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May 31, 2023

Fish Out of Water

During our first few days in Tonga at the anchorage near Neiafu, we enjoyed shopping and hiking the gentle hills surrounding the town. During our shopping forays, we found a small marine store with a decent selection of items, but they didn’t stock what I was looking for. The owner informed me that they had another store in a nearby village with a bigger selection. So, I made the trek over the hills to the “Boatyard”. I made my purchase and discovered that the facility was equipped to haul out large catamarans. We had been planning to take Leviathan out of the water in Fiji for cleaning and application of antifouling bottom paint, but we decided to do it here in Tonga instead!

This morning, we motored Leviathan clockwise around the island of Vava’u to the Boatyard. Of course, the winds picked up into the mid-20s just to make things more challenging. We lined up on the partially submerged trailer (which was waiting for us) while the cross-wind tried to blow us onto the shallow adjacent reef. Yong saved the day (yet again) as she got hold of a windward line attached to the shore and secured it to the windward stern cleat of Leviathan. That stabilized our position and the rest was pretty easy. The Boatyard staff were highly skilled and before we knew it, Leviathan was elevated on the longitudinal bunkers and heading up the steep hill to the yard. Leviathan will be positioned on jackstands on land while the work is underway. We should be back in the water by the weekend.

May 27, 2023

The Edge of Tomorrow

You may have heard of the international date line. It lies roughly halfway around the world from Greenwich, England, the site of earth’s prime meridian which represents zero degrees longitude. Longitude is measured both eastward and westward from the prime meridian. Every 15 degrees of longitude corresponds to a one-hour increment (eastward) or decrement (westward) of the time zone (although countries often fudge the details to fit their borders). As a result, the full circumference of the earth (360 degrees) divided by 15-degree chunks gives 24 hourly time zones. Now here is where things get interesting: halfway around the world is simultaneously equivalent to 180 degrees east and 180 degrees west longitude; by time zones, this spot is 12 hours earlier than Greenwich Mean Time (UTC) and 12 hours later than GMT. As an example, consider that GMT is 8pm on May 25. Then from the east side of the international date line, the time is 8am the same day (12 hours earlier); in contrast, from the west side of the date line, the time is 8am the following day (May 26). If you are still following me, then you will see that when you cross the date line traveling from east to west, the time stays the same but you lose a day (in other words you jump from May 25 to May 26). The reverse is true if you are traveling from west to east. Pretty interesting. Anyway, although Tonga is only at 173 degrees west longitude the mapmakers have drawn the international date line to place Tonga on the other side of the world.

Long story short, we had an exciting crossing from Niue to Tonga. As usual, we prayed to the wind gods for more wind. Unfortunately, we were not specific with our request. As we were sailing along at modest speeds with our full main and code zero headsail, we noticed an ominous grouping of clouds ahead. We wisely took down the headsail in favor of the much smaller jib. Within minutes, we were subjected to 35-40 knot squall winds and driving rain which reduced our visibility to 50 meters. We ran downwind to ease the apparent wind and wait for the squall to subside, but the winds persisted. We made the decision to turn into the wind to doubly reef the mainsail and partially furl the jib. Despite the extreme circumstances, we performed the maneuvers flawlessly, almost like we knew what we were doing! Eventually the winds subsided to the 20-25 knot range. We let out one reef in the main (leaving one in place) and unfurled the jib completely. Leviathan flew for the remainder of the evening with speeds up to 16 knots (pretty fast for a sailboat). As dawn broke, we passed the date line, lost a day (but didn’t feel any older), and crossed the finish for this leg to Tonga.

Welcome to the Kingdom of Tonga! As part of the entry formalities, we were boarded by five local officials who asked us to fill out numerous forms for various government departments. We paid some fees and headed to the anchorage to relax and explore the island.

May 24, 2023

Niue

Niue is the most beautiful country you’ve never heard of. It is self-governed, but allied with New Zealand. Niue is a single raised coral island that is quite isolated. There is a small airport which accommodates one flight per week. The population of Niue has been steadily decreasing since the 1960s as the younger generation seeks opportunities in New Zealand. This exodus is strikingly evident by the large number of abandoned and dilapidated homes. Nonetheless, the island continues to draw tourists who marvel at the crystal-clear waters and the innumerable caves and chasms that decorate the entire coastline.

One interesting thing about the island is that there are no anchorages and no protected harbors. There are a limited number of moorings which have been established and maintained by the Niue Yacht Club in the capital of Alofi. There is a large cement wharf nearby where small fishing boats (and our dinghies) can approach in the ubiquitous swell. Timing is very important, and we must rapidly unload and attach our small vessel to the hook of a lifting crane before the incoming waves swamp us. The craft can then be lifted out of the sea and placed on a cradle on the wharf. When we leave town to return to Leviathan, the process is reversed. This is Type 3 fun.

Because space in the mooring field is limited, we must leave after a couple of days to continue on to Tonga. Rob will leave us and sail the next leg on another boat.

May 20, 2023

Suwarrow? Nyet

The Cook Islands are a self-governed nation affiliated with New Zealand. Our destination in the Cook Islands is Suwarrow, a remote and uninhabited coral atoll that has been declared a nature sanctuary. The island was named after a Russian exploratory vessel named the Suvarov which visited in 1814. The name was later altered to Suwarrow to fit the local dialect. Our rally organizers had obtained special permission from the Cook Islands government for our small fleet to visit. Much to our chagrin, as we approached the island, we were informed by a local police boat that we were not allowed on their island. This was clearly an ambush and a power play by this vessel which was waiting for us to arrive in order to kick us out.

As a result of this inconvenience, we altered course for our next destination – Niue – which lies 540 nautical miles to the southeast.

May 18, 2023

The Next Leg

We left Bora Bora three days ago along with the rest of our rally fleet. Our destination of Suwarrow in the Cook Islands lies 690 miles to the west-northwest. We started with light winds and crossed the starting line with our gennaker. Unfortunately, in the process of rounding the first race make, we tore the gennaker on the mast spreader, prompting a sail change to the code zero (and a repair of the gennaker). Later in the afternoon, the winds died and we continued motor sailing for the next 24 hours. Ultimately, the winds returned and we enjoyed a lively downwind sail towards our destination.

One of the rally staff, Rob, has joined us on this leg. We have practiced celestial navigation, perfecting the “noon sight,” Yong has continued her hand-sewn hexagon quilting, and the dogs continue to enjoy the journey; there are always new sights and smells. We are due to arrive in Suwarrow tomorrow.

May 13, 2023

Sad Goodbyes

Time is running out. Samantha is due to return to the States, and we are planning to leave French Polynesia. Early yesterday morning, I taxied Yong and Samantha to the ferry dock in our dinghy. We left Leviathan in a light drizzle, and barely made the 10-minute jaunt before the skies unloaded a torrential downpour. We waited for the airport ferry (the airport is located on an outer island of Bora Bora) under cover of a thatched roof. At the designated time, loading began, and I said my goodbyes. After the ferry, the girls took a puddle jumper from the airport back to Tahiti where they spent the day and night. Samantha will then head back to Michigan, and Yong will return to Leviathan. Although Samantha is not crazy about being on the boat, Yong and I absolutely loved having her with us. We will miss her tremendously.

Tomorrow, we leave the nation of French Polynesia for the Cook Islands.

May 10, 2023

Bora Bora Bound

We had a wonderful time anchored in the eastern lagoon of the island of Tahaa. We enjoyed calm waters, beautiful weather, and excellent swimming conditions. We also had a chance to socialize with several other boats in our rally including Thetis, Renegade, and Cepa. We enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant which served grilled fresh caught parrot fish (very good). After a couple days, we elected to proceed to Bora Bora, our ultimate destination in French Polynesia. Before we could leave, however, we faced a bit of a struggle with our anchor chain which had wrapped around a large coral bommie. Our depth was only about 20 feet, so I was able to swim down to make an assessment. I was able to partially free the chain, but it remained wedged beneath one portion of the monolith. Nonetheless, once we understood the geometry of the problem, we were able to maneuver the boat under engine to make our escape and retrieve our anchor. Next stop: Bora Bora!

We left in the early morning and made the uneventful twenty-mile crossing to Bora Bora without a wisp of wind and upon a glassy sea. The entry pass was easy and we cruised to the fuel dock to top off our diesel tanks before making our way to our mooring. Bora Bora recently restricted anchoring in their lagoons in order to prevent damage to the beautiful coral. As an alternative, they created several fields of fixed moorings around the island. For a nominal fee, a boat can pick up a mooring identified by a floating white ball to which is attached a mooring line that can be grabbed with a boat hook and tied to the forward cleats.

Bora Bora is often cited as the world’s most beautiful island, and we would not disagree. Like the other Society Islands, Bora Bora comprises a mountainous yet verdant extinct volcanic center which is surrounded by a circular reef. The lagoon lies between the two. We have moored on the western side of the island, which is quite remote. The water is warm and the snorkeling is outstanding. Tomorrow we will move to a mooring near the Bora Bora Yacht Club where we will be closer to the main town of Vaitape.

May 5, 2023

Waiting for Godot

Perhaps you were tortured in your childhood education and were forced to read the play Waiting for Godot. The plot is pointless and boring, so of course that made it edgy and progressive. Essentially, two guys are waiting for a third person who never shows up. The title has made it into popular parlance and somehow seems to apply to our seemingly never-ending time in Tahiti. We have done a lot of waiting, only our waiting has not been pointless. We have accomplished a lot. After returning from Moorea and mooring again at Marina Taina, we mounted our new Starlink satellite internet antenna on the custom frame that a local welder fashioned for us. Now we are free! We decided to leave the marina and anchor in the lagoon across from the airport.

Our final task in Tahiti is to pick up Samantha who is arriving after just finishing her first year of college. Unfortunately, she missed her connecting flight in LA and had to stay at the LAX Hilton for a couple of days for the next flight to Tahiti. While we waited, we found a nice doggie gate for the boat. Eventually, Samantha arrived, and we brought her to Leviathan! The dogs were so excited to see her that they nearly jumped off the boat into the dinghy to greet her. We were excited too, of course!

After a short rest, we made one last dinghy trip to downtown Papeete to show Samantha the famous Papeete market. Once we returned to the boat, we made preparations for an overnight sail to the nearby island of Huahine, about 100 miles away. Just before dusk, we left Tahiti behind and enjoyed a beautiful sail. The winds were strong, so we needed to control our speed to allow us to arrive with daylight. As a result, we made the downwind journey under jib alone.

The following morning, we entered the pass to the lagoon on the western side of Huahine. We anchored and again marveled at the scenery of another gorgeous tropical island. We have enjoyed swimming and walking around the local village. Tomorrow, we plan to sail a mere 20 miles to the closely adjacent islands of Raiatea and Tahaa.

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