Tonga is a special place to me. The people are relaxed and friendly although shy, the whole place is relaxed and the nanny state has not taken over there. For example, you need to actually watch where you walk as you might fall down a meter square open drain hole at night and never reappear. Car doors are optional as are headlights.The sliding door on one taxi van I used to get to the airport did not close so my luggage just sat there, almost no worries. Rust is no worries too .
Pigs and chooks still free range in the Main Street and people don't hassle you about buying stuff which you don't want in the market, unlike the frickin Caribbean !
Oh, on that,the don't play Bob Marlay's 3 greatest hits in Tonga.
They do sing in church though ! Beautifully. Sunday is a day of rest apart from getting dressed in your finest and spending a long time grooming yourself ,going to church then eating half a roast suckling pig and a dozen sweet potatoes. Vegetables are optional for the Tongans. Mostly they don't eat them but prefer, other than pork , fried chicken, large servings, hold the veg !
They tend to be very big people, that is the norm in Tonga. They would worry about you if you weighed the recommended W.H.O. Weight for height figure. Women who weigh under 80 kilograms are considered borderline anorexic.
So Eliana stayed at the Boat Yard which is as safe a place as you can leave a boat during cyclone season. It's under the lee of a great cliff, a former quarry the Chinese used for building a causeway, and the boats are strapped down to concrete blocks buried in the ground. Some cruisers sailed down to New Zealand for the summer and most copped a beating on the way there, whilst there, and on the way back, so go figure !
Leaving a boat in the tropics for eight months is not without risk even if there's no cyclone. It rains a lot. I removed a hose from a seacock low down in the bilge and had someone checking Eliana weekly. One poor Aussie guy left his catamaran ( in NZ that would be "catamerangue") there unattended and came back to find 800 mills of water in his bilge just from a leaking window. Rain gets in down my mast , hatches and windows although my awning covers all but the mast.
After three weeks solid work including antifoul she was ready for launching again. They use an American built boat trailer towed by a tractor or two. It works well and was great to be back in the water and on a Buluga mooring swinging to the breeze in Neiafu Harbour again. Bernie McGoldrick and his brother Damien sailed in from the west but were on a mission to get to their mother's birthday in Paynesville. I was on a mission to get to Noumea , fly to Aus. return to Noumea and sail back to God's Own.
We caught up for the odd drink or two, meal and church service before heading off on the same day. They were heading for Fiji and us to New Cal.
Pigs and chooks still free range in the Main Street and people don't hassle you about buying stuff which you don't want in the market, unlike the frickin Caribbean !
Oh, on that,the don't play Bob Marlay's 3 greatest hits in Tonga.
They do sing in church though ! Beautifully. Sunday is a day of rest apart from getting dressed in your finest and spending a long time grooming yourself ,going to church then eating half a roast suckling pig and a dozen sweet potatoes. Vegetables are optional for the Tongans. Mostly they don't eat them but prefer, other than pork , fried chicken, large servings, hold the veg !
They tend to be very big people, that is the norm in Tonga. They would worry about you if you weighed the recommended W.H.O. Weight for height figure. Women who weigh under 80 kilograms are considered borderline anorexic.
So Eliana stayed at the Boat Yard which is as safe a place as you can leave a boat during cyclone season. It's under the lee of a great cliff, a former quarry the Chinese used for building a causeway, and the boats are strapped down to concrete blocks buried in the ground. Some cruisers sailed down to New Zealand for the summer and most copped a beating on the way there, whilst there, and on the way back, so go figure !
Leaving a boat in the tropics for eight months is not without risk even if there's no cyclone. It rains a lot. I removed a hose from a seacock low down in the bilge and had someone checking Eliana weekly. One poor Aussie guy left his catamaran ( in NZ that would be "catamerangue") there unattended and came back to find 800 mills of water in his bilge just from a leaking window. Rain gets in down my mast , hatches and windows although my awning covers all but the mast.
After three weeks solid work including antifoul she was ready for launching again. They use an American built boat trailer towed by a tractor or two. It works well and was great to be back in the water and on a Buluga mooring swinging to the breeze in Neiafu Harbour again. Bernie McGoldrick and his brother Damien sailed in from the west but were on a mission to get to their mother's birthday in Paynesville. I was on a mission to get to Noumea , fly to Aus. return to Noumea and sail back to God's Own.
We caught up for the odd drink or two, meal and church service before heading off on the same day. They were heading for Fiji and us to New Cal.
Eliana third from left at Port Moselle Marina ,Noumea It was blowing 25 plus when we left so I tucked behind the lee of a cliff near Swallows Cave and set up my trusty little jib in the inner forestay. So with a good reef in the main we set sail and had a wonderful wind with the expectation of a mild front when we were closer to New Cal. My old Galley Slave Jean whom I'd rescued after she was made to walk the plank in Galapagos couldn't come at the last minute as she needed an op for bowel cancer but Nicolee Woods whom I'd met crossing the Pacific last year stepped into the breech so to speak and was happy to leave the Melbourne winter behind.
After a mostly pleasant sail for about a week the wind came around in the nose to greet us along with a good dump of rain as we approached Havana Passage on the ninth morning of the 1100 odd mile passage. I'd been told about a good spot to make for on the first night which was Anse Majic in Bae de Prony, and magic it was especially with the solid, free moorings. Alas, we were in a mission to get to Noumea and could only afford one night there so motored into the westerly the 30 miles up Port Moselle Marina in downtown Noumea. Being first world there were plenty of buoys ,channel markers and light houses to guide us smack into a WAGS race. This was easily avoided and on the way in I noticed a distinctive yellow aluminium French yacht which I'd last encountered in a Cairns in 2013 and had conversations with the solo skipper, small world cruising.
After a mostly pleasant sail for about a week the wind came around in the nose to greet us along with a good dump of rain as we approached Havana Passage on the ninth morning of the 1100 odd mile passage. I'd been told about a good spot to make for on the first night which was Anse Majic in Bae de Prony, and magic it was especially with the solid, free moorings. Alas, we were in a mission to get to Noumea and could only afford one night there so motored into the westerly the 30 miles up Port Moselle Marina in downtown Noumea. Being first world there were plenty of buoys ,channel markers and light houses to guide us smack into a WAGS race. This was easily avoided and on the way in I noticed a distinctive yellow aluminium French yacht which I'd last encountered in a Cairns in 2013 and had conversations with the solo skipper, small world cruising.
Noumea is a great cruising destination being ( mostly) first world with everything a cruiser could want available, especially good French wines at sensible prices and enough fresh bagets and Brie to keep your cholesterol soaring in the stratosphere.
I had to return to Australia for a couple of weeks and had left Nicolee in charge of Eliana.
After much lobbying I was able to get a marina berth for the duration although it involved moving her once with the assistance of 'arvey from Noumea Yachting Services.
Having a marina berth was far better than the other option of a swing mooring way out whoop whoop .
Upon return I was presented with a third crew member whom I hadn't invited, not happy Jan ! Nicolee fessed up that she had unwittingly (?) invited her daughter's boyfriend a 30 year old Spaniard who puts raw garlic and olive oil on his toast in the mornings as crew. He had no offshore sailing experience and was prone to seasickness but was keen and a nice young fellow. After I'd calmed down which took 3 days, I gave him an untimatum, start a course of Stugeron tablets and he could come or I'd pay half his fares back to Aus. Angel stayed and turned out to be a very handy vegetarian cook and a nice smart young bloke who was eager to learn.
It was all go in preparation for leaving, engine oil change, filters plus the usual list of boat jobs. I engaged weather guru Bob McDavitt from New Zealand to give us an outlook for sailing to Coffs Harbour departing on the Tuesday, not good as a big front was coming. I needed to get back for various commitments , always a bad idea.
After checking out with Customs, Immigration and the Harbour Master, provisioning with plenty of fresh tucker, French wine and cheeses we were off down to the beautiful Amadee light where we planned to stay on a mooring and leave the next day.
It's only about 12 miles down and there was a fresh southeasterly , perfect for sailing so our stay at Amadee was for only about an hour.
I had to return to Australia for a couple of weeks and had left Nicolee in charge of Eliana.
After much lobbying I was able to get a marina berth for the duration although it involved moving her once with the assistance of 'arvey from Noumea Yachting Services.
Having a marina berth was far better than the other option of a swing mooring way out whoop whoop .
Upon return I was presented with a third crew member whom I hadn't invited, not happy Jan ! Nicolee fessed up that she had unwittingly (?) invited her daughter's boyfriend a 30 year old Spaniard who puts raw garlic and olive oil on his toast in the mornings as crew. He had no offshore sailing experience and was prone to seasickness but was keen and a nice young fellow. After I'd calmed down which took 3 days, I gave him an untimatum, start a course of Stugeron tablets and he could come or I'd pay half his fares back to Aus. Angel stayed and turned out to be a very handy vegetarian cook and a nice smart young bloke who was eager to learn.
It was all go in preparation for leaving, engine oil change, filters plus the usual list of boat jobs. I engaged weather guru Bob McDavitt from New Zealand to give us an outlook for sailing to Coffs Harbour departing on the Tuesday, not good as a big front was coming. I needed to get back for various commitments , always a bad idea.
After checking out with Customs, Immigration and the Harbour Master, provisioning with plenty of fresh tucker, French wine and cheeses we were off down to the beautiful Amadee light where we planned to stay on a mooring and leave the next day.
It's only about 12 miles down and there was a fresh southeasterly , perfect for sailing so our stay at Amadee was for only about an hour.
Amadee Light, New Caledonia
Angel and Nicolee (with fag). As dusk was rapidly approaching we hoisted the mainsail on the mooring then were off following the transit of the Amadee light and a smaller lighthouse in front. Let me tell you that going out between two breaking coral reefs at twilight involves some concentration and is a little nerve wracking but is very satisfying once you are through and in the open ocean. People often ask what I like best about sailing and I truthfully say "arriving "!
The expected front was a couple of days away but we kept a close eye on the barometer which was very high ( " a thousand and thirty, the weather gets dirty") but remained so for the time being. I set a staysail on the inner forestay and had a decent reef in the main. Angel made some delicious meals and we were making progress but had opted to keep well North now aiming for Bundaberg as ports of entry further south were not an option. Having a crew of three meant we could each get six hours off although as skipper you are on call 24/7.
The expected front was a couple of days away but we kept a close eye on the barometer which was very high ( " a thousand and thirty, the weather gets dirty") but remained so for the time being. I set a staysail on the inner forestay and had a decent reef in the main. Angel made some delicious meals and we were making progress but had opted to keep well North now aiming for Bundaberg as ports of entry further south were not an option. Having a crew of three meant we could each get six hours off although as skipper you are on call 24/7.
Nautical miles sailed per day, totals at bottom of each column. Note Galapagos to Marquesas: 25 days, 2,992 nautical miles So on my watch at exactly 0100 the wind shifted to the south west and blew to about 35 knots, not huge but building the seas up to 3-4 meters making it quite uncomfortable .
We'd been getting slammed a lot earlier to a point where I could not sleep and needed to rest so I decided to heave to, backwinding the staysail and releasing the main. Now she was comfortable and I felt happy that this was the right course of action so after my watch at 0300 went bed on the settee berth amidships.
Next morning feeling somewhat refreshed and seeing a blue sky came up on deck to be greeted by Nicolee who said " bad news Captain, the mainsails torn ". Bummer !
The stitching had gone on one of the top panels then had ripped up along the inside of the leech, so down she came and packed away. I had tried to get the main looked atvin Vava'u but the sailmaker had gone walkabout. We continued on motorsailing as close into the big seas as was comfortable and possible. At this stage the wind was from the south west as was our course but a couple of satellite phone calls one to Bob in NZ and one to Ian Mulhauser in Melbourne confirmed that this wind would start backing which it did. In the meantime we were still getting dumped on by the occasional large sea which went straight through our two closed centre hatches putting buckets of water on my feet and Angel's head while he was asleep. I could only laugh.
He ended up sleeping on the floor under the table !
Next morning I came on deck feeling happy and rested to be greeted by Nicolee again with " bad news Captain, I think the Genoa has a rip in it" which it did. Is she a "Jonah" or what ?
Somehow the Genoa had caught on a piston Hank on the inner forestay which had split and had about a foot long tear in it. We quickly got it down and saw it was repairable and Angel being a veterinary surgeon stitched it up and on one side we put some sticky back sail repair cloth and on the other side my muso's gaffa tape, again almost no worries ! I asked Angel what was the last animal he stitched up and he said a lions paw in Guatemala zoo after she had been attacked by a randy male.
We'd been getting slammed a lot earlier to a point where I could not sleep and needed to rest so I decided to heave to, backwinding the staysail and releasing the main. Now she was comfortable and I felt happy that this was the right course of action so after my watch at 0300 went bed on the settee berth amidships.
Next morning feeling somewhat refreshed and seeing a blue sky came up on deck to be greeted by Nicolee who said " bad news Captain, the mainsails torn ". Bummer !
The stitching had gone on one of the top panels then had ripped up along the inside of the leech, so down she came and packed away. I had tried to get the main looked atvin Vava'u but the sailmaker had gone walkabout. We continued on motorsailing as close into the big seas as was comfortable and possible. At this stage the wind was from the south west as was our course but a couple of satellite phone calls one to Bob in NZ and one to Ian Mulhauser in Melbourne confirmed that this wind would start backing which it did. In the meantime we were still getting dumped on by the occasional large sea which went straight through our two closed centre hatches putting buckets of water on my feet and Angel's head while he was asleep. I could only laugh.
He ended up sleeping on the floor under the table !
Next morning I came on deck feeling happy and rested to be greeted by Nicolee again with " bad news Captain, I think the Genoa has a rip in it" which it did. Is she a "Jonah" or what ?
Somehow the Genoa had caught on a piston Hank on the inner forestay which had split and had about a foot long tear in it. We quickly got it down and saw it was repairable and Angel being a veterinary surgeon stitched it up and on one side we put some sticky back sail repair cloth and on the other side my muso's gaffa tape, again almost no worries ! I asked Angel what was the last animal he stitched up and he said a lions paw in Guatemala zoo after she had been attacked by a randy male.
Captain Dave serenading crew in the Coral Sea
The crew at Bundaberg So now the radar was not working, the Watermaker circulation pump had died, the mainsail was out of action and Genoa torn although patched. Fortunately we had just enough diesel to get to Bundaberg.
The seas kept slowly reducing and wind backing to a point where we could lay our course directly to the top of Breaksea Spit north of Fraser Island where there is a north cardinal mark. When I first went around there in Marloo in 1984 there was a very cute little light ship which is now in a maritime museum .
I told Angel that as we approached Fraser Island it's likely that we would sea whales which we did. A mother and calf in the distance and on dusk several right around the boat. I thought bloody hell, if we run over a sleeping whale we might bend the prop shaft or do some damage, not just to the whale although the boat being steel would be ok.
Sometime after midnight we spotted the channel lights and eventually in the sea of lights I spotted the east Cardinal light at the start of the channel , three flashes then the veritable highway of port and starboard lights leading into the Burnett River. Once in the channel I woke up Nicolee, then Angel as I thought he would be interested and a group of dolphins escorted us up the channel to the river. Rounding a port hand channel marker into the little lagoon next to the City of Bundaberg Marina I dropped the anchor into about five meters of water and switched off the motor on the eighth morning, Eliana having arrived back in Australia four years and four months and 26,822 nautical miles later. I gave my thanks to the boat, the Gods, my guiding spirits then headed for the fridge where the bottle of French Champagne awaited. It was 0430 and the light was breaking in the east.
The seas kept slowly reducing and wind backing to a point where we could lay our course directly to the top of Breaksea Spit north of Fraser Island where there is a north cardinal mark. When I first went around there in Marloo in 1984 there was a very cute little light ship which is now in a maritime museum .
I told Angel that as we approached Fraser Island it's likely that we would sea whales which we did. A mother and calf in the distance and on dusk several right around the boat. I thought bloody hell, if we run over a sleeping whale we might bend the prop shaft or do some damage, not just to the whale although the boat being steel would be ok.
Sometime after midnight we spotted the channel lights and eventually in the sea of lights I spotted the east Cardinal light at the start of the channel , three flashes then the veritable highway of port and starboard lights leading into the Burnett River. Once in the channel I woke up Nicolee, then Angel as I thought he would be interested and a group of dolphins escorted us up the channel to the river. Rounding a port hand channel marker into the little lagoon next to the City of Bundaberg Marina I dropped the anchor into about five meters of water and switched off the motor on the eighth morning, Eliana having arrived back in Australia four years and four months and 26,822 nautical miles later. I gave my thanks to the boat, the Gods, my guiding spirits then headed for the fridge where the bottle of French Champagne awaited. It was 0430 and the light was breaking in the east.
