Leaving the Caribbean and heading across the Pacific, we were looking forward to reaching the boat-friendly shores of New Zealand. We had planned a list of repairs, maintenance and boat-improvement projects, knowing that New Zealand had a knowledgeable marine industry. Most boat items we required were available off the shelf. This was a far cry from what we had been able to access.  Additionally, we planned to temporarily import Eleuthera into New Zealand, meaning the boat repairs would be exempt from GST.

Boat maintenance occupies nearly 50% of normal cruising life, with both planned and mostly unplanned jobs.  Every boat has a “To Do” list, and inevitably, many things never make it to the top of the list.  The most satisfactory job is the unplanned task, which is completed easily. This is then added to the list and immediately crossed off – feels like progress.  Boat improvement remains a low priority, with repairs taking precedence.

Also, cruising in relatively remote locations means both parts and expertise are generally expensive and difficult to come by.  Visiting friends become couriers bringing an array of parts and spares with them. The DIY approach, aided by YouTube videos and Google searches, means most repairs can be sorted.  Fellow cruisers are also a source of information and often specialist tools if required. There aren’t many problems which haven’t been solved before.

We arrived in New Zealand at the end of October 2024. We had been in contact with a number of suppliers about the big project to replace the refrigeration on the boat.  Eleuthera was originally fitted with a large Fridge and Freezer powered by water cooled 240v compressors.  These were now 20 years old, and while we had tried to upgrade them along the way, but they were passed their use-by date.  On the trip down from Tonga we had had some electrical problems in the 240v switchboard, so that also made the upgrade list,  along with a raft of other small projects.

Little did we realise that this would turn into nearly 6 months of continuous work. We were trying to get the boat ready to depart New Zealand for French Polynesia and were continuously delayed.

Switchboard Upgrade

On arrival at Marsden Cove https://marsdencovemarina.co.nz/, we engaged a local electrician to replace the entire 240V switchboard. The old one seemed to have some electrical damage, and also the enclosures were damaged. 

Two new enclosures and 28 new circuit breakers later, we were able to get an NZ Electrical Warrant of Fitness. We could then plug into the shore power.  In the process, we discovered another faulty contactor, which was also replaced.

Victron Inverter Chargers

Eleuthera has 2 Victron 5Kw Quattro inverter chargers and one of these had failed with suspected saltwater damage.  Removing the offending unit it was sent off Lusty and Blundell for repair.  Reports came back that a circuit board had failed and needed to be replaced.  The good news was, they were in stock. As we had purchased them new in Malta in 2021 they should be under the 5 year warranty.

This relief was short-lived. We discovered that Victron offer a warranty from the date of manufacture, not the date of purchase. Apparently, these units were 5 years old when we purchased them.  Makes you realise the benefits of NZ consumer laws, where warranties are from the date of purchase.

With the unit re-installed everything came back online. However, for no apparent reason the unit was to fail again twice more.  Luckily these repairs  were under warranty as it was the same circuit board failing each time. 3^rd time lucky the system has come right and we can only assume a bad batch of circuit boards.

Anchor Winch

One of the fears when cruising is the anchor winch failing and having to hoist the anchor by hand.  Eleuthera carries 140m of 12mm chain and a 50kg anchor which has a combined weight in excess of 500kg.  Anchoring in 20-25m deep water meant we often had +100m of chain out so a reliable winch is important.

We had come across several boats whose winches had failed for various reasons which severely limited their cruising options.  A full service of our winch was a priority before we had a problem.  With new bearings, motor brushes, oil changed and serviced we should be good for the next few years. We also now carry a range of essential spares for the winch.

Hull Repairs

When we were in the Galapagos, one of the crew noticed some small hairline cracks in the starboard hull. These were above the water line in the area of the main beam.  We did a major inspection of this area, both inside and out to check there was no structural damage. We then marked the ends of the cracks but found that no further movement occurred.

As a boatyard job this was also on the list when we hauled out in March 2025.  After grinding the damaged area back it became apparent that the damage was largely cosmetic. The crack had occurred on a join in the original layup of the hull.  The repair, now a couple of thousand miles old, has held with no other issues.

Rudder Bearings.

We had replaced the port lower rudder bearing housing in Trinidad a couple of years earlier. We were unable to get access to the starboard one, because the fridge compressors impeded access.  With the fridge upgrade and removal of these compressors came the opportunity to replace the starboard one.

Once again a boatyard job with parts coming direct from France through International Boat Spares.  After much dusty cutting and grinding, the old housing was removed from the hull. Following some repairs a new lower housing, the bearing was fitted. Luckily, we had the services of Prevek an excellent fibreglass guy to help.

Fridge Upgrade

All of the fridges were due for replacement when we were in the boatyard in Whangarei.  The plan was to remove the old built-in units and replace them with off-the-shelf units. This initially seemed a straightforward job.

As with all boat jobs, reality was slightly different.  The door on the galley fridge had fallen off during some bad weather in the Mediterranean. It had then been leaking for some time. Consequently,  some of the cabinetry had gone rotten and would also need replacing before the new units could be installed.

The large fridge and freezer had been built into the boat. This construction required nearly a week to demolish the cabinets and remove the insulation. This was followed by the removal of the compressors and other plumbing and wiring.  These had also been leaking water and the floor and surrounding wood work had also rotted away.

With big jobs like this nowhere on the yacht is tidy.

As part of the deal with the boatyard, we had advised them some months earlier that we would need a boatbuilder/cabinetmaker to help with this project.  We followed up when we arrived in New Zealand and they looked surprised. They seemed to have no memory of previous conversations despite the emails.  After a few days we were finally allocated a carpenter. He seemed to know what he was doing, although, the pace of activity caused us to name him “Lightning”.

As the new fridge units are smaller in volume than the old ones we have also installed a fridge/freezer unit under the seat at the dining table.  This was a very tight fit and with few installation instructions it was trial and error.  The first attempt at plywood lids was not successful so the second version has insulated fibreglass ones which seem more successful.

With close supervision, new cabinetry was constructed for the fridge unit. These are modular Isotherm units off the shelf. They only required electrical connections and ventilation as they are air-cooled.  The old units were water-cooled, so we also took the opportunity to remove the through-hull water intakes for these.  Eleuthera now has only 13 through-hull fittings below the waterline!

The new fridges draw in a total around 20A if they are all running at once. The old 240V system could draw in excess of 80A from the batteries.  No longer having water cooled compressors, and the maintenance associated with this, and significantly lowered the energy consumption. The new refrigeration is a great success.

New Oven

An unexpected upgrade came about when Hew cleaned the existing oven. Proudly standing back from a sparkling clean appliance, he discovered it no longer worked.  Given it was over 15 years old, a trip to Harvey Norman saw us return with a new oven. This was installed into the existing space with only minor modifications.  We were beginning to wonder what else could go wrong.

Generator Upgrades and Maintenance

Our trusty Kohler generator has run over 10,000 hours and is an integral part of running the boat charging batteries, powering the watermaker, dive tank compressor and also the oven and washing machine.  While it has been very reliable we thought it deserved a New Zealand birthday.

Subsequently, we have replaced the engine mounts, the starter motor, and some pipework. We have also serviced the injectors and installed an exhaust blower in the generator space to keep the whole system cooler.

Now we have expanded our solar array and changed to Lithium batteries we expect we will run the generator less for battery charging which should see the annual running time drop from around 8-900 to 4-500 hours.

Solar Panel Upgrades

We have had two Rutland wind generators on the stern doing their thing since we have owned Eleuthera .  These  both failed on our trip from Tonga to New Zealand and on inspection needed major repairs if we were to retain them.  We decided instead to install additional solar panels using the wind generator poles to mount them on the stern. The excellent stainless framework was done by Terry at Alloy Stainless & Marine Ltd https://asmltd.co.nz/.

A new frame was fabricated in Whangarei and craned into place.  Aesthetically an improvement over the wind generators as well as providing sun protection for the dinghy. 1000w of silent solar replaced  400w of sometimes noisy wind generator for about the same cost as repairing the wind generators.

Lithium Batteries

While installing the new solar panels and maintaining the generator we discovered that one of our two banks of batteries had failed and the other bank was failing.  All of this about the time we were due to depart New Zealand meant we had to make some quick decisions.  Since purchasing Eleuthera we have been upgrading the battery charging and control systems expecting that one day we would move to Lithium batteries.

To this end we had installed Victron Quattro inverter chargers, Victron MPPT solar controllers and a Cerbo to manage it all in Malta in 2021.  The next step was an upgrade to the engine alternators when we installed Balmar 24V 160A alternators with Wakespeed regulators and DC to DC chargers in St Martin in 2023.  These systems could charge Lithium batteries with relatively simple changes to the software setup.

The price of Lithium batteries has come down dramatically over the past few years and now they are similarly priced to equivalent capacity AGM batteries.  On the basis of some discussions at the Auckland Boat Show earlier in the year we decided to install Juice batteries from Enertech in Auckland as they comply with the Australian and NZ standards and seemed to have a good reputation. 

So, it was out with 8 x  65kg  12v AGM batteries and in with 3 x 35kg 24v Juice batteries from Enertec Marine https://enertecmarine.co.nz/, a weight reduction of 400kg.  The new batteries fitted into the existing battery trays but required new cables and fuses to connect them all into the existing system.  All of this took about a week and some back and forth with the suppliers to get it all to connect up to the Victron Cerbo.  With some programming changes on the charging profiles, we were good to go. The electrical work was done by Paul Watson at Watto Electrical https://www.wattos.co.nz/

What a difference these batteries make.  With the same installed capacity of 780Ah we can now use 80% of the capacity rather than 40% with the AGM’s.  Charging rates are hugely faster with no tapering in charge rates that you get with AGM’s.  Typically we use about 25% of our battery capacity overnight running refrigeration, lighting, internet and other things.  With the old batteries we had to charge them fully at the end of each day to get through the night.  Now we just check that they are at 70% or better and  our increased solar array seems to easily charge everything unless it is raining and cloudy.

Watermaker

Our watermaker runs on 240v and makes around 160l per hour.  It is a simple component system and has reliably produced water for over 1000 hours (160t of water!).  To give it a birthday we have replaced all the high pressure lines and fittings with stainless steel ones and also installed a new membrane housing as the end caps were leaking.  While we only needed new end caps we were fortunate to obtain a whole new housing very cheaply which we have fitted in its place.  With the oil changed in the high pressure pump we should be good for another 1000 hours at least.

Staunchion Bases

Eleuthera was originally fitted with cast aluminium staunchion bases bolted to the deck with a stainless steel bolt and fitted with a stainless steel upright, an electrolysis nightmare. They were always a bit suspect and when we casually pulled one out of the deck with a spinnaker sheet it was obvious that corrosion was a real problem.

The solution was to fabricate stainless steel bases which would mount in the same holes and fit the same uprights.  We had these made locally and, when in the boatyard, we changed them over.  Detaching the old bases from the boat was an interesting investigation into some very tight spaces unseen since Eleuthera was new. With double jointed wrists and the usual bodily contortions we managed to remove the old bases. The adventure including dropping a spanner behind a wall which was only retrievable with a strong magnet.

The uprights were corroded into the bases so several hours were spent carefully cutting away the aluminium before they could be reused. The new bases were fitted  after a few fibreglass repairs on some old damage and we feel a lot more confident in the whole system.  The horizontal wires were also replaced at the same time as the old ones had some burrs and were showing signs of corrosion.

Main Engine Upgrades

Our main engines are Nanni diesels based on the Toyota 1KZT engine commonly used in Hilux and Landcruiser.  They have run over 5000 hours each and well maintained they have a very long life and we expect they will run for many years yet.

We installed catch tanks on the rocker cover breathers  to try and reduce any chance of excess oil fuelling the engines and causing them to run away uncontrollably.  We also serviced the injectors and the engines now run much more smoothly with almost no visible exhaust smoke.

Through Hull Fittings and Other Openings

We had replaced all the underwater through hull fittings in Sicily with TruDesign  composite ones.  Unfortunately, the installation was not well done and at least one had developed a small leak in our travels and, while not serious, was irritating. Having bilge pump alarms going off daily is never a good thing.

‘While out of the water in the boatyard we took the opportunity to remove and reseal the main inlets in each hull which has solved the problem.

Also under the bridge deck were 2 scuppers one of which was the air intake into the aft locker where they main engines draw their air from.  The other is the scupper drain immediately before the step down into the cabin.  The problem with these is, in a following sea, water tended come up the scuppers with the result that the aft locker was damp and salty and unexpected spurts of water would come out of the cockpit drain.

The solution was to close off the underside vents into the aft locker and fit vents above deck from the cockpit instead.  The locker and engines now get clean dry air rather than damp salty stuff.

The unexpected shower from the cockpit drain has been eliminated by fitting a baffle which allows free draining from above but prevents water coming up from underneath.

Safety Gear Upgrades

As part of gaining our Offshore Vessel Certificate  we have had to update the safety equipment onboard.  New fire extinguishers, gas alarms and an electric solenoid on the gas bottle were fitted inside the boat. 

Our 10 man Zodiac  liferaft last serviced in Sicily was 20 years old and no longer serviceable so a new 10 man raft was sourced locally.  The container is much larger than the old one a deck mounting system had to be invented and installed. We continue to carry the old one as well.

Barb got busy on her new sewing machine and made a cover for the new liferaft, a new bag for the man overboard retrieval system, and also a bag for the heaving line quoit.  Our safety equipment onboard is now up to date and current.

Barb can now say she used the sewing machine for real yacht jobs before she got distracted on other items, such as patchwork cushions and embroidery – see later blog. A special thanks to Sue at Country Dawn Quilting https://www.facebook.com/countrydawnquilting/who not only lent me a machine to do the first bag but has continually provided extra help and advice on all sorts of jobs.

Interior Upgrades

Eleuthera has large and comfortable beds with inner spring mattresses on wooden slats.  The mattresses all needed replacing so we ordered new ones from Brownies in Auckland who came and measured up the beds and made us very comfortable new ones. 

Somewhere in our travels the TV lifting mechanism had failed and needed replacing and the TV itself was not coping very well in the salt air environment on board.  We obtained a new lifting mechanism and purchased a new Smart TV and with the assistance of a young German traveller onboard installed a much improved method of mounting the TV.  With Starlink onboard Netflix, SKY Sport, YouTube etc are freely available wherever we go.

Starlink has become a basic necessity of cruising and we have upgraded our connection with Dishy now mounted with the new solar panels and the system is now powered from the DC side of the boat which reduces the power consumption by around 40%.  Additionally we carry a whole other unit as a back up in case the one we have fails.  We now use Starlink for navigation and communications when at sea and for all internet access when at anchor.

Such is the stability of large catamarans we had managed to sail perhaps 30,000 miles in Eleuthera with the microwave, coffee machine and toaster sitting on the bench with no restraints.  However sailing to and from New Zealand proved to be a different matter and all of the above became prone to escaping.  Needless to say we now have much more seaman like fiddles to contain these things in the future.

Saloon Lockers

The storage lockers under the seats in the saloon had always seemed a little suspect with some poor fibreglass repairs.  After consulting Prevek the expert who had helped with the rudder bearings we decided to fix things properly.  Hew spent a couple of days removing the water pump and cutting away the old repairs in preparation for Prevek to come and repair and reseal everything. 

As this was going to be a dusty job and the water pump was removed.  We organised for Prevek to come when we were going to be off the boat for a few days.  Prevek was a very tidy worker, he carefully built a plastic tent over the work area, then sealing himself inside with grinders, sanders and the vacuum cleaner, he got to work.  Unfortunately, the space he was working in had gaps into the rest of the boat.  Having vacuumed everything up inside his tent, he emerged to find the rest of the interior covered in fibreglass dust, which took him a whole day to clean up.

Autohelm Redundancy

Eleuthera’s steering system is hydraulic with the wheel connected directly to a pump and below this in the system is an electric pump controlled by the autopilot. Normal cruising has the autopilot engaged +90% of the time.

The original pump failed while sailing from Tonga to New Zealand and we replaced this with a new pump as well as replacing the leaky manual bypass valves when we arrived in New Zealand.  Expecting this to be long term solution we had the original pump rebuilt and carried it as a spare just in case there was a problem in the future.

Unfortunately, the new pump failed after less than 200 hours and on our abortive trip to French Polynesia https://kiwiflyingfish.com/2025/12/eleuthera-draws-parrot-fish-in-the-pacific-a-1500nm-voyage/ we had to make do with manual steering.  While we carried a spare pump, it is not practical to try and change a pump at sea because the steering system has to be disconnected.  Additionally, the original  location of the pump made servicing or replacement very difficult.

Having had the new pump replaced under warranty we decided to install 2 pumps in parallel with the ability to switch between the them copying an installation on friends boat.  Having 2 pumps plumbed in permanently gives built in redundancy and the process of changing between the two is a simple electrical switch.  The pumps were also moved to a more accessible location and new hydraulic lines made to connect them up.

Dinghy Upgrades

Having been cruising for some years in locations with very small tidal ranges we were unprepared for New Zealand’s 2.5 metre tides.  Our dinghy is a 4m aluminium rib with a 30hp outboard and while relatively light for its size still weighs around 200kg.  With any less than 4 crew it is very difficult to drag it up or down a beach.  It is great for dinghy docks, longer trips and as a dive tender  but having been caught out a couple of times we needed a solution.

We now carry a second dinghy which with the outboard weighs less than 50kg and has fold down wheels.  3hp doesn’t go very fast but for shorter distances it is great and is easily dragged up the beach.  When offshore the dingy deflates into a bag and the outboard goes into a locker.

While 30hp on a 4m dinghy may sound powerful it is a step down from our original tender which while much heavier had a 50hp outboard and would get on the plane pretty much regardless of the load.  Not so the 30hp version so we are experimenting with different pitch propellors to try and improve performance in this area.

 This gives you an overview of all our activities though

I am sure we have missed some out. For sure, there will be more in the future, but hopefully no big items in the short term. Not only do we need a rest, but our bank account does as well!!

Next Blog: Winter in Whangarei

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/

A Little History

Floreana is named in honour of the first president of Ecuador but was known by the English as Charles Island. Whalers and other early visitors to the Galapagos visited regularly as was one of the few islands with a fresh water source. Whalers also kept a wooden barrel in Post Office Bay so that letters could be left there and picked up by passing ships heading home to Europe or United States. A replica of the barrel remains and it is still possible to post a letter (without a stamp) and visitors sift through the letters and still deliver to various parts of the world.

Amongst other disasters the island was set on fire in 1820 by a crewman off a whaling ship. The fire reportedly burned almost all the vegetation and no doubt killed much of the wildlife. In 1835 Darwin visited on the Beagle but by then most of the landscape had been altered by the fire.

Early Settlers

Floreana is famous in its history with three mysterious disappearances in the 1930s. There are several history books about the island but they all have a different versions of events. All stories involve a German baroness and her two lovers and who came to the island in the 1930’s to establish an upmarket hotel for rich tourists. A little ahead of her time all that eventuated was a tin roofed shack. They upset the other locals by taking the water supply and she and her lovers mysteriously disappeared. Ritter, an earlier settler, was an obvious suspect for the disappearances as he was regarded as bit weird but ultimately he disappeared as well and shortly after his partner departed the island.

More information on the area they lived in is under the Tour section Larva Gullies and Pirates Cave – Asilo de la Paz

Arrival and the landscape

Floreana is one of the oldest islands in the Galapagos and is the southernmost island. There are over 50 scoria cones onshore and 6 tuff cones offshore making the he landscape looks like the Auckland region in New Zealand. The oldest flows are on the northern end of the island, while the youngest (26,000 years) are on the southern end. Cerro Pajas is the tallest (640m) inactive volcano on the island, and is the origin of the largest lava flow (272,000 yrs).

The rugged coastline is mostly larva interspersed with a few sand beaches.

Puerto Velazco Ibarra

The main port is Perto Velazco Ibarra which is also the site of the only town.

Unexpected Dinner Invitation

We arrived late in the day and immediately got an invitation to a spit-roasted pig at the local bar and a mother’s day party at the school. As it was getting dark we quickly changed clothes, grabbed some drinks, made a salad, and called the water taxi with little knowledge of where we were headed. After a quick look at google maps while on the yacht we knew that after landing we had to just go right to get to the bar. Not easy in the dark with no streetlights. We missed the local track and went slightly further inland, nthen we found a local to give us directions and found the Black Beach House and bar. https://www.booking.com/hotel/ec/black-beach-house.es.html

The invitation had originated from the yacht Emma whose owners were Italian and they had 5 on board. They had been anchored next to us in Santa Cruz. They had obtained the piglet while on a tour of the island and when it arrived they decided they had too much food so should invite others. . The bar was happy for them to use the facilities as long as we purchased a few drinks. The boys drank beer and I had one of their Mojitos with local mint and local limes, the best I have had in months. We had a beautiful dinner of roast pork with Geordie helping to cook and carve the meat.

After the dinner we needed to get back to the yacht because the water taxi man had told us that he was going to the party that night and would not be available after 9pm. We had his number but were wondering how to get hold of him.

Mothers Day Party

As we walked past the Mothers Day party – we saw our barman (and future guide) – Rony who spoke excellent English and asked him how to find the taxi man. He pointed him out in the line of men getting their dinner and we arranged 930. So we sat on the men’s side of the party and watched for half an hour.

The community has about one dinner per month. This one was Mother’s Day so the fathers cooked and the mothers sat at the tables in the centre of the area. On Father’s Day, the mothers cook and the men are seated in the centre. Every person on the island was there for the party. It was great to see. Noticeably there were few teenagers present as most are all away at school or university, and those in their 20s-30s who had mostly gone to other islands for work.

Visitors

The next morning we awoke to find more friends onboard, one on the front and two on the back boards. A Larva Heron had decided that the code 0 sheets were a good place to stay, Two seals had also climbed on board one on each side but both were very wary and immediately jumped off when approached.

After breakfast and swimming, we headed into town for a local tour. To great us on the pier were the local Pelicans.

Marine Iguanas

Also right on the landing area around the pier are several marine iguanas. These turn bright red during the mating season then slowly lose their colour until they are black during the breeding season. At the time we were there the red was still apparent but fading. These were the largest marine iguanas we had seen and completely ignored us. We had only seen the red colouring here – in San Cristobal they all seemed uniformly black.

Floreana Tour

Present Day

Our guide Rony was a great guide and a great source of general information about the island as it presently functions. https://www.facebook.com/p/Floreana-Island_Gala%CC%81pagos-100064159900047/?locale=es_LA The top of the island is 400 m. and there are only about 150 people with 2 cars and two buses to get around. Everyone else uses motor bikes. The cars are shared by the community and to use them you need to book them in advance. There is no daily ferry so the locals travel on the cruise boats that come down nearly daily from Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. A supply ship calls twice a month with supplies and fuel from Ecuador.

There are six restaurants and seven homestay/ hotels all run by families plus are two stores, one doctor, one dentist and one assistant. One fisherman supplies all the restaurants and families. They grow almost all the food they need on the island. There are several farms and two cooperatives one pig farm and another producing eggs. The cooperatives are trying to supply the local cruise ships as a way of expanding the economy. 10% of the power is solar and the rest is diesel. There is a small desalinator plant and one source of natural water on the island.

No one on the island caught Covid but when they opened up again there was a few that came in with Covid.

Giant Land Tortoises

Thousands of tortoises were taken by whalers on ships as food from the Galapagos. Apparently tortoise can live for months without food or water, so they were taken on board ships and stacked on top of each other in the holds as a “fresh” food supply. This “harvest” of tortoise coupled with the fire in 1820 led to them being extinct on Floreana.

Our guide Rony took us up to the highlands in one of the utes to where tortoise have been reintroduced. The original giant tortoises of Floreana are extinct but from phylogenic DNA analysis, nine descendants of Floreana tortoises have been identified in the captive population of the Fausto Llerena breeding center in Santa Cruz. These animals have come from Wolf island and it is thought that whalers must have released some of the Floreana tortoise there.

This has allowed the possibility of re-establishing the species through selective breeding based on these hybrid animals. The hybrid animals are genetically 80% Floreana and the other 20% is from tortoises of other islands. Currently, 19 have been introduced and are now 12 years old. Tortoises can be reintroduced after 6 years old when they are large enough that the rats will no longer attack them. They are in the current enclosure until later this year when they will be set free to roam around the island. They are the only tortoise breeding place that feeds tortoises.

As part of this program to reintroduce native animals back to the island there is and extensive rat trapping and feral cat elimination program on the island. Rat bait stations are everywhere and the hope is that many of the cats will die from eating “poisoned ” rats. We imagine efforts to get rid of the cats will need to get a little more direct.

Larva Gullies and Pirates Cave – Asilo de la Paz

As the only island with a permanent water supply from a spring, the island was a likely place for settlement. The spring is located in the highlands and was where the first permanent settlers lived. It still flows today and is a significant part of the island water supply.The earliest whalers and pirates visiting the islands sourced water from this spring.

A permanent population did not arrive on the island until the late 1920’s. In 1929 Friedrich Ritter and Dore Staruch arrived from Germany and letters home encouraged others to follow

The Wittmer family arrived in 1932 from Germany with one son and another was born in the cave in which they first lived, the first person known to have been born in the Galapagos. Descendants still live on Floreana and the other islands and the Wittmer name is associated with various enterprises on the islands.

Later in 1932 Baroness von Wagner Bosquet arrived with her 2 lovers and upset visions of utopia.

Initially they lived in caves and gullies nearby the spring. The rock is quite soft and you can still see the remnants of the early dwellings. Later dwellings were built nearby as the settlement grew.

The farm remains today but we did not get to visit it, just look down from above. The area is very lush and grows all sorts of fruit and vegetables.

Birds

All the photos below were taken around the water source for the farm and island. The little pale yellow warblers loved the mud below the spring. The photos of the finches and dark yellow warler were on the tracks close by.

The Farm

We visited a local cooperative farm growing a range of crops including oranges, pineapples, cassava, bananas and plantain. Our guide on the farm was Max Friere, our agent for the island and the former community leader, a position now held by his wife. The first thing he did when we arrived was offer us some of his oranges to drink. They were perfect.

As an attempt to expand the island economy two cooperative ventures have been established with objective of supplying food to visitors on the many local cruise ships operating on the Galapagos. Historically all the food for these operations has been imported from Ecuador.

This farm has established a piggery with a boar and a number of sows raising piglets and initoal results have been encouraging. This island differs from the others with its small population and an apparent willingness to work together.

We departed the farm with a generous gift of food including oranges, bananas and cassava

Restaurant

Our tour of the island included lunch at a restaurant which unsurprisingly was run by Max’s wife and her daughter. Restaurants only seem to open if they have bookings and tend to share their opening times amongst each other so only one operates at a time. The construction of the restaurant was fascinating with all sorts of timber used, some polished and carved and some plain. The also run a hotel both are called Lecocarpus named after the native Floreana Daisy.

A three course meal ensued with including cassava chips and a delicious desert of cheese cake and tiramisu. Far more andm far better than we were expecting.

The whole island is very tidy with no rubbish anywhere. Just over the road form the restaurant you can see the recycling bins.

Loberia Beach

The next part of the tour was off to Loberia beach for a swim and a snorkel. As all tours require a guide on the island, this part of the journey was delegated to Max’s grandfather. A short bus ride through the village and a very slow walk later we arrived at a cute beach for a swim.

The water temperature was brisk so swims were short and after slowly walking back with granddad who had gone to sleep in the shade. We finally arrived at the jetty and main street. Here we posted our past cards in the replica post barrell and will await to see if they get to their destination in New Zealand. We had missed taking a photo so this photo is care of Jan Viajera.

Time to return to the yacht and another lovely sunset.

Departure from Floreana Down the Coast

The Galapagos Officials only permit you to go to four islands in the yacht and only to the four designated anchorages. Large cruise boats that anchor in other areas all have to have a national park guide on board. We did consider enquiring about a yacht guide but in the end there was so much to do that we did not investigate that option.

Anyway on departure from Floreana we decided to hug the coast as far as we could go and see what it was like. The morning had no wind so we motored slowly on our way. IT was so peaceful in the missty cloudy and calm weather. We did not see any other baots until just before we had to head out to sea. We travelled past all types of volcanic formations and came across schools of fish, dolphins, and more inshore seabirds. It became a challenge on the boat to find a blue footed Booby as we had not seen one yet and wouldn’t really get close to one until we got to Isla Isabela. Finally we did see a couple in the distance and the identification was confirmed by photograph.

Dolphins

This pod of about 20 dolphins, including mothers and babies, spent about 15 minutes fishing around the boat They were quite close to shore and seemed happily cruising and fishing. Two of the dolphins most inshore were engaged in some tail slapping, though the others seemed to be ignoring them. The water was very calm and it was delightful just to move along slowly and peacefully with the pod.

Birds

One of the reasons to cruise close to the close was to look at the shore birds and we were rewarded by seeing both blue footed boobies and the Great Blue Heron, along with Nazcar boobies, brown peicans and

Volcanic Coast

The coast had some fascinating geological formations from the lava , but also it was interesting that the vegetation grew straight to spray line, and all the bird rookeries could be seen marked with guano. There appeared to be no large rookeries but lots of small ones in every sheltered and stable(hard rock) crack and crevice.

As we got further up the coast I got a message on WhatsApp asking if we were going to Santa Cruz? Obviously someone had seen us in shore and asked the question. At that stage we thought we better head out to see in the direction we were supposed to be heading.

Back to Santa Cruz.