09/04/2007, Pago Pago, American Samoa
A strong weather system moved into the area today bringing waves of torrential rain and high winds. Boats arriving reported very rough seas and winds to 30 knots. Looks like Sand Dollar will be stuck here for awhile. I went to the Customs Office to change my departure document so that my next port will be Tonga instead of Western Samoa. The course to Tonga is at a right angle to the prevailing trade winds and swell so I am not anxious to depart until the conditions settle so that I don't take a pounding.
All else is well onboard but I am getting tired of Pago Pago.
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09/03/2007, Pago Pago, American Samoa
Radio transmission has been very poor the past few days for meteorological and geographic reasons. That, coupled with low battery power because of capacity testing, has made it impossible to get this report out on a timely basis. Sometimes I spend hours trying to find a receiving station only to get dropped just before my message is to be transmitted. Once I get out of Pago the conditions should improve considerably.
My plan was to depart today, Labor Day, having already checked out with the authorities on Friday. However, the weather changed last night and there is no wind. If conditions are good tomorrow I will set sail for Tonga and leave Western Samoa for another day. The passage to Niuatoputapu, Tonga is about 205 miles which means two overnighters.
All else is well onboard. The Pago Pago Yacht Club invited the cruisers to a pot luck tonight. There were seven boats represented and half a dozen members. A good time was had by one and all.
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08/31/2007, Pago Pago, American Samoa
Sand Dollar's batteries are undergoing power consumption testing so radio transmission is limited for another day or two.
All else is well onboard. Friday afternoon was "happy hour" at the local yacht club so the cruisers got together with the members to trade tales.
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08/29/2007, Pago Pago, American Samoa
Last night I slept in the cockpit with one eye open so as to detect any movement downwind. It was blowing up to 30 knots all night but my anchor held in the mud and whatever junk is found on the bottom. There are probably old cars, military equipment, cables, sunken boats and who knows what else down there. In fact, Sand Dollar may find herself stuck when she wants to leave. The new arrival from Chicago dragged its anchor about 200 yards and was lucky not to hit another boat. The wind continued to blow all morning and then let up around 1 PM which allowed me to go ashore and fill some jerry jugs with potable water.
Today I installed the new voltage regulator which brother Jim shipped from the States. The installation was straightforward but I will need to run the engine for quite a few hours to see how the batteries hold a charge. So far everything looks good. Two month's of mail was waiting for me here in Pago so I have to sort through it and pay some bills. All else is well.
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08/28/2007, Pago Pago, American Samoa
Pago Pago harbor is very dirty, smelly and noisy from the tuna canneries which operate 24/7. There is junk almost everywhere along the shoreline. The geography, however, is stunning. The bay is surrounded by precipitous mountains with lush, tropical vegetation rivalling the beauty of Moorea. The locals are the friendliest people I've met and they all speak English. It is sort of like being back home; There are lots of U.S. Government Buildings, Pizza Hut, KFC, and large SUVs for the large Samoans. There is even a National Park here which I hope to visit when boat projects are finished.
I picked up my mail and packages and everything seems to be in order. I see the stock market has not crashed, at least as of June 30. Now I need to install some electrical components to get the charging system up to snuff and then I can relax and see the sights and do some shopping.
All else is well onboard. I still have plenty of tuna despite giving away about 15 lbs. There are five other boats in the anchorage. Four left this afternoon for Western Samoa, now just called Samoa, and one arrived this evening with the hailing port of Chicago. I wonder what route they took to get here.
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08/27/2007, Pago Pago, American Samoa
Sand Dollar made landfall in Pago Pago, American Samoa at 9:15 this morning after a challenging entrance into the harbor. The wind was blowing at 22 knots with 8 ft. seas and there was a dogleg turn up into the wind required to avoid a reef near the entrance. In light wind and seas this would be no problem but the "Sailing Directions" stated that the waves break over the reef in heavy weather so vessels should go around the buoy at the end of the reef. The buoy, however, is very close to the shore and the surf and no sailor wants to be anywhere near a lee shore in stiff winds. So, I fudged it a little and went inside the buoy so as to have a much better wind angle to make the harbor entrance. As it turns out, there were no breaking waves, there was plenty of depth, and the tuna boats go right across the reef in all but the worst conditions. The initial entry into any harbor or through any passage always makes me anxious, no matter what the conditions or where it is. This is just a fact of life for cruisers because virtually all the entries are for the first time.
Welcome back to civilization. I spent three hours dealing with U.S. officialdom. There were visits to the boat by the health official, the quarantine officer, the harbor master, and the customs squad including a sniffing dog. The immigration officer did not show up so I trekked off to his office to get my passport stamped. Everyone was very polite, just a little slow. No, make that very, very slow. Seems to be the way of life here, which is not all bad.
All else is well onboard except the food situation. I have had little to eat the last 24 hours besides fresh ahi tuna.
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