September 2003 Tonga
Tonga September 2003
Going back to the 4th of May, it took 2 days to work our way through the Marlborough Sounds. A dozen albatross escorted us past Wellington with a cold souwester and a brilliant orange sunrise. The wind eased and backed to the sou’east. We set the gaff-topsails running full and by a hundred miles off shore parallel to the sou’east coast of North Island. Another couple of days the wind veered to the west. We set the square sails to run our easting down at 40 south, bound for Tahiti.
On the 6th day the little Sabb diesel, that runs the generator, compressor and pump, started leaking seawater into the crankcase. Napier was the nearest port so we turned around and headed in for repairs.
I expected to lose a couple of crew in this situation, you usually do. By the end of the first week in port 7 of my 10 crew had departed. Their enthusiasm apparently dampened by the prospect of a 40-day passage. None of them complained, they apologized, gave me gifts, wrote nice messages and drifted off. I’m still trying to figure that one out.
Tony the mechanic said his estimate of $3500 was no longer realistic, but he would keep the Sabb repair bill under $7500.
Brent and Kristen, my 2 faithful Kiwis, started contacting friends to find crew. I put an ad in the Auckland Herald. By the end of the second week we had 6 new crew.
After 3 weeks in Napier the Sabb was finally repaired, a new battery charger installed and a secondary air charge system put into the main engine.
We set sail on the first of June with a crew of 9, the square sails pulling us out of Hawkes Bay in front of a sunny nor’wester. Crossing the International Date Line we had two June seconds in a row. On the ninth day a northerly gale drove us down to 41 south. After 2 days becalmed in the eye of the low, the wind picked up from the sou’east. The afternoon gale became a storm by early evening.
We were hove to with only the fore stay sail set. The wind over 80 knots and gusting had knocked the tops off the 8 to 10 meter sea. The storm sea down to 4 to 5 meters and breaking relentlessly. The surface of the sea was completely white with foam. Six to 8 meters over the surface was a mixture of wind and water. Despite the full moon and clear sky, visibility was down to 200 meters.
That night we blew out 5 sails, the life raft was torn from its stand and swept away and our shore boat smashed to pieces on deck. Three times I was on deck and underwater. The third time a wave caught me on the after deck. When the seawater drained away I landed face up toward the sky with my bum on the Taff Rail, both legs over the side and one arm around the Mizzen sheet; it was only blind luck that I caught the mizzen sheet. I’d very nearly ended my sailing career at 41.20’ south. Several times that night we had both lower yard arms in the water.
(I have been 20 years at sea; including 2 North Pacific hurricanes and that was the most severe blow I’d been in. I later spoke with a trawler Capt. out of Littleton who had been fishing that area for the past 12 years. He sail it was the worst blow he had been in as well.)
The next morning the wind was down to a mere force 9, at just under 50 knots, it was a comparative walk in the park. The sun came out turning the sea a deep blue with long trails of white foam. The sea running at 8 meters and breaking it was still dangerous to be on deck without being tied to something strong. For 3 more days we were hove to until that low moved off to the east.
We had sailed 150 miles sideways. Back at 39 south it was time to finish clearing away ragged lines and rove off new rigging. Unbent tattered sails and set sail again on to the east.
By day 19 of the passage to Tahiti we were beating into a light nor’easter 950 miles east of Napier. Already several weeks late and with the Sabb generator and compressor out of action with a cracked head it became more prudent to sail north to American Samoa for repairs and to salvage the rest of the seasons itinerary.
The last week in June the temperature had warmed to bare feet weather. We were running before a 40-knot sou’wester with deep blue 6-meter seas and long white trails of foam sparkling in the sun. With reefed fore’sl and inner jib we were making good speed to the north.
Becalmed at 26 south, we motored through 4 days of calms. One evening a 12-meter Humpback whale joined us swimming close alongside for 5 hours. At 19 degrees south we picked up the trade winds for a pleasant week of sailing the rest of the way to Pago Pago.
Normally we anchor in the natural harbor at Pago Pago, but without a shore boat or enough air in the tanks to re-start the main engine; the harbor master let us use the small marina dock to tie up until we could get the engine room back on line.
Alvei was longer and in better condition than the dilapidated marina dock. We laid out the port anchor to hold us off the dock. Then cock-a-billed the yards so that yachts could tie up along side without fouling their rigging. With our port
Going back to the 4th of May, it took 2 days to work our way through the Marlborough Sounds. A dozen albatross escorted us past Wellington with a cold souwester and a brilliant orange sunrise. The wind eased and backed to the sou’east. We set the gaff-topsails running full and by a hundred miles off shore parallel to the sou’east coast of North Island. Another couple of days the wind veered to the west. We set the square sails to run our easting down at 40 south, bound for Tahiti.
On the 6th day the little Sabb diesel, that runs the generator, compressor and pump, started leaking seawater into the crankcase. Napier was the nearest port so we turned around and headed in for repairs.
I expected to lose a couple of crew in this situation, you usually do. By the end of the first week in port 7 of my 10 crew had departed. Their enthusiasm apparently dampened by the prospect of a 40-day passage. None of them complained, they apologized, gave me gifts, wrote nice messages and drifted off. I’m still trying to figure that one out.
Tony the mechanic said his estimate of $3500 was no longer realistic, but he would keep the Sabb repair bill under $7500.
Brent and Kristen, my 2 faithful Kiwis, started contacting friends to find crew. I put an ad in the Auckland Herald. By the end of the second week we had 6 new crew.
After 3 weeks in Napier the Sabb was finally repaired, a new battery charger installed and a secondary air charge system put into the main engine.
We set sail on the first of June with a crew of 9, the square sails pulling us out of Hawkes Bay in front of a sunny nor’wester. Crossing the International Date Line we had two June seconds in a row. On the ninth day a northerly gale drove us down to 41 south. After 2 days becalmed in the eye of the low, the wind picked up from the sou’east. The afternoon gale became a storm by early evening.
We were hove to with only the fore stay sail set. The wind over 80 knots and gusting had knocked the tops off the 8 to 10 meter sea. The storm sea down to 4 to 5 meters and breaking relentlessly. The surface of the sea was completely white with foam. Six to 8 meters over the surface was a mixture of wind and water. Despite the full moon and clear sky, visibility was down to 200 meters.
That night we blew out 5 sails, the life raft was torn from its stand and swept away and our shore boat smashed to pieces on deck. Three times I was on deck and underwater. The third time a wave caught me on the after deck. When the seawater drained away I landed face up toward the sky with my bum on the Taff Rail, both legs over the side and one arm around the Mizzen sheet; it was only blind luck that I caught the mizzen sheet. I’d very nearly ended my sailing career at 41.20’ south. Several times that night we had both lower yard arms in the water.
(I have been 20 years at sea; including 2 North Pacific hurricanes and that was the most severe blow I’d been in. I later spoke with a trawler Capt. out of Littleton who had been fishing that area for the past 12 years. He sail it was the worst blow he had been in as well.)
The next morning the wind was down to a mere force 9, at just under 50 knots, it was a comparative walk in the park. The sun came out turning the sea a deep blue with long trails of white foam. The sea running at 8 meters and breaking it was still dangerous to be on deck without being tied to something strong. For 3 more days we were hove to until that low moved off to the east.
We had sailed 150 miles sideways. Back at 39 south it was time to finish clearing away ragged lines and rove off new rigging. Unbent tattered sails and set sail again on to the east.
By day 19 of the passage to Tahiti we were beating into a light nor’easter 950 miles east of Napier. Already several weeks late and with the Sabb generator and compressor out of action with a cracked head it became more prudent to sail north to American Samoa for repairs and to salvage the rest of the seasons itinerary.
The last week in June the temperature had warmed to bare feet weather. We were running before a 40-knot sou’wester with deep blue 6-meter seas and long white trails of foam sparkling in the sun. With reefed fore’sl and inner jib we were making good speed to the north.
Becalmed at 26 south, we motored through 4 days of calms. One evening a 12-meter Humpback whale joined us swimming close alongside for 5 hours. At 19 degrees south we picked up the trade winds for a pleasant week of sailing the rest of the way to Pago Pago.
Normally we anchor in the natural harbor at Pago Pago, but without a shore boat or enough air in the tanks to re-start the main engine; the harbor master let us use the small marina dock to tie up until we could get the engine room back on line.
Alvei was longer and in better condition than the dilapidated marina dock. We laid out the port anchor to hold us off the dock. Then cock-a-billed the yards so that yachts could tie up along side without fouling their rigging. With our port
