Niue

Pronounced New Eh. I think. It’s kind of confusing. You can hear a few different versions from the locals. I think it depends on how much New Zealand accent they have. And it varies widely.

Also called WIFI wasteland. Bought $25 worth of WIFI and ended up getting my money back. Rented time on a desktop station. I knew I had a couple of issues to address via email. Took 20 minutes to open and reply to three emails. While the gnats ate my feet and ankles. $3.40. Did not go back.

Passage here was not fun. Either to much wind, from the wrong direction, or rain, or both. Everything was soaked. And its cold. Well, not Chicago winter cold but for us it was cold. But..  Niue is really something. I was going to say beautiful but I think I over use that word. But it certainly applies here.

Niue is the largest raised atoll in the world. Essentially a coral reef pushed up by a volcano. Something like 100 square miles. It is also the smallest self-governed country in the world. In free association with New Zealand. Population 1500. Except to hit that number they count all the tourists who are on the island at the time. Seems the WHO (World Health Organization) has deemed 1500 as the minimum size for a country to be able to provide assistance. And since they want WHO assistance here they count anything on the island that has 70 or 80% human DNA in or on them as a citizen. So I think I am a citizen of Niue. Nice. And that’s all true. Heard it from a couple of locals.

Clearing in was a hoot. About 6 of us met up with a couple of the ARC folks and we went to a couple of picnic tables just up from the warf. Where we met all of the local officials. All very friendly and helpful. We had Quarantine Officer, nope nothing on board, Immunization Officer, yup all have our shots, Port Authority, that one was easy, Immigration Officer, double stamp in and out. Done. Papers and forms and passports flying all over the place. 

A rock in the middle of nowhere is how they describe themselves and it’s about 100% accurate. Extremely nice people. And everyone speaks English. When you go into a store you are greeted like an old friend. I had a cup of tea and a biscuit in a little café joint along the cliff edge and only had a $100 NZ to pay with. They couldn’t make change so the gal said to just come back by anytime and pay them. Which made me forget entirely that I was just charged $12 for a cup of tea and a biscuit. Everything here is brought it by freighter and the landing is a bit of an issue. Any swells at all and they cant land anything here. They have gone months at a time without a supply ship being able to drop off here. And everything is rather expensive. And by rather expensive I mean….  Holy #$#$ are you kidding me? You look at the prices in the grocery store and wonder how people can live here.

Which brings me to the dingy dock. Isn’t one. You use the municipal dock. Same one the cargo comes in on. And there is no dingy tie up. To much swell. You have to rig your dink with a lifting harness and use the city crane to pick it up and deposit it on the cement pier. On a trolley. Then you roll the trolley over to a parking spot and dump your dink on the pavement. It is both comical and dangerous. And takes a couple of people. My dink weighs 600 pounds. The swells really cause some issues. We’re getting it down pretty good though. And giving lots of rides to and from shore. The smaller dinks are not beefy enough structurally to pick up that way. Many of the larger ones engines cannot tilt up high enough to be able to set them down in a parking lot. Some cannot even launch theirs from the boat because the swells and rolling in the mooring field will not allow for it. A local with a water taxi would clean up during ARC week here. I would gladly pay 5 bucks each way to not have to go through what we have to do to get ashore. The locals have it down. All the fishing boats have a lifting bridle. Swing up, lift, drop on a trailer and off you go. And there is such a thing as crane etiqutte. After hauling out you are to swing the crane back out 2 meters from the sea wall and leave the hook one meter above the water. So now you know. No excuses.

But this place is quite spectacular. No beaches. Of any size anyway. All coral cliff walls. Caves everywhere. We did a tour and snorkeled in several caves and canyons. The fresh (cold) water flows out and meets up with the salt (warm) water in these formations. You can see the thermoclines coming at you as you move along. It gets all blurry and the temp changes quite dramatically as you move through them. Rather other worldly. The colors of the water contrasted by the stalactites and stalagmites are incredible. I have some pictures that are pretty incredible but they lose maybe ½ of the true colors that you are in. Cave passages you dive down to go through into another cave grotto. Leaving behind a bit of flesh from your forearm if you do it like I did. I didn’t witness it but one fellow hit his head on the cave roof and came out covered in blood. Not a bad cut but I guess but they said it looked like a remake of Carrie. You have to time your visits with the tides and during reasonable swell periods but we were lucky on both accounts. Some breathtaking sights for sure.  Had a terrific guide. Keith. A retired schoolteacher from New Zealand. Funny as all get out and really knows the island and its people. Commadore of the local Yacht Club. More on that one to follow.

Snorkeled this cave. Awesome!

Go under here into the next cave. And leave a little bit of forearm on the cave roof. That kind of hurt.

Our guide. Keith. Great guy. Terrific tour.

Two of the crew rented a car for a day. The usual rental places had run out so they were sent to the tourism office. There they inquired about a rental and the gal behind the desk started calling up her friends. “Hey, you using you car today? No? Want to rent it out?” Found them a car.  Didn’t even ask for a driver’s license.

Also on Niue is the Niue Yacht Club. Billed as the smallest Yacht club in the world. They have no boats and no member has any sailing experience. But they are wonderful hosts. Had a very fun BBQ at their clubhouse last night. 10 bucks, all you can eat. But then 7 bucks for beer or wine so I think maybe they made it back a bit. I think I am going to join. Costs 20 bucks I hear. And you get a membership card and everything. So hoopa holla I’m going to be a member of a yacht club! My Mama going to be so proud!

Got up early to hit the farmers market. Held on “Tues N Friday”. Little bit disappointing. There were, and I s$%t you not, 4 small bags of green beans a 5 bunches of green bananas. That it! Lots of baskets and crafts and such but that’s all the produce they have on the island. The cargo ship comes in tomorrow. We will miss it.

Last year a cat called Blue Marble broke loose of it’s mooring and went on the reef here. A friend of mine came through a short time later and saw the aftermath. The boat was pretty much written off. And the end of a circumnavigation for the group that was on the boat. Some fellow bought it for close to nothing and got it deposited in a front yard on the main drag here. Met him the other day. He is patching it up well enough to get to a more major repair facility in Fiji or Tahiti. Going to cost a ton but when he is done it should be a very nice cat and a very nice price. If you don’t count your own time of course.

The dogs here are quite friendly. But I guess this guy is a cat person. A rather odd sight. A cat in the front yard. 

They had a nice sendoff party for us. Had drinks at the Niue High Commissioners house. Wore my best go to church flip-flops and my cleanest shorts. All spiffy I was for sure. Then a show of local music and dance and a buffet put on by the locals. Very good food. And a lot of whispering as we were going through the line. “What do you think that is?” “I don’t know but I think we should try it.” “OK you try it.” “No you try it.”    Had a good time. They dragged a few of us up there for a traditional dance. A very strange traditional dance. You put your hands on your hips and swing around then grab your partner by the ears and sway side to side. Kid you not. I have pictures. I still kind of wonder if they were just pulling one on us. I’m going to have to Google Niue ear pulling traditional dance.

So off we go to Tonga. The Kingdom of Tonga. Not to sure what to expect there. Certainly heard of the place but we have been disappointed by the big name stops in the past. We will be picking up a new crewmember there as well.

peace

M

A note about Bora Bora

First off the Owners of the Maikai Yacht Club are wonderful. Highly recommend grabbing a ball there if you pass by. And heck, its Bora friggin Bora! You have to check that one off the bucket list.

However, and I hope the situation improves, there were some issues.

We heard through the vine that you would need to lock up everything and raise the dinghy every night. Leave nothing on deck or in the cockpit. Leave nothing in the rental cars. Etc.. We have heard this before but fleet wide we have had no issues. We are actually getting pretty lax about it all. I haven’t locked up anything for a long time.

While attending an onshore event a boat got quite a bit of very expensive fishing gear stolen. Plain sight. On a mooring ball. Second night we were there an ARC boat and three other non-ARC boats got their dinghies pinched. The ARC boat was in the middle of the mooring field. Third night we were there an ARC boat was boarded at 3 AM but the skipper happened to be in the cockpit at the time and scared the lone intruder off. Several of the younger, (read rowdy), ARC crewmembers have been involved in fisticuffs with locals. Two nights in a row. No doubt some alcohol involved but it is the first time since we left the Caribbean that we have encountered such issues. This is not second hand info. We were there for all of this.

I debated whether to post this or not. In deference to the excellent job the Maikai owners are doing. Their homegrown security patrol etc.. But I guess I feel some responsibility to pass along a warning. I wouldn’t skip Bora Bora by any means but be aware that you’re not in Kansas anymore.

And definitely visit the Maikai Yacht Club.

M

Leaving Bora Bora

Heading out again. A five-day, and a couple of three-day passages, to Tonga. Where we pick up new crewmember, Dave. Brian and Lauren have left us, as was the plan. But they will be missed. They continue on with our friends on Nexus and we will see them again.

From here we go to Suwarrow in the Cook Islands, Niue, then Tonga. Probably no WIFI till Tonga. Suwarrow, in fact, has no inhabitants at all this time of year.  Been to some remote spots but no inhabitants! That’s pretty out there.

We are all getting a little itchy to get back on passage. It was nice here but time to go.

Going quiet for a while. Happy Mothers Day Mom!

peace

M

Making our way to Bora Bora. The route being Moorea, Raetia, Taha’a, Bora Bora.

Left in the AM. Iris came by to say goodbye again. Don’t think I can take too many more of these goodbyes. Its Sunday morning so the harbor and the airport are pretty quiet. You have to get clearance to leave the harbor under the fight path. If you time it wrong they have to do a go around so they don’t hit your mast. Seems like there is more airspace than that but that’s the rules. When they find the necessity to apply them. This morning they said have a nice trip.

Wind has died. Again. Seems every time we want to head out the weather stalls on us. Two days ago we were pinned to the dock with 25 knots. Could have sailed our asses off. But it wasn’t time yet. Last two days nothing. Looks like the next couple will be dead calm as well. And when there is no breeze its HOT. I mean like Africa HOT. I have a white bandana that has been with me for a while. Well, not white anymore. Kind of a yellowish. Like jaundice. I have no idea how much sweat that thing has taken off me but it must be, roughly…..  a lot. Sometimes it has salt crystals coming off it. Then I know its time to wash it. Smells so nice after that I wonder how I could have stood it before its bath. Sometimes at night I think it crawls around the boat looking for a mate. Kind of hope it finds one. I could use the little bandana babies later on in the trip.

So we do a hop over to Moorea for a swim and a stop over before an over nighter to Reatea. Pretty tight anchorage. Surrounded by coral. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Pretty anyway. Anchor alarm going off all night. Drug anchor till we were about 20 feet from the coral by the time the sun came up. No sleep that night.  Raetia is just down hill from Bora Bora. 110 miles or so from Moorea. Probably motoring. Which I am very tired of. But at least we will be at a nice trolling speed for fishing. A couple of nice fish would be welcome in the freezer.

Some weather coming over the reef.

A sunset on Bora Bora

Going to sidetrack a bit here. A discussion of the island geography. Skip it. It’s just something to keep me occupied on passage. It’s a compilation from many different sources.

So, I have been thinking about what I am learning about the geology and geography of this area. Seems to boil down in an interesting and simple way. This is with regard to Marquesas’, Tuomotos and Society islands. The ones we have been to so far. The process is thus…. Three phases, a volcano breaches the surface, grows up a few thousand feet then peeters out leaving the land mass. That’s phase one. The Marquesas. Then reefs form around the islands creating a barrier ecosystem. That’s the Society’s. Then the volcano sinks under its own weight right out from inside of the reef ring leaving the leftover to exist on its own and forming a sheltered saltwater lake. The Tuomotos. Each rather amazing in their own and different ways. Last night we anchored inside of the barrier reef on Moorea with the sea crashing over the reef a couple hundred yards to one side and the rugged shoreline a couple hundred yards the other way. And there is a route, known to the locals, inside of the reef all the way around the island. Weaves in and out between the coral growths. The development and settlement of the islands goes right along with the geopgharphy. Marquesas’ has a very rugged shoreline, no barrier reef, with few breakwaters. Makes getting ashore difficult and dangerous. As a result they are not very populated and the places where people do settle are near some form of natural or manmade breakwater. In the Societies the islands have their natural reef breakwaters. But there is always some pass or another through the reef. Couldn’t figure out how that would occur until a local Dolphin researcher told us that if you look back to the island from any pass in the reef you are going to see a steep valley. Every time. The valley will naturally discharge fresh water into the sea when it rains. Which is often. Coral cannot grow in fresh water so the periodic outflows of fresh water keep a path open through the coral reef. Without the passes the islands would not really be habitable. Crossing the reefs is about impossible. You need the passages. The same passages are left behind when the volcanic mountain slips under. Leaving the passes we used to enter the lagoons on Ahe and Rangiroa. I thought it was pretty interesting anyway.

The same holds for the peoples and their ways of life. Very different. Marquesas is rugged but bountiful. Proud, tattooed people. Small populations. Generous and outgoing. Fresh food. Water. Natural resources. Makes for a very stable system. The Tuomotos, (our next stop), quite barren. Atolls. All sand and coral. Not much will grow there. No fresh water other than what can be caught with the rains. Or brought in by boat. Only things that grow are coconuts and some bananas. Everything else brought in. You can’t hike up a mountain, much less a hill. You can’t go more than maybe a mile or so without running out of road. Nice people but you can tell their existence is a little bit strained. Then the barrier reef islands like Tahiti, Moorea, Raetia, the Societies. They have the best of both. Sheltered barrier reefs and a wonderful mountainous island. Tahiti is too much for my taste but the rest are paradise. Just looking at the differences in the design of the boats they use and the fishing teqniques is fascinating. Anthropologists must have a field day here. Maybe they already have.

Here is another dull one for you. Vivo (The name of our catamaran) means, “to live” or just “live” in several languages. Ryan came up with it. We goggled it to make sure it didn’t mean something else like “to live with a rash” or “to live with a gopher”. Nothing came up. However, unbeknownst to Google, Vivo, in some of the Marquesas Islands and in Tahiti means “nasal flute”.    I s$%t you not!    Nasal flute!    So we were on a mission to find one. I had actually seen one in an artisan shop on Hiva Oa but I didn’t know what it was. It was not labeled a Vivo. Just looked like a flute. Looked all over after that and finally found a guy sitting on a curb in a parking lot in Moorea making and playing them. I bought three. Lorenzo bought one. Actually Lorenzo borrowed the 1000 francs (ten bucks) and has not paid me back to technically I bought four. You can never have to many nasal flutes on a boat called Vivo. Lorenzo can play Hawaii Five O on it pretty well. I’m working on it. Nasal flute duet. Guarantee first time in ARC history for that one. Sometimes when calling one of our friends on the VHF we will call as Nasal Flute.

Rough passage to Raetia. Weather outlook was for 1-meter seas and 10-15 knots wind. We have had 30-35 true and 2 to 3 meter seas across the wind on the beam. Like a washing machine. Not to comfortable. A couple of us are a bit queasy tonight and that has not happened in quite a while. Second night of no sleep. Made it and found some fuel. Stopped in a couple of anchorages. Not finding anything very nice that first day.

Found one bay that went fairly deep in inland. Not to deep. 50 foot. Steep canyon. A small river fed into it. Which we like because it usually means sandy mud bottom and no coral growth. Sand and mud sticks an anchor well and no coral heads to foul on is a plus. Anyway after a couple of days of not much sleep it was a very welcome anchorage. Slept like a log and we all slept pretty late the next morning. Everyone was up a notch or two after that. I was up about seven! Notches that is. I slept till 8:00. Unheard of.

A couple more days putting around Raetia and its sister island to the north, Taha’a. Helped a friend bend on a new mainsail while on anchor. Fun project. Worked on a spare engine for the dingy for a couple of days. A loaner. Finally gave it back. Got it to sputter a few times but all we had were old fouled plugs. I can get the carb off an 8 horse rusted Yamaha two stroke in 12 minutes now. A skill I am certain will come in handy one day. My POS Honda is still giving me grief. One of these days its going to leave us in a bad spot. I carry 6 paddles as regular equipment on board. Also some flares. The flares are to toss onto the gas tank one of these days and then I will be done with it. Searching for a replacement for the Honda as we go but there is not much out here. Bring it with you or go without. Repair or fabricate is the order of the day.

So off to Bora Bora. Only a few hours away. Beautiful place. On a mooring ball in front of a marina called Maikai. In 100 feet of water. All the anchorages are very deep.

We rented a car so we could do some running around. Rented it for 4 days. The gal said’ “are you sure?”, “four days?”. Then she got out a map and showed us how you can drive around the whole island in an hour. And that aside from the small town we are moored at there is nothing else to see. Sure, four days. What the heck maybe we drive around it 74 times. Clockwise. Then 74 anti to unwind the little FIAT. We will be here for a few days. Might as well wear out a rental car while we’re here.

WiFI is a bit slow here. Was going to post some more pictures but at about ten minutes per download my ADD prevents me. 

All for now

M