Velella Cruising Log

We were unable to send this earlier due to a corrupted file, but here is what we were doing in September:

Rarotonga, Cook Islands

We departed Bora Bora on a Sunday. We had a pleasant two day sail into the wind under sunny skies and flat seas. The wind gradually started to build and so did the seas. From then on, we then had a high wind reach, crashing through large seas with water steadily streaming down the side decks. We were buttoned up tight to keep the water out, but longed for some ventilation down below. We had no moon, so night watches were very dark. We departed along with another boat, Felicity, and we scheduled radio check ins every 3 hours (at our change of watch) via VHF radio. Soon our different boats speeds took us out of range of one another, although our friends Ken and Cath motored some during the night when the winds got lighter and caught up again towards the end of our trip so we were back in contact again. Our conditions were not as rough as our friends who made the passage the week prior, but we were anxious to arrive as quickly as possible.

On Tuesday morning, I was on watch, listening to a morning net when someone came on and informed us about the terrorist activity in the U.S. We were all shocked by the news. The chain of events seemed completely unreal, much like many of the suspense novels we’ve been reading on passage. On the net, people discussed the short wave radio programs where we might be able to obtain more information about what was happening. I tuned into various programs that I could hear until Garth woke up and I told him the news. We tried to listen to whatever we could find, although various programs and stations change throughout the day and it was like chasing a moving target. We found it interesting to hear about it from various different perspectives but were often frustrated by the lack of information or coverage. We heard more details in snippets from friends and other cruisers on various radio nets, from Radio Australia, and BBC through the static. Yet, we still had several more days of sailing before reaching Rarotonga.

We were fortunate to arrive shortly before dark on Friday night and learn there was a spot along the quay where we could tie up. We motored into the tiny harbor, turned around and dropped the anchor, backed into the quay, and tied up. We were so relieved to be stopped and were pretty exhausted. But, we were also starving, so our friends (who had made a rough passage from Bora Bora the week prior) herded us towards town where we could get some dinner. We walked past a beautiful, spontaneously erected monument with American flags and mounds of flowers, poems, and letters of support and were very touched. It still seemed surreal to us, particularly since we had been almost completely out of touch with society for nearly a week and had only heard about it but not seen it. Getting news was still somewhat difficult. We found an old New Zealand paper that we read to find out what we could. We have not yet seen any TV coverage. Before we arrived in Rarotonga, the harbormaster generously arranged a television in a conference room so that cruisers could watch the news as it was happening.

Saturday morning, we went to a morning market that reminded us of the various weekend fairs at home. There were fresh produce, food and crafts booths, as well as entertainment. The Red Cross was very active in taking a collection to help people in the U.S. and we contributed some U.S. bills we were carrying in our wallet (emergency money) to the cause. We have been very touched by the outpouring of love and support here for people who have suffered. Flags everywhere are at half-mast; Any time people heard we were from the U.S., they expressed their sympathy. We know of several cruisers who were touched directly – one cruiser in the fleet, we heard though didn’t know directly, lost a family member in the World Trade Center and another couple’s son safely escaped the building before it collapsed. One cruiser who had flown home for a funeral was unsure when she’d be able to return from the U.S. and, of course, all mail was stopped causing all kinds of logistical problems for a population on the move. And, onboard email was down for 10 days for some cruisers whose servers had been located in the basement of the World Trade Center.

On Sunday, the town scheduled a large memorial service in the auditorium. A bartender lent us his motorcycle so that we could attend. The speeches and music were beautiful and the people extremely sincere. The event was mostly a local one, with only a very few visitors attending, but the hall was pretty full. Everyone lit a candle and shared many prayers. We were really touched and it brought tears to our eyes. It was hard to be away from home at a time like this.

The people of Rarotonga were very warm and welcoming which in some ways made it easier to absorb the impact of such devastating news, although, the lack of news was frustrating and made it seem more unreal. While many of you in the U.S. cannot help but encounter the effects of such a devastating tragedy in your daily lives, we have to struggle to find any information at all. A serious situation such as this makes for a stark contrast to the somewhat carefree lifestyle we have been leading.

During the rest of our stay in Rarotonga, we were relieved to discover that we could afford some special treats that we have foregone for some time. The New Zealand dollar went pretty far. We had regular hot showers, ate out, went to several movies, rented a windsurfer, played some golf and had our laundry cleaned for us. We rented a motorcycle, which prompted a need to obtain a Cooks Island drivers license. Garth got to learn how to drive a motorcycle while driving on the wrong side of the road at night. Taking the drivers test after that was a piece of cake, and of course he passed, so now we have a nice souvenir of Rarotonga that was actually useful. We thoroughly enjoyed being able to have deep conversations in English with the local people for the first time in nearly a year. During our stay, we had the opportunity to try a tasty cocktail called a “Fuzzy Frog”, made with 1 part gin, 1 part tequila, 2 parts lime and ginger ale. Duty free liquor available in the Cooks offered excellent prices and we were able to replace items that we had long since run out of. We were amused to notice that prizes at a golf tournament that we witnessed were frozen meats and sausages and cans of corned beef. We also noted that Rarotonga has a big recycling program.

The island of Rarotonga was a wonderful place to visit, although the tiny harbor was not ideal. While we were stern tied to...(this part is corrupted) ...frequently which blew exhaust directly into our boat. We did enjoy the camaraderie of life along the quay, getting to know some cruisers we hadn’t yet met and catching up with several friends. As the wind shifted more to the east, waves in the tiny harbor reverberated off the concrete walls and the anchorage became a little rolly. North easterlies were predicted and we decided it was time to make the passage westward. Before departing, we had an opportunity to test our creativity when we were asked to decorate a page in a cruiser’s logbook, a tradition for all cruisers visiting Rarotonga. We had about 580 miles to Nuie, with a possible stop at Beveridge reef (3/4 of the way there) if the conditions allow us to stop.

Cheers,
Wendy Hinman and Garth Wilcox
S/V Velella (Wylie 31)