Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 4

Day 22 – November 13

Extremely disappointed in the morning to find the rat trap empty and more of our dried goods eaten, we decided we needed to increase our rat catching efforts.  This meant setting out glue traps in addition to the cage trap.

We sailed from 9am until 5pm through some very light and shifty winds and reached Dawson Island which turned out to be a little slice of paradise.  I mentioned to Becky “if I were to live in Papua New Guinea this is where I would want to live”.  She replies “you say that about every island we come to”.  Maybe I do but this place is truly idyllic and how can you not love a place where all the village kids line up on the beach, waving their arms in the air, welcoming us as we drop anchor in their bay.

It has been 4 days since we have caught fresh fish and canned tuna is getting old.  Just like every time we anchor near a village, we mention to the local men that if they catch us a fish or lobster we will pay them cash.

Day 23 – November 14

Lobstermania!!!  Local fishermen paddled out to the boat early this morning with 3 parrotfish, a cuttlefish, and 14 lobsters!  We gave them 100 Kina (about $40USD) for all and enjoyed a delicious fish fry for breakfast.

After breakfast we set sail across the Solomon Sea for the island of New Ireland – 360 nautical miles to the northeast.  This means that we will be sailing night and day for several days.

Day 24 – November 15

After a great night sail with steady wind at 10-15 knots we came upon a group of 4 tiny islands in the middle of the Solomon Sea – the Marshall Bennett Islands.  For several hours we anchored on the reef at Dugumenu Islet and felt like explorers as we snorkeled the pristine waters and explored this stunningly beautiful and uninhabited island.

Day 25 – November 16

Mayday Mayday… the Solomon Sea kicked our ass this morning.  I was at the helm on night watch from 2-4am and all was great – 15 knots of wind, calm seas, and our only concern was the little bit of lightening off in the distance.  Becky took over at 4am and 30 minutes later Captain Bill called for all hands on deck. 

The wind had picked up to 30+ knots of wind, the rain was pouring down, and the waves were crashing over the cockpit.  Before I could even make it out of the galley and into the cockpit the water alarm went off signaling that the boat was filling with water faster than the bilge pump could pump it out.  Within minutes we were standing in ankle deep water!  Captain Bill and I began to pass buckets full of water up through the hatch to Becky and Andy.  Meanwhile, waves were crashing over the boat and through the hatch, soaking everything inside and undermining our efforts.  My muscles were burning with exhaustion I couldn’t stop because the boat was filling up with water faster than we could bail it out. 

All this time I couldn’t help but think about what I would throw in my dry bag should we need to abandon ship and jump into the life raft.  After an hour of bailing water, Captain Bill had resolved the problem with the bilge pumps and slowly the water began to recede.

As the storm passed, the wind also died down and left us with very light and shifty wind.  Not worth our effort or time to attempt to make that work in our favor.  We shifted the sails so that we were completely stalled out and spent the rest of the day bobbing around in the Solomon Sea, cleaning up the mess that had been made, and found time to get a game of Yahtzee in.  By night the wind still had not returned so we spent the night stalled out in the middle of the ocean with no land in view.

Day 26 – November 17

No wind in sight… and it could be days before we see the wind again.  Since we weren’t going anywhere, it was a great day for boat projects.  The only “project” that we did not succeed at was catching the rat that has now been on board for 8 days.

Day 27 – November 18

Captain Bill woke up with his knee swollen to the size of a grapefruit and developed a fever of 102 degrees.  Since he was down for the remainder of the day and our bilge pumps were not pumping out the incoming water fast enough to keep up, we switched up our sailing schedule so that we each (Becky-Andy-Myself) would spend 2 hours at the helm (steering the boat), 2 hours watching the bilge pumps (emptying them every 10 minutes), and finally 2 hours sleeping.  Not the most ideal situation but the only practical one we could come up with.

Day 28 – November 19

Please… no more lobster!  4 days of eating lobster for breakfast and dinner is just too much – in fact 1 day of lobster is enough for me.  The thought of eating it now makes me cringe and tonight at dinner you could catch me secretly throwing bits of lobster overboard as I ate my dinner.

We had great wind today but the tiredness of only sleeping 2 hours and being awake for 4 has really started to set in.  In fact I even began to hallucinate a little.  When we woke Andy up for his shift he mumbled “are you sure it’s been 2 hours already… I don’t think it’s been 2 hours already… it can’t have been 2 hours already”.  2 hours of sleep goes by in a flash and you begin to question if your fellow crew members actually did their full 2 hour shift or only just said they did.

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 3

Day 15 – November 6

Our arrival to Alotau was perfectly timed with the 7^th Annual Milne Bay Canoe & Kundu Festival.  During this festival villages from around Milne Bay dress up in tribal costumes and participate in tribal dances, chanting, and in war canoe races.  We noticed there were several “white” people carrying expensive cameras and video equipment, wearing VIP badges, and later found out they were with National Geographic.

Day 16 – November 7

After spending much of the day at the festival we headed to Alotau International Hotel to swim in their pool (our first chance at freshening up with water since arriving to Alotau) and charge our dead camera batteries.  The bay here in Alotau is pretty dirty (oil, garbage, human waste) so no swimming and no bucket showers.  We’ve even been subjected to washing out dishes with fresh water instead of the normal salt water.

Billy discovered that his camera was missing and we concluded that the local Papua New Guinea girls who had been on board the boat the night before had to be the culprits.  We were all upset, especially since Billy had been the one taking most of the photos since all of our camera batteries were almost dead and were we not sure when we would have the opportunity to charge them again.

Day 17 – November 8

Our plan to depart Alotau today has been postponed for a few more days.  Billy, our crew from Australia, who planned to come for 4 days but stayed for 17, booked a flight back to Australia in 2 days. 

Since today was Monday and the banks were open, Becky and I went to exchange Australia Dollars for Papua New Guinea Kina.  In what normally would have taken 10 minutes, we found ourselves at the bank for almost 1 hour.

Loaded up with Kina we went to Alotau International Hotel to use the only internet in town – even though it was painfully slow, very expensive, and super frustrating to be able to only send a few emails in 1 hour.

Day 18 – November 9

Tried my hand at making yogurt today.  Take 1 ½ cups of powdered milk, add 1 liter of water, and 5 tablespoons of already made yogurt.  Put it into a container, wrap it in a dark towel, set it in the sun, and 24 hours later you have homemade yogurt.  When I went to grab the bag of powdered milk I realized that we had some sort of creature on board as the milk bag had been chewed to pieces.  Collectively the crew decided that it must be a rat!  We searched around town for rat traps but only found “rat glue” which we spread over a piece of plywood and put peanut butter in the middle as bait.  We knew that mice love peanut butter – but do rats?

Day 19 – November 10

Disappointed that we did not catch a rat last night Andy set out determined to find a more functional rat trap.  Becky rowed over to the local bakery to buy 10 pieces of our new favorite breakfast snack “Lamington Cake” while Billy packed his bags, ready for his flight over to Port Moresby, and then back to Australia.  Meanwhile, I realized that my point and shoot digital camera was nowhere to be found.  After an extensive search and finding out that Bill’s watch had also gone missing we came to the conclusion that someone must have come aboard SEAWANHAKA in the last few days and helped themselves to our things.  Sad that they took my camera but happy that it was not my new (and expensive) DSLR camera.  I got over it pretty fast. 

After many hugs and parting words we said farewell to Billy and prepared to set sail – away from Alotau and away from what the local Papua New Guinean’s call “rascals” or thieves.

We anchored the night at Waga Waga and were thrilled to be able to swim off the boat again.  Nearby was a WWII coal transport ship that in 1946 sprung a leak and sank.  The bow of the boat stuck out of the water and proved to be an excellent snorkel spot.

That evening over a dinner of canned tuna and wine we heard Andy’s new and improved rat trap snap shut.  We all jumped up and yelled “we caught a rat!”  Our question was “can rats swim?”  Sure enough, rats are amazingly fast swimmers.  As soon as he hit the water he quickly swam back towards the boat and disappeared.  After not being able to locate the rat in the water we were a little concerned that he might be able to find his way back onto the boat but to do that he would have to squeeze through some impossibly small pipes.

Day 20 – November 11

After a tasty breakfast of homemade yogurt, super sweet pineapple, and chopped cashew nuts we set sail for no place in particular, going where the wind took us.  We anchored at a place called Kana Kopi at the entrance to Milne Bay.  When asking the local villagers about crocodiles they said “we use to have one but we haven’t seen him lately and he only eats dogs.”  For us that was warning enough and we enjoyed bucket showers tonight.

Day 21 – November 12

The rat is back!!!  Bill found rat poop in his bathroom sink this morning and upon further inspection we found the rat has gotten into bags of pasta on the other side of the boat.  This means war!  And this time we plan to kill the rat once we catch him.  Andy the rat master is on it!

We anchored the night at Nuakata Island and were immediately surrounded by at least 10 paddle canoes filled with village kids.  They were so excited to see us and brought plenty of banana, coconut, papaya (or what they call pawpaw here), squash, limes and passion fruit to trade.  We’ve been missing our daily drink of coconut water so we were thrilled!  Sometimes when we are surrounded by all these canoes you can’t help but wonder if this is what animals in zoos feel like.  Constantly being watched by outsiders who are interested in observing our ways.

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 2

Day 8 – October 30

Today we took the dinghy out to a small island just off the coast of Suau Island and spent most of the day snorkeling, exploring the island, and purely relaxing.  What a life we have!

In the evening a local village woman canoed out to the boat and asked if we had any batteries for her flashlight.  We told her that yes we have batteries but asked her what size she needs.  She tells us she needs “ABCD” battery.  After much confusion we later find out that there is a battery brand called ABC and she needs the D battery.

Day 9 – October 31

After spending 4 glorious days at Suau Island we pulled up the anchor and sailed east towards the village of Ilo Ilo – about 40 nautical miles.  Along the way we passed over the Sunken Barrier Reef and hooked a decent sized Rainbow Runner which none of us had ever eaten before.  Our fish book listed it as a 3 star out of 4 in terms of tastiness so we knew we would be eating well that night.  In addition, it was October 31 – Halloween, so we felt the need to cook up some pumpkin given to us by the people on Suau Island.

Day 10 – November 1

Amazing sight to wake up to dolphins swimming near the boat!  The night before local fishermen from Ilo Ilo stopped by the boat to say hello and we told them we would buy fish if they caught any.  Sure thing, that morning they came by with their boat filled with fish, lobsters, and sadly turtles.  For 40 Kina (about $15 USD) we got a huge sweetlips fish, several lobster tails, and these crustaceans the locals call “bugs”.

That afternoon, Becky and I were escorted ashore by several local village boys in their little boat.  With 10 boys in tow, ranging in age from 5 to 15, we were guided on a hike to the other side of the island.  When we became thirsty, one little boy climbed “monkey-like” up a coconut tree to get us fresh coconut water.  Delicious!

Day 11 – November 2

Around 6am little Joe and a few local girls paddled out to the boat and I asked if I could take their canoe for a spin.  I paddled around and the little girls couldn’t stop giggling at the sight of me paddling their canoe. 

We left Ilo Ilo heading towards Samarai Island to check in at Papua New Guinea customs and along the way passed over the Sunken Barrier Reef again.  Just like clockwork we hooked a fish.  This time it was a spanish mackerel.  As soon as we had filleted the first fish, off went the line again and we all shouted “fish on”!  It was another spanish mackerel but this one was huge, giving us about 15lbs worth of fish.  We’ll be eating well for the next few days, that is a given!

Since the wind was not blowing in our favor, we ended up anchoring the night at Doini Island – about 12 nautical miles from Samarai Island.

Day 12 – November 3

After drinking our daily “SEAWANHAKA mocha” we did a quick sail over to the small island of Gona Bara Bara where we were told there was a manta ray cleaning station.  After a quick snorkel to determine that yes, there were manta rays and after a delicious breakfast of fish, we put on our scuba gear and jumped in to search out the manta rays.  Despite the current being incredibly strong (to the point of having to hang onto rocks in order to keep from being swept away) we were up close and personal with 2 huge manta rays.  Absolutely amazing!

By noon – after having a swim, snorkel, eating a great fish breakfast, diving with the manta rays, and drinking a beer, we set sail once again for Samarai Island, arriving in the early evening.

Day 13 – November 4

We attempted to clear Papua New Guinea customs at Samarai Island but found that Felix, the customs guy, was on another island and could possibly be away for days.  Since it looked like we were going to be “illegally” in Papua New Guinea for another day we hunted down a local police office to ask permission to remain at Samarai Island for the day.  Sitting in the shade, chewing on betel nut, he says “no problem”.

Walking around this small island we stumbled upon “native toilets” over the water.  Imagine an open air, cement structure on stilts, separated into 2 sides – ladies and men.  Each side has several holes in the floor where you squat, which then drops directly into the ocean.  Quite an experience!

For dinner we headed to the guesthouse where Bill has been many years previous.  We asked the women there to cook us a traditional Papua New Guinea dinner and we feasted on Spanish mackerel, potatoes, taro root, plantains, sautéed local greens, passion fruit, mandarins, and the toughest donut I have even eaten.  The dinner was quite dry but with a few S.P.’s (the Papua New Guinea local beer) everything seems to go down much smoother.

Day 14 – November 5

Planned destination for today was Alotau, the capital of the Milne Bay Province.  30 nautical miles should only take a few hours but it was critical that we made it to Alotau before 4pm since it was Friday and Papua New Guinea customs doesn’t work on the weekends.  This was the first time where we ran into zero knots of wind meaning zero speed.  Just our luck.  We were at a standstill and it was HOT!  What better thing to do that take a dip in the ocean!  We finally gave up on waiting for the wind and turned the engine on (which almost never happens on SEAWANHAKA). 

Before we arrived to Alotau we had to get rid of all evidence of having been in Papua New Guinea for the last 8 days.  Into the ocean went the bananas, coconuts, squash, and empty S.P. beer cans.

Papua New Guinea customs and quarantine came onto the boat, seven people in all.  Within 30 minutes we had arrival stamps stamped into our passports but quarantine was not so eager to clear us for entry into Papua New Guinea.  They required us to fill out medical statements which we could only get on Monday.  That meant we needed to stay in Alotau over the weekend but luckily they allowed us to get off the boat and come ashore.

Sailing Papua New Guinea -- WEEK 1

Pre Departure – October 22

Our last day in Australia!  Spent the day buying $1200 worth of food, trying to find space on the boat to store all this food along with all the other things that Captain Bill had locked away in a storage unit for the last 3 years.  Australia Immigration came to the boat to stamp our passports with an exit stamp and to remind us that we MUST depart Australia within 24 hours.

Day 1 – October 23

All morning we were in packing frenzy and sadly there was no time left for us to take a final “fresh hot water” shower at the marina.  Departed the marina in Cairns, Australia and decided that we needed a little more time to secure all of our things before beginning our 4-5 day open water passage to Papua New Guinea.  In an attempt to avoid Australian customs we anchored a few hours south of Cairns at a place called Mission Bay and enjoyed a great BBQ of fish and prawns along with red wine and cheese.

Day 2 – October 24

In an attempt to install the inverter it blew up meaning that we have no 110 or 240 voltages.  Sadly this means that we have no way to charge camera batteries unless we happen to be ashore where there is a hotel or restaurant that will let us use their electricity.  So sad : ( 

Set sail for Papua New Guinea today – 450 nautical miles across the Coral Sea.  Began our sailing schedule of 2 hours at the helm and 8 hours of freedom.  Tonight I was at the helm from 2am until 4am and it was my first time wearing a harness - just in case something was to happen.

Day 3 – October 25

Traveled 148 nautical miles in the last 24 hours.  The Coral Sea has some huge swells, making sleeping, eating, and using the toilet quite a challenge.

Put out the fishing lines hoping to catch some fish for dinner.  Caught a big eye tuna and 10 seconds later caught a 200lb marlin.  The marlin took about an hour to reel in but since he was so large to bring on board we set him free. 

Dumped most of our rubbish overboard.  The only things not thrown over were plastic based.  Aluminum and tin cans, glass bottles, paper and cardboard, food scraps - all went into the ocean.  Seemed to wrong to be doing this but that’s what happens when you are at sea on a sailboat.

Day 4 – October 26

Traveled 135 nautical miles in the last 24 hours.  Put out the fishing lines and hooked 2 huge tunas at the same time but lost both of them when they bit through our fishing line, taking the lures with them.

Ran into a squall during the night which meant fresh water.  Stood in the cockpit and let the rain wash all the salt water off my body and my clothes.  So refreshing!

Day 5 – October 27

Land Ho!!!  Made it to Papua New Guinea but missed our original planned destination so ended up anchoring a bit west at Suau Island.  Engine flooded during the passage from Australia and we were concerned it was beyond repair. 

Within the hour canoes paddled by local villagers began to arrive to the boat.  We gave pencils and pens to the kids and in return they brought us coconuts and bananas.  We learned that the people on Suau Island see about 2 cruising boats a year.

Took my first shower in 5 days!  Shower on the boat means soaping up and jumping in the ocean.  We have no fresh water on board for anything other than drinking.  There is always a small threat of saltwater crocodiles in these areas but that didn’t stop us.  Made sure to ask several local villagers first before taking the plunge.  Realized that soap will not lather in salt water.

Day 6 – October 28

In the early morning a local village woman canoed out to the boat and gave us a plate of star fruit, bananas, and squash.  In return we gave her a large plastic bowl and she was completely thrilled with her new possession.

Took the dinghy to the village and visited the local school where the kids sung us their National Anthem, the adults played the guitar and sand for us and Billy (one of our crew) joined in by playing music with spoons against his cheek.  The villagers thought that was the coolest thing!

Later in the day Becky and I rowed the small dinghy named “weewanhaka” to shore and visited the local family living there.  The kids let us try out their canoe and when we tried to stand up and paddle like they do we almost lost our balance and fell overboard.  Laughter could be heard all around.  We had so much fun that we asked if we could trade one of our crew members for their canoe.

Since we were not successful in catching much fish we have run out of fresh fish.  No fresh fish means that we resort to eating canned tuna.  We had mentioned to the local village men that we would pay them for fish if they catch them but still no sign of anything.

Day 7 – October 29

Rained in the morning so we collected rain water with a tarp and ran a hose into our water tanks.  Hung our clothes on the lifeline to wash off all the salt water.

In the afternoon Becky and I rowed weewanhaka to another house and along the way painted the fingernails of the girls who were canoeing alongside us.  The family was thrilled to have us at their house and we painted more fingernails, took a walk to see their fresh water creek, and as we left they gave us a small fish and leafy greens.  It was my night to cook so I sautéed up the greens and made a fish curry with rice.

After dinner we swam of the boat since the “glowing” bio-luminescence was out and our bodies lit up as we dove in the water and moved around.  Super cool!