Hi from Skipper Steve
We arrived safetly,if a little tired,in Raratonga at mid afternoon yesterday, after what turned out to be a very exciting passage from Bora Bora. More on that later.
From our initial sortie onto land the Cook Islands appear just the ticket for a long stay and reprovision. Costs are back to what we consider normal prises and you do not feel as though you are subsidising the french goverment!! The locals are very friendly with customs and immigration being very easy and quick. The harbour feels and looks like a semi-derelict scottish fishing port so Kasuje feels very at home and we are moored stern to the dockside using the dinghy to get to shore. For a poorly educated boy from Jimmies end this is more my idea of paradise, great weather, cheap food and booze and for the first time since St Lucia I can make myself understood speaking English!!!
Sophie leaves us tonight for her long flight home, so we have been to the local Saturday outdoor market this morning for some new clothes and head dresses for our bumper farewell supper tonight at the local island bash and dance. Should be fun.
Now for that passage news. You would think by now that I had got the hang of this sailing lark and to never leave port without being fully prepared. Perhaps it was the general malaise from weeks of unbroken sunshine and holiday partying with the girls, but I certainly overlooked this most basic of rules and we were ill prepared for the difficult conditions
encountered.
The first day and half was simple sailing with a nice breeze on the beam and an easy motion. However we were not fully expecting the weather bomb that hit us. I had obtained a weather forecast before leaving which showed stongish winds on the nose for the back end of our passage. What I overlooked was that Meteo France forecasts give the details in GMT which is 11 hrs different than local time and only I only requested wind speeds and direction. What hit us at about 2 am on Thursday morning was 25 -30 knot winds gusting to 40 knots directly on the nose. Waves reached 5 - 8 metres with horizontal rain thunder and lightning!!! We were ill prepared, no storm sail set, no food prepared, inexperienced crew, no where to bail out. However the girls did well taking to their bunks whilst the storm prevailed, no one was seriously ill, Katy was frightened, wearing her life jacket in bed down below, but comforted by the others, and Ruby was a star, making strong black coffee, keeping the girls spirits up and generally keeping me alert. She even managed some sleep herself. Kasuje was again brilliant taking anything that was thrown at her with the storm sail and a handkerchief of main set hard to. For a few hours when the winds where at there highest we had to run with the winds back to where we had come from but apart from that and after 40 hrs at the helm I gladly made Raratonga and collapsed to bed for 13 hrs of exhausted sleep. All well now though and ready to party again and at least the girls now have a more rounded view of this sailing lark and realise that it is not quite all Regattas, beach parties, sun and siestas. I also have learnt another hard lesson, never to be complacent and to double check all
reports and information.
Thats all from us for now we will be in Raratonga at least until Wednesday then it's off to Fiji.
Hope to see you soon
Kind Regards
skipper Steve