Gaualofa

Calling Gaualofa (Notes of a jealous supporter at home)

2012-01-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, let's skype San Diego and see how everyone's doing on their third day back at it!

John answers the phone. I hear slamming doors, phones ringing, caughing, talking, rummaging. A bustling atmosphere. I start wondering how big the room is and check it out online: Vagabond + Scott Ave + San Diego. I see pictures of a motel, the typical ad-serenity of catalogue-order-rooms: two doubles with color-coded linen and curtains, and a view onto the kidneyshaped pool laying right next to the path to the reception.

"Where are you guys?" I ask John. "I can see the entrance."

If there was a webcam outside the motel this would be even cooler.

"We're facing the street. It's pretty noisy."

Ah, so basically I am staring at a still of their window right now.

"What's going on?"
"Well, we're busy getting everything together. Stuff out of the storage, stuff we need for the boat."
"What she look like? Can anyone send a picture?"
"I don't know, Ang. We're all on the go all day. I'll ask around."
"K. No worries."

I'm thinking: I'll sure find pictures on Facebook. With over 4,000 followers for the Pacific Voyagers it's hard to miss a beat of what's going on with "her", Gaualofa.

"So, what's the plan for the next days?"
"We're - HI ANG, HOW ARE YOU?!" The phone changes hands.
"I'm alright, how ar-"
"Where are you right now? In Auckland?"
"Yes."
"How's the weather there? It's freeeezing here."
"It's-"
"Are we going to see you on the way?"
"Maybe, I'm thinking Samoa."
"I gotta go now but good to hear from you, here's Fani."

I think everyone's running on too much sugar or caffeine or both. Sigh. Or, it's simply a natural high doing one of the most amazing things one can think of doing... Anyone as envious as I am right now?

"Hey Ang, long time no hear. How're you holding up?"
Was about to ask you the same but seems hard to get a word in with any of you right now. So, just roll with it, girl.
"Are you still working at Uni, how's that going? Hope to catch up with you somewhere along the trip. Are you coming to Samoa for the Independence Celebrations? Should be good."
Yes, should be.
"K, I'm gonna give you back to John. I'll send you stuff for the blog soon, promise! Take care!"

Cheering, laughter, door slamming. Silence.

"Hello?" Nothing. Did they just throw the phone somewhere and leave? "Hello? John?"
"Yes, I'm here. They're all out again."
"Sounds like everyone is pretty excited."
"Yep." He's yawning.
"Tired?"
"A little."
"Big day tomorrow?"
"Hm-mmh."
"Nice of everyone to say 'hello'."

Silence. Another yawn. Right.

"I should let you go. Get some rest and be ready for the next round, aye?"
"Hm. Yea. We're supposed to have Thursday off and Saturday we're doing a day-sail. And there's a fundraiser. I'll send you texts about what's going on as often as I can. Okay?"
"Yea, don't stress. Have a good night now."
Silence.
"You know you're with us, aye."
"Yeeah, I know. It's okay. I'll live. Just collect some details for me. Snapshots. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Bye now."
"Fa."
"Fa."
"Fa."

Tofa Soifua, Gaualofa. Be safe!

Off the Boat

2012-01-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

What do Samoan Voyagers do when they're not on the boat? Well, they get involved in their communities! This is a report by Ame talking about our crew, busy to spread the word about how to be good to the environment we all depend on and planting trees.

It was a successful morning, of September 30th, 2011.
We've managed to plant 100 native trees, including fetau, filimoto and leva.
Now it's a matter of keeping them alive and we will continue to work together with the MNRE maintenance team.
It looks good so far, and am sure the new conservation park in two to five years time will be the Vaatele Gaualofas contribution by reducing polution at the Vaitele industrial zone.
While you're in Samoa, it would be great to see you during the watering sessions, don't forget to bring few gallons with you.
Manuia!

Press Release: Samoa’s “Gaualofa” crew prepare to depart on 20,000 km journey across the Pacific

2012-01-07T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Patron of Aiga Folau o Samoa (Samoa Voyaging Society), His Highness the Head of State, Afioga Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi and the Honorable Prime Minister of Samoa, Susuga Tuilaepa Fatialofa Lupesoliai Aiono Sa’ilele Malielegaoi will receive courtesy farewell visits from the crew of Samoa’s va’atele (ocean going traditional canoe) “Gaualofa” on Tuesday 10th January 2012.

The crew of Gaualofa are busy preparing for a 20,000km long voyage across the Pacific from California departing on January 23, 2012. Gaualofa, along with voyaging canoes from other Pacific islands including Fiji, the Cook Islands and New Zealand, is currently in San Diego, their final port of call after last year's voyage across the Pacific from Samoa to Auckland, Tahiti, Hawaii and on to North America.

The main purpose of the voyage is to raise environmental awareness on the fragility of the Pacific Ocean and to revive traditional navigation and sailing techniques in the Pacific. The voyaging fleet, called “Te Mana o Te Moana” (Spirit of the Ocean) will make the following stops on the journey from San Diego - Cabo San Lucas (Mexico) - Cocos Islands (Costa Rica) - Galapagos Islands (Ecuador) - French Polynesia - Cook Islands - Tonga - Samoa - Fiji - Vanuatu ending with the Pacific Arts Festival in Honiara, Solomon Islands in July 2012.

The seven traditional voyaging canoes are planning to time their visit to Samoa to participate in the 50th Independence Celebrations in early June, on their way to the Solomon Islands. From the Solomon Islands Gaualofa will return to Samoa, arriving in August 2012 and the other va’a will also return to their home ports.

You can follow Gaualofa’s journey on this blogsite:http://samoavoyagingsociety.blogspot.com/

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government and people of Samoa for all your support and in particular for your prayers for the safe return of our crew to Samoa.

E momoli atu le agaga faafetai tele i le malo ma le mamalu o le tatou atunuu i le tou lagalagosua mai.

Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale

President

Aiga Folau o Samoa (Samoa Voyaging Society)

Tel: (685) 7773949

18. August, 2011

2011-08-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

Talofa lava,

Last evening was the first time since we left San Francisco that we've seen the stars and what a sight it is. We sighted Te ma tau a maui, Le manu ( Cassiopeia), the Big dipper and now Orion it being almost 5 in the morning.

The smell of the oil rig is still strong. The unpleasantness of it is getting to the crew, some of them are feeling dizzy and nauseous. It's amazing that right off the Californian coast you have these structures at the same time that the coastal area is renowned for its large marine mammals, which come through here feeding off the rich plankton. To have structures that cause such high pollution to the environment in this area - or any area for that matter - is mind boggling.

The names given to a couple of the oil rigs we passed were “Harmony” and “Heritage” - who named these things????

It's Thursday afternoon and great news: the sun's out!!! And it actually came out during the morning!!! How beautiful is that? It's heatwave of 20 degrees in the sun... and in the shade it's back down just a couple of notches.

So we have the whole va'a sunning and drying out their wet clothes. It looks like a traveling flea market. The boys are wearing their lavalavas once again. And even better: Lole already has lunch prepped!

We are still circa 55 nautical miles away from our point of destination - Paradise Cove, Malibu. We hope to arrive tomorrow Friday 19 2011.

Just received a couple of messages from our aiga in San Francisco sending their alofa - o lafo atu faafetai ole au va'a mo le taupuaiga o le folauga.

We'd like to send our alofa to our sisters and brothers on Uto ni Yalo, it's a relief to hear that no one was hurt during the mast incident. Our prayers are with you and trust repairs can be made in due time so we're able to continue and close this part of our story, our voyage.

To our people at home: We're all smiling and healthy.

Soifua, FB
Gaualofa

Leaving Monterey

2011-08-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

Talofa Samoa,

It's been sometime since our latest update. Events on this side of the Pacific Ocean occur very fast. There’s constant motion and the urgency of preparing events on this side requires everyone and their energy to make them happen.

We'd like to apologise for the lateness in this getting you and for any future tardiness in the blogs.

Today has been a VERY eventful day. Since we've left Monterey bay we've been under our traditional rig otherwise also known as the Crab Claw rig. The weather has been overcast with fog, not much of a sun nor a star to be seen and it's also been quite cold out here.

What has kept us warm and in high spirits was the fact the crew constantly tells jokes, Lole’s cook-ups and the horde of chocolates that we enjoy on board. Well, and really, the majority of us feel that after San Francisco and Monterey we've made a positive impact on those areas.

People are now awake, more aware and actually interested in what we represent, not just the environmental message that we come with but also the cultural aspect.

...

We passed by 5 seen oil rigs today. The smell and the feeling going by them was a surreal. It being the first time the majority of the Gaualofa crew has seen such a structure their reaction was that it didn't look right.

We thought at first it was a ship of some sorts. Nick checked it out and came back and said it was an oil rig. After passing down-wind of these structures we were hit with such an overwhelming smell that we could barely concentrate on the current maneuver: a blend of oil and sewage, nice eh?

…

The night became even more eventful: Due to a sudden increase of winds form 13 knots to 25 knots we had to change our rig about 3 hours out from Santa Barbara light point. I have to say, we took our sweet time in changing the rig. Nick called all hands on deck to switch the rig. We did, and set a record: with 2 hours and 45 minutes the longest rig switch ever!!!

I put it down to the constant repartee being banded about while setting the rig up in winds of 25 knots and a new method of setting the sails up on the Bermuda booms before attaching them to the masts. Oh! and the factor that the topping lift line went flying out of someone's hand and came off the pulley… Faapau had to climb up the main mast and feed the topping lift thru again. All of this with 2 meter swells and winds of 25 knots.

After that bit of eventful time we had stir fry beef and veg for dinner. As I'm typing this up in the fale I can smell the oil that's coming off from one or possible all the oil rigs on our windward side close to land and it's about 2 miles north of our va'a. Its pungent smell brings nausea to the crew on watch.

…

The crew sends their alofa'aga and faafetai to all who have supported us on this long 5 month voyage. This voyage is just the start of many more to come. And judging by the smell right now, many more are needed.

Soifua,FB
Gaualofa.

Reflections form the Crew - Faapau

2011-08-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Talofa lava Samoa o a'u o Faapau Feliuai.

O le'a fai atu sau tala e uiga I le folauga mai NZ sei paia San Francisco .

Amata mai NZ ile malulu ae faaiu foi ile malulu,
Samoa e le faigofie folauga a tuaa i aso anamua.

O le taimi lenei ua mafana le mafutaga a tagata ole pasefika e afua mai i nei folauga.
E faaali ai tu ma aga faa-Samoa.

O lenei aso, o lo’o faatafafao tagata I luga o le vaa ma faamatala iai tu ma aga faa-Samoa.
Ia alofa le Atua vaelua tutusa so tatou manuia ma nofo tapuai mai pea ao alofaiva au tama fanau ile manava ole moana.
SOIFUA.

Faapau Faliuai

Gaualofa Crew Update - a message from the SVS President

2011-08-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

Gaualofa’s crew has undergone some changes of late, possibly causing some confusion amongst onlookers and regular supporters. Our First Captain, Marc Gondard, who has ably steered Gaualofa from her construction through to recruiting and training our crew, made the difficult decision in Hawaii to take some time off the va’a and address some pressing land-based issues. He continues to be passionately involved in the Samoa Voyaging Society and our activities and we hope he will make the decision to return to Gaualofa in the not-too-distant future.

Marc was replaced by Jef Iken of Aotearoa for the 3-week journey from Kauai to San Francisco. We are grateful to Jef for stepping in at this time and are certain that he has enjoyed his stint as Captain of our beautiful va’a. Gaualofa is currently hosting Nick R.Henry as Captain. Nick is crew for Marumaru Atua, the Cook Islands va’a. He will be with Gaualofa until San Diego (early September), when all the va’a take a break for the Northern Hemisphere winter period. Crews will reform in January 2011 in readiness for their voyage through South America and back down to the South Pacific.

The Gaualofa crew is due to return to Samoa during the first week of September for their “winter” break.

Soifua.

Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale

President, SVS

18th August 2011

2011-08-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

Talofa Samoa and Friends everywhere,

Today has been a very eventful day. Since we left Monterey Bay we've been under our traditional rig, otherwise also known as the crab claw rig. The weather has been overcast, with fog and not much sun nor stars. It’s also been quite cold. What has kept us warm and in high spirits has been the constant jokes told by each crew, Lole’s cook-ups and the horde of chocolates that we have onboard in abundance.

We feel that in San Francisco and Monterrey we’ve had a positive impact. People are now more aware and interested in what we represent – not just our environmental message, but the cultural one as well.

We passed by 5 oil rigs today. The smell and the feeling going by them was a bit surreal - it being the first time the majority of the Gaualofa crew have seen such a structure. It didn't look right. We thought at first it was a ship of some sort. Nick checked it out and came back and said it was an oil rig. After passing downwind of one of these structures we were hit with such an overwhelming smell that we could barely concentrate on the current manoeuvre: it had a blend of oil and sewage in it, nice eh?

We had to change our rig about 3 hours out from Santa Barbara light point, due to a sudden increase of winds from 13 knots to 25 knots. I have to say, we took our sweet time in changing the rig. Nick called all hands on deck to switch the rig, to which we did and set a record for the longest rig switch ever: 2 hours and 45 mins! I put it down to the constant repartee being bandied about while setting the rig up in winds of 25 knots and a new method of setting the sails up on the Bermuda booms before attaching them to the masts...oh and the fact that the topping lift line went flying out of someone's hand and came off the pulley. Faapau had to climb up the main mast and feed the topping lift thru again. All with 2 metre swells and winds of 25 knots.

After that eventful time we had stir-fried beef and veges for dinner.

As I'm typing this up in the fale I can smell the oil that's coming from one or possibly all the oil rigs on our windward side close to land, about 2 miles north of our va'a. It's a pungent smell and is nauseous to the crew on watch.

The crew sends their alofa'aga and faafetai to all

Soifua,

Gaualofa.

Our Sponsorship Flyer

2011-08-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Aiga Folau o Samoa (Samoa Voyaging Society) is a not-for-profit organization based in Samoa. We are voyaging on ‘Gaualofa’ to:

- encourage responsible stewardship of our oceans and of our earth

- encourage the development and education of traditional Polynesian navigation and sailing techniques

- educate people about Polynesian culture (with emphasis on our connection to the sea)

- raise awareness of the importance and health of our oceans

We have had great support from the Okeanos foundation, but require your support to continue developing the programmes that the Aiga Folau o Samoa is so passionate about.

Your support will be used to:

- further the education and training of our crew (maritime, cultural, and environmental)

- further our environmental outreach in Samoa and abroad

- further our cultural education and outreach

- ensure proper maintenance of the va’a (canoe)

- finalize the purchase of ‘Gaualofa’ by the Aiga Folau o Samoa

Sponsorship Levels:

Diamond USD 6,500.00

Gold USD 4,500.00

Silver USD 2,500.00

Bronze USD 450.00

Train our crew:

Coastal Skipper USD 525.00

Boatmaster USD 255.00

Day Skipper USD 130.00

Any support you can offer is appreciated.

Fa’afetai tele lava

Track our voyage

www.pacificvoyagers.org

www.samoavoyagingsociety.blogspot.com

Contact us

∙ for questions regarding sponsorship

samoavoyagingsociety@gmail.com

∙ to contact members of the crew

gaualofa@pacificvoyagers.org

Our bank details:

Bank Name and address: ANZ Bank, P.O. Box L1855, Apia, Samoa;

Tel +685 69999; Fax +685 69972

Account Name: SAMOA VOYAGING SOCIETY INC

Account N°: 0003803142

13th August 2011

2011-08-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

Position: Del Monte Beach, Monterey Bay; California

Talofa lava Samoa o au o Faapau Feliuai o lea fai atu sau tala e uiga I le folauga mai NZ sei paia San Francisco .Amata mai NZ ile malulu ae faaiu foi ile malulu Samoa ele faigofie folauga a tuaa iaso anamua o le taimi lenei mafana le mafutaga a tagata ole pasefika e ala I folauga.E faaali ait u ma aga faa-Samoa.O lo’o faatafafao tagata I luga le vaa ma faamatala iai tu ma aga faa-Samoa .Ia alofa le Atua vaelua tutusa so tatou manuia ma nofo tapuai mai pea ao alofaiva au tama fanau ile manava ole moana

SOIFUA.
Faapau Faliuai

Reflections from the Crew - Taleni

2011-08-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

Date: 10th August 2011
Position: Treasure Island, San Francisco

Talofa Samoa,

E muaumua ona viia le alofa o le Atua ma lona agalelei na mafai ai e matou ona tulaueleele i laufanua o San Francisco nei. Faafetai i lana puipuiga ma lana leoleoga i ai matou a'o matou folau mai ai i luga o le vasa. E lagona lava le faagaeetia o le loto ma le mimita o le agaga, ona o se taimi muamua lenei ua mafai e au ona tu laueleele i San Francisco i totonu o le malo tele o Amerika nei. E momoli le faafetai i tama ma tina, o uso, ma tuafafine olo'o alala ma papa'a'ao i San Francisco nei, i le tausiga o i matou i mea taumafa, o lavalava ma isi lava mea e le mafai ona laulau ina atu. Ae pau lava lona lave o S.F. o le malulu. Ae sa mafanafana lava aua sa matotou moemoe i le Hotel, Mariott. O lo'o sologa lelei lava mea uma na matou sauni nei e folau atu i Monterrey.

Soifua,
Taleni Aiolupotea

Gaualofa

9th August 2011

2011-08-10T16:08:00.000-07:00

Position: Treasure Island, San Francisco

Talofa,

It's been a hectic schedule since we arrived one week ago, with daily sails in giving back to our wonderful and gracious hosts but also in spreading the interest and message of why the Te Mana o Te Moana fleet is in San Francisco. Today, the fleet will sail to Pier 29 and beach in small protected area right next to the Maritime Museum. This is to give those who haven't yet had a chance to look and tour the va'a while we’re still in San Francisco and give the voyagers a treat of seeing the Fisherman's Wharf and the Maritime museum. Last evening the crew of Gaualofa and Marumaru Atua were guests in the home of Sose Papali'i and her family for a BBQ dinner - it was a great turn out. Dinner was a sumptuous event. The festivities happened out on the veranda with everyone taking a turn on the ukulele jamming and singing away. The drive back to our quarters was also an event: we had Heaven, Jasmine and Andrew (our hosts) drive us back to Treasure Island and Emeryville, where a few were staying at the hotel from Pacifica (quite a drive), faafetai tele lava.

Kalolo and a few others from the fleet have been invited to participate in a tour to the Marine Mammal Sanctuary, a place where marine life are able to rehabilitate peacefully before being returned to the wild. Later they will do a few footage shots with Mike and the crew in the city, showing how the voyagers are managing the modern big city.

Stay tune for more...
Soifua,

FB
Gaualofa

8th August 2011

2011-08-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

Position: San Francisco

Talofa lava,

It's another day of seeing San Francisco through its renowned fog; it's a sight to behold- early morn you can't see the fleet beached on the protected small cove nor our support vessel Evohe which is anchored in the small cove as well.

As the sun comes out casting its warm rays on the black sand beach the fog slowly dissipates revealing the fleet of six traditional voyaging canoes, giving it a surreal look, with the skyline of San Francisco in the background and the fleet in the fore. Quite a contrast!

Today we're taking out a group of local children and our local Samoan community that have participated in hosting the fleet. As we are welcomed in each port, each va'a gifts the hosts with a day sail - giving them just a tip of the iceberg of what it feels like being amongst voyagers out in the elements.

While on land we're still running watches. This time a little longer than usual and in smaller watch groups. Although we're beached and it's the safest for the va'a, the height of tide around this area is drastic at times so we have to make sure the va'a is still on the beach or not completely beached (just the bow on the beach and not the whole va'a).

We're looking forward to taking out our Samoan community as the majority of them weren't able to make it to the Open Vaka Day on Saturday (http://www.pacificvoyagers.org/voyage/blogs/open-vaka-day.html) and to give them another opportunity to be on board the va’a tele Gaualofa.

Everyone on the crew sends their regards to family, friends and Samoa.

We're being well looked after by:
Tuatagaloa Ropeti Malepea, Nuititi Ace Tago, Paleega Sulu, Rev Moegagogo Tamasese and his EFKS parish, Fa'atasi, PICP SF Samoa,Samoan Solutions, SF Samoan Golf Consortium, Pacific Islanders Club (CCSF, SFSU), National Samoan Chief's Council, Samoan Community Development Center and Sose Papali'i.

There are not enough words to express our heartfelt gratitude in experiencing your hospitality. Faafetai faafetai tele lava.

FB
Gaualofa

Reflections from the Crew - Faapau

2011-08-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

Date: 7th August 2011

Position: Treasure Island, San Francisco

Talofa Samoa faamalo i le taupuaiga, famalo foi I le Aiga Folau le Tapuai. O le 'a tamua i le polokalame o se tala fiafia mai I le folaugaa o lea e manuia lava le au va’a. O se tala fiafia ia te au I atunu’u na matou o mai o Talaga uma o folauga I aso anamua sa amata mai lava I le tatou atunuu. Pau lava le tatalo a le auva’a o lau tapuaiga ao alo faiva au tama fanau . O te le masalosalo foi aua o le Atua e muamua o ia foi e mulimuli ia tei tatou uma. Molimoli atu alofaga o le auvaa I le tapuaiga a le afioga i le Ao o le Malo, o le faatama o le Sosaiete o le Aiga Folau o Samoa, male atunuu atoa e pele I le loto.

Soifua,
Faapau Faleiai.

Reflections from the Crew - Fialelei

2011-08-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

Date: 4^th August 2011

Position: Treasure Island, San Francisco, USA

Before I go further, I just want to let you know about my topic which is new things in my life.

New things in my life are different by the time on land. I would never have known I’d spend my time to crossing Pacific Ocean and meet different people from different motu’s. Now I’m happy to spend my time to do any exercise on the ocean like sailing, fishing, and more.

The special thing I’ve learned is how to use important things around us like the sun, the moon, stars for sailing between the Islands.

Leaving from Honolulu to San Francisco, everything is good. The captain and the crew are all well because God protects us.

On the way to San Francisco Gaualofa adopted a new crew member from the ocean, a seal, and it was an amazing thing because it jumped on board and sailed with us for twenty hours and then later the next day she went back to her family.

We thank God for sharing and protecting Gaualofa and her crew. We arrived in good and high spirits to San Francisco. Soifua.

Fialelei Afoa.

1st August 2011 San Francisco, here we come!

2011-08-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Position: 37°57.2‘ N / 123°00.5’ W (finally made it around Point Reyes)

Speed: 1 knot

Heading: 136° (aiming for San Francisco)

The sky is pitch black, dark low stratus clouds casting a grey tone over the moana sausau, though the weather and outlook of the day doesn’t seem inviting, the Gaualofa crew are still going strong- laughing, jamming, working out, getting tasks done, spirits are still high and everyone is being their usual self J

Since our seal left us we’ve been constantly on the lookout if she’ll come back; every seal we see now, we say it’s her. We couldn’t agree on what to name her, that we’ve each given her a name: a few of agreed to Fran, wonder why???

Jef goes with Aulelei just to egg Fialelei who is against it, too close to his name I guess. And Koleni and John would like to name her something in association with our va’a. We will eventually set a name to our newly adopted crew member.

We finally have passed Point Reyes today. It took about a full day and a lot of patience even though a lot of us became tired of seeing this point; and it became a challenge for the watch teams. When we finally passed it, a sigh of relief went thru the crew: YES!!! Now for Drakes Bay to regroup with the fleet.

We laid anchor and closed our passage for this leg with our ‘custom belief’ led by John. Glancing from each beaming face, the mood that we’ve arrived safe, sound and still in high spirits was just remarkable.

We then had tea courtesy of Evohe (one of our support vessels, such a wonderful crew) who delivered it earlier today: fresh produce and chicken. Lucky thing as Lole was running out what to make with rice. It’s been rice with canned vegetables the last two days; our perishables ran out two days before.

This evening we’re to rest and prep the va’a for our arrival into San Francisco, into the mainland. After 3 weeks out in sea, the majority of us have never seen a city of this magnitude and back to the complexities of life on land - will we be able to handle the skyscrapers, the crowds, the responsibility of delivering our message, the task of representing ourselves to our fullest? We can only hope and give it all we have- Se pingi!!!

Soifua lava, FB

Gaualofa.

29th July 2011

2011-07-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

Position: 39 01.4' N / 125 13.5' W

Course: 110 °T

Speed: 7 knots

We're having cheese twisties on our watch at the moment and chocolate, with tea. It's almost five in the morning and it's gusting 28 knots with winds of 25 knots. Koleni andIi are in the galley and Faapau is sitting at the galley opening. I just asked Faapau to check how cold is it and he stuck his finger in his mouth and stuck it in the air, then Koleni who's sitting next to him said 'ua malili lou lima' lol. These guys are too funny.

Salai is on the foe andIi'm his spotman but am in the galley getting warm until it's my turn to get on the foe. I'm supposed to be out there to be his look out, keep him company and help him with the foe. Faapau called out to him ' malo le foe' his quick response was, ' faafetai lava le fa'a malo mai' lol. It's a constant crack up on my watch with Koleni and Salai with their smart aleck quick responses.

The grey overcast sky casts the same colour on the moana sausau. It’s less choppy than yesterday morning with 1 metre waves now. Yesterday some of them were breaking on the deck giving the foe-man a good shower. We had to sew two sliders onto the sail which had come off during high winds earlier this week. We dropped the sail and had Faapau (our lightest guy) climb onto the boom and re-stitch the sail to the sliders.

We’re about 130 nautical miles away from our port of destination; we’re looking forward to seeing family, friends and new acquaintances.

The crew is healthy and still cracking jokes, so in high spirits.

Faafetai tele lava mo taupuaiga ma talosaga o loo manuia lava uma le auvaa.

Alofa atu,

Gaualofa.

25 July 2011, Monday

2011-07-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Position: 41°48.6’ N / 138°53.9’ W (some odd 790 nautical miles left till we arrive under the Golden Gate Bridge) Speed: 9 knots

Heading: 110° T

It’s cold. How subtle was that put? And since the last time I mentioned the cold, hey it’s still cold; it’s very very cold.

Imagine our tufuna achieving this long voyage up north, in conditions that are just beyond mind boggling and add on the fact that they didn’t have the comfort of weather gear, thermal socks, marine boots and the occasional koko samoa fix we have on board… It’s just amazing!

It’s early morn and the sun is slowly making its climb from the Koolao quadrant gradually illuminating the sky and giving a face to another new day.

We pray to see a few of her rays peek out and provide us with a little bit of warmth today. The sky has a slightly lighter overcast to it than it did the last couple of days: a bluish and grey tint, reflecting off the moana sausau in a tumultuous play on the surface.

The cold weather makes us longing for the warmer days, which we had at the beginning of this leg, but we’re also quite thankful that we haven’t run into any bad weather. Bad weather defined by the crew: heavy downpour and winds of over 35knots. We’re grateful to be dry and we’re just as grateful if not more to be part of this epic voyage.

We’re once again together with the fleet, which is a nice feeling. To see and feel that your family of voyagers is nearby - conjured just by the sight of their navigation lights. As we near our destination there’s also a high increase of traffic. We’ve been spotting and hearing of cargo ships cruising along possibly on the same course we’re doing.

We’ve also had the privilege of sighting whales. For the last 6 days we’ve seen about 6-8 whales. How phenomenal is that?

Our little island is safe as well as the natives on board. Eating heartily and constantly finding ways to amuse ourselves during the sometimes dreary watches.

Faafetai tele lava mo le taupuiaga ma alofa’aga. O lea malolosi le auva’a ma le kapiteni.

Soifua, FB
Gaualofa

Saturday 23rd July - The latest

2011-07-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

It’s Saturday 23rd July, a little behind in sending the blog…

We’ve been running and doing circa 9-10 knots since the northwest winds picked up to 15 knot late last evening. Swells coming from the southwest and sea state of F3.

There’s a lot of tulususu, cheering and laughter since then. Everyone’s in a good mood now that we’re moving at our usual speed. I guess we revel and seem to do better during rough weather.

Lolesio made a really yummy minestrone soup for lunch and Koleni had made sua masi for breakfast earlier. Everyone is in good health and smiling.

Faafetai tele lava mo taupuaiga ma alofa’aga. E fia momoli atu alofa’aga a le auva’a i aiga ma uao masiani.

Soifua, FB
Gaualofa.

22nd July 2011 - Wind on our Back

2011-07-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

Position: 42°36.8’ N / 151°04.9’ W
Heading: 096° True (heading for San Francisco!)
Speed: 7 knots

Talofa lava,

We finally have wind! After two days of light winds or no wind at all and glass-like ocean, we have a reprieve and received ca. + 10 knots of wind from the west. That’s something after bobbing around and just trying to point the va’a back on course.

We are currently running with our genniker, with the wind on our back and ‘butterfly’ style as our crew fondly dubs the set of sails- main on starboard and mizzen on the port. We’ve been running like this since John’s shift early this morn at sunrise and we’ve covered good ground which is quite a relief, the bobbing around is very relaxing but you don’t go anywhere. This whole week due to the calm weather we’ve been taking advantage of it by learning new siva routines, jamming and just catching up with the latest jokes on board.

We actually had company in the last day and a half where we bobbed: the Cookie va’a, Marumaru Atua was close to us which was nice. We were so close that we could’ve gone over to borrow sugar.

During one of my watches with my crew, we decided to paddle towards the Cookies (about 400 meters away) using our dinghy paddles. That only lasted until we were about 300 meters away from them then we were done.

Imagine! A 14 ton va’a being paddled by four Samoans with puny light weight wooden dinghy paddles? Let’s say we received a good work out and had fun passing time.

Yesterday we had a small flock of albatross following us on our stern during the evening and this morning we had a great sperm whale coming from the north heading south east. It was pretty awesome. The whale came along on our port side and was about 15 meters away. It was just cruising on by.

Though it’s still overcast, the rays of sunlight that break through during sunrise and sunset are literally silver linings for our crew.

Life at Sea (and) a Box of Chocolates!

2011-07-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

The sun sets on another calm day at sea. Everyday of this voyage has brought us lessons, and every encounter we have been blessed with has touched all of our lives in ways which are revealing themselves at unexpected moments, but more often then not, for the better.

We just finished a meeting with our crew - it is time to come together once again, and remind ourselves of the love inherent in each of us - for our fellow crew members, for the canoe, and for the oceans. We have many more lessons to learn, but I think we are on our way.

Marumaru offered us some morning company, as the light, focal winds gave us a chance to pull along side them. It was nice to see the faces and smiles of the other crews. They handed over a glass float, left behind by previous generations. The transparent of the blown glass globe reminds all of those who have passed these oceans before us.

The ocean has been incredibly kind to us on our voyage to the mainland. The wind is calm, the air is dry, and the swell of the waters is barely discernible - a welcome calm and change from our trip leaving New Zealand. Yet, as we make our way further north, the chill in the air reminds us all that we are far from home.

Five months we have been at sea. Five months of experience, education, and lessons for which our lives will be touched forever.

All the best from Gaualofa and a very happy and special birthday to Fani Bruun - we're all happy to be able to celebrate this day with her today. In fact, Evohe even sent over a birthday treat for her- a box of chocolates (I think we'll all benefit from this gift).

18th July 2011, Monday

2011-07-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

Position: 40°44.3’ N / 157°51.7’ W (still making our way north for that 42° N turn)

It’s been one week since we left the Hawaiian Islands to sail for San Francisco, one week out at sea.

Yesterday was our first impression on this leg of bad weather: small downpours with short gusts of 19 knots. We were in the process of having our weekly aiga meeting when it had to be cut short due to no one wanting be get caught in the chilly elements. But we did finalise and came to an accord before making a dash for warmer and dry areas.

Jeff (our captain), made dinner for the first time on this leg and since he’s a vegetarian we were kind on tenterhooks with regard to what the meal would be; It turned out to be a quite a satisfying and lovely meal.

The night itself soon turned out to be quite cloudy and overcast which was a first since we’ve left. We only had the wind, swell patterns and our watch captains who serve as our traditional navigator-in-training.

The weather is getting colder as we trek our way north. This is the highest latitude we’ve ever been and I should say, we Samoans are NOT built for the cold. I guess that’s why our ancestors stayed close to the equator, my heartfelt gratitude goes to them for that choice; note this is my theory.

Taking sea water baths while the water is 15° C with winds of 12° C takes its toll on a person. But then us Samoans are fastidious so being clean is very vital to us; else like on our va’a we would bully or tease each other for not taking a bath. There was this one time we were teasing Kalolo for not taking a bath for some time and his quick response was, “I’m saving the seawater, we’re here to preserve it not waste it.”

For those who are unaware of the water conditions on board: fresh water is only used to drink and for cooking. Seawater is used for everything else; fresh water is very precious. And with that note Jeff has announced movie night for this evening: premiering on Gaualofa- End of the Line, a documentary about our consumption habits leading to the collapse of fish stocks world-wide.

We’ve had the pleasure and fortune of observing two large pods of dolphins in one day; early today around the afternoon and later in the evening. It was quite an uplifting sight; after sighting and collecting so much rubbish the last 6 days it’s a great relief that sea life is still alive in these waters.

I haven’t introduced my watch team as of yet, as I normally do at the beginning of each leg; on this leg (Hawaii – San Francisco) I have Koleni, Faapa’u, Sala’i and myself. As I have two comedians on the watch, we’re always laughing our heads off; never a dull moment. Of course we don’t just crack jokes on our watch; we also make sure the va’a is secure, check our position, plotting on charts, navigate by the elements and yes at times eat.

Due to the huge amount of saimin (instant noodles) that was gifted to Gaualofa, we’re still munching our way through it and it’s much appreciative during the 0300 am shifts. Faafetai tele lava.

Everything and everyone on board is safe and healthy. The crew sends their alofa to their family, friends and supporters. Faafetai tele lava mo le taupuaiga, o lea e alolofa atu le au va’a uma o le Gaualofa mo le atunu’u atoa o Samoa faapea le Aiga Folau o Samoa.

Soifua, FB
Gaualofa

15th July 2011

2011-07-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

Position: 31°18.1’ N / 159°42.4’ W (Somewhere in the North Pacific Ocean)

It’s a beautiful day, meaning sunny with low cumulus clouds and no other type above. We have north easterly swells and wind on our fine starboard beam; we’re a tad farther upwind from the rest of fleet and have received orders to change our course from direct north to 20 degrees west of north. This will bring us closer to the fleet (we’re slightly behind them at the moment but it’s not a big deal, we’re averaging 7 knots in winds of 8-14 knots) but still upwind from them so that when we’re given directions from our fleet Captain or leading Navigators to change course directly east we would have made good ground for the turn.

After a full hour of daily housekeeping we settled into breakfast, Lolesio made wholemeal bread garnished with onions, tomatoes and cheddar cheese, lightly grilled with boiled eggs with a large selection of hot beverages: tea (100 types!), real coffee and cocoa.

The whole morning we’ve had our radio on, a large variety of music blaring from our home made speakers: two large 20kg buckets with small speakers attached to the lids. We bring them out during days like this and store them when the weather is foul.

Lolesio has prepared roast lamb for lunch and we’re now trying to figure out what to have it with: rice or potatoes. Of course Lolesio has now vetoed both suggestions as there’s still left over taro from last night. Things become basic on board - safety, shelter and food are the usual challenges and cause most of the dynamics.

We’ve been going through our saimin (instant noodles) rations pretty quickly. Thank you to our new aiga(s) in Hawaii who have welcomed us into their homes and hearts and providing us with food provisions and grooming accessories (faafetai lava Talu J ). The crew would like to send their faafetai tele lava and alofa’aga to our new found families in the Hawaiian Islands, your endless generosity and support knows no bounds.
Faafetai faafetai tele lava.
Soifua,

FB
Gaualofa.

Farewell Hawaii

2011-07-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

12th July 2011

Today we leave Hawaii and head to California. In the afternoon, after preparations had been made to the va’a, Nainoa Thompson briefed the navigators on the sail plan to San Francisco. Afterwards the fleet made their way to the beach for a final goodbye.

Marc joined us one last time for our custom belief ritual as we made our way out of Hanalei bay. In this ritual, held at every departure to sea, we open the way for a safe sail, and bind our crew together. And at every arrival we close this door. In joining us for this custom belief, knowing that he will not be in San Francisco to close the door, we are all assured that Skipper Marc will one day join us again to close the door; a time we all look forward to.

Once again we are out in the Moana Sausau; feeling the wind in our hair, having the sea spray stinging our eyes, and searching the sky for the night’s first star. It feels familiar. It feels comfortable - I guess we have made it our home out here.

We would like to send a big fa’afetai tele lava to all the families, churches and friends who have made Hawaii a second home to us.

In Hawaii Hilo thank you to Afioa Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin, Afioga Muagututi'a Lima Tamasese
Susuga Talauega, Ekalesia Aso Fitu in Hilo, Ekalesia CCCs in Kona and Ese Uhrley.

In Maui thanks to the Canoe Club, to Una and Paul.

In Moloka’i, thank you to Iese Tanielu, our host for the Hawaiian 'Ava Ceremony.

In Oahu, thank you to Afioga Afimutasi Gus Hunneman and his good lady, AOG Samoan Congregation with Pastor Hunkin, Chief Malietoatauasa Folosielu Avea and ausiva, Susuga George Meleisea and family, Nainoa Thomson, the crew and management of Hokule'a, 'Alo from Fagasa Am.Samoa, the Tokelauan community, the American Samoan community, the Samoan community, the Filipino community, Olelo Television with Galumalemana Molesi, Hanna and Siiva, Live Sene and family.

In Kauai, thank you to Cordelia “Talu” Chang, Pastor Joe Hanneman and the Samoan aiga.

And many more individuals known to God.

Lea ua manuia uma matou ma fiafia.

Soifua,

FB
Gaualofa

Kauai - 11th July 2011

2011-07-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

Position: Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaiian Islands

Last night our crew and Hine Moana crew (who sailed last year under Marc) all got together for a farewell dinner for Marc. It was really beautiful and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely. We were joined by Dieter Paulman and his wife Hanna who came to pay their respects to Marc and relay their never-ending support to the crews. After a sumptuous meal, and great company, we made our way back to the va’a to ready ourselves for the next day: our departure ceremony.

Today we took our Samoan hosts and local community for a day sail: it’s our way to express our gratitude for all they have done for us. After the sail, we went to the departure ceremony held in the communal tents. Each crew member was introduced to our Hawaiian hosts and gifts of respect and gratitude were given. When all was done, we had dinner and made our way back to the va’a. Onboard Gaualofa we held an informal ava gathering for Marc’s departure and to welcome our new skipper, Jef.

We were also introduced to our new crew member Makanani from Hawaii, a pioneering voyager from Hokule’a. We hope to learn more of traditional voyaging and are sure he will become an influential cultural leader.

Gaualofa

Oahu

2011-07-10T19:13:00.000-07:00

Location: Maritime Education Center, Sand Island; Honolulu Oahu (Home of the Hokule’a)

3rd July 2011

The crew of Gaualofa was invited to church by Pastor Joe Hunkin and his congregation at the Church of Life Samoan Assembly of God. We were picked up by the church shuttle in the morning and made our way Waipahu where the service was held. The sermon was a powerful message that was delivered by the daughter of Pastor Joe. She spoke of getting out of your comfort zone. You had to be there to feel the message - the majority of us had wet checks at the end. After the service the church had us over for to’ona’i as well. The meal was just great as it was typical island food. We made our way back to Sand Island to take some delegates out for a day sail for the finale of the Kava Ocean Summit 2011. At the end of the day we were tired but satisfied.

4th July 2011

We started the day relaxing with a little maintenance and enjoying the company of our Samoan hosts. Kalolo and Fani went on an excursion to the North Shore in Haleiwa to swim with sharks. The invitation to swim with the sharks was extended by Stephanie “The-Shark-Lady”, who sailed with us from Hilo to Kualoa Bay. They took a boat out to the shark cage, which measures 8 by 8 metres, by 9 metres deep, and in two groups took turns swimming in the cages using snorkel gear. The sharks are attracted to the noise of the engine as crab/fishing boats come through the site. About 17 Galapagos sharks came close to the cage. They had an amazing time, which they kept on and on about!

Around 20:00 in the evening we took our Samoan hosts out to watch the American Independence Day fireworks out on the water in front of Waikiki Beach. It was such a spectacular sight – watching it from the moana we were all in awe. After the fireworks we made our way back to pier and had a bit of ava with a few of our Samoan hosts to wind down the day.

Soifua,
Gaualofa

Oahu, Hawai'i - 29th July 2011

2011-07-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Although there was plenty to do, it seemed that much of the day today was spent working hard to eat! After the usual huge a la carte breakfast, we set in to cleaning up and reorganizing the va’a. There was plenty to clear out, clean out, and even throw out (not too much interest in the lettuce on board!), and we all settled into a good morning of reggae and deck cleaning to prepare for another linseed oil coating. After a bit of scrubbing and singing we were greeted by Live who is a local Samoan here in Oahu, and a massive feed for Gaualofa! So big was his generosity, that we needed help from the other crews to make a dent in everything! We were very grateful, especially the other va’a, and just when we finished it was time to get cleaned up for the fiafia on the west side of the island that evening. And what a fiafia it was!

Chief Sielu Avea, who earlier greeted us at Kualoa with his performance group, does shows at Ko Olina twice a week for the tourists, but this one was special. In perfectly manicured surroundings the Chief - who incidentally has starred in a 20 minute short film (fittingly called ‘Chief’) that has won heaps of awards including Sundance Film Festival honours - began his show by warming up the crowd and paying tribute to the crew of the Gaualofa. His humble and skilful mastery of performance was sharp straight through, from honouring Samoan traditions of ‘ava to paying respects to those before us. With a break to enjoy a traditional luau with roast pork cooked underground and fresh poi, everyone was well fed once again. The performers were especially happy to pay tribute to the voyage by doing their best, and it was nothing short of fantastic. They jumped from island to island doing impressions of the cultural traditions of the pacific from Aotearoa, Tonga, Rarotonga, Tahiti, Hawai’i, and finally Samoa. There was singing, dancing, haka, the whole lot all in one show. Everything was so entertaining; his humour especially cracked us off! They even organized a perfect sunset over the lagoon.

With a final Tau’alunga and the entire crew joining in on the outdoor stage, everyone roared applause at the ailao afi finale to conclude a very special fiafia evening. People were very kind and offered donations and even requests to come visit the crew, not only here but also in California when we arrive! With a final prayer after the show, we bid our farewells to the performers and Chief Sielu Avea, just in case they were not able to come out for a sail this weekend, and then headed back to the va’a. It was a beautiful night, and with warm hearts we went to sleep smiling.

The community here has truly shown what hospitality and kindness is all about. Their generosity and support has rivalled even the Hawai’ian hosts at times. We have been blessed by their assistance of food, fundraising, and alofa, and the pride they fill us with is immeasurable. To Siaosi, Live, Chief Sielu Avea, and High Chief Afimutasi Gus Hannemann, e kore e mutu nga mihi ki a koutou katoa nga whaanau whaanui o Gaualofa, fa’afetai tele atu.

Jef Ikenn

Gaualofa

Hawaii - 18th June 2011

2011-06-20T15:22:00.001-07:00

Position: Radio Bay- Waimea- (Hilo, Hawaii)

Talofa Lava to Aiga, Friends and Everyone who have been devotedly following our voyage. We’d like to formally apologise to the lateness in our updates, it’s been quite an event while in Hilo and we’ve been having slight technical logistic challenges in getting this off to you. Enough with the excuses and on with what had happened today.

It was an early day as the fleet was treated with a tour and ceremony today hosted by the Makali’i family (Na Kalai Wa`a Moku o Hawai`i). Makali’i for those who are not aware is a double hull voyaging canoe which is based in Hawaii and has similar missions and goals as Gaualofa. We had three buses for our tour and everyone started loading up, as we had a strict schedule to stick to according to our Makali’i family. Our first stop was in Waimea, for a scenic tour of the two valleys by the Pacific Ocean, it was also a much needed bathroom break for the crews as the drive there from Hilo was about 1 and a half.!

The tour continued onto Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site in Kawaihae. The Heiau (stone temple or paepae) is quite majestic, measuring 68. 2 metres in length and 30 metres in width, made of large red stones said to be from Polulu Valley and moved by a human chain over 22.5 km long. The Heiau, considered to be the last one constructed in Hawaii, was built by King Kamehameha I in dedication to Kūkā'ilimoku (a war god). It was prophesied by the high priest Kāpoūkahi that only after building the temple would King Kamehameha be able to conquer the whole of Hawaii. The king directed that the temple be built immediately on Puukohola (Whale Hill). Less than a year later the temple was finished. King Kamehameha invited his rival Keō Kūahu’ula to the dedication, who was sacrificed on the spot. The death of his rival quickly ended all resistance and the prophesy was soon fulfilled - in 1810 King Kamehameha I was the revered sovereign of all the Hawaiian Islands.

After our tour we made our way down to the Makali’i base which is within walking distance from the Heiau. The base is pretty cool: it’s a couple of old movie sets that have been reinforced and reconstructed to suit the voyaging society. The base is right by the water and it was quite windy that day, possibly 18+ knots - really great sailing weather. While we had lunch and caught up with the Makali’i family we could see shark fins in the water - quite a sight.

We were soon back on the bus and making our way to another base of the Makali’i family. On arrival our hosts directed us to a hill right over a cliff overlooking the channel between Hawaii and Maui, where a ceremony would take place. You could almost see the currents between the islands. The Honourable Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin was present for this ceremony as it was quite an important binding ceremony and show of support. The fleet was greeted with chanting and hula dances by our Hawaiian cousins; each va’a participated in a braiding ceremony connecting tea leaves to a set of stones in the middle. The inspiration of this ceremony reflects the braided leaves as tentacles of the fe’e (octopus) reaching out to everyone. Regardless of the distances and differences each Island is connected. Afterwards, the navigators and captains were invited to take the braided tea leaves up to a hill next to the cliffs. According to oral history this hill was used for training by the navigators of old. The hill had a sense of tranquillity to it, quite relaxing. The group stayed a bit longer then what was required while the rest of the fleet and Makali’i family found time to connect.

It’s a great feeling to be finally on land again as well as being in Hawaii. It’s been one of our goals from the beginning to meet our cousins in the Northern Hemisphere. This goal has been marked, though our voyage is far from over.

Mahalo nui loa

Fealofani Bruun

Gaualofa

Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, Islands - 1st June 2011

2011-06-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Position: Taiohae; Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands

Today is Samoan Independence Day and we're celebrating it a little bit different here in Nuku Hiva. As today's the last day of provisioning and cleaning and the next couple of days are just for rest and recreation that is what we are actively working at: restocking and cleaning the va'a. Later this afternoonwe will have the closing ceremony for our time here in Nuku Hiva. The mayors of many other villages will be in attendance. With the closing ceremony only a few hours away we know that our time on land will end soon.

Yesterday was a good day. The district of Nuku Hiva gave the fleet a treat by taking us on a tour around the island, mainly to the north eastern side. The area is known for its paepae, valleys, rivers and good anchorage, just to name a few. On our way to the eastern side we stopped at an archaeological site called Kamuihei. The site was a gathering place for the people of Nuku Hiva and the whole Marquesas island group. The site is on the face of a mountain, and has stone structures in it. It’s as large as a Rugby field. There are structures made out of large stones that have been placed in a paepae format and then set up as terraces going up the mountain. The terraces are actually called paepae just like in Samoa. Aside from the paepae there are carved stone structures of animals: turtles, an animal that is in harmony with both the land and sea.

Later in the tour we were driven down to the village, Hatiheu, to where the local community there has just opened a museum. The mayor of the village, Ivonne Katupa, was there to welcome us. The museum is dedicated to restoring artefacts from the site as well as preserving their culture.

While some of Gaualofa crew were on the trip the other half stayed behind to give a few of the local kids a tour of our va'a. They had such a good time that more will be coming later today. The people here are as beautiful as their motu. W its lush forests and sheer mountains. their hospitality is never ending. We've eaten like kings here: taro, goat, pua’a, povi, moa, fai, manioca and more; it reminds us a little bit of home, lo'u Samoa.

Faafetai tele samoa mo le taupuaiga

Gaualofa

Heading for Nuku Hiva - 25th May 2011

2011-05-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

Position: 113.9 Nautical Miles North of Takapoto and 72 Nautical Miles West of the Course Line, from Fakarava to Nuku Hiva in straight line; (estimated position only; we’re about 3-4 days away from Nuku Hiva)

Talofa lava,

Back on the moana sausau again, back into watch mode and back into simple realities of life. Not only are we graced with an additional crew member, Akenese from Samoa but also a brother, Brown, from the Va’atele Marumaru Atua, Cook Islands. The two new members, I’m pleased to state, are doing quite well. Since we’ve been out in open sea again, the weather has been good to us. Fairly good that is: small squalls, sunny skies, bit of rain now and again; sea state small wavelets, white horses, bit of swell from the East and wind state 13-16 knots from the E.

On this particular leg to the Marquesas we’re all learning how to actually use the Hawaiian Star Compass which was developed by Nainoa Thompson (and using the Hawaiian terms). Cap has placed a sticker over our GPS so we’re not able to read our heading, velocity made good, speed, wind direction nor our position. Every shift performs a speed check about 3 times during their watch; this is then noted down on the log and is then calculated on how many nautical miles we’ve done. Each evening, the watch captains plot out our estimated position with the aid of the star compass (our course steered), calculated mileage and dead reckoning. So far they’ve done a fine job, being off in less than 20 nautical miles west of the GPS position; this is basically due to the over calculation of leeway that is taken into consideration. Also note that it’s the largest body of water in the world, so 20 NM off is not so bad. But otherwise, for novices, they’re estimated position is satisfactory, just a little more fine tuning.

We’re undeniably honoured to have Tua Pittman on board Gaualofa for the first time. He was dropped off courtesy of the Evohe dinghy service just yesterday at noon, making quite an interesting picture: this statuesque bronze figure at the bow of the dinghy poised with such ease in rough rolling seas, his silver windblown hair sweeping off the nape of his golden bronze neck as he makes his approach towards Gaualofa. It was like watching a scene from an adventure film, sound effects could almost be heard in the background on his approach…actually Kalolo blew the conch in honour for his arrival. That evening, the whole deck was full of Samoans gazing up at the starry night, with Tua quietly and patiently indicating what stars to use and the like. Tua will be with us until the Marquesas, so we’ll be absorbing as much as we can while we are still in his presence.

The wind factor being due East and our course being NE we again have the task of sailing upwind. It affects a few on the va’a: the constant beat up but for others it’s just another challenge. We’re still laughing, playing the guitar, pulling pranks and figuring out ways of getting more treats out of the cooks. Everyone is healthy and smiling like loons at times.

And on this note... E fia momoli atu alofa’aga i aiga, uo ma e masani; e momoli atu fo’i le fa’afetai tele lava i le tapuaiga mamalu o le atunu’u.

Soifua,
Gaualofa.

Fakarava

2011-05-22T23:46:00.000-07:00

Date: 20.05.11
Position: Post Office, Fakarava, Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia.

Talofa Lava,

It's day three in port and it feels like the days are still merging. No sense or time or date, the last few days have just been taking it easy. Since we've arrived we're still going through our watches, but only from sunrise to sunset. This is to keep the routine and order going on the va'a. The people of Fakarava are endless in their generosity and beautiful smiles. The Tahitian and Samoan language sound similar enough that we're able to understand each other regardless of the language barrier. On Wednesday evening right after sunset the Faafaite te o Maohi Society held an ava ceremony. The ceremony was to celebrate the setting of the Matali'i stars which marks the start of the season of root food: taro, umala, manioca, etc. And giving thanks to the end of the season of above-ground crops: ulu and fa'i. Each va'a had two representatives at this ceremony - Koleni and Fealofani sat in for Gaualofa. Dieter Paulman was also present for the ceremony. Thursday morning and Cap informs us we're getting a treat of relaxation. We're to sail to a remote area called Orehara on the other side of the island with Hinemoana, Faafaite and Haunui to enjoy some downtime from the constant bustle of port. We are also given news by one of our crew members that he's needed at home and will leave us the following day, everyone at once hit him with WHYS?!!! The voyage has just started and a member of our aiga is leaving us. We understand and respect his decision and wish him a safe passage on all his endeavors. He will be greatly missed, and there will always be an available bunk for him when he is able to join again.

On the way to Orehara, we sailed through an underwater Tapuatea Marae. A marota (Tahitian word for gift/ offering) is left for the tufugas and gods of the past. This marae is related to the seven va'a that left French Polynesia in 207 AD; this is an estimated date according to the recorded genealogy of the families who settled in Fakarava. The Gaualofa crew chose a ma'a from the river of Tafitoala, in Upolu. This particular ma'a is significant as it's from a village that was named by voyagers of the old when they were sailing through. Koleni said a prayer acknowledging our tufuguas, praises to our fellow voyagers and expressing thanks to the Lord; afterwards Akenese released our marota into the lagoon. Each va'a also offered a marota ma’a for the marae. Afterwards we sailed to our destination and laid anchor for the night. Morning came and it was a relaxing day of swimming and much needed repairs. Siaosi and Fialelei went spear fishing and caught us lunch, while Salai, Akenese and our two local guests: Veronica and Vaia got us faisua. Lunch was up and we heaved anchor to return to the port of Fakarava to finalise the restocking and depart on Saturday.

Lunch Menu: oka pone and alogo, fried rice, fa’alefu fa’i, raw faisua in lime, garlic, chilli, coconut cream and onion.
Beverage: sweet niu.

Fa’afetai tele lava,

Fealofani.

16th May 2011

2011-05-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Location: Almost at Fakarava

I stood there beneath the deck hatch in thought: should I change into my foul-weather gear, or no? It had been raining earlier and we had all enjoyed running the genniker while bathing in only our shorts and skins. I was sure the deck would still be wet, but the moon now beamed down upon me; I looked up to see her bright shape, boldly filling what I could see of the dark night sky through the hatchway. No, tonight would be lava-lava and t-shirt.

I clambered up to the deck for the midnight shift to find the previous watch team in a relaxed state: one man on the foe, one on the guitar, and two more with a piece of the banana & walnut chocolate cake that was our night time snack in their hands, and bright smiles on their faces.

"Watch out for that rain cloud", one cautions, pointing to the NE beyond Gaualofa's bow. 'Drat', I thought to myself, and reached into the hatch to pull out my foul-gear after all. As I wriggled into it, tucking away my lava-lava, the drizzle set in. It didn't last long; just long enough to ensure that any topside sitting spot would require waterproofed pants to enjoy.

The moon beamed on, however, and we cruised into the early hours of the morning...
As the next watch now emerges from the dark recesses of our twin hulls, someone is again strumming the guitar, someone else is steering the foe, and I sit here enjoying this lovely piece of banana & walnut chocolate cake, watching the moon-shadows change shape, and the great Fish-hook of Maui (or scorpion's tail) move slowly across the starry patch of sky above.

It has been a long journey, and rumours have it that we may finally make landfall tomorrow. After a month at sea, what will it be like to stand on earth once more? Undoubtedly, it will be a good feeling, but also perhaps an unfamiliar one. The wide spaces, the different faces, the cultural experience; and just imagine the ability to bathe in fresh water, rather than sea!

It is exciting to think about, but the time for that is tomorrow. Right now, at quarter past 3am, it's time for bed, and dreams of loved ones at home.

Bruce

10th May 2011

2011-05-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

The huge grey beast persisted on our tail, appearing to devour everything in its path. One other boat, following some miles behind, had already disappeared into its bowels, sending shudders down our spines; no one wanted to go down there - not again. The shifting, fluctuating wind was no comfort for the watch, who struggled to keep our faithful Gaualofa on course; every inch of muscle and willpower going into our hopeful escape from that looming monster...

After more than two weeks of constant head winds and the relentless bashing of toppling towers of water onto our deck and hull, the calm that had finally arrived only a few hours before had been such a relief that almost the whole crew could be found on deck in shorts and t-shirts, despite the not-necessarily sunny weather. Perhaps, I thought, this meteorological relapse could be enough to finally dampen the spirit of our ever-smiling crew.

We struggled on, however, as the air turned cooler around us; we were in the mouth of that thing and could feel its terrible wrath about to fall upon us. Each member of the watch hunched his back, grit his teeth, and put on his hooded wet-wear, as realisation of our fate galvanised in our minds. Also in mind were memories of warm, dry land, and thoughts like, "Please tell me once more why, oh why i am out here??...".

...One hour later: the squall, what seems to have been our Great Ocean host’s last attempt at overcoming the crew’s sterling resilience, had not been as severe as it had looked and had already passed over us, leaving a beautifully reddening sky behind a hedge of silhouetted cumulus castellanus on the horizon. The clouds were far off, but towered like a row of purple blooming trees into the evening sky. High above, the moon smiled down upon us once again; her toothy grin brightening our evening for songs, prayers, and our daily story before dinner.

The cold, the damp, the wet feet, the sticky salt, the sleepless nights; all would be forgotten, promised me one watch captain, once we had reached the tropics and made our first festive landfall. Those days of hardship would be over-written in memory by the pleasant, warm, tropical days to come... Well, i shouldn't hope so! An important part of this experience, for me, is enduring this hardship. Each day when I sit down with the crew to enjoy our next gourmet meal, graciously provided by the Almighty and one of his three cooking assistants aboard Gaualofa (which includes the captain), I remind myself that whether six of us are attempting to shelter from the rain or ocean squalls within the 1.5x2.5 metre galley space, or whether we are braving the elements on the deck as we eat, we have it a whole lot easier, warmer, safer, and more gourmet than any of our original voyaging ancestors had it - and we should be grateful.

So now, as I sit on the deck, enjoying the evening sky and the roast kumara wedges with caramelised onion and capsicum, and miso soup on the side, I am happy to have come through those weeks of rough weather. It gives me a little more perspective on where we have come from: for me that means not only the thousands of miles from my lavish Wellington lifestyle of comparative luxury, but also my journey as a member of this great voyaging race, over these countless generations of culture and development as a people. I am grateful for the good times we share on our deck in the moonlight and sun, but even more so for the hard times when we have had to band together, when we have had to knuckle down and grit our taro-hardened teeth, relying on each other and on our Gaualofa, who, with God and undoubtedly the spirits of our many watching ancestors, is protecting us as we travel onward to Fakarava, Nukuhiva, Hawai’i, and the future.

Bruce

9th May 2011

2011-05-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

Position: 18°08.8’ S / 154°46.0’ W (so near yet still so far from land)

Today’s weather forecast is supposedly good weather, in our case: no more breaking seas, no more squalls and actually a bit of sun to dry EVERYTHING out, including ourselves. Though every time Marc mentions this supposedly good weather, our deck gets pounded by an 8 metre swell, dousing everyone and everything in its path. So the verdict is still out for the count.

Due to the safety hazard, since the bad weather we haven’t been able to throw out a line. Still no fresh fish on the Gaualofa lines since departure from NZ. But with the weather improving we’ve begun to speak in hushed tones of finally throwing it out and trying our luck. What fish we’ve been eating has actually been quite interesting: flying fish. These poor creatures throw themselves on the Gaualofa deck unknowingly (or maybe not?) at night and become the cook-up for the dawn breaking shift. I recommend deep fry with a bit of garlic; the sizes vary from 6 inches up to 10 inches and they’re very plump out here we’re pleased to report. Though it must also be reported since we’ve come closer to French Polynesian waters, we’ve received less and less of these gifts that just seem to find themselves in the frying pan.

On passing the 21°S latitude we were able to spot a few new sets of stars that we rarely see in Samoa: Leo the lion and the Big Dipper. A night or so later on our early morning shift, at 19°S latitude and NNE of the va’a, we spotted 3 planets aligned in a triangle: Venus, Jupiter and Mercury. They were all quite a bright and a beautiful sight.

Salai made topai koko samoa for breakfast two mornings ago. It went very well with the crew, who praised his culinary arts but made a point of his clumsiness - he had accidently cut himself while trying to open the koko samoa packet, quite a minor cut. Of course it lasted until lunch (minus the putas). LoL. Though I don’t know if he’ll be able to be talked into making a koko samoa meal again anytime soon.

We’ve opened our 6th 5kg bucket of Punjas Breakfast Crackers since departure, which was about 22 days ago. That’s a lot but then again we Samoans are quite satisfied with our crackers, ergo the reason why there’s always a dozen boxes/buckets of crackers at every fa’alavelave.

Since the arrival of the sourdough culture, Lole and Marc have been constantly baking bread. And of course Brynne has been steadily baking away in great concern for our sweet tooth. John has done his share by making fruit crumble last night with a side of yoghurt (yes we have a yoghurt maker onboard, it’s a standard va’a issue)!

As we’re reading this, we notice that we’ve written almost entirely about food. We’d like to remind everyone we like to talk about food on our shift!
And on this note, soifua lava.

E fia momoli atu le faafetai lava I le tapuaiga ale atunu’u ao feagai ai alo ma fanau a le atunu’u i folauga I luga o le vasa.

Gaualofa

A Daily Practice

2011-05-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

Date: 6th May 2011

Eighteen days into the wind: the waves roll high and crash onto our deck; they violently slap our hull at night and cause our small but proud va’a to pitch, sway and bounce along, as we slowly scratch our zig-zagged path into the surface of this immense blue that surrounds us. At times, below deck, it feels like sleeping in a tin can which is rolling down a bumpy, rocky mountainside. Our skipper, Marc, remarks that this has been his longest ever sea-journey with a constant headwind; and it has been long and it has been hard

Aboard the Gaualofa we have many daily practices, most of which (steering the foe, bailing water, tidying ropes, swabbing the deck) are in place for the safety and wellbeing of our crew and va’a. One daily practice, however, is a little different: Marc had stipulated before our journey began that each day before dinner one crew member would share a written story, which would be logged in the Gaualofa Story Book. Two stormy nights ago it fell upon Marc himself to fulfil this ritual, and here, I will make a humble attempt to relay the gist of his eloquent words.

As we sail into these relentless headwinds on our journey of cultural and spiritual rediscovery, we can each be reminded of our individual journey through life, as we brave the waves of social norms and the ever-present, ever-growing winds of consumerist conformity. The question we ask ourselves when facing these forces is, do we simply go with the flow, passively travelling to wherever these man-made forces should carry us; or should we strive against odds to find our own way in spite of these oft-overpowering pressures, taking responsibility for the course that we each should set, and leaving only good things for the future in our wake?

Aboard the Gaualofa, the crew had all made this decision before signing up. As we battle forth into this Easterly wind, we each also guide our personal va’a against the flow of material consumption, of modern enviro-unfriendliness, and of the divisive political tendencies of our time. Upon Gaualofa, we are powered by the wind, yet we travel against its flow. Upon Gaualofa, we receive power from modern solar panels, yet guide our va’a by the practices of our ancient forefathers. We are empowered by our ancestors, and we are supported by our people, and we travel with all of them to a better future for all of us.

4th May 2011

2011-05-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

Position: 27°55.154’ S / 158°53.787’W (in other words, somewhere south of the Cook Islands and nowhere near French Polynesia)

Talofa Lava Samoa,

Today starts off as any other day on Gaualofa, gearing up for your shift in small tight quarters, while constantly being knocked around by the waves, making sure your watch is awake and ready to face what the South Pacific is going to through your way. During the change of shift, our only instructions were to sail north though go as high up to the wind as possible without slowing the va’a down. After Monday night’s debacle at the end of our shift - we drifted down wind from the rest of the fleet, leaving the next shift to make up for our mistake - we were eager to reaffirm ourselves in front of the crew that it was only a one time slip. There’s no room for error when we’re on the foe. Not only do we lose ground but also time in making up for the lost ground. So as we’re subtly told by Cap, ‘Don’t do it at all.’ So we make sure we don’t. After our turns on the foe, we have something to eat and then return below deck to have a little rest for the next shift.

Due to rough seas, some of our meals have been ‘ready-made boil in the bag’ which has its advantages - no dishes to wash. It’s a big deal when you’re trying to keep dry. We finished our cans of Manaia pisupo which was part of the donation from Ah Mau Wholesaler a couple of weeks ago. Faafetai tele lava - it has seen us through some dire times. Back in March when we arrived in New Zealand waters we still had some of the vegetables (donated from the Chinese organic plantation), which we weren’t allowed to bring into NZ as they were perishable. We had a big cook up of those!

We’re so blessed in receiving these gifts from our many sponsors, local companies, friends and aiga. Faafetai faafetai tele lava.

The breaking seas and strong winds have not diminished the jokes we play on each other and the constant laughter. We’d like to let our families and friends know that we’re well and fit.
Faafetai lava mo le tapuaiga ma talosaga.

Taleni, Salai, Faapau ma Fealofani ma the crew.

3rd May 2011

2011-05-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

It is pitch dark outside, cold and rough... Gaualofa is jumping all over the place and us with her. But this evening is just appetizer, the main course arrived later in the night.

We are trapped in a big high pressure system, the only way out is to sail north, while trying to do some easting. We have 600 miles to go against the Easterlies to get out of it. 4 to 5 days; less if we are lucky. No big danger, just absolutely not comfortable and hard for my nerves. At least with high pressure systems the wind is dry and we can still see stars.

We receive lots of spray from the bow - it dries quickly and leaves a salty crust on our faces. With our hands getting thicker we are all turning into real sailors.

We still manage to have really nice food. Lole and Brynne are cooking and sometimes I prepare a meal to give them a rest. The ambience on board is positive.We are all thinking of the warm and calm waters a couple of days north of us.

Salty hugs

Marc

Two Weeks

2011-05-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

Date: 2nd May 2011

Two weeks... For two weeks the crew of Gaualofa have been at sea. Two weeks without a fresh water shower. Two weeks without television or radio. Two weeks without cell phones or email. Two weeks without more than five hours of sleep in a row. Two weeks without much of the comforts of life on land, and yet in these two weeks without, there is not one thing I can find missing aboard Gaualofa or for want amongst her dedicated crew.

Without the distractions of daily life on land to which we all have become accustomed, we find fulfilment in different ways. There is a certain comfort found in the discomfort and restriction of life at sea. While the daily tasks on a voyaging canoe are multitudinous and continual, they all serve a common purpose and goal: to ensure the safety and security of the va’a and her crew, and to direct our canoe steadfastly through the waters.

With no cinema to attend, no faalavelave to consume our days, and no parties to take us until the early dawn, we seek entertainment not through the external, but from the internal; from one another and the activity on board. When not on shift or working on the va’a, conversation and song permeate our days. We have had very little luck fishing thus far, so the never ending hunt for the unlucky few flying fish which end up on our deck provide another source of amusement (and the occasional snack).
As I write this, sheltered in our canoe’s small galley, my watch team trying to entice a red tailed tropic bird to join us on the deck. Koleni must have quite a tempting call as this bird hovers just feet from his head. Senio attempts to lure our feathered friend further with offerings of yesterday’s sourdough bread. In the end, it is the bird who has the last laugh, leaving a lovely parting gift splashed across our deck and sails (bird leaves droppings are good luck right?).

While we have encountered several showers and winds, and the sheer latitude of our canoe has made for cold days and nights, we have been blessed to have quite smooth sailing thus far. Offering a welcome return to the sea, such conditions have served to reinforce our unity as a crew, and have provided a little refresher to life out in the blue. Today, however, will mark the beginning of rougher conditions that will crescendo for the next 5 or 6 days. Trying to make our way through a substantial high pressure system, we will do our best to continue to go East. The winds however have not cooperated, and with the forecast build in the wind, we are being pushed further North than desired.

For now though, we will enjoy another decent afternoon at sea. Lunch is close to being served and someone is back on the ukulele. It is my turn to take the foe, and help direct the va’a in the right direction, trying to head as close into the wind in order to keep a heading as close to East as possible (fingers crossed). Must jet - I’m already a couple of minutes late.

All is well on Gaulofa. The crew sends our love to all of our family and friends back home and around the world.

Fa soifua.

Brynne

21st April 2011

2011-04-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

Life onboard Gaualofa

We have Te Matua a Maui on our aft beam, Hine straight ahead, Haunui starboard quarter and Uto SW of us. Our support boats our cruising along thru the fleet doing a great job

After a long talk with the boys and contemplation of the idea: taking a bath in waters of 17°C and icy winds of 15°C, it was agreed that today would be bath day. Wet towel baths weren’t enough. Amid laughter and yells of being doused by cold sea water, it was done. The crew of Gaualofa were ready for another day. Taking a sea water bath on the va’a is a bit of a mission. Picture this- rocking boat, cold winds, icy NZ water and using a bucket. Oh and did I mention the bathing occurs on the nets at the bow? The nets at the bow are set up catamaran design, but with bigger holes. So one wrong step and your whole leg goes thru, it’s a pain trying to get it back out while you’re only wearing a lavalava and being thrown about by the movement of the va’a.

My team consists of Faapau, Taleni and Salai. Taleni and Salai have improved immensely since we left Samoa in late March. There’s usually no need to explain to them why we have to trim sails, aim high/low, drift effect, etc. Faapau and I sailed together last year and were on the same watch team as well. So we work well together almost automatically reading each other’s next moves. Salai’s the comic relief in our group, always cracking jokes.

Lolesio is making pumpkin soup with coconut cream, lime, chilli and basil. Smells pretty yum. Lunch was roast sandwiches and quinoa salad.

We sighted our first albatross earlier today. Sun’s about to set another hour and half then it’ll be dark. The past night shifts were uneventful, just cold and constant laughter. Looking forward to what tomorrow brings.

From Gaualofa, with love.

Soifua

Marc Gondard

20th April 2011

2011-04-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

A helicopter came around early morn to take pictures of the fleet. We all had our traditional rigs on as well as the new head sail: AP Jib (or as we call it on our va’a, solent). The fleet did a few manoeuvres for the camera before sailing due East.

Te Mana o Te Moana - "The Spirit of the Sea"

2011-04-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Voyage Begins

Date: 19.04.11
Position: Viaduct - Waitemata Harbour

Today’s the day we finally leave. After constant delays due to weather constraints we’re finally leaving, no really we are. On departure we received ulas from Lolesio’s mother, Talala Patolo. A flurry of last minute shopping and three skipper meetings and we’re off. Each va’a performed their siva tau while leaving the Viaduct thanking their land crew, friends, families and the general public.

Going through customs was basic and simple, and we were soon off towards Rangitoto Island to rendezvous with the rest of the fleet after they clear customs as well. Before sunset and dinner, the crew did its customary “custom belief”; it’s our own ritual that we set up in asking for safe passage. Marc did the first prayer on our voyage for the first leg and blessed the meal as well. We had a late lunch of stir fry, brown rice and Samoa’s very own chilli sauce. Moonrise was beautiful sight, with the fleet silhouetted in the foreground. Lolesio still has dinner roasting in our brand new oven. The crew is quite happy about the new addition, already setting up orders of muffins and roast.

Sometime later…

Our dinner has now become tomorrow’s lunch, a relaxed and enjoyable start sailing out of Auckland. The fleet are meeting up again on the SE side of Great Barrier for a photo op.

New Zealand Farewell Ceremony - 13th April 2011

2011-04-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

Market Place - Viaduct, Auckland

The sun beat down on us as we gathered at the Viaduct marina with the rest of the Pacific voyagers on Wednesday. As preparations for our farewell ceremony continued throughout the morning, I couldn’t help but notice the buzzing energy of each of the five va’a crews, dressed smartly in their formal island-style uniforms: Uto Ni Yalo showing the colour of the mid-day sky; Haunui in the vibrant hue of a setting sun; Te Matau a Maui stylishly portraying the dark of the night-time ocean; Hine Moana also dressed in black, but trimmed with the fiery red of anticipation that flows excitedly through the bodies of all of the voyagers gathered here. We, the Sāmoan crew of the Gaualofa, reflect the brilliant blue of the vast Pacific ocean; this giant expanse of life upon which we will live for the coming 4 months as we make our way towards Hawai’i, and then beyond. The Gaualofa raised her traditional (Marquesas) rig, revealing for the first time the new design upon which 6 of our crew had laboured over the past week, depicting the ocean, its life and frightening power.

Some of the crew make final adjustments to their uniforms, while others assist in setting up chairs and sitting mats for the Māori poroporoaki farewell ceremony and the Fijian Kava. Just a few remain aboard to manoeuvre the Gaualofa into position for the send-off; crew of the other va’a do the same, and before long the memorable sight of four of these hardy ocean-voyaging vessels moored next to each other is set.

The skippers gathered their crew and sat them in the rowed seats, with interested spectators sitting behind to observe the ceremonial happenings.

Hoturoa, a senior member of the Haunui crew, offers a brief introduction before handing on to the kaumatua who sits next to him, who offers a prayer in Māori to ask of our great voyaging ancestors a blessing for our ambitious voyage. The ceremony moves on to hear the empowering words of Matua Hector Busby, a preeminent figure within traditional ocean voyaging circles in the Pacific, and a tufuga fauva’a of great skill and experience. Hector is supported strongly by a group who stand with him to sing a song for the voyagers who are leaving. Meanwhile, a number of the boys from Fiji are standing aside, preparing to present an energetic performance for the spectators dressed in traditional war-dance garb. The song ends and the Fijians burst onto the centre mat amidst their own energetic cries and theatrical jeers. The level is raised as the rhythm picks up, until the short yet intense show explodes in a ball of frightening energy.

The ceremony goes on as Captain Frank of Te Matau a Maui offers a Māori greeting to all present; he greets the spiritual essence of the Sky and the Earth and the ancestors who watch from afar, and asks that they might help to guide our va’a safely on their journey. He acknowledges skippers Marc, Duncan, Jonathan and Magnus, of the four other va’a embarking from Aotearoa, and all of the collective crew.

Frank’s mihi is supported by his Ngati Kahungunu crew, who all stand in a great chorus of Māori voices, ringing out in harmonised melodies.

The ceremony continued on; the Fijian Uto Ni Yalo crew returned to perform the sacred Kava ceremony for the dignitaries present, including the skippers and other leaders. Jack Thatcher, the leading celestial navigator for Hine Moana and the entire fleet then led a special Māori haka, accompanied by crew members of Te Matau a Maui. This haka is said to have been developed from the powerful words of a Māori karakia many generations past, which had the power to quell the guardian spirits of the ocean when entering a protected harbour. Jack led the group with unrivaled vigour and power, displaying his quality as a leader of men and a cultural stalwart of the voyage, and the Māori contingent responded to his guiding calls with powerful energy and intense rhythmic action.

The ceremony was finally closed with a prayer and hymn, as all of the crew members and spectators joined hands in a giant ring of spiritual piety to the Almighty, to the natural spirits of the world, and to our great ancestors who spread our people across the seas through their great qualities of patience, diligence, wisdom and courage.

Finally the time had come for our departure into the harbour. Spectators were alerted to the dock by the distictive rhythmic calls of “Hine! Hine! Hine Moana!”, as Magnus and his crew of Tongan, Vanuatu, Tahitian, Fijian and Maori chanted and danced the haka of their va’a with beaming enthusiasm. Each va’a moved off to the chanting and stamping of their own rhythmic signature, and the Gaualofa followed suit with her own powerful burst of Sāmoan pride: “‘O ai le toa?...Sāmoa!!”

After a short cruise of but a few hours in the Auckland harbour, manoeuvring the va’a and capturing footage of the different sailing crews from cameras aboard Te Matau a Maui, Gaualofa and the fleet of Pacific va’a returned to dock at the Viaduct, to complete their last few preparations before departure into the vast deep blue.

Although due to leave on Friday, a large storm at sea has delayed our departure, and for the past few days the crew of the Gaualofa and most of the other va’a have been living on board on standby, eager and ready to venture beyond the horizon as soon as the weather allows an opening.

Nonetheless, in but one day or two we will embark on our long journey of re-discovery, as we strive to learn the ways of our ancestors who once sailed the vast oceanic currents with naught but the sun, moon and stars, and guided only by their respect for, and spiritual connection with the ocean that is our past, our present, and our future home.

Bruce Maauga

The Va'a Have Converged in New Zealand

2011-03-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

The network of va’a from around the South Pacific have converged in Auckland, New Zealand, and are once more finding themselves home among their pacific brothers and sisters.

It is beautiful seeing old faces from last year’s voyages, with time spent sitting around the Fijian ava bowl reminiscing of old times and the voyaging experiences all crews have had over the last year or so. Our Samoan crew is sleeping, eating, training, and most importantly laughing alongside crews from Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, PNG and the Solomon Islands.

With 40 to 50 hungry mouths to feed, the kitchen is always in full swing before dawn - preparing breakfast for the crews as they head out to do their daily duties. The Gaualofa is currently at Salt House Boats on the north Shore where she is getting a little TLC (tender loving care) from the Samoan crew. You can spot them lovingly sanding and painting Gaualofa, getting her ready for the epic voyage which all are about to embark upon.

Most importantly, all of the va’a will be outfitted with solar panels and an electric outboard motor in order to eliminate the reliance upon fossil fuels. No longer will this stunning fleet of va’a (seven in total) from around the Pacific expel greenhouse gasses through burning fossil fuels in order to propel themselves through the water (e.g. when in the harbour or in poor wind conditions).

All crews are eagerly preparing and anticipating our departure (which at this moment is projected for 11th April, 2011). In the meantime, the sense of community developing amongst the crews from varying backgrounds and a multitude of different Pacific Island nations is incredible to witness and even more lovely to partake in.

For now, the marae (Maori meeting house) in Mangere will be home to these voyagers, until they make their way to their true homes on their respective canoes at sea.

I must be off now - the lights have been turned off, and it is always best to be asleep before the cacophony of snores from around the hall takes off.

All the best from the crew of Gaualofa - safe and sound in New Zealand.

Fealofani Bruun

Sailing from Samoa to New Zealand - February/March 2011

2011-03-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

9th March 2011
Position: Neiafu, Vava’u Islands, Kingdom of Tonga

The morning started out with a phone call for Kalolo, an old friend asking him if a couple of preschool students could visit the Gaualofa that morning. The crew prepped themselves and the Gaualofa for the presentations.

We welcomed, presented and entertained 3 preschools consisting of over 40 children all in less than 2 hours. Later in the day we received a surprise visit from 2 elementary schools. The crew presented the va’atele Gaualofa to the preschoolers and set up a little presentation on the marine monitoring that occurs on the va’a.

We have two different marine monitoring forms onboard that we have to fill out every time we see any form of marine life or trash on our course. We’re required to log position, time, state of sea, state of weather and description of what we saw. In this way the data we collect will be informative for environmental groups like SPREP, CI and ICUN that record specific coordinates of high and low density areas of marine creatures and trash.

The school visit went quite well considering the challenge in holding the attention of the age group we had to present to.

13th March 2011
Position: 23˚ 41.7’ S 175˚ 58’ W
After days on end without a nice hard gust of wind, it shifted direction last night. More SE than E. The day was another scorcher and the crew on watch amused themselves with watching Lolesio (the cook) scamper around the va’a seeking for shade on deck.

We were sailing and not using our engine, even though we weren’t going very fast - just 4 knots. And still no fish since the day we left Vava’u. We were all keen on having fish on the menu that day. Lolesio had even made mayonnaise which was on standby.

Alas the day was coming to an end and still no bite; throughout the day we were accompanied by schools of skip-jack, which just wouldn’t seem to throw themselves on the lures we had hanging off the stern. And flocks of various marine birds seemed to do a better job at fishing then we did.

The swells were growing larger and steeper with dark clouds just on the windward side of our beam. The low that we were avoiding seemed to catch up with us. Were hoping that we’re still outside of the low’s eye and just skirting around it. Winds were picking up and the va’a was making good speed, from 4 knots to 9 knots.

Suddenly the sound of the fishing reel running caught the watch’s attention, just in time to see a large marlin jump out of the water. Shouts of glee and triumphant cries filled the air, which woke up the other crew members who were resting. The whole va’a kicked into action when they figured out their prayers were soon to be answered with having fish on the menu.

After almost what felt like an hour of trying to reel the fish in but was only 15 minutes, the fishing rod broke at the top. All the boys immediately wanted to stop playing around and just hook the fish in. Not only were we impatient with getting the marlin onboard but the dark clouds on our windward side were even more visible. It looked to be one large squall coming our way.

Without any further adieu, the marlin was quickly on board and fish orders were flying around.

The squall hit us about 15 minutes later which seemed to put the crew in even better spirits.

I guess the meat on the menu and a good fresh water shower makes for a happy crew. Soifua.

18th March 2011
Position: 34˚ 59.48’ S / 175˚ 31.32’ E

It is a clear blue day with a cool breeze filling Gaualofa’s sails and blowing her speedily towards Aotearoa.

In the distance Senio eyes something ahead of us, by now it’s my watch and already half an hour has passed.

Everyone on deck ran to the bow to get a better look. Scanning the horizon ahead in a wide arc the splashes were familiar to me: WHALES! I guess they were 12 miles away and from that distance I wasn’t sure what type they were.

As we got closer other whales were spotted in a 90 degree angle all over the horizon. I guess there were 15- 20 whales in this pod and by now everyone was on deck getting excited, particularly the new crew.

Cap (Marc), ordered Salai, who was on the foe, to head for the closest whales. Fani got out her camera, Lolesio stopped making lunch and I monitored and recorded the whole activity.

As we got closer I identified them as sperm whales which are common in New Zealand’s waters. I think the whales were having a sports day or something. One, a female, I believe, as there was a calf near it, would breach and the calf would follow suit: female tail slaps, calf tail slaps; female would pec slap and the calf would copy.

All the while the whales around were also doing their ‘whale activity’. Fani and Cap (Marc) both armed with cameras took some really cool pictures. I clapped in appreciation at the show the whales were giving us.

These are magnificent creatures and always a sight to behold. We stayed with them for half an hour before Cap (Marc) decided we should continue our course.

Breaching: when a whale is leaping in the air rotating and landing on its back or side or forward in a head-lunge.
Tail slap: slapping flukes on surfaces.
Pec slaps: laying on its side or back, hitting the surface with one or both pectoral fins.
Soifua,
Kalolo Steffany

18th/19th March 2011
Position: From Great Barrier to Viaduct, New Zealand
‘They that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep’. Psalms 107:23-24.

It’s almost 5 hours until arrival to our meeting point with Uto-Ni-Yalo, and we can already see New Zealand. The crew is happy when they first sight land. A lot of them are too excited that they actually don’t go straight away to rest. A few of them have started on cleaning and preparing the va’a for inspection done on arrival by the quarantine and customs.

It’s now day break and we’re in Hauraki Gulf. Cap (Marc) tells us that we won’t be able to make the meeting time with Uto-Ni-Yalo as there are still a few miles between us. Lolesio makes rice, pisupo with canned spaghetti, what a treat for the majority of the crew!

2 hours until arrival at the Viaduct we changed our booms from the Bermuda rig to the Marquesas rig, which has become a tradition for everyone on arrival or departure of a country.

After we thoroughly cleaned the va’a, we started practicing our sivas. By now we have come upon Rangitoto Island, on the western coast. There were small fishing boats around - and so many yachts!

There were so many boats with sails and motorboats, I was amazed. The only boats I’ve ever seen are the ones in Samoa and those are the small fishing alias and the ferries that go around the islands. We also saw penguins, this was the first time I’ve ever seen them.

Siaosi was on the foe and he had to constantly adjust his course as there were so many va’as around; there were over 20 va’as that he had to try not to hit. I was quite happy to arrive in a traditional voyaging canoe, it was something new to my life and a lot of people were watching from their own boats.

We stopped for a short time, out of the channel to do our custom belief tradition, as we were about to step onto shore we needed to close our passage from the sea. After our ‘custom belief’ ceremony was over we continued on towards Auckland wharf. We saw a va’atele from our fleet sailing our way and the closer it got, we were told it’s the newly transformed Va’atele Haunui.

Our crew became very excited to see fellow voyagers. The crew, we soon found out, was the Hine Moana, to which they welcomed us with a haka in the middle of Waitemata Harbour . We continued on to the customs wharf to get all the official details out of the way. After that was done we motored on to the Viaduct where we were to dock at. We were once again greeted by the Hine Moana crew at the dock.

While tidying up and getting ready to join the other crew for a late lunch, we received a pleasant surprise when Fa’amatuainu Sa, Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale and other members of the Aiga Folau o Samoa soon arrived at the Viaduct. It was a nice feeling to see them. They were there when we left Samoa and then to see them when we arrived, it felt like they never left us.

We soon left the Viaduct for our base camp. We were informed that we’ll be staying together with three other crews- Hine Moana, Uto-Ni-Yalo and Haunui in a marae, Te Karaiti te Pou Herenga Waka, in Mangere.

Soifua,
Akenese, Fialelei ma Lolesio

Samoa Farewell Ceremony - 26 February 2011

2011-02-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

Overnight Sail from Apia - 21/22 February 2011

2011-02-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

The day of our farewell from Samoa was rapidly approaching. With almost 20 new crew-in-training, many of whom had never sailed before, we urgently needed some experience. Our chance finally came on the 21st February.

For those waiting on the va’a the day was long, hot and slow. Marc, our captain, was busy the whole day trying to get crew visa applications submitted. By late afternoon it wasn’t clear whether we would have our sail at all. But finally at about 6pm everyone was on board. This was to be our ‘exposure’ sail. For most of us, the first chance to feel what it’s like to crew the va’a on the open ocean.

After a meal of coconut rice and bananas we gathered around, gave thanks and prayed for a safe return. Then, just as the sun was beginning to set behind Apia we raised sails and slipped quietly out past the breakwater and beyond the reef. Soon the lights of Apia came on behind us, snaking their way up the hill around Mt Vaea and up to the top of the pass. The lights were to be our backdrop for many hours, gradually sinking towards and eventually below the horizon as we put in distance from them.
Our sailing instructions were simple: sail away from Upolu! There was a constant and reassuring easterly tradewind blowing throughout the night. By sailing north-northeast we had the wind sitting just fore of the starboard beam all the way out [that is, the wind was blowing across the va’a from just less than 90 degrees to the right of our direction of sail – slightly to the front of an imaginary line running perpendicular to our direction of sail (the beam)]. With no outward destination we held our course according to the wind as much as to any precise bearing.

We were divided into three watches of three hours each. I was on first watch from 8pm-11pm. After 11 I would be on standby for the 11pm-2am watch, then go below deck and rest from 2am-5am in readiness for my next watch. There were six on my watch, including the watch captain (responsible for the va’a whenever the captain is absent). With only occasional adjustments needed to the rigging our main task was to take turns on the foe – the four metre long pivoted rigid wooden pole that is both tiller and rudder on the traditional va’a. Handled from on deck it curves down into the water between the hulls, where it opens into a rudder paddle. In rough weather it may require several crew on the foe to maintain a heading. In gentle conditions like tonight one was enough, but we paired up anyway so that we could experience handling the foe as a team. To keep our bearing we shifted the foe to keep the va’a ‘s heading constant relative to selected reference stars. If our reference star disappeared behind clouds we would switch to another. Simple principle, but physically hard work, especially for a novice like me! One important lesson: if possible, choose a reference star that is close to the horizon -it’s a long time to stand straining your neck skywards!

With my watch over I could relax and take in the spectacular night sky. At 2am the moon was rising and the lights of Apia almost gone. Unfortunately I could not sleep. Below deck it was hot and stuffy and the hulls amplified the sound of the waves sliding between them. No doubt you would adapt, but for me for now the whole experience was too new and exciting.

At 5am we were back on deck for our next watch. As darkness became dawn then a glowing sunrise we could not see land in any direction – a great feeling to be on the open ocean. Early in the watch we about-turned and made back for Apia. We had sailed 45 Nautical Miles out to sea.

On the way home there were a few squalls about but they passed us by. We made it back to Apia harbour just in time for lunch.

The perfect introductory cruise.

Owen Martin

2011-01-01T00:54:00.000-08:00

2010 Highlights and Future Plans...

2010-12-30T22:38:00.000-08:00

Dear SVS members, supporters and friends,

We would like to update you on activities this year of the Aiga Folau o Samoa or Samoa Voyaging Society (SVS).

2010 Highlights

2010 has been a huge year for our young society; here are some of the highlights:

• Our Samoan crew with Captain Marc Gondard sailed more than 4,000 nautical miles from New Zealand to Tahiti, Cook islands, Samoa and then to Tonga on the va’atele “Hine Moana” from April to July this year. We sailed as part of the Pacific Voyaging Fleet with 4 other traditional va’a and visited five countries The attached photos show the arrival ceremony of the voyaging fleet in Samoa, with our patron His Highness the Head of State of Samoa and the Hine Moana leaving Sinalei

• On this epic journey the Samoan crew were environmental ambassadors- promoting the need for marine conservation and wise stewardship of the oceans.

• In August we had the maiden voyage of our own va’atele “Gaualofa” to Vava’u, Tonga and back a distance of almost 1000 nautical miles

• In September we went to Tokelau and back, a distance of 800 nautical miles return. We took with us Foua Toloa, the former Ulu or Head of Tokelau, who taught the crew star navigation techniques

• Between October and December many school groups and overseas and local visitors have visited the va’a and more than 100 Samoan children have had the opportunity to sail and learn about traditional voyaging and navigation. This has been a hugely successful part of the program as a core goal of our society is to promote pride and knowledge in traditional navigation amongst the youth

• We went on many short voyages to different parts of Samoa, including to Manono island where there was huge interest from the community and where we discovered that the ancient skills of traditional navigation are still alive in Samoa

• We are developing a close partnership with the Samoan Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture whom we hope to be working hand in hand on further outreach activities in 2011 and beyond

• Our young local crew have grown and matured and are now ready to take on the world with confidence in their skills as sailors and with enhanced pride in their culture

Faafetai tele to our sponsors and supporters

We would like to thank all our sponsors for their generous support this year especially the Okeanos Foundation who have provided us our va’a on very favorable terms and continue to fund much of our core running costs.

We also thank the Samoa Tourism Authority for a very generous donation for our official launch a year ago and to cover some running costs and also SPREP who gave us a grant to promote ocean conservation in early 2010. We would also like to thank Stuart Chape of SPREP for taking the most incredible photographs of our va’a and crew, including the ones attached. We thank UNESCO for giving us a grant to develop a strategy to promote traditional navigation and improve out outreach activities in Samoa. Other sponsors include Apia Concrete Products (ACP), the Apia Yacht Club, Big Bear, Samoa Ports Authority, Silva Transport, Tony Hill and Sinalei Reef Resort.

Last but not least we would like to thank the wonderful hosts who fed and hosted our crews on our voyages this year- in particular our hosts in Rarotonga, Tahiti, Tokelau, and Vavau, Tonga. We hope to have the opportunity to reciprocate one day when you visit Samoa.

Planning for 2011 Voyage

We are now in the throes of preparing and training for another epic journey-from Samoa to Fiji, Tahiti, Marquesas, Hawaii and back to Samoa starting in February 2011. Once again we will be joining with va’a from NZ, Fiji, the Cook Islands and Tahiti on the journey which has as its main objective the promotion of ocean conservation and sustainable management, and in particular to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the oceans. The voyaging fleet will all congregate in Honolulu harbor, Hawaii in early July 2011 where an Ocean Climate conference to raise awareness on these critical issues will be held. We hope that our patron, His Highness the Head of State, will sail with us for part of the voyage.

Crew needed

We are still seeking crew for the voyages in 2011 and will be interviewing for new crew in early January. We will be advertising interview times in the press and on the radio. For more information please call Ame on 7510693

Donations needed

We are in desperate need of more funds to support our va’a’s ongoing running costs, outreach activities and to provide some financial support for our volunteer crew. We also need to raise 200,000 NZD (360,000 tala) before the end of 2012 in order to purchase the va’a outright from the Okeanos Foundation. Please consider a generous donation for this worthy cause- our account details are below:

Bank account details:
Account Name: SAMOA VOYAGING SOCIETY INC main branch Apia
Account N°: 3803142

Membership

The Samoa Voyaging Society exists only because of our members. In particular we need members who are willing to volunteer part time for a few hours a week to assist with a range of activities, including fundraising, marketing and crew training. Membership is currently 10 tala per person and we would like to encourage you to renew your membership as soon as possible. Membership entitles you to discounted sailing trips, participation in ocean voyages (subject to passing basic fitness and other training) and to participation in the Annual General Meeting of the SVS.

You may renew your membership through a direct bank transfer or just contact us and we will provide you with a receipt. We would be grateful if you would also encourage others members of the community to join the SVS!

Please contact the SVS Secretary, James Atherton on 7770787, Captain Marc Gondard on 7720276 or myself on 7773949 if you wish to renew your membership or make a donation.

We look forward to another exciting year of development and adventure for the SVS and thank you all for your engagement and support this year.

Ia manuia le kerisimasi ma le tausaga fou.

Soifua and God Bless,

Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale
Aiga Folau o Samoa President

Manono Expedition

2010-12-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

24.11.10

Location: due west of Apia Harbour
Time: Wednesday midmorning
Destination: Manono Island via Mulifanua
Mission: Meeting the Elders of Manono Island and request upon them in teaching and bestowing Gaualofa and her Crew their blessings in reviving the old ways of how our ancestors came to these shores. And taking school children and locals out for a sail.
Present: It’s Wednesday morning and we have just left Apia Harbour. Our first stop is Mulifanua and second is Manono Island, both are due west. We will be spending the night in Mulifanua as our actual destination is Manono Island. It lies between the Main Island, Upolu, and Apolima. We’ve finally dredged up enough courage to call upon people of Manono for aid.
In the History of Samoa during times of constant warring, any district that had the backing of Manono was sure to win. Manono not only had the largest naval fleet that halted any surprise attacks and patrolled the sea trade but it also had strong ties with neighboring islands: Tonga and Fiji. If dire need of assistance was requested by either of the countries the call was always answered. Manono is said among the locals, to be the last place in Samoa to conform to modern-day sea vessels.
The crew is looking forward to this trip as it will also mean possible recruitment from people who know a vast deal more of the canoe culture. We have our traditional rig on: crab claw/ marquises rig; we’ve also constructed new jowls for the traditional booms, as the former design wasn’t quite user friendly for winds of over 15knots. They had completely cracked on the first time we set them on, so with our spanking new boom jowls, our course was set due west. As winds were blowing NE, averaging 14 knots, we were sailing ca. 7 knots having the wind on our starboard quarter. It was a fairly easy run all the way. We caught a good size trivielly just in time for an early dinner. The only thing that marred our sail was the high concentration of trash which was in the ocean. We arrived in Mulifanua lagoon and laid anchor and rested up for the big day tomorrow. This anchorage was chosen as it is the safest and closest anchorage from our appointed meeting with the people of Manono, tomorrow at 09.00. So for now, soifua.
Time: Morning of the BIG DAY
Present: Morning was beautiful and we were joined by two members of our society as well as a local ex-pat and his family (they coincidentally run a sailing venture based in this part of the main island, Samoa Sailing Adventures).Breakfast was quickly inhaled as the hour of our appointment was rapidly approaching; though we still managed to not arrive on time. As we’re based in Samoa and keeping with local customs is of the utmost importance, we arrived just in due time. Local time etiquette: either be very early or very late, it’s rude to be on time. Finer details aside we were still greeted with smiles and not a fleet of paopaos .We quickly laid anchor like so: stern to shore bow to lagoon and a stern line to the beach tied around a niu. Faapau (crew member), bravely sacrificed his dry self to ferry the children on board Gaualofa, with the dinghy as it was too shallow to attach the outboard to it. When everyone was finally onboard, we were soon introduced to the chiefs and orators of Manono Island! And they had brought a minister along! After the service, you could clearly see and hear the relief that was being voiced by the crew. We’ve been accepted by the people of Manono Island, now the second part of the mission- Prove that their blessings are and will be put to good use. A demonstration was required- we were still able to sail around in the lagoon, even though there were slight winds and we were making only 5-6 knots. A couple of the Elders got into explaining the Samoan terminology for the different parts of the Va’a. We soon found out that the main parts of the va’a are used in Samoan idioms! The elders and the children clearly enjoyed their little outing on a double hulled canoe. None of the children seemed to be frightened by the maneuvers the Va’a went through, we had little young uns’ vying to stand by the foe!(note for you safety alarmists, just to touch it!) After a thoroughly satisfying sail we made our way back to Apia harbour. Winds were still blowing NE at the same speed which we then optioned to motor sail back, which we did in 3 ½ hours.
Mission accomplished! Gaualofa and her crew are looking forward to their next adventure to Manono Island, and hopefully will stay longer. Faafetai tele lava. Soifua!

Wedding trip

2010-11-15T18:06:00.000-08:00

Log Book Update 13/11/10!
Gaualofa Overnight Sail Apia-Sinalei

Gaualofa has sailed from Apia to Sinalei on the Saturday morning the 13th of November; they reached Sinalei late Saturday night. The Vaá is in the South end of Upolu to host its very first wedding, today Monday the 15th.
The entire crew and members of the Samoan Voyaging Society would like to congratulate Iosefa and Siko Percival on their special day and wish them all the best on their journey through life’s great joys.
yeah just look at the terminator, when he said he'll be back I didn't expect him to come back as a senator. lol

NZ Sailors

2010-11-15T17:53:00.001-08:00

Log Book 27/09/10

Torbay Yacht Club Sailors

Gaualofa and her crew took a group from the Apia Yacht Club out for a sail. This group included NZ kids who were on a youth sailing exchange with the yacht club. The kids are from Torbay Yacht Club, New Zealand. This club is renown for hosting the Sir Peter Blake Regatta every year. Marc (Skipper of Gaualofa) set the course to a sandbar (outside the lagoon next to the village of Letogo) 6 nmi north east from Apia, a great swimming spot, anchorage and spot a turtle or two. Winds were blowing north easterly at 15 knots with northern swells, so we were averaging 8 knots. There were a few green faces on the way, until we arrived to our destination. Lunch was served as soon as we had arrived and then the exploring of the sandbar and its surroundings commenced. It was a shorter and less bumper sail back to Apia harbour. Everyone had enjoyed the sail but had especially enjoyed the refreshing swim.

Overnight Sail with Apia Yacht Club

2010-11-15T17:44:00.000-08:00

Log Book 06/09/10

Overnight Sail with AYC

Saturday morning was a beautiful day for a sail. Winds were blowing northeast at 10-12 knots, north swells of about 3 meters high. The Gaualofa and her crew were asked to be the support vessel for a sailing trip the Apia Yacht Club had arranged for the weekend. We had a few guests on board as well. There were 4 lasers and two hobie cats, a 14 and 16 which consisted of the fleet. Marc, set the course for a sandbar that we regularly sail to, which is NE from Apia ca. 7 miles from our point of origin, Mulinuu peninsular, so we were all on a beat. It took us about 3 hours to get to the sandbar and by then we were all hungry and overheated. After setting up the smaller boats for moorage a late lunch was made by the Gaualofa crew. Michael and Beniot (hobie sailors from AYC) set up camp on the sandbar to which everyone joined later as the yacht club sailors had arranged to a BBQ. Night was hitting fast and after a few camp stories around the fire we all called it a night and retreated back to Gaualofa for a proper night’s rest. The following morning, Sunday, we were all up and gearing for the sail back. After a great breakfast prepared by all, after sighting a few turtles we all rigged up ready to begin our sailing for the day. As the winds didn’t change much it was a run back to the Apia harbour. It took us less than an hour to sail back all keeping close to each other. The Gaualofa crew is still receiving thank you letters from our guests during the weekend. A big MALO LAVA to all!!!

Discovering Tokelau by the stars.

2010-11-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

24 August 10 Since our last trip the crew of Gaualofa set a heading for Tokelau but this trip has a twist. We set sail without the use of a compass, GPS, maps or a watch to tell time. It’s the next step towards personal development for each crew member into the chapter of sailing, traditional navigation.
There was two parts to the training;
The first part was to prepare in chronological order the stars and planets we will be using to arrive into Tokelau. We were fortunate to have on board a traditional navigator from Tokelau but the entire crew required the skills to identify the key stars and planets to have a clear understanding of the navigators choice of heading.
The second part of the training was to determine the va’a speed in order to estimate distance travelled this is called a “speed check”.

We measured a point from the bow of the va’a to astern of the va’a. With that distance we use the white wash from the breaking waves at the bow of the va’a to count how many seconds it take to reach the point astern. With that we broke each second into estimated knots to determine speed, for example a 6 second speed check would establish that we are travelling at an average speed of 8 knots.
Each voyage is broken down in shifts by three watch teams. Each team works three hours with the two remaining teams on six hour rest. Each watch group is lead by a watch captain who is in-charge of performing speed checks every hour of their shift.

We collate the information collected to keep us on our heading to our final destination. How smart were our ancestors aye! It is an important piece of knowledge that is vital to our culture. How cool is that? We didnt use electronic instruments.

In search of the Kingdom.

2010-11-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

25 July 2010
Talofa supports (smiles)
It has been a while since our last entry but we are back online full throttle. Following on from our last entry in May the keen crew of the Va’a Gaualofa and the executive committee of the Samoa Voyaging Society decided to sail to Nukualofa, Tonga.

.
The opportunity came about through the whale watching training to take place in Tonga. This was organised by Ocean Noise Production (ONP) for the skippers and first mate of each participating va’a from the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Tahiti, and yours truly Samoa. Being the enthusiastic environmental advocates we thought we would minimise the carbon footprint of two crew members flying into two countries by sailing with a full crew. The trip to Nukualofa also proved a valuable opportunity for training for old crew and new.

The president of the Samoa Voyaging Society, Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale joined the crew as it has been a long life dream for the president and founding member of the society. Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale’s additional purpose was to attend the coronation of the King of Tonga.

Log Book 25/07/10
Crew: Marc, Tuatagaloa Joe, Ewan, John, Waine, Fani, Fa’apau, Koleni, Siaosi, Kalolo, Senio, Tuafale, Ioe, Ieremia, Billi, Fa’aleaga.

Set sail from Apia Marina at 1400hrs west of Upolu pass Apolima Island searing her traditional rig.
Once we passed the convergence current zone in the leeway shore of Upolu we started heading south for Nukualofa.
Only managed to catch half a fish the other half we shared with a shark (dumb shark!).
Day one, a historical trip as it is the first official international voyage for Gaualofa as well as our president Tuatagaloa Joe.
End entry.

Log Book 26/07/10
Crew: Marc, Tuatagaloa Joe, Ewan, John, Waine, Fani, Fa’apau, Koleni, Siaosi, Kalolo, Senio, Tuafale, Ioe, Ieremia, Billi, Fa’aleaga.

It’s day two and the wind has decided to change from East to South South East and just for the fun of it, just to spice things up she decides to change again to blow South straight in front of us. We adapt to the situation and follow the wind taking us towards Vava’u.
We arrive into the Vava’u group at 2100hrs and enter anchorage in front of Neiafu at 2230hr. It’s raining and squalling when we anchor but the crew break out in song lead by Tuatagaloa Joe with his ukulele and guitar till 0100hrs.
End entry. (Yawn)

Log Book 09/08/10 to 12/08/10
Crew: Marc, Ewan, John, Waine, Fani, Fa’apau, Koleni, Siaosi, Kalolo, Senio, Tuafale, Ioe, Ieremia, Billi, Fa’aleaga.

Guest: Iren, Spainish (captain of Newromancer yacht), Tibault, French (first mate of Newromancer).

We have been sailing between the Vava’u group islands and it is a sailors paradise. There is always shelter which is open to the wind but protected from deep ocean swell - it is a sailors cherry on the cake. We have been spending our time getting to know the locals of Neiafu, training, and building team sprit within the crew.
We’ve been repetitively practicing manoeuvres such as tacking, man over board, coastal navigation, and anchoring drills.The training has been tough, useful, and well worth it. Definitely a great place for training.
End entry

Log Book 13/08/10
Crew: Marc, James, Ewan, John, Waine, Fani, Fa’apau, Koleni, Siaosi, Kalolo, Senio, Tuafale, Ioe, Ieremia, Billi, Fa’aleaga.

If you are the superstitious type then this entry might feel a little scary because it is Friday the 13th and we are setting sail to return home to Samoa. We are joined by another crew member and secretary of the Samoa Voyaging Society James Atherton on the journey home.
We depart Neiafu leaving behind two crew members of Gaualofa to work on board va’a Hine Moana undertaking whale watching trips to increase training and experience.
It is said that the most important part of the day is breakfast so what better way to start Friday the 13th than a hearty breakfast of crepes, cinnamon buns, and coffee with our Tongan friends and colleagues from Hine Moana. After Breakfast we farewell our friends, then kick them off our va’a, and set sail around Neiafu to farewell everyone before heading towards Afi ava from there we set our heading North North East towards Samoa.
End entry.

Log Book 14/08/10
Crew: Marc, James, Ewan, John, Waine, Fani, Fa’apau, Koleni, Siaosi, Kalolo, Senio, Tuafale, Ioe, Ieremia, Billi, Fa’aleaga.

We arrive into Samoa anchoring in Apia after passing the international dateline experiencing Friday the 13th twice and a 40 hour trip travelling at an average speed of eight knots.
It’s great to be back and we are welcomed back with a warm and delicious dinner prepared by the society, family, and supporters.
Till next time, end entry. (Yummy)

The towing leaves the crews with much time on their hands and we can hear a strain of impatiens in everyone's voices

2010-05-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

11 May 2010 7:14 p.m
Voyages - Aotearoa > French Polynesian > Cook Islands 2010

We just switched time zones so here's a 2nd update for the 11th.
The chain in our tow line (shock absorber) sizzled thru the water as it lifted and sunk with surge of the tow. The sun shone down and cooked us until we pulled our awning over our heads and lounged in the shade eating fruit, reading, occasionally throwing buckets of water over our heads and
generally enjoying a very lazy day.
We saw a sailfish briefly carve up the surface and a few smaller fish jumping, but nature wasn't turning on a show today except for a beautiful
sunset of big cumulus reflected on the calm seas.
the only real life was on board the vaka and even that wasn't moving much for the most part.
Current position at 1800 on 11/5:
South 19deg 08.9 West 149deg 06.2
heading 340 at 7.5 knots
As the sun dipped below the horizon we had haka practice and carried on thru with a bit of a jam session.
We're looking at arriving in Moorea tomorrow mid-morning, but hiding out in a bay for the day as we can't go in until the following morn.
While it's a bit frustrating having no wind at least we're traveling in the right direction at good speed.
all the best to everyone,
Dunc
Marumaru Atua

Day 24 100510
Daily run: 147M
We are waking up still attached to the support vessels. No wind shift yet and now the forecasts have pushed the shift even further forward so it no point of disconnecting the tow. Suddenly Te Matau slows down and Hine Moana who are attached to our stern seems to come closer. Our tow line has snapped! An unfortunate lead around a shackle has worn through the 20mm rope. It is easy to repair and we are soon on our way again. The towing is putting a lot of strain on the lines and the canoes we realise. Uto Ni Yalo's towing line breaks as well and a few other issues appear. The towing with two canoes in a line can only be done in very calm conditions. Anything more than our current sea state with one meter swell and 8kn wind on the nose will start to cause damage on equipment.
We are struggling getting through the enormous amount of fruits and coconuts. Constantly someone is handing out bananas and is insisting on a freshly opened coconut to wash it down with. The fleet are steadily moving north.
The towing leaves the crews with much time on their hands and we can hear a strain of impatiens in everyone's voices when we have our round up calls on the vhf. Why doesn't the wind turn around? Do we have to tow? Can't we just drift until it changes? Well, we have to be patient. A different kind of patients than the ancestors had.
They had to drift to wait for the wind to shift. We have the luxury having the support vessels here that can help us getting to the right winds and thus compromise with the modern world time schedules. But on the canoes we have to practice another kind of patients by not being able to sail ourselves. It is not the proudest moment being towed.
At one point we hope that the towing will be obsolete all together. We are trying new technology on Hine Moana and Te Matau. The Solarpower electric drives. These systems will allow the canoes to use the energy from the sun during day time to slowly motor against light winds or when being becalmed. The systems are still on sea trails and Te Matau's has developed issues. Water has dripped into sensitive areas of the electric system and caused a lot of corrosion. A bit of a nightmare on any vessel but on a vaka it seems to be worse.
It is peculiar, on this traditional vessel we find the most cutting edge technology. A true marriage of the ancient and the future! The system is interesting from many perspectives. Without the sun the batteries last for three hours. This means that except for landfall we have to sail wherever we go. We can't defeat the strong winds with these motors but have to find ways around them or wait for good wind directions. This gives good feeling of conne cting to the old ways of travelling. Not fighting he elements but working with them.
Well, when the new system works it is good. None of Te Matau's motors work right now. 48 fine wires need to be re-soldered to remove the corroded terminals. This should take care of the main problems but knowing how saltwater and electrics mix we are bound to encounter more issues. We get a soldering pack from Foftein in a dry bag that were passed along the towing line and we start the tedious job to connect the fine wires. It is a hard job in the small aft compartment, the heat, the constant rocking, the state of the wires. After five hours of near misses two wires are connected. This is going to take some time. It's getting dark so we decide to wait until tomorrow and get some help from one of Foftein's professional engineers. If we can't solve this now we won't have any motors to enter into Moorea.
Nga Mihi
Te Matau a Maui

Vaka Time Position
Te Matau a Maui 0600 20'19S 148'24W
Hine Moana 0600 20'19S 148'24W
Uto Ni Yalo 0600 20'19S 148'35W
Marumaru Atua 0600 20'19S 148'35W
Faafaite 0600 20'25S 148'22W

10 May 2010 6:51 p.m
Voyages - Aotearoa > French Polynesian > Cook Islands 2010

A peaceful day of towing. Not overly stimulating from a sail-the-oceans point of view, but nice to back at sea and sharing the stimulating conversation of our small but diverse whanau.
it's very nice to have Te Aturangi amongst us, he's a welcome addition to the crew.
There's a real sense of the pressure being off now the vast span of the South Pacific is behind us and our passages are reduced to a mere two or three days between islands.
having said that we still took time for Emergency Procedure drills today.
you don't need to be in the middle of an ocean to get in trouble and familiarity with the procedures can save lives.
As the sun set it was head counts, grab bags, and life rafts. "what do you do if..." "how do you issue a Mayday?"
At the end of our drills we finished with an Emergency cup of tea. Most important.
Current position at 1800 on 11/5:
South 21deg 23.1 West 148deg 09.1
Heading 340 at 7 knots
Hoping you all have a peaceful watch and don't need your liferaft tonight,
Dunc
Marumaru Atua

Day 23 090510
Daily run: 60M
Today we decide to leave Raivavae. The wind is still north but very light and will soon be changing to south. We decided that we can let the escort vessels tow us up to the favourable winds. A voyage shouldn't have schedules but we have to compromise with the modern world in Tahiti where they are expecting us.
We will go to Moorea first and then over to Papeete. We decide to leave after lunch when the wind is expected to drop off. And of course we can't leave on empty stomachs. In preparations for the last meal Faafaite went fishing the whole evening yesterday.
At midday another over the top meal is dished out on banana leaves in the shadows of the trees. We haven't been able to avoid the attention of Raivavae yet. A couple of outrigger canoes have come out heavily loaded with more food! We have no idea how to reciprocate all this hospitality.
We have presented gifts from the canoes to the people but it feels nowhere close to what we have received.
During the morning some of the crew went through the lashings of the kiatos on the inside of the canoes. We pulled up the canoes as much as possible on the beach to be able stand and work on the bottom. The small tide was going out after lunch and left Te Matau and Marumaru sitting quite firmly on the bottom. But we had decided to leave so everyone engaged to pull them free.
We wiggled, pulled and pushed and finally the canoes floated free and we started making our way out from the lagoon. Te Matau had still issues with one motor so Marumaru towed her to the outside the channel through the reef.
There all of the canoes connected up to the escort vessels. The little caravan of canoes and boats turned their bow to the north and left Raivavae in the dimming light behind.
Nga Mihi
Te Matau a Maui

Vaka Time Position
Te Matau a Maui 1800 23'46S 147'40W
Hine Moana 1800 23'46S 147'40W
Uto Ni Yalo 1800 23'47S 147'40W
Marumaru Atua 1800 23'47S 147'40W
Faafaite 1800 23'44S 147'36W

8May 2010 9:40am
Greetings to all,
We have just anchored in the lagoon on the south side of Raivavae to give these beautiful islanders a reprieve from giving as abundantly as they have been and ourselves a break from eating the abundance that they have shared.
As someone said, their generosity has been bigger than their mountain. The welcome we received after 3 weeks at sea was overwhelming.
We were greeted on the dock by the crew of Faafaite and most of Raivavae's 500 inhabitants, palm fronds waving, drums beating and voices raised in song. Men, women and children wearing flowers and plaited grasses and leaves.
As the crews stepped ashore each person had an 'ei' or lei of flowers placed around their necks. We had brief welcoming speeches, wiata from the adults and kids and haka from the crews and then walked 200 meters in a straight line (first time in a while) to the town hall where the island women sang wave after wave of Raivavaen songs, the chorus of voices raised in harmony and celebration was was truly wonderful.
After the official welcome we were ushered around to the back of the hall where drums, guitars, more singers serenaded us as women, singing and dancing, led us to our seats.
After so long living on corned beef it was amazing to have tables piled high with different foods and fruits. The river of their generosity never ran dry although by the time they had fed us for three days and loaded the five vaka with as much fruit and cooked food as they could carry we suspected there probably wasn't a banana left on the island.
Last night we beached the vaka on a little motu in the lagoon to wait for the wind to change from the north before heading to Tahiti. The delay is really a blessing in disguise, it gives us a chance to get the canoes in order and get a little r and r in for the crews. Between official tours, kava 'ceremonies' lasting late into the night and the throng of visitors and children swarming over the vaka it's been fantastic, but hardly restful.
We had a roaring bonfire on the beach, a little shared food and quiet conversations then I slipped away for an early night, ukeleles and guitars following me as I went.
We hope the wind will come around to the East in about 2 days and that we will leave for Tahiti late Sunday or Monday with a good breeze on the beam to shoot us up there.
From a place of Peace and Gratitude (lucky eh)
Dunc

Marumaru Atua

Day19 050510
Raivavae
Just to the west of Raivavae the four vaka's lined up behind Faafaite before entering the passage into Rairua Bay. Faafaite, Marmaru Atua, Te Matau a Maui, Uto Ni Yalo, Hine Moana one line. More than a mile out we hear a thunder. Drums. Drums from the island and fainter soft voices singing.
A brisk breeze pushing us all closer to land and ahead of Faafaite are two outrigger canoes leading us into a chorus of Polynesian voices and the rhythmic drumbeat. This sight sent shivers up our spines, it seemed like the whole island had turned out to greet us, in an array of bright colours, conches blowing, fronds waving in the background. Head gear and garlands of leis sway in time with bodies as they sing out their welcome until each vaka is berthed.
Speeches were short with each vaka crew being called forward and acknowledged, then it was a short procession to the mayor's residence where the mayor-Bruno Flores began the official speeches and gifts were exchanged.
Crews sitting in the hot sun on the concrete path soon dispersed to find cooler spots until the proceedings were finished. Next was the abundant feast that welcomed us in truly sumptuous- island styles, the tables were ladened with local produducts, and to aid the digestion was the accompaniment of continuous singing and dancing. It all went on well into the night!
Our voyage to Raivavae really begins the story of the legendary Hiro-warrior voyager. It got told to us by the local metua- Rahiti-nui-arii Teipoarii and translated by Matahi from Faafataite. Hiro was born and grew up here and as a young man he climbed up the mountain and slept with a woman and for which he was exiled by his father as a test.
Hiro gathered around him young men who built a canoe and sailed 170. Hapai was the navigator that guided Hiro on his voyages to Raiatea, Moorea and outer islands. He left different signs and names and sailed further to Samoa, Rarotonga and Aotearoa. Leaving various wives and siblings along the way he finally settled and died in Maunganui-Aotearoa.
Nga Mihi
Te Matau a Maui
050510
Vaka Time Position
Te Matau a Maui 0600 Rairua Bay, Raivavae
Hine Moana 0600 Rairua Bay, Raivavae
Uto Ni Yalo 0600 Rairua Bay, Raivavae
Marumaru Atua 0600 Rairua Bay, Raivavae
Faafaite 0600 Rairua Bay, Raivavae

Na Te Aranui Tapu O Te Ui Tupuna”
“Along the Sacred Highway of our Ancestors”
Kia Orana CIVS Members & Supporters,
The 5 Vaka have arrived at Raivavae! They tied up at the jetty in Rairua Bay at 10:00am 5th May. It was reported that the crew members on all 5 vaka could here the welcoming drums ‘more than a mile away!’
The first leg of the voyage is completed & all are safe & well & in high spirits.
From Raivavae the fleet will sail to Papeete, on to Moorea, then Raiatea & on to Rarotonga.
Meanwhile preparations for the Fleet arrival here in Rarotonga are proceeding well. The Planning Committee –comprising representatives from: CIVS, Min of Culture, the local pacific communitys –have put together a draft plan comprising preparations leading up to the arrival, the Welcome Ceremony at Avana & Stop-Over Programme, which I will send out to all soon.
The ETA for the arrival is 31st May & the Planning Committee has scheduled the welcome ceremony to begin at 3:00pm. The Fleet are determined to adhere to the ETA however it is subject to weather conditions & we will be able to confirm the arrival time closer to the date.
Our Vaka, Marumaru Atua once home will be staying home & the other 4 Vaka are scheduled to stop-over for 4 days before leaving for their home destinations. The fleet will moor at Avana on arrival but will then move to Avatiu Harbour - probably the following day.
CIVS members - the Executive will be calling a meeting shortly where we will discuss & organize our part in the arrival & stop-over .
Meanwhile everyone please keep following the amazing voyage on our CIVS website: www.voyaging.co.ck
Kia Manuia,

Eva Nepia-Clamp

General Secretary
Cook Islands Voyaging Society

Kia ora,
At 1000 local time Wednesday 5th May 5 vaka tied up at at the jetty in
Rairua Bay in Raivavae.
We could here the drums from the welcoming crowed for more than a mile away.

Te Matau a Maui
Position 23'52S 147'41W

3 May 2010 7:17 p.m
And so we tow.
Overnight the wind left us and although still moving it was decided that with such a short distance to go we would get a helping hand from the escort
vessels and cover the last hundred or so miles under tow.
We expect to arrive on raivavae on wednesday morning.
current position at 1800 on 3/5:
South 24deg 58.5 West 149deg 27.3
heading 060 at about 8 knots
the whole day has stayed clear and flat. we had a beautiful sunset and successful cake recovery mission.
Our towing vessel, 'Evohe' baked a couple of cakes,sealed them in tins and floated them back to us on a boogie board.
We in turn eased them back to Uto ni Yalo (we are towing 2 vaka behind each support boat).
About half way back to Uto things took an interesting turn when the boogie board disappeared below the surface and didn't come back up. After a good 10 minutes and complete reduction in speed it re-surfaced in just about the right place and the cake was rescued. Unbelievably it was not as moist as we imagined and was pronounced a successful and adventurous cake after it's 5 meter descent into the depths. A testament to the wrapping and sealing skills of the bakers.
all good here despite some frustration at the lack of wind and need to be towed.
Dunc

Day 16 040510
Daily run: 128M
The report is delayed today. We spend the morning setting up towing bridles. After midnight last night the wind disappeared all together and Te Matau and sister Hine Moana sat bobbing together moving only a few miles with the currents. Uto Ni Yalo motored towards us from the west most of the night and the same for Marumaru Atua.
In the morning the decision was taken to ask the escort vessels to tow us north east in the direction of Raivavae and hopefully some wind. Now Te Matau and Hine Moana are being towed one after each other by Foftein. Marumaru are hooked on to Evohe and Uto is still motoring under her own steam.
Yesterday Hine Moana and Te Matau sailed well in the light winds and were steadily doing 5-6kn. Hine is faster than Te Matau but when they were coming close they took down their genoa so we could stay together. For some reason Uto and Marumaru couldn't catch up with us. They actually lost ground.
We can't really figure out which canoes are the fastest, the lighter ones or the heavier ones. Well, Uto seems to be hard to catch up on! Te Matau and Hine might just have managed to hang on to the right clouds and got some more wind than the others.
It was another relaxing day. A little bit of rain but just enough to rinse the deck. Then sun. Nice warm and drying sun. Now when we spend more time on the deck we take the opportunity to have a daily korero about what will be expected of us when we arrive to the various islands, the history of different vaka and Tahi takes us through some of the navigators history.
We are practicing haka and waiata that we think are appropriate for Raivavae. The powhiri there is going to be an important event for us on the canoes as well as for the people of Raivavae.
In the lazy hours between the watches we lay on the deck. Liam more often with the ukulele or guitar in his hands than not. Small details submerge during the small talk on the deck. Stolen socks get returned. Different perspective of situations and the rough days is shared. We had a suspicion that we were getting faster during the trip. The other canoes didn't get so far ahead of us anymore. Of course we are getting lighter since we are getting through our provision and water. But so are the other canoes.
When we were all sitting on the deck behind the whare talking and laughing and looking around amongst us someone commented that our clothes were all kind of flapping in the light winds. For all of us! We have become thinner! We have probably shaved of 70kg all together!
Thankfully we haven't that far to go to Raivavae. There awaits the beaches, the solid ground, the feasts and just a few hours of tranquil rest for our souls.
Nga Mihi
Te Matau a Maui
040510
(before the tow)
Vaka Time Position
Te Matau a Maui 0600 25'30S 150'24W
Hine Moana 0600 25'30S 150'28W
Uto Ni Yalo 0600 25'25S 150'24W
Marumaru Atua 0600 25'38S 150'38W

New day
The day began for me with a tavake, the red tailed bird that can fly backwards, dancing around the half moon in the pale blue sky of early morning.

A few moments later the water beside the vaka burst with a whoosh as a humpback surfaced for air ten metres away, almost immediately another appeared right beside close enough to jump on to. for the next ten minutes four or five whales cruised along with us at six or seven knots before finally dropping from sight and presumably continuing their easterly course. It was a magnificent start to the day and although the winds have been very light for the afternoon and evening we are nearing our goal.
Current position at 1800 on 2/5:
South 25deg 44.0 West 151deg29.9 heading 080 (ENE-ish) at 4-5 knots
Everyone is looking forward to land and the talk ranges from fresh greens and roast pork to sand between the toes and a cold beer. Strangely no one has voiced the desire for more corned beef.
Look forward to seeing everyone already on Raivavae when we arrive and hope everyone else is well and happy and enjoying a varied diet.
Dunc

Day 15 030510
Daily run: 130M
We have the rising sun on starboard bow and are pointing just below Raivavae. The wind has dropped right off to 10kn from a WNW direction. After turning east we had a couple of more squalls. The last one was of course the worst with again horizontal rain and severe gusts.
A few miles south of Te Matau Marumaru Atua estimated 50kn gusts! When the squall had passed Marumaru she called us on the vhf to warn us. We didn't realise that we had passed through the same one.
On Te Matau, we desperately started to prepare for the next hit and were straining our eyes to locate the new squall. After a moment we sigh of relief when we understood that it was already gone. Since then the weather has been calm.

It is nice to see the crew enjoying the deck again. The deck is the living space on a vaka. The stormy weather the last weeks made it almost impossible to use for anything else than working, besides occasional moments, because it has been awash most of the time in the big seas. In contrast to many other canoes, Te Matau and her sisters have the luxury of having bunks below to sleep in. When you are off watch you catch up on your sleep and try to get dry. But now we are on the deck together. Everyone is up, enjoying the sun, drying their clothes, having bucket showers, it was actually a cue to the port stern corner that we use for washing ourselves. Tahi and Liam is jamming with the guitars. The calm weather is soothing our souls.

When everyone is on deck we have a Korero about the past days and also what we can look forward to. It is good, everyone in the crew is ventilating their thoughts, some smaller issues are resolved. It is a little bit like a fog has lifted. We can sud denly see clear again, morale is high and we feel that we easily can take another week of bad weather! But we don't really want to.

Te Matau and Hine Moana are sailing close together again. Both vaka are covered in clothes, towels and wet weather gear that is hanging out to dry in the breeze. The crews are spread out on the decks basking in the sun. We have a happy moment of "vaka life".

On "Radio Vaka" last night we discovered that Uto Ni Yalo had ended up west of Marumaru, Te Matau and Hine Moana who are within a couple of miles of each other. We all got the light winds at about the same time and she hasn't been able to catch up with the rest. She is now 25M west of the fleet and is doing the same course and speed, 060T and about 5kn in the light air. We are moving slow but for the moment we have no need of going faster!

We have dinner before sunset. It is the first proper meal together for 12 days on Te Matau. It is beautiful and we don't really want it to end.

Nga Mihi

Te Matau a Matau a Maui

030510
Vaka Time Position
Te Matau a Maui 0600 26'00S 152'22W
Hine Moana 0600 26'01S 152'25W
Uto Ni Yalo 0644 25'45S 153'03W
Marumaru Atua 0600 26'02S 152'32W

May 1st, 6pm.
A week or more of strong breezes and a night of heavy rain culminated this morning with a 50 knot gust that landed without warning, rattled the rigging and then disappeared taking all wind with it.
thankfully it also took the rain and cloudy skies with it leaving us to bob around in the sunshine for a couple of hours sponging water out of the hulls and drying clothes and bodies washed in the last of the downpours.
the breeze then filled in to gentle 10 knots and we cruised thru the afternoon. The guitar came out just before a beautiful sunset and all in all things are looking good.
Current position at 1800 1/5:
South 26deg 23.6 West 153deg 37.0 heading 050deg, NE at 6-8 knots.
350 miles to go to Raivavae. Light winds for a couple of days could make it slow going but we're very close.

all the best to everyone,

Dunc

Samoa Voyaging Society crew faces mountains of waves on Day 13 of their Pacific Oceans Journey.

2010-05-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

Samoa Voyaging Society crew faces mountains of waves on Day 13 of their Pacific Oceans Journey.

Day 13 010510
Daily run: 201M
The day began smooth and we had hope that we would be able to dry out the waka (vaa). But the wind and swell pick up around eleven. Everything is wet from the last days. Wet weather gear, clothes down to the underwear and our bunks. All the hatches down into the hulls where we sleep are leaking from the locking mechanism. During the heavy weather when most of the deck was covered in foot deep water now and again, it pours down into the hatchway and occasionally, when the waka is on an angle it targets a the sleeping faces of the off watch crew. Worst is of course when we open a hatch to
climb out and start our watch, especially on the windward side. More often than not you are welcomed with a wave breaking over just when you peak out to see if the coast is clear and you start your watch by being wet and to bail out the hatch way. The air vents in the hatch ways below we use for drying wet gear and boots. Unfortunately the rough seas finds gaps in the air vents and water drips down and creat puddles in the bottom of boots. It does not bring a smile to your face by starting your watch with wet feet in the cold weather. All the waka seems to have problem with leaks in the bow. Every day we pump out three buckets of water from each sail locker in the bow. On Hine Moana they bailed out eight buckets! We haven't been able to find the leaks so far.
Humor aboard Te Matau a Maui is however drier than ever. Pranks and hilarious stories entertain us into the small hours of the night, not to mention lightening the intensity after a high pressure situation. Laughter has certainly been abundant. After a few days of eating crackers the mention of fry bread snuck into conversation. The thought lingered and this morning Mama Liz decided to make it a reality, by enlisting the assistance of the entire watch at different points; one to help find ingredients, another to help mix and another yet to fry, all whilst still managing to maintain a perfect course and a reasonable speed. We managed to make enough for the entire crew. Word got out that fry bread and porridge were hot and ready. Some of the off watch crew turned up on deck in singlet and shorts in the rough weather in fear of missing out. Mama Liz had to put on more porridge for hungry crew and served herself last. You could hear her say, 'it is good to have a happy crew!'.
All four canoes have steadily tracked north fairly close together. 20-25kn ENE gives us a good push but the sea in very confused with a two meter chop from the east and south swell we inevitably drift to the west. But for now we have decided that we can loose a little ground to the west for gaining north. The canoes are doing 8-9kn and more in the gusts. It is a very bumpy ride with most of the canoe airborne some of the time. Not good for the sleep but good for the milage and we are keen to get north to getmore favorable winds. Raivavae is only 425M away. But almost right in the direction of the wind!
Nga Mihi
Te Matau a Maui
010510 Time Postion
Te Matau a Maui 0600 28'56S 153'20W
Hine Moana 0600 28'54S 153'18W
Uto Ni Yalo 0600 28'54S 152'35W
Marumaru Atua 0600 28'57S 152'12W

Friday, April 30, 2010 7:16 PM
News from the South for Samoa Voyaging Society’s crew.
Last week I spoke of rolling waves and wind and rain and yada yada yada
blah blah blah blah. This week we have actually learned what rolling
waves and wind and rain are. We've pretty much been battered, beaten up and smashed by mother nature for the past week. We've been through her washing machine, and so far we haven't seen much of a gentle cycle.
As I sit in our tiny galley writing this, the occasional splash of water coming over the roof and into this not-so-waterproof space I hear our Skipper, Marc, explaining to one of our watch captains, John, to expect the occasional squall for the next 24hrs. Hooray! More fun. "It might be a bit hard during the night" was one of the latest comments overheard on the VHF radio between the boats we're with. Again- Hooray! While the next 24hrs might not be full of sunshine and lollipops, I'm sure they will not compare to some of the fun we had 3 or 4 days ago. For pretty much all of our crew (except our captain), the seas experienced during this week were the largest we'd been in. It's quite impressive (and occasionally quite unnerving) to see the giant mountains of water some of these weather systems can generate. To see the blue rise up high above the person your talking to, and to feel your boat slowly climbing the face of this water is quite something. It's reassuring to realize how well our boat (which at times begins to feel like not much more than a raft) can handle them. With a couple of repairs amongst the fleet, some minor bailing and our deck developing a rather unsettling slide between the two hulls, all va'as remain floating and moving (slowly at times) towards Raivave and Tahiti. Ok... so it sucks to be wet for a week, it sucks to be pounded and slammed around for a week (I have bruises in places which have never been bruised before), and it sucks to not be able to have a fresh water shower for a week (or more). All that being said, I certainly wouldn't change this experience for the world.
Our crews spirits remain high, and pretty much every time we're unexpectedly doused by some surprise slap of water, you hear laughter rather than cries. All in, everyone is still getting along well, and having a pretty good time too.
On another note, did you know that over 100,000 albatross's are killed each year by fishing boats? The only reason I mention this is as I have a confession to make as last week we made this 100,001 Albatross killed. Hungrily this beautiful bird went for one of our fishing lures. We tried our best to save it, but had no luck. This isn't the real confession though, the real confession is that we made Albatross stew.
Perhaps this is one of those things I am supposed to take to my grave, but I just had to let it out. The worst part- it was kind of good. If a chicken and a cow were to have a baby it may taste like Albatross. We voted on what to do with the bird, and figured in the end that it would be best to eat it. I'm sure we crossed a whole bunch of lines by eating this beautiful bird, but- what our ancestors would have done?
All of that being said, we're all still well (if not a little soggy) out here on the sea. Still learning heaps, with much more on our horizon.
Picturing warm Tahiti (in our hopefully not to distant future), sand
between our toes and sun on our face makes everything all right!
Brynne gives you a perfect picture. “it is a very very very hard sailing i'm impressed by my brothers and sisters on the va'a, they doing rely good. i want to get out of this storm but there is no stop button... according to the weather forecast we still have to handle it for at list 48 hrs. All the best from
Hine moana crew

3:10pm

2010-04-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Day 11 290410
Daily run: 150M
A nice sight met us in the morning. It is less wind and swells. Slightly
to the north of Te Matau we can make out Hine Moana, Uto Ni Yalo and
Marumaru Atua in one line. We rendezvoused during the evening after being
scattered by the gale force winds. All the vaka took a pounding in the
high winds and the mountainous breaking swell. Hine Moana got some issues
with her kiatos and wanted to slow down to reduce the stress on the hulls.
Yesterday morning Te Matau slowed right down to meet up with her. Hine
Moana came charging from the south in good speed and spray around the bow
and passed close to our stern. We could see happy smiles on the crew.
Hine's problem is not serious but she needs to be cautious. Marumaru and
Uto had met up during the night before and were waiting for us 26M north.
While Te Matau and Hine made their way down wind towards them they looked
after their canoes and repaired some of the damage the previous day had
caused. We are lucky enough to have some excellent support vessels
following the vaka. They are here to assist if the vaka run into trouble.
To have them close when the bad weather hits is very comforting. This
morning after the 0600 morning vaka FM, as some calls our morning round up
of positions on the vhf, we shook out the reefs and speeded up to 10kn
under full sails. Now all four vaka are flying along in a very bumpy ride
only a few miles apart. Beautiful sight! I have to hold on to the
computer so it doesn't fall of the little chart table in the whare. Ups, a
big wave crashed over and almost through me over the table! So please excuse some spelling errors! Nga Mihi

Te Matau a Maui

290410 Time Postion
Te Matau a Maui 0600 34'26S 154'19W
Hine Moana 0600 34'24S 154'18W
Uto Ni Yalo 0600 34'24S 154'18W
Marumaru Atua 0600 34'25S 154'20W

2010-04-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

Va’a Hinemoana: day eight of Pacific Voyage
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 12:10

Talofa all, we are doing well here the sailing routine is coming slowly.
We may bring back some sailors at home... our international crew is coming along very well and we are learning from each other more and more every day.

We are catching a lot of fish. 15 minutes fishing for 10 to 20 kg of tuna... our Pacific ocean is still full of life
We met a huge group of dolphins this morning with the sun rising in front of us.

So far we are very lucky with the weather our average daily mileage is about 150... in the last five days we did a third of the southern latitude, trip and a quarter of the total trip to Rivave.

A mere 19 days have passed since leaving our tiny tropical island, and yet the multitude and variation of experiences our team of 9 have had are more than most of us experience in a year.

Our time in New Zealand was full of preparing both our boat and crew for the voyage that lay ahead. From the huge quantity of food to purchase (perhaps 500 kilograms in total) to the ton of water stored under our bunks it was a logistics problem to even just load our va’a. Van load upon van load, and check list after check list ensuring that the va’a “Hine Moana” with her crew of 15 (9 from Samoa, 5 from Vanuatu and 1 from Tonga) would have everything needed for up to one month.

We’ve now been at sea for a week (and haven’t forgotten too many things). Miles of ocean have flowed passed our hulls, and land has not been seen for days. We’ve had remarkably lucky weather for our passage so far, and were very fortunate young and

experience crew that the first few days were smooth sailing.

Not all days have been sunshine however. We’ve had a couple windy and rainy nights and days which have put both our sailing skills and sweaters to the test.
In the wee hours of this morning, after a few slightly stressful hours, our crew was greeted by a pod of dolphins swimming by.

Perhaps 100 in all crossed our path; a sight which more than makes up for any stress, cold weather or rainy days. Multiple Albatross have gracefully swooped in our skies, and one small land bird even made some of the trek with us (unfortunately this bird died sometime last night on the Fijian Va’a).
Everyday we’ve been fortunate to feast of freshly caught tuna (now if only we could catch a chicken out here somewhere, or some bananas). With varying sailing experience and skills amongst the crew, we have much to learn.

We are learning that everyday activities like bathing, chopping onions and even getting dressed are made much more difficult with rolling waves and wind and rain. We are learning that it’s not always easy to wake up at 1 am for your next shift only to head out into the rolling waves and wind and rain. We are learning that this journey will not always be easy.
We are, however, learning to better function as a team and as a family.
We are learning to sail. We are learning! and in this process we will learn more about ourselves.

It is the sunrises and the sunsets, the Dolphins and the birds, the laughter and the growing sense of communion between our crew that remind us why we’ve all come. Our Skipper Marc asked us all a fundamental question the other day “Why did we decide to Sail?”. It is a question. While every response is sure to be different, I am sure our response to this pivotal question at the beginning of this project, our answer today, and our answer after arriving safely home to Samoan shores will be (like us) sure to change. Sincerely Hine Moana crew.

Web Link for Daily Position Updates:

2010-04-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.voyaging.co.ck/

Hinemoana's Day 8 on her Pacific Voyage

2010-04-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Following is the latest Report from the Vaa Hinemoana, where 9 of the crew members are Sailors from Samoa.

Talofa all,
We are doing well here the sailing routine is coming slowly.
We may bring back some sailors at home... our international crew is coming along very well and we learning from each other more and more every day.
We are catching a lot of fish 15 minutes fishing for 10 to 20 kg of tuna... our pacific ocean is still full of life
We met a huge group of dolphins this morning with the sun rising in front of us.
So far we are very lucky with the weather our average daily millage is
about 150... in the last 5 days we did a third of the southern latitude
trip and a quarter of the total trip to Rivave.

A mere 19 days have passed since leaving our tiny tropical island, and yet the multitude and variation of experiences our team of 9 have had are more than most of us experience in a year.
Our time in New Zealand was full of preparing both our boat and crew for the voyage that lay ahead. From the huge quantity of food to purchase (perhaps 500 kilograms in total) to the ton of water stored under our bunks it was a logistics problem to even just load our va'a. Van load upon van load, and check list after check list ensuring that the va'a "Hine Moana" with her crew of 15 (9 from Samoa, 5 from Vanuatu and 1 from Tonga) would have everything needed for up to one month.
We've now been at sea for a week (and haven't forgotten too many things). Miles of ocean have flowed passed our hulls, and land has not been seen for days. We've had remarkably lucky weather for our passage so far, and were very fortunate young and experience crew that the first few days were smooth sailing. Not all days have been
sunshine however. We've had a couple windy and rainy nights and days
which have put both our sailing skills and sweaters to the test.
In the wee hours of this morning, after a few slightly stressful hours,
our crew was greeted by a pod of dolphins swimming by. Perhaps 100 in all crossed our path; a sight which more than makes up for any stress, cold weather or rainy days. Multiple Albatross have gracefully swooped in our skies, and one small land bird even made some of the trek with us (unfortunately this bird died sometime last night on the Fijian Va'a). Everyday we've been fortunate to feast of freshly caught tuna (now if only we could catch a chicken out here somewhere, or some bananas). With varying sailing experience and skills amongst the crew, we have much to learn. We are learning that everyday activities like bathing, chopping onions and even getting dressed are made much more difficult with rolling waves and wind and rain. We are learning that it's not always easy to wake up at 1 am for your next shift only to head out into the rolling waves and wind and rain. We are learning that this journey will not always be easy.
We are, however, learning to better function as a team and as a family.
We are learning to sail. We are learning! and in this process we will
learn more about ourselves.
It is the sunrises and the sunsets, the Dolphins and the birds, the
laughter and the growing sense of communion between our crew that remind us why we've all come. Our Skipper Marc asked us all a fundamental question the other day "Why did we decide to Sail?". It is a question. While every response is sure to be different, I am sure our response to this pivotal question at the beginning of this project, our answer today, and our answer after arriving safely home to Samoan shores will be (like us) sure to change. Sincerely Hine Moana crew.
Day 8 260410
Daily run: 176M
The wind is here now. At noon yesterday Te Matau and Hine Moana got
overtaken by a southerly front. Like a grey wall it came thundering onto us with 25-30kn SSE winds and rain. A dramatic wind shift from the light W winds in split seconds. We quickly reduced sails and called Marumaru Atua and Uto Ni Yalo who were 10M north to warn them of what was coming their way. The two groups of vaka are still sailing parallel to each other about 10M apart. In the strong SSE winds we can't keep our due east course but are slipping slowly to the north. The morning had been very nice with sun and lighter winds. Many of us on Te Matau had taken the opportunity to do our laundry which still hadn't dried when the first squall hit. Now the bunks where we sleep are full of wet clothes that won't dry for days. This weather is good training for the crews. Not too much wind and the sails
are still easy to manage. The forecast shows that we might get up to gale force winds in the next days. The conditions now already make life hard on the vaka. Nothing is dry and everything upside down. Even typing this is a challenge. Sitting squeezed into the whare in the morning light, Mama Liz, Murray and Ema trying to make an omelette; Murray and Ema steadying the pans and Mama Liz stirring. Even the simplest task becomes a mission. Now it is important to get the crew together, encourage everyone and work as one team. We are only just halfway to Raivavae. Nga Mihi Te Matau a Maui
260410 Time (UTC -11) Postion
Te Matau a Maui 0600 36'20S 162'44W
Hine Moana 0600 36'22S 162'46W
Uto Ni Yalo 0600 36'08S 162'47W
Marumaru Atua 0600 36'08S 162'42W

The crew about to depart Auckland!

2010-04-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

2010-04-16T00:57:00.000-07:00

The countdown if officially on, and we're off in two nights-waahhhooooooooo!!!

They last couple of days have flown by as we continue to prepare the boat and crew for the upcoming voyage. We've had fascinating discussions on navigation, and the route we'll be taking from this land mass to some little green dot out in the pacific. It will be inspiring to work with (and learn from!) the navigators going with the crew from the cook islands and the Tahitian navigator travelling with the NZ crew.

We'll primarily be relying on the stars and the sea to tell us where are va'a lies, and the direction we must take. It will be a great excersize (and for some of us a great stretch) to tell the time by our bodies clock and the position of the stars (including the sun), and to measure our speed by the time it takes a bubble to travel from one point on the boat to the next.

Must jet now... there is so much more to say, but the time is getting late, and there is much to do. Check out the link below for a little more info

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3560420/Traditional-vaka-to-make-Pacific-journey/
http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2010/04/the-pacific%E2%80%99s-challenge/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10636979

Manuia Le po

2010-04-12T23:07:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that only one week ago we were enjoying breakfast out at Sinalei, sweating in the sun, and swimming in the pristine turquoise waters of Samoa. While it's not nearly as warm, and the waters aren't even a fraction as blue as home, it has been great to be here amongst many of our brothers and sisters from around the South Pacific

Miraculously, all of the Samoan team managed to make it (in one piece even) to the Auckland airport where we were greeted by our Skipper. After a few laughs, and a couple of hugs from various other family members that had come to meet some at the airport, we were off to a little holiday park in Takapuna, our new home for the next week or so.

Not used to these cold temperatures (you can even see your breath at night), we loaded up with all of the blankets we could, and bundled up (thanks for the Jackets Joe!!!).

We stopped at the grocery store to pick up some breakfast items, and for many this was their first trip to one of those giant, huge, ridiculous, open all the time- supermarkets. Not quite like our little Samoa, and the selection here can be overwhelming at times.

After dining on fish and chip takeaway, we snuggled into our little caravans for our first nights sleep away from home.

Wednesday morning (April 7th), we headed to Salthouse Boat builders to launch the beautiful va'a "Hine Moana". As our boat "gaualofa" is still in Samoa this newly launched boat will be the craft that takes us around the South Pacific. It was fantastic to be at the place that crafted and created the 7 va'a (boats) dedicated to this project.

With a moving Maori ceremony and blessing, the Hine Moana finally touched the water, and good news- it floats! With large solar panels driving electric motors and wind at the sails, Hine Moana is completely free from reliance on fossil fuels to drive her through the water- how fantastic!

The Samoan crew of nine will be joined by five members from Vanuatu and one from Tonga. While these are the three main countries represented, when you look at the number of passports on board, one realizes that our crew is truly a united nations boat. Hopefully we'll see flags flown from all ten countries represented on board- Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, France, Ecuador, Canada and Tokelau.

A regatta was held on Sunday, April 11th, and it really was a treat to see all four va'a from NZ, Fiji, the Cook Islands and the Hine Moana, sailing with traditional sails around Auckland Harbour. While the wind made for a relatively slow sail (we ended up having to motor), it was awesome to pull up onto Mission Bay beach. The beach was packed with onlookers waiting for the airshow as well, so we had quite the audience.

We had better wind for our sail back to Bayswater Marina, and our hard day was made complete with a Kava ceremony put on by the Fijians, and a BBQ... mmmmmmm.

The rest of our time here has been full of preparing the boat for her voyage. With pots and pans to buy, decks to paint and safety equipment to mount, the list of things to prepare just keeps growing. With all hands on deck however, this list will be complete in no time.

2010-04-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

2010-04-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

2010-03-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

Fesoasoani le Vaafaila o le Gaualofa, a le Aiga Folau o Samoa, I galuega a le SPREP.

O le mataituina o faafitauli o loo afaina ai ‘amu ma aau I le atu Fagaloa.
O se galuega faaauau lea o loo feagai ai nei ma le faalapotoptoga e gafa ma le vaaia o le Siosiomaga o le Pasefika, le SPREP I Vailima.
Pei ona faatautauia ai se isi siaki I le faaiuga o le vaiaso ua tuana’I, lea ua faaaoga ai nei le vaafaila o le Gaualofa, a le faalapotopotoga o le Aiga Folau o Samoa.
E tausaga atoa lava lea ua galulue faatasi ai le SPREP ma le Matagaluega o Faiga Faiva, ma le Malo o Samoa e mata’itu le faafitauli o feagai ai nei ma le gataifale o le afioaga o Fagaloa.
O le poloketi lenei, o loo tilotilo ai I aafiaga o le gataifale mai le vai I Afulilo lea o loo faaola ai le afi vai mo le eletise.
O le vai lea o lo o masaa atu I le aloalo poo le gataifale o FAgaloa, ma o loo faatupeina e le faletupe o Asia lenei poloketi.
Na afua ona faia suesuega tulituliloa nei a le SPREP I ‘amu ma a’au o lenei gataifale, ina ua faasea le tele o aiga I lea vai aai I aafiaga o le gataifale ua leai ni figota ma taumafa sa masani ona latou maua ona o le afi eletise o faaoga ai le vai o loo I totonu o le nuu. O le masina o Me 2009, sa amata ai su’esu’ega a le SPREP.
Na taua e le sui o le SPREP , Caroline Vieux, lea e gafa ma le pulega o amu ma aau, sa latou suesue’a uma lava amu o lo o ola ai I le aloalo lenei e oo lava I le ituaiga o I’a o ola ai, talu mai Iulai 2009. ma sa amata mai ai lava ona alu a latou suesuega ta’i tolu masina e faitau le aofa’I o amu fou o loo tutupu a’e
Na taua foi e Caroline, “o loo manino lava le faafitauli o feagai nei ma Fagaloa, I le pepe o amu ona o mea o loo to’a ane iai, lea ua vaai foi latou iai I taimi e faia ai a latou suesuega.
O le mafuaaga tonu o lenei faafitauli e le’o iloa lava e oo mai I le taimi nei, ona e iai nisi itu faalenatura, pei o afa, o le suiga I le malulu o le suavai, ae o aafiaga foi mai tagata pei o le tafega o le suavai mai Afulilo lea o loo vili ai le afi vai eletise ma faaalu agai I le sami, lea e ao foi ona faia iai se fuafuaga.
O le suesuega lata mai nei lea na faia ai I le vaiaso talu ai, o le masina o Mati 2010 I le faiga paaga ma le Aiga Folau o Samoa, ma le Vaka Gaualofa.
O isi suesuega ua tuana’I sa faaaoga ai se tama’I vaa, sa toso ese taavale I Fagaloa. Ona o le taumamao o FAgaloa, sa masani ai lava ona lua aso e faia ai lenei galuega.
O le fesoasoani a le Vaka Gaualofa pei ona ta’ua e Caroline, ua faigofie ai foi I le au suesue ona faatino lenei galuega I le aso e tasi.
Talu ai, le faigata tele o auala e faataunuu ai ia ituaiga o suesuega, ua maitauina ai, o le faaaogaina o le vaafaila e folau atu I le atu Fagaloa, e le gata ose tasi lea o auala ua molimauina le faigofie ae ua sili atu lea mo le siosiomaga.
Na saunoa foi le pulega o galuega tau I le siosiomaga o amu ma aau, a le SPREP, o se tasi foi lea o auala e faaali atu ai le lagolago a le SPREP I le Aiga Folau o Samoa, ae ose avanoa foi mo le mamalu o le atu Fagaloa e maimoaina ai le Vaka Gaualofa.
E toafitu le auvaa sa fesoaoani tele I le folauga I lea aso mo le ogasami tonu na faatino ai suesuega a le aufaigaluega a le SPREP.
Ua tuufaatasia ai nei se lipoti o ia suesuega uma talu mai le masina o Me 2009, mo le agai I luma o fuafuaga I le faafitauli pei ona molimauina.

2010-03-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Vaa Gaualofa assists Coral Survey team
Vaa Gaualofa has helped ensure smooth sailing of the coral survey undertaken in Fagaloa Bay, Samoa.
Since May last year, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has worked with the Ministry of Fisheries of the Government of Samoa to carry out a year long coral reef monitoring project at Fagaloa Bay.
The project is to assess the impact of the fresh water discharge into the Bay and is funded by the Asian Development Bank in response to complaints from residents in the area who allege that coral health and marine resources have been declining due to a power plant in the area.
“We did an extensive survey to assess the live coral cover and the fish population in Fagaloa Bay in July 2009 and since then, we have been doing more targeted surveys every 3 months to count the baby corals,“ said Caroline Vieux, SPREP’s Coral Reef Management Officer.
“There’s clearly a problem of coral dying in Fagaloa Bay due to sedimentation in which we experience when we carry out the monitoring but the exact causes for it are still under examination as both natural factors such as cyclones and high water temperature as well as the human factors such as the freshwater discharge from the power plant have to be considered”.
The most recent surveying carried out in March worked in partnership with the Samoa Voyaging Society and Vaa Gaualofa.
Past surveys have included a car towing a dinghy, due to the geographical situation of Fagaloa Bay; this would normally take two full days of work. Vaka Gaualofa has helped the survey team overcome complicated logistics enabling the survey to take place over a period of one day
“The logistics of reaching Fagaloa Bay to carry out the survey are quite difficult, however with Vaka Gaualofa we have been able to work much more effectively and in a more eco-friendly way as we sailed to Fagaloa,” said Vieux.
“This has also been a positive way to support the Samoa Voyaging Society and an opportunity for the residents of the Fagaloa Bay area to see Vaka Gaualofa.”
A crew of seven helped sail the team to the survey area for which three SPREP staff carried out the coral reef monitoring.
Recommendations are currently being prepared in a report based upon the findings of the different surveys which began in May last year.