WR leaves Tonga

As we worked our way S through the Hapai Group our last stop there was at Kalafesia. The anchorage was small - about ten boats, and we all had a potluck on the beach. One of the boats there was Tandem, a Tayana 48, from Wash. D C. We had met the couple aboard in Bora Bora and we chatted with them again at the potluck. We left the next day for Nuku'alofa while Tandem planned to come later. At about this time Bob McDavitt, the NZ weather guru announced that now is the time to head for NZ. As we entered Nuku there was a veritable parade of boats headed out and S. We couldn't join them since we had to wait several days for Paul, our new crew member, to join us. We also had to take on provisions, water, and fuel and to go through the check out process with the authorities.

So one day we wake up to terrific winds - 40 kts, and WR is flailing away at anchor. Late that afternoon we hear Nuku radio broadcast that an EPIRB has been activated, that it belongs to Tandem, and they are about 25 miles to the N. Next we hear an Orion aircraft of the NZ Air Force conducting the search. A British sailboat, Sunouk, with 3 men aboard, set out from Nuku to go to the aid of Tandem. We heard the conversations between the Orion and Sunouk as well as their words to Tandem on VHF 16. Sunouk went out in appalling conditions: they were heeled to 45d under no sails, had winds up to 50 kts, and encountered 10 meter waves. Tandem had been dismasted and some rigging was caught in their prop so they couldn't motor. They were towed in to Nuku the next day by Sunouk. Tonga had no boat available suitable for the job. The last we heard everyone was well and the folks on Tandem are looking for a way to ship her to NZ for repair.

After dealing with all our chores and against this backdrop and without any blessing from a weather guru Paul and I raised anchor at noon Nov. 2 and headed S for NZ, 1100 miles away. Susan remained behind to fly to Auckland on Nov. 5. For the first two days we were on a close reach with winds to 24 kts, rough seas, and spray raking the boat and slamming into the dodger. Below it sounded like we were sailing over boulders. The third day the winds decreased and the sailing was quite pleasant. Today, the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth days we have been motoring in seas that undulate like the surface of a waterbed under 3 kt winds. Last night we crossed from the W hemisphere to the E and we are now at 27d 30'S, so we are about halfway there. We have been advised of possible strong weather ahead, but we might welcome that to having to motor. We are looking forward to arriving in NZ.

Kit (and Susan)

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