Day 14 on Niue on board FGT Friday 3 September 2010 Position Lat 19-03S Long 169-55W moored at Niue – Zero Cape Petrel miles to Niue. (1274m from Whangarei NZ) Wind 3 to 12 knots South East. Boat speed av 0 knots. Barometer 1016 going up Sails – none!! Still none. cloud cover – zero to 100%. Air temp 28C water temp 28C – doesn’t vary much
Fakaalofa Atu from Oma Tafua – Greetings from To Treasure Whales
Today we had a sad moment as Fia Fia – the founder of Oma Tafua -left for Brisbane to continue her law degree. Team Whale were at the wharf to see her off – we’ll miss you Happy. We hosted 2 guys from the 72′ Maori vaka – replicas of the catamarans that were used to travel the Pacific by the indigenous peoples which reminds me of Waitangi Day – 6 Feb in the Bay of Islands NZ where they pull out the 100 paddler Maori war canoe – that will be some show, and these guys say they’ll be there. Anywho – Thompson came from Vanuatu and Jamal from the Cook Islands – both are now familiar with collecting data on whales and loved using the wheel to steer the FGT – they use a huge paddle on the vaka. The whales had taken a vacation as we only saw a blow in the distance but no humpbacks – the Sm knows how they are clever creatures and were most likely popping up behind us and laughing at us. So we did some fueling up and the Sm – that shy fellow- tooled over to the 100 footer to pay his respects and was invited on board for a beer by the very hospitable captain Andy, wife Clare, and crew Ish and Duarte from San Miguel in the the Azores. Hey beat this he claims he doesn’t know Johnny Silveiro the ace boatbuilder who trimmed out the FGT! Some boat – owned by Dieter who is due next Friday with a film crew for marine mammal behaviour. Last film was called the Cove about Dolphins and the Japanese. Kind of yacht you draw up on a napkin and have it made exactly as envisaged – simply beautiful – Ish had put a flag with a 10′ pole right on top of the 50m mast – I asked him how he felt about that little expedition and being a 23yo NZer said ‘what expedition?’ Next thing they invited me to a bbq on shore later on allowing the Sm to do the 3s’s at the Niue Yacht Club facilities nearby. The bbq was to thank the vaka crew for doing a spot of cleaning on the Foftein and they reported that toothbrushes were the scrub brush of choice for the teak decks so tomorrow I hope they come over and clean the FGT! Another great bunch of unpretentious folk – so friendly to the SM who as the Senior Member was asked to start the food conga line. That was after a SoPac peoples ceremony of holding hands in a circle and giving thanks for the food and a wonderful life. Then we all got stuck into the food, kava, and drinks resulting in the Sm waking up Sat morning on the FGT somehow!
Cheers
Mutolu Kia from the Sm somewhere aboard FalconGt
Don’t forget – check www.svfalcongt.com – now with Photos
Fakaalofa Atu from Oma Tafua – Greetings from To Treasure Whales
Today we had a sad moment as Fia Fia – the founder of Oma Tafua -left for Brisbane to continue her law degree. Team Whale were at the wharf to see her off – we’ll miss you Happy. We hosted 2 guys from the 72′ Maori vaka – replicas of the catamarans that were used to travel the Pacific by the indigenous peoples which reminds me of Waitangi Day – 6 Feb in the Bay of Islands NZ where they pull out the 100 paddler Maori war canoe – that will be some show, and these guys say they’ll be there. Anywho – Thompson came from Vanuatu and Jamal from the Cook Islands – both are now familiar with collecting data on whales and loved using the wheel to steer the FGT – they use a huge paddle on the vaka. The whales had taken a vacation as we only saw a blow in the distance but no humpbacks – the Sm knows how they are clever creatures and were most likely popping up behind us and laughing at us. So we did some fueling up and the Sm – that shy fellow- tooled over to the 100 footer to pay his respects and was invited on board for a beer by the very hospitable captain Andy, wife Clare, and crew Ish and Duarte from San Miguel in the the Azores. Hey beat this he claims he doesn’t know Johnny Silveiro the ace boatbuilder who trimmed out the FGT! Some boat – owned by Dieter who is due next Friday with a film crew for marine mammal behaviour. Last film was called the Cove about Dolphins and the Japanese. Kind of yacht you draw up on a napkin and have it made exactly as envisaged – simply beautiful – Ish had put a flag with a 10′ pole right on top of the 50m mast – I asked him how he felt about that little expedition and being a 23yo NZer said ‘what expedition?’ Next thing they invited me to a bbq on shore later on allowing the Sm to do the 3s’s at the Niue Yacht Club facilities nearby. The bbq was to thank the vaka crew for doing a spot of cleaning on the Foftein and they reported that toothbrushes were the scrub brush of choice for the teak decks so tomorrow I hope they come over and clean the FGT! Another great bunch of unpretentious folk – so friendly to the SM who as the Senior Member was asked to start the food conga line. That was after a SoPac peoples ceremony of holding hands in a circle and giving thanks for the food and a wonderful life. Then we all got stuck into the food, kava, and drinks resulting in the Sm waking up Sat morning on the FGT somehow!
Cheers
Mutolu Kia from the Sm somewhere aboard FalconGt
Don’t forget – check www.svfalcongt.com – now with Photos
