Speaking of the South Pacific, was Idlewild 05/06/06: Update from Brad
Patrick Gerety of the Willard 40 Aloha wrote:
The "bananas" were plantains and the beans were
probably fava beans. Typical stuff for the Pacific
Islands. I'm suprised they weren't given a couple of
lobster too.
Sounds like you've spent time in the South Pacific, Patrick.
Any adventures you'd like to share with the group?
--Georgs
Georgs Kolesnikovs
Your host at Trawlers & Trawlering, formerly Trawler World, since 1997
--- Georgs Kolesnikovs
georgs@trawlersandtrawlering.com wrote:
Sounds like you've spent time in the South Pacific,
Any adventures you'd like to share with the group?
Gosh Georgs, that was a long time ago. Eileen and I
lived in Tonga in 1967-68. Yes, it is the same Tonga
that just experienced the big earthquake. The
epicenter was near the former location of our little
10x20 grass shack on the white sand beach. We lived
in the Vava'u island group, on the island of Kapa (1mi
x 3mi) in the village of Falevai (population around
400). This was and still is the REAL South Pacific.
Tonga and Samoa have changed little over time. Tahiti
and Hawaii give you the Disneyland version of the
South Pacific (don't get me wrong I like the
Disneyland version too, but it is just different).
Tonga is the first nation in the world to experience a
new day. It is just west of the International
Dateline. Consequently, according to Tongans,
everything happens "first" in Tonga.
I just have too many personal memories to recount
here.
One of the highlights that might interest the List is
my 200 mile open ocean cruise with Tevita (David)
Fifita made famous in the book Minerva Reef
(http://loseli.tripod.com/tua.html). This was in
1968, just 6 years after the tragedy at Minerva Reef.
I rode along on a 30 something foot sloop from the
southern islands (Tongatapu), up north to Vava'u and
enroute crossed over the dreaded Tongan Trench, the
deepest water on the planet by some accounts. The
boat looked very much like the TUAIKAEPAU (see link
above - pronounced "two eye kay pow") which met its
fate on Minerva Reef. During that voyage which took
four days, I experienced the biggest water I have ever
seen. The waves were mountainous. The winds were
howling. I would have reefed that sucker down and
hove to, but no, we just kept plugging along. Tevita
was a man of few words, but his steely confidence gave
me courage. I didn't get seasick, too scared I guess,
but I wanted off that boat and I wanted off now!
Vanity made me keep my silence.
As we approached Vava'u the conditions quieted down
and on the horizon you could see the low slung islands
clothed in thick rain forest. It was a very moving
experience for me, something you can't relate with
words. You just have to experience it for yourself
after a very tough passage. As we approached closer
and the scenery came into focus, the colors looked
like someone had painted everything with those garish
neon colors in spray cans - neon green vegetation,
neon turquoise water, and the purest white on the
sandy beaches. It was definitely one of those
tropical calendar picture opportunities. Contrary to
my harrowing sailing experience the previous 4 days, I
was reluctant to get off the boat as we glided through
the pristine waters within the great surrounding
barrier reef. You could clearly see the big Queen
Angels, Moorish Idols, monster Trigger Fish and the
rest contrasting on the white sandy bottom and coral
20 feet below. It was surreal. But after a few hours
we arrived at the beach on Kapa, and our little grass
shack, and I waded ashore, waving goodbye to Tevita
Fifita, saying in my best Tongan, "We'll have to do
this again sometime soon."
There is a saying in the South Pacific: for every
person who loves the islands, I can show you 10 who
hate it after two weeks. There are swarms of flies
during the day, swarms of mosquitoes at night, mold
and mildew on everything, and hot and humid. My
naturally dark, dark brown hair bleached out to blond
after several months.
But I love it in the islands! Eileen and I can't wait
to take ALOHA on the milk run through the Polynesian
archipelago and return to Tonga one of these days.
This November we start on the first leg. Preparations
are being made now.....bought the watermaker
yesterday!
Patrick
Willard 40PH
ALOHA
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Tonga is the first nation in the world to experience a
new day. It is just west of the International
Dateline. Consequently, according to Tongans,
everything happens "first" in Tonga.
Not true any more! The good folks in Kiribati have redrawn
the International Dateline to go several zones further east
ion order to keep their Line Islands group on the same day
as the Gilbert and Phoenix groups! Trust me, I was just
there (Kiritimati - aka christmas Island, in Kiribati) last
summer, and we had to change our calendars twice on the
passage from Hawaii to Papeete - moving in a north-south
direction. That puts them at GMT+14.
If I recall correctly, the I-Kiribati (Gilbertese for
"Gilbertese" !!) did this just in time for Y2K.