpit, the air smells fresh and clean but our clothes don't, my cup of tea is hot, I'm eating a piece of banana cake and I have a good book to slowly read.  HAVE A NICE DAY.  If anyone is interested in reading more about Suwarrow atoll Tom Neale wrote the book 'An Island to Oneself' documenting his solitary life on the island between 1952 and 1977 giving advice for surviving on a coral atoll alone.  The Frisbie family also lived on the island before Tom Neale in 1942 and wrote 2 books 'Island of Desire' and 'The Frisbies of the South Pacific'.  The Frisbie family miraculously survived a cyclone that swept the island in 1942 only by tying themselves to a palm tree (note to self remember to tie myself to the mast).

Another vessel

Another Vessel

Position: 12D59'.971S 157D34'.234W

323 nautical miles left to sail to Suwarrow

1006 nautical miles left to sail to Vavau in Tonga

Tuesday August 16 - I was on watch this morning and saw our first vessel in 4 days which was a bit of a surprise. It was a very noisy and rusty white metal boat that looked liked something crossed between a small ferry and a fishing vessel. I actually heard the boat before I saw it chugging down the starboard side of us about 2 miles away. We turn the radar off during the day now to save our batteries which seem to be getting more and more depleted every day. Yesterday we had made good progress towards Suwarrow averaging between 6 and 7 knots. During the night the winds dropped off leaving us with slower speeds again today and unhappy sails. We need to be in Tonga by August 26 so we can prepare Faraway for my brother and his family's visit on August 30. As the winds are so unpredictable it looks like we may need to pass by Suwarrow so we can arrive in Tonga on time. As we inch closer to Tonga we are realizing just how close we really are to Australia now and for the first time we have been able to fold our chart of the Pacific Ocean to the left side that shows Australia in the grid. We will also pass the International Date Line soon and will lose a day which doesn't really help with our timeline or morale or keeping track of the days which we seem to have problems with. Our fruit and vegetable stores are holding out well on this trip and it will be a few more days before we have ripe bananas (a whole bunch of ripe bananas at once by the look of things). Unfortunately our cooking gas has almost run out as we were unable to purchase any gas bottles in Bora Bora so we have to go very easy with cooking and baking. Our microwave is broken as well but I'm happy to report that the electric kettle and toaster still work. If the gas runs out and we want to cook dinner it will have to be on the propane gas BBQ on the aft deck but this can only be done by Ian when there isn't a lot of wind! We actually had BBQ pizza as a trial run on our first day out at sea on this trip and it was fine except for the black burnt bits that went overboard. I'm not really looking forward to cold beans on toast but I guess things could be a lot worse and it's amazing how things get easily put into perspective when you don't have a lot of the options that would be available to you on land. After looking at the chart to obtain our current position I can see that we are being pushed way south of Suwarrow by the wind and the current. It is most likely that we will continue on now for 9 more days or so directly to Tonga.

In Search of Wind

In Search of Wind

Position: 13D56'.059S  153D29'.585W

560 nautical miles left to sail (too many)

 

Sunday, August 14 - After 2 days out at sea since leaving Bora Bora we have still not found any decent wind to sail on.  Our northerly heading to find the predicted stronger winds have not produced any results yet.  We are now downwind sailing in a northwest direction with a light 7 to 8 knot wind producing only 4 knots of speed. At this rate it will take us 8 more days of sailing as opposed to the 6 days in total we estimated for the trip sailing directly west from Bora Bora. We are really no closer to Suwarrow then when we left 2 days ago and our morale is low.  Ian was awake most of the night as the sails were flapping in the light winds and we kept having to change our heading.  His airforce issue earplugs were ineffective at blocking the noise from our unhappy sagging sails. This morning we pulled the main sail in and put out the stay sail to reduce the flapping and try and get more speed.  I have been on watch all morning while Ian sleeps and I'm willing the winds to increase to a steady 15 knots.  We haven't seen any other yachts or vessels on this trip and although the sea is very calm there doesn't appear to be a lot of marine life either.  Every now and then a few booby brids will glide by our yacht giving us a close inspection in the hope that we are a fishing vessel.  It is a very lonely part of the South Pacific and the vastness of this ocean seems to be exaggerated by our slow speed.  Unfortunately there isn't a lot we can do to improve our situation except to wait for a new weather window. On the bright side the sea is very calm and we are gently bobbing along allowing us to relax and read books for a change.

The Departure

The Departure

Position: 15D06'.556S 152D31'.063W

Saturday, August 13 - Our priority for visiting Bora Bora was to get fuel (769 litres) and water (844 litres) for our ongoing journey. I would have preferred relaxing on a white sandy beach with cocktail in hand like the rest of the jet-setting tourists but that was not to be. We did manage a visit to the famous Blood Mary's seafood restaurant one night but didn't see any of the rich and famous that are reported to frequent it. We set aside Wednesday morning to refuel and fill up with water so we could leave with good winds but it took us almost 2 days to complete these 2 tasks delaying our departure. The first problem was that the yacht club hadn't connected their water hose yet on the dock. Normally we would make our own water but with the watermaker pump on it's last legs we couldn't risk a 14 day passage without full tanks. Once the hose was ready on Thursday we moored onto the dock in fairly strong winds and filled up without any dramas. The second problem was that we had to clear out of customs first before we could buy duty free fuel. We cleared out before getting water but it was 11:40am by the time we had refilled our water tanks and were able to move onto the fuel dock. Ian went in to pay for the fuel but they said credit cards were not accepted and at 12 noon they were going to lunch so they wouldn't serve us. Ian raced off in the dinghy to find 3 ATMs to withdraw enough money for the fuel. I stayed with Faraway on the dock to make sure she stayed steady in the swell and wind on the dock lines. At 1:30pm the attendant came out to fill our tanks with diesel. In the meantime we hoisted up the dinghy and engine and stowed all our shopping below. By the time we moved from the fuel dock it was 2:30pm and although we had wind we were both too exhausted to embark on a long passage. We decided to drop anchor in our favourite sheltered bay and relax for the afternoon. That was probably our big mistake. We woke up on Friday morning feeling refreshed but without a breath of wind in the air. By 9am we could see that the wind generators on some of the other cruisers yachts were turning so we made the decision to leave hoping for stronger winds further north. The fact that no other yachts were out on the ocean was a bit of a warning sign that the conditions weren't favourable for sailing. Anyway we motored out of the beautiful Bora Bora atoll and set full sails. We needed to go north west but had to sail north on the very light wind. We were duped by the light wind. For 4 hours we travelled at around 3-4 knots in 7 knots of wind. By mid afternoon we had gone too far to turn back to Bora Bora and by sunset the winds had dropped right off so we were only making 1.1 knots of speed and the sails were flapping everywhere. We had no option but to motor. We motored all through the night for 13 hours. It was a beautiful bright moonlit night and while I was on watch I saw an unusual bright green light moving very fast through the sky down to the horizon. Although our progress was frustrating the beauty of being out at sea at night with the glistening water gliding under the yacht is something that I will never forget. Everytime the boat rocked the moonlight would reflect off our yacht illuminating different parts of the sails. It is now sunrise and we have just set sail again at around 4 knots. Ian is annoyed because he doesn't like to use the engine and burn all that expensive diesel that we took so much effort to get. The good news is that the winds are increasing and we are now making progress at 5.5 knots. Long may it continue so we can arrive in Suwarrow Atoll by next Friday and spend the weekend there before sailing on to Tonga. Once we arrive in Tonga we will have achieved another milestone being only 1,900 miles away from the East Coast of Australia. Still a long way to sail but a short distance by comparision to what we have already done on this journey.

We were pleasantly surprised by the availability and quality of fresh food at the supermarket in Bora Bora. We managed to get fresh meat and some of the best lettuces and tomatoes yet for our journey. For fruit we wandered through the village of Vaitape until we found a roadside stall. Despite this being a major tourist destination the local islanders were very friendly and we managed to barter with the stall lady to get a good price for a bunch of green bananas and 3 pineapples. When we asked if she had any mangoes the lady ran back behind her house and plucked some from her tree and gave them to us free of charge!

Unfortunately 'Spot' isn't updating yet as we are still in a low coverage area. We hope that it will start to work again closer to Tonga. We still plan to keep sending a message every day though just in case.

Bora Bora - What a surprise!

Sunday, August 7 - After a 3 day journey we managed to sail all the way to
Bora Bora from Fakarava without using the engine. We approached the
island from the north east and as the sun rose we could see Bora Bora at a
distance of 10 miles away with a cloud enveloping the summit. We reached
the northwest corner of the atoll and sailed with the main sail out at 4
knots down to the entrance taking time to absorb the beauty of the atoll.
The pass entry was very easy as there is only an 8 inch tidal range. We
headed to the Bora Bora yacht club and picked up a mooring ball.
Unfortunately the yacht club is closed for renovation due to the damage
sustained from Cyclone Ole in 2010. It didn't take us long to get the
dinghy down and go ashore as we were desperate for a walk. We strolled
into the village of Viatape and were surprised at how underdeveloped and
quiet it was. It was pleasing to see that the locals still lived along
the water front and had not being bought out by the Developers. In fact
there was no evidence of development and everything was surprisingly basic
and low key. We bought a couple of hands of bananas from a lady with a
stall on the beach and ate some to go as we walked down the road. We
hadn't had any fresh fruit for 10 days! There is an abundance of fresh
fruit growing in the sidewalk gardens so we hope to stock up before we
leave. I booked 2 dives for Monday which were advertised as Giant Manta
Ray dives and Lemon Shark dives. Ian warned me it would be 'mass tourism'
diving and he was correct. The dive boat was full, the mooring lines were
full of divers and snorkellers from other boats and the manta rays were
swimming fast in the opposite direction to us! The Lemon shark dive was a
degree better with huge sharks grazing the seabed around us but it was
difficult to concentrate with a yellow submarine whizzing backwards and
forwards and loudly buzzing overhead with groups of tourist gawking
through the bulbous windows down at us.This was a variation on diving that
I haven't experienced before. The photos are coming don't worry. I got
back to Faraway after lunch and the mooring area was full of yachts so Ian
and I decided to slip the mooring ball and move to a more peaceful
anchorage. We found a beautiful Motu and dropped anchor next to the reef.
We jumped in the dinghy and motored around the island in the vain hope of
spotting a movie star or omebody rich and famous. Well somebody did come
over to our yacht - a gentleman and his 2 children visited us to tell us
about their adventures on the Sunsail yacht they had rented for the week.
It reminded us of how far we had come since renting our first yacht in the
Whitsundays. This morning, Tuesday August 9 we woke up early, packed a
dry bag with some food items and headed over in the dinghy to a quiet
uninhabited Motu for breakfast. We sat on the beach and ate cereal, bread
and more of those yummy bananas. After that we returned to Faraway and
motored for 2 hours to the other side of Bora Bora lagoon dodging our way
between narrow reef channels. The last one mile to the anchorage was in a
deep part of the lagoon so we put out the genoa, turned off the engine and
quiety sailed along at 2.5 knots taking in the breathtaking views of the
mountain on one side and the exclusive water bungalow/beach resorts on the
reef side. We anchored in 4 metres of sand surrounded by coral and had a
quick lunch and a snooze. We then put our snorkelling gear on and headed
to the reef. It was quiet when we arrived but within 30 mintues we were
surrounded by dive boats and snorkellers. It was amazing snorkelling with
crystal clear blue water and plenty of fish to liven up the show. It was
like being in an overpopulated aquarium and the fish were very friendly.
We returned to Faraway before sunset to enjoy some gin and tonics. Ian
cooked 5 dinasour sized pork chops for dinner that were taking up freezer
space. Unfortunately the BBQ caught on fire and he had to spray a lot of
water on it to douse the flames. We ended up having very chewy charcoal
grilled chops for dinner but the salad I made was really nice. Tomorrow
we head back to civilisation early to clear customs, pick up fuel and
water, buy fresh fruit and vegetables and try and finally get internet.
We have also booked a table for 2 at 'Bloody Marys' restaurant which
caters to yachties. It will be our last quality meal for some weeks to
come as we will set off on Thursday to Tonga with a brief stop at a small
remote atoll called Suwarow in the Northern Cook Islands. The island has
a total population of 2 people who are government caretakers. It will be
interesting to meet them and have a rest for a few days before continuing
on our next leg of the journey to Tonga.

Downwind Sailing

Downwind Sailing 

 

Position 16D.43.972 S  147D.37.781 W

Tuomotus to Bora Bora

 

Friday, August 5 - We said farewell to our friends on 'Saba' and left Fakarava at 9:00am yesterday to exit the pass safely. We got the surprise of our life when we were met by standing waves in the pass but Faraway managed to motor out through them easily.  When we reached the open ocean we put the sails up and tried to point at Bora Bora but ended up more on an angle for Tahiti.  We put the whisker pole out and during the night we were able to get good speeds and changed our sailing course directly to Bora Bora.

 

Ian and I both slept in the cockpit last night and it was really cold out in the night air. We had thermal pants on and a jumper.  During the night I had to go below and bring out the sleeping bags as well.  We only saw one small fishing boat and apart from resetting our course a few times it was a peaceful night.  It helps when the sea state is only 2 meters high and the boat is only gently rolling along at 6 knots.  This is something we haven't experienced yet in the South Pacific.  So far on our journey the usual wave heights have been 3 to 4 meters!

 

Happy Birthday today to our friend in Saudi, Sharon Coleby!  I will make a chocolate cake to celebrate and I'm sure that Ian will eat most of it.  At least I won't be cooking on some unusual angle today and crashing around in the galley so that's cause for celebration as well.

 

We have activated 'Spot' again as we should now be back in an area of coverage.  Hopefully you will be able to see exactly where we are in the world soon.  For those following the blog I have added some photos of the manta rays and the anchorages in the Tuamotus.  Just click on 'older posts' and you will be able to view the photos. 

Fakarava - Tuamotus

Wednesday, August 3. 16D03.715S - 145D37.1972. We left Kaeuhi on July 30 and motor/sailed in light winds to Fakarava a nearby atoll. The pass to enter the lagoon was very easy and we found a good anchorage near the village. I booked a dive trip for the next day with Tei Avu Nui dive shop and they were excellent. Daniel from Saba joined me for the dives and it was quite challenging but exhilerating. The first dive was at slack water and the visibility and health of the coral was outstanding. I couldn't believe how clear it was and the view almost bought tears to my eyes. In the afternoon we dived the incoming current and it was fast!!! There were loads of sharks but it was difficult to take photos in the whirlpools and eddies that were created by the rush of water into the pass while trying to hold on to dead coral with one hand. Today we have been working on the engine but later in the afternoon we will pop over to the village to browse the black pearl shops. The village is very quiet but this morning we managed to buy fresh bread and also vegetables from a lady who plucked her produce directly from the garden as we chatted. Tomorrow we set sail for Bora Bora and I am looking forward to finally visiting the place I have always dreamt about. I hope it meets up with my expectations but we have certainly been spoilt in the Tuamotus.