Freewind is back in Fiji’s hidden paradise

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All photographs: Scott Willis

Bula to all our friends,

Freewind, with Ron and Scott on board, left Tonga on Wednesday with light easterly winds, heading E-NE to Vanua Levu. The 3-day trip to Fiji was uneventful, apart for the ‘mystery island’ which appeared on the horizon on the first day. After studying the British Admiralty chart (the “sailor’s bible”) and finding no trace of this small island, we thought we might have discovered a newly-erupted island; however, our hopes/dreams of naming a new island were quickly shattered when on inspection of the US naval chart of the same area, we found it had already been discovered, many years ago.

Loading the dinghy on deck before leaving Nuku’alofa, on the island of Tongatapu	Freewind sailing into the setting sun, heading for Vanua Levu, Fiji

Sailing into Savusavu Bay was like coming home for Freewind and Ron. The weather was perfect and the friendly smiles and greetings of “Bula!” soon made Scott feel at home too, despite the tropical heat.

Sailing into Savusavu Bay	Arriving in Savusavu and the Copra Shed Marina

Anyone who arrives in the islands of the South Pacific soon switches to “island time” and adopts the local easy-going attitude. Although Scott had only a few days to soak in the “Bula” state of mind before catching his flight back to cold New Zealand, he got a chance to meet Ron’s friends and relax on the mooring and the Savusavu waterfront.
Ron is already busy with the never-ending maintenance on Freewind as well as the Junior Sailing Club’s boats which again need work to keep them in good shape. Saturday saw the usual crowd of enthusiastic kids sailing the Lasers and Optimists, and everyone is looking forward to next Saturday, where the plan is for the kids to sail the fleet of small boats across the bay for a picnic on the beach, in company of Freewind and Talanoa (Geoff’s new boat). More on that next time.
Until then – Lolomas, from Fiji.

Peaceful dawn scene at the Savusavu boat mooring area	Ron relaxing with friends in Savusavu, overlooking the boat harbour

Freewind in the Kingdom of Tonga

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Mālō ē lelei and Hello from Nuku’alofa, Tonga!

Freewind is now safely anchored near the small boat harbour overlooking the waterfront of Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga.

Boat harbour in Nuku’alofa, Tonga	The Royal Palace, Nuku’alofa, Tonga

After an 8-day passage it was nice to see land again and drop anchor in relatively calm waters off the island of Tongatapu, and get a good night’s sleep. The trip was a mix of ‘too much wind’, ‘not enough wind’, and a bit of ‘just right wind’. At the beginning and the end of the trip the winds blew up to 25 knots and gusting even higher at times, so the sails were reefed. This means folding, or rolling part of the sail, so that only a small part of the sail is actually exposed to the wind, which keeps the boat speed and motion under control. On Tuesday and again on Saturday the wind died to about 5 knots so we started the diesel engine and motored along until the breeze was strong enough to raise the sails again.
As we approached Tongan waters the northerly wind was not making it any easier to keep sailing north, and we decided to stop in Tongatapu, which is the largest island of the Tonga group, and the first island you encounter when sailing from the southern Pacific Ocean. Nuku’alofa is the port of entry, where you clear customs and is also the capital of Tonga. One of the big attractions of the town is the lovely Royal Palace, which stands close to the waterfront. It is not open to the public, but you can get a good view of it from just outside the compound.
The wind has been blowing strongly for a few days now, with some rain accompanying it, but at least it is warm – a nice change from the cold New Zealand weather we left behind. Scott, our third crew member joined Freewind on Monday night and will be sailing with us to Savusavu, Fiji. Unfortunately, as he is on a tight schedule and has to fly back to NZ next week, we won’t have time to stop in Vava’u as planned, but will be going straight to Fiji. The weather forecast looks good – moderate easterly winds, which should make the passage to Fiji a comfortable one. We’ll be stocking up on fresh fruit and vegetables from the local market in Nuku’alofa before clearing customs and setting off on yet another ocean passage to yet another tropical island.

Nofu ā ē, goodbye, Tonga!

Fresh produce in the market at Nuku’alofa	Tongans wear a finely woven mat around their waist as part of their formal dress

To follow Freewind’s position on the passage, please check www.skipr.net and click on ‘Freewind’.

Off to the South Pacific!

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I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

--- John Masefield,  1902

After a long wait for the storms to abate and the winds to shift to the west, it’s finally all come right and Freewind cast her mooring line on Thursday afternoon from Matauwhi Bay in Russell, motored around the corner to Opua, where she cleared customs later in the morning and set sail in the early afternoon. The winds are from the northwest, which puts her on a close reach to the wind. Her latest report (courtesy of Russell Radio – thank you, Stewart) was of moderate winds from the north-west, a boat speed of 6 knots and a magnetic course of 020°, and “all’s well on board” (see www.skipr.net for all position reports).

The last few weeks, since Freewind stopped her charter trips, we’ve been in “cruise preparation mode”. This included taking the boat out of the water for a coat of anti-fouling bottom paint, stowing all the cruising gear on board (cruising sails, safety gear, charts and navigation equipment, provisions and much more), checking all the sails and rigging, servicing the engine, machinery and electronic instruments, and a host of other jobs that need to be done before a boat leaves port on an ocean voyage. And all this time, one keeps a keen eye on the weather patterns. Of course, being autumn and a transition season weather-wise, anything can happen, and since the beginning of the month, the North Island of New Zealand has experienced everything but the right weather conditions for sailing to Tonga. So even though everything and everyone was ready (including Ida, who arrived from Switzerland 10 days ago to join Freewind, and Jane, all the way from Auckland), it has been a waiting game. The pre-cruise excitement has been building up and everyone was relieved to receive the weather report on Thursday indicating that the SW wind was on its way.

Ron with crew members Jane (left) and Ida (right) next to the Russell Boat Club and the loaded dinghy on the eve of departure

So on board went the fresh food and fresh crew, who didn’t get much chance to realise that “it’s all happening” before the dinghy was lashed securely on deck and they found themselves settling down in their cabins on board in what is to be their new temporary home. Freewind slipped off her Russell mooring on Thursday evening, anchored in Opua and waited for the winds to change. The promised north-westerlies arrived on Friday morning (thank you, NZ Metservice) and after all the formalities were completed – passports stamped and ship’s clearance papers handed over – it was time to leave. Up went the sails and, with all the other boats who had been waiting for a “weather window”, Freewind was off to Neiafu, Tonga.

Everyone ashore would like to wish Freewind and all the boats who left and are heading for their big adventure in the tropics, a safe passage and kind winds.

We will be updating Freewind’s positions on www.skiper.net and will post photos and stories here once the boat reaches port.

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I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

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Preparations for departure

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All eyes have been on the weather lately, and it hasn’t been too good. The Auckland region even experienced a deadly tornado last week and the wet, stormy weather hasn’t eased much since then. So, even though Freewind was ready to leave earlier this week, she is still here in Russell on her mooring, waiting for the weather to clear. Many of the boats that were planning to leave with the Island Cruising Association’s Tonga Regatta last Saturday are also still here in the Bay of Islands, so there will be a big fleet heading north at the end of this week when (we hope) sailing conditions improve.
Meanwhile, Ron has completed all the pre-cruise maintenance and checks on Freewind, the boat is well-stocked for the trip, and crew members Ida and Jane have arrived in the Bay of Islands. Now it’s down to the waiting game: when will the storms abate and the winds veer from the north?

	Freewind on her mooring in Matauwhi Bay, Russell, the Bay of Islands. Waiting for the confused weather systems to pass and some nice settled weather to arrive so Ron and the crew can set sail to Tonga and beyond. (Freewind is the big boat to the right of the centre of the photo.)
Photo: Ida Bektas

Maintenance Notes:

Every 10–12 years and after many thousands of miles’ of strain and stress, the boat’s rigging needs to be replaced. After replacing the fore-stay and back-stays (the wires that hold the mast) last year, this month Ron replaced the mast shrouds (side stays) with new wire. This requires the removal of the end fittings, in Freewind’s case these are poured sockets. You can see how Ron fits the socket on the new wire in the photos below.

After sliding the socket over the wire, the strands are separated and their ends bent.	The socket is pulled in place over the strands and a lead metal alloy is melted (in the soup ladle over a gas flame)	The hot metal alloy is poured over the wire ends inside the socket. When it cools down and hardens it is one of the strongest terminals used in engineering.

And finally, it’s time to go up the mast to secure the sockets and the new rigging to the masthead fitting.
Here’s Ron on top of Freewind’s mast putting it all together again.

		Ron on top of Freewind’s mast attaching the new shrouds and checking the masthead fittings before departing on the South Pacific voyage.
	Photo: Ida Bektas

 

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And while it’s blowing gales and pouring rain in New Zealand, we hear that Fiji has enjoyed some lovely weather lately. All the more reason to be heading north to the South Pacific! The young sailors of the Savusavu Junior Sailing Club have been training hard for the sailing competition of the Oceania Games due to be held in September. Trevina from Transtar Charters, Savusavu, caught them in action; you can see some great photos in the Fishing Savusavu blog.

A wet sheet and a flowing sea,
A wind that follows fast,
And fills the white and rustling sail,
And bends the gallant mast. 
                                                     -- Allan Cunningham     

                                       

The days are getting shorter – must be time to head north

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Well, autumn is definitely in the air – the days are getting shorter, and the nights cooler. The Godwits have flown north to spend the summer in Alaska - it must be time for Freewind to head north again too, to the warm tropics. The charter season is winding down here in the Bay of Islands and Ron is in full swing with preparations for this year’s South Pacific trip. This is Freewind’s yearly migration north to spend some time in Savusavu, Fiji, and this year she’ll be setting sail to Tonga first (with a stop at Minerva Reef – weather permitting) to do some cruising around Tonga’s northern group of Vava’u. From Fiji, Freewind will be sailing with the trade winds west to Vanuatu, then New Caledonia, before heading back to New Zealand in September, in time for the new charter season here in the Bay of Islands.

Fiji west coast Sunset, 2010	Levuka anchorage, Fiji

Last week Freewind was out of the water for some boatyard maintenance and a fresh coat of bottom anti-fouling paint, and this week provisions are being loaded on board – a well-fed crew is a happy crew!. Although the tropics are renown for their abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, we try and carry plenty of dry provisions (flour, rice, tinned food, etc.) on board to supplement the local diet whenever local food is not available. Freewind is also looking very smart with the new canvas work – a new sail cover and dodger for the cockpit, so the crew can enjoy the comfortable cockpit and stay dry and out of the sun while on watch. Routine maintenance this month included upgrading the rigging and some electronics on board, to ensure comfort and safety during the voyage. Next week the two crew members who will be joining Freewind for the trip will be arriving in the Bay of Islands and we’re all keeping a keen eye on the weather reports for the first week of May to find a good “weather window” to leave for Tonga. Bob McDavitt, our weather guru, is forecasting some disturbed weather for the coming week, but hopefully this will change sometime during the following week. We’ll be watching your Weathergram blog closely, Bob!

The anchorage and marina at Opua is filling up with cruising boats doing their last preparations before leaving north. Opua is the most northerly departure port for yachts leaving New Zealand, and with the end of the cyclone season in the tropics, the “annual migration” of cruising boats has already started. So watch this space for updates on the last minute preparations and weather reports before departure, and to follow Freewind on her 2011 South Pacific voyage.

Fair winds and following seas – from Freewind and the crew.

NZ loses great bird conservationists

This week NZ has lost one of its great conservationist, Don Merton, who died at the age of 72 from cancer.
For all those who appreciate the unique New Zealand bird life, the work of Don and his conservation team is invaluable and his passing is a great loss to NZ conservation.
Don is one of the few people in the world who could claim to have saved at least 2 species of birds from total extinction. In the early 80s, he and his team saved the Chatham Island Black Robin from extinction with an innovative breeding programme; from one surviving breeding pair, the Black Robins are now thriving again. Later, Don managed the recovery of the Kakapo and South Island saddleback population which are now also gaining in numbers. View more here.
It is thanks to the dedicated work of people like Don Merton that we can now anchor in bays all over the Bay of Islands and listen to the unique tunes of the Kiwi and Weka after sunset and at dawn, and that future generations will be able to enjoy the irreplaceable New Zealand wildlife. Don’s legacy lives on.

Kiwi	Weka

Our protected flightless birds – the Kiwi and the Weka. Even if you don’t see them, you’ll hear them after dark in many bays in the Bay of Islands.

Farewell to an old lady

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We are enjoying the good end-of-summer weather here in the Bay of Islands. With the busy season winding down, the last few trips have been very relaxed and we even enjoyed having the Motorua Island anchorage all to ourselves one night. For those who like to get away from the crowds, the end of March and April are a really good time to be travelling in New Zealand; the weather is still fantastic, kids are back to school, and holiday-makers are back to work. It’s truly a magical time to be captivated by the beauty of Northland’s natural wonders.

Jan, one of our guests has posted his experiences of the Freewind overnight trip on his blog (in English and German). To read and see the short video clip, open Jan’s blog and scroll down the page.

View on Oneroa Bay (Long Beach) from Freewind	Motorua Island anchorage (Army Bay)

 

Farewell the Bay Belle

This week, the Bay of Islands farewelled one of the most well-known vessels in the Bay, the ferry Bay Belle, which has been transporting passengers in the Bay for over 50 years. The boat started her career on the Cream Trip taking provisions and passengers to the islands of the Bay, and later became the Paihia – Russell ferry, where she has served continuously until this week. The Bay Belle is retiring and has been sold, to be replaced by a new aluminium ferry, named the Bay Belle II. The farewell event was also an opportunity for the Bay of Islands community to pay tribute to another grand lady, although for 85-year old Jane Taylor the title “old lady” does not sit well. In fact, the first woman skipper for Fullers Bay of Islands, Jane, with her daughter Tammy, had the honours of taking the wheel and steering the Bay Belle on her last trip from Paihia to Russell. Tammy is continuing the long tradition and is also a skipper with Fullers Great Sights, one of many female skippers who have followed in the footsteps of Jane Taylor. Visitors to the Bay of Islands will no doubt notice the dominance of lady skippers amongst the Fullers Great Sights vessels (passenger and vehicle ferries and the various tour boats). We’ll miss you, Belle, and we salute you, Jane Taylor!

The Bay Belle - retiring after more than 50 years of service in the Bay of Islands

Read more here.

Quote of the week:

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
- Jacques Cousteau