tracyd1227

Sailing Tonga to New Zealand

Thursday and Friday, October 16^th to 17^th

These were our transition days as Cindy prepared to depart for Auckland and my crew started to arrive for the passage from Tonga to New Zealand.

The first to arrive was my cousin Tim whom I had just recently reconnected with back in Mexico. Tim and I had not talked for a few decades. No reason except time, distance, and simple failure to stay in touch. The years seemed to just melt away but there is a lot of lost time in between. A mistake we don’t intend to repeat!

My next crew member, Peter, arrived on the 17^th. Cindy left in the morning and Peter arrived in the late afternoon. Peter happened to arrive in the middle of a 3 hour parade as part of events supporting the Tonga national rugby league team. The team is associated with the phrase Mate Ma’a Tonga (English: Die for Tonga). The team was in Nuku’alofa for 3 days with a lot of celebrations. The Tongan’s are very enthusiastic about their rugby!

Here are a couple examples of Tongans demonstrating their support for their team.

The parade ran down the main thoroughfare in Nuku’alofa but because it was so long, it was periodically interrupted for traffic to get through. It was during one of these interruptions that Peter arrived at the dock from the airport.

Peter arriving during the parade for the Toga national rugby league team

Saturday and Sunday, October 18^th to October 19^th

Peter, Tim, and I spent the next few days doing some sightseeing as well as provisioning the boat and planning for the passage from Tonga to New Zealand. Here’s a few pictures of our time in Tonga waiting for our departure window.

Me, Tim, and Peter, at a popular coffee shop.

Tim and Peter with Simon and Robin from Kallisti. We’re waiting for our water taxi to take us back to Big Mama Yacht Club.

Quid Sea at anchor off Big Mama Yacht Club

Tim and I are loading the dinghy with provisions to bring back to Quid Sea.

Beach in front of Big Mama Yacht Club. The club was severely damaged by the 2022 tsunami but they are still operating and are great hosts.

Some locals that came over to Big Mama Yacht Club for a gathering of family and friends. They’re roasting pigs on spits over the open fire. A common menu item at special Togan events.

Preparing for departure:

Sailing from Tonga to New Zealand can be a challenging passage. It’s not a trip for the faint of heart and requires some good offshore experience. The optimal weather window is October and November so we are in that window. The passage is about 1,100 nautical miles and often takes 7 to 10 days, depending on weather conditions. The trip may involve a layover of a few days in Minerva Reef to wait for a good weather window to New Zealand. Minerva reef is only 250 nautical miles from Tonga and is still in the region of consistent trade winds. Further south into the Southern Pacific, weather becomes more dominated by systems moving from Australia to New Zealand across the Tasman Sea. These systems can be less stable and often require a wait in Minerva for the systems to the south to pass.

We are planning to make the trip with Kallisti who is another sailboat we have been cruising with and have become good friends of the owners. Robin and Simon are Kiwi’s, returning home after 10+ years of cruising! We are consulting with them and a Weather Router looking for the best time to leave. A Weather Router is a professional who recommends routes and departure times based on weather forecasts and the boats performance. Weather Routers are often experienced sailors, professional meteorologists, or both.

Our Weather Router, Bruce, has told us that we can probably make the passage from Tonga to New Zealand without a stop at Minerva Reef. This would get us to New Zealand in about 7 days rather than 10 which would include a stop in Minerva. We like the 7 day window because it also aligns better with Tim’s and Peter’s flights back home. They were both willing though to change their flights if weather made it necessary. That’s one of the challenges with sailing and schedules. Sailing is very dependent on weather. There’s a saying that a sailor’s worst enemy is a schedule!

Based on Bruce’s recommendation we are planning our departure from Tonga for the afternoon of October 20^th. Our goal is to arrive in New Zealand as early as possible on Monday, October 27^th to beat a cold front that is forming west of New Zealand and expected to arrive at the north end of New Zealand early Tuesday morning bringing heavy winds. If we can’t make good time or something changes, we should plan on stopping at Minerva to wait out the frontal system.

Because we may have to stop at Minerva, we are planning to provision for at least 2 weeks at sea. There is nothing in Minerva so we need to provision for a possible stay there.

Monday, October 20^th

We spent the morning and early afternoon stowing gear and securing the boat for the passage to New Zealand. The past few days the wind had been blowing pretty strong, 20+ kts, but it was starting to reduce to more reasonable speeds, i.e. less than 20 kts. At 15:00 (3PM) we raised the anchor and set sail for New Zealand. Kallisti set sail about 1 hour after us.

Here we are leaving the anchorage in Tonga on our way to New Zealand.

We sailed through the Tongatapu Island group with the wind off our starboard quarter on a nice broad reach with just the Genoa. As we exited the island group, we raised the main but put in a 3^rd reef. The reef reduces the sail area and is important because we expected strong winds through the evening and didn’t want to be reefing the sail in the dark.

We exited the lee of the Tongatapu Island group around 18:00(6pm). Exiting the lee means we entered open ocean where the islands weren’t protecting us from winds. The winds are blowing 20 to 25kts from the ESE which is right on our port beam. This means the wind and waves are hitting the boat from the side which translates to very rough conditions and very unhappy crew.

Tuesday, October 21^st

Same conditions continued into the late afternoon, beam seas at 20-25kts. We were still sailing with the main reefed. Here are some pictures of Kallisti sailing about a mile or so away from us. Kallisti is about the same size as Quid Sea so what you see Kallisti doing is the same thing we were doing. Sometimes the waves are high enough that you can’t see the hull and sometimes it looks like you are pointed down into the sea as you slide down a wave.

Kallisti sailing about 1nm away from us. Hull barely visible above the waves.

Kallisti sailing about 1nm away from us a little later in the day. Hull still barely visible above the waves.

Kallisti sailing about 1nm away from us pointed down at the bow like she is about to submerge.

As evening approached the wind dropped below 20kts and shifted more easterly. What that means is the wind and waves are more behind us and the boat is rolling a little less. Still a very rough ride and wearing on the crew and captain.

Wednesday, October 22^nd

By morning the wind was down to 17kts and becoming more north easterly. Conditions continue to calm and crew is feeling better. We took the reef out of the main and sailed with full sails. It was a relatively good day of sailing.

Thursday, October 23^rd

Mid-morning the wind has shifted more NE and is down to 14-17kts. We are heading more southerly now as the wind has shifted. Our goal is to make more westing so as the wind shifts more north, we expect to have to gybe and go onto a starboard tack. What this means is we’ll turn more westerly and put the wind on our starboard (right) side instead of our port (left) side.

At 10:20 we crossed the International Date Line from the Western to the Eastern hemisphere!

About noon we started motor sailing to charge batteries and check for water in the fuel. Kallisti is about 6 nautical miles away and reported some water in their fuel tanks. They suspect the water came in through leaky fuel caps on deck where the fuel is put in when filling the tanks. That’s one of many things that can happen when taking waves over the boat. Since we had also been taking waves on deck, we thought it prudent to check also. Fortunately our tanks appeared to be free of water.

We shut off the motor about 17:30 (5:30pm) and sailed into the evening. We started talking about the cold front that is coming. Spirits continue to improve as wind and seas are more manageable but we know rougher weather is ahead.

Peter and Tim relaxing in the cockpit. Tim is on watch.

Peter with a smile on his face. Can’t tell if Tim is smiling.

Friday, October 24^th

A little after midnight, we gybed onto a starboard tack and starting heading more westerly as the wind had shifted more northerly. Overcast and light rain in the morning. Weather is changing as we approach a smaller frontal system. This is not the big system approaching northern New Zealand that we are worried about and trying to beat.

In the evening the winds started to shift from NNE to NW. It was a rough night trying to make more westing as we had to start sailing more into the wind on a close reach. Our goal was to make as much way west as possible before the next wind shifts to the SW. If we can’t get enough westward distance, we’d end up sailing into high winds on our final approach to New Zealand.

Saturday, October 25^th

We continued on a close reach trying to make as much westing as we could. Sailing on a close reach means sailing into the wind and waves at an angle and is usually rougher sailing conditions. The wind continued to build so we had to put a reef in the main and Genoa. About 17:00 (5pm) we started passing through the cold front which brought squalls with wind gusts and heavy rains. The wind shifted to the SSW which made it difficult to find a good sail angle that would allow us to stay on schedule and beat the big front heading for the north end of New Zealand. We decided to start the engine and motor. We motored into the wind and seas through the night which made for a very rough ride.

Sunday, October 26^th

The wind shifted more westerly by morning and we raised sails and motor sailed until about 10:30. We sailed on a more comfortable tack for most of the day and conditions were more comfortable. Here’s a glimpses of what conditions looked like.

Nice sunset on Sunday. Conditions are still pleasant.

Monday, October 27^th

About midnight the wind finally backed more to the north, coming from the NW. This allowed us to sail on a comfortable broad reach with the wind behind us. We are now sailing SSW directly for Opua, New Zealand. By 08:00 the wind was blowing about 20kts and the boat is moving at about 8kts. Great sailing conditions but we know winds will be picking up soon as we get closer to the major cold front coming around the north end of New Zealand. At this time, we decided to put a 3^rd reef in the main in anticipation of the higher winds.

Here’s a picture of the skipper checking things out, making sure we’re secure, before the big winds we expect later in the day.

Around noon the winds built to about 30kts. By 16:00 (4pm) we were in 35-40kt winds which officially are gale force winds. We clocked some gusts as high as 47kts which is 54mph. Not only were the winds high but the waves were 2-3 meters (about 6 to 10 feet). Waves that high are not necessarily bad except in this case their period was 6-8 seconds which means they are big and coming close together. We were in very rough conditions.

Rough conditions on our last day as we approach the Bay of Islands in New Zealand.

We entered the Bay of Islands about 19:00 (7pm). The wind was still blowing hard but the waves started to subside as we entered the protection of the bay. We dropped sails and started motoring to our destination, the Bay of Islands Marina in Opua. We arrived at the Q-Dock in Bay of Islands Marina at 20:45 (8:45pm). The Robin and Simon from Kallisti, who had arrived a few hours before us, were ready at the dock to help us tie up. Q-Dock is the quarantine dock where we are required to wait until we can be cleared by customs and immigration. We were relieved to have finally arrived and were able to crack a few beers with Robin and Simon. Cindy and some other boating friends cheered us on from the docks across the way but they could not be with us as we are “in quarantine”.

Tuesday, October 28^th

We woke up to a beautiful morning on the Q-Dock.

Here is Quid Sea with a beautiful rainbow welcoming us to New Zealand.

Customs and Immigration as well as a representative from Biofouling management came onboard around 10:00 to clear us. Customs and Immigration are checking for proper documentation and visas as well as declarations for items onboard. Biofouling management is making sure we are not bringing any pests or invasive species both inside the vessel and outside on the underwater part of the hull. We were cleared by all and were able to move to our slip in the marina. We tied up at our slip at 12:00 anxious to meet up with Cindy at the Airbnb where she was waiting for us. We are really looking forward to hot showers and I am really looking forward to hugging Cindy!

As we gathered later in the day on Tuesday for a get together with friends and fellow cruisers, our trip was described by many as “Epic”. Needless to say, Quid Sea’s performance was stellar, and the crew’s resilience from one day to the next made the trip one we’ll not soon forget.

Bora Bora to Tonga

Cindy’s Departure – July 17th

Cindy left on July 17th for the long voyage by air back home where I’ll be joining her after I sail Quid Sea to Tonga. My plan is to leave Bora Bora in a few days when the weather window looks good. I’ve booked a flight from Tonga back home on August 7th so I need to be in Tonga a few days before that flight.

Cindy and I waiting for the ferry that will take her to the airport in Bora Bora.

Cindy waving goodbye from the ferry on her way to the airport. I’m on my own now and preparing for my upcoming solo trip to Tonga.

Day 1 – July 19th – The solo adventure begins!

I left the Bora Bora mooring at 10:00 to start my longest solo voyage yet. It’s with mixed feelings I leave Bora Bora. Leaving a lot of good cruising friends who will be following after me by about a week. Cindy and I both would like to have stayed and explored Bora Bora more but alas, our 90-day visa for French Polynesia was expiring on July 21^st. I am looking forward to the “challenge” of a solo sail. I expect the 1300nm trip to take between 9 to 12 days.

I am a little concerned about the weather. A cold front is approaching Tonga from the south that will bring some heavy rain and high winds during the last part of my trip. I am using a weather router to provide guidance as well as talking with other cruisers that are out here near me (near meaning within a few hundred miles) and cruisers that are leaving Bora Bora after me. A few days before, the weather forecasting tool I use showed winds in excess of 40kts near the cold front. More recent forecasts though show the winds to be in the 30kt range which is more manageable. Hopefully, the forecast continues to improve. Based on weather models and input from my weather router, I started out on a more northerly heading to avoid the higher winds to the south and take advantage of the Edeerasterly trade winds more north.

I spent the morning before leaving getting the boat dialed in and ready for 9-12 days at sea by myself. I prepared a couple of meals ahead of time, made water, charged the batteries, and secured everything on deck and below deck. I also prepared the storm jib on the inner forestay and setup for a 3^rd deep reef in my mainsail should the high winds forecast later in the voyage develop.

I exited the pass from Bora Bora about 10:30, shut off the engine, and set sail! It’s a beautiful sailing day. Clear skies and following winds in the 10-15kt range. Perfect for sailing. I’m sailing almost directly downwind so I am only using the genoa. I use the Hydrovane autopilot during the day to save power on the batteries. She is doing very well holding my course.

The difference between the Hydrovane and the electronic autopilot is that the Hydrovane is purely mechanical. The Hydrovane has a wind vane and auxiliary rudder. The direction of the wind vane is adjusted until it is pointed in the direction of the apparent wind. When adjusted properly, the wind vane controls the auxiliary rudder and keeps the boat at a constant angle to the wind holding the vessel’s course unless the wind shifts. The electronic autopilot has a hydraulic ram that is connected to the main rudder and controlled by electronics. It has several modes of operation but essentially keeps the vessel on course through the electronics. The main advantage of the Hydrovane is to save on battery power. Another advantage is the auxiliary rudder that is part of the Hydrovane system can serve as an emergency backup rudder should the primary steering system fail.

Around 18:00 (6:30pm), after the sun set, I turned on the electronic autopilot and prepared to get some sleep. The Hydrovane requires some attention and occasional adjustment, especially if the wind direction changes. The electronic autopilot generally requires almost no attention once set. I feel safer sleeping with the electronic autopilot.

Sleeping when sailing solo is complicated. Where to sleep and for how long is a challenge. With more than 1 person onboard, someone can sleep comfortably while another keeps watch. When alone, you need to decide how long you can safely sleep without keeping a lookout or checking on sails and wind. The current conditions are steady 10-15kt winds, 3 to 5 foot seas, and no traffic. I have not seen another vessel since leaving Bora Bora. Even though I don’t see any other traffic and the wind and sea conditions are nice, I still decided to sleep in the cockpit my first night. I can quickly manage any adjustments to the autopilot. I also set my radar and AIS alarms to warn me of any vessels that appear.

Day 2 – July 20^th

Conditions are pretty much unchanged in the morning. Started out mainly downwind but then the wind shifted a bit, so I was able to raise the mainsail. The weather is beautiful, good Easterly trades and clear skies. Sailing with both sails and starting to relax and enjoy the experience. The first 24 hours are usually tough on a passage whether alone or with crew. The time is spent getting the boat dialed in, establishing routine, and adjusting to being at sea again.

In the afternoon, the wind dropped to about 10kts and my SOG (Speed Over Ground) dropped to 3-4kts. I turned more southerly for the night.

Sunset on my second day. Relatively calm seas and clear skies.

I’m still sleeping in the cockpit, but I’ve figured out how to make myself more comfortable with my beanbag chair, cushions, and a pillow.

A glimpse of life in the cockpit. The big blue and white bean bag helps me get comfortable.

Day 3 – July 21^st

Continued on the same southwesterly tack. The winds had picked up a bit during the previous night to 10-15kts. Making better speed today, SOG averaging 5-6kts.

Clouds starting to build and some rain way off in the distance. Still great sailing conditions.

Passed through some rain squalls later in the day. No heavy winds or lightning in the squall and Quid Sea enjoyed the freshwater washdown.

As evening settles, rain is getting closer and looking a little ominous.

Still sleeping in the cockpit. Not sure how much confidence I have to be below and sleep in the cabin.

Day 4 – July 22^nd

The wind is still consistent at 10-15kts but shifting more northerly. It started out coming from the NE but through the night shifted to the N and then the NW. I’m starting to approach the zone where the weather is changing.

Slept in the cockpit again because of the shifting winds, the autopilot needed a lot of adjusting.

Day 5 – July 23^rd

The wind dropped to about 7kts, and my speed was about 3kts. Winds are getting light and variable. At this point I started motor sailing. Motor sailing is using the engine as well as the sails to make headway. It also helps charge the batteries . While motor sailing, I was making about 6kts SOG. I motor sailed for a couple hours until sunset and then went back to just sailing. It’s quieter and more peaceful but slow in these light winds. I’m back to about 3kts SOG.

Sunset on Day 5. Relatively clear skies and calm seas. Very pleasant sailing.

Day 6 – July 24^th

Wind dropped to less than 4kts during the early morning and the water is like glass. At this point I started motor sailing again.

Wind has died and seas are flat. Clouds and rain look to be building in the distance. This is literally the calm before the storm.

Although conditions are calm, I know the strong southerly winds are coming so I decided to put the 3^rd reef in the mainsail while conditions are calm, and I have daylight. The sky is clear but there are some darker clouds on the horizon.

About 9:30PM, I was hit by the first squall. Winds picked up to about 17kts, but Quid Sea is performing solidly with the 3^rd reef in the main and the genoa fully deployed, no reef.

Wind is picking up now with more clouds developing and rain very visible in the distance.

Day 7 – July 25^th

By morning the winds are now coming from the SSE at about 20kts and waves are about 10ft. That is combined wind waves and swell. It’s also overcast skies now. Sailing now with 3^rd reef in the main and 2^nd reef in the genoa. The wind was gusting to 25kts which is why I reefed the genoa. SOG is now about 7kts. Quid Sea is doing great under these conditions. We’re heeled over about 5 degrees and rolling an additional 5-10 degrees but occasionally the waves and swell align causing us to roll 35-40 degrees. It’s getting difficult to move around a lot below deck because of these rolls. Lunch and dinner is now just sandwiches. These are the conditions that start to wear me down physically and emotionally.

Day 8 – July 26^th

Wind has built to 20-25kts and seas are now 15ft. Skies are still overcast. Quid Sea is still doing well although we are taking the occasional wave over the port side. The Hydrovane is performing great even in these rough conditions.

Day 9 – July 27^th/July 28^th

I decided to change the ships clocks to Tonga time today which is UTC+13. I am currently on French Polynesia time which is UTC-10. What that means is I will cross the international date line and change clocks one hour earlier and one day ahead. So, 09:00am on Sunday, July 27^th, changes to 08:00am on Monday, July 28^th. Confusing, right?

Winds built to over 30kts today. I trimmed the genoa more to take strain off the rigging and adjusted the heading to a wind angle that keeps the wind further abeam to reduce stress on the rigging.

The AIS alarm went off about 05:00 meaning another vessel is close. A trimaran, S/V Oceans Tribute, overtook me. She passed within about 1 mile but I never did get a visual sighting. Still, it was nice to know there was another boat out here. The only one I’ve seen since leaving Bora Bora.

About 09:30, the wind dropped back down to about 20kts and the sun came out. That really helped lift spirits. The heavier seas along with overcast skies definitely wears on a person.

Day 10– July 29^th

Winds built overnight and are ESE at about 25kts. I’m doing about 7.5kts SOG with a DTG (Distance To Go) of about 240nm. If I maintain this speed, I’ll arrive in Tonga around 18:00 tomorrow, July 30th. It’ll be just before sunset. I’d prefer to enter a new place in daylight, especially since the dock I must go to in Tonga for customs check-in is tricky. If I can get some more speed, I’ll try for arrival tomorrow.

Day 11– July 30^th

Winds are still blowing about 25kts but have shifted more Northerly and are coming from the ENE. It’s forcing me to gybe so that I am not sailing directly downwind. Gybing is changing course when the wind is from behind so that the wind direction changes from one side of the boat to the other and the boom swings from one side to the other. In heavy winds, a gybe can be dangerous if not well controlled. If the boom swings too quickly and not well controlled it can damage rigging and gear. I gybed to a starboard tack for a while. I noticed on my gybe that the viewport on the genoa was blown out. The viewport is a circular “window” in the sail about 8 inches in diameter that lets you see the telltales on the leeward side of the sail. Not sure how it blew out but now I have an 8 inch hole in the sail. I’m a little concerned a tear could start so I gybed back to a port tack and kept the sail furled enough that the view port is not exposed.

My navigation displays showing TWS (True Wind Speed) of 38.4kts on the upper display and Boat Speed of 8.4kts on the lower display.

By the afternoon the winds had built to over 30kts, gusting to 40kts. I furled the genoa completely and now I am just sailing with the mainsail, and it is still on the 3^rd reef point. I’m lucky all this wind is behind me.

Looking through the aft cockpit windows in 30-40kt winds. Conditions like this, I really appreciate the fully enclosed cockpit. I am well protected from the wind and sea spray.

As I came around to the leeward side of Vava’u Island, the wind dropped to 25kts but still gusting over 30kts. At about 19:00, I approached Faihava Passage which is the entrance to Vava’u Island. At this point the wind is blowing 25kts, it’s pouring rain, it’s dark, and I have limited visibility. On top of that, a Tsunami alert was issued for the Pacific Ocean which included Tonga. Tonga itself had not issued an alert and the bay I am heading to is well protected and really not at risk. Still, with the weather, darkness, and now a tsunami alert, I decided to stay at sea and sail around until morning to enter. Forecasts are showing the rain and winds should reduce my morning.

Day 12– July 31^st

By 07:00, the winds had dropped, the rain had cleared, and the sun was up. After a long night of sailing back and forth in 15-20kt winds and 10ft seas, it seemed like heaven as I entered Faihava Passage and came into the shelter of the island and bays. I had a very uneventful sail into Neiafu and tied up at the customs dock to clear customs. It took about an hour to clear customs. By this time the wind had picked up and Quid Sea was being pushed up against the dock. With the help of several other boaters, I got Quid Sea safely off the customs dock and picked up a moorage. By 14:15 I was comfortably moored and finally able to relax and enjoy a well-deserved cocktail!

Calmer seas and skies starting to clear as I enter Faihava Passage coming into Tonga.

I’ve cleared customs and am motoring over to the mooring field in Neiafu to moor and relax after my trip.

August 1^st to August 7^th

The next several days involved getting Quid Sea “hauled out” and put “on the hard”. This means pulling her out of the water and storing her on land while I prepare to head home to join Cindy.

Quid Sea moored over by the Vava’u Boatyard waiting to get hauled out.

I arranged to have Quid Sea hauled out at the Fava’u BoatYard. It’s one of only a few places in Tonga where this can be done. They Fava’u BoatYard has a large hydraulic lift trailer for boat haulout. Unlike travel lifts which lift the boats out by straps, this hydraulic lift trailer is placed under the boat while in the water and listed up with underwater straps and hydraulic arms and then pulled out of the water with a tractor.

Quid Sea hauled out by the hydraulic trailer in the boatyard.

Quid Sea off the trailer and secure on stands. Her resting place for the next 6 to 8 weeks.

Me standing by Quid Sea on her stands. I stayed on Quid Sea for the 4 days between haulout and my flight home.

Quid Sea is safely tucked away on land. I left for home for a 6-8 week break to visit family and friends and take care of business items. Cindy and I will return to Quid Sea and Tonga in late September.

Welcome to our Blog!

We hope you enjoy following our adventures on Quid Sea. We are new to blogging so please come back to visit as we get more experienced and have more experiences!

Tracy and Cindy