Tonga to Opua NZ via Minerva Reef
Thursday, 20. November 2008, 13:37:56
The night before, we removed the dinghy engine and stowed it under the transom seat, then firmly secured the dinghy on its side against the transom. This should stop us from being flooded by big seas, the dinghy filling with water and minimize the danger of losing the dinghy and all the gear off the back, solar panels etc. We left Tongatapu, the southern most island of the group early on Sunday 26th October, making steady albeit slow progress through the various reefs around the island. By midday we were only a few miles off the island with no wind. I am always reluctant to motor a sail boat but we were fully loaded with diesel, especially for this trip. I intended motoring when the wind died or when we were doing less than 2 knots boat speed according to the GPS. We had over a thousand miles to go. I was loathed to start the journey under engines. I was saving the diesel for when we were racing to get to NZ to beat the regular weather fronts that occur on route. The south westerly gales on the approaches to NZ can be really viscous with winds at the 60 knot mark. We had not encountered anything like that before and did not intend to. The most we encountered was a fifty knot gust off the coast of Columbia. It resulted in a wave breaking over the transom steps and I definitely did not want more of that.
We always intended to stop at Minerva reef 250 miles away and almost on the direct route to NZ. Hearing about the clarity of the water and the lobsters that walk across the reef ready for picking, made it more than just desirable. The weather grib files that we had downloaded from the internet before we left, indicated light wind in our area but picking up later with some quite nasty 30- 40 knot stuff, just after noon in 2 days time in the vicinity of Minareva. So our target was Minerva, 2 days time well before midday. Therefore, engine on!
Running just one engine at 1500 rpm we gently made progress but 2 other boats that left after us, “Mi Querida” a 40 something foot ketch and “Astra” and big 60’ monohull over took us about sunset then disappeared into the distance making great progress under engine with no sails up. Astra was making direct for NZ and “Mike and Rita” (the only way I could remember the name) was also heading for Minerva.
We ended up sailing together all the way to NZ. We first encountered Leigh, skipper and owner when we left Tonga Vavau group and headed for the Hapai group. We invited him for some fish we had caught but he went on to another anchorage.
The wind did come through and we could finally get some decent speed up without the help of engines. The next morning while we repairing a sail batten fitting we encountered a sister cat called “Sunset Sam” also making direct for NZ. We lost sight of them a few hours later as our courses diverged slightly. Early the next morning we entered the cut in the reef in less than ideal visibility as it was cloudy and raining at times but we could make out the reef quite clearly from a few hundred meters off. Mi Querida and Mind the Gap the only 2 boats inside the reef at the time. This seemed so bizarre, anchoring in what looks like the open sea but the reef gives great shelter even in strong wind conditions. By the afternoon the wind had increased and by the evening it was gusting over 30 knots but we felt very secure in an anchorage with good holding.
Approaching reef at Minerva
In Minerva
Mi Querida next to Mind the Gap at Minerva
Leigh had invited us over for some fish, he caught something nice just as we entered the reef. We declined the invitation as our dinghy was not in the water and we just wanted to rest. Later that evening we heard 2 boats in the vicinity, on the VHF, that decided not to stop at the reef but after sailing past, Moonduster’s autopilot broke down and decided to enter the reef after all. This was difficult at night, being pitch black out there and he was on his own. We helped him through by communicating way points of the cut which he double checked to correspond with his electronic charts. He then made it safely in without incident. Next, it was Shilling of Hamble who decided to turn back after sailing 15 miles past the reef. They heard that if they continued they would encounter some bad weather when approaching NZ so decided to lay up for a day or two. The next day we were joined by a number of other yachts – Lindisfarne, Iris, Pangaea and as we were leaving the next day, Pegasus. All these boats stopped over to repair some breakages encountered in the first 250 miles to NZ.
That evening we were due for dinner onboard Mi Querida. I untied the dinghy and without the motor fitted took it for a test row around our boat to ensure we would make it over to Leigh’s.
Test row at Minerva
Although the wind was strong I seemed to manage ok. Later with two up and our supper stuff, it soon became apparent that actually, it was not ok.
Mi Querida was anchored next to us, about 100 meters away but after rowing furiously for about 5 minutes we were drifting off slightly. Then the rowlock on the one side of the dinghy broke out of its slot and we really got into trouble, soon we were about 200 meters away and our boat 50 meters away and directly upwind. We were fast approaching Shilling that was anchored behind Mind the Gap, they thought we were coming to visit them. We drifted past them despite both of us still rowing like mad. Next up was Moonduster and Pangaea. Lorna and I do not row well together at the best of times and this must have looked like something from the Laurel and Hardy era. We now each had an oar and rowed, Lorna sitting on the left and me right hand side pontoon, facing forward and each of us rowing furiously. Lorna does not row as strongly as I do and the dinghy, instead of going forward just turns towards her side and I have to start rowing backwards, losing the little bit of hard gained ground. I now understand perfectly what making the hard yards is all about. What we then decided to do was, as soon as the dinghy veered to her side, swap sides without standing on the salads or wine glasses. This wobbly boat in the wind and wavy chop did not make this maneuver easy and by the time we were rowing again and ready to swap sides were definitely heading for calamity, the cut in the reef and the open sea beyond. We would be lucky to be alive to make landfall in Australia.
But then arriving on the scene was our hero Ben, rescuer from Pangaea armed with dinghy and small outboard who got us safely but wet back to Mind the Gap. Next on the scene was Leigh in the rowing taxi who got us safely but wetter on Mi Querida. We had a great evening together. Leigh had Jan as crew for the trip but she was laid low with Dengue fever and seasickness which resulted in Leigh sailing all the way from Tonga to NZ virtually single handed.
We left Minerva about eight the next morning when we heard other friends from a cat named AHU were sailing past the reef about 16 miles away. We finally caught up to them just at sunset. We had really good sailing that day doing about 200 miles over the 24 hour period. The rest of the journey was thankfully uneventful, we did have to run the motors for about 30 hours and had a good sail into NZ over the last 20 or so. We were in VHF contact with Leigh for most of the way and also some of the others that left shortly after us from Minerva.
Approaching Opua – NZ
We arrived at the customs dock in Opua at about noon on the 4th Nov and we became TV stars. There is a TV series being made covering NZ border controls and we were interviewed and our boat filmed during the quarantine procedures. We had to hand over any fresh veggies and fruit and some other stuff not allowed into NZ. We did it gladly and were thankful for arriving safely in NZ without any damage or having suffered any stressful conditions on our journey here.
Safely anchored in Opua
We always intended to stop at Minerva reef 250 miles away and almost on the direct route to NZ. Hearing about the clarity of the water and the lobsters that walk across the reef ready for picking, made it more than just desirable. The weather grib files that we had downloaded from the internet before we left, indicated light wind in our area but picking up later with some quite nasty 30- 40 knot stuff, just after noon in 2 days time in the vicinity of Minareva. So our target was Minerva, 2 days time well before midday. Therefore, engine on!
Running just one engine at 1500 rpm we gently made progress but 2 other boats that left after us, “Mi Querida” a 40 something foot ketch and “Astra” and big 60’ monohull over took us about sunset then disappeared into the distance making great progress under engine with no sails up. Astra was making direct for NZ and “Mike and Rita” (the only way I could remember the name) was also heading for Minerva.
We ended up sailing together all the way to NZ. We first encountered Leigh, skipper and owner when we left Tonga Vavau group and headed for the Hapai group. We invited him for some fish we had caught but he went on to another anchorage.
The wind did come through and we could finally get some decent speed up without the help of engines. The next morning while we repairing a sail batten fitting we encountered a sister cat called “Sunset Sam” also making direct for NZ. We lost sight of them a few hours later as our courses diverged slightly. Early the next morning we entered the cut in the reef in less than ideal visibility as it was cloudy and raining at times but we could make out the reef quite clearly from a few hundred meters off. Mi Querida and Mind the Gap the only 2 boats inside the reef at the time. This seemed so bizarre, anchoring in what looks like the open sea but the reef gives great shelter even in strong wind conditions. By the afternoon the wind had increased and by the evening it was gusting over 30 knots but we felt very secure in an anchorage with good holding.
Approaching reef at Minerva
In Minerva
Mi Querida next to Mind the Gap at Minerva
Leigh had invited us over for some fish, he caught something nice just as we entered the reef. We declined the invitation as our dinghy was not in the water and we just wanted to rest. Later that evening we heard 2 boats in the vicinity, on the VHF, that decided not to stop at the reef but after sailing past, Moonduster’s autopilot broke down and decided to enter the reef after all. This was difficult at night, being pitch black out there and he was on his own. We helped him through by communicating way points of the cut which he double checked to correspond with his electronic charts. He then made it safely in without incident. Next, it was Shilling of Hamble who decided to turn back after sailing 15 miles past the reef. They heard that if they continued they would encounter some bad weather when approaching NZ so decided to lay up for a day or two. The next day we were joined by a number of other yachts – Lindisfarne, Iris, Pangaea and as we were leaving the next day, Pegasus. All these boats stopped over to repair some breakages encountered in the first 250 miles to NZ.
That evening we were due for dinner onboard Mi Querida. I untied the dinghy and without the motor fitted took it for a test row around our boat to ensure we would make it over to Leigh’s.
Test row at Minerva
Although the wind was strong I seemed to manage ok. Later with two up and our supper stuff, it soon became apparent that actually, it was not ok.
Mi Querida was anchored next to us, about 100 meters away but after rowing furiously for about 5 minutes we were drifting off slightly. Then the rowlock on the one side of the dinghy broke out of its slot and we really got into trouble, soon we were about 200 meters away and our boat 50 meters away and directly upwind. We were fast approaching Shilling that was anchored behind Mind the Gap, they thought we were coming to visit them. We drifted past them despite both of us still rowing like mad. Next up was Moonduster and Pangaea. Lorna and I do not row well together at the best of times and this must have looked like something from the Laurel and Hardy era. We now each had an oar and rowed, Lorna sitting on the left and me right hand side pontoon, facing forward and each of us rowing furiously. Lorna does not row as strongly as I do and the dinghy, instead of going forward just turns towards her side and I have to start rowing backwards, losing the little bit of hard gained ground. I now understand perfectly what making the hard yards is all about. What we then decided to do was, as soon as the dinghy veered to her side, swap sides without standing on the salads or wine glasses. This wobbly boat in the wind and wavy chop did not make this maneuver easy and by the time we were rowing again and ready to swap sides were definitely heading for calamity, the cut in the reef and the open sea beyond. We would be lucky to be alive to make landfall in Australia.
But then arriving on the scene was our hero Ben, rescuer from Pangaea armed with dinghy and small outboard who got us safely but wet back to Mind the Gap. Next on the scene was Leigh in the rowing taxi who got us safely but wetter on Mi Querida. We had a great evening together. Leigh had Jan as crew for the trip but she was laid low with Dengue fever and seasickness which resulted in Leigh sailing all the way from Tonga to NZ virtually single handed.
We left Minerva about eight the next morning when we heard other friends from a cat named AHU were sailing past the reef about 16 miles away. We finally caught up to them just at sunset. We had really good sailing that day doing about 200 miles over the 24 hour period. The rest of the journey was thankfully uneventful, we did have to run the motors for about 30 hours and had a good sail into NZ over the last 20 or so. We were in VHF contact with Leigh for most of the way and also some of the others that left shortly after us from Minerva.
Approaching Opua – NZ
We arrived at the customs dock in Opua at about noon on the 4th Nov and we became TV stars. There is a TV series being made covering NZ border controls and we were interviewed and our boat filmed during the quarantine procedures. We had to hand over any fresh veggies and fruit and some other stuff not allowed into NZ. We did it gladly and were thankful for arriving safely in NZ without any damage or having suffered any stressful conditions on our journey here.
Safely anchored in Opua
WIDGETIZE