The watermaker had failed again but this morning I
finally got it working again after spending 2 days on it. Yesterday I had a
temperature and was shivery but feel better today after taking paracetamol. We
are now at Tonga. Rarotonga was lovely. We even got a game of golf in on a 9
hole course £10 for a round inc club tee and ball hire! It made a nice break
from the boat. All the boats got together for a BarBQ on the harbour wall. We
went to the local sailing club and had a swim. After leaving Rarotonga we had a
rough passage to Niue torrential rain winds up to 35 kts and rough seas.
Unfotunately the South Pacific Conversion Zone is above us which is giving bad
weather.
We were made so welcome at Niue by the Commodore of
the local sailing club. The club has nearly more members worldwide than
residents on the island. The first night we went to Washaway Cafe a wooden shack
on the beach which only opens on Sundays. The owner cooked one of the best steak
sandwiches I have ever eaten. On his own special bread that he makes. Gordon
manned the bar while he cooked. We drank them out of red wine!
The commodore took us around the island the
following day in a minibus showing us all the sights. We stopped off at an
artist's house who we had met in the washaway cafe. He was at work on one of his
canvasses. It was a river scene. I have never seen water captured so well, it
looked like a photograph. He also had some nudes in the sea so you were looking
through the water. He is very talented.
One evening we joined their local hiking group for
a walk and ended up for a meal with them all. Another evening we had a BarBQ
with them after presentation of Leis to the skippers. I missed this as I was
helping another boat in the dark onto a mooring as their engine had
failed.
The day before we arrived an Estonian boat went
aground on the reef. A result of getting dirty fuel in Rarotonga. There was no
wind at the time and although they deployed their anchor it shelved very quickly
and it was too deep for it to work. They set off the EPIRB but as it was a
Friday the only day a plane arrives all the emergency services were at the
airport! However the locals pulled them off and the following day the commodore
dived under the boat to check it. They had to refix the rudder but otherwise was
ok.
After Niue we set sail to Tonga a 2 day sail again
in awful conditions and we have not moved off the mooring yet as the torrential
rain makes it impossible to enjoy the 40 + anchorages here.
There are many good restaurants and bars.I don't
think the residents have ever seen a group party like the world arc group do. I
stayed on board last night as I was not well but I understand the BarBQ went
well with some of our guys dancing on the stage with the local Transvestites (
they are quite common in the islands) Something to do with preserving the male
sex if attacked by other tribes!
At some point we will no doubt have to undertake a
Kava ceremony.This involves drinking a revolting tasting liquid made from the
pepper plant (piper methysticum). It is drunk down in one from a coconut shell
and when you have finished they shout maca, which means it is drained and
clap. It sounds more like a Roger thing!
All the news for now. Bob and the crew from
Andante