Andy, Keri, and Rene, from S/v Tina, S/V Merilelu and S/V Gypsy Blues, fixing our muffler in Minerva Reef, 400 nautical miles offshore from Tonga
December, 2012

It Comes In Threes...Right?
Sea water was pouring in the v berth through our leaky dorades from the waves crashing over the bow, the house water pump had stopped working, and the engine overheated due to a shredded impeller, (more than likely from sucking in some pumice from the miles and miles of floating debris in the water from underground volcanoes), therefore burning a hole through the plastic muffler thereby releasing poisonous gases inside the boat and sea water sloshing in the hole filling the bilge. Yeesh! And we had only been out at sea for a little over two days! I started to lose it. I can't do this anymore I thought, (well, actually I verbalized this too!). Once Larry figured out we could not use the engine anymore and there was water coming in, we made the excruciating decision to turn around and sail the day and a half back to the closest piece of land, Tongatapu, a place we hadn't stopped at in Tonga and were not familiar with. We had just cleared all the dangerous reefs lurking in the ocean in this part of the world, and the thought of sailing back into these reefs without an engine... ugh! The thought of trying to fix the muffler problem in Tonga, ordering the part, waiting for it to be flown in, clearing customs, etc...then waiting for another weather window to open up to leave again for New Zealand seemed unbearable. All the while worrying about Larry's mom's health. Bad things come in three's I kept thinking. Does this mean if we can get through this will we have a clean run to New Zealand? Ha! I doubt that. We're tired. Eight countries in seven months is a lot. We feel like we have been rushing since we left Panama, and now we feel like we are rushing to get the boat settled in New Zealand for our flight back to San Francisco. But... did you know there were real, live angels in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean?! In the form of men from Sweden, Finland, and Canada? (Lucky me, eh?) Well, yes there are. After turning around to go back to Tonga, Larry was able to put a temporary patch on the muffler therefore stopping the water from coming into the boat. Through the SSB radio we were able to speak with some of our friends who convinced us to turn around again, and meet them in Minerva Reef (a group of two submerged atolls in the Pacific ocean south of Tonga), where they could help us. And that is what we did. Rene and Matt from Gypsy Blues, Kari from Merilelu, and Andy from Tina, jumped on our boat within an hour of pulling in and worked for hours disassembling the exhaust system, pulling out the muffler, and carefully fiber glassing the hole making it almost like brand new. I tell you, they were awesome and we cannot thank them enough. They were so considerate, and did not want Larry to do anything that might hurt his back. Sometimes the contortions you have to put your body in to make repairs on a boat can be very challenging for a man who has had five back surgeries. We couldn't ask for better friends and we can only hope we can repay the favor someday.

So, the next day we were ready to pull out of Minerva Reef and continue our crossing to New Zealand. The weather was much calmer than we expected, and we actually motored a good portion of the way due to the lack of wind. Only about the last 24 hours did it get hairy - due to fog, rain, wind, and waves, and a strange cold temperature that we have not experienced in years. Brrrrrr...we thought we were going to die, but welcome to New Zealand! Despite the cold and dampness, it is absolutely gorgeous. Despite the apprehension of clearing into the country, from what food would be taken or what treasures from our travels would be confiscated, the check in process was a breeze. All of the officials were professional and polite, including the drug sniffing dog as he padded through our boat in his cute little booties. Phew...we made it! To sit back, and watch the different boaters reunite, you could just see the relief on everyone's faces. Every single person here has accomplished something that most people would never even consider doing, and the camaraderie from this one single passage was palpable.

With only a little over a week to put the Lisa Kay to rest for an undetermined amount of time, we walked, drove and explored Opua, Pahia, and Whangarei on the north island of this lush, green country. Accessible, yummy, fresh food and really good wines enhanced the few days we had. We settled on putting her in a slip at the Marsden Cove Marina near Whangarei, where we know she will be well looked after and we can move into Napa, California - being close to Larry's mom as she goes through treatment for her illness. We feel blessed to be able to do this and know that when the time is right we will return to our vessel and continue on our journey.

We are honored that you follow our travels along with us and are tickled pink to see the various countries you are from! We wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy New Year! May peace, good health, love, and adventure fill your lives in 2013!

Please enjoy related photos in the gallery under "Tonga to New Zealand"
Don't forget to click on the "Current Position" map to check out the location of S/V Lisa Kay