Posted by Graham Cox
Tonga is sometimes called the land where time begins, being just west of the International Date Line, and is also known as the Friendly Isles. It is a place with strong family values, strict religious observance, and huge feasts. In Neiafu, the capital of Vava’u Island, and the second-largest town in Tonga, with a population of 3,845 in 2021, pigs roam the streets like neighbourhood dogs, reflecting the refreshingly down-to-earth atmosphere wherever you go in this archipelago.
The pigs of Tonga are a bit like the apes of Gibraltar – as long as they roam freely, all will be well in the Kingdom. For yes, Tonga is still ruled by a monarchy, and always has been – this archipelago is singular in that it is the only nation in the Pacific not to have been colonised by a Western power, and that gives Tongan culture a unique aspect. Its dynasty, which goes back to the 10th century, is one of the longest reigning in the world.
Eleven of the MGR skippers have made landfall in Tonga now, and those that came ashore in Neiafu report that they are delighted with the place, from the warm welcome they have received from locals, the funky cafes, to touring the beautiful countryside; not to mention late-night kava ceremonies with the local police department!
There has not been much in the way of information coming out of Pangai, further south in the Haʻapai group, though Eric March posted some photos of SUNBEAR in the anchorage there, and various views of the place ashore. Keri Harris also made landfall in Pangai aboard ORIGAMI. He had originally intended to go to Nukuʻalofa, where he had contacts, but diverted to Pangai when he injured his back. Pangai was closer, and the approaches were straightforward. He texted this scribe a few days ago to say that his back was responding well to medication and rest.
Four of the 580s are still at sea, and one of them, QUESTION 2, campaigned by Gary Swindail, is going so slow that Gary has been given dispensation to skip the mandatory 8-day stopover in Tonga and head straight to Fiji. Poor Gary has had a rough trot right from the start, with his boat arriving too late in Antigua to leave with the rest of the fleet, then arriving in Panama just as they rest of them were crossing the Isthmus by land, meaning he had to scramble to get his boat transported, and was unable to antifoul the boat before departing for the Marquesas Islands.
Once again, he left Panama several days after the fleet, and was stuck in a windless hole north of the Galapagos Islands for days, then the bottom of the boat became a nursery for gooseneck barnacles, slowing him further. By the time he arrived in Hiva Oa, only Josh Kali was there on SKOOKUM, along with Captain Coconut. Now he is in another windless hole between Tahiti and Tonga, and rumour has it that even the Mahi Mahi in that stretch of ocean are sick of him hanging around, and have taken to nudging the back of the boat. If there is a blue hole around QUESTION 2 on Windy, it might not only signify a lack of wind, but poor Gary’s frustration. I’d be swearing too.
Mike (aka Popeye) and John Blenkinsop are now enroute to Tahiti, and are approaching the Tuamotu Archipelago, with DELJA 100 a little further ahead of Mike on DELJA 99, though they are still within VHF radio range. They have decided to skirt around the north side of the atolls, the only MGR skippers to choose this option, perhaps because they are no longer racing on this leg, and don’t feel the same pressures they might otherwise, but also because the trade winds are building, with the possibility of strong squalls while they are near the reefs. By taking a more easterly course, they can also bring the growing swells further aft for now, though this means that the wind and seas might be on the beam, at the least, for the dogleg down to Papeete.
We are not getting much in the way of information from these two, so we can only speculate and watch their progress. John mentioned in a recent post that they have not decided yet whether to go to Tonga after leaving Tahiti or take the northern route via Samoa. That is a great route if you are just cruising, with opportunities to stop over in Suwarrow or Penrhyn atolls, though he mentioned that they hoped to be in Fiji by mid-July.
Meanwhile, in Neiafu the party was slowly ramping up. Renaud Stitelmann’s arrival was shortly followed by Dan Turner and Pilar Pasanau, who wasted no time in convening in the local bar for celebratory refreshments and selfies. Then Dan Turk arrived with LITTLE BEA, reporting: ‘Customs and Immigration cleared yesterday and then headed over to a floating bar / restaurant that is owned by guess who – a Canadian couple from Winnipeg! I pulled LITTLE BEA right alongside and had a wonderful fish and chips with a few cold beers. So great to chat with them and enjoy time with Dan Turner and Pilar Pasanau.’
By this time, Renaud had departed for Pangai (having been given incorrect information by race director, Don McIntyre, that he could depart from a different port to the one he cleared into), but soon Christian Sauer arrived on ARGO, followed by that irrepressible character, Jakub Ziemkiewicz, on BIBI, who reported 3-4m swells on the beam in his last days, but who pressed on because he was determined to stay ahead of ‘steady as she goes’ Adam Waugh aboard LITTLE WREN, (who always seems to be gliding effortlessly along, with everything balanced and lots of sleep in the bank).
Jakub, with his unique turn of phrase, said that he felt like a rabbit being chased by a hunting dog! He had about 35 miles to go until turning the corner across the top of Vavau, and then about 12-14 miles to the harbor. “Wish me luck,” he said, “and I hope tonight I will have the ice cream.”
The night before, he had an issue with his topping lift, which detached itself from the end of the boom, blew forward and tangled itself around the forestay. It was a pitch-dark night with 3-4m seas, so he did not feel like trying to sort it out on BIBI’s bouncing foredeck, waiting instead until dawn, when he successfully fished it together again. He is turning into an accomplished voyager, and the way he sets up his running rigging, for instance sheeting his A3 or A5 to the end of the main boom when running wing and wing, reflects this.
Before long, this gang of good-natured rascals were the talk of the town, or so I suspect. They were certainly popular with the police department for all the right reasons.
Dan Turner reported: ‘What a cool night hanging out and drinking Kava with the Police department and community from the local town hall. Great to see Christian and Jakub arrive in Vava’u also, who along with Pilar and Dan (Turk) joined in with the hospitality. Everyone has been so friendly and inviting here that it has become one of my favourite stops of the adventure so far!
Meanwhile, Jasmine Harrison, aboard NUMBATOU, was just astern of Ertan Beskardes on TREKKA, as they steadily closed in on Vava’u, with a northerly wind easing off ahead of a SW change. As this low-pressure system approached first Fiji and then Tonga, it disrupted the usual SE trade winds. They sailed in out of the dawn, with TREKKA quietly ghosting through Faihava Passage, at the entrance to the sound leading up to Port of Refuge, the bay fronting Neiafu. He made a textbook arrival, mooring up in the town just as the sun began to stream over the high hills.
Jasmine followed a few hours later, though she was caught up in the front that was approaching and had to work harder for her entry into the welcoming embrace of Port of Refuge. Her mum reported: ‘Jasmine managed to get across the north coast of Vava’u before the wind dropped completely, however she did have a huge squall hit her in that area during the night, sending her too far south at one point, and it sucked all the wind away from her. She recovered from that and then, when coming round the island at dawn, whilst coming into the first lagoon area, was hit by another big squall. Completing the last four miles was pretty challenging but it all worked out, and arriving in the middle of the day meant clearing customs was straightforward,’ (even if a bit convoluted, frustrating and expensive, due to arriving on a weekend).
Since then, she’s been having a wonderful time. She organised what she called ‘a bit of a triathlon’, with the other entrants on the first day, involving ‘a bit of a run, a bike ride and a swim in a cave,’ followed by a tour of the island that Dan Turner arranged in the back of a utility van. There is a refreshingly casual approach to such things here, and it is common to see a large open vehicle go by with 15 or more people standing in the back. There’s no need to be alarmed though, they have a rope to hang onto.
At the time Jasmine called, on Monday 9 June, she was in company with Jakub Ziemkiewicz, Adam Waugh, Christian Sauer and Dan Turk, with BIBI, LITTLE WREN, ARGO and LITTLE BEA anchored off a cute little beach. They were all on board one of the boats (not sure which one), and about to go for a swim, so our conversation was brief (and frequently interrupted by banter). She said she was having a wonderful time in Tonga and that the food was brilliant. On her first night ashore, she enjoyed an Italian seafood pasta, and on the second night had some excellent belly pork at the Kraken Bar, the waterfront establishment that has become an MGR favourite, with a pontoon alongside which the 580 can moor up when desired. When asked about her sometimes-bumpy ride down from Tahiti, she laughed and said she had mostly forgotten about it.
Dan Turner’s call was even briefer, as he was busy with last-minute provisioning and was about to go off and clear Customs ready for his departure on Tuesday 10 June. He hopes to get into Vuda Point before the wind dies off, as it is predicted to do on Saturday 14 June, but accepts that he may have a slow few miles in his approaches to the finish of Leg 2. He is looking forward to getting to Fiji, having a bit of a break there and resetting.
Renaud Stitelmann and CAPUCINETTE departed from Pangai late morning on 9 June and had been at sea for around one and a half hours when he called. The wind was blowing around 15 knots from the SE and the boat was sailing smoothly under full main and A3, averaging 6 knots. Renaud sounded very relaxed, but mentioned that the wind is predicted to slowly swing to the NE and ease off. He hoped to get in by Friday 13 June, before the predicted calm that Windy shows developing off the south coast of Viti Levu from Saturday onward. He has to sail around the south coast and up to Vuda Point Marina on the NW side of the island, where he will cross the finish line for Leg 3.
Like all the MGR skippers, Renaud was very impressed with the open-hearted and friendly Tongans he met, and thoroughly enjoyed his time there, but was keen to get going, finish this leg and have a break in Fiji. Once the others are in, he will also be able to count the hours and see how many he has up his sleeve. What is not in doubt is that he is leading the MGR. Assuming CAPUCINETTE maintains previous form and suffers no setbacks, which seems unlikely on this short leg, especially given the light-weather forecast, Renaud is certain to win Leg 2. With two leg wins under his belt, he remains the ‘bookies favourite’ to win the MGR.
He is not carrying a lot of fresh provisions for this leg, given the restrictions of importing foodstuffs into Fiji, but had enough aboard to enjoy a few good meals and maybe bake a cake or two. He made an interesting comment about water. He was lucky to make friends with some Japanese sailors on a catamaran in Pangai, and to top up his fresh water containers from their on-board desalination unit. He has the required 100L, plus a reserve for showers and other luxuries. Other than that, there is a large government rainwater tank ashore, reliant on abundant rainfall, which you can access with permission.
Josh Kali, one of the two sailors still at sea between Tahiti and Tonga, was his usual upbeat, relaxed self when he called. SKOOKUM has about 2-3 days left until he makes landfall in Vavau, and he said it had been a very easy passage. Apart from a bit of rain, squally wind and lumpy seas getting clear of Moorea Island at the start, he has been sailing on a broad reach the whole way, with 15-knot winds, no swell to speak of, and wind-waves of no more than a metre. He had not touched the helm for more than 10 minutes total during the entire passage.
He spends a lot of time during the day lying on his bunk, avoiding the sun and relaxing, then enjoys the nights on deck under a canopy of stars, with a waxing, gibbous moon. Full moon is due on 11 June, by which time Josh will be close to his landfall. There have been no squalls so far. The only hiccup occurred 24 hours before he called, when SKOOKUM fell into a wind hole and spent 12 hours tacking north and south, making no real progress, but they are underway again now and should hold the wind until they drop anchor in Port of Refuge off Neiafu.
He has sailed most of the passage under mainsail and jib, occasionally tucking a reef in the main if the winds pick up a little, and SKOOKUM shows signs of getting squirrely, or wanting to round up. Provided the boat does not lose more that about 0.75 of a knot in speed, he prefers to reef than hand-steer. He calculated that even if he hand-steered all daylight hours, wrecking his quality of life, he’d probably only save a day off his passage time at best.
He has thoroughly mastered the windvane by now, at least when SKOOKUM is sailing under main and jib. He knows instinctively what adjustments are needed, both to sail trim and to the self-steering unit. Usually, all he has to do, every hour or two, is make a fine adjustment to the vane gear to keep SKOOKUM on course. He did try and set his spinnakers a couple of times, but the wind was so light on those occasions that he was unable to keep them full.
Nonetheless, he has averaged over 100 nm a day, and should complete the 1450 nm passage in around 14 days. Little boats are famously slippery in light winds, and the ALMA Class Globe 580 design belies its boxy appearance in that regard. It is fascinating to see, in video footage sent back to MGR headquarters by the entrants, how the 580s gurgle along when the winds are light. It reminds me of a comment by Peter Pye, a famous ocean voyager from the 1950-60s, who said that his 29ft gaff cutter, MOONRAKER, a roughly-planked, converted fishing boat, looked like a box but sailed like a witch.
As usual, Josh has been relaxing and enjoying life. There does not seem to have been one stressful moment on this passage. He has been cooking delicious dinners, including fish tacos, salmon Chow Mein, and his all-time favourite, Spaghetti Bolognaise. I don’t get the sense that he ever needs to ‘get off the boat’, but he did download some movies onto his iPad and enjoys a movie now and then, or strumming his ukulele. He says that he only knows five songs, though, and one of his tasks during the Fijian stopover will be to learn a few more! SKOOKUM does not require any urgent maintenance, so there will be plenty of time to expand his repertoire!
As Josh says, he is ‘just soaking it up.’ We had a discussion about whether having Starlink aboard, and being in more regular contact with the outside world, might affect his equilibrium. He mentioned that he is used to being out of contact during expeditions, and does not miss the connectivity that is now so much a part of 21st century life. His decision to go adventuring without such support was originally – when he was mountaineering – partially driven by a lack of funds, and still is today, but was also founded in an appreciation of, and respect for, the more traditional ways of conducting expeditions. Self-reliance was the key and retains its appeal.
He recognises that social media plays a considerable role in events like the MGR, and he compromises by having Iridium Go aboard, as well as occasionally recording video content that he can post when ashore. The sat-phone also means that he is able to text Kathy, his team manager and partner, every day, his father, Stephen, and sister, Shannon. He is also able to stay in touch with other MGR skippers, and the fleet’s WhatsApp group, which he values. We all make our compromises.
He is looking forward very much, despite being so happy on the ocean, to getting to Tonga, having worked alongside Tongan fishermen in Alaska (yes, really) and found their friendly and generous spirit delightful. He has also been hearing good things about Vava’u via sat-phone from the other entrants.
By the time next week’s report is due, the skippers will have started arriving in Fiji, and within 2-3 weeks they should all be there, apart from John and Mike Blenkinsop. It is therefore natural that these reports will shorten, then take a sabbatical until Leg 3 starts on 26 July.
Leg 2 has had its challenges, from collisions with logs in the Gulf of Panama, to getting tangled in fishing nets in the doldrums around the Galapagos Archipelago, and the logistics of a 4000 passage on a 19ft boat, but Leg 3 promises to be a doozy – from sailing through the tide-swept Torres Strait, to the boisterous Indian Ocean trade winds between Cocos-Keeling Atoll and Mauritius, followed by crossing the Agulhas current SW of Madagascar to Durban, and finally, the Everest of the MGR, rounding the Cape of Good Hope enroute to Cape Town. This event is just warming up – it is, indeed, history in the making.
