Woh Woh Woh – Where have you been Lily!?

Wow, sorry guys. I kinda went AWOL there didn’t I?

But guess what? I have SO much to tell you!

When I left you last, oh so many months ago, I was in the Mediterranean, working on a 70ft classic sailing yacht. Remember the one?

Right. So, Marc and I are still working on the same boat, but a lot has happened in the meantime! For starters, we bought a boat together !!!!!!!! Yes, we bought a boat together. That’s sort of like marriage isn’t it? It felt just as serious and stressful and fun and heart-racing as marriage anyway.

Ladies and Gentlemen… Introducing… our new darling lady… the one and only…

Sailing Vessel PROJECTION – a Stevens 47:

Wow, right? Are you thinking what I’m thinking? (**NB: I’m thinking: DAMN, that’s a big boat!!**)

Yes, we bought a big boat. She’s 47 ft long! That may come as a surprise to those of you that know me as the “smaller is better” “go small go now” “who needs a fridge anyway” philosophical sailor… but there is rhyme to our reason, don’t you worry.

Here’s the thing. It’s not just our boat. It’s your boat too!

The story is, we’re launching our very own business. It’s called Projection Travel and it’s officially a company so you can go ahead and put PTY LTD at the end of that 😉 We will be offering sailing and cycling charters throughout the Pacific, starting in January 2016. Think gourmet food, kayak expeditions, tropical bike tours, turquoise anchorages, yoga mornings etc, etc…        So, can I get a HELL YEAH?

More info on all that exciting stuff will come over the next few weeks as we get our website launched – watch this space for an opportunity to join us for some sailing and cycling adventures!

But by now you might be thinking… what about baby Portal?

Yes, baby Portal.

My first love… my beautiful, darling Portal. This little lady will always hold a very special place in my heart. She taught me so much of everything. And she made it easy. Portal was a wonderful First Boat, and our journeys together… all the way from the smog of LA, through the clear waters of the Pacific, and into the tidal belly of the Brisbane River… will never be forgotten! 

What? Portal’s GONE!?

Yes, ’tis true. Well, she’s “moved on” let’s say. She has found herself an abundantly suitable new caretaker, who I trust will love and care for her twice as well as I did. She will mosey her way along the Northern NSW coasts, and be grateful to have the wind in her sails once more.

… So that’s about it for the BIG NEWS items. A summary, for those of you that skip to the bottom:

• I left my job in the Med for a 3 month crazy-head-spinning trip to Australia, where I scrubbed my lovely boat Portal within an inch of her life and sold her to a delightful man named John.
• Marc then came to snatch me back. It was a joyful reunion after 2 months too long!
• Then, we signed some big documents with scribbles at the bottom to say we just bought a NEW boat – Projection.
• We are now back at work in the Med. But only for a few months – in September we jump ship, and start the real project – Projection Travel: Sailing and Cycling Adventures.

Stay tuned for more 🙂

 

YOU

The end of a grand adventure is always a special time. Time to take a moment to reflect on the history of the journey, the work, the heartache, the joys, the tears. To remember when it was just a dream in the pipeline, to remember how it came to be reality. It seems a lifetime ago that I was here in Brisbane, dreaming of a boat I had only seen in pictures, and convincing Charlie to help me take her home. Now, two years later, here we are again, in the river-city of Australia amongst friends and family.

In the meantime, we have learnt how to be plumbers, electricians, riggers, mechanics, sailors, navigators, captains… and we didn’t get here on our own. So many people have made this dream a possibility, and it’s you we want to thank. Yes, YOU. For your support, for your funding, for your wisdom and lessons and encouragement. We could never have grown into the people we are today without you. Thank you for helping us achieve this gargantuan goal, and for sticking with us when we really had very little idea or experience. Thank you!

Our Support Team:

First and foremost, is of course, our parents. Mum (Susan Bothmann), Peter Franks, Dad (Keith Barlow), Mom (Pam Alsum), Dad (Charley Brigham). Wow. You guys threw money and love at us when all we had were dreams, and your trust gave us wings. Thanks for taking the time to visit and for helping us achieve so much in that short 9months! Thank you, from the deepest depths of our hearts, for believing in us, and supporting yet another crazy endeavor that kept getting crazier. We’ll stop now for a while, I promise.

Family has always been our rock, and our sisters have always been there to lean on. You guys reminded us what a special adventure this one was, and to keep on truckin’. Thanks! Ella Barlow, Carolyn Barlow, Suzie Norman and Johanna O’Tigham. You ladies rule! Special thanks to Carolyn for making the effort to join in Tonga, and for all the fun we had sailing home to Vila!

There’s one person that single-handedly put Portal in our hands. If not for Mr John Reid, we would probably still be two ragged hitch-hikers, wondering which rope to pull and what the hell a GRIB file was. From the planting of a dream four years ago, to the weather-routing-rescue mid-Pacific, John has never failed to encourage, educate and support us on this mission. He stood firmly as a pillar of support for us newbie sailors, and literally talked us through every step of the way. I would never have even considered this a possibility, if not for his firm encouragement. Thank you for helping me become the sailor and skipper I am!

Our crew deserves a top-of-the-list thanks – Barbara Graf and Lydia Witter. Thank you for putting all your trust in us, for never asking too much, and for always giving your all to this amazing adventure! Thank goodness we had your help!

And to their families: George, Laurie, Werner and Gabriella. For trusting us to sail away with their children, for always lending support, and for taking on the burden of worry so we could have an amazing adventure! Thank you!

There are two people that didn’t just make this trip special, they made it unforgettable. For their friendship, love, support and constant help and hospitality, we could never thank Jess and Duncan of Alliance enough. From the life-saving tows when we were in trouble, to the countless late nights of giggles and good food – we will always be grateful. We love you guys so much!

A big all-round thanks to all the friends and family back home (both in the US and Australia), who sent us words of encouragement and for believing in us. Thanks for keeping in touch, for reading the blog, and for following us on the Tracker. We loved having you along for the journey!

In chronological order:

Jerry Purcell: Our broker in LA, for his rule-bending early on, and the push to get us OUT!

Robert Brown: Our first friend in LA! Thanks for all the buckets of wise advice and never doubting we were going to make this happen.

Mariners Bay Marina: We really owe them thanks, though I doubt they know it! For turning a blind eye to our “sneak-a-board” lifestyle, and having such relaxed marina rules that meant we could use the dock for projects!

Arturo the rigger and Ken of Maritime Communications: For being one of the few voices of reason in California! Honest and knowledgeable advice was hard to come by, so thank you both for being the exception!

Downtown LA Bicycles – Rod and his family: From the beginning you helped make this happen! Thank you for giving Charlie a comfortable and enjoyable work environment, and for always taking such an interest in our journey. Your gifts and support made our life so much easier and safer!

Huckleberry Cafe – For being a fun place to work with great pay and conditions. Thank you for dealing with my frequent stress-migraines and supporting me on this project!

The Ship’s Store – RIP. The last of the Marina Del Rey small business marine shops – you will be missed!

Max and Stefan: We owe you two doggers! Thanks for letting us use your address, and for receiving dozens of bizarre packages of all shapes and sizes – it was a major help!

A big thanks go to Michelle and Ryan, Kevin, Nicole and Wendy, Augustine, Cyprus, Cathy, Jon, Giovani, Travis, Robin and Kevin, Doug and all the other friends that kept us sane while we worked unhealthy hours, pouring everything into this. Thank you for breaking the monotony and cheering us up just when we needed it!

We want to thank the rightful owners and inhabitants of all countries and lands we travelled to – thank you for allowing us to visit your home by sailboat, for letting us eat your fruit and catch your fish. We respect and admire your welcoming attitude and open hearts. Thank you.

Thank you to Laurence, Kai and family of Lilikoi Garden Cafe in Moorea – you guys made our Moorea experience unforgettable, and we just loved meeting your beautiful family. You helped us get through tough bike-theft times, do laundry, and always had a safe haven for us to crawl to! Thanks for the great hikes and the good times!

Thanks to Mike of the Aquarium Cafe in Tonga, for creating such a friendly, useful space for cruisers and always making us feel welcome.

A huge thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to my Ni-Vanuatu family: Gladys, Samuel, Mothy, Mark, John, James, and Jack. You make Vanuatu HOME for me, and seeing you again was beyond amazing. Thank you for welcoming us so truly and completely, as well as our friends, Jess and Duncan. I’ll see you again soon!

A big thank you to Paul James, for all the help and support while we were in Vila!

A huge and special thanks to the Beeson family – your hospitality and help saw no limits! Thank you for really making life in Vila fun and easy, for the delicious meals, great adventures and for the sailing interest! Cam, we loved having you join us, and we are truly sorry it was such a horrendous trip! May there be another someday to make up for it!

Thanks to Mic Mcgra for opening your home to us, and giving me the pleasure (and comforts) of memory-lane!

Thank you to our family-friends Tess, Bernie and Lachlan, for the delicious old-school dinner at L’Houstalet and the wonderful welcome.

To Malcolm and Jackie from Cornwall, thanks for your help in Tanna!

A big thank you to Esteve in New Caledonia, for all the car-rides, and for making the Blue River national park so easy and fun to explore by bike.

And finally, a thank-you to all the people un-mentioned, for picking us up when hitch-hiking, for giving us help and direction when we were lost, for letting us sit in your cafe for hours using the free internet, and for generally making our lives easier as travellers and sailors. Thank you!

Pacific Cruising Community:

These are the friends that accompanied us across the ocean, and you are the ones that  made this trip something special. Every landfall was made sweeter by your company, and every bottle of Abuelo and Clos was tastier with you to share it! The camaraderie and support that we received from you often pulled us out of sticky situations, and we thank you for all your help along the way! Fair winds and following seas to you all!

Paul and Celeste of The Beguine: Thank you for all your amazing fishing advice, all the gifts (especially the incredible equator-crossing Scotch!) and for believing in the crazy youngsters with the tiny boat!

Jared and Scott of Reisender (and Pixel, their cat!): for being our very first cruising buddies, for always lending a hand where it was needed and for that last roll of duck-tape – it really came in handy!

Jess, Duncan and Jeff of Alliance – because it just doesn’t get any better than you.

Bruce, Catherine, Luka, and Don of Marionette; from delicious dinners to help with boat projects, we miss you and want to thank you for just being great sailors and great friends. Bruce, you are an inspiration to us all.

Henrick and Morton of Night Hawk; For that first ‘Hamburga’ party, and being the charming vikings that you are. We loved being next to you in port!

Toby, Simon and Louie of Warskavi; 3 vikings on a tiny boat – you won our love from the start, and we thank you for being the good friends you are and always up for some fun!

Travis and Joanne of Calico Jack; For your amazing cooking and wonderful hospitality, and for being part of this years crossing crew!

Neville of Compass Rosey; Thank you for that spare solar controller – it was a wonderful back-up!

The whole crew of Llyr; For inspiring us with your unique research-sailing vessel, and for being such a wonderfully open and friendly family!

Mark, Paul, Inaki of Sikim; Oh, you guys! We miss you and can’t wait to see you again some day – Thanks for always filling life with more laughter!

Robin and crew of FlapJack; For the regular radio help and information when entering a new place – thank you for making our lives easier!

Chris from Santa Cruz; Dude! Thanks for joining our circle for a while, and we hope to see you again!

David and family of Suvarow; Thank you for the wind-vane! And for inspiring us with your dedication and cutie-pie family!

Charles and Heather of Chilli Cat; Thank you for helping us get our bikes back in Moorea! It was great to have you as part of our travelling community.

Graham and Dianne of Maunie; For the hospitality and great laughs – and for loving our cat so much!

Beth-Anne and Doug of Sinbad; Thank you for the ‘golden egg’ theory, and for being so open and humble – your boat & tour was the best of the trip!

Tray, Amy and Ryan of Blue Moon; Thanks for the help in Raietea, and for good meals and good chats!

John of Ocean Jewel; Thank you for that great Brisbane chart and the brand-new boat hook! What a life saver!

Karen, Andreas, Esra and Angie of Happy; It was so great to meet you guys! Thanks for the great bonfires and good times!

Rona of Hello World; Thanks for being so bad-ass and inspiring me to single-hand someday! We hope to see you again…

Phil, Connolly and Travis of Sea Monkey; Thanks for the water that night… and for the fun and hijinks that followed, it was great meeting you!

John and Nia of Zeitgeist; Our new friends! Thanks for being cool and inspiring us with… everything!

Harry and Dagmar of Moyo; Thanks for the offered refuge in Tanna, for the fish and the friendship!

Peter and Vanessa of Akimbo; Thank you for the great hospitality, all the wealth of information, the delicious food and all the fun we had in Noumea!

Peter, Peter and Jess of Quest of Signet; Thanks for being there when we were going crazy, and for going crazy too! We loved the bonfires and late nights with you guys.

Mike and Jules of Sirius; Thank you for keeping our spirits up when the weather wasn’t cooperating – for the fun board games and great nights together.

Mathew and Karen of Gallanego; It was great meeting you both, thanks for the all the fun!

Tom of Earl of Tasmania; Thanks for being such a crazy dude, for having an even smaller/older engine than us, and for really cheering us on!

And Finally:

A last-but-certainly-not least final Thank You, to the most valuable crew ever to sail the south-pacific. Mr Gramps, Auto-helm 2000, despite the ups and downs, became our friend, mentor and right-hand-man. Thanks for getting us here Gramps! We did it together!

 

 

 

 

 

Portal’s Pacific Complete!

                      

At 165 million square kilometers in area, the Pacific Ocean covers about 46% of the Earth’s water surface and about one-third of its total surface area, making it larger than all of the Earth’s land area combined.

Translation: Crossing the Pacific Ocean on a 30ft sailing boat, often going no faster than a brisk walk, takes a really, really long time. It’s big. Really big. Big enough to contain thousands of paradisaical islands, a whole bunch of curious whales, dozens of delicious Dorado, miles and miles of treacherous waves, kilometers of tranquil still seas, squalls, thunderstorms, pelting rain, rainbows, turtles, sunshine, parades of fast moving ships, communities of slow moving sailors, black people, white people, weavers and carvers and builders, and a whole bunch more of COMPLETE UNKNOWN.

But, all crests are conquerable, and after 9 months of sailing, Portal has made it to Australia. We are tired, dirty and hungry, but we’re here!

                             

Tanna and The Mighty Yasur

“Never go to windward!!” Jess of Alliance had warned us, several weeks earlier about the perils of moving the boat into the wind. But with the island of Tanna and it’s unmissable live volcano lying south of Port Vila, we had little choice. Besides, the wind was light and from the East, how bad could it be?

Our new friend Cam would be joining us on this leg, continuing on until Noumea. We were excited to have him aboard, and spent a lovely calm evening aboard Portal in Havannah Harbor before setting off the next morning. What followed was easily this trip’s worst passage. 50nm became two days of constant slamming, beating and grinding as we tried to aim for the west coast of Tanna. Getting swept off the shore by West setting currents, a fierce SE wind and decently sized swells, Portal bravely pushed on. Our tiller-pilot broken, our engine over-heating and our batteries too low for comfort, the trip seemed to drag on endlessly. Unable to point up at all, we followed the coast south, getting soaked and tired through squall after squall. A new plan was set for the East coast anchorage at Lenakel, and finally, on the third morning, we were 5nm away.

Then the wind died. Typical. With our engine out of action, Charlie and I started getting creative. We rigged our 8ft oars up on either side of Portal and tried to make way in the now calm but rolly seas. Surprisingly, this didn’t really work. Our exhausted bodies ached for rest, and the now chaotic cabin cried out for a clean. At last, after 2 hours, a squall came through with winds from the NE and we were able to coast into the somewhat protected anchorage at Lenakel.

This exciting adventure was about all the sailing Cam could handle, so he jumped a flight back to Vila the next morning. We tried to convince him it wasn’t usually so bad, but with a deadline to get back for, the verdict was made. He treated us to an absolutely divine meal at The Tanna Lodge – a haven for three weary sailors.

With Cam gone and our friends Alliance over on the other side of the island, we began our mission to join them at the Volcano. What began as a hitchhiking journey through the heart of Tanna, became a 5 hour hiking escapade, often taking us in circles; but with the mighty Yasur booming close by, we were in good company and thoroughly enjoyed the adventure. By nightfall we were reunited with our good friends, and recounting our horrendous sail over tea and cookies. We slept a sweet slumber in their spare cabin, ready to take on Yasur the following day.

This live, spitting volcano is best seen at night, and in it’s current Category 3 state (there are only 4), we were treated to a seriously awe-inspiring event. I won’t even try to describe what it’s like to stand precariously on the edge of a lava filled crater that’s shooting red-hot boulders high into the sky… suffice it to say that I’ll never appreciate fireworks again.

Lap Lap and The Family Bond

Lap Lap, a delicious, traditional Ni-Vanuatu meal is more than just coconut milk and banana leaves. As the vines that bind the leaves together, so too does the dish bind families. Commonly eaten during festivities or special occasions, lap-lap consists of yam, taro or manioc, mixed with pressed coconut cream and a selected meat, often sausage or chicken. Ingredients are layered over softened Banana leaves, then closed and bound for a slow bake under pre-heated rocks. It is a long process, and therefore one that involves the whole family community. It’s as much about the journey as the destination, though the taste alone seems worth it.

As a celebration of our time in Vanuatu, and the re-uniting of families, Gladys and Samuel hosted us for a mouth-watering feast and full day of love, friendship and family. We want to thank them so much for such a wonderful bonding experience. Making lap-lap is not only a reminder of my childhood, but also a continuation of my connection to this country and these people.

Here’s the process in photos:

(nb: do not continue on an empty stomach)

 

                

  

                

    

                

Re-united with Friends at Last!

Jess and Duncan, of Alliance, finally sailed into town, and then the fun really started! We gave them a warm welcome of cappucinos and pastries, along with an assortment of Vanuatu tourist info! We are so glad they are back in our lives!

Our friends Cam and Ros took us around the island again (in a car this time) and we had lots of fun being silly and getting massages from their son Oscar:

 

We even treated ourselves to a paid adventure – Horse riding! Charlie and Duncan had never ridden, so we made it a priority. It was loads of fun, and most of the horses were well behaved. Charlie’s “Rocky” didn’t like to be told what to do – but no matter, Charlie was loving it!:

We went camping on the small block of land my Mum still owns. (We love our homes, but it’s nice to stop the moving occasionally). And built an awesome mosquito free palace!: 

We took hikes, and went to checkout my old favourite water fall… unfortunately it’s been taken over by a huge oily water pump, and the ambiance wasn’t quite the same…:

And at the end of the day – there’s always Happy Hour and the good-ol’ Water Front Bar and Grill:

 

 

Keepin’ it Sticky

What have we been doing!? Not writing blog posts, that’s obvious. Actually, despite barely moving the boat, we’ve been quite busy! After umming and ahing about moving further north or not, we decided to focus our time here on Efate, Vanuatu’s main island, and enjoy ‘staying put’ for a while. Actually, ‘staying put’ is the name of a good anchoring guide, and it’s not exactly accurate to say that’s what we’ve been doing. The holding in Port Vila is terrible, and we’ve re-anchored a handful of times, hoping to finally get her to dig in. Not to worry though, dragging into other boats (almost!) is what keeps cruising exciting, right?

Here’s an easier way to get you up to date:

We took the bikes on a cycling adventure, around the island (140km), which including the longest, steepest hill we’ve ever encountered… (yes, including the alps and the rocky mountains!) and a lovely evening camping OFF the boat. It was a hot sticky ride, and tons of fun:

  

Occasionally we even moved the boat, with our new friends Cam and Ros. It was a bit of a blustery day, and somehow we didn’t catch ANY fish, but fun was had, and Cam got to show us his sailing prowess:

We wanted to bug bomb the boat before getting to Australia, so we loaded up the dinghy, covered the cockpit, chucked pixel in for an adventure, and set off rowing for two hours:

 

By the way, on our return, she made a final leap from the dinghy to the mother-ship – quite a substantial bound!

We had a lovely dinner with laplap up at my ni-vanuatu family’s property – Gladys, Samuel, Mothy and Mark really treated us to a feast:

Pixel still loves lettuce, and Luckey is looking better than ever, after a full repaint, fibreglass repair, and new gunnel rope bumper:

At Home in Vanuatu

In a faraway land, surrounded by volcanoes, palm trees and water-life, a child was born. The year was 1987, and her world was an isolated series of islands, their location barely known to the rest of Earth, and each one ripe for exploration. As the years went by, her family, both white and black, would snorkel amongst starfish, fish from trees dangling over lagoons, and sometimes… go sailing. A little boat, full in the belly and with a witch painted at the bow, “Magic Moon”, would carry this little girl, safely in her mothers arms, out to the horizon. The first time she drifted away from land, out, out, out, into the bay and slowly out to sea, was on-board this magic carpet, and as the people, then the trees, then the buildings grew smaller and smaller, her mind was imprinted forever.

Twenty Six years later, an even smaller little boat left the Kingdom of Tonga, bound for Vanuatu. This one was named “Portal” and had traveled across many miles and many nations to finally begin this important journey. On board was the little girl (not so little anymore), her co-captain Charlie (not little at all), her beloved big sister Carolyn, and their cat Pixel (she at least, was quite small).

The day they all set out, began with flat seas, calm winds and pleasant sailing. The forecast looked good for their 10day push past Fiji and onto Vanuatu. But perhaps that never really matters – A first day sail is still a first day sail, and that usually means bad weather. Sure enough, by afternoon it was blowing 35knots from the South and little Portal and her crew were being thrown about. Carolyn, freezing even in her rain-gear, lay sprawled out in the cockpit, vomiting periodically over the side. Charlie stayed down below, clutching a bucket. Pixel snuggled tightly into her corner and tried to forget where she was. Our youngest sailor tried to make food and keep morale up, but mostly that meant making bruises and keeping things right-side up. Into the night they went on, all very thankful for the trusty self-steering gear “Gramps” who kept the small ship on course. By morning the worst was over, and the seas again were calming down.

The journey was to be a tough one though – no sooner had they settled down, that our roaming crew were back to work: Old Gramps, Mr Grumpy, Auto-Helm 2000, had decided enough was enough – he had conked out. Could this be it, could he really be dead? Charlie, the vessels smartest engineer, spent hours trying to breath life back into the old robot, while the others took the helm, but to no avail. Just when they thought it fixed, he would beep erratically and sway wildly off course. It was no use, Gramps was dead. R.I.P.

Even with a crew of Three, hand-steering the rest of the way was a dismal prospect. Thankfully, most of the hard work had already been done on an ingenious self-steering mechanism for Portal, called “Sheet-to-Tiller”. With just a few ropes, some blocks and some bungee chord, our little ship would steer herself!

Well, as with most ingenious ideas, this one took a LOT of finessing, and was never quite perfect. Hourly, her crew would re-adjust this and tweak that, zig-zagging their way towards their destination. Then, for three days the wind played a mean trick, blowing straight out of the SW, forcing our heroes to live at a 45 degree angle as they close-hauled their way forward.

Finally though, after a long Ten days, smelly, salty and exhausted, the crew spotted land.

And imagine what joy was felt, when the little girl aboard Portal, drifted into the bay, closer to the people, the trees, the buildings, closer and closer to her old home: that dream-land full of islands and volcanoes. Imagine her heart beating as she raised the national flag, sister by her side, from her little ship brought from so far away… her national flag, the flag of Vanuatu.

Hand in hand, the two sisters explored their old home. Charlie, now the camera-man, followed close behind. Into their old houses, past familiar streets, cafes and markets, along well-known beaches and into previously explored lagoons. Into the arms of old friends, old family, not seen for years but as familiar as if it were yesterday. They filled their bellies with food they had long dreamed of, and nourished they souls with memories of days gone by.

One day, as they were walking along the water front, our little-girl-sailor stopped dead in her tracks. Tears began to flow as she stood transfixed at the sight in front of her. There, just two meters away and plump as ever, lay her first ever magic-carpet: “Magic Moon”.

Charlie drinking his first Kava and climbing a Paw Paw tree:

Portal Anchored at home at last: 

Mmmm, Pawpaw from Mum’s land:

L’Houstalet, a Vanuatu institution, with delicious pizzas:  

Exploring our old homes; Lily in the ‘Pink House’:                 Carolyn’s friend Tony Tasavi, chief of Njuna Island:

A trip to Erakor Island, an old childhood hangout:

  Bumping into an old friend, Georgie:

Gladys, my surrogate mother:

A swim at Hideaway, another old hangout, and where my parents were married. It’s also home to the only Underwater Post Office!

A tour of Dad’s old Soap Factory, and old friends, all grown up!

Sunset on the waterfront with dorky family:

Vanuatu family and friends onboard Portal:  

Two Weeks In Tonga

Crossing the International Date Line had me stumped. I knew we would lose a day, on our trip from French Polynesia to Tonga, and thought I had it all figured out. We’d arrive on Friday the 17^th, check in and begin preparations for our 3-day anniversary (19th-21^st). So when we found the customs dock deserted and lonely, I was quite confused to discover it was actually Saturday the 17^th. I’d skipped the DATE but not the day of the week, oops.

Quarantined on Portal until clearance on Monday, we took the opportunity to clean up after a long passage. I re-organised the galley, Charlie re-organised the fishing tackle box.

I scrubbed the hull and topsides, getting so cold Charlie had to revive me with tea and a warm blanket. Our anti-foul bottom paint has held up for almost two years now, and I’ve been very impressed, but finally it’s wearing out and cleaning has to happen more often.

The new week began with all the standard check-in procedures, and despite the low-tide and very high-dock, Portal got away unscathed. Business taken care of, we quickly assembled our bikes and began our real anniversary celebrations. First, a big breakfast at the Aquarium Cafe, a lovely spot with a wide open deck and friendly staff.

Then, off we went around the island on our trusty steeds. We didn’t stray too far – most roads were washed-out tracks, but we saw lots of beautiful vistas, cute pigs, teaming mandarin trees and smiling locals.

For dinner we had a huge feast planned – a three course meal! Cheese and hors d’oeuvres to begin, two big steaks prepared on our barbeque served with roasted veggies and macaroons and ice cream for desert.

The following morning we were still recovering from our gorging, so packed a light lunch and set off on our rowing expedition. Despite the light drizzle, we had a wonderful day in ‘Luck-key’, exploring distant bays and beaches, even spotting a huge whale!

Carolyn, my sister, was joining us in Tonga for the sail to Vanuatu, so we biked our hearts out through the rain to meet her at the airport that afternoon. The flight was delayed, but eventually we were re-united and the endless chit-chat began. Soon our old-friends Jess and Duncan (of Alliance) sailed into town too, and many more nights were spent as one big happy family, eating and drinking around campfires on the beach.

Vava’u, the group of islands in the north of Tonga where most boats pass through, is truly a sailors paradise. Little islands scattered around, all close enough to each other to protect from the winds and swell, means hundreds of perfect anchorages and flat seas to sail through. Alliance and Portal ‘raced’ each other from spot to spot, taking photos as the other cruised by.

Amazing sunsets, deep and colourful caves, coral gardens… it all had to come to an end eventually, and after almost two weeks in Tonga, Portal set sail for Vanuatu. The next landfall would be a much anticipated one, and who better to arrive with, than my darling sister Carolyn, Vanuatu local for 30years?

               

     

The Dangerous Middle

Aside from the endless paradise-perfect anchorages and our reluctance to leave our friends on Alliance behind, there was another reason it took us so long to leave French Polynesia.

“The dangerous middle” is the stretch of ocean between Tahiti and Tonga. As an omen to seafarers, it is so called because of it’s notoriously shifty winds, weather squash zones, and desperate lack of protection. A spattering of islands that’ll have you hitting the google maps “zoom-in” feature 10 times over are the only hope of a layover, and even then the sailor must keep a constant weather eye on the horizon, lest the wind shift and drag their beloved home onto the unforgiving reefs.

Each island, most of which form the Cook Islands, has it’s unique feature: “Aitutaki” with it’s unnervingly narrow channel and a depth of only 6ft; “Palmerston” with it’s strange history of inbred English/Polynesian families; “Suvarov” with it’s hermit hall of fame; and Niue, a tiny independent country affectionately referred to as “The Rock”. While all have their varying degrees of charm, none were warming my heart as a safe-haven if the seas turned sour. I scrupulously checked the forecasts for weeks in advance, methodically cross-referencing sources and searching for a pattern.

Finally, a week-long weather window opened up, my migraines in temporary remission, and Portal was ready to go. This trip, 1500nm to Tonga would be the first long passage with just Charlie, Pixel and I. We were excited and nervous for what lay ahead. Our less-than-trusty “Gramps” the tiller-pilot could steer for us, and if he failed, we would have to resort to our still-untrialled “sheet-to-tiller” system, in which the boat steers herself.

Leaving the dock at Raitea

There was a brisk breeze forward of our beam as we left Raietea’s comfortingly protected lagoon, and Portal bounced along boisterously. We set our sights for Aitutaki, about four days away, knowing our Cape Dory’s shallow draft could enter the channel if the weather permitted. On the 2^nd day, we caught a mahi-mahi for dinner, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, enjoying the calm seas and now broad-reaching wind.

Even before the small atoll came into view, we knew we wouldn’t stop. Leaving seems to require so much planning and preparation – now that we were on our way, we wanted to maintain our momentum. So we waved as we flew by Aitutaki at our now standard 5kt average, hardening ourselves for another 5days sail onto Niue. And it was a rolly, frisky 5 days. Big swells built and crashed into the cockpit, but miraculously “Gramps” held our course while Charlie and I enjoyed the view from below, dry and warm in our cosy cabin. A half day of calm gave us some respite, and I furiously cleaned and aired our pocket-sized home. Sailors, myself included, often complain of light-airs and flapping sails, but they are as necessary as the trusty trade-winds, if only to let the swell ease and our bodies to settle.

Niue, and it’s obvious ‘rock’ landscape came into view on our 9^th day at sea. Tempting as it was to rest, wash and relax on this apparently lovely little country isle, in true Moitessier style we carried on – like sailors gone mad, destined to the sea forever. Actually, they were far less romantic ideals that twisted our fate – the clearing in and out charges would severely dent our dwindling budget, our 2^nd year anniverairy was just days away, and my sister Carolyn’s flight-arrival in Tonga was fast approaching. All this meant we’d forgo the hot showers, cheap fish-n-chips and beautiful caverns of Niue, but then you can’t do it all, can you? Later we would learn our friends Jess and Duncan were just hours ahead of us, moored by ‘The Rock’ and watching us sail by, willing us to enter…

Our last two days at sea were as rough as the first 9, and late one night, on Charlie’s watch, things took a dramatic turn… Gramps died. I was woken in a hurry, and blearily hand-steered in the cold, while Charlie ummed and ahhed down below – flashlight, duct tape and screw driver in hand. I was reassuring myself we only had 2 days left, that 3hrs on 3hrs off really wasn’t so bad… when Charlie announced he’d fixed our ancient autohelm. Now I know Charlie’s as good a cobble-it-together engineer as the best of them, but I hadn’t expected a bit of duct-tape to work! It did, and after just one hour I was soundly back to sleep. Little did we know, until weeks later, that we were only delaying the inevitable…

Our journey ended the way it began, close reaching, sails hauled in tight and Portal flying past gorgeous tropical islands. Soon, the stillness was overwhelming, our little boat at rest once more. We’d made it to Vava’u, Tonga, a true cruisers paradise.