Suwarrow, Cook Islands to Niue, Day 1

3:00am 8/9:

We left Suwarrow at 8:00 am local time or 1900 UTC on Thursday 8/8. Conditions were very boisterous…..17-23G28 kt ESE winds and seas 6-10′ ESE…..all very beamy making for a very rock and roll ride. Towards morning the winds began to back to E-ENE and the ride marginally improved. The anchorage is full of coral bommies and we had to do a lot of dancing to free the anchor…..one step to starboard, 2 steps to port, one step back, 2 forward….now repeat and reverse….you get the picture…..arghhh!!!!!

We so enjoyed Suwarrow…..it has been on Kathy’s bucket list for a very long time and it exceeded our expectations. First, the atoll and surrounding waters are some of the most gorgeous we have ever visited….so natural and untouched by humans!!! It was the best of San Blas, Bahamas, and Tuamotus combined!!!! The atoll is now a marine national park and 2 rangers are stationed there. Both are from Manihiki, another small atoll in the northern Cook Islands. Harry is more reserved, quiet but has a lot to tell about the Cook islands. Charlie actually grew up on Suwarrow island. He lived on the island with his family until he was 12 and then moved to Rarotonga. He spent the last 29 years working in Australia.

Charlie’s family lived on the island during the Tom Neale times…..Tom was the Kiwi who stayed on the island and eventually wrote the book “An Island to Oneself”…..we have not read the book yet but will do so once we have Internet and can download it. Needless to say, Charlie’s family version of what happened is slightly different than what Tom Neale recorded…..very interesting!!!!

We were very fortunate to befriend Charlie and he was bursting with pride about Suwarrow and wanted to show us the sights. First he took Adam on sv Bravo and me fishing one morning. We had our lines in the water by dawn….we were hand lining which was a first for me and using rapalla lures. Bam….right off the bat I hook into something big…..Charlie says pull hard and fast as he sees sharks. I’m pulling in the line as fast as I can and then just as I’m getting the fish close it gets hit in the head by a shark……we get the big eye tuna in the boat and see a huge gash on top of the head…maybe 8×4″…..and one eye gone…..whew….but, it’s a really, really big tuna…..35-45 lbs…..whoa. We keep fishing and Adam catches 2 medium size barracuda…..yummers. There was a pot luck for all the boats that night…..maybe 20 boats and 40+ people…..so Charlie wanted one more fish…..bam…..I get pulled half way out of the tinny (aluminum skiff)…..Charlie grabs my shorts and hauls me back and yells pull hard…..this one is a fighter…..I bring in the line as fast as I can….then the boat lurches and I’m flat on my ass in the bottom of the boat but still hanging onto the line….Charlie yanks me up again and I keep fighting….finally we get the tuna to the boat and it takes two of us to lift it in…..YELLOW FIN TUNA baby…..50+ lbs…. 🙂 )))))

The pot luck was a huge success…..Charlie marinated the fish in white wine, onion, garlic and powdered BBQ seasoning then grilled the fish over a wood fire….yummers indeed. Oh, btw, one of the reasons we became good friends is we both like the spirits…..we started with scotch, went through that, then onto rum, went through that and ended the week with tequila 🙂 ))))) Harry played the guitar and both Harry and Charlie sang many native songs while Charlie danced some native routines including the Huka.

Next Charlie took us on a tour….Brett and Stacy on sv Bella Vita, Adam and Cindy on sv Bravo and us…..first he took us to “bird” island…..there were a gazillion birds everywhere…..turns, frigates and some boobies…..all nesting, eggs everywhere…..1 hour born chicks, 1, 2, 3 day old etc…..it was like being in the middle of a National Geographic documentary….how incredible to witness this nursery!!!

Next was “Seven” Island…..so named for a cousin who gave birth to seven children on this island…..another beautiful island that we explored…..we saw many coconut crabs a first for us…..very different…..almost shaped like a slipper lobster with claws…….Charlie hunted us 2 big ones which later Cindy cooked a crab and rice dish that fed all 6 of us…..not as sweet as dungenous crab but still a very tasty crab!!

Next we snorkeled an area that had some of the most beautiful coral we have every seen…..not so many fish which was odd but the coral was breathtaking. Next we did a scuba dive…..here the coral was not in good shape…..lot’s of dead coral and algae. Harry and Charlie are not sure what is happening…..they estimate the fish population is down 50% in the last few years and something is effecting the coral in certain spots.

Another day we got up early and snorkeled a manta ray cleaning station…..OMG…..we saw 3 huge mantas being cleaned by these small cleaner fish….the mantas just swam around 5-10 feet below us. Adam, who is a very skilled photographer, got some great shots and we will post some pics when we get internet in Niue!!!

It was a very magical 8 days we spent in Suwarrow and we hated to leave…..this experience was why we have worked so hard to get to the South Pacific…..it offered the best of nature and people…..Charlie has a special place in our hearts and I hope we cross paths again soon!!!

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Position 8/9 @ 1800 UTC:

Position: 14 54S 165 09W

Traveled: 163nm today; 367nm to go; ETA Sunday 8/11 am

Course: 217M COG

Wind: 16-23G28 kts ESE-E calmed to 15-22G25 in the morning

Waves: 6-10′ ESE waves short period

Speed: avg SOG was 7.1 kts; 1400 rpm

Weather: 30-50% cloud cover most of the time but 100% this am; some squalls/showers during the early evening to the west; sea temp 81.5 deg F

Boat sightings: 1 today, sv Bravo passed us about 9:00pm and is now 3 nm ahead

Fishing: no fishing today 🙁 ((((, besides freezer is full 🙂 ))))

Sail: up and helping some

Fuel burn: no reading yet

Hope all is well!

John
Mystic Moon