09/22/2009, Maninita Island, Vava'u Group, Kingdom of Tonga
For a week or so, we've hopped from anchorage to anchorage. Some are as little as 5 miles apart, while others are a whopping 10 miles. Grin. Most of the islands are protected by reefs, so waves are not really a factor. Cruisers call one another after the morning VHF net/news and make plans to meet at one of the many outer islands. When you finally run out of sugar, eggs or toilet paper, heaven forbid, it's only a short sail back into town to restock the necessities. Everyone is now either waiting to sail to Australia, via Fiji, or going direct to New Zealand. The conversations over pot lucks, beach combing and snorkel sessions always lead to the weather systems and potential opportunities to make a run for it. We've always used Commanders weather routers, a team in the US who help boaters get from place to place, based on their professional interpretation of weather patterns. October 4th is the earliest we'll be able to set sail to N-Zed. Zen is scheduled to have a little spa treatment in Whangarei, NZ. Yes, she'll get all gussied up before being shipped back to Florida via Dockwise Yacht Transport. So far, there's about 4 boats from our 2009 fleet joining us on the transport ship out of Auckland.
Today, after having spent 3 days with a terrific gang in Vaka'eitu, s/v Dosia and Zen took off for Maninita Island, the southern-most island in the Vava'u Group. It was all too reminiscent of the Aitutaki entrance with reefs all around and the potential of needing a stern anchor. Zen got in first, set the hook, and after glancing around, wondered if it might be easier to just raft Dosia to us. Out came the lines and fenders. As Dosia entered the pass and saw us lined with fenders, Margie yells, "Sleepover!!" while Drew manages a perfect parallel parking job. Looking at the two dissimilar boats tied to one other, we knew the swell would roll us into one another later in the evening. They untied and safely anchored about 250 feet away. This little lagoon anchorage is big enough for only two or three boats at the most. To the east of Maninita is Nuie, about 230 miles away. To the west is Fiji at about 450 miles. In between is open Pacific Ocean...reef anchorages and the brilliant protection they offer sailors is still amazing to me.
Food is being eaten at an alarming rate. NZ customs officials are notorious for incinerating all food items visiting yachts carry into their protected waters. Cruisers know it's smarter to enter N-Zed with little to no food. Tonight we got rid of some Mexican items. Margie and Drew came bearing salad and chili. Add a few tortilla chips, salsa, dessert and voila, dinner is served. Last night was pot luck on Karma. There was hardly any room for plates, Krista's table was covered with buffet items. The conversations were equally rich: Drew had a very close encounter with a calf and mama whale under 15 feet away while snorkeling a reef. Tonight, after circumnavigating our island by foot, the 6 of us watched some classic comedy; "Bill Cosby - Himself". Laughter was loud, the painted sunset sky was our backdrop and the rolling waves over the reef giggled continuously around us. That's life while "killing time" before a passage.
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09/14/2009, Neiafu, Vava'u Island, Kingdom of Tonga
The drums are knockin' out a beat at a heart stopping rate, while the fire dancer, only a couple of arm lengths away, is eating, twirling and throwing the blazing fire in rhythm to the percussion. Add two beautiful local dancing girls, a menu as long as your leg, about 40 friends, gorgeous fresh flowers and greenery, a traditional band, disco dancing, a perfect sunset, plus a gaggle of children. And let's not forget the cakes, cakes and more cakes! That was my birthday party in Neiafu, Vava'u, Tonga. Tommy came up with the entertainment ideas, décor and menu, but Sandy and Kathy from the Giggling Whale Restaurant executed it flawlessly, gathering together local Tongans, Steve the cake specialist from Crow's Nest Café, and a decorating committee, aka Suzanne (s/v Carinthia) and Lauren (s/v Wayward Wind). They also entertained the kids by inviting them to paint the bathroom walls with all our boat names and logos. So, even when the party ended, our memory of the night will continue through the colorful, playful walls of the loo!
The evening was filled with fun and dancing, but Krista from m/v Karma planned her own gift for me. She and Richard dinghied around, gathering me and many of my boat buddies for a surprise girls brunch. We arrived, all dolled up in dresses and sarongs, to the Crow's Nest Café, where Tess and Steve filled us with a delicious brunch and we filled each other with friendship. Moving around the table of 10, everyone answered what they considered to be the "best and worst" of cruising. The "Worsts" ranged from seasickness and teary goodbyes when our paths diverge, while the "Bests" were filled with culture, family bonding and personal growth. Each person divulged what the next year held for them, sharing dreams and plans. In the end, it was over 4 hours of girl-time, with everyone promising to do this again in New Zealand at a spa, zoo or city café!
Many of my birthdays are spent in beautiful anchorages while cruising. Since my last birthday, which was celebrated in Grenada, Zen has logged over 7,000 nautical miles. Cole asked of all my birthdays which one ranked as my favorite. There's too many fond memories, thanks to my parents and a joyous childhood, while the adult years are credited to my very special husband. Thank you to everyone who celebrated my day this year, it was unique, special and very, very memorable and certainly one of the very best! Mille Grazie!
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09/10/2009, Vava'u Island, Kingdom of Tonga
Yes, we raced, and no, we did not come in first. A beautiful 82' Oyster sloop took that honor. Racing was just one part of the regatta festivities here in Vava'u. There were food fests, treasure hunts, Tongan feasts, full moon parties and cornhole tournaments. What was that last one, you ask? In plain English, it was a beanbag toss. Margie on s/v Dosia was talking up her natural-born tossing abilities for the entire regatta week. Needless to say, when the big day arrived, we were cheering and rooting her on. After 3 rounds it was down to just two teams: Dosia vs. Zen! They clobbered Cammi and Tom, but hey, taking #2 to Margie and Drew was an honor in our book.
When looking back on the week of fun, the best part was the Govenor's Race from Neiafu Harbor to Vaka'eitu about 10 miles away. There were two classes, the monohulls and the multihulls. Mono's were given a 10 minute headstart. Of the 40 boats racing through the harbor, many joined Zen in hoisting their spinnakers for the short downwind run. After that, it was all upwind tacking. Zen kicked some serious butt, coming in 5th across the line. The biggest comment we heard after the race was, "Wow, I didn't know catamarans could point like that!" Our crew consisted of Tom (navigator), Monique (helmswoman), Ian Gray from Whangarei, NZ (winches and wind guru), Pierre from s/v Schtimagine-France (winch and hoist) and Cammi, Richard & Krista from m/v Karma (crew). Where the heck was Cole? He took our dinghy to s/v Dosia, who towed it to the finish line, while being our TeamZen photographers. Every sail was used and we had some definite close calls, making for much excitement. But, to all those Newporters who are reading this, it was nothing like a Narragansett Bay race. Radically more casual and laid back. At least 4 boats would have been disqualified by RI standards, but the race committee turned a blind eye and just kept up with the friendly spirit of the event. All Zen family members, plus Ian and Pierre had racing experience. We knew how close our hulls would come to other racers. Richard and Krista were new to yacht racing, immediately felt their adrenaline surge and at the finish line, uncorked their bottle of wine and let all their nervous giggles, amazement and laughter come flowing out. They loved the good fun!
After the final event, Lauren from s/v Wayward Wind, threw a huge 40th birthday party for her mate, Aaron. It included 4 slow roasted pigs, a 12 foot buffet table filled with pot luck dishes, dancing male transvestites, called fakaleiti, and a fire dancer. It served as the perfect welcome for our dear friends, Rick and Ami, from s/v Tara Vana. They cruised with Zen in Columbia and flew into Tonga from LA for a week-long visit and sail with Zen. Not an hour had passed since their flight landed and they were laughing and reuniting with cruisers they hadn't seen since Mexico, the San Blas and beyond. Blend is an understatement. They were fully integrated into our cruising clan within minutes. Ami and Rick will be with us for about 10 days and we hope to share Tonga with them. So far we've done the partying, fresh markets, Tongan buffet, diving and whale watching.
Yesterday, Zen, Tara Vana and Qayak went on a professional whale watching boat to scout and possibly swim with humpback whales. Whales are by far the biggest draw for tourism here. The BBC recently filmed a documentary and were given special permission to get close to the majestic animals underwater. Only a licensed whale boat is allowed within 300 feet of the whales. We not only saw a mama, new calf and large male swimming in a bay, but we got to swim with them. The experience, as you can guess, was magical. The small spout, fins and tails we see above the surface, give no hint to the massive bulk gliding effortlessly below. Beyond the wildlife, there are natural caves all around Vava'u. Our whale guide brought us to the infamous Mariner's Cave, which is accessed through an underwater tunnel located 4 feet below the surface and about 12 feet long. Once you pop up to catch your breath, it's obvious why the cave is famous. As the ocean swell goes in and out, the cave fills and empties with mist and fog, making it quite the experience for all who dare to enter. As you can guess, every single person, including Cammi and Cole, made it into the cave to add that feather to their caps.
Tomorrow, September 12th, is my 29th birthday...again. Grin. Tommy has made some secret party arrangements. Little does he know I have some stealth plans for celebrating his 29th in New Zealand! Stay tuned.
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