Close Call

The 2011 hurricane season in the Atlantic officially began June 1 and ends November 30.  Baxter and I strategically chose New Bern, NC and Northwest Creek Marina because of it's hurricane protection.  There are four marinas within less than 10 miles, but none that are tucked in as well.  We also have been anxiously awaiting our opportunity to cruise south to the Bahamas and beyond, but we know that sailing in the Atlantic this time of year is a horrible idea, so we have been "summering" in Utah peeling back the calendar until November.

Then along came Irene.  She illustrated the importance of our decisions.  Before we left the boat in June, we prepped her and had her ready, as a precaution.  Unfortunately, when you're watching the trajectory of a hurricane which appears to be imminent you always wish there was more you could do (maybe build a huge imaginary bubble and keep her in it).  We watched the cone of death all day and night for four days and hoped it would go east.  There were times that we would just say out loud, "Really?"  How likely is it that with the entire 2,000 miles of the eastern seaboard a hurricane will make landfall exactly at our inlet?  Being 120 miles across, Irene uncovered our little hiding hole 20 miles upriver.

After all is said and done - New Bern and the surrounding area experienced flooding, downed trees, power outages, water shortage, and lots of clean up.  No boats were lost at our marina, and Stella Blue escaped without damage.  A tremendous amount of appreciation goes out to our Dock Master and staff at Northwest Creek Marina, as well as friends, whose vigilance in preparation of the dock and Stella Blue kept all safe and sound.


The NOAA Hurricane Center is now a bookmark on my browser and I check it continuously as the storms line up off the coast of Africa.  Tropical Storm Katia has decided to make an appearance.  She is not only predicted to become a hurricane by Friday but a major hurricane (category 3+) by Sunday.  Current models are indicating that she won't make landfall in the U.S. but at this point I am assuming she will be headed straight for Cape Lookout and playing around in our backyard.

New Bern waterfront - April 2011

New Bern waterfront - during Irene

Hurricane prepped - doubled dock lines, canvas removed, main hog-tied, and jib removed

Hello Irene!

Maintenance

Whether it is on the boat, at a house on dry land, or in a camper van somewhere, there is always maintenance to be done.  Without it, the house - the boat - your health won't be ready to go when you are.

So, since we have been back in SLC we have been varnishing the teak from our boat as well as doing house work so that when we are ready to go, everything is in place.  It's not glamorous but it keeps us moving forward.

It is also very hot in Utah (I hesitate to say that when it's not even August yet, but...I'm just sayin').  Kala is a black dog (hence her name) so we bought her very own pool so she can cool off anytime she'd like.  While we're on the boat - she'll be able to jump in and cool off, so this is her "SLC ocean" for the time being.  She loves it!  Splashes around, sticks her nose under and blows bubbles, and plays dunk the tennis ball all by herself.  It is instant entertainment - good for her border collie side.

Our plans for the summer are up in the air.  Maybe Sturgis, maybe Yellowstone, maybe rock climbing, music festivals, farmer markets, etc... Definitely some boat prep, trip planning for the fall, canyon rides on the motorcycle, and definitely some good outdoor workouts.

South Pacific Expedition - Mopelia & Rarotonga

 Mopelia (Tahitian name: Maupihaa) is an atoll in the middle of the South Pacific, located about 100 miles west of Maupiti.  It is basically deserted with Hini, a Maupiti woman about 45 years old, being its only inhabitant.  It hasn't always been that way, but with devestation by Tropical Cyclone Martin in 1997, everyone has left and not returned.

Mahina Tiare approached the pass which was about 15 yards across and about 10 yards long.  The current coming out of the pass is usually about 6 knots but the highest we saw was only about 3.5 knots.  As long as you have a good engine, there is no problem.  Just make sure it doesn't stop midway through.  The pass has reefs on both sides and these reefs are about one foot deep, with 20 feet in the middle of the pass.  Motoring through, we saw the dorsal fins of a few sharks who were on the reefs - very cool to say the least.  Once you are in the lagoon, there is still coral navigating to be done with shallow spots about 5 feet deep straight ahead of the pass.  We moved to port, then to starboard, back to port and continued on with bow lookouts towards the island about 3 miles away.  Once we anchored, Amanda readied herself to jump in and check the lay of the hook and the danger of coral heads once it set when she immediately noticed three black-tip reef sharks in the lagoon.  After they were done scoping us out, they went on their way, Amanda jumped in and we all had a nice cool swim and an afternoon nap (we had been on overnight watch from Maupiti and were pretty tired).

The next day we dinghied to shore for a morning walk.  We found our way over to the ocean side of the atoll and it was such a difference - very rugged with huge breaking waves and rocky beaches.  The lagoon side of the island is flat water with white sandy beaches and beautiful shells.

That afternoon, we each climbed the mast to the second spreaders (about 80 feet high).  As fun as it was, it was actually a class.  Every sailor has to be comfortable going up the mast in case a halyard breaks, radar beacon needs to be repaired, windex needs to be replaced, steaming light goes out, etc... Baxter had a great time and decided he would take the fast way down and jumped from the spreaders into the water.  No mind that we had been feeding the sharks about thirty minutes before hand.

Afterwards, we went back ashore and met Hini.  John invited her to dinner aboard MTIII that night.  In the meantime, on board the boat, we did more MOB drills with the whole crew dodging pearl farm buoys and airing out the sails.  Hini later remarked that as she was getting ready for dinner, she was surprised to see us raising the sails and moving - she thought we were leaving and was slightly confused.  Dinner with Hini was entertaining.  As a collective, the entire crew used our french translation skills to understand and put the conversation together.  Hini had a slight accent and was hard to understand.  At one point Baxter looked at me and said "I think she just said Dolly Parton sailed on an expedition".

Part of the engine.  You can also see one of the sharks in the top center.

After navigating our course to Rarotonga which is 420 nautical miles from Mopelia, we headed out of the atoll through the pass.  Baxter and Verne snorkeled behind the dinghy into the ocean.  I was not extremely excited about it but as usual, it went off without a hitch.  We anchored off the reef, just outside the pass in 20 feet of water and jumped in to snorkel the wreck of the SMS Seeadler.  The story of this ship, which was originally a three-masted windjammer, and later became a German warship, is amazing.  If you have the time, I suggest reading more about it.  The natural trenches made by the current were the holding place for the crankshaft and many other old rusted parts of the engine.  It is hard to realize that ship has been there for almost 100 years.  While we were swimming, five black-tip reef sharks came out to play, as well as a HUGE sea turtle who was not expecting to see us.  It was definitely a highlight of the trip.

Black tip reef shark

After snorkeling, we began the 4-day sail to Raro with the wind behind us and then it turned and we sailed close hauled the rest of the way.  During the trip we had cruising medicine class and celestial navigation class - where we learned to use the sextant and take noon sites.  We also learned a few more knots and took our four watches per day at the helm.  On the second day, while we were mid-ocean, the rest of the crew went for a swim behind the boat, but at that point my eyes were so swollen and red I couldn't stand the thought of the salt water running over them.  We continued on to Raro, passing Mitiaro and Atiu.

On Thursday morning, Baxter and Annika were on the helm watching the sunrise and spotted Rarotonga reflecting the sunlight about 8 miles out.  We pulled into the harbor and moored stern-to (called Med mooring because of its abundance in the Mediterranean Sea).  John then went to the Harbor Master and notified customs & immigration of our arrival.  It took a few hours to get cleared and then we all headed ashore to stretch our 4-day-old sea legs.  Then it was off to dinner at Trader Jack's to celebrate the expedition.  We spent that night on the boat and then everyone went separate ways after breakfast Friday morning.  Of course, John and Amanda make their home on the boat and they would be preparing for the next 6-member crew and leg three of their expedition (Rarotonga to Western Samoa).  The six of us who had crewed on the boat had become friends and really enjoyed sharing the last three weeks together.  Though we all had different accommodations across the 25 mile island, we continued to meet every night for dinner and drinks and share stories and laugh together.

Rarotonga is definitely on our list of places to revisit.  We stayed at The Cooks Oasis and the kiwi family who runs it could not have been nicer.  The room was comfy and clean, they had snorkels and kayaks at your disposal, they arranged a scooter for our transportation during our stay.  It was really easy and enjoyable.  Rarotonga is simply beautiful.  Life is slow-paced, but there is nothing you need that you can't get there. Baxter and I took advantage of our last day on the island and hiked the Cross Island track which climbs up to a ridge to The Needle, the highest point on the island.  Towards the top of the hike, the path is so vertical, you are scrambling up tree roots like steps on a staircase.  Very good workout and well worth the vantage point at the top.


That night, we had a direct flight to LAX and it was uneventful (the best way to travel).  We picked up Kala on July 4th and she was full of wags and kisses, crying and spinning circles she was so happy.  We were just as elated to see her and I think she knew it.  Salt Lake City is one of the prettiest places on the planet and the Wasatch Mountains had mere remnants of last winter's snow but were mostly a beautiful bright green.  As we drove to the house, there were cyclists and runners everywhere and we were excited to get back to an outdoor fitness routine...after we catch up on some sleep, of course.

South Pacific Expedition - Bora Bora and Maupiti

At the helm going through the pass to Bora Bora

After saying goodbye to Ta'haa and Raiatea, we set sail for Bora Bora about 30 miles to the west.  As it seemed with all of the islands, either Annika or I tended to be scheduled on the helm while we were pulling into a pass.  For Bora Bora, it was my turn.  With 25 knot winds and a coral reef 20 feet abeam on both sides, I was steady and focused.  As we pulled through the pass, we furled in the headsail but still had the main up with the first reef.  As we reached the turn for the anchorage (to starboard), we still had to drop the main and so we headed to port into the wind, minding the shallows about 10 feet off our port bow.  With a great crew who were fast on the sail ties, it was quick and we headed back to the channel and our protected anchorage.

Laura Dekker & Guppy

The next day, The crew went into town for lunch and exploring.  Baxter and I had a tuna burger at a lunch shack run by a Mahu.  We made our way down to Bora Bora Yacht Club where we talked to the couple cruising aboard S/V Tomboy and had the privilege of meeting and having a coke with Laura Dekker.  From there we had heard there were U.S. cannons from WWII at the top of the hills facing the pass.  Baxter and I set out to explore the hills and see what we could find.  With our broken french, we spoke to at least 5 different people and walked back and forth past the turn until we discovered "you go to the row of banana trees" and turn right.  No signs, no markers, just banana trees - how could we miss it?  The cannons were very cool and we couldn't help but think if you were enlisted in WWII, this would not be a shabby assignment.

U.S. WWII cannons aimed at the pass

We rejoined the crew, John picked us up in the dinghy and we all made it back to the boat.  Shortly after, we did MOB (man overboard drills) but with the gusty winds and the choppiness of the harbor, I was the only one to give it a go.  We anchored in front of Bloody Mary's and the crew got ready for drinks and dinner.  I don't typically like touristy restaurants, but its just one of those places that if you're going to be on Bora Bora, you should partake.

Bloody Mary's

During the night, the winds rose to over 30 knots and we were on a questionable mooring, so we didn't get much sleep.  The next morning we had double braid and three-strand splicing class, and then made our way back to town briefly before setting sail for Maupiti.  The pass in Maupiti was more narrow and there were swells breaking close to the pass, so John himself took the helm.  We anchored close to the outer motu and did some practice untying a rope wrapped around the propeller.  Sounds easier than it is. One person would wrap the rope around the prop and then the next would unwrap it.  Holding your breath and watching for sharks 8 feet under can be intimidating - try it on the bottom of a pool sometime.

Maupiti Pass

After going for a swim, a squall moved in and we went down below for lunch.  Then off to anchor near town (I was at the helm navigating through the shallow and narrow channel, a-gain) and Amanda held rigging and rigging spares class.  For those not familiar - there are two kinds of rigging, standing and running.  Standing rigging are the wires and cables that keep the mast up and hold the sails.  A sailboat is not a sailboat without the standing rigging.  The running rigging is the lines (can't call them ropes) that trim/ease the sails, raise/drop the sails, or hitches "things" together.  Knowing every detail about all of your rigging is essential in case something fails while you're at sea.

Mauptit

Up to this point in the expedition, I was having an allergic reaction to something on the boat which made my eyes red, itchy and swollen.  Since I have had allergies on and off again throughout my life, I assumed it was probably some sort of tropical citrus that I was eating.  I stopped eating all fruits and vegetables which was a bummer because they were so ripe and tasty.  I also loaded up on Benadryl, which didn't do anything, and some cortisone that Annika (who is an ER nurse) brought.  That did the trick and the redness and swelling was gone - for about two days.  Once we got to Maupiti, my eyes were itching and swollen again and they wouldn't stop weeping.  I continued with eye drops and benedryl - anything that would make it go away, but nothing seemed to work.  Being in the middle of the ocean, there weren't a lot of options, so I just had to hang tough.

The next day Amanda gave us a tutorial on the Sailrite sewing machine and the best way to repair sails.  She also showed us how to make our own stow bags, which had my wheels turning about the endless possibilities of things you can make - I am so excited about getting a new sewing machine!  Class continued with classes about diesel engines, storm tactics, and communications.  Later that day, we anchored again by the outer motu and swam ahore (about 3/4 mile each way).  Baxter and I were lucky enough to spot four leopard rays swimming in the sand.  They were so playful with each other - they almost looked like puppies crawling on each other and snuggling.

Soon after, we charted our course and set sail for Mopelia.  We were fortunate enough to have the wind at our back and we set the sails to wing on wing with the pole out on the head sail.  I think while Annika was at the helm, she saw 8.6 knots.

Navigating to Mopelia

South Pacific Expedition - Raiatea & Ta'haa

Raiatea and Ta'haa islands are so close in proximity we actually switched anchorages form one island to the other every night.  First, we sailed to Raiatea and fueled up and topped off the water tanks.  It was the last place to do so before the next 800 miles to Rarotonga.  Baxter and I also did some laundry using water jugs and then headed ashore for a tasty ice cream.  Raiatea was a bustling little island town compared to Moorea, but still very small.  We walked around and perused all the vegetables and artisan offerings in the market.  Afterwards, we slipped off the dock and sailed to Ta'haa where we picked up a mooring and went for a swim.  It was so hot with very little wind, I couldn't wait to jump in and cool off.  Ta'haa is a really quiet island that is shaped like a flower and turned out to be one of my favorites.  


The next afternoon, we sailed back to Raiatea and anchored in Faaroa Bay where we met "James, not James Bond" paddling by the boat in a kayak.  We jumped in the dinghy and James guided us up river to his friends farm and gave us a tour of all things growing wild on Raiatea.  It was a fun adventure where we almost ran aground in the dinghy in the shallow river and we had fun trying to communicate with James (only speaking French, Tahitian).  He knew little English but "it is good for you, not good for me" was a common theme and something he continued to repeat.  We all had a good laugh, headed back to the boat for class and pulled anchor to sail back to Ta'haa as our tour of the vanilla farm was the next morning.  


Here is an excerpt of the summary I did for John's (expedition leaders) blog:  Tahaa is a small island of only 5,000 people but produces over 25 tons of vanilla annually.  It seemed appropriate to understand a bit more of the island culture and economy so the crew set out for a Vanilla Tour with Alain and Christina Plantier. Alain began the tour describing a traditional Tahitian housing structure and the methods of construction using coconut leaves and bamboo. The communities would build structures by function (one for laundry, one for cooking, and another for sleeping) and the entire village would live together within the structures. Considering this was the first ten minutes of the tour, we were excited to hear more. Alain continued to discuss the varieties of plants and trees that are indigenous as well as those introduced by early Polynesian migration and European and Asian settlers. It turns out that of the 2,800 species of plants on the island, only 250 were originally grown on the island and the first people to arrive on the island were from Taiwan.

Panoramic view with fresh coconut on the vanilla tour

We then jumped into the Land Rover truck and headed out to the vanilla farm. As we climbed a steep jungle-like hillside, we looked for vanilla trees or vanilla bushes, but as it turns out, vanilla is actually a vine that is grown using another tree as support and shade. It produces a beautiful white flower that has no aroma. Vanilla originates from Mexico and is very sought after in many countries because it can thrive in a tropical climate and become a valuable agricultural industry. The requirements for a successful vanilla crop include a winter that dips below 68 degrees and a good source of pollination. Many countries such as India have even attempted to import Mexican bees as the indigenous insects were not interested in the vanilla plant. Those imported bees died and the result has been a labor intensive cross pollination process where each flower has the pollen removed from the stigma and inserted into the stamen by hand. After two days the flower begins to develop fruit and nine months later a brown vanilla bean is produced. The beans are picked individually by hand and then still need to be dried correctly in order not to mold. It is hard to believe the quantity of vanilla produced with the care the vines require and the lengthy process of producing the vanilla bean.

The tour continued for another hour as we took a dirt road that meandered across the island for amazing panoramic views where you could see three bays. The road has been used to cross the interior of the island for hundreds of years and had bumps and potholes filled with water. Alain stopped along one of the lookouts and prepared a feast for us of star fruit, bananas, lychee, and more. He even chopped fresh coconuts so we could sample the water and meat. The wild chickens at his feet knew him well and appreciated the fresh coconut scraps. As we drove back to the boat along the riverside with copra, vanilla and taro plantations along with jungle, we all felt that we were extremely privileged to be seeing and learning about parts of the island that most visitors never realize exists.  


Also in Ta'haa, we had the opportunity to snorkel the coral gardens (see GoPro video here) - definitely one of our favorite activities of the trip.  See a video here.  We anchored just east of two motus (small islands) and dinghied to the beach.  There is a small pass between the motus where a "coral garden" has developed.  This area is about 300 yards long and about 100 yards wide and there is only about 6 inches to a foot of water above the coral in some places.  No swimming required - the current is so strong moving at about 6 knots so you just put your head down and watch the bottom drift by.  Since you never want to touch the coral (it is a living animal and touching it or walking on it actually suffocates or breaks it), you have to carefully touch a rock or put your feet in a sandy spot - minding the sting rays and sea urchins- if you want to stop.  The abundance of angel fish, parrot fish, needle fish, clams, and millions of other tropical fish were amazing!  After the snorkeling, we all relaxed and enjoyed the breathtaking sunset, with Bora Bora as a back drop.

Mike, Annika, Pehr & Baxter enjoying a nice Hunano

The next day was busy with classes on anchoring, radar/AIS, knots, sail design, and sail trim.  We sailed back to Raiatea and docked at the marina in Uturoa for a visit to the two boat yards - both of which were unfortunately closed.  There was a restaurant at the marina so the crew enjoyed a nice cold beer before dinner.  As we were sitting in the outdoor lounge, we met and American group who were from Oriental, NC (20 miles from New Bern).  We couldn't believe that we were literally on the opposite side of the planet and ran into people who are virtually neighbors - such a small world.

South Pacific Expedition - Houhine

Arriving in Houhine we employed our newly found coral reef navigation skills and learned it definitely helps to have a bow lookout who has polarized glasses (to see the color change in the water according to depth).  The next morning, Annika, Pehr, Verne, and Baxter and I took a walk around the southern part of the island where there were ruins of a marae (an ancient temple).  The beach was rugged and the shells were beautiful.  We also found a mother dog and her puppy, who both followed us for about 1/2 mile when they weren't fishing for breakfast with their snouts in the tidal pools.    

The next day we moved on to Faare.  Throughout the expedition, we had class every day and tests every other day.  In Houhine, we took the test on boat safety and our knowledge of the sails.  We also had our first of what would be many marine weather lessons.  Aside from learning and tests, we were able to go ashore and experience the island.  Baxter summarized our adventure well  - Molly, Verne and I had a fantastic and completely unexpected cultural experience in Fare.  After a short walk around town, the three of us were separated from the group that was renting bicycles to ride to the marae (ancient temple site) so we decided to try our luck at hitchhiking which is a common and safe practice in French Polynesia. We had only had our thumbs out for a few minutes when an extremely tired and rusty double-cab pick-up truck stopped, which looked like it contained most of the occupant’s worldly possessions. We were soon introduced to Dominic and Leona, Fare locals. Using Molly’s high school French skills and Verne’s Hawaiian mannerisms, we explained that we needed a ride to the marae. Dominic was a thin wiry guy in his mid-30s with long-ish hair that had naturally dreadlocked. Leona was a bit younger with beautiful long black hair and a dark rich complexion. As we bounced down the road with them we all laughed as we tried to converse, in broken French using our hands, where we were from and something about our lives.

Shortly down the road we saw the local Gendarme truck (police) approaching us. Both Dominic and Leona quickly reached for their seatbelt shoulder straps, which they were not wearing, and we all laughed as the Gendarme passed and they both quickly released them.

Ten minutes into the ride Dominic explained that he needed to stop at a local store and he pulled off at a small house. As he was in the store, we learned from Leona that they had been married but were now divorced.  They had two daughters and she was excited to show us their photos. Dominic quickly returned with a loaf of coconut bread, a local specialty, which he had purchased for us! Such generosity from a couple that obviously had better things to do with their money than provide a treat to complete strangers they picked up on the side of the road.

As our new friends dropped us off at the marae, Verne gave Dominic his sunglasses as thanks for his kindness and we exchanged hugs and handshakes. Standing at the marae watching Dominic and Leona drive away we were amazed at how such a short interaction with new people could expose us to the overwhelming friendliness of the Tahitian people and the common themes of family, friendship and community we all share.

After returning to "downtown" Faare, we all met back at the restaurant on the harbor.  It just so happens that Jimmy Buffet wrote "One Particular Harbor" here and this is also where Crosby, Stills and Nash found the inspiration for "Southern Cross".

South Pacific Expedition - Papeete and Moorea

Papeete with Moorea in the background

Baxter and I dropped Kala off at summer camp with plenty of kisses and promises that she will have fun and headed to the airport for our Mahina adventure.  We said goodbye to Utah with a raspberry wheat at Wasatch Brewery in the airport and had a rather non-eventful flight to LA.  For anyone who has flown through LAX, you will understand what I mean when I say that they are in desperate need of renovation.  Suddenly Atlanta Hartsfield looked like a travelers dream.  We took our bags (2 duffels and 2 backpacks) all the way around to one terminal (about 3/4 of a mile outside in the parking lot) only to find out that Air New Zealand code shared our flight with Air Tahiti Nui and we had to walk back another 1/2 mile to the international terminal.  So glad we allowed plenty of time.  With a nice relaxing flight to Papeete, we arrived at 6 a.m. the next morning and decided instead of buses or taxis, we would just enjoy the tropical air and walk to our hotel - it really helped us feel that we arrived.  Since it was early, we didn't expect the hotel to allow us to check in but maybe we could drop our bags.  To our surprise, they had our room ready.  We put the bags down, donned the swimsuits and headed to the beach.  By 9:30, we were whipped and had to take a nap.  By the afternoon, we woke up just in time for a fruity umbrella drink, a dip in the pool and then dinner with one of our expedition mates.  The next few days continued in relatively the same pattern with a trip down to the marina where we would meet the boat, a kayaking adventure in the harbor where Baxter played with an outrigger canoe, and a trip to the Papeete market.

Cook's Bay - Moorea

Baxter sailing to Houhine in the sunset

On Friday, we moved onto the boat and met the 6 other crew members, had orientation of the boat and then immediately set sail for Moorea.   We spent one night there, anchoring in Opunohu Bay and Cook's Bay (site of Mutiny on The Bounty where Capt Bligh and Fletcher Christian parted ways) where we had a safety class.  After sunset the second evening we headed to Houhine which was an 18-hour overnight sail, to arrive at first light.  It was our first night adhering to the passage watch schedule with the crew, where you were scheduled for 2 hours on and 4 hours off.  It really wasn't bad getting up at 2 am to take the helm and it really gave us confidence in an overnight passage with just the two of us.   Considering this was day two, we couldn't wait to see how our skills and confidence would evolve throughout the expedition and how that knowledge would transfer to sailing Stella Blue when we get home.