10/11/2009, American Samoa
Sailing to Tutuilla (Pago Pago) American Samoa from Vavau, Tonga
The first 2 days sailing were windier and bumpier than hoped for, but that is what makes for fast passages. We could not make any easting though. The wind was on the nose, we went straight north and passed just east of Niuetopotapu. Then the wind finally started shifting and the Monitor self steering vane followed the wind shift and headed us nearly north east. It was on our minds to possibly take a detour to the rarely visited Rose Atoll which is east of American Samoa. We heard from other cruisers who stopped there that It is in no way similar to Suwarrow atoll. On the one heavily vegetated island, there are many birds nesting with many chicks scampering about but there are only a few coconut palms. There is little live coral inside the lagoon except near the one channel. The channel is narrow and can be difficult to navigate and has a depth of 10 feet at the shallowest. There is always a strong out flowing current in the channel as there is nowhere for all the waves washing over the reefs to go but out that channel. Outside the reef, there are some larger fish, like grouper, in the deep water near the channel. Overall, the place sounded like not the unique spot one would go out of their way to visit plus it is supposed to be a restricted park.
There are islands a day sail to the east of Tutuilla but the charts show no good anchorages especially in the strong winds we were now encountering. There was no choice but rotate the airvane of the Monitor which put Brick House onto a beam reach.
With Tutuilla barely on the horizon, I saw something GREAT! Just off the starboard bow, 100 yards out, there was a big splash that caught my eye. I stayed focused on the spot and suddenly something great and mighty rose from the water. It was like a rocket, like a new building growing up from the sea. It was big and black and rose in slow motion, taller than the mast of the boat! It was the body of a whale- the whole body, head to tail .it was all in slow motion with water splashing all around it. It just rose and rose and rose. This is mating season for the whales here, and either that was a female that was playing very hard to get, or a male showing off, and very successfully, to his potential mate! I've never seen anything so majestic in my life!
On the beam reach we were sailing fast yet the wind grew stronger. We had to shorten sail and eventually were reduced to only the staysail. Still we were doing 6 knots. We were in a storm! The seas were mounting fast and the wind was increasing every second! Before not too long the wind was up to 45 knots moving us along at 6.5 knots. When the wind piped up to 50, Patrick went out and rolled up most of the staysail. We were still going 5 knots under practically bare poles. The waves built and soon they were crashing over the boat with great force. It was a little bit scary the sound of it all. Water often came right over the hatch boards and because they are not hermetically sealed, some waves slipped through the gaps into the cabin. It became a very damp hot place quickly. Keeping an eye on radar and calling on the VHF to see if other craft were in our ocean, we locked ourselves inside and enjoyed good books and movies, getting up on occasion to mop up water and look out the windows. The Monitor was doing all the steering for us and taking all the dousing we would have been the target of. How nice to sail through a storm snug in the cabin.
One wave did wipe out a side panel of the dodger. While rolling up the stay sail it was allowed to luff a bit too much which shook off and shredded parts of the ultraviolet protective panel.
The GRIB files- weather files - showed a consistent 15- 20 knots of Southeast wind. Never 35-50 knots for 24 hours! We surfed in to Pago Pago Harbor, Island of Tutuilla, American Samoa late in the afternoon. It has been a very long time since we experienced Pizza Hut, and a MacDonald's Chicken McNugget and fries, and an ice cream sundae for dessert - its been literally years!! Maybe that is why we have been so healthy.
Oh- and the first series of emails we get as we are coming in to the harbor Dosia's Dinghy has been found in Niue! The dinghy was found upside down by a local fisherman there, but the dinghy itself is in great shape! Amazing! It had floated about 25 days from Beveredge Reef to Niue.
In Pago Pago harbor, after 2 attempts at setting our anchor right behind our friends on Tender Spirit, our anchor appears to be well set as we settle back in the 25 knots of wind, and welcome calls on the radio from friends we haven't seen in months. The Pacific is becoming a mighty small world!
|
Comments [1]
09/22/2009, Tonga
The crossing to Tonga was smooth down wind sailing: seas were under 3 meters, and we sailed fast- at about 6 knots. With the wind off the port quarter we let the lone 130 genoa pull us down wind. Setting the main would have blanketed the jib slowing us down and causing the genoa to deflate then snap full again. The last 6 hours we set a double reef main to pick up the pace a little. The wind had shifted to a beam reach and we wanted to get in during the daylight.
We arrived in the main channel to Neiafu a little before 4pm. However, we learned that overtime would be charged if we came in to the harbor after 4pm.SO we decided to drop anchor in an anchorage just short of the main harbor and wake up early in the morning to check in during regular working hours instead. We chose "Anchorage #4", according to the Moorings charter boat guide, and it was a great choice. After more than a month of rolly anchorages and passages, this was glass!! Birds called from every direction and echoed off the water. Bagheera was not far behind us and I sent by sailmail, our waypoints coming in so he could come in in the dark. He followed them on his chartplotter over reefs and land until he was right behind us. Dropping his anchor, we could hear every word he said to Nikki as they went through the exercise in the dark. And it wasn't because he was yelling, but because it was just so dead quiet in this mirror water!
We all slept well that night!
The next morning we enjoyed a nice hot breakfast, and then proceeded back to Neifu, about 3 miles away. Officials asked us to tie up at the wharf, and soon our paperwork was done , our fees were paid, and we were free to race to a mooring ball. We thought they would be gone- since there were SOOO many boats in the harbor already.but we managed to find one easily. We quickly learned where the best bread was, the freshest fruits and veggies, and where to fill our propane tank. A morning net got us a quick start on locating dinghy and motor options for Dosia. Within 2 or 3 days, we had several options including a $100 inflatable interim dinghy with the loan of our 3.3 Mercury. They however were made numerous offers by other cruisers loaning them some pretty nice dinghies so they opted not to purchase anything. Possibly in Fiji they will find the aluminum hull dinghy with a 15 horse outboard they really would like to have.
We departed Neiafu, and started exploring the out islands of the Vavau' group. We anchored the first night in anchorage #5, just outside the harbor, which was unremarkable. Then we had a rigorous sail in flat waters but 20 knots of wind, past Swallows Cave and in to Port Maurelle- Anchorage #7, then down past Sisia, and then up to Vaka Titu- Anchorage # 16. That all covers about 6 miles. Nothing is very far from anything here. I can't say that any of these anchorages are all that interesting...but all are well protected and great for sleeping and swimming from the boat if you don't mind cold water. They are neither high, nor coral atolls. The water is cold, filled with plankton, and there isn't a lot of that pretty turquoise water. The hiking and views are acceptable and pleasant, but just nothing extraordinary. Are we getting spoiled? The town of Neiafu was nice, and is made more efficient by the Expats building businesses there.a week here and we haven't really met any Tongans except those working in the Expats' businesses. Don't get me wrong- everyone is very nice, and the convenience of Neiafu is appreciated.but we are ready for the out islands. So far we have gone to 2 or 3 anchorages and everything here in uninhabited. We thought we were going to a "Resort" today, but it closed 4 years ago and is now just 2 broken down shacks with overgrown walkways. We will try some snorkeling tomorrow and see what that brings. Then move on to some more anchorages. We didn't see any whales in the area that is said to be the best place to look for whales.but maybe tomorrow. Winds are suppose to pipe up to 25 in the next few days so we may stay put, or we may move one anchorage over, and stay put there. IN about a week, we will head back to Neiafu and likely check out and start waiting for a good wind with not too big of waves since we will hopefully be on a beam reach, to Samoa. We would like to spend the remainder of the season in Samoa, and then head to Minerva Reef. If we get our fill of Samoa this year, we will have the bottom half of Tonga next year to do, and then be ready for Fiji. We won't have to beat in to unpredictable, un-established trade winds that are more northeastern in the earlier part of the season. We aren't in love with Tonga.it feels a bit like the BVIs.the anchorages all close together, mooring balls everywhere, lots of yachts everywhere, and decent facilities all close by. I guess we like it a little more remote and undiscovered.although that's virtually impossible out here I think.
Went to Anchorage # 13- on the Island of Hunga, next. The entrance is shallow- we saw 6.2 feet- at about half tide. If we had come in at full high tide there may have been 7. After examining the pass once we were inside, we came in a little too far to the left.on our way out, we saw 9.9 feet at the shallowest- again at about half tide.
The only interesting snorkeling there was outside of the pass which we enjoyed one afternoon. The lagoon itself didn't have anything in it, neither did the very shallow water over to Blue Lagoon. We also enjoyed a short hike to a viewpoint over Blue Lagoon. It doesn't look to be a very nice anchorage so I don't think we will try too hard to get to that one - its very exposed.
After 2 nights we were ready to leave, but then Dosia, Zen and Flashback came in so we stayed for another night to share an Asian dinner with them aboard Zen. The next day, we all departed, except FlashBack, out the pass in opposite directions. We went back to Neiafu after a brief overnight in Port Maurelle, Anchorage #7, with dinner aboard Brick House with Bagheera. Our final goodbyes were said there and some tears shed. We will not see them again for a few years, when we visit them in Australia in their new home. Its our first really big goodbye out here. W have been friends with them since Cartagena, Colombia, on increasing levels since we met over a year ago. But sailors paths always cross again.
The next day after a brief stay in Neiafu to get bread and veggies, we checked out and were on our way to Samoa. A weather window popped up too good to resist, and we sailed away in 25 knots of wind on our beam.
|
