08/07/2011, South Pacific
Hello all,
I have been on Canton Island in the republic of Kiribas for a little more than
two weeks. There are three boats here including me, two Canadians who are my
good friends, and three Czechs who have sailed from Ireland through the Magellan
strait. The six of us bring the population to 32 people. The people are the
story here. I have never, on the trip or in my life, received such welcome. At
our welcome feast the MC said in Kiribas that all the doors of all the houses
are always open to us (we are part of the village family and the whole bit). I
was talking to Naomi the other day and we both said that we really feel like
that. We can just walk into any house uninvited and hang out. It is remarkable
and I think I don't really have the words to do it justice.
The days fly by and sometimes blur together. The main activities are spear
fishing with the locals, making shell art, doing boat projects, chilling with
our friends, and helping them try to fix their projects. We eat lots of fish,
but when we are out spear fishing the prize is moray eel. We eat them, but they
are worth more than $50 Aus and will be exported back to Tarawa or to Christmas
island on the supply ship. Also dried fish is big money. There are very few fish
on Tarawa and it is apparently overpopulated. A rice bag of dried, salted fish
is worth $300. They send some back to their families, and sell some and make
heaps of cash. More than many Americans. The supply ship will leave Tarawa on
Wednesday and be here on or about next Tuesday. We are looking forward to doing
some shopping, though I only have $120 Australian.
The weather has been great for several days though it was very unsettled the
first week I was here. There were regular squalls in the 35 knot range with lots
of rain. It was great to catch water, but there is about 3 miles of fetch and
depending on how long the squall lasted it would get very rough. I had lots of
faith in my ground tackle before Canton and have even more now. It has been
fairly dry recently and we are on the edge of the dry season. John and I made a
rain water catcher on shore with one of his dinghies and a tarp. I have 100
liters of water left and am keen for the War ship to come back from Christmas as
they have a 35 liters/min water maker and We can all top off our tanks and be
safe for the rest of our time here and our upcoming passages.
In a few weeks I will dive back down south. I am tempted to go back to Western
Samoa to reprovision, but I know Ill get stuck there for a week or more. I would
rather go strait to tonga and stay away from town, though I hear Vavau is "Town"
as there is a moorings base and all that this entails. After that I plan to be
in NZ in time to catch some of the Rugby world cup. The final is in Auckland at
the end of October. The Czechs came from Opua and told me all about it. I have a
big list of boat work which I am not looking forward too...
I hope you are all well and are having a nice summer in North America and if
you are else ware in the world, are happy and living well.
Cheers
Eric
|
Comments [4]
I'm leaving for NZ in a few weeks! I'm running a small parmaculture farm down there on Waiheke island just outside of Auckland. Drop me a line if you make it down that way... it would be so great to see you!! Keep up the amazing travels! Lots of love!
I hope you are healthy and stay safe, and please keep the material coming, its been so cool to read!
07/26/2011, South Pacific
got in in the morning yesterday. It was one of the best landfalls I have had. It got windy again and I was on the storm jib and double reefed main. I was asleep and myght have sailed passed it a bit but john called me at dawn and I was in the lee of the island and just motored a couple of miles to the pass. This was the first time that the navionics charts have been way off. I sailed straight through a motu and got in about 12 feet of water at one point but figured it out. I have never had a warmer welcome anywhere. We were given lunch while getting out passports stamped and shown around. It is a place that you can just feel has not been touched since the Americans and the English pulled out. Apparently they were bombed by the Japs.
I havne had a chance yet to explore. We spent most of the day meeting everyone and getting setteled. We went to a wake for a woman who died which was the epic bit. It was a potlatch. I caught a big barracuda which I gave to the women and felt good about puting some fish on the table. However it was probably not needed as they had killed a pig and had a bunch of eel as well. We sat in a big old shed and it was quite winds so the shed was moving about. We were on the ground of course and after dinner and speeches everyone laid down on the ground and had a rest. I got up and spoke and said that even though we did not know this woman that she was in our hearts and prayers. I spoke for John and Naomi too and My friend davis translated into Kiribas and we got an ovation. Today it is church and going with the flow as it is sunday here.
I hope you guys have some good weather and you had better take lots of pictures of Ingrid. Where are you planning on going? BC? I miss you all and hope to hear from you. I am so glad I sailed up here and I dare say that it is more epic than Suwarrow. No one comes here. It is really unique. Me and naomi and John and totally part of the village and respected because we are some of the only mariners that will come here this year. Our welcoming dinner is tonight. Ill try to remember my head lamp this time because it was pitch black when we went home and I just about drove my dinghy into the beach.
Love Eric
|
07/20/2011, South Pacific
Eric left Apia July 16 heading north to Kiribati and specifically Kanton Island 570 miles away. He meant to update his blog before he left but too much to do and too little time. His stay in Western Samoa proper was almost a month because of a faulty Heat Exchanger (critical to cool the engine) needing to be replaced by mail from Tacoma. He leaves Mimi the cat behind in his new home with a nice Peace Corp worker on Samoa. Eric's Canadian friends John & Naomi from Naniamo will sail to Kanton as well to do some diving in the atoll's lagoon and they will head home from there. Secret Agent Man will then back track south toward Tonga. A ham radio phone patch on the 18th found Eric with a double reefed main and storm jib, beam reaching in 22-24knots of breeze, 2 meter seas going 6 knots. He expects to be at Kanton Friday the 22nd
|
dommage pour le chat, mais c'est sans mieux pour lui. Bon vent !
Ah, finally some news!
damage to the cat, but it's better for him. Good luck!
Hello all,
I have spent the last 9 days in Apia in western samoa. I am checkout already and have a permit to visit Savaii which is the furthest west island. I am going to sail there tonight and am really loking forward to it. Every one in Pago Pago sail that Apia is way cooler than American Samoa and it is, and everyone here says that Savaii is way cooler than Apia... In apia you have to stay in the marina for 37 Tala a night which is about $20. This is the first marina I have been in since San Diego and I am looking forward to being back on the hook. There are showers and unlimited fresh water which is epic. There is also a pool at the hotel which people are welcome to use if they buy a drink. I was lucky enough to catch the Siva Afi (fire knife) competition over three days last weekend which was awesome, and My friends from BC and I took a tour of the island all day with a cab driver which was also epic. The south side got wiped out by the tsunami in 2009 and is not yet rebuilt. Highlights were the fire throwing competition, the samoan girls have NZ accents, and I got to share it with some really cool friends.
Cheers
Eric
|
The Baha'i House of Worship
The dawning place of the Mention of God
open 6am to 6pm daily
All are welcome for prayer and reflection and to walk in the gardens
Devotional services are held 10:00-10:30 every Sunday with
readings from the scriptures of the religions of the world
|
These were two big (100 ft deep) Holes in the lava that were tight next to the sea. There was a tunnel that connected them to the sea and surge when we swam in them. This ladder was gnarlier than it looks and in the States you would have to sing lots of papers.
|
So here are some that you just dont see... Secret Agent man under full sail heading out from Suwarrow, and A picture of myself and my good friend Yvonne sitting at an epic blow hole. There are more to come thanks to digital cameras and flashdrives..
Eric
|
The Godfather
|
Hello all,
Here is a nice view of Pago Pago harbor. Secret Agant Man is furthest in o the right. My friends from BC got in today and had a really good sail. 5.8 kts average which anyone with one hull should be happy about. Today I went on a mission. I climbed Mt Alava which involvs walking the entire ridge surrounding the bay. The first part was on a dirt road and after the summit it can best be described as a ropes course. I walked and climbed all the way over to the village of Vatia (which is deep) Then hitch hiked back as it was sunday and the busses dont run. It was right up there with the best hikes of the trip and deffinatly the most challenging terrain.
Eric
|
The Godparents, John & Jennie
|
|
|
This is Pago Pago harbor
Right now I am listening to "how to dissapear completely" by radiohead. I wish I could disaperate and instantly be with you all but that is not in tha cards.
The last two days my friends and my Self (two australians, a swiss man, and a columbian woman) have driven every road on the island. I drove which was nice. it is just like riding a bike. The Island is beautiful and once you get out of town is much like the rest of polonysia. (SP? I have no spell check) The best experiances were at the most remote villages for sure. It is way easier to learn Samoan than tahitian because the people speak english. The speed limit is 20. A lot of villages (especially on the south side) got wiped out by the tsunami in 2009 and many people are living in FIMA tents. One thing that I wont forget was something a fisherman told me. i forget his name forgive me. he lives in the farthest out village at the end of the road. he was going to work construction when the siren went off and went back and took his wife and children up into the hills and watched as his house and village got wiped out. He lost his boat and 40hp motor which is a big deal. No one in his village died. The only thing he said about it, and this is what stuck with me, was that there was fish all over the ground and all they had to do afterwards was walk around and pick them up. Glass half full after your village got washed no? Here is some samoan for you all.
Hello formal- Talofa
Hello-Malo
Thank you-Fa'afetai
Have a nice day- Manuia le aso
I love you- Oute alofa ia te'oe
Eric
|
I can see my house from here! This is the anchorage, and the tuna factory. Starkist has a factory here. All my friends work there. They make cat food and people food. And they make the bay smell like tuna. It is good for the cat to smell tuna all the time. Maybe he'll stop freaking out when we catch one.
|
Bad day for someone. I came in to American Samoa right through here and, not to disrespect the captain of this boat, you would have to wrok very hard to crash your boat unless you lost power or it was gnarly out...
Eric
|
This dog and his mother lived at the top of a mountain pass with a cardboard box full of dog food. Go figure?
|
|
