Back at the helm - sailing the Yaghan to Antarctica, Patagonia and the South Pacific

by Martensson, Helene

  During the next few days at Neiafu we discovered that practically everything could be found there. There were shops, a market where you could buy fruit and vegetables, cafés, repair shops, restaurants and scuba diving and a whale watch operator. There was everything a sailor and tourist could ask for right at the heart of the Pacific. This was contrary to what we had heard. One couple we met at Bora Bora warned us about the lack of food, shops and that there were no facilities whatsoever. That was why our freezer was better stocked than normal. But this information was completely wrong. We were able to find anything we wanted. We were especially happy about coming across the Lighthouse café and bakery. It was run by an Austrian man who had come to Tonga several years ago. He married a beautiful local woman and now he had children, parents-in-law, family and a business there. He made brioches, French bread and several types of brown loaf. We had not had really dark wholemeal bread since we passed through the Kiel Canal, so it was much appreciated on board.

  Our buoy was owned by Lisa and Ben, an American couple who had come here a few years earlier. They had stayed on at Neiafu, and were still living on board their sailing boat, which was moored in the bay. They ran a café as well as a buoy and motorcycle rental service. They also fixed everything you might need, from buying wine to scuba diving and excursions. Their café, the Aquarium, became our favourite haunt. We had lunch and cappuccinos there, and later, when Lisa opened her tapas restaurant, we often had dinner there too.

  There was a lot of work to be done before the children arrived. The deck, superstructure and hull had to be cleaned and polished. Arne had to service the Westerbeke and Volvo motors. To our dismay, he discovered that coolant had leaked into the sea water system in the Westerbeke. The water had turned turquoise. After making a few telephone calls to Sweden and New Zealand we found that it was probably caused by a faulty heat exchanger. We ordered a new one from the US via Orams boat services in Auckland. Orams is where we were leaving Yaghan to be serviced before going back home for Christmas. This was July 26, and the children would be arriving on August 13. The chances – based on our so far bad experience of couriers – that the new heat exchanger would arrive before the children were virtually non-existent. There would be problems in terms of water supply. Sailing for ten days with six people on board, all used to having fresh water showers every day, without a working generator is not on. The watermaker can only be run if the generator works. Not even Arne and I can make it a whole week without fresh water. We now ran the Westerbeke very cautiously, with regular checks of the coolant level. We had to fill it up all the time.

  Monday August 6 was a big day. It was the day we would pick up the heat exchanger at Neiafu customs. We had ordered it from Orams on Friday July 27, it had been shipped from the US via Auckland, then to Nuku’alofa and from there by air to Neiafu. The parcel was to be picked up in the morning, and we had to pay a hefty fee. We were completely stunned by this quick procedure. Not even in our wildest imagination or our most positive scenario did we think it possible. But here we were with our new heat exchanger, and a few hours later it had been installed with the help of Sailing Safaris, a company run by a man who had moved to Neiafu from New Zealand.

  All successful businesses in and around Vava’u are run by foreigners – mainly people who have sailed there at some stage and stayed on. Never before had we seen small businesses as well run as they were there. It made you feel secure. If anything should break, it was likely that we would be able to get it fixed. All communications were made via VHF, both between boats and when we wanted to contact the Aquarium Café, book a tapas meal, when we needed a repairman or wanted to order bread. There is a well defined cluster of skilled, business-minded people who love Tonga and who want to stay in this feudal society at the same time as they are determined to earn money and develop their businesses.

  After all our repairs were completed we went diving for the first time on Tonga. The water temperature was only 25ºC, and the first day we were really cold in our thin suits. The dives were very beautiful. The seascape was dramatic with high mountains, corals and caves. Most fantastic of all was to hear the whales singing; it was very melodious and sounded like a mating call. The whales sang to us, and it was a wonderful experience. We could not see them, but we heard their song perhaps ten nautical miles away. The day after we went diving again, this time we felt warmer in our thick suits. In the evening we had dinner at The Dancing Rooster, which was run by a Swiss cook who specialized in lobster: lobster ravioli, lobster tail au gratin, whole grilled lobster. It seemed as if the entire archipelago was teeming with lobsters. We bought ten frozen tails and put them in the freezer on board.

  After several days working with maintenance and repairs we were ready to take Yaghan for a tour among the islands.

  Paradise Islands

  We were delighted and fascinated by the amazing archipelago. It was so beautiful with all the little islands. Some were edged by white sandy beaches, others were high and mountainous with sheer cliffs coming straight out of the sea. We saw many beautiful desert islands with swaying palms, white sand and turquoise, clear water, but no houses, no buildings at all and hardly any other boats. It felt as if we had Vava’u all to ourselves.

  We followed a large humpback whale for a few hours. It was the same size as Yaghan. The whale floated, dived, beat his tail against the surface, and then it lay floating with its head under water and the tail on the surface. We were closer than we had ever been to a whale before.

  Every year, the whales make the 3,000 nautical mile journey from Antarctica to Tonga on latitude 18 S. It is one of the best places on earth for watching these enormous mammals. The previous year we had spotted a few whales in the Abrolho Islands, off the coast of Brazil. These islands are also on latitude 18 S. The females become pregnant on Tonga, or in other locations on the same latitude, between July and October. Then they return to Antarctica. Eleven months later they come back to give birth. Most of the offspring is born between July and September. Around October, when the young have grown fat enough to cope with the long journey and cold water around Antarctica, they swim the long distance back together.

  In Tonga you can also snorkel with whales, which was something we had planned to do when our children arrived. There are fourteen licensed whale watching companies in Vava’u. We had booked a whole day with Whale Watch Vava’u.

  The first afternoon we dropped anchor in a sheltered, beautiful bay called Fangakima, or Port Maurelle, after the first European, a Spanish captain that came to Vava’u. It is one of the best anchorages in the whole archipelago. Vava’u is so small that you only need to sail ten nautical miles if the wind increases and you need to seek shelter either there or in the bay between Tapana and Pangaimotu islands further east.

  We prepared our lobster tails on our first evening at Port Maurelle. According to the Swiss cook, the best way to do it was to baste them in olive oil and salt and then put them under the grill for fifteen minutes. They did not turn out quite as good as when you boil the entire lobster. The taste was all right, but they were a bit tough. Still, the dinner, which was served in Port Maurelle, consisted of lobster tails, white wine and freshly baked bread from the Lighthouse Café.

  Before setting off the next day we cleaned out the keelson. There had been an unpleasant smell in there for the past few days. Unfortunately there was only room for me, so I had to crawl inside and scoop out all the foul-smelling water, in the end it was all mud and stones. I spent over two hours with my head in that dark, stinking space, scooping out buckets of water that Arne poured away. Then we flushed it clean and poured in one litre of disinfectant. It worked wonders, and a few hours later the nice Yaghan smell was back.

  We sailed to the amazingly beautiful Eukafa Island, loveliest of them all. We dropped anchor and went ashore in the dinghy. It was low tide when we entered the narrow passage in the reef. We moored the dinghy to a palm tree on the shore. Then we went for a walk around the island. Half way round we started to wonde
r whether we would make it all the way; the tide was on its way in. Some passages were difficult to negotiate without getting wet – should we turn round and go back? We pressed on, and in the end we made it all the way round the island. It took almost two hours. We were completely alone in this beautiful place. It was starting to get windy, so we sailed on to Ovalu Island a few nautical miles away where we could get closer to the island to find some shelter. It is hard to say which of these islands is the most beautiful, but we do not need to know and, above all, we do not need to choose between them. We were there long enough to visit both several times. Finding these tiny desert islands and having them all to ourselves was a unique experience. We lay on the white Ovalu shore with the palm trees whispering in the wind, looking for humpbacks when we were not reading or listening to music on our MP3 players. There were only the two of us, all alone on an island in the Vava’u archipelago. Exotic indeed!

  The standard of living on Tonga, in traditional terms, is definitely much lower than in French Polynesia, but on the other hand Tonga is far less exploited. In French Polynesia there was not a beach that was not part of a resort or hotel complex, and certainly no desert islands, like here in Vava’u, which consists of sixty islands, most of them uninhabited. Vava’u covers an area of eighteen lovely nautical miles from west to east and sixteen nautical miles from north to south. On average, we passed four lovely, picturesque islands for every nautical mile. It was fantastic. Also, there are more islands than boats in this area. Only about eight thousand tourists a year come to Tonga, while French Polynesia is visited by 350,000 and Fiji by 800,000. The influx of foreign currency is in direct proportion to the number of tourists. A more perfect place to sail than Tonga is hard to find. There are a few hotels, but they are simple, small-scale and not at all luxurious. The perfect way of exploring this beautiful landscape, islands and humpbacks is from a sailing boat.

  The late lunch we enjoyed in the cockpit overlooking the white Ovalu beach did not lack an element of luxury. I had made a creamy lobster omelette from the leftover lobster tails. It was the best and most extravagant omelette I had ever made. It was accompanied by a couple of leftover Hinano beers from Tahiti.

  Visit from Home

  We continued to sail around the islands for a few more days. We had made a plan for when Jonas, Oscar and Ellen arrived. We now did the same in preparation for the arrival of Hanne, Daniel, Patrik and Maria. I had managed to be away from my children for over a year. I do not know if I would have managed without keeping contact with them by e-mail. Soon, in only a few days time, I would see them again! They had a long journey ahead of them, leaving Stockholm on August 10 and landing on Neiafu on August 13 after stopping over in Bangkok, Auckland and Nuku’alofa.

  There was a great deal of activity on board before their arrival. Back on Neiafu at our usual buoy, which we booked with Lisa, I washed the curtains and went shopping for food. Because of the weather – the forecast said windy – a few of the anchorages had to be omitted from the schedule. Unfortunately, some of them were close to a couple of small resorts with restaurants, so I planned more on board meals. I placed an order for bread with the Lighthouse Café, and from Lisa I ordered Australian red wine and bottled sparkly water. I made several visits to the market for grapefruits, papaya, pineapples and melons, enough for nearly ten days of sailing. For the first time I had to keep food in the stern hatches. I stowed away the unripe fruit there in the hope that it would ripen nicely. There is no other storage space. I had enough chicken, fish and meat in the freezer, but eggs, bread, vegetables and more fruit would have to be bought the day before we set off with the children.

  The weather turned bad just before their arrival! It became windy and rainy! I was so worried about the weather that I could hardly sleep. Patrik sent us an e-mail to tell us that it was cold and windy in Stockholm and that they were looking forward to tropical heat and sun. What if they got bad weather during their entire stay! Then we heard from several residents that the Tonga domestic airline cannot be trusted. We were told about people getting stranded at Nuku’alofa airport for days before being able to catch a flight to Neiafu. The German couple in the Hallberg-Rassy who welcomed us to Tonga once expected visitors who never made it up to Neiafu. No wonder I could not sleep. On Monday August 13 we had lunch at Lisa's, and no one thought the children would arrive that day. Tomorrow, if we were lucky! Later, as was I anxiously waiting on Yaghan's afterdeck, looking towards the Aquarium Café jetty, I suddenly caught sight of Hanne who was waving cheerfully calling “Mummy”! They had arrived on time together with all their luggage. They looked surprisingly fresh and cheerful after having spent the last few days in transit. Most important of all, they were happy and looking forward to their stay.

  It was wonderful to be able to hug and hold them again! They looked so well. So, all of our children seemed to have coped with having their mother and father at sea, far from home, without any visible damage.

  In the evening we had lobster at the Dancing Rooster. We started off with a welcoming drink on board, and Arne and I unpacked a gift: tickets to the Folkoperan opera house in Stockholm. We had an early night. We were all tired, and I was looking forward to a good night's sleep. Everyone had arrived in good health. The bags were in place and the weather had stabilised. The next day would bring sunshine and a light breeze.

  Hanne and I got up early. After her morning swim we went ashore in the dinghy to visit the market. On our way we passed the nice, white church on a hill opposite the Dancing Rooster. Right by the entrance to the restaurant was a magnolia tree in bloom. We were accompanied by little brown piglets and a black rooster with a few of his hens, also out for a morning stroll. We bought tomatoes, cucumbers and squash, and on the way back we went past the Lighthouse Café to pick up the wholemeal bread we had ordered. After breakfast we set sail and left Vava’u.

  Over the next few days we showed the children our favourite places, the islands of Eukafa and Ovalu. One day we anchored off Tapana Island and visited the floating Ark art gallery on a wooden boat that is Sheri's from Oregon combined studio and home where she lives with her husband. They came sailing across the Pacific from the United States in 1981, and, like so many others, they stayed on. Sheri's favourite motifs are whales and statuesque Tonga women.

  Friday August 17 was an exciting day. We were picked up by Whale Watch Vava’u at our anchorage in Port Maurelle. Valery from France was our guide. She was to locate the whales, snorkel with us and film the whole event. She told us that there are between 350 and 700 whales around Tonga. They move at a speed of about 12 knots.

  We travelled by boat for a couple of hours among the islands before we spotted our first whale. At first sight, it was lying completely still on the surface. The boat stopped only fifty metres away from it. According to Valerie it was about twelve metres long. We were told to get ready quickly and to put on our masks and snorkels. Hanne, Daniel, Arne and I were going in first, but when Valerie told us to get in the water and swim as fast as we could towards the whale, I fell behind. When I got there I saw it disappearing like a black shadow into the depths. Those who got there quicker were lucky enough to get close. Arne said that when they stopped swimming, about ten metres away from the whale, which is as close as you should go, it was completely still. Then it dived slowly into the blue water. It would have been fantastic to watch it diving so close.

  Patrik and Maria saw most of all. Maria fell behind when they went in. Then Hanne, proud sister and I, proud mother, saw how Patrik turned round and pushed Maria in front of him so she would not miss it. It showed a little more interest and stayed longer near the surface, so Maria and Patrik were able to see and be close to the large animal for a long time.

  On the way home we stopped by the spectacular Mariner's Cove where you have to swim under water to reach a cave. Those who did it – Arne and I were not among them – said that it had not been difficult at all, only great and fantastically beautiful! The children were convinced that we would have made
it too. We were not so sure.

  The days passed quickly. We spent two days scuba diving, and, as promised, we saw several sharks. This time we dived into a cave. Right at the end of the cave two sharks swam in circles. They looked harmless.

  One night we went to a show with traditional dancing on Tapana Island's Hinakauea Beach. They use hand movements in a clever and graceful way. According to local custom we put paánga, local money, on the dancers we liked best. We ate Kingdom specialities: fish, chicken and meat in coconut milk with vegetables: yam and breadfruit wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in the ground. We all had rather different opinions about the food.

  The final evening before sailing back to Neiafu we went to Mounu and anchored offshore before we had dinner at the restaurant. It was windy, and with six people in the dinghy we got very wet. But it was a warm evening and our clothes dried quickly. It was a lovely night, and we sat at a nicely laid table, watching the sun setting like a red fireball on the horizon. The waves came rolling in over the white beach and the palm trees were swaying in the background. In front of us Yaghan was rolling in the wind with her anchor, hopefully, well lodged in the sand. We were served a nice dinner, and it was late before we got back on board in the dark. It was still so windy that it was too hard to row with all six, so we motored round the corals that were not marked on the chart. With a bit of luck we managed to avoid them, and were soon back on board Yaghan, safe but wet.