O Captain, my Captain! Our Fearful Trip is done.
The ship has weather’d every storm, the prize we sought is done
The port is near, the bells we hear, the people all exalting..

Walt Whitman

Departing to French Polynesia

Day 1. Wednesday June 18^th   Foggy then fine day for departure heading East.

After many delays (see previous blog about upgrades and repairs) we finally departed Marsden Cove on the 18^th June. The weather was flat calm and a lovely day. The forecasts were for a storm to go through in 2/3 days but only a max of 25kts. The storm was currently up near Noumea and the weather along the route was looking good for our 2000 mile voyage to the Austral Islands.

As usual we were using MetBob for our forecasts and passage planning. Wtracke had also registered with Passage Guardian to monitor our progress. Things have moved on a little since Kerikeri Radio schedules on the HF radio.

Once out into the harbour, we were motor-sailing on a beautiful, flat, calm day. Unfortunately, the crew were already feeling queasy. The trial sail had been rough and they had felt ill then, but this weather was so lovely. They would be OK not to take any seasickness medication. By lunchtime, they were thinking perhaps they should, sea sickness medication is best taken before leaving the dock!!

Lunch at the Hen & Chicks in 3kts of wind

Day 2. Thursday June 19^th   

9am NW 10kts and several birds- 3 different petrels, Cape Petrel, Grey Faced Petrel and a third – too fast for photos. 1700 NW 15 G 20kts. Nice sailing and low seas. Crews stomachs are settling down, Sunny during the day but temperature drops fast at night.

Day 3. Friday 20^th   

Wind still NW now 20kts, sky overcast and rough 2m seas. Wind kept climbing with an overnight average of 20kt gusting 35kts. We were carrying 3 reefs on the main and 1 reef on the genoa. Forecast now was for the storm to increase to over 30kt and the barometer to drop to 1008. Last check around the yacht before nighttime revealed a lazy jack line around the light fitting on the mast. Hew and Debra were at the ready with two boat hook poles tied together and retrieved the wayward line. We were looking forward to turning north for the warmer weather

Day 4. Saturday 21^st  

A morning walk around the yacht revealed a lazy jack had blown back again, which needed realigning, then the 3^rd reef needed a tidy up. The crew were settling in and working well together . Hew was on deck, Elias on the reefing line, Chris and Camille on the main and preventer, and Barb on the helm to steer up into the wind.

The sun was out, but rain and frontal cloud had now appeared on the horizon. The wind was NNW 30kts with lumpy 3m seas. The forecast for the evening was higher winds N/NE 30G45 then SW 20G30 and easing. The storm should pass behind us, with a peak 3.5m swell at 7 sec. Passage Guardian and Met Bob had both advised us to prepare the boat for heavy weather. The approaching system was becoming both larger and stronger than previously forecast.

The crew were all relaxed. A regular game of 5 Crowns after dinner had everyone in good spirits as the night watches began. Current information showed we should cross just in front of the low pressure system, and then be safely in the “Safe” quadrant heading away from the weather.

The Not So “Safe” Quadrant

Day 4. Sunday 22^nd   

As the night progressed, the Autopilot started to disconnect, so we started hand steering, a new skill for the crew. This was very frustrating for the engineer as it looked like the new pump had failed after less than 300 hours. Catamarans are not easy to hand steer at the best of times, but our newbie crew were up for the challenge, and with 2 people on each watch, all was fine.

Overnight the weather worsened and by dawn gusts were now approaching 50kt and the seas were building. The sea state was confused as the storm waves were coming from a different direction to the prevailing swell. Eleuthera was handling it well as we sailed slowly away from the weather on a port tack at about 50 degrees apparent and at right angles to the storm track. Apart from more wind and larger seas than forecast life was looking OK.

Day 5. Monday 23rd – A Large Wave and Multiple Issues

At around 9am, Hew was on the helm, Barb in her bunk and the rest of the crew in the saloon. Hew heard a sound like a freight train, and a large breaking wave hit on the port aft quarter. The impact was like being hit side-on by a truck. Blue water went over the boat, and as it cleared, a call came from the saloon that we had a broken window.

The large window above the navigation station had cracked and allowed seawater in which was all a little exciting for the crew. After a high pressure wash of the saloon and with water coming out of the light fittings and washing through the electronics those in the saloon were looking a little startled. Additionally the large “eyebrow” around the cabin top had been ripped up and was now free floating held in place only by the primary winches, a step beside the mast had disappeared and we were down a winch handle from the mast as well.

The crew leapt into action and we soon had a sheet of plywood lashed across the crack and copious amounts of Sikaflex sealed the leak. The window remained bonded into the hull and it appeared that the flex in the boat as we were hit by the wave had caused it to crack. We also fitted plywood covers over some forward-facing vents as the duct tape solution was not coping.

In the adventure, we had shipped a few hundred litres of seawater, which had made its way through and into spaces it was not supposed to. The other issue was initially smoke from the electronics and then the batteries shut down and we were without power.

A few bucket fulls later the bilges were mostly empty but there was still residiual water coming from unexpected places. The good news was the leaks had been sealed and now we could start thinking about repairs.

Deteriorating Weather

Unfortunately, the weather continued to deteriorate. The barometer continued to fall, and the winds were increasing so we needed to concentrate on sailing the boat. Early in the morning, the barometer dropped to 999 with 45ktw G60kts 5m seas. Wind at this stage was estimated at 9 on the Beaufort scale as water completely white in daylight. These two pictures from the internet will give you a rough idea of what it was like – very little visibility and horizontal spray. We were sailing slowly at 45 degrees off the wind at the time. (If I can find a better picture later, I will replace these.) We took no pictures at the time.

By this time it was beyond the ability of the crew to steer the boat in these conditions so firstly Barb and then Hew managed through the worst of it. Barb preferred to steer with her head in the breeze and continual spray over the boat. Hew however tried the same approach only to discover the wind was now strong enough to blow his glasses off – steering from behind the dodger seemed a better idea.

Motor sailing slowly at around 45 degrees to the breeze and steering manually with no instruments, no AIS, no Starlink and the wind increasing and +4m seas was enough for the crew to handle. With 2 people on watch everyone stepped up and we reverted to hand steering on the compass. A very unusual event on a modern catamaran!! Without power, a head torch was needed to see the compass through the night.

Prior to leaving, we had fitted new Lithium batteries and we were still in the novice phase of learning about them. The instrument displaying battery status was showing a row of XXX’s and the engineer was not sure of what to do next. Slightly terrified of the huge potential energy in the new batteries and uncertain as to where the smoke had come from we decided to leave the power off and concentrate on getting the water out of the boat and making things as dry as possible.

Meanwhile the engineer set about trying to isolate the problems and work out how to fix things. Investigations behind the instrument panel saw seawater dripping everywhere and the main power supply to the instruments was fried as were a couple of USB outlets.

Day 6. Tuesday 24th – More Repairs

At daybreak with all the systems isolated and everything switched off we tried restarting the batteries and these came back to life, the XXX’s on the display disappeared – sighs of relief all round. We now had lights, Iridium Go, fresh water, flushing toilets, electric bilge pumps and the ability to charge iPads etc for navigation.

The weather slowly abated as the day progressed dropping to 35kn G 40kn by late afternoon and we started to think about options. We were about 1100 miles from the Austral Islands, about the same from Tonga and maybe 800 from New Zealand. At this stage were uncertain as to the extent of the damage to the boat apart from the obvious. Significant repairs were necessary and given the limited facilities in Tonga, almost none in the Australs and the realisation that anything we would need would have to come from New Zealand we decided to head home.

The Return

With the decision made to return to NZ for repairs we advised both Passage Guardian and MetBob of our plans. They were quite relieved to hear from us after we had had no communications for a day with Starlink and AIS out in the first 24 hours. Passage Guardian had notified Search and Rescue and was a little worried as to our status. They also warned us that there was a Chinese fishing fleet directly ahead of us. We had no AIS at this stage so there was little we could do except plot their position and try and avoid them. All these communications the initial stage were carried out on the Iridium Go and the cell phone App.

Electrical repairs continued and after washing much of the cupboard out with fresh water and then contact cleaner liberally applied we replaced the instrument power supply with a spare, and miraculously, the main instruments came back to life. A great boost to crew morale as both Elias and Deb had reached the “I don’t want to go to sea again” stage, Cammie meanwhile was disappointed we had not continued to French Polynesia.

By this stage the engineer was barely functioning after over 24 hours of steering, problem solving and boat fixing he was sent to bed for the night. A well earned and very long rest.

Day 7. Wednesday 25^th

The weather had abated, and we now had 20kt G 30kt on our beam and were headed for Whangarei. The crew were all feeling much better after hot showers this morning(water heaters were running off the engines), a sunny day and a good breakfast. The broken window is still watertight, and a boat cleanup is underway.

We have started the generator on the alternate system and have run the water maker this morning. The engineer was not confident about switching on the inverters and the whole 240V system, so we continued to rely on the main engines and the solar panels for house battery charging and made do without 240V appliances.

The Autopilot was also back online and is currently working after some encouragement with the hammer. It was not a permanent solution. It soon stopped again.

By lunch time normal activities had resumed, Camille cooking lunch, Chris doing his washing in a bucket, Debra snoozing in the saloon, Elias steering as the autopilot had given up and Hew trying to rewire the Starlink, Barb getting more weather and info from Passage Guardian and MetBob. If we hadn’t had enough of the weather another NE/SW front was coming through NZ about the same time as we were due.  Although our final destination is Whangarei due to front coming through Tauranga was considered as an interim destination may be Saturday or Sunday.

Success later in the day as Starlink came back online after Elias and Hew had rigged a 12V supply to the router. With very low expectations of success as the router had had a proper saltwater wash the boys were in various cupboards running new 12v power supply wires in place of the 240V supply. After washing the router out with copious quantities of contact cleaner it came back to life with no smoke or other complaints. CRC contact cleaner is now an essential in Eleuthera’s tool kit.

To add to the issue, the starboard engine water pump started leaking. It had recently been fully reconditioned by one of the marine engineering companies at Westhaven. To say we were annoyed is an understatement. We were concerned that if we did not fix it, it might get worse later or at a time when we really needed it. So Hew and I sat down on the steps in the companion way and took it apart and cleaned it. Guess what the job that we had paid to have done in Auckland was rubbish. Their rebuild of the pump had been simply to replace a seal with an automotive one which had corroded and failed and goo the rest up with sealant. So after an hour or two of muttering we rebuilt the pump with new seals, bearings, O rings and reinstalled it without leaks!

Day 8. Thursday 26^th

The wind had been veering and backing through 90 degrees and while averaging 17kts it was gusting 22 and subsiding to 10kts at times through the night. The unsettled nature of the weather made hand steering difficult and exhausting, requiring high levels of concentration from the crew. We were hoping for a more settled day.

At daylight three visitors were found on deck were one lovely large flying fish and 2 squid!! Yes we had no idea the squid flew as well??? We had never seen them on the deck before.

The forecast was for 40kts and 4m seas with a short interval, so we were heading northwest to avoid the strongest winds in the front crossing NZ tomorrow. What we were getting at the time was a good beam reach in 20kts. The crew are learning how to surf down waves, aiming for the fastest speed – lots of fun. In the afternoon, Debra saw a whale breach on a SW-NE track, and we watched as it sadly continued away from us, seemingly loving the weather.

Friday 27^th

Steady 20-25kt breeze last night. 2-2.5m swell. The crew’s manual steering was improving rapidly. In the morning, a large pod of dolphins (30-40) passed us, feeding, leaping into the air and surfing.

During the afternoon, while we were waiting for the front and the peak wind, the crew laid bets on what time the peak wind would occur. Even MetBob got into the game. This time, the wind was less than forecast, as were the waves. The model with the closest time was GFS the closest crew member to the time was Debra. Passage guardian thought we were headed to the highest wind spot just to help MetBob win – but not so.

We had many precooked meals on board in case of a tough passage and we are very glad for them. Gannet 1- Chris, Gannet 2 Elias, Gannet 3 Hew. G1 can hear a fridge or cupboard open before the food was even cooked and looking for anything to eat that was left around, G2 is competition if portion was left when someone is not feeling like eating. G3 was a late runner. The previous night’s dinner was a precooked Lasagne and a beautiful salad made by Elias. Both were finished promptly as everyone was hungry after steering all day. Those that couldn’t finish their portion passed it across to be scoffed by G1. G2 could not complete dinner after being in the galley too long. Then desert was apple crumble . Some bacon & egg pie was left from lunch. G3 sent G1 to get a storage container but while waiting for him, decided that the pie should just be eaten. They were both too full for desert and all others were feeling more like crashing so desert it was left for overnight watches and breakfast. Good to have everyone happy and well.

 Saturday 28^th

We had a slow night with very short rough seas and gusty conditions motoring slowly with the headsail. Come daybreak we pulled up the main and let out more Genoa and started to pick up speed. Although very rough at the start of the day, the seas slowly lessened and formed into a better long roll. We knew we were getting close to home when we passed a tanker and then a coastal trader. Then we could see the Poor Knights Islands on the horizon and hear the marine weather report on the radio. 25nm away from Whangarei heads we knew that if the wind speed and angle held we would be round the heads just on dusk. We were all hanging out for a good nights unbroken sleep in calm waters.

Sunday 29th

Back to where we started. No injuries and all well. Checked in by the friendly customs from Auckland who made us all fill in all the normal forms for arrival in the country since we had been outside the international limit for customs. We plugged in with extension cables as could not operate through the inverter and started a long cleaning job to go.

Monday30th

Back to Whangarei Town Basin, and the crew departed. One to get to Fiji and jump on another yacht as soon as possible. One flying to Tonga to catch up with a friend, then back to University in Germany. One back to family in Auckland and Christchurch with plans to sail the Gulf on her new yacht but not to go offshore again. And one back to Auckland to catch up with his daughter. Hew and I were left with a long list of repairs.

Hindcasts and Analysis After the Event from Bob McDavitt

We had a lot of data from forecasts beforehand, the log book, Predict Wind (PW) tracking information, PW hindcasts and data that Bob McDavitt(MetBob) had retained. From all this information, Bob reconstructed the weather and the journey after we got back, which was very interesting. Here are the pictures and notes.

Bob transferred the data on a 6 hour basis into his expedition file and downloaded the weather data analysis from the GFS model.  It iwas not impossible to directly match them but he  labelled the entered  log position with date at UTC tine , so 220606 on 22 June at 0606UTC  close to 06UTC.

First by assuming a polars of around up to 8kt he was able to produce an animation that closely follows the weather pattern and our progress but not exactly…time/place are an average fit….you can see the difference at any time step by comparing  the chart time top left and the moving triangle between the waypoint  labels which you’re your observed position.  

The mp4 file animation is on YouTube at https://youtu.be/YC_j2-68Aoo

Here are some images of the maps that coincide exactly time/place with the main incidents  in the voyage 

1.  around 22 0000UTC, marking the passing of the first front

2. and the timing of the lowest pressure reading of at 999hPa at around 220700UTC – Note that the analysis at that time /place was 1011hPa. Note the difference – I know our barometer was accurate as I had checked it before we left with the airport at Whangarei and MetBob’s note, so I’m pretty sure it would not have changed in the 4 days.

3. The record gust with the second passing front at 270400 UTC

The two forecasts I ran off ECMWF on the 18th and 21st were markedly different, but that happens. I always extract and print the data so we can keep an eye on it during the trip. Unfortunately, I did not keep a copy of the maps, which I will do in the future.  It is hard to judge in hindsight but with the weather we had, I am not sure we would have done anything different.

Bob thought that the 999 hPa reading was significant.  It confirmed that the models missed a tight but compact secondary low not seen in their data. Here are a couple of weather maps from MetBob’s archives at 22 July 0000 UTC,  near 22 July 0700 UTC when you reported 999hPa. It was possible that small, tight compact secondary low with an isobar below 1000 may have been near our location, and not picked up by the models (they don’t have much evidence here, but absence of evidence is not evidence of absence)

Post Trip Repairs

See next Blog

Lessons from the Experience

Things that would stay the same or that we were glad to have on board

• all the precooked meals and would absolutely do that again.
• a lot of crew to help with the watches especially when items needed fixing
• all the contact cleaner on board
• lots of Sikaflex
• spare network power packs
• crew compatibility was great

Things we would add/change

• retain all weather maps and print outs
• be ready to leave earlier in the year and leave earlier
• don’t let the departure get so delayed
• try and leave a wider margin between us and bad weather systems
• install an extra autopilot hydraulic pump – too hard to change at sea in rough weather ( already done at time of writing)

Things you cannot predict or change

• Forecasts are forecasts, but the weather you are in is what you have to deal with
• recently reconditioned engine water pump failing
• new autopilot hydraulic pump failing
• yacht twisting so much that a window would crack around a screw hole

What Next

Whangarei and Repairs

Whangarei Over Wintering

Trying to leave Tonga becamse very problematic with the weather playing a large part in holding us up by causing us to sail up and down the chain of islands. On top of that what we thought would be an easy uneventful trip was not quite as planned either.

Vavau- Nukulofa Vavau

First we diecided to make it easy for our new crew by sailing down to Nukualofa. We had a good uneventful sail past a one of the volcanic islands.

New Crew

A couple of guys from Auckland , Ant and Mike, had decided to join us to help sail the boat back to NZ. Grateful for the help we left Vavau and sailed down to Nukualofa in anticipation of picking them up. We arrived and anchored amongst a bunch of other cruisers at Big Mama only to discover a couple of problems.

Firstly their flight from Auckland was cancelled and they were delayed for a few days which seemed OK at first. The next problem was a significant change in the weather forecasts with talk of 50 knot winds coming through Nukualofa around the time Ant and Mike were due to arrive. The prudent thing to do was to return to Vavau and wait out the weather with the crew flying up to join us.

Retracing our steps we made our way back Vavau and anchored in shelter as strong winds (+30 knots) were forecast up there. Meanwhile on their new flight Ant and Mike arrived in Nukualofa to discover their flight to Vavau had been cancelled but ever resourceful they found some suitable accommodation and as importantly a local with a freezer to store the NZ meat they had bought with them. After two very story days in Nukualofa the crew finally arrived in Vavau.

Filling up with duty free fuel and stocking up with supplies we were good to depart a few days later. Clearing customs we headed off down the channel deciding to anchor for the night leaving early the next day.

Finally Departing

As we headed off the auto pilot decided to stop working which was going to be a bit of a problem. We rely on the auto pilot to steer the boat and only hand steer when manoeuvring. After investigations of power supplies, fuses and other electrical checks it was convinced to work again by tapping the pump motor with a hammer – Perfect. Little did we know but the hammer had to be used everyday until finally it didnt work any more.

Breakfast at Minerva

We arrived at North Minerva reef just after sunrise and went through the entrance for a look. It was a gray windy day and the water was not very warm but our hardy crew and the captain decided to go for a swim. An opportunity to give the bottom one last clean before heading to New Zeland.

Hew wisely decided not to swim and instead cooked a big breakfast of bacon and eggs, hashbrowns, tomatoes which was gratefully devoured by a now chilly crew. An extended visit did not seem very appealing so after breakfast we up anchored and continued south.

Assisting a Demasted Yacht

The night after leaving Minerva we heard a call on the radio from a dismasted yacht ” Ruffian” asking for diesel. It turned out to be friends we had met in Vavau. As they were nearby we shadowed them until daylight then went over to see them. They had had the rigging replaced in Guatemala less than 12 months ago and it had just folded up in front of them. Luckily no one was hurt but they were in shock.

At this stage were we still sailing close to Jamie and Sophie on Zipper and they also stopped to lend a hand. Zipper was to have further adventures after we parted rescuing the entire crew off another boat a couple of days later.

We decided that the conditions were good enough to launch our dinghy so we volunteered to ferry supplies and fuel. A new experience bobbing around hundreds of miles from land.

After about 3 attempts at different ways of pumping diesel out of our tanks we managed to fill 3 20L containers of fuel and we also picked up 2 more from Zipper and ferried that across. Ant, one of our crew offered to go with them, an offer gratefully accepted as they had 700 miles of motoring in front of them.

After confirming that he was a Kiwi and so no visa problems and that he didn’t mind eating vegetarian food, we also ferried him across with his bedding. He was later to discover that they were not vegetarian but as they had a small fridge had no meat on board. Unfortunately by the time this was discovered we had already left them with the meat Ant had bought up from NZ still in the freezer on board Eleuthera.

Storms

The forecast was for all high winds at one point but as the two fronts approached and passed it did make for some great sunsets and sunrises and cloud patterns.

After heading west to stay above the weather systems we finally turned south planning to slide through between 2 fronts and get in with perhaps 12-15 hours of lumpy weather. However like all plans, reality was slightly different, the 2 fronts joined up and we had 2 days of 25 knots gusting 35 knots and quite big seas. Sailing with reduced sail we had spray across the boat continuously but Eleuthera handled it well giving us pretty comfortable ride.

In the end both wind generators called time with one stopping completely and the other just running away sounding like it was going to take off. The braking solution turned out to be a line tossed into the blades which wrapped around until the blades stopped.

No 240 volt and then-No Autopilot

Two days out from Whangarei we started to have problems with the internet and we thought it was Starlink causing issues. This was inconvenient in the bad weather as the downloads stopped working. At that stage we didn’t think of the 240 volt system but shortly after comments were made about a burning electrical smell. Closer inspection revealed the inverters had stopped working – the white smoke had escaped. Uncertain as to the cause we didn’t start the generator and instead relied on the 24v system with charging from solar and the main engines.

The next day the autopilot failed finally and would not respond to being hit with the hammer any more. So it was hand steering for the last 24 hours – This was when we needed out fourth crew member. Good practice for the crew!

Navigating down the Northland coast is was a relief to get into the lee of the land which reduced the sea state if not the wind.

Arrival to Whangarei

We arrived in Whangarei at Marsden Cove Marina first thing in the morning. It was lovely and calm and the customs and biosecurity staff were great. They enjoyed coffee and Barb’s ginger crunch like many other border security people elsewhere in the world. We were cleared by lunchtime and then went to a marina berth to try and sort out the electrics. We could not connect as we did not know what the effect would be.

It turned out we had an array of electrical issues and are not sure which caused what. Most likely an indicator light shorted/failed on the main switch board with smoke but no fire thankfully. This possibly caused an inverter to fail but as usual the solution involved liberal use of the credit card.

With a new auto helm pump, new rewired switch boards, a repaired inverter and a new relay on the bow thruster we gained our NZ Electrical Warrant of Fitness and were good to go. Having been operating on an extension cord for a 10 days it was a relief to get everything back up and running again. Barb enjoying being able to plug a heater in 24/7.

Paget and Stella arrived late on a Friday night when we were having dinner with friends we had met on the Atlantic crossing. Their flight had been delayed and we thought this was the easiest way to meet up and a cute place to see. The restaurant, Fish & Blue, is situated on the water’s edge and is delightfully eclectic. The highlight is the unisex toilet which is the size of a small room.

Taaha

The weather for the trip to Taaha was initially very windy so we went straight to Tapuama Baie, opposite the Coral Gardens where we hoped to snorkel. The bay was a good place to anchor because there was a small village with a wharf, shop, roadside fruit and vegetable stalls and a little bar to explore while sheltered from the strong winds.

TapuamaVillage

Flowers

There are hibiscus everywhere around the village which was quite sheltered from the wind even though it was very windy.

Fare Miti Bar

Fare Miti Bar was a gorgeous little bar at the top of the harbour located opposite the local rum distillery. It was built on a boat attached to the land by a long pontoon. The deck was situated facing the west and the setting sun and we made good use of it. The ceiling inside was all woven mats as were many of the wall panels. The roof was thatched with solar panels for power. Most of the building materials were local.

Drinks were followed by a walk to the local pizza shop and some dinghy navigation in the dark to get home.

Neiona Pizza

Pearl Farms

The weather continued to blow, not very good for snorkelling, so we decided to visit a pearl farm around the corner. With everyone in the dinghy it was off past Manta Ray point to the next bay.

La Orana

La Orana Peral Farm has a big dingy dock and is easily accessible. They gave us a lovely welcome and an excellent tour explaining how the pearl farm worked. We were interested to see that all the collecting and placing out of the pearl shells and all the sales were done by the locals, but all the seeding of the pearls and the fine work was done by Chinese staff.

They had a great selection of pearls for sale and Hew and I were enticed into buying a necklace. Paget and Stella were far more restrained and just walked around and viewed the facility. They were rebuilding the pier while we were there and doing a very good job.

Snorkelling

As the wind moderated we were off to the Coral Garden to do some snorkelling which was what Stella had really come for. We floated around the area for about an hour and did two runs with the inflowing current.

Coral Garden

In the Coral Garden you anchor your dinghy in the shallows at the Eastern end then walk down a path on the little island and hop in at the western/seaward end. This enables you to drift down with the current through the garden and return to the start if you wish.

The water is beautifully clear and there are plenty of fish although when the tide is not full you can get stuck between coral bombies and have to backtrack. It is a lovely relaxing place to snorkel. A video is also available ………….

Manta Ray Point

As the wind increased again went looking for Manta Rays just around the point from the anchorage. The area next to the cliff was quite sheltered and ideal for snorkelling. The water depth drops away steeply but there is a shallow area on top where the Manta Rays like to come in and circle. They were spectacular and worth waiting for. We went out twice and the second morning they came up close. Instead of chasing them, if you float quietly, they will swim all around you. Unfortunately, everyone else followed us out looking for them so we soon left. Video coverage is via this link https://youtu.be/7HMIEdjvan8

With the Coral Garden, Peral Farm and Manta Rays ticked off we wanted to find another good snorkelling spot.

Motu Mahae

The following day the weather forecast indicated that it might be good for half the day so we decided to motor around Taaha. By midday it was blowing again and raining but an hour later, just as we approached Motu Mahae, it cleared. The Motu is one side of one of the reef passages to the open sea. We decided to stop and snorkel while we could and found the water was beautifully clear . It was windy but worth having a look.

Fa’a’aha

Fa’a’aha where it blew and rained for two days. Not weather for doing anything much except reading. We did go out for an evening walk around the town, and dinner at one of the caravans the meal was very good.

The last night was still forecast to be windy so we decided it was easier to stay on a bay we hadn’t visited in Taaha so we did that. It was more sheltered from the wind than Raiatea would have been and we could pick up a mooring courtesy of the local pearl farm. The price for taking a mooring in the bay was to visit the farm which seemed very fair.

The snorkelling was no good as it was still too windy so the water was very murky but we went for a motor around the little island and then for a walk through the village. The main interest points were a fresh baguette from the local baker and the Pearl Farm.

Champon Pearl Farm

Champon Pearl Farm had lovely grounds, eclectic garden items, and a tree house for kids. They had a wide range of pearls, colours and jewellery designs, but they did not seem to be of the same quality as the previous Pearl Farm, more a retailer than a fully operating farm.

Below are a few photos of the walk to the point and the grounds. You will notice how windy it was on the windward side of the point.

Finally, it was time to go and we sailed back to Raiatea and dropped Paget and Stella at the marina to head home. Sadly the weather was so windy we did not achieve as much as we wished but hopefully there were some good memories.

Next Blog: Tonga to NZ

We arrived first thing in the morning everything was quiet and still. We had to wait for another yacht to clear with customs before we could go onto the fisherman’s wharf. The entry procedure was easy and relaxed. The paper work, the rubbish had been taken away, we had treated the officials to some ginger crunch we were ready for a nap.

We anchored further up the bay because there were no moorings. Hew, and I had a rest while the girls got changed and took off to socialise. They also needed to sort out what was happening with the sailing week and register us. They came back with all the info after having had a few drinks at the bar.

Meanwhile James went for a run as an escape from being caged up on the boat with the girls for a week. He is also training for a marathon in November. Being at sea is not great for this!

There were many dinners and cocktail events and also talks but we wanted to do a few other activities as well because both girls had to go at the end of the week. Then we found out that there were no flights for five days at the end of the week due to the aircraft going into maintenance on the Friday and not back until the following Wednesday. Therefore James also had to leave earlier than planned.

The first night in we all went to dinner at Mangos the local yachty bar owned by a local who is a Cathay Pacific pilot.

Caves

The next day we were off to have a look around at a couple of the anchorage’s and the caves. The first cave was Mariners where you had to dive down to get into it . Hew, James and I explored that one while Deb and Pauline looked after the yacht. There is no where to anchor near these caves so the yacht just had to hover around.

The next one was the Swallows cave and Hew looked after the yacht while the rest of us snorkelled into it. This cave was very disappointing compared to the last time I had been here. Graffiti all over the walls and not birds or bats or fish. Though there were plenty of fish outside and slightly further along the coast.

The third cave was just a little up the coast and a smaller but much prettier cave

A video of the caves: https://youtu.be/SWc5F9B9-8I?si=NH4ZD20lHPlcxAmh

Port Maurelle

We anchored for the night at a lovely bay called Port Maurelle and the paddle board came out. Barb went for a paddle, then Debbie and https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBSuo90vPm1/?igsh=MWVyZnY1NnFxZnVmNA== and the next day James took it for a long paddle all the way down the coast.

Sailing Week and socialising

Debbie and Pauline made the most of the bars and restaurants – checking them all out for us. They started with Bears floating Bar – The Hideaway – serving margaritas, beers and fish and chips.

The Wednesday Race

The main event of the week is a social race on the Wednesday. We of course had to enter and invited 4 additional crew, Peter off S/V Yellow, Sunny and Canute from “La Kahina” and Kara from Whangārei Marina. We had a lot of fun but it was not uneventful.

After the briefing At Mango cafe, the race started when the traditional local Tongan yacht passed in front of the bar, and off we went in the dingys to the yachts.

We were third around the first mark in the channel, raised the spinnaker and it all looked good.

Soon the yacht in front of us broached in a gust and we decided to lower our spinnaker before we hit the same patch of water.

All was going well. We were starting to catch the boats in front with the code zero out then we hit a calm patch. The Code 0 back winded on the spreaders and ripped a hole.

Down came the code zero and out went the genoa.

Our mates in Soul were hot on our heels as was another large monohull Hassebas. Some of the crew were down stairs mending the code zero with sticky back tape. We headed for the bottom mark and island. Repairs completed and with slick crew work the sail was re-hoisted before we reached the mark

We were holding our own on the inside for a port rounding of the island, metres from the lay line the starboard sheet was winched on a touch with the electric winch and suddenly bang – the sheet broke. We immediately tacked over to the on to port and there still seemed to be just enough room to clear the island when the port sheet also broke – our electric winches are very powerful! With the genoa flapping in the breeze we started the engines to ensure we cleared the reef off the island while our two competitors pass us wondering what we were up to.

Deploying the now repaired code zero we were back chasing the others but struggling for height. James climbed up the forestay to attach new sheets to the genoa and we were back racing. It’s good to have the young and fit onboard. However by now the other boats were well ahead and we sailed on our own to the finish which required a crew member to go ashore at Mangos and register.

As we approached Mangos restaurant instead of launching the dinghy James did a lovely swan dive off the bow and swam in for us to register a finish.

In the end we were 4th over the line and the 3rd catamaran and somehow managed to pick up a voucher for 2 loads of washing at Bubbles laundromat – perfect for washing bedding etc for departing crew.

There are lots more photographs of all the activities on the Vava’u Sailing week facebook site. https://www.facebook.com/VavauSailingFestival

Quiz night at Kraaken

The Quiz night was run by Whangārei and Opua Marinas , and was a lot of fun. We won a voucher from the Kraken Restaurant which Hew and I duly enjoyed later in the week. By the end of the night Pauline and Deb were so happy they were beside themselves!!

Swimming with the whales

Although there were many activities on the race week we decided that we had to go whale watching while we were in Vava’u. We went out with David Lino from Beluga Dive who also run the moorings near their base. The experience was brilliant here are some stills from our adventure with a mother and calf.

We were in the water 4 at a time with a guide and just cruised on the surface allowing the whales to come to us. The calf would surface for air every 5-7 minutes and the mother would come up every 15-20 minutes. They became used to us and the calf became inquisitive and the mother relaxed and was happy for us to be nearby – a fabulous experience.

Back to Civilisation for the two Trollops

On Thursday all three of the crew had to leave to get back to NZ for the following week. Debbie and Pauline took off early to spend a day in Nukualofa, James waited for the late flight relaxing and enjoying the peace on the yacht.

It was a great three weeks and we really enjoyed the hectic schedule, but when they were gone we could finally relax.The first time on the boat without guests and crew since Martinique in April.

Bora Bora Arrival

With only 2 days between crew leaving and picking up new crew in Bora Bora there was not much downtime. After crew changes in Raiatea, Mark leaving us after a couple of months for a reunion in London we sailed across to Bora Bora, a lovely 25 mile sail, to pick up our new crew for the great expetition to Tonga.

Bora Bora lived up to expectations with a spectacular peak and beautiful sheltered water. This comes with a cost as the place is much busier and more commercial than the previous islands. 

Moorings To’opua and the Yacht Club

Timing our arrival for mid afternoon we picked up a very sheltered mooring off To’opua Island just up from the Conrad resort and had a relax with the boat to ourselves in the company of several other cruising yachts we recognised.

After a visit from the mooring man we paid our mooring fees for our stay and discovered how the system worked. A really nice guy and very welcoming, he collects garbage from the boat a couple of times a week and apart from the moorings over at the Yacht Club which are limited to 2 nights only we could stay as long as we liked on the other mooring fields. We had been warned that anchoring and mooring in Bora Bora was difficult and fraught with officialdom but our experiences were quite the opposite – maybe a rumour to keep people away.

The next morning we watched boats leaving the Bora Bora Yacht Club moorings so decided to relocate as they are closer to the ferry terminal to pick up our new arrivals. Also the Yacht Club has a great location and the thought of a happy hour cocktail made the move more attractive.https://www.boraborayachtclub.org/

The Town of Vaitape

A trip into town to start the check out procedure was next on the agenda as it is a 48 hour process and we were also at the end of our 90 day visa and were going to be overstayers by the time the last of the crew arrived.  With some trepidation we approached the Gendarmerie and officialdom with a list of “plausible” excuses as to why we needed an extra day or two.  Our fears were completely unfounded with a very pleasant young Gendarme processing our paperwork with no questions and then telling us to return on Monday with the crew passports for stamping after which we would have 24 hours to leave.

Next on the list was Supermarkets and fuel as we needed to resupply Eleuthera through to Tonga.  With a mass of Pearl shops on the foreshore we wandered up the road and checked out the 2 supermarkets.  Both shops were well stocked and conveniently within walking distance of the harbour and the dinghy. The fuel dock was easy to access so we were sorted for the resupply.  Returning to Eleuthera with baguettes and some fresh lamb chops for dinner after our cocktails all was well.

Barb of course went snorkelling on the nearby point and had a great encounter with a Manta Ray which did a spectacular flyby which she managed to film while holding her breath and lying on the bottom. Manta Ray https://youtu.be/FtqSPmvFIhg

New Crew and Departure Preparation

Our son James and sister in law Pauline Davis arrived next morning and we made sure we were waiting for them at the dock.  There is a free ferry from the Airport to downtown Bora Bora which makes it very easy. Armed with croissants and baguettes we all returned to the boat for swims and a relax after their overnight flight up from New Zealand.

Cocktails and dinner at the yacht club that  night rounded out a relaxing day as we worked through the list of boat jobs before the next ocean leg.

Next day it was off to the fuel dock to fill up with tax free fuel for the voyage.  At around NZD 2.00 per litre it was the cheapest diesel we will see for a while. Claiming our spot on the dock was a case of might is right as the local boats tried to push in on a busy Saturday morning. As well as fuel James received instructions from the locals as to how to climb to the top of the peak which was on his list to do.

Off back to the mooring field we had a bit of an explore but the snorkelling was limited and the locals were not particularly friendly when we were off “their” shore.  We did manage to watch some of the Louis Vuitton Cup racing thanks to Starlink.  James and Hew managed to refill the props with grease and clean the bottom for a speedy voyage.

A visit from a French boat next door led to us swapping a RNZYS burgee from one from YCLB (La Baule Yacht Club) in France as the skipper Arnaud Naintre’s father is Commodore there. He is sailing round the world in his Outremeer 51 and in good cruising fashion is waiting in Bora Bora for parts and repairs. Great to talk to a fellow yachty who was like us interested in the Americas cup.

We had a young Humpback whale swimming around the mooring field which was great to see.  Young juveniles remain in these waters to grow while the adults swim back to Antartica.

Final Crew Member and Last Minute Shopping and Climbing

On Monday morning Debbie Whiting arrived and Barb and Hew went in to collect her as she was bringing more Gin and other essential supplies.  Barb and Deb went off to the Gendarmerie to check out which was a 10 minute process and we were good to go, passports stamped and exit documents complete.

Moving the boat back to the Yacht Club moorings, we had a booking for dinner, Debbie and Pauline felt the need engage in some retail activity and James had a mountain to climb.  Delivering them back to town Hew left them to find their own way back to the Yacht Club.

The adventurers returned laden with retail spoil and photographs of a successful climb to the top of the mountain.

Departure

After final cocktails and dinner we departed Bora Bora at 7.30 pm heading for Aitutaki.

Aitutaki

We had a great sail across averaging 200 miles a day for the voyage only slowing down in the last few hours to ensure landfall in daylight. 

We were all looking forward to Aitutaki. All the pre arrival forms and been fulled in, harbour master, customs and immigration all knew we were coming and they said there was room in the harbour. On the way we had a message from our friends on Zipper, saying they had a problem with a leaking skin fitting. It was very similar to the same problem we had had so they changed course and also headed for Aitutaki. We planned to catch up with them and the day before we arrived they told us they had just got in and it was very full, but we might squeeze.

We arrived with the crew excited to get ashore on their promised 4 island tour of the Pacific. Calling up the harbourmaster on the radio established that our booked berth had evaporated and we would need to anchor in the lagoon. Also it would be best if we came in the dinghy to check it out.

James and Hew took the dinghy in down the recently dredged channel to discover the Boat Harbour is muddy work in progress and full of boats.  Additionally the supply ship was due the next day and the 2 catamarans already there would have to move to allow the barge to operate as the ship anchors outside the reef. An inspection of the “anchoring” area quickly established there wasn’t one suitable for Eleuthera.  We did find Zipper and left them with a plumbers plunger to seal their skin fitting from the outside while they repaired it.

With no room in the car park we decided to move on and head for Niue, another 550 miles away.  After a chat to Bubbles the local whale watching boat we had seen with whales a mile or so away we hoisted the sails and carried on. 

Passage Activities

Slipping into an onboard routine Scrabble and 5 Crowns were in regular use with the whole crew playing the games.  Very difficult to beat the Scrabble queens and their list of 2 letter words. Cooking has become a regular pastime and the crew continues to eat well.  Our new crew members Debbie and Pauline are also new to catamaran sailing and struggle to get used to the sometimes loud crashes and bangs underneath from the waves passing through.  Debbie likens it to travelling on the underground.

Debbie caught the first fish – a flying fish off the deck. Perhaps she is a pink lure!

Beveridge Atoll & Niue

A change in the weather forecasts suggested that a delay in visiting Niue would be beneficial as some Northerlies were due which would make staying on the mooring field untenable.  Also there were no moorings for our original arrival time at Niue.

A suggestion was made that we visit Beveridge Reef on the way so course was altered for a new destination.  Calculations were made and the sails trimmed to reduce speed and allow for a daylight arrival as Beveridge barely breaks the surface of the surrounding ocean. A detour to Beveridge for a beveridge seemed to hit a chord with the crew.

As you may guess as we were approaching Beveridge we get a message from Niue saying they do have a mooring for us – too late!! We were almost there.

Arrival

Having delayed our arrival for daylight we approached the reef which is only visible at less then 2 miles when we had a whale join us less than 100 metres away. As we gybed to head down to the entrance the whale breached in spectacular fashion and we were treated to this huge creature airborne alongside the boat. Of course no one had a camera ready but we were all amazed by the sight. The physics of getting 50 feet and several tonnes of whale into the air are a little daunting

Arriving at slack tide we had a very easy ride in through the entrance. Clear water but good depths in the channel and our charts seemed accurate. Then we headed for the NE and an old fishing boat wreck. It was great to be in still water – no swell in the anchorage and only 10 kts of wind. The scenery was beautiful – dark blue and turquoise water with beautiful clear skies.

The anchorage was easy with only a few Bombies and nothing very high. Everyone kept into the water when we got there because it was so clear and beautiful.

We had a rest then later that later that day did a snorkel on the wreck and then on the Bombies all the way to the yacht. James had some work to do and the girls were more interested in cocktail hour after being deprived of their favourite beverages for 5 days.

Sand Bar

We could see a sand bar at low tide on the western side so we were very keen to across for a look and a walk on dry land.

James had his drone with him which showed the colours of the water and the clarity very well.

Departure

After our interlude on the sand bar it was time to depart the next morning. If we didn’t leave then the forecast was for high winds, big swell and rain. With a low reef bigger seas break over it and set up a very unpleasant wave pattern on the inside. The other yachts were staying until after the weather so they could go to Niue, we decided to skip the island as the forecast weather on the moorings would have been untenable. So off we went into the sunset again.

Next Blog: Vava’u Sailing Week: https://kiwiflyingfish.com/2024/10/vavau-social-and-sailing-week/

Fakarava is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve site famous for its coral and diving on the North(Garuae) and South(Tetamanu) Passes. There was a warning on the charts and information to be careful as the dive boats operate in the pass. As we arrived in the morning at the north pass ( Garuae) to enter on slack tide we saw 5 dive boats at the entrance and not one of these were near the surfacing divers.

The north pass is wide and deep and larger ships and superyachts regular visitors. Currents of 5 or 6 knots however keep you on your toes with back eddies and little whirlpools.

We moved inside round to an anchorage right on the corner. Beautiful sand bottom and 5 other yachts there in the flat calm.

Information

The atoll is in the Pacific Ocean, part of the Tuamotu Archipelago, and holds UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status, alongside the atolls of Aratika, Kauehi, Niau, Raraka, Taiaro, and Toau. It spans 21km in width and 60km in length, making it the second-largest atoll in French Polynesia after Rangiroa.

Fakarava has a fascinating past. The Pōmare Dynasty originated here before ruling Tahiti.

European explorers first mentioned the atoll in the 19th century. Fakarava became a French territory, known for coconut oil production and mother-of-pearl trade.

Christianity arrived with a Catholic priest Honoré Laval leading to the construction of churches.The Rotoava church (blessed in 1850) and Tetamanu church (dating from 1874) stand as historical landmarks.

Anchoring

You are supposed to anchor in set areas so you do not destroy the coral but we found that the anchorages were not big enough for the number of yachts, and the buoy’s that should have been there in most cases weren’t.  When you anchor on the sand you are supposed to float your anchor so you do not get entangled in the bombies(coral heads) and do not damage them.

In order to achieve this you need suitable floats and of course these were available locally in the form of disused floats from the pearl farms which seemed wash up everywhere. However with our heavy anchor and 12mm chain the logistics of trying to float the chain as recommended was not so easy and we are still refining our technique and the quantity of floats required.

Rotoava

The next day we went to the anchorage outside Rotava, the largest and the northern town. We did not anchor in the designated area as there were to many boats already there so we anchored in the NE corner which is apparently for super yachts. There we found our Swiss friends Gerald and Bridget on Jetlag anchored alongside us. Having last seen them in Colombia nearly two years ago it was a great joy to see them. Lunch and a serious catchup was planned for the next day at Havaiki Lodge

The Town of Rotoava

We needed to go ashore to pay our tourist tax and garbage charge and had a short look around town. We found a small shop but discovered that fresh fruit and vegetables come in only once a week on Wednesday with the island trader. These are swiftly snapped up by the locals and cruising yachts. Tomorrow is Wednesday!

Fakarava Church Rotoava

The Fakarava Church is built from coral rock and cement and many of the internal fixtures are made locally.

As well as protestant services the Fakarava Church actively promotes environmental protection on Fakarava Island and in all of French Polynesia. Reverend Tekurio Temanu, the pastor of the church, is a fervent supporter of environmental preservation. He has advocated against overfishing, pollution, and other environmental problems that endanger the delicate ecosystem of the island. Reverend Temanu has also collaborated with local organizations to set up marine protected areas all around the island.

He received the Goldman Environmental Award, also known as the “Nobel Prize for the environment,” in 2010 for his diligent efforts to encourage environmental preservation on Fakarava Island and throughout French Polynesia. See more at https://farandawayadventures.com/fakarava-church/

Mururoa

Largely forgotten by the rest of the world the nuclear testing program at Mururoa and the environmental consequences still loom large in French Polynesian. With 193 tests, including 41 atmospheric tests, between 1966 and 1996. Most local Tahitians were exposed to high levels of radiation and have been affected with high incidences of cancers and birth defects linked to this. France still denies there is a problem and compensation has not been possible. There are multiple reports confirming the levels of exposure but the French government has continued to brush the problems under the carpet.

Read the excellent article in the Guardian in the link below which follows the history of fallout from the testing.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/09/france-has-underestimated-impact-of-nuclear-tests-in-french-polynesia-research-finds?CMP=share_btn_url

On the plus side France has poured huge amounts of money and infrastructure into French Polynesia since the 1960’s and continues to subsidise most of the activities. Consequently the islands enjoy good roads, wharf’s, airports and regular shipping and transport as well as electricity and water supplies. There is also a good healthcare system and education to tertiary level is available to everyone. This infrastructure is way beyond most of their neighbouring pacific countries.

As with most French territories fresh baguettes and croissants are available daily on larger islands. Additionally daily flights from Paris ensure the supermarkets are well stocked cheeses and other fresh food from France.

Lunch

Havaiki Lodge is a glorious spot for lunch with tables on the sand surrounded by beautiful blue water. Good food, cold drinks, good company and friendly staff, perfect. https://www.tahiti.com/hotels/havaiki-lodge-fakarava-6543

It was great to see Gerald and Brigette again and we enjoyed a leisurely lunch catching up on each others adventures over the past couple of years. Gerald, a fellow retired pilot, and Brigette have fallen in love with French Polynesia and have decided to stay here so are in the process of importing their boat (paying the taxes). As French speaking Swiss they have fitted right into the local community and have been able to give us some good information on how the place works.

We discovered they had a friend arriving on the same flight as our friends the next day so we organised a ride on the same bus and lovely leis for all of them. A very helpful local the others knew organised all this for us

Children and Sharks

Walking back from lunch we came across a local family who had been picnicing on the edge of the lagoon. Stopping for a chat we saw there were a number of sharks in the shallows which they happily ignored as they cleaned their BBQ gear and a 2 or 3 year old child played in the shallows right next to them.

The black tip sharks and sleeping(nurse) sharks are all around the Fakarava Lagoon and the children feed them, play with them and swim with them. It occured to us that sharks in the shallows in NZ would see everybody out of the water!

Diving the North Pass

The following day we decided to dive with Top Dive in the northern pass. Mark had blocked sinuses and did not come so Hew and I set off with a local dive company. Our adventures began half way across the lagoon when one of the outboard motors lost drive to the propellor so we continued on one engine only.

The first dive started in shallow water outside the entrance and we swam back through the pass slowly getting deeper as we crossed into the main channel. The current was running strongly by now and at one stage we had to crab across the current holding on to the bottom before letting go and flying downstream with the scenery rushing past.

After a break in on the beach inside the atoll we ventured out for our second dive starting outside again but initially deeper as were to make our way up into the shallower pass. The instruction was to descend to 28-30m where we would find the wall to start coming up to around 15-18m in the pass. However with the currents and a choppy sea state the boat had dropped us further out than planned and at 30m we could neither see the bottom or the wall with several of the group going to nearly 40m before realising the depth they were at. In the end we did all manage to swim to the wall but we were unimpressed with the dive operator both on the drop off and also diving deeper on our second dive which is not good practice – we would not reommend them as an operator.

Unfortunately no photos as teh gopro was not working and I had problems with the older camera as well. However there are many more photos and video links in this blog, and on the Kiwiflyingfish Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfFESL5kPhUAsarowPnnLXg

Supply Ship arrives

The supply ship comes once a week on Wednesdays (weather permitting) and takes about two hours to unload. Everyone waits for its arrival and the fresh food it brings. Apart from coconuts and fish everything is imported so there are all sorts of things coming off the ship from building materials, gas bottles, furniture and vehicles.

As the main event of the week there are lots of people waiting for the ship with their orders and also outside the grocery shops for the fresh fruit and vegetables. The fruit and vegetables are gone as soon as they hit the shelves, likewise imported cheeses and anything else perishable. Outside the shop are some enterprising locals who also sell locally grown melon on the same day. Interestingly frozen meat is always available – mainly because it is so expensive.

Photo

Visitors Arrive

Two days later Simon and Liz turned up and Hew was excited to see them with a collection of spare parts from New Zealand. As our first NZ visitors since Panama they had to bring an extra bag just for boat bits, such is the cost of coming to visit us in remote locations!

Unfortunately the day they arrived all the restaurants were closed so we decided that we would go back to the anchorage that we had first been at the northern entrance. It was late in the day and not much time to explore but lovely for a swim and a walk ashore on the beach.

Baguettes

The weather forecast was not looking great for the next week and with southerly winds forecast we needed to move to the southern end of the atoll and shelter from the sea state if not the wind. The atoll is so big that the forecast 25-30 knots winds would build up to 2.5m waves at the anchorage at the northern end.

A foraging expedition went ashore in search of essential supplies to get us through next few days. Returning with croissants, baguettes,wine and tonic water we were ready to head south.

Hirifa

Next day off to Hirifa in the southeast corner. The trip down takes 4 hours and since it was the first time we had to be on watch to keep an eye out for bombies even in the marked channel. The charts are better than Raroia but we felt we could not entirely trust them. Sailing down on a pleasant breeze we were joined by several other boats heading to the same destination.

We anchored in good holding amongst a fleet of boats seeking the same shelter. The wind was still out of the west so the anchorage remained a bit bumpy as we waited for it to go round to the south and increase. It was very windy and ideal for kite surfers, wing foilers etc but not great for peaceful cruising. We went ashore for a look around but neither the restaurant nor the kite surfing facility seemed open. A walk along the beach for some exercise and we chatted to various fellow cruisers also exploring what was on offer.

Gerald, Bridget and Vereana on Jetlag had said they were coming down but had branched off to Tetamanu. The photos looked great but unfortunately if you were not a kite surfer then it really was windy. By now it was blowing 20-30kts and the kite surfers were loving it.

Tetamanu

After talking to Bridget and Gerald we decided to go to Tetamanu and explore the South Pass. It was still just as windy but they said it was Ok sheltered behind the little islands. We found shelter behind the reef and decided to explore the famed South Pass.

Snorkelling Tetamana South Pass

The plan was to snorkel on the incoming tide so we got in the dingy and Hew said he would be boatman. Since this was Liz and Simons’s first experience with drift diving in a current and we hadn’t snorkelled here yet either we were excited about what we would find. Everyone snorkels on the incoming tide as it is clear with fresh incoming water from the open sea, on the slack tide it can be murky and an outgoing tide is just not a good idea! As the tidal changes are not very accurately forecast the cruisers all wait for the local operators to go out then leap in their dinghys and follow.

Starting out in shallow water out of the current we were surrounded by little black tip sharks and remora doing their thing. It was then off downstream in the current which increased as we swam downstream until we reached the shallows a few hundred meters. Lots of excitement with the swimmers so it was back upstream for a repeat performance.

Video:Tetamanu drift snorkelling https://youtu.be/vHN52l63g-k

The local dive operator was located in the South Pass with a 5 minute boat ride to the dive sites in the pass. Noting they seemed to have a bar and restaurant we enquired about a booking but as the pensions here were full of divers and could not serve any food to non-guests. Such are the issues of operating tourism ventures with irregular supply deliveries.

Tetamanu Village

The next day we dicided to have a look around the town while we were waiting for the tide and more snorkelling. The village is quite small but was once the capital of the Tuamotos.

There is a very pretty old church made from coral dating from 1874

Central Channel

As the weather had improved we decided to head north again this time up the central channel which is relatively well marked on the charts. This time we sailed on a genoa up the centre channel just behind Jetlag. This was a good ride with not many bombies until the last quarter when suddenly Jetlag veered at right angles in front of us as they had almost run into some pearl farm buoys. For the next 30 mins we saw many buoys in that section of the channel.

Back in Rotoava

Back up north we discovered that the restaurants were only open on Thursday to Sunday so no dinner out.

On Tuesday Liz, Simon, and Mark set off on a bike ride with Bridget and Vereana and then met up at Havaiki Lodge for lunch. The same restaurant we had dined in earlier. Hew was very excited to be able to complete some repairs with the parts Liz and Simon had bought with them

They cycled from town to the end of the northern spit, then back against the wind. Liz was not impressed especially in the exposed area around the airport. They aimed to find the Taputavaka and Topoka lighthouse ruins but only found one. They all made it back for lunch where Hew, Gerald and I caught up with them later.

Pufana Rock

The next day the wind was still blowing but we decided we should do one more snorkel before they went home so we tied up to the buoy at Pufana rock this was spectacular snorkelling as well and a great mooring – solid chain. Here are a few photos of the snorkeling and a video: https://youtu.be/R1rm16cb-YI

We headed back to the town for the night as Liz and Simon were going the next day.

In the morning Liz and I went for walk along the waterfront. We found by accident the other lighthouse that they had not seen the day before because it was not in the right place on the map. We also afound one of the Pearl farm shops but it was all clsoed.

Liz and Simon departed that afternoon. Mark and Hew and I stayed the night to have a meal at the local restauarant Hirinaki Lodge that had happy hour and tapas. https://www.facebook.com/TemoanaRangihei/

The next day we headed back down to Hirifa because we had decided that we had to do the dive in the South Pass at Tetamanu before we left . It is rated as one of the top dive sites in the world.

Raimiti

Enata Diving

The dive shop was based at Raimiti just north of Hirifa. The next morning they collected us from the yacht and we had a great dive. The first dive started on the Eastern side of the channel and then crossed over the deepest area onto the western side. They stopped between dives at the little beach at Tetamanu for snacks and a drink, and an explanation of the next dive drawn in the sand. then straight back into the water the second we went to the “viewing room” which is a small cave to watch the sharks go by, then finishing around the corner where we had also finished our snorkelling previously.

The best diving we have had for a while with lots of fish life and on the second dive more sharks than we have ever seen!! Excellent dive operators who were all alot of fun. Enata diving operation link https://www.enatafakaravadiving.com/en/

Tetamanu Pass Dive Video: https://youtu.be/E8BopO_okyk

Raimiti Lodge

After getting back to the yacht then washing the dive gear and changing our clothes, we decided to go to Raimiti Resort for a drink. What a beautiful resort and what a surprise, it is perfectly placed for the sunsets. https://raimiti-fakarava.com/en/homepage-en/

Once again they were unable to supply food for outsiders as they only catered for guests, perhaps we will go back and stay there sometime. A very beautiful laid back little resort.

After two days it was tiime to head out for Huahine and the Society Islands.

Next blog: Huahine

We motored for the last 12 hours before our arrival to arrive in time to get through the Passe De Tipu, and anchor outside the town for the night. This was our first attempt at entering an atoll through a pass in the reef and while the charts were accurate and the pass well marked being able to see the bottom up close was uncomfortable. A mile offshore we had depths of 1500m coming up to less than 15m in the pass with shallow reefs either side! With strong currents flowing out most of the time we needed to be careful and not drift off course.

Following the marked channel down to the town we anchored just as the light was fading. This was the first time we had no swell or waves for months and we were completely unaccustomed to sitting still in the flat calm water. Time to great to relax and celebrate our first atoll pass crossing.

Raroia(also known as Raro-nuku) is an oval-shaped coral atoll on the eastern side of the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia.  The atoll measures 43 km by 14 km, with a land area of 41 km² and an impressive central lagoon of 359 km².

Background

Since this is the first blog in the Tuamoto Islands here is a little history

Archaeological evidence suggests that Polynesian settlers arrived in the Tuamotu Archipelago, where Raroia is located, around 800-1000 AD, although some studies indicate an earlier settlement. Ancient Paumotu people referred to Raroia and Takume as “the Twins.”

In 1606, Raroia was discovered by Europeans when Spanish explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós sailed through the Tuamotu Archipelago and called the island “La Fugitiva.” Later in 1820, Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen a Russian cartographer rediscovered it, naming it Barclay de Tolly. In the 19th century, Christian missionaries arrived, then later traders who offered pearls from the islands for sale in Europe. France claimed the Tuamotus but did not formally annex them. Today, they remain a French overseas collective.

Main Town

Only 150 people are living on Raroia. The languages are Pa’umotu (local) and French (taught in the elementary school), and most speak some English. Primary school is on the island followed by secondary school on nearby Makemo and university in Tahiti (748 km away).

Locals primarily engage in fishing, copra cultivation, pearl farming, and a little tourism.  Raroians are known for their warm welcome, even sharing lodgings with travellers. Their diet is local seafood, imported bread, rice, and canned goods.

We set off to walk around town and find the small shop to buy some dried goods. The shop was well hidden in the back of two houses. Only allowed one person was allowed in at a time but the staff were very friendly. All the power on the island is solar as can be seen with the panels on all the houses. The streets and sections very neat and tidy

The next day we headed out of town, back past the pass, and across to the island with the Thor Hyerdahl monument. This involved dodging bombies on the way. The only accurate information is satellite photos and Mark 1 eyeball. There are channel markers from the pass to the town but none after that. Good light and a sharp lookout are required to navigate the atoll.

Eastern Side of Atoll

Thor Hyerdahl Monument

In 1947, the famous Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl and his crew of fellow Vikings sailed a balsa wood raft named Kon-Tiki from South America to the Polynesian islands. They eventually landed on the eastern side of Raroia after a 101-day journey from South America. This expedition was instrumental in demonstrating the possibility of ancient South American people reaching and settling in Polynesia. Unfortunately, they were later proved wrong. Bengt Danielsson, a Kon-Tiki crew member spent some time there studying Raroia’s economy and society.

The monument to the Kon Tiki Expedition is on a small island at the edge of the atoll. It is a reserve and full of birds. Mark also tried out the hammock under the trees. We walked to the outer edge of the reef with friends from another catamaran called Zipper.

Even on a calm day the swell breaking on the reef was significant so the guys on Kon-Tiki must have been a little nervous when they were about to be washed up. Raroia would have had a very small population in 1947 and they came ashore on the other side of the atoll 20 miles from the village. We are not sure how they made their way across the lagoon but I guess after surviving several thousand miles from South America another 20 miles was neither here nor there.

Hew decided that a lump of coral looked like a Viking mask from Kon Tiki (or earlier Vikings) and suited him, but we decided that NZ may not like coral artifacts!!.

Palm Island Yacht Club and the Northern Anchorage

The northern anchorage is a favourite spot here for cruisers who have given it an official yacht club name. It is well sheltered from the north and NE winds. An idyllic anchorage with snorkelling, islands to explore, and sunset drinks on the beach with some fellow yachties, just perfect (except for the Nonnies, the local tiny sandflies that come out at dusk).

Just across from where we anchored was a little inlet teaming with fish and I spent several hours there watching all the activity in shallow warm water.

However, it didn’t stay like that and at 2 am one morning, the wind switched around to the South and blew up to 30kts – gone were our smooth calm waters and peace and quiet. Luckily we didn’t drag our anchor but friends next door were up trying to reset things in the dark. Scary stuff when you know there are shallow uncharted bombies nearby that you can’t see. By morning things had calmed down, and it was much more peaceful.

While we were in Raroia we snorkelled at each place we stopped but after the high winds, the water was too murky for the next couple of days. We did not snorkel the passage as we were due to pick up friends in Fakarava in a couple of days, and after the bad weather both in the Marquesas and here we had lost time so sadly off we went direct to Fakarava to make up time.

Next Blog Fakarava: https://kiwiflyingfish.com/2024/08/friends-and-more-at-fakarava/

General

San Cristobal is the eastern most island in the Galapagos, the fifth largest, home to the oldest permanent settlement of the islands, and is the island where Darwin first went ashore in 1835. Its official Spanish name comes from the patron saint of sailors Saint Christopher.

In 1858 Manuel Cobos and Jóse Monroy, formed a company to harvest the moss orchilla which was used for dye. Cobos went on to form a centre producing leather form feral cattle, processing fish and tortoise oil, then later went on to form agricultural centre, and finally starting sugar cane factory. When a penal colony was built for prisoners from mainland Ecuador he took it over and treated convicts as slaves to use on his plantations. He was finally assassinated by his workers in 1904.

It is 730m high and 558kms and the capital is at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. It has the largest freshwater lake, El Junco(see below), in the Galapagos and we took a trip up to look at it.

Sealions

Sea Lions are everywhere, on the rocks, on the beaches, on the piers, the stairs and the boats. They stay overnight on our rear platforms, in the warm water coming out of the fridge cooling system, and swim with us when we are swimming – blowing bubbles, summer salting around us and doing rolls.

Sealions jump right up over the stern sterns of fishing boats into the cockpits and jump in and out of dinghys if you leave them in the water. They are all over the docks and stairways and beaches here that there is park liaison person on the dock keeping an eye on them and the visitors. They are just so social and friendly. Here are a few photos of our funny friends. We will miss them.

We knew that we had to keep the sea lions of the boarding platforms and not in the yacht. As has been mentioned in Santa Cruz we were told they were unlikely to come aboard and for the first two nights we had them up on the seats in the cockpit, cleverly we now had a fender barrier to keep them on the boarding platforms. Some of the big ones could make a real mess, but most times it was not too bad. When the big ones get aboard you can feel the boat move and sometimes there is a very noisy discussion between them about who should be there.

Sealions on the yacht

Every morning first thing you would be greeted by at least one friendly sea lion, sometimes two or three per side. First you want to do is have a swim, then clean the boarding platforms. Sometimes you had to use the hose to get them off.

Sea Lions on other boats

They can leap over a meter onto a boat so they climb in and out of any boats they can reach , this includes leaping onto the back of fishing boats or any RIBs that someone is careless enough to leave at the dock.

Sea Lions on the Town Pier

The Sealions climb up onto the pier via the pontoons for the taxi boats. They also love the stairs and arranged themselves one per stair all the way up some days. They don’t mind climbing over their mates to get a spare tread to themselves. All the seats on the pier are fair game.

Sealions on the beaches and rocks

There is fencing on the wall around the town on all the beaches and the rocks that separates the beach from the walkway so they cannot climb up. On the walkway at the western end of town they sit happily in the shade with the beach users – keeping a lookout under the lifeguard tower with the lifeguards as well. The only general rule around town is to try and stay 2m away from them, but at times this is difficult as they are all over the paths. They would also often come and find you to play in the shallows and it was amusing to see them lie on their backs and sleep in the sun with their heads underwater.

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno 

The town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the Capital of the Galapagos and looks more up market than touristy Santa Cruz. There was tno rubbish laying around and everything was very clean and tidy. The this attention to detail in the many different styles of paving, with the overall cleanliness gave the town a lovely feeling. There was also a huge variety of architecture. Given the variety of construction materials and styles we are sure the building regulations here are either don’t exist or are just ignored.

There are many sculptures around town celebrating the wildlife especially the great frigate bird, the Blue Boobies, Tortorises, Iguanas, Crayfish and more.

Current Interpretation Centre

The visitor interpretation cente was built in 1998 and gives a very good summary of the natural history of the islands and some simple pictures to explain the issues. Some of the interesting points are : 97% of the land is national park, the remaining 3% is designated to population areas. By 2023 the Galapagos Marine Reserve covered 142,759 sqkm, while the Hermanded Reserve will protect another 60,000 sqkm. There are 13 large islands and more than 200 islets and rocks. There are four large currents and a fifth small current which flow past the Galapagos archipelago. All of the endemic flora and fauna originated from central and South America but with human habitation came many introduced species.

Information Sections

The centre deals with the flora and fauna, geology, the history and economic situation in the islands.

The main economic activity is ecotourism and having a port and an airport near the town with daily flights from the mainland has caused conservation challenges including the introduction of the black fly which sucks blood form humans and animals leaving a poison that has caused the death of animals . It has also a lot of guayaba berry and blackberry. Trying to manage the sustainability of the fishing industry has also caused issues.

Due to the intensive use of the highlands of San Cristóbal and the presence of goats and aggressive introduced plants species, many native and endemic plant species have been decimated. Through the use of helicopters and land hunters in the last three years, they have eliminated approximately 3,500 goats on San Cristóbal, with an estimated 3,000 still remaining in the northern half of the island. Some of these hunters were form New Zealand. Their complete elimination is critical for the endangered plant species. New populations of the beautiful Critically Endangered Galápagos Rock Purslane, Calandrinia galapagosa (probably San Cristóbal’s rarest plant), and the Endangered  Lecocarpus darwinii were discovered. Many were under pressure from goats. The population of Calandrinia was fenced in 2003, as were other small populations of the same species in 1992-93. More Calandrinia were found on the north coast in June 2002. 

Vegetation Zones

The vegetation zones on the island are very evident and dictate where various birds and animals are found. These zones and the interaction between them is critical to the ecology of the islands. The early settlers neglected the importance of native vegetation. On The high islands like Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Isabela the vegetation changes from semi dessert to verdant forest depending on the height above sea level. On the low lying islands the arid zone covers the whole island

The vegetation zone changes ont eh Galapagos are very obviousl as you go from sea level up into the hills / volcanoes which we discovered when we took a cycle trip to the lake at the top of the island to el Junco. We were fascinated by the ecology that produced a plant that can collect the mist and coalesce the droplets that will then fall and support the plants underneath. Mangroves we also see in New Zealand but we slo tend to ignore their benefit. Again our tree ferns are similar to those in the Galapagos and provide the same benefits by storing water that can them be used by other plants around them during dry periods.

There are nominally seven vegetation zones. These seven are:

• The Littoral (or Coastal) Zone which extends from the edge of the ocean to around fifty to one hundred miles inland and is populated by plants adapted to salty conditions e.g. .four species of mangrove. Mangroves limit erosion caused by waves and storms, and provide a habitat and nesting places for many bird species, and safe nurseries for young fish, molluscs, shrimps and other species that are crucial links in the Galapagos food chain.
• The Arid Zone is the largest vegetation zone in the archipelago, extending to 300 feet on the wetter, southern sides of the islands, and as high as 1,600 feet on the drier, northern sides. Some of the smaller and lower islands are located entirely within this zone. Three types of endemic cacti dominate the landscape here; lava, candelabra, and prickly pear, the staple diet of land iguanas and giant tortoises.
• The Transition Zone lies between the arid lowlands and the cooler, moister highlands. This zone has the greatest plant diversity among the seven vegetation zones. Small trees and shrubs, including the endemic pega pega and the native hardwood matazarno.
• The Scalesia Zone “the rain forest of the Galapagos.” lies from about 650 to 1,300 feet on the larger islands. It is cooler, moister and more lush than the zones below it. Some of the Scalesia trees found here can grow to over sixty feet tall and are covered in ferns, mosses and orchids. The endemic genus Scalesia, is comprised of fifteen different species of trees found nowhere else on earth. They have been called “the Darwin’s finches of the plant world” because of their remarkable pattern of adaptive radiation. Unfortunately, humans along with introduced pigs, goats and plants have decimated these once great forests.
• The Zanthoxylum (or Brown) Zone is named after the predominant plant, the Zanthoxylum fagara, or “cat’s claw.” It is also called the “brown zone” because the brown lichens that cling to the trees give them a brownish hue. This zone has mostly been destroyed by agriculture, unfortunately.
• Miconia Zone zone starts around 3,200 feet on the islands of Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal. The Miconia shrub, which once carpeted the region, but is now one of the most endangered plants in the archipelago due cattle grazing and the impact of invasive plants. The Miconia robinsoniana can grow to sixteen feet and has purple and pink flowers.
• Finally the Pampa or Fern-Sedge Zone starts above 3,200 feet and consists of ferns, grasses, mosses, lichens and orchids around temporary pools of water and disappear and reappear seasonally based on rainfall. The endemic Galapagos fern tree is the only tree found here is the endemic and can grow to nine feet tall with a trunk that up to to eleven inches in diameter.

We saw the Scalesia on the way up to El Junco and around the lake we could see the plants from the Miconia and the Fern-Sedge Zones. The tall Galapagos islands get a lot of mist due to the cold currents that come past the islands so often in the mornings it is foggy, clearing during the day and then reappearing in the evening. It is these mists or “Gurúa” as the locals say, which provide the water. You will also see that many of our photos have this misty weather appearing over the hills.

New Interpretation Centre

A new interpretation centre is being built with beautiful mosaics at the front entrance. The mosaics are at a much more advanced stage than the building.

From the centre there is a trail leading up to Frigatebird hill which has a colony of magnificent and great frigate birds.

Walk and Cycle El Junco

We all decided that we needed some exercise and wanted to to up to see the lake at the crater, so we hired bicycles from the Canon Bike shop, got two cabs (Utes) up the hill with the bikes on the back and then left them at the start of the trail and went off for a hike. It was early in the morning so the mist covered the hill and initally the lake.

Laguna El Junco has a surface area of 6 ha with a volume around 35 million liters of water. The lake itself sits in a caldera (collapsed cone) of an extinct volcano and is about 300 m wide. It is generally accepted that the lake has been in existence since the end of the last northern ice age. The name El Junco is Spanish for sedge, which is present along the banks of the lake

The lake is in the Miconia Zone, named for the Miconia shrub, which once carpeted the region, but is now one of the most endangered plants in the archipelago due cattle grazing and the impact of invasive plants. The Miconia robinsoniana can grow to sixteen feet and has purple and pink flowers.

Birds

Naturally we cant go anywhere without mentioning the birds. Whenever you stop you can find them. These are the ones we found on this trek.

From the lookout we watched Frigate birds fly out of the mist to land on the lake. These birds generally do not land on water as they have no oil in their feathers and will get waterlogged. These ones however seemed to enjoy the fresh water as part of their preening, briefly landing to wash themselves.

An epic 17km cycle back down the hill saw us split up with Graeme and Craig leading the charge down the hill.. Barb and Hew followed at more leisurely pace and Geordie, as usual, went exploring in the opposite direction. A couple of short uphill sections near the top turned into one long downhill glide with the steepest section being next to a cemetery. We didn’t stop to investigate the graves for over enthusiastic cyclists.

Lunch

Graeme and Craig found a lovely restaurant. just off the main beach. Geordie went off to look at the back streets and Hew and I wandered through town. We later found Graeme and Craig and looking at the menu and after an excellent lunch decided we would come here the following morning for breakfast. Just for a change.

Cove Walk

Hew and I began our walk near the fisherman’s wharf which has the large crayfish seen earlier, and then goes along past the interpretation centre and a docking area where the barges bring in the freight off the visiting supply ships. The ships actually anchor further around in the lee of Frigate Hill. They have a pretty slick system worked out with empty trucks loaded on to the barge which go out to the ship where containers are loaded directly on to them. These return to shore to unload with another pair of empty trucks waiting to repeat the process. Later in the day we were to see the local vehicles driving round town with fresh supplies.

The walk takes you up past a naval sight with an old gun platform, then along to another lookout into the cove below the Frigate Bird Hill, then past Darwins statue. After this point you can either continue up the hill to see the top lookout and frigate bird colonies or go down into the cove for a swim.

Bahia Baquerizo Moreno Muelle

Of course with the heat we chose the swimming option. I had my Gopro with me so could take some photos underwater. At first I got in without it but when I saw the tortoises and fish I had to go back and get it. Meanwhile Hew sat on the large platforms with the families, kids and Sea Lions and waited. There were three platforms and one was dedicated to the Sealions. The clarity in the water was unexpectedly good, as was the fish life. Surprisingly, there was a stone scorpion fish in about 2ft of water very near the platform and a very friendly Turtle.

Short Video of the snorkelling https://youtu.be/V8Ko8C1J0sg

Diving

Kicker Rock or León Dormido, named for its characteristic shape of a sleeping lion. Kicker Rock is the most dramatic of the sites, with its vertical tuff cone, rising almost 150 m straight up out of the ocean. Tuff cones are created when boiling lava encounters a very cold ocean, resulting in an explosion. Erosion has split the rock into two parts, forming a narrow channel that small vessels can pass through. It is a well known diving and snorkelling spot and quite sheltered behind the rock. Unfortunately as with the other sites the visibility was poor.

Unfortunately our high expectations of some great diving in the Galapagos with an earlier than usual arrival of the cold currents. Water temperatures have dropped from 24-25 down to 20 and some of the warmer water animals have moved on. In addition the colder water laden with nutrients and microscopic life had reduced visibility.

There will be a separate blog describing Diving in the Galapagos TBA

Next Blog: Floreana https://kiwiflyingfish.com/2024/06/floreana-a-fascinating-friendly-gem/

Day 2 Volcanoes: Sierra Negra

The next day we decided to go on the volcano tour. On the jetty at 0710 for a departure at 0730. We had organised bikes the night before with the Bike and Surf shop. The owners Junior and Emilie were very helpful and our agent had agreed to take the bikes up while we went on the tour bus.

We arrived at the top with no sign of the agent or the bikes. The guide was ready to depart and said they would be there when we got back. We set off from the entrance to the national park. The first animals we came across were cows. The local farms think it is good grazing so they just let them wander into the park. There are fines but they are never issued!

Background

Around 30 years ago the park removed around 100,000 feral goats donkeys and other beasties off the island. They used NZ hunters with helicopters, followed on the ground with dogs. Given the chequered history of these islands, most of the native vegetation has been destroyed by pests, fire, and eruptions. As you can imagine vegetation was mostly introduced and very scrappy. There are lots of guava trees interspersed with ladder and bracken ferns, the odd tree daisy, and a few natives. This was a disappointment as we were anticipating more native trees and birds.

The Sierra Negra volcano is 1138m asl, is 700,00 years old, and has had 13 eruptions, the last three being in 1979, 2005, and 2018. The tour takes 3 hours over 16km. Because I had hurt my foot and thought I would only do the first hour. We all thought the trek went around the volcano cone but halfway up we discovered that these days it only goes out past the first caldera, onto the second cone, and then back. When we discovered the caldera is 9km by 7km we realised it would have been more than 16km around!

A Foggy Start

The day started foggy on the South side, which is not unusual. It is called the “garúa” that hangs in the air and clings in droplets to the sides of volcanoes. By the time we had done 8km, it had still not cleared. We got to the end of the first volcano then it was downhill to the second larva field. I pulled out and turned back. The boys continued.

When I turned back and tried to take some more photos through the mist of the 110m deep main caldera. The sides are very steep and the caldera itself is 9 x 7.4km across.

At the end of the walk, I took my bike and rode down to the town. It was a very peaceful ride with no boys, no pressure, and few vehicles. The top section is steep and windy with farms on the sides that look well kept, and tidy. There are colourful hedges along the roadside.

The middle section of the ride is fairly flat through long larva fields. The only thing of real items to note about the roads were that they seem to drive faster than the other islands and maybe becasue of this there were wa large number of dead birds on the roads, from Mango finches to Larva herons. There was also far more rubbish on the roadsides in Isabela than the other islands we had been to. At the end of this 24km ride, I was glad to get off the bike and have lunch.

Villamil Beach and Sites

After lunch, I had still not heard from the boys so I decided to set off down the beach to look at the far end.

Flamingos

The first tourist site I came across was the flamingo viewing platform at the end of town on the edge of a saltwater pool in the mangroves. At first sight, they looked artificial. they were so pink and clean and all around them was a shallow muddy pond. The four I saw were all sleeping on one leg and occasionally one might move and do some preening – pick up a mouthful of water and spray it over its back and appear to clean.

The only other bird I saw on the pond was a Pintail.

I decided to continue along the beach to the national park at the far end. The beach has beautiful fine white sand and a huge surf. When you reach the national park boundary the ranger takes your name and then you can cycle on the well-formed track and look at the beaches, larva tunnel, mangroves, sulphur lake, and Wall of Tears.

Beachside Cycle Trail

Lava Tunnel

This lava tunnel is very long as it starts up in the bush with a hole( part of the collapsed roof) then continues into the sea. You can climb down into the tunnel and inside or walk along the top. It is fascinating in how round it is, – just like a pipe, but cracked along the top

Playa del Armour

A lovely small beach surrounded by a lava wall. Ideal for kids and the rocks are covered in marine iguanas. All sunning themselves and ignoring the photographers and visitors.

After I had had a swim I decided that I just wanted to get back to the yacht and have a rest. I had still not heard from the boys so I cycled back into town. Dropped the bike off, walked to the wharf and caught a water taxi back to the yacht. I had a lovely swim and laid down in the cool for a siesta. Just before I finally fell asleep I heard from Hew. They were in a bar on the beach having lunch. All feeling tired and in need of rehydration. The rest is their story.

The Wayward Wanderers

Once you go downhill you have to come up

From the top of the hill at about 100m we walked to the North side of the mountain and eventually out onto a fairly recent lava field. The most recent eruption was in 2018 which lasted about 2 months via 6 different fissure zones. Some of the larva flows merged and ended up in the waters of Elizabeth Bay on the north side. We thought of White Island but there was no such doubt with our guide. He assured us that eruptions only happened on the northern side of the island and the south where the town is will remain untouched. We remain, unbelievers, as the town was built on the edge of a lava field.

2018 Lava Flow ot the North

Once out of the treeline, the weather cleared and we had great views to the north where most of the area is out of bounds and home to land iguanas and other native species. Looking down the lava flows you could see the different eruption flows and small patches of surviving vegetation on ridges.

With views out to sea there was very little evidence of any wind to aid our sailing with departure planned for a few days ahead.

Return to the Top

After peering down various dormant fumaroles and fissures of the northern larva flow we returned to the top of the hill for lunch where we could now see down into the crater.

Possibly a fellow kiwi carried these to the top of the hill….

Downhill

The walk back to the car park the guide pointed out various animals along the way, including those that should not have been there like a feral cat, a rooster, cows etc.

When we got to the end of the track and mounted up our bicycles we were reminded that our knees and other joints no longer enjoy walking downhill as they once did. As we descend into the cloud you are reminded how much the vegetation and wildlife depend on the condensation collected from the clouds to sustain life as rainfall levels are very low. A sophisticated ecosystem with lichen and mosses hanging from the trees to collect water that then dripped onto the ground. This was very evident under the bigger native trees with a substantial canopy providing a noticeably damp area underneath.

The Cycle Down

The bicycle hire shop had repeatedly warned us about the steep descent and slippery roads and to be careful. The local scotch mist, Garua, had thickened since earlier and raincoats were the order of the day as it was noticeably damp and much cooler. Each of our bikes was named but Geordie felt he needed an extra hint about the side of the road he should be on here.

The road was damp with patches of cow and horse poo to keep us on our toes for the first 5-6km as we negotiated the steeper windy section. To add to the adventure horses and cattle appeared out of the mist from time to time, much less concerned than us

The trip down to the flats took as through an area of cultivated land with plantations of bananas, plantain and cassava being grown in rich red fertile volcanic soil. Completely different to the other side of the island.

Fencing and Larva Flats

An interesting feature of the Galapagos has been the local approach to fencing and fence posts. Most fence lines use fresh tree branches as posts which generally sprout and start to grow. This grow your own fence post seems very sustainable but does come at the cost of having to trim the “post”on a regular basis. Barbed wire remains the other component of the fence stapled to the tree posts. These would not win an award at the field day fencing competition but are very effective on land with scarce resources.

Once down on the flats the landscape reverted to lava fields with scrubby sparse vegetation and our glorious downhill cycle became a bit of a grind for the final few kilometers. Isabela has noticably more rubbish lying around than the other islands reinforcing our feeling the island population is more focused on the tourist dollar rather than conservation.

Rehydration

After a 17km walk and a 25km cycle a refreshment stop was necessary to rehydrate and contemplate the next step of our tryathalon. One option was to complete the swim leg out to the boat the consensus was we were a little tired for that. However after the restorative powers of discounted beers Craig suggested a quick ride out to the Wall of Tears, a short 6km ride away along the foreshore before and then an afternoon siesta back on the boat.

How foolish were we, riding bicycles in soft sand is very difficult and the Wall of Tears we learned from exeprience is 60m above sea level. 6 short kilometers turned into nearly an hour of pushing bicycles through sand and struggling up hills to get there. Graeme nearly collapsed and Hew was getting wobbly, Craig as the youngest claimed he was fine!!

Wall of tears

Between 1946 and 1959 Isabela was a penal colony with a reputation for the abuse of power and the death of many prisoners. The only remaining evidence is the “Wall of Tears” a wall built to keep the prisoners occupied but for no other reason. At around 60 metres long and 10 high in places it is a big structure.

It remains a monument to mans inhumanity to man.

Beer Burgers and Bed

The cycle back to a bar was much easier, cycling downhill always is. After returning the bikes we were buggered so the only things remaining were beer, burgers and bed. Geordie finally turned up, we had lost him earlier in the day, a fairly commmon occurence. He had been in search of Flamingos as he had never seen one, had he been with us in the bar we could have pointed a pair out as they flew past.

A long day was completed walking back to the pier and getting the locals there to find the water taxi man to take us home. The water taxis only operate on Isabela until 9pm and it was after 8.30pm.

Geordie & Birds

Geordie spent considerable time chasing the birds on the trip – mostly the feathered kind. His photos needed a section devoted just to these and the time he put into getting the right photo has resulted in some spectacular shots.

As you can see from the last photo he often got back late, especially on the last night when the bike shop was texting me trying to find him, and their bike and we knew he was getting close to missing the water taxi shut-off time. As luck would have it he had managed to get a lift with the navy returning to their supply ship anchored in the bay. He was lucky to get any dinner!

We were so late after we got through the canal, that we found an anchoring spot the first night we ate onboard but by the second night everyone was ready for a good dinner!

The following day was spent shopping for more stores. Geordie was particularly taken by the size of the T-bone steaks! Then he and Craig found the perfect spot under the cooling system for the flowers – the locals must have wondered what they were up to. The boys are still coming to terms with the heat.

We took the taxi back to the yacht but during the unloading one of the trolleys managed to escape the trolley driver – sadly we were down one bottle of wine!!

After an exhausting day of shopping, it was off to try another bar to recuperate.

The next day was laundry day but after a fine morning it was also very wet – maybe the sign of the wet season coming. We knew that many people in Panama would be particularly glad of the rain. The water in the marina went up about a meter between the rain and the high tide. We were back in the Pacific with tides (1.5 -2.5m) after being in the Mediterranean and Caribbean with very small tides( 10-60cm).

Tortuga Island

We could not get anything done over the weekend so we went to Tortuga Island for a couple of nights – fumigation and a hull inspection were booked for check out on Monday. The island is a favourite weekend day stop for locals, so it was very busy. It has been well laid out in the past and has had quite a lot of money spent on it, but now it is looking run down in many areas. The spit between the main and smaller island is covered over at high tide so many visitors leave after the tide comes in. Most of the food stalls and shops are temporary structures.

We returned to the marina early Monday morning to finalise our checkout from Panama and get final clearances for entry to Galapagos. Craig and Hew went off in an Uber to track down something to fix a small hydraulic leak in the steering, Geordie and Graeme were dispatched to the supermarket for last-minute supplies and Captain Barb dealt with Officialdom and the fumigation man. By late afternoon we were ready to leave but it was so late we decided just to go back to Tortuga for the night, a much more pleasant place than a dirty marina with an unpleasant surge jerking the boat around.

23 April Sunny Day, Fish and Spinnaker ride

We set off early in the morning with the code zero up and very light winds. Geordie soon had two lines out and some time later he caught two tuna at the same time.

Just after lunchtime, the spinnaker went up. It was great to have it flying again and dragging us along in the light weather. Shortly before we had the spinnaker up we had seen a small pod of dolphins – the first since we left Trinidad. Immediately before nightfall, we saw a solo dolphin with two large remoras attached – a very strange sight.

We all had dinner and then discussed taking the spinnaker down. The wind had got up and we decided it was a little dodgy to leave it up with inexperienced crew on watch. Surfing at +15 knots seemed a little extreme on the first night with the breeze increasing.

So we got ready and down it came. We ran the motors to take the wind out of the spinnaker as we had no mainsail up. Unfortunately at some stage in the process, one sheet went overboard and into the starboard engine, and then the port sheet went overboard and into the port engine. Two engines out and two short sheets. With no motors and we would have to leave it until the morning to sort it out. Put up the main and Genoa again.

24 April Cleared Props

In the early morning, the breeze eased with a full moon. Lovely sailing but very slow. After daylight, we found a spare sheet and raised the spinnaker again on the spare and the longer of the now short sheets. Both props were trailing parts of the sheets that had tangled in them the night before.

The wind eased more and after some discussion, we dropped the spinnaker – really easy in daylight – and slowly drifted!! Barb, ever looking for an opportunity for a swim, leapt over and one rope came out of the port engine easily. Then Geordie dived in and helped with the starboard engine which was much more entangled. Craig felt he was missing out so also dived in for a mid-ocean swim.

Finally, with the props free and working with no damage, the swimmers back on board, and we were off again under the spinnaker. By the end of the day, we were down to a Code zero and motoring on one engine. The forecast gave a motoring zone of 200nm as we headed into the doldrums.

25 April Rain

By the early morning of the third day, it was pouring rain. Gusty and very wet. One little bird, a white collared swift came and landed on the back rail and stayed for a couple of hours.

At nightfall we had three Boobys riding on the front of the yacht. One on each seat and one on the bowsprit. Overnight we gained another 3 or 4. They did not seem phased by the pitching and rolling although they had to make several attempts at landing.

26 April

At sunrise the wind was slowly increasing, when we decided to put the sails back up our hitchhikers left. Soon we had one reef on the main and hard on the wind with a cloud line behind us. The sea was getting very rough. Barb, of course, decided to cook in the middle of this with Afghans, Banana Cake, Ginger Crunch, and muesli all being constructed while the boat pitched about.

Cooking efforts on the voyage also extended to the rest of the crew with Craig and Hew experimenting with bread recipes, pastry being made as we had been unable to buy any, and Geordie providing a variety of sashimi and ceviche with his fish catching. We continue to dine well!

By nightfall, we had more Boobies on board and the forecast was looking like we should soon be out of the rain.

27 April More Hitch Hikers

By daylight, we were heading 50 deg off course, and running one engine to push us up, while waiting for the wind to go more east – a very frustrating day. The forecast promised it would happen but it was very slow waiting for the change to happen.

Late afternoon the wind started to swing to the east and we began to head in the right direction at last.

28 April Clean Up

The next day was a big clean-up to remove the Boobie poo and then drying out the spinnaker and the code zero which we had tied on deck.

29th April Early Morning Arrival In The Dark

Early morning we were slowly sailing along the coast with large motorboats coming from all directions. We arrived in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz just before daybreak. The anchorage appeared quite crowded in the dark and we had a couple of attempts at anchoring before getting a good grip on the bottom.

The anchor inspection crew dived on the anchor when daylight arrived to find it wedged between a couple of rocks and looking secure so we could relax. Several local cruise boats had arrived just after us so we felt a little surrounded and shortly after sunrise an Australian boat Qi arrived as well, we had crossed paths with them a couple of times on the voyage from Panama.

We had already been given a check-in time for the officials of 1100. They were there about 1030, but we were surprised at the number of “officials”. After supplying water and ginger crunch and an in depth tour around the boat for about 3 of them, an inspection of the major first aid kit, and the filling in of many forms, they went away happy and we had our permits.

The rest of the day we just relaxed and looked at the activity around us.

Next Blog: Santa Cruz, Galapagos