Batten down the hatches
02 July 2013 | Pago Pago
Richard
Time for writing the blog. We're stuck on the boat as the wind is regularly blowing near 30 knots and gusting up to 40. The forecast tonight is for the average wind to edge up to 40 knots (about 80 km/hr). These are the enhanced trade winds. Impossible to get off the boat with the dinghy. On board we are quite comfortable with the wind generator putting out more power than we can use. We are listening to Samoan music on the local radio station with NPR news from the States.
When we arrived, we were lucky to moor on a CQR anchor and chain buried and stuck for many months on the harbour bottom. The SY Sidetrack, owner of the CQR, has graciously let us use it while we are here. He will eventually retrieve it with a diver after we leave. The Canadian boat Coup de Soleil just dragged on its anchor and has been granted permission by the harbour captain to tie up to a boat at the main dock which is nicely sheltered.
The Pago Pago harbour landscape is one of the most dramatic we have been in with mountains and hills rising up from the water into the clouds. These mountains, the highest of which is nicknamed the Rainmaker, are responsible for Pago Pago holding the world record for maximum annual rainfall in harbours of the world.
Last week we took a local bus to the north side of the island to the village of Vatia. We hiked along two Samoa National Park trails. On the first we had a beach level view of Polo Island (photo shows Polo Island taken from the bus as we return to Pago Pago). On the second trail we hiked up a switchback trail to the height of land but had insufficient time to descend to the beach on the other side. There was only one bus leaving in the afternoon for Pago Pago. We hope to do some more excursions before we leave if the weather cooperates.
One of the principal allures for cruisers in American Samoa is the reasonable price of groceries, consumables like paper towels, and electrical and mechanical parts. There is also fast mail delivery from the US mainland to Samoa. We have found the food prices more or less comparable to French Polynesia although the quality is not quite as good. I have stocked up on items such as engine oil, fuses and fishing gear.
We had intended to leave American Samoa last Saturday but ran into mechanical difficulties. The engine oil was contaminated with water giving it a milky colour. After replacing the raw water pump, which appeared to be the source of the water intrusion, the oil and filter was changed four times to get rid of the water in the engine. So far three days later, the oil remains clear after running the engine for an hour each day. We wait now for a weather window to go to Tonga.
The Suwarrow photos have been posted to the gallery. Happy belated Canada Day to everybody.