Blogs

We have passed CAT1

This year I am taking part in the Island Cruising New Zealand (ICNZ) Pacific Rally in my yacht Libertalia, and thought I would record my adventures in the form of a blog (this being the first entry).
The ICNZ has been around for about 10 years and organizes yacht rallies in the Pacific every other year. In 2019, the biggest fleet ever, some 40 boats, will be setting sail from New Zealand at the end of May to visit Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia over a 6-month period, returning at the end of October before the cyclone season.
We purchased Libertalia last year with the intention of doing the rally and have been steadily upgrading her to meet stringent Category 1 safety standards, a requirement of all NZ registered vessels leaving New Zealand.
She is a 2009 Leopard 40 Foot Catamaran with an owner?s configuration (meaning the whole Starboard hull is for the owner; double berth, large en-suite bathroom and office), while the Port hull consists of 2 double berths and a separate bathroom. She is ideal for cruising the Pacific as she has a large covered cockpit and main saloon which is great for pirate parties.

coming to end of our first year in the south pacific, it’s been amazing. Arrived in Savusavu yesterday after a 3 day passage from Tonga. Lots of rain to day so taking it easy.

Captain Cook must have been an amazing man. I can't imagine what it would be like for Captain Cook or the Tongans to meet each other 250 years ago. Tonga has me really confused: the towns and villages are basic; Nuku'alofa has a main street that resembles a town. Everything is betwixt and between. One or two shops for the tourists are emblazoned with western paraphernalia such as window dressing displaying items that tourists may like; namely sarongs and shirts, handicrafts made of tapa cloth or wood, some are very intricate, and don't forget the freshwater pearls. The Tongans know where to go for their every day needs and if it's not found at the market this may be up a flight of stairs with completely irrelevant signage for the service provided. Government Departments, such as Customs and Immigration, observe all public holidays and may make up some for themselves and they are stringent about taking their breaks, which means that everything closes down during those times. In Pangai, the main town of the Ha'apai Island Group, we anchored offshore and took the dinghy into town.