'Crew Available' South Pacific adventure

Encouraged to cross-post from the O/T branch:

I'm back from 3 months at sea. I have been (yacht) crewing for a while, a different way of life which might be of interest. Some background: always explaining I’m not a strong ‘hands on’ sailor, I am useful on board – don’t get scared and never bored. I can handle minor but useful tasks – grab mooring buoys, handle lines, take the wheel (especially useful in coral-strewn waters) etc. On the ‘domestic’ side, I’m an efficient cook and ‘boat keeper’, can chat in a couple of useful (in this area) languages, love to buy local food and experiment, I always do a heap of research on places en route to make the most of the places we visit. Not meant to sound like a ‘crew available’ ad …because I'm already booked for next season!

Joining a mixture of complete strangers, friends or recommendations I've done 16 voyages ranging from 4-5 days to 3-4 months, over 12,000 n.m., mostly in warm waters. Australian winter is peak cruising season in the South Pacific. Occasionally ‘jumping ship’ (once because it ‘felt wrong’ and boy oh boy was I correct there) has resulted in different kinds of unplanned shore-adventures, a win-win back-up safety option. I’m also careful and intuitive about choosing boats and skippers, sometimes I'm in touch for months before joining. When 2 voyages were cancelled (that happens quite often) the last-minute offer of joining a 37’ catamaran in the Cook Islands, heading to Niue and Tonga, time frame unspecified, ‘felt right’. Gathered some basic information, a few useful tips from TT regulars Crossie and Raro, packed lightly (the beauty of tropical sailing), grabbed a pile of menu-enhancing items and took off for....

My best voyage ever! The Skipper was a gentleman, Hawaiian by birth, killer sense of humor by nature. From about day 3 we started sending each other up and I have never laughed so much; he soon had me saying (in fluent Hawaiian) ‘Good Morning, oh My Chief’! Boat was neat and clean, all the basics (including good sun protection) and no unnecessary stuff on board so it was tidy and uncluttered, good reliable dinghy.

Skip was keen to leave the surge-prone harbor so I had a day to get over jet lag and take the bus around Rarotonga, grab a little fresh food before we left for a rough trip to Aitutaki. I assume ‘Angela, you have a lot of vinegar in your piss’ was a compliment! Aitutaki was spectacular, lagoon too large to dinghy around so we scootered and stopped and picnic-ed and felt we’d seen the place. Another rough ride to Niue, a difficulty anchorage but nicest people, even the sea snakes in the gin-clear water were friendly, plan to get back there some day.

I’d sailed for 8-9 weeks in Tonga 2 years ago so Neiafu in Vava’u was fun. Re-met interesting palangi residents and local people plus a lot of other yachties, many with ‘boat kids’ who enlivened every anchorage. We heard many fascinating tales, swapped info and BOOKS …..my fear is having nothing to read. Entertained myself by making our own pretty darned good ‘Tonga 2006 cruising guide’, although my request for colored pencils (for the charts) met with an ‘Angela, this is a sailing vessel. Not a stationery store’ reply of mock-resignation!!

The beauty of cruising as a way of life or holiday break? None of the ‘where to find a bed’ or ‘where shall I eat’ or ‘what if I miss the train/bus/plane….’ worries. The boat is means of transport/home/kitchen/hotel/ restaurant/HAVEN (with limited e.mail capability). Biggest expenses are airfares (I rarely join in my home port) and skippers are right to insist on proof you have your return fare/ticket; and paying for own food/drinks (get a clear understanding of what expenses you are expected to share in). Once onboard, you make do with what you have, there are few shops ‘out there’ - wear old clothes and save money!

Great provisioning en route and adequate refrigeration aboard so our diet was healthy – fresh soursop juice is divine, green mangoes eaten with soy/spices addictive, freshly baked bread smells comforting, home-made ever-lasting cabbage stuff disappeared rapidly, I always take recipes and a few useful ingredients along. Fresh fish (and the catching thereof) enlivened the occasional day, no luck with catching lobster although lovely locals gave us some and in spite of obtaining a traditional Tongan octopus lure called maka feke….we didn't catch any of them either.

The Vava'u Group provided easy and varied sailing, less reefs than Fijiian waters but enough to make you take care, and then there were the charter vessels, many in competent hands, a few who needed to be kept away from. Mostly mild weather, wall-to-wall turquoise waters dotted with islands, whales and turtles, snorkeling great (chillier that I’d expected). Shore excursions were always a delight, nearly always on foot (heck, many of the islands were uninhabited). We learnt to question local guides carefully, nothing worse than spending a day with a mono-syllabic taxi driver 'guide'. Moments of danger at sea were very few but they did happen, moments of splendor a daily occurrence!

On through the less-visited and low-key Ha’apai Group…… I can recommend Pangai on the island of Lifuka as an easy-to-handle destination and, given time and a strong stomach and the right time of year, it is possible to island-hop on local boats. We had lots of dinghy rides, visits to the wilder 'weather' shore of the islands and wanders with a group of kids to chat and play with. Simple foodstuffs available in Pangai, less selection from tiny stores on outer islands balanced by generous folk who insisted we take fruit and vegetables because 'it just grows there'.

We spent a week or so in Nuku’alofa (prior to riots) and although I’d been saying that I had to head home, I did the BIG JUMP to New Zealand, a highlight of the trip. Skip timed the weather window and we had a great week of motor sailing, not always going very fast but certainly not getting whacked like the group behind us. A quick look at Opua and the Bay of Islands and I flew home after 3 months of the best cruising possible; the companionship and life-long friendship formed was a priceless addition.

Now I am suffering withdrawal symptoms for life at sea, not helped by watching the start of the Sydney-Hobart Race yesterday! Luckily I am invited back for next season and will probably be 'out there' for at least six months; with no clearly stated destination, I am researching the whole of the South Pacific (Vanuatu 2007 cruising guide well under way). Bring it on!

Wow Angela, what a blast. Thank you for your tales - they have rekindled my desire to spend more time at sea like you have done. My one cruising experience was a bad one with a mongrel for a skipper trying to finance his dreams via my partner and I as paying crew to the Solomons ex Townsville some 13 years ago. How I would love to be able to experience what you have, but alas now I'm ruled by a life of work. Your tales however keep the dream alive. Thank you.

Angela, you sound like you really know how to enjoy yourself and get the most pleasure out of anything you experience, be it good or not so good. Hope to meet up with you "Out there somewhere"
Mata ne
PS My lifelong best friend's name is Angela
Explore Dream Discover

Hi Pi28
here is a quote from Sterling hayden! An actor and one time Grand banks captain of a fishing scooner, sailig the grand banks fishing

I`ve always wanted to sail the south seas, but I cant afford it ! "What these "people" cant afford is not to go! They are enmeshed in the cancerous disciplinesof "security" And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine and before we know it our lives are gone".

This aint a rehersal! its the real thing, Happy new year,

Hi Orb
Fancy meeting you here ! Excellent advice to Pi28.
You amaze me with your ability to always have a pithy quote for any circumstance.
(Love that word pithy, it's meaning is so different from what one would expect) LOL
Mata ne
SS

Hi liz, good to see you too, its easy for me to do. As I have very low brain power and am getting more and more lethargic these days, I just look up a suitable quote from the many I have remembered or collected, from my distant and dimming past and include them. I suppose I should listen the Mark Twain when he said:-

"Twenty years from now,you will be more disapointed by the things you didnt do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour,catch the trade winds in your sails, explore,dream,discover.&quot;<BR><BR>Wouldnt I just love too! :o)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

You CAN Orb You CAN !!!!!!!
As Mmmmmm says, "Do it!Do it!Do it!Do it!"

Iam building a boat on big island, hawaii. I just saw my first orb! I was crawing out of the fish hold, feeling very happy with the bulk head. and there it was slowly drifing down the lenght of the center pod. clearly it was traveling under it own power, with intent to check out the boat.

oh angela will we have to talk once i land in sydney (just arranged my flight for monday)...i jumped on a sailboat from isabela in the galapagos, and was kicked off in tonga...where it has been the best place in the world for this to happen to this first time sailor. it started out great, and ended far differently than i would have expected..but that's okay.
i'm wondering if i'll get the itchy feet for the waters as you are now experiencing..
sounds like i just missed you out here...would have been nice to meet someone doing the same type thing as me, but luckily the tongans have been outstanding...the cleanup has began here in Nuku'alofa....glad to read someone's positive sailing experience though..
karen