a Fly-by of the Society Islands

A One Week Fly-by of the Society Islands

Clarks Arriving

We had been in Papeete Tahiti for two weeks.  We have Tom’s son’s 50 foot catamaran, Alyosha and our plan was to head to the Leeward Society Islands, about 100 nm from Tahiti.

My sister Geri arrived with two of her 17 year old triplets, Kendall and Austin, on a Friday morning and, by Saturday morning, we were underway.  Unfortunately, we left the dock at the same time a paddleboard race was starting from the mark in front of the marina. 

Paddle board Race

Never having driven a 26 foot wide boat before, and with sea monkeys crawling all over the surface of the water, it was daunting to thread Alyosha through this jungle.  We had to get fuel from Tania Marina, about 10 nm south.  And that’s where these boards were headed. Also, although every morning for two weeks had been perfectly still, this morning it was blowing 20 knots, and gusting to 30.

My heart was in my mouth as I headed out the entrance, but fortunately, thanks to expert help on deck, we arrived at Marina Tania with no mishap.  I did not do a stellar job of docking the boat. There was a cross wind and a current that pulled the stern away before I could get a line on the dock. However, the marina staff was wonderful.

We put 400 litres of fuel in the tanks, and then I had to get off the boat to pay for it.  With so much freeboard, it was an 8 foot drop to the deck.  With the help of the dockhand, I managed to get my legs over the lifelines and reach for the deck.  However, my bathing suit got caught on a cotter ring from the life line and there I hung, while everyone laughed and Geri took pictures!

Getting back on was not so exciting and we were off.  I could not breathe until we left the Papeete channel and could put the boat on autopilot.

It was a cloudy day, around noon when we were clear, and we headed to Bora Bora, the farthest of the islands.  It was fun showing the kids how everything worked on the boat, and they were good sports about it all. We even set up a watch schedule to include them, as we would be sailing until noon on Sunday.

The wind was favorable and the engines were off within an hour.  We sailed all day, and all night under a moonlit sky.  Finally, about 3am, we were making only 2 knots so Geri and I reluctantly turned an engine on. It was just too pretty for the noise.

We passed Huahine at sunrise and rounded the north end of Bora Bora at noon.  Everyone was excited to finally see the one island that is on almost everyone’s wish list.

By mid-afternoon we had picked up a mooring at Bora Bora Yacht Club and were having lunch on its deck. 

 Hai, Moorea

Geri and Austin in charg

a

B

B

Tom had brought an EYC burgee to place here, but there was already one hanging.

The next day we headed to the south end of Bora Bora for some great snorkeling.  Unfortunately, we got entangled with a coral head and a piece of the keel came off.  No water was invading, but it was something we definitely had to attend to, and it put a damper on our day.

So the next day, we headed to Raiatea.  I had previously connected with a fellow Taswell 44 owner whom I had met in the Bahamas and who was in Raiatea, and he and his wife joined us for cocktails and gave us some helpful advice on a boatyard that could haul a 50 ft catamaran. We now have an appointment to haul the boat on May 15.  Fortunately, Geri had seen the piece come off so we had retrieved it. It’s a clean break so should be able to just be put back on.  Famous last words I know!

In the meantime, we visited downtown Utoroa, where a cruise ship dwarfed the entire area.  There were demonstrations of island dancing, and lots of little booths set up to attract the cruisers. 

 

That afternoon we moved on to Tahaa, where there was supposed to be great snorkeling in a “coral garden”.  We anchored in 20 feet of water, not knowing where to go from there.  Plans to swim were quickly dashed when an 8 foot shark swam by!

The coral garden was hidden behind a small island (motu) and it took us quite a while and a few wrong turns to find it.  But it was worth the hunt.

The snorkeling was so good that we were standing in 5 feet of water surrounded by hundreds of colorful fish.

All voted to stay here another day and snorkel again.

Working our way back to Moorea, which is close to Tahiti, we moved on to Huahine, which is actually the prettiest island I have seen so far.  It was only 25 nm from Tahaa, so we were there before noon, to check out the town and prepare to depart that night for Moorea (90nm).

We left at 5 pm, with a west wind blowing to help us get southeast to Moorea.  Because of where we are there is almost always an east trade wind blowing, so this was unusual, and I expected stormy weather as a result.  And we did hit some squalls, which required tacking the boat throughout the night.  But we had no lightning, and no winds over 30 knots.  Since we only had a jib out, and a lot of that time it was reefed, it was not an uncomfortable ride, though sometimes wet.

Geri had reserved an on-water bungalow at Bali Hai Club for the next four days, so we checked them in on Saturday morning when we arrived.  She had picked the hotel because we could anchor right in front of it. Their room had a porch with a swim platform and ladder, so we pulled the dinghy right up for unloading (and cocktails).

Our visitors are here for another four days, so we’ll see quite bit of Moorea before they take the ferry to Tahiti and fly home.  Our plans are to then go back out to the islands and spend a bit more time exploring them before flying home from Tahiti at the end of May.

We are now in downtown Papeete.  We arrived last Friday, at 4pm.  The weather had been beautiful for the past 4 days, but as we were crossing the reef to enter the harbor, a squall came through and we had our second to last fire drill (get the sails down quick, close the hatches, move the cushions, watch where you're going, etc.).  The last one, of course, was trying to dock in a 20 knot crosswind.
The marina advertises wifi, but apparently only in its lounge, 8-4 weekdays.  So I have been communication challenged.  I am also picture challenged.  I have lots of good photos on my phone but have somehow messed up photo and can't download, copy, or post any of them.
So, when I get that sorted out, I will provide a more interesting blog of our trip.
We were at seas for 24 days, landing, not in Tahiti as planned, but in Hiva Oa, in the Marquesas.  Stephen had been optomistic in our schedule, and he had to get to New Zealand before we could reach Tahiti.  So the short version is that he flew to NZ and left Tom and me on Alyosha for two weeks in the Marquesas.  And as one of the most distant places on earth, it has a lot of appeal for mountain climbers, hikers, and nature lovers (survivor was filmed here).  We had a hard time as there was no good dinghy landing, and no town once we did get off the boat.  And it was very hot.  Don't get me wrong. I was very glad to have seen it.  I just don't need to go back.  Definitely no beaches, much less bars.
Stephen returned on Monday, March 20 at noon, and we were underway by 1 pm.  It was a very quick 800 nm passage.  We arrived at 4pm Friday, and Stephen was gone by 5pm!
We love it here.  It's very French, with lots of restaurants, shops, and interesting things to do.  We do have a few boat problems that hobble us.  The dinghy doesn't work, the generator doesn't work and the shore power doesn't work.  But we are at a lovely marina, with floating docks, where Tom can easily get ashore.
So, this isn't much of a blog, and I have lots to tell about our trip, but it's frustrating not being able to share any photos.  I will hopefully fix that shortly and share more of our adventures.
Hope everyone is good and welcoming spring.

Costa Rico Welcome

Welcome to Costa Rica

The flight was uneventful. For the first time in years, a plane holding 175 had 68 passengers.  We had lots of room and the crew was delighted.  The flight was over the Keys and Cuba, with beautiful sites out the window.

Florida Keys

Clearing in took about an hour, by which time we were beat. Then renting a car took another hour, and loading our gear was a hassle.

Our Chariot

Too Much Gear

Waiting for us

Room 3

We found a great local hotel ($63) and were instantly at home.  The receptionist upgraded our room, and couldn't have been more helpful.

   

  Peacocks wandering the restaurant

We ventured about a mile from the hotel for lunch and found our first tropical site.  It turns out we were at the restaurant attached to the best  zoo in Costa Rico.  We ate looking at bird-of-paradise and peacocks, and listened to the birds in the trees.  

A short nap, drinks at the pool, dinner on-site, we could finally relax. We liked it so much we booked another night.

 Breakfast was included and the fresh fruits and juices are terrific.

Great Breakfast Outdoors

Pool at La Rosa

Monday morning we packed the car with maps and Waze, and headed to downtown San Jose.  Traffic was horrific, and going 20 miles took over an hour.  Seeing the city without a guide was not a good idea, and soon (2 hours of sitting in traffic later) we headed back toward the hotel.
Another great idea was to head toward the mountains, to the church and gardens of a small town about 6000 feet above sea level.  What we didn't know was that getting there was 10 miles straight uphill, after spending another hour on the 2 lane "interstate".  Finally, we discovered Zarcero, with a beautiful church and topiary gardens.

Animal Topiary

Church in Fajardo

We found a small cafeteria for lunch.  Ordering from a Spanish menu is an adventure.  This time it turned out better for Tom than for me, which was fine.  I won't order tacos there again!  We also found a liquor store, so we can have cocktails at sunset without breaking the bank.

We headed back to the car for the downhill trip, and the car battery wouldn't start.  Tom found a policeman, but he spoke no English and couldn't help.  So he found a garage, where the manager made a phone call and Mike arrived shortly with a battery pack.  It turns out he lives in California and was just visiting family. Within minutes we were started and he refused any compensation.

Our Savior

Tuesday morning we headed to La fortuna and the Avenal Volcano.  Although the roads weren't as bad as yesterday, we still climbed mountains and descended into valleys for three hours, all on two lane roads - except where the bridges were one lane!

As we got to La Fortuna, a golf friend staying in Costa Rico for the winter emailed me with a recommendation that we try a hot spring.  Since we couldn't check into the hotel until after 2, we headed to Paradise.

Paradise Hot Springs

Lunch at Paradise

Because of the volcano, there are natural hot springs for a large area around the base, and there are many businesses that have developed pools and hot tubs in the area.  The receptionist at out hotel suggested that we try lunch and an afternoon in the hot springs in Paradise.

Tom in the waterfalls

Jo Getting Wet

Lunch was delicious, and it was great to relax after a white knuckle drive. Springs of different temperatures, from 85 - 105 were hidden in the park.  All heated from the volcano above.   We never did see the volcano, as the cloud cover was too thick.

We left for the Pacific coast after finding an ATM, a drug store and some water in the village.  WAZE said it was 80 miles, and would take 4+ hours.  Well, they were sure right.  I only thought the climb up the mountain was an experience.  This time we crossed over the top of no less than four mountains, going up and down grades that wouldn't be legal in the US.  Oh, and always behind a truck.  All two lane roads, with motorcycles weaving in and out.  Tom had to finally stop driving, as the roads were making him seasick.

We finally made it to Puntarenas around 4pm, after driving along the coast for a ways. Thank goodness no more mountains.  Our hotel was on the Puntarenas Bay at the mouth of the Pacific, with a small bay and marina behind us.  So we were surrounded by water. So weird to watch the sun set over the ocean.
Unfortunately, we only booked this hotel for one night.  When we arrived the receptionist said our "apartment" was in the tall building.  Apartment it was: two large bedrooms, two baths, a laundry room, kitchen, living room and dining room.  I was ready to just stay there.

Sunset

View of the Pacific

The next morning, we headed south, thinking we had left the mountains behind.  Not true; it seems there are no flat surfaces or straight lines on any road.  And all the bridges are single lane. So when your side says CEDA (yield), cars on the far side have the right of way.  That's great on the small bridges, where you can see.  But we had to back off a 100 ft long bridge when we encountered a car coming at us.

We found a great marina complex in Quepos for lunch, with upscale shops.  Unfortunately, no time to peruse, and nowhere in the car to put anything, so we ate overlooking the yachts and kept moving.  All the restaurants here are under cover but outdoors.  There is always a breeze (so far) and no bugs, so it is a real treat for me.
ADD Quepos pix

Stopping in Uvita without a reservation, Tom found us a Jungle Room at Cuna del Angel.  We drove up a winding drive through the jungle.  The parking lot was on a plateau, with the reception about 40 steps above us, and our room 40 steps down into the trees.  I looked for monkeys, but still haven't seen one.

Cuna del Angel

Jungle Room

We have now arrived in Golfito.  The boat, having been closed up, was very warm but cooled down after the sun went down.  The marina has about 19 slips, with a nice restaurant and bar.  And the owner couldn't be more helpful, getting us maps of the area and a lot of local knowledge.  Unfortunately. although we have had great internet throughout our trip, it is very spotty here.  Which is frustrating, but to be expected I guess.
It's been a great time seeing Costa Rica. I'm not sure how many miles we have driven, but each one has been an adventure.

Driving Route

Golfito will be our home base for the next two weeks.  I still hope to see a monkey, climb a waterfall, and swim in the Pacific.  However, first tasks are to unpack, provision the boat, learn to use the dinghy and get all systems working.  

Next stop Tahiti.

Farewell Party

I thought tonight would be a quiet time to finish packing so that I could leave here at 6 am.  I am in Annapolis, only about 20 minutes from BWI.
However, at 5pm, my son John, his about to be daughter Rachel and I piled in the car and headed to National Harbor.  My sister Geri and her family were there for Krista's volleyball tournament. It turned out to be a great last night, although I'll probably be up all night packing.

After an Italian dinner, we all rode the ferris wheel.  It was amazing to see DC, National Harbor, and MGM rom the sky.
A great last winter night with family.  Nothing better.

Up at 4 am, I was packed and anxious to go by 6. At the check-in counter, it took a half hour to explain the hazmat in my bag ( PFD cartridges) and for the attendant to find a HAZMAT sticker. Then off thru security, a great, empty flight, wonderful scenery from the plane, and we were in Costa Rico.

Florida Keys

Baggage finally labeled

Heading to the South Pacific

It's been a long while since I have updated the wanderings of myself and Walkabout.  So, first of all, Happy New Year everyone.  I sure hope it's a good one for you.  This year will be another adventure for me.

Walkabout is on land in Annapolis, for the first winter since about 2011.  So I'm wandering this year without her. And I am planning to sail from Costa Rico to Tahiti!

My friend Tom's son, Stephen, has a 50 foot catamaran like the one above, that he is sailing around the world.  And Tom and I agreed to be part of the crew, along with Stephen and another sailor, from Costa Rico to Tahiti, about 4000 miles.  It will take about a month non-stop to reach Papeete on Tahiti Island.  And then Tom and I will stay with the boat until the beginning of June, when Stephen brings his family down and we fly home.  We are hoping to see a fair amount of French Polynesia during that time.   And I'll keep you updated on our progress as connectivity allows.
First of all, Tom and I are flying to Costa Rico on January 22.  Neither of us has ever been there, so we are going to spend a couple of weeks exploring the island. As of now, we will leave Golfito on Feb 9 or 10, arriving in Tahiti about a month later.

It's always interesting on these trips.  There is so much to see and do, and yet it's hard to be so disconnected from everyone. So please don't hesitate to comment on my posts.  I will look forward to it, whenever I can get connectivity.
Packing for 4 months has been a challenge.  We won't need many clothes, so my luggage is full of flashlights, tech equipment, knife, life jacket, egg slicer, blanket for the plane, camera and binoculars and even a cockpit chair!
We are planning to rent a car in San Jose and drive down the west coast of Costa Rico, taking about a week to see the country.

The boat is in a marina on the south west coast, and we will then use that as a base until the rest of the crew arrives around Feb 7.  

Keep tuned.

Don't Go to Sea Without a Comb

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Boston.  We had been here a week, on a mooring 100 yards from Long Wharf, home of Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, and had thoroughly enjoyed this clean, vibrant city.  It was an unexpected surprise for me, not being a fan of cities at all.  We had explored Little Italy, shopped the Hay Market (produce), eaten some terrific meals and toured the city.  It was time to leave, and we planned to head north tomorrow morning.

One last load of laundry to do in the marina, one more good dinner, and we would slip our mooring.

I put the laundry in the dryer and, since we had an hour, wandered down the street past the New England Aquarium, which was advertising Whale Watching Tours.  So, on a whim, with 20 minutes until departure, we raced back to the boat, grabbed a light jacket and hat for me, and boarded the boat.  I brought nothing else, not a purse, comb or even identification.  What would I need at sea? Ha.  We left at 1:30 for a three hour cruise.  Oh, yeah.  And left the laundry in the dryer.

We did see two hump back whales cavorting about 50 yards from us, and it was an impressive sight.  They knew we were there and put on quite a show.  And about 3:30, we started back on a one hour run to Boston.

At 3:40, there was a clunk and the engines stopped dead.  We had gone over a 5 inch in diameter research line, floating on top of the water, marked by 4 lit buoys.  It was a bright, sunny day, relatively calm seas, and good visibility.  Someone just wasn’t paying attention.  And so the fun began.

First the crew tied a squeegee to a line and tried to reach the cable.  Needless to say, the line wouldn’t reach and the squeegee wasn’t heavy enough to hold anyway.  Then they tied a bucket handle to the string.  Next they duct taped two boat poles together to try to reach the line right at the boat.  But they only tied the ends and the poles flexed so much they were useless.  By now, we were sure we were in a comedy routine.  Next they bent a piece of metal trim and snagged the line, but it was tight against the boat and they couldn’t raise it much less cut it.  All this time, the seas are two to three feet and the boat is rocking, firmly held in place by this cable.

Aboout 5:30, they called for help and we were informed a diver was on his way.  An hour later a salvage vessel arrives – sans diver – to “assess” the situation.

So the boat circled and circled, with men in life jackets on the bow watching us until, finally, they called for a diver.  Now we have wasted another hour, and it took another 45 minutes for the small boat to arrive with two divers on board.  It is now 7:30 and we are thinking we might be here until dark.

The divers went in the water with a hack saw, and then some other small kind of tool, and played around until dark.

In the meantime, we were assured that, if they couldn’t cut the line, another boat would be sent to take us ashore.

This boat had about 150 people on board, including babies in strollers, and grandmas in walkers.  About half the group was foreigners, and some had very limited English skills.  And as soon as the boat stopped, people started getting sick and kept the staff busy mopping up.

The staff was terrific, opening the food counter and passing out snacks and water.  Of course, bar items were not free.  It didn’t stop us from a G&T (and then two) when we realized this would be a long haul.

At 9:00, the captain announced that the dive operation was unsuccessful and they had sent for a boat to take us into Boston.  We were 17 miles off shore, and, since this was a sequential process, it was another hour until the Nathaniel Bowditch, a Salem ferry, arrived.

Although it wasn’t particularly rough, it was the ocean, it was dark, and the seas were three feet or so.  When the ferry tried to tie up to us, the two metal boats clanged and crashed together so that they abandoned the effort.  Just as well, because it would have been a disaster to try to pass some of these people across.

In the meantime, they had announced that women and children would board first – shades of the Titanic – so more chaos erupted.

By now, we had the Coast Guard, the salvage boat, the dive boat and the ferry circling us.  As it got dark, and the horizon disappeared, more people got sick.

Now we are on our own, and settled in to wait for the next dive team who, we were informed, would arrive sometime between midnight and dawn!  And if they couldn’t free us, another boat would come rescue us.  Sound familiar?

At 11pm, all blankets, sheets, tablecloths, and even an American flag, were passed out to keep people warm.  Remember the three hour cruise? No one was prepared for a night at sea.  It actually wasn’t cold in the cabin, although cold and windy on the deck.  We managed to get a seat that we shared with a poor student who had hopped aboard at the last minute, by himself, to kill three hours until he met friends for dinner.

Back at the food bar, staff was cutting up cardboard boxes for blankets for those that were too sick to come inside, but were freezing.

The salvage boat went to the ferry and “borrowed” every bit of supplies on board.  Food, water, beer, blankets, sleeping bags were passed over to the crew as the boats pitched.

But folks wouldn’t leave a door open, so the air became stale and still.  With people still getting sick, it was uncomfortable at best.  Fortunately, the young ones slept for the most part and we didn’t have screaming kids.  And the staff kept the garbage cleaned up and the restrooms spotless, given the circumstances.

At 1am, another Coast Guard boat arrived and put two officers aboard.  Divers, we thought, but, no, medics.  T

hey began to evaluate those that were ill.  And they stayed with us until we docked.

Another cry went out for blankets, and the Coast Guard delivered.  I have no idea from where, but by 3:30 am even I had a blanket.

 

And the boat that brought these blankets brought divers, who went to work immediately.  Apparently, they had the right equipment and there was lots of banging coming through the aluminum boat, but by 5am we were free.

There is a mystery, however, as to what we snagged.  It was reported to be a research cable, a Navy operation, and the papers reported it to be a lobster line – NOT SO.  Whatever it is, it was rescued before we were.  By 5:30, it was being pulled from the sea.

At 5:45 or so, the engines were started, and we limped back to dock at half speed, arriving just before 8am.

It must have been a slow news day, and apparently it had been reported that we were stranded at sea, because there was a cadre of media at the dock to greet us. 

BOSTON (CBS) – Dozens of sleepy passengers waved from the deck of a whale watch boat that returned to Boston Harbor Tuesday morning, after a night stuck at sea.

The 157 passengers and six crew members set out for a three-hour whale watch early Monday afternoon. As they were heading home, one of the boat’s propellers became entangled in ropes.

“It was not what we expected when we set out to go see the whales, but the crew were really good,” a passenger told WBZ-TV’s Bill Shields.

Passengers from a stranded whale watch boat return to dry land after spending the night at sea. (WBZ-TV)

Boston Harbor Cruises hired a crew to come free the ship, but those efforts were unsuccessful Monday evening. The Coast Guard determined the seas were too rough to offload to everybody to another boat. That’s when passengers learned they would be spending the night about 16 miles off the coast of Nahant.

“Leaving them on the vessel was actually safer for them than transferring them from one large ship to another larger ship, in the middle of the night and with the sea state as it was,” said Coast Guard Lt. Karen Kutkiewicz.

“I thought it was fun,” 8-year-old Colet told WBZ NewsRadio 1030’s Carl Stevens Tuesday morning. “We were out on a boat and we got stuck out there. We had to sleep overnight and we got to see divers go down.”

Tangled Whale Watch Returns Home

Medics were brought aboard in case anybody needed medical attention, and the Coast Guard stationed two boats nearby to bring food, water and blankets to the passengers.

A team of divers arrived early Tuesday morning and was able to cut the boat free. The boat was inspected for damage and returned to port using just one propeller.

Passengers are being compensated by Boston Harbor Cruises with $500, a $100 gift certificate, and a refund of their tickets for Monday’s memorable voyage.

(Our picture is in this one.  Should have had a comb!!)

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/07/stranded_whale_watch_passengers_return_after_night_at_sea

Our friends Connie and Richard were there too.  When we didn’t meet them for dinner last night, and our dinghy was still at the dock, they were worried and found out what had happened.  By the time I had cell service this morning, they were already ashore waiting for us.  And we were glad to see them.  And our laundry, all neatly folded (thanks, Connie).

A hearty breakfast, a catnap, and all is again well with the world.

But beware the three hour cruise.