The Big Race

We arrived in Vavau just as the annual regatta started. While we were unprepared to participate in the around buoy race, we did get our act together for destination race. The race course was about 12 miles in length and contained downwind, beam and upwind legs. We got Nikita in here most sleek condition, but that still including the dinghy on deck etc... not much of a classical race look. But this was our first official race in Nikita so we were excited.

The race started with about 40 boats ranging from 30 feet to 60 feet, monohulls and multihulls. Nikita got a good start, about 30 seconds off the line, others were better. We quickly closed on the first bottle neck of the course a narrow point leading out of Neiafu harbor, we had about 5 boats within beer passing distance as we rounded the mark. With some quick work including using the deck to stop the free fall of the pole, we got our genoa polled out and ran wing and wing downwind, quickly separating from all but the boats flying spinnakers. Rounding the next island 4 miles later, we came up on a beam reach quickly unpolling the genoa, we then gained on the spinnaker boats whom slowed down getting their spinnaker down. We raced along in 5th place at that point separating from the pack on a strong beam reach. Through the next bottle neck we came up hard on the wind, side by side with the 4th place boat, a 50 footer, we crossed behind them nearly putting our anchor in their davit hung dinghy. We fell slightly back and worked hard, rail in the water down to the pass and the final turn.

At the final turn we tacked in behind the 3rd place boat hoping we could hold a very tight angle. The 4th place boat held for a later turn. We shot ahead crossed through the reef lined pass and headed for the finish line 3 miles away.... in 4th place and we held that all the way beating the 5th place boat by 100 feet. Great fun, close racing. The first and second place boats were all 50+ monos, the third place boat a 42 foot Jboat, and then 40 foot Nikita. The multis finished behind, as well as several, probably 10 50+ monos... a great showing for Nikita.

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Tonga

We had a fairly easy 48 hour sail from American Samoa to the Vavau group in Tonga. We arrived in the middle of Regatta Week here, so immediately were thrown into the festivities including a kids day and a yacht race. Unfortunately, the pub crawl was the previous night, though there is a full moon party over the weekend.

We lost a day on the way here, basically getting very little of Thursday before crossing the date line. All the better as what little we had was pretty squally with a mean SSW swell to bash into - glad it was Friday three hours later.

The cruising fleet has basically split in two, with most of the Australian bound boats off towards Fiji and beyond, with many miles left to go. While the New Zealand bound boats are now in Tonga with one large passage left to complete by mid November or so, thus plenty of time to enjoy Tonga.

Isabelle has had trouble on the last two passages getting sea sick as we departed on both occasions. Each time she very pitifully asks to go home/buy a house.

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Leaving Samoa

It is a sad day for Nikita. We will be leaving Samoa on Tuesday, bound for Tonga. This time though s/v Broken Compass (Chad and Bret) and s/v Liquid Courage (Don and Devin) will be going separate ways. We have developed very special friendships with all four of them, based on our mutual lover for snorkeling, card games and beer. The kids as well got along well so it is a sad day, lots of miles covered together - about 4,500 all together. Fair winds and following seas boys.

American Samoa has been great, we got our refrigeration repaired, provisioned the boat very cheaply, did some hiking and ...... visited Tisas Barefoot Bar, a dangerous haunt 15 years ago, is still the same in a gorgeous setting on the beach with cold beer, fabulous food and great people.

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Return to American Samoa

About 14 years ago, I used to travel annually to American Samoa to audit the local power company, spending about 6 weeks a year here. I have many fond memories, including the great house we used sitting on beach, which because the Samoan's thought it was haunted did not want it. Well we drove by and as it was no longer being used by the audit firm it has since sat abandoned. The Samoan's are very superstitious people.

The trip to Samoa from Suvarov was miserable, repayment I guess for having so much fun in Suvarov. We had high winds (30+ knots for 18 hours) and very confused seas, reaching as high as 15 feet. Basically, any activity other sitting or laying down AND holding on was out of the question. The galley served up cereal or ramen noodles. A tough 3 days, Isabelle announced that we are selling Nikita in New Zealand and buying a house.

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Night Fishing

Still in Survarov, not sure when or if we ever want to leave. The other night we went out lobster hunting which requires a low tide, night and no moon. We had the perfect conditions and went out on the reef at about 30 minutes before sundown. After the sun set, with a green flash no less, we started to walk the 3 miles to where we could get picked up by the boats a taken back to the yacht anchorage.

Jake and I went, finding an octopus that eventually escaped by inking us, several eels, many small fish, crabs and birds. About an hour after nightfall the fun stuff came out, 3-4 pound parrot fish and grouper were then found sleeping just off the edge of the ocean under ledges in the reef. We used a hand spear, stood over them and with a swift down thrust got 7 fish. The lobster, though in similar areas, where much harder to find and we only caught one. Though others in a different part of the reef picked up several.

We finally met with the rest of the group (about 16 people in all went) after a long hike at about 10 pm and got back at about 11, still needing to clean the fish and lobster. A very fun and exhausting night.

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