Day 25 on Niue on board FGT Tue 14 September 2010 – 3 days left on Niue Position Lat 19-03S Long 169-55W moored at Niue – Zero Cape Petrel miles to Niue. (1274m from Whangarei NZ) Still not much changing weatherwise Wind 10 to 25 knots South East. Same old same old Boat speed av 0 knots. Barometer 101 9 – that high hanging around Sails – none!! Still none. cloud cover -100%. Air temp 26C water temp 24C – overcast
Fakaalofa Atu from Oma Tafua – Greetings from To Treasure Whales Today was a designated sailing day – good idea to run up the sails prior to a voyage to see what will go right and wrong. Niue Yacht club commodore Keith organized 1 guy and 5 gals from Radio Niue to experience sailing on a typical yacht that they communicate with on a daily basis. When a boat approaches Niue they call Radio Niue on vhf channel 16 for clearance. The operator asks some questions and answers queries, then directs the crew to customs and immigration so now they know what it’s like on board. Plus they view the island from the sea. Pam came along for the ride and was a fun new sailor, and Mark Cross the palangi Niuean artist rounded out the crew. After the safety ( keep the water out of the boat and the crew out of the water and stay away from the boom) and head orientation they gathered on the foredeck out of the way of the boom. As it was blowing 20 knots we tooled off with the main reefed at #2 only going nicely at 5 to 7 knots on a reach. After ½ an hour we encountered some swells dipping the bow in and spraying the deck pretty good. The gals thought that was a lot of fun so the boat resounded with giggles and squeals which increased when the Sm put them one by one steering the boat – most not too bad. As we rounded the N-E corner of the island the wind and swell decided to give us a bit of a thrill – gusts to 30 and waves to 2 metres – more squeals from the foredeck as the Sm imagined the panic if the mast suddenly collapsed – didn’t happen – just lay the sucker over and put the decks awash when the Sm took his eye off the current driver. Sometimes it is hard to figure out which way is left or right. Enough of that – thank you – tack and zoom back into Alofi Bay – ahh yes that’s better – upright with good speed. Pop on the preventer to ensure no one got boom brained – then as it was only gusting to 25, whipped out the whopper – no actually Jib 2 and Niuean Millie hit the old 9.3knots – to whoops and shouts from the astounded crowd now trying to light up PallMalls on the foredeck. We were going too fast to see whales but the fun factor was pretty high as the drivers rotated on the wheel. Once around the NW corner the swell and wind were kind of wrong for us so the jib was rolled up and the donk called on to drive us windward nicely. Pretty soon we were parked 300 metres outsidethe Matavai resort with all sails down, engine off and all inside the cabin chowing down on sandos and muffins. Luckily the wind pushed us offshore at about 1knot – the chartplotter track giving us the mail that all was well so the Sm took the opportunity to anesthetise them by showing his 117Days at Sea video. A couple of them tended towards seasickness watching it so the FF button was pushed and we motored off to the moorings ending up with a 6 hour outing and all very pleased with themselves for surviving their first ocean voyage. To complete the Day Aquatic just at dusk a huge humpback whale surfaced 60′ from the FGT – then dived and was not seen again possibly due to a yachtie couple in a rubber duckie who were zooming right up behind the whale. Whales should never be approached form behind (or in front) as it spooks them, especially if a mother is feeding a calf. How would you be if the whale stopped and splashed his massive tail on you? Pancake city baby!! They obviously didn’t know so that greenie whale kisser the Sm handed them the guidelines for interacting with whales in Niue. That was Tuesday on the water at fabulous Niue.
Mutolu Kia from the junior sail instructor and whale kisser aboard FalconGt
website www.svfalcongt.com
Fakaalofa Atu from Oma Tafua – Greetings from To Treasure Whales Today was a designated sailing day – good idea to run up the sails prior to a voyage to see what will go right and wrong. Niue Yacht club commodore Keith organized 1 guy and 5 gals from Radio Niue to experience sailing on a typical yacht that they communicate with on a daily basis. When a boat approaches Niue they call Radio Niue on vhf channel 16 for clearance. The operator asks some questions and answers queries, then directs the crew to customs and immigration so now they know what it’s like on board. Plus they view the island from the sea. Pam came along for the ride and was a fun new sailor, and Mark Cross the palangi Niuean artist rounded out the crew. After the safety ( keep the water out of the boat and the crew out of the water and stay away from the boom) and head orientation they gathered on the foredeck out of the way of the boom. As it was blowing 20 knots we tooled off with the main reefed at #2 only going nicely at 5 to 7 knots on a reach. After ½ an hour we encountered some swells dipping the bow in and spraying the deck pretty good. The gals thought that was a lot of fun so the boat resounded with giggles and squeals which increased when the Sm put them one by one steering the boat – most not too bad. As we rounded the N-E corner of the island the wind and swell decided to give us a bit of a thrill – gusts to 30 and waves to 2 metres – more squeals from the foredeck as the Sm imagined the panic if the mast suddenly collapsed – didn’t happen – just lay the sucker over and put the decks awash when the Sm took his eye off the current driver. Sometimes it is hard to figure out which way is left or right. Enough of that – thank you – tack and zoom back into Alofi Bay – ahh yes that’s better – upright with good speed. Pop on the preventer to ensure no one got boom brained – then as it was only gusting to 25, whipped out the whopper – no actually Jib 2 and Niuean Millie hit the old 9.3knots – to whoops and shouts from the astounded crowd now trying to light up PallMalls on the foredeck. We were going too fast to see whales but the fun factor was pretty high as the drivers rotated on the wheel. Once around the NW corner the swell and wind were kind of wrong for us so the jib was rolled up and the donk called on to drive us windward nicely. Pretty soon we were parked 300 metres outsidethe Matavai resort with all sails down, engine off and all inside the cabin chowing down on sandos and muffins. Luckily the wind pushed us offshore at about 1knot – the chartplotter track giving us the mail that all was well so the Sm took the opportunity to anesthetise them by showing his 117Days at Sea video. A couple of them tended towards seasickness watching it so the FF button was pushed and we motored off to the moorings ending up with a 6 hour outing and all very pleased with themselves for surviving their first ocean voyage. To complete the Day Aquatic just at dusk a huge humpback whale surfaced 60′ from the FGT – then dived and was not seen again possibly due to a yachtie couple in a rubber duckie who were zooming right up behind the whale. Whales should never be approached form behind (or in front) as it spooks them, especially if a mother is feeding a calf. How would you be if the whale stopped and splashed his massive tail on you? Pancake city baby!! They obviously didn’t know so that greenie whale kisser the Sm handed them the guidelines for interacting with whales in Niue. That was Tuesday on the water at fabulous Niue.
Mutolu Kia from the junior sail instructor and whale kisser aboard FalconGt
website www.svfalcongt.com
