Sailing around the world

The night before, we removed the dinghy engine and stowed it under the transom seat, then firmly secured the dinghy on its side against the transom. This should stop us from being flooded by big seas, the dinghy filling with water and minimize the danger of losing the dinghy and all the gear off the back, solar panels etc. We left Tongatapu, the southern most island of the group early on Sunday 26th October, making steady albeit slow progress through the various reefs around the island. By midday we were only a few miles off the island with no wind. I am always reluctant to motor a sail boat but we were fully loaded with diesel, especially for this trip. I intended motoring when the wind died or when we were doing less than 2 knots boat speed according to the GPS. We had over a thousand miles to go. I was loathed to start the journey under engines. I was saving the diesel for when we were racing to get to NZ to beat the regular weather fronts that occur on route. The south westerly gales on the approaches to NZ can be really viscous with winds at the 60 knot mark. We had not encountered anything like that before and did not intend to. The most we encountered was a fifty knot gust off the coast of Columbia. It resulted in a wave breaking over the transom steps and I definitely did not want more of that.


We always intended to stop at Minerva reef 250 miles away and almost on the direct route to NZ. Hearing about the clarity of the water and the lobsters that walk across the reef ready for picking, made it more than just desirable. The weather grib files that we had downloaded from the internet before we left, indicated light wind in our area but picking up later with some quite nasty 30- 40 knot stuff, just after noon in 2 days time in the vicinity of Minareva. So our target was Minerva, 2 days time well before midday. Therefore, engine on!


Running just one engine at 1500 rpm we gently made progress but 2 other boats that left after us, “Mi Querida” a 40 something foot ketch and “Astra” and big 60’ monohull over took us about sunset then disappeared into the distance making great progress under engine with no sails up. Astra was making direct for NZ and “Mike and Rita” (the only way I could remember the name) was also heading for Minerva.


We ended up sailing together all the way to NZ. We first encountered Leigh, skipper and owner when we left Tonga Vavau group and headed for the Hapai group. We invited him for some fish we had caught but he went on to another anchorage.


The wind did come through and we could finally get some decent speed up without the help of engines. The next morning while we repairing a sail batten fitting we encountered a sister cat called “Sunset Sam” also making direct for NZ. We lost sight of them a few hours later as our courses diverged slightly. Early the next morning we entered the cut in the reef in less than ideal visibility as it was cloudy and raining at times but we could make out the reef quite clearly from a few hundred meters off. Mi Querida and Mind the Gap the only 2 boats inside the reef at the time. This seemed so bizarre, anchoring in what looks like the open sea but the reef gives great shelter even in strong wind conditions. By the afternoon the wind had increased and by the evening it was gusting over 30 knots but we felt very secure in an anchorage with good holding.






Approaching reef at Minerva







In Minerva






Mi Querida next to Mind the Gap at Minerva




Leigh had invited us over for some fish, he caught something nice just as we entered the reef. We declined the invitation as our dinghy was not in the water and we just wanted to rest. Later that evening we heard 2 boats in the vicinity, on the VHF, that decided not to stop at the reef but after sailing past, Moonduster’s autopilot broke down and decided to enter the reef after all. This was difficult at night, being pitch black out there and he was on his own. We helped him through by communicating way points of the cut which he double checked to correspond with his electronic charts. He then made it safely in without incident. Next, it was Shilling of Hamble who decided to turn back after sailing 15 miles past the reef. They heard that if they continued they would encounter some bad weather when approaching NZ so decided to lay up for a day or two. The next day we were joined by a number of other yachts – Lindisfarne, Iris, Pangaea and as we were leaving the next day, Pegasus. All these boats stopped over to repair some breakages encountered in the first 250 miles to NZ.


That evening we were due for dinner onboard Mi Querida. I untied the dinghy and without the motor fitted took it for a test row around our boat to ensure we would make it over to Leigh’s.




Test row at Minerva




Although the wind was strong I seemed to manage ok. Later with two up and our supper stuff, it soon became apparent that actually, it was not ok.


Mi Querida was anchored next to us, about 100 meters away but after rowing furiously for about 5 minutes we were drifting off slightly. Then the rowlock on the one side of the dinghy broke out of its slot and we really got into trouble, soon we were about 200 meters away and our boat 50 meters away and directly upwind. We were fast approaching Shilling that was anchored behind Mind the Gap, they thought we were coming to visit them. We drifted past them despite both of us still rowing like mad. Next up was Moonduster and Pangaea. Lorna and I do not row well together at the best of times and this must have looked like something from the Laurel and Hardy era. We now each had an oar and rowed, Lorna sitting on the left and me right hand side pontoon, facing forward and each of us rowing furiously. Lorna does not row as strongly as I do and the dinghy, instead of going forward just turns towards her side and I have to start rowing backwards, losing the little bit of hard gained ground. I now understand perfectly what making the hard yards is all about. What we then decided to do was, as soon as the dinghy veered to her side, swap sides without standing on the salads or wine glasses. This wobbly boat in the wind and wavy chop did not make this maneuver easy and by the time we were rowing again and ready to swap sides were definitely heading for calamity, the cut in the reef and the open sea beyond. We would be lucky to be alive to make landfall in Australia.


But then arriving on the scene was our hero Ben, rescuer from Pangaea armed with dinghy and small outboard who got us safely but wet back to Mind the Gap. Next on the scene was Leigh in the rowing taxi who got us safely but wetter on Mi Querida. We had a great evening together. Leigh had Jan as crew for the trip but she was laid low with Dengue fever and seasickness which resulted in Leigh sailing all the way from Tonga to NZ virtually single handed.


We left Minerva about eight the next morning when we heard other friends from a cat named AHU were sailing past the reef about 16 miles away. We finally caught up to them just at sunset. We had really good sailing that day doing about 200 miles over the 24 hour period. The rest of the journey was thankfully uneventful, we did have to run the motors for about 30 hours and had a good sail into NZ over the last 20 or so. We were in VHF contact with Leigh for most of the way and also some of the others that left shortly after us from Minerva.





Approaching Opua – NZ







Approaching Opua – NZ




We arrived at the customs dock in Opua at about noon on the 4th Nov and we became TV stars. There is a TV series being made covering NZ border controls and we were interviewed and our boat filmed during the quarantine procedures. We had to hand over any fresh veggies and fruit and some other stuff not allowed into NZ. We did it gladly and were thankful for arriving safely in NZ without any damage or having suffered any stressful conditions on our journey here.

We are just checking the weather one last time before leaving for NZ via Minerva Reef, 255 miles from here in Tonga Tapu. After a hopeful stop there we have the last 750 miles to Opua, NZ. Hold thumbs for good weather.

We have stopped at some beautiful anchorages in the Ha’pai group, since leaving Tonga’s Vavau group. Caught loads of fish on the way. Wahoo, Mahi Mahi and Tuna, the biggest being such a huge Wahoo we invited all the other cruisers in the bay over for pot luck supper and had a great evening with all 12 of us preparing to sail to “the land of the long white cloud” in the next few days.

A day out from Palmerston Island and with less than a day to Beveridge the weather changes. The wind picks up and blows all cobwebs away.

Beveridge reef is almost an atoll. The reef is mostly still covered at low water so the protection at high water is limited. Entry through the cut in 30 knots is not something we want to attempt so sadly we keep sailing and miss the chance of finding the crevices in the reef that can’t hold all the huge lobsters that are so big you invite them to dinner.

From late morning on our second day the weather brightens and we have a fair breeze from nearly behind. We sail along under spinnaker along with Desert Eagle, another cat from Namibia.

By sunset we are anchored in a manner off the reef at Aitutake (Eye two tar key). We have picked what we think is a shallow spot in between the coral. A snorkel around the anchor shows a mass of coral with deep chasms. Our anchor has landed in 30 – 40 foot on top of the coral obviously not dug into the rock and the chain has looped itself around some of the higher spots. We should hold. Glad to see that it didn’t drop down over 70 foot or more into one of the narrow chasms. The next yacht along had to get some divers out when they could not lift their anchor caught in the tight spots.

The other two cats arrive and anchor nearby. In the morning we all dinghy ashore for the check-in formalities and are met at the palm tree where we fasten our dinghies by the chief official. He tells us to sit on the rock under the tree. All 9 of us comply and we then hear that by sitting on the rock we are no longer foreigners.

We wander off around the island and make arrangements to hire scooters. One of the customs here causes some concern – many of the properties have someone buried under the patio or in the front garden. Maybe I have been watching too many recorded TV series. This is no Desperate Housewives or murder mystery just the way things are here. Keep the dearly departed close by. Some quite ornate marble topped structures neatly tended and cared for.

Aside from anchoring on the reef there is only a tiny harbour area at the town but it is through a long winding cut. There is no space there to swing a cat but after a night of rough sea the other two cats move in and anchor then set a stern anchor out over the reef to stop any movement of their boats. They want us to move in too. We are happy out with space around us but another even rougher night and the prospect of not being able to leave the boat safely while we explore the island changes our mind.

We are having our morning cuppa before moving when I look down and see weevils walking all over the floor. Squash as many as I can see, then investigate the food source that has the “extra added protein”. The food lockers are all clear but there are loads of weevils in the bilge. Don’t know where they have come from but they will have to go. As soon as we are moved and settled it looks like big clean up day.

Once in the tiny harbour there is no room to anchor. We tie up to a palm tree in front and to one of the cats behind us. While busy the Islands Quarantine Inspector calls out from the shore that he wants to come aboard. The weevils still have the run of the place but there is nothing we can do. By the time we have all the ropes secure the Inspector has given up waiting and we get down to weevil control. James is despatched to the lower floorboard and bilge while I take the top and food lockers. The food was all clear and we never found out where they came from or why they were mostly in the bilge where there is no food but anyway everything had a good clean out. James keeps calling them weasels but thankfully we don’t have any of them aboard.

The Inspector came back later on but by then a monohull that had also come in was in the way for when the expected supply ship needed to unload and this monohull (a Seadog) needed to be moved to the other side of us. All lines had to be undone and retied after they had moved through and so for the second time he gave up visiting us.
This tiny anchorage now had 3 cats and a dog and a lot of dead weevils. After the cleanup we didn’t see any weevils or the inspector again.

It was bonus time at the scooter hire with 11 of us ready to tour the island on 2 wheels. Another day we went out to Honeymoon Island by dinghy for a BBQ on the white sand beach and a lazy time under the cool palms. We tried having the coconut husk fire in a pit then loading coral on top to hopefully cook over the heated up coral but that didn’t work out so well. Our timing must have been out or the fire was not hot enough or maybe there was not enough coral. Went back to the tried and tested method of a big fire allowed to burn down to hot coals.

We went to a cultural show with once again the hip shaking girls and the thigh jiggling guys. We also went to a locals “Garden of Eden” where we all got eaten alive by the mozzies that had been allowed in. We swam around the reef and got up at 2am to watch South Africa play New Zealand at rugby and lose horribly making the effort of getting up at that hour a waste of time.

Aitutake was a delight. A calm, beautiful and peaceful Island and after one of our outings we came back to the dinghy to find someone has brought us a whole branch of bananas. We hung them up and to stop them all ripening on the same day, covered part of the branch up. Should it be the upper or lower half that gets covered? They mature from the top. We will watch and see along the way. It is time to move on and we never found out who gave us the bananas.

Tahiti and her Islands with Charles and Fung Yee