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The Beginning - January 2007

Less than 12 months ago I packed my rucksack and travelled around Costa Rica for three weeks in a vein attempt to cure a bad case of itchy feet. Unbeknown to me the travel bug was incurable and the trip fed my appetite for more!

Lying on a beach in Tamarindo on the Pacific Coast, engrossed in Ellen MacArthers autobiography, I had my first meeting with "Bobby". Considering Ellen is my inspiration as one best yacht women in the UK, it took more than a typical guy to distract me. Yes I know, prior to this I had never even sailed as far as the Isle of Wight, but hey, any woman who climbs a mast in freak weather conditions deserves attention. Never know, that could be me in a few months….probably waving a rescue beacon!

Bobby, the blonde surfer from San Diego with the chat up line of "That’s my boat over there & I'm sailing round the world", immediately caught my eye.

I spent the rest of my holiday sailing down the Pacific Coast aboard Bobby's boat, Barraveigh a 41 foot Jeanneau. Having returned home and with my tan fading, I promptly rejoined him a few months later in Panama.

I'm packing my bags again, this time it’s a one way ticket, with the final destination and return date unknown! It’s going to be a challenge, & thats just trying to overcome the airlines weight restrictions! I’m sure the rest of the trip will be a breeze - who am I kidding! The trials and tribulations I have faced so far include; how many bikinis do I need and whether Bobby will see mascara as an essential item? Silly question, of course it is!!

I promise to send regular updates throughout my intrepid adventure from life aboard Barraveigh. Fingers crossed my supply of Cadbury’s will see me through the difficult times on the ocean but the challenges will only make the magical moments all the more breathtaking.
I’m ready to navigate my way through the steep learning curves (that’s for you Dad!) and attempt recipes for meals when I have no ingredients.

For now its back to the packing…

To continue reading stories from life onboard Barraveigh click on the relevant date on the righthand side of the screen

The End of a Chapter

It is time to come home & rejoin the real world.

I’ve sailed half way around the world! A major achievement. An achievement that seems so unreal, that has changed my life & will alter my future in so ways they are impossible to quantify.

I have come home a sailor but I am still Suzanne Roberts, the girl who loves heels & handbags as much as her flip flops & foul weather gear; who will love celebrating with friends over cocktails & champagne as much as a walk along a cold, windy Sussex seafront sharing a mug of hot chocolate at Sea Lane Café. I am proud of the person I was, what I have achieved, the person I have become & the person I still am.

This trip has achieved so many things, on levels that are impossible to put into words, but its time to go home, embrace my life on land, my family & my friends. Achieving this dream is a huge high but it hasn't been without its costs both financially & emotionally. I’m not even sure how to mention Bobby or Barraveigh without feeling a huge loss. Words cannot describe the journey we have been on. I will treasure every memory, both good & bad, forever. My respect for Bobby is beyond words & we are by no means parting as enemies. The experiences we have been through ensures we are bound together as friends. To hear stories of the next leg & the rest of the world that awaits them will be hard to do without feeling a little jealously or a twinge of envy, but the choice to come home is the right one. The Suzi Set Sail chapter has come to an end & it is time to begin another chapter in my life.

Dreams are worthless without friends or family. The people who knew the real you, the you you don’t have to explain, who know your faults & your past yet are still there to hold your hand. Never misjudge how important those people are in your life. Achieving this dream without you all just wouldn't be the same.

Rules of the road Bali Style!

Rule number one - discard the Highway Code it does not apply here. The traffic is an organised chaos. It looks daunting when you first arrive but amazingly with 100's of moped on the road it run pretty smoothly.

2. There is no speed limit but going slow is not an option.

3. The more people on a moped the safer they seem to think it is. A family of 5 including a new born baby, on one moped is a common sight.

4. Traffic blocked up at a junction, no problem just create your own lane including using the grassy verges

5. When wearing traditional dress ladies must ride side saddle

6. When in traditional dress no helmets are required, the gods protect you.

7. At all other times only the driver must wear a helmet. Helmets are optional for all other passengers.

8. The horn is an essential piece of equipment & must be sounded at 1 minute intervals.

9. Never think someone is flashing their lights to give way, they are telling you to get out of the way pronto

10. The carrying of equipment on a moped is also a must, outboard motors, lawn mowers, huge flat screen tv's with of course the entire family also on board!

11. No need to look prior to pulling out at a junction, just hope the gods are looking after you & the traffic will stop

12. Do not give way to anyone on the road. Slightly concerning when used in conjunction with number 11.

13. No age requirement to ride a scooter.

14. If you are Western do not stop at the scene of an accident you are not involved in. You will find yourself implicated in the accident & hit up for the hospital bills of the injured person.

15. Do not let your front wheels touch or go over the stop line at a junction. The police love to fine you for this or rather hit you up for a bribe.

16. Do not stop for a policeman that is waving you down. Wave back & pretend you thought he was waving at you. They see a Western face & know they are going to be able to line their pockets.

17. Overtaking maybe done in any lane & undertaking is preferable

18. Oneway streets do not apply to mopeds & they should also feel free to use the pavement

19. Lights on mopeds are voluntary

20. There is no suck thing as a driving test!!!

Despite all that I'm enjoying driving about Bali in my little jeep. No major problems other than bartering with the police for my "non official fines" & stopping for a scooter accident. The riders big toe was ripped off. Unfortunately the people around me who didn't see the accident thought I was involved & I had to leave before things got difficult.

All in all very simular to driving in London!! ; )

Halfway!

We have made it! Barraveigh pulled into Bali Marina on 9th December 2008. I have sailed halfway around the world. Panama to Bali is halfway around this huge globe of ours. I am stunned & in shock that I have completed this crazy adventure. It feels surreal, as if I have lived someone else’s life for the last few years but I am so very very proud of myself.

Bobby & I fought the elements & we won! Halfway around the world on a sailboat….its time to celebrate!The last few months took their toll. Its only when you stop & relax do you realise the full extent of the pressure we were feeling everyday. The alternative route over the top of PNG was amazing & I wouldn't change it but it wasn't the easy route & we earnt the amazing memories.

The relief & happiness of pulling up to a dock with the knowledge we are staying put & no plans to leave in the immediate future was blissful & a huge relief. We are tired, our mojo’s low & we are in need of a rest & life with conveniences. Luckily Bali has that on offer in bucketfuls!Barraveigh needs a large amount of TLC but that is put on hold while we relax & take some much needed land time.

First things first, our list of priorities!

Fresh water shower at the marina

A huge meal washed down with ice cold cokes & beers!

Hire a carBuy an air conditioning unit for the boat

Get massages

Explore this fabulous island & its people

Wangi Wangi

Memories of the two nights spent here will always be recalled with a deep breath & the wonder of how we made it out in one piece.

The passage from Sarong was exhausting & hot. No winds meant running the engine every minute of every day, making the boat hot & noisy, & the captain concerned about an oil leak. Add to that no cooling breeze & no cold drinks (due to the broken fridge), equals a hot & bothered captain & crew! On the plus side there was plenty of power so we took our daytime watches in hour bursts taking it in turns to escape from the sun, sit under a fan & watch an episode of 24 – Jack Bower will never know how much he saved our sanity!! Bobby was crowned a hero when he discovered we could run the ice machine with the engine on. Cold ice cubes have never looked or tasted so beautiful!

We arrived in Wangi Wangi late in the afternoon. Not something we would normally do, trying to find a place to anchor as the light fades is far from good seamanship. We were tired & hot & made a decision that we came to regret. There were many factors in the decision process of which I will not go into but, it seemed the right choice at the time. As is always the case with time & reflection, sticking to the golden rules should never be broken. Anyone reading this with hopes of cruising in the future take note. Golden rule number one: never come into a new anchorage in the dark or without sufficient daylight.

The depth readings here were totally random. One minute you were in 100 feet of water & seconds later we had readings of 20 feet & less, only for it to quickly return to 100 feet. It was mentally exhausting & fried my nerves. Unable to find a suitable spot to anchor we were now unable to leave. On the way in we had dodged through 100’s of FAD’s which littered the harbour mouth & there was no way out in the dark without colliding with them. It was decided that we would drive in circles for a few hours & wait for the passenger ferry to leave so we could tie up to the dock. The dock was the worst we had seen & a boat owners idea of hell. Huge pillars of concrete with many jagged edges waiting to punch a hole in Barraveighs side. Just as we got settled with fenders in place we were asked if we could leave as another passenger boat was about to arrive…..could they not have told us this as we were tying up!!!

Bobby went off to check the engine before starting her up & found the bilge full of oil. We weren’t going anywhere. Wangi Wangi really is the back of beyond, they don’t get tourists & trying to converse with the locals in a high pressured situation was not easy even with our Bahasa dictionaries. In the end Bobby took the locals down into the boat to show them what was wrong with the engine. Crisis diverted, we were allowed to stay put.

Up & down like yoyos through the entire night as the tide went out leaving more of the dock exposed, left us more tired than when we arrived. At 4am Bobby had a brain wave & knew what was wrong with the engine & begun fixing it. By 7am we had waved goodbye to our buddy boat Emelia, & were left feeling both emotionally & physically drained. Bobby worked hard & got the engine fixed so we could move off the dock & out of everyones way, but we were still needed to fill up with fuel before we could go anywhere. A local fishing boat allowed us to tie onto their starboard side so we happily got resituated & breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately the locals were highly curious of us & sat along the side of the fishing boat staring. I now know what a caged animal at the zoo feels like. No privacy, no ability to cool off & discard any clothing when your every move is being watched & showering in the cockpit was going to be fun! We were also concerned they would come onto the boat & steal from us whilst we slept so we decided to make friends with the fishermen in hope they’d look after us. I handed out cigarettes & after requests for Michael Jackson songs I agreed to play 2 songs on Barraveighs cockpit speakers if they would then let us get some sleep.

Bobby made arrangements to collect fuel the following day & we then went in search of a restaurant with AC & cold drinks, not as easy as we had expected in this one horse town but we were so beyond tired just a cold coke was like heaven in a can! Ready to finally settle down to a well needed nights sleep, we were content & sure we had seen the last of the back luck, but someone had other plans for us. In the middle of the night the winds & swell whipped up smashing us into the fishing boat making staying put dangerous for both boats. We slipped the lines & motored in circles for 5 hours awaiting the swell to die down & the sun to come up. We took it in turns to rest in the cockpit whilst the other took the wheel. This trip pushes me & pushes me to breaking point but even when I’m there, it is not over. There is no choice but to dig deeper & carry on until you & the boat are safe. I have worked crazy shifts in the police & crazy hours on operations but nothing & I mean nothing compares to the exhaustion I have felt on this trip.

As the sun began to rise we retied to the fishing boat. Bobby filled Barraveigh with diesel & I made a cake for the fishermen & attempted to prepare meals for the next passage – I have no idea how I did this because at this point I was functioning with my eyes closed! We were ready to get moving, had the worst thrown at us & still come back fighting. We were tired but were safe & Barraveigh was in one piece. We were just taking stock of everything when a large passenger boat hit our port side. We were beyond words. The ferry had come into the dock too fast & got the angle wrong totally wrong, hitting us like bumper cars at the fairground. No word or sign of an apology from the captain or crew.

We had made friends with the secret police (which I think is their version of plain clothed policemen as they sure don’t make any attempt to be secret about who they are). The entire police station attended (about 10 officers) & brought the captain of the ferry boat with them. Luckily upon inspection we had no damage & the whole incident was sorted with the captain buying everyone a round of “dingin” (cold) soft drinks. Smiles & handshakes all round but we left Wangi Wangi soon after breathing a sigh of relief that we were still afloat.

It was certainly up there with some of the worst of experiences of this trip but at the same time we made some good friends with the locals, & the friendliness of the Indonesians helped balance the bad. We are heading for Labuan Bajo & then onto the Gilli’s. The end of this year seems to very close but still so far & I’m tired beyond belief!

Sarong

The people here are easily hypnotised by blonde hair. I have been living like a film star with people taking photos of me in the street & at the supermarket. They either try to sneakily take the photo or come up to me requesting a photo with them & then inviting me to their school or college. Its amusing, the people are so kind that it hasn’t yet got annoying & as we travel closer to the Indonesia more frequented by tourists I will no longer be the only blonde.

We travel about on benos. Tiny yellow mini buses that you just flag down. It must be law to stuff the windscreen with as many cuddly toys & lights as humanly possible so you can only just see the other cars on the roads! The other law they seem to have invented is at night you must have flashing neon lights all over the interior of the bus. It all makes for interesting trips to the supermarket & mini mobile discos on a Friday night!

I have begun a life of normality. I had a well needed hair cut (£3 for a wash cut & blow dry compared to £50 at home), I’ve chilled out at some nice restaurants, been clubbing for the fraction of the price back home, bought a mobile phone & when we get to Bali its only going to get better. Independence is probably the biggest thing I miss & one of the hardest things to try & keep alive living in such confined quarters with a partner. There are some plus sides to a western lifestyle!

I’m loving the experience here, the people & the food but the children I can live without. All day we are bombarded with the kids shouting “Mister Bobby, Mister Suzi” & if we don’t answer they then start throwing things at the boat. At which point they get an answer but I’m not sure it’s the answer they were wanting. It was bearable in the beginning but I’m starting to loose now!

The news I'm still trying to come to terms with is that the fridge has quit working. We are facing the real possibility of sailing the rest of the trip down to Bali with no cold drinks & no way to keep fresh food. There are cruisers that sail around the world with no fridge & I take my hat off to them but there are a few luxuries I cannot imagine being without in this climate, the fridge is top of that list. We are being forced into living without out it & it doesn’t get better with time. I know we will survive but arrgghh its not making provisioning for passages easier. Wish me luck or wish Bobby luck it maybe tins of baked beans from here on out!

Indonesia

This has to have been the biggest culture shocks I have ever experienced. It is difficult to find the words to describe to you how it feels to leave a calm relaxed “island time” culture at sunrise, only to arrive in what feels like total chaos by nightfall. The shacks lined up on the shore line, all made from corrugated tin & looking like they are seconds from collapsing into the water. The endless sound of honking from mopeds zooming past & the bemo’s (little mini van style buses/taxis) beeping at every pedestrian they pass. The filthy water full of rubbish; plastic bottles & nappies are common place but we certainly didn’t expect to see a fan, a desk & CD’s bobbing about!

Vanimo, PNG & Jayapura, Indonesia separated by a boarder crossing & only 30 miles of land just couldn’t be any more different. They maybe be close in distance but their cultures, living conditions & religious beliefs are a million miles apart. The Western world has had a huge influence on Jayapura with KFC, Dunkin Donuts, air conditioned supermarkets & wireless internet but when you see the children playing in huge banks of rubbish on the sides of the river & swimming in the disgusting water I can’t help but think that the Western influence is a bad thing & the people in the Pacific with their dugout canoes & leaf houses are better off in so many ways.

It took a few days to recover from the shock, during which time I’ll admit I wanted to turn the boat 180 degrees & sail back to the Pacific Islands. I was comfortable with the people in Melanesia & Polynesia. I could communicate with them, share a joke, knew how to get around on land & knew what the weird looking vegetables at the market were! Indonesia was a whole new ball game. It didn’t help that during our final day in PNG I was eaten alive by sand flies & completely covered in bites therefore feeling uncomfortable & miserable. I was doped up on antihistamines, unable to leave the boat as I couldn’t stand to have any clothes against my body. So while Bobby was tearing about the city trying to deal with the bureaucratic systems this country likes to put in place, I was busy watching episodes of 24. It took poor Bobby days to just compete the check in process. Filling the boat had to be done under the cover of darkness as its illegal to fill cans of diesel at the petrol station – just as well we had the police on our side & happy to help us! We certainly couldn’t have done it without them.

Memories that will stay with me forever:
The sound of chanting coming from the mosques. Admittedly it wasn’t highly appreciated at 4:30am but in the evening when the sun has gone down, Bobby & I sat in the cockpit sharing a beer, enjoying the cool breeze & soaking up the Islamic equivalent to the Christians hymns. I daydream, wondering what my time in Indonesia holds for me.
Walking along the street & everyone shouting “Hello Mister” – they haven’t quite worked out the word Mrs! Male of female you are going to be called Mister! Young boys shouting “I love you Mister” just doesn’t quite sound right! ; )
Sitting down in a roadside tent (you could only loosely call it a restaurant!) to eat the best food I have tasted for a long time & for the high dollar price of £2! If the Pacific Islanders could just get their culinary skills on the same level they would have it all! I’m afraid the bland starch taro dishes just don’t cut it!
I’m embarrassed to admit we rushed to KFC & then to Dunkin Donuts & oh it tasted so very very good. No item of fast food has passed our lips since February so it was allowed!

The Pacific Ocean - a love hate relationship

The journey across the Pacific Ocean has finally come to an end as we enter new waters & turn our backs on the Pacific. I can't quite believe I've done it! I left Panama City a totally novice sailor onboard a sail boat where everything was totally foreign to me & I arrive here in Sarong, Indonesia a different person. I have achieved something that I could never even have dreamed of; I have crossed the entire length of the Pacific Ocean in a sailboat (including a detour to NZ). It's not very British to blow my own trumpet but I hope I have permission to do so. You have followed me though the highs & supported me through the lows, you know what a feat it's been. I hope the stories from the Pacific have kept you entertained. My parents followed on maps stuck to the kitchen wall & it's given Fiona something to read on her train commute. I pity the people of Brockham village who upon visiting my Nan will have been made to read every word of this website at least twice! ; ) Nan, you are a total inspiration to all your grandchildren. At 93 years of age you have traveled to more places on this earth than most, impressive especially when you consider it's only recently that air travel has become the norm. Only now I'm off the beaten track you can't say "Well my dear when I was there in 19……"!
This hasn't been the easiest thing I have achieved. I'll never forget the pain, tears & shear terror I felt, but they are out numbered (just about!) by the times I've been in total awe from the natural beauty of this ocean & her residents. As I sat under the stars completing my final night shift in the Pacific Ocean I reflected on the good, the bad & the so very very ugly. There is little I would change. It's been one hell of an experience.

It's not all over yet there are still the waters of Indonesia to complete so its back to work (yep its not all sitting on sandy beaches!) for me!

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Final Stop in PNG

Vanimo, our last stop in PNG but first stop on mainland PNG. Cruisers pride themselves in retelling horror stories of counties ahead of ourselves. In most cases the truth is blown up, exaggerated & causes fear mongering. Unfortunately the only people who know the truth are the cruisers who have gone before us. As in all walks of life the bad makes the headlines & cruisers are no different. Very rarely do people put pen to paper to report what a fantastic experience they had but are all quick to email sites such as http://www.noonsite.com/ (cruisers lifeline for research on various places) to warn the rest of the sailing community of negative or scary experiences. Yes its good to have the information at hand but it gives an unequal representation on a place. PNG & the Solomons have suffered this fate with many reports on theft & piracy. We rolled the dice, kept reminding ourselves that others must have traveled this route with positive experiences & tried to keep a sense of balance regarding the information we had heard on the grapevine & through research. True, we tried to better our odds by avoiding mainland PNG. Stuck to the islands generally occupied by smaller close knit communities & hopefully less theft but we took the plunge & weren't scared into following the herd through the Torres Straight.
For a number of reasons I was nervous as we approached Vanimo. In order to gain a social visa for Indonesia (60 days instead of the normal 30 & which can also then be renewed) it needs to obtain it prior to arriving in the country. All enquires back in March with consulates from Fiji, UK, USA, & even our agents at Bali Marina were unable to confirm if there was an Indonesian consulate in Vanimo able to provide the visa. We took a gamble - that close to the boarder with Indonesia there must be. Now we were going to find out & it would be a huge problem if we were wrong. I'll also admit to wondering if the locals were going to be friendly, if one person would have to remain on the boat at all times or if we would be up all night on guard. Its hard stop the horror stories penetrating your mind to some extent. How wrong could I be & another lesson in not prejudging a place or its people.
Vanimo, a dusty little town that upon first glance appears to have little to offer but it had a sparkle that made us stay longer than the processing time required for the visas (thankfully there was a consulate. The local people here were fantastic; warm, very welcoming & appeared delighted we had stopped in their town. They don't get many yachts visiting so we were the talk of the town. Walking down the street people approached wanting to say hello & shake our hands. They knew all about us before we had even met them!
Bobby was delighted to discover surf on either sides of the entrance to the habour (reef breaks are not for me!). I would drop him off in the dinghy & the kids from the village would run down the beach into the sea with their "surf boards" to paddle out & join him. He had his own "after school" surf club with his gang of little followers, so of course he was in his element even making up songs for them which they would all sing for me when I came to collect him at "home time"!! These kids were surfing on pieces of wood, some square & others plank like, the lucky ones had theirs cut into a point at the tip but most didn't, some floated & some sank. I even saw one kid on a door! I challenge any of you surfers out there to ride a wave on these boards! It is really something to watch these young children surf on a piece of wood that prior to the wave coming he kept on the reef below him because it wouldn't float. On top of that he is surfing totally naked - no rash guard or shorts for these guys! ; )
A positive conclusion to my time in Melanesia. I am looking forward to experiencing a completely new culture in Indonesia but it sure isn't easy to say goodbye to these lovely people.

Heaven in the Hermits

The Hermit Islands, if you can find them on the map you get a prize! Northwest of Kavieng but still east of mainland PNG, part of the Admiralty Island chain. Huge points to Fiona for not only finding them but also emailing with details of dives in the area. I would have missed out on my encounter with the manta rays if I had not known! As always Fiona you are star.

Pulling in here was spectacular. Already excited after what we had heard from another boat & looking at the Hermit Islands on the chart. Nothing prepared us for reality. Water so clear you could see the chain running to the anchor on the bottom of the ocean floor 50 feet down. The varying colours of blue & turquoise waters were hypnotic. Paradise at its best. Check out the photo gallery to believe it.

There are about 10 islands in the Hermit chain. The main island Luf, is the only one inhabited with a village. The islands are surrounded by a reef with a number of passes allowing boats through. Anchored between the reef & Pemei, an uninhabited island, it was pure paradise. A handful of very serious land travellers have made it here to stay with people in the village & very few cruisers stop here, for the most part it is unspoilt by white people. Travelling across the South Pacific there have been less than a handful of places impossible for tourists to reach. This is a precious jewel in that crown & I hope remains as untouched as humanly possible.

Anchored so far from the village, we were canoe free, a blissful change. A local boat would stop by after their fishing expeditions to the reef to trade lobster & fish for cigarettes. The entire village are Seventh Day Evangelists & therefore do not eat any shell fish. Their loss is our gain. The lobsters are so plentiful they catch them during the day & we eat them at night! Bobby is the king of cooking lobster, I love eating them, it’s just deshelling them that’s not my cup of tea!
Emelia & Barraveigh played killer Frisbee on the beach, Jennifer & I attempted yoga in the sand (her flexibility is somewhat better than mine!), I kayaked around Pemei a few times to find the perfect secluded beach & settled down for the afternoon with a good book enjoying some alone time, Bobby invented a shade awning for his hammock on the bow & many cocktails were enjoyed watching the sunset. Snorkelling everyday on different parts of the reef including a swim with the manta rays & the boys perfected their spear fishing catching fish & lobster. All in all a paradise lifestyle! If heaven exists then this has to be it. It is truly amazing.

The heat here was so intense. As we near the equator it is seriously heating up. The fridge struggled to keep cold in temperatures of 100 degrees plus. It was 88 degrees by 8am & that was inside the boat where there is a little shade. The other casualties were ourselves, waking in the middle of the night to move cabins in an attempt to find a cool spot to lie down. At night a stray limb, giving extra unwanted heat sent each of us crazy (& not in a good way!). In an effort to stay sane I camped out in the v berth loving the breeze coming through the hatches but unfortunately my secret was discovered by Bobby who would come in half way through the night & the bed swap would begin again!! ; ) All in all a small sacrifice for idyllic surroundings.
The plan was to stay for three days before moving onto Ninigo. 7 days later we were still in the Hermits deciding it would be totally impossible to leave. It is now the last stop in PNG before checking out in Vanimo & entering Indonesia. The penultimate stop in what has been over a year in Pacific paradise. We needed the extra time here to detox from all the beauty experienced so far.

Kavieng

Tensions were high onboard Barravigh as we came into the waters around Kavieng, New Ireland. Very little sleep after a rough night at sea & a tight pass thought a archipelago of islands & reefs. I quickly discovered our navigation software was totally out, showing us high & dry on land or run aground on reefs.

First let me explain the jobs onboard as we arrive somewhere new. Captain Bobby is at the wheel & I’m below deck looking at the navigation software on the laptop. Linked to the GPS it also shows the boats current position. I give Bobby a compass bearing to our previously marked waypoint & then let him know if he needs to go more to the left or right. If the software isn’t lining up with reality then I’m also using the radar to check distances from land. Unfortunately it only shows land above water so reefs are still a huge unknown. Add all that stress to 3-4 days sailing, the last 12 hours being total hell & poor Bobby who got no sleep. If that wasn’t enough just as we approached the really tricky part, passing between a reef on the east & a reef on the west with little room in between, a squall hit giving very bad visibility. Sailing through an area with reefs is best timed when the sun is high in the sky & you hope for clear sunny day. It makes spotting the reefs below & judging depth easier. This is another of my jobs. I stand on the bow & point a safe path through the reef for Bobby to steer. Let me tell you this isn’t easy. There aren’t little markers in the water telling you how deep different coral heads are & when Bobby starts shouting “20 feet…15 feet” I’m looking around thinking all I can see is coral & going left doesn’t look any better than going right, combine this with no visibility of the bottom & well forget it. “Look for the markers” I’m hearing you first world sailors shout. If there is a marker in these counties it is often just a stick poking out the water & that’s if you are really lucky! Bobby’s policy in unknown waters, go really slowly. My policy, go really slowly & keep your fingers crossed! ; ) Emelia took pity on us & took the lead as the squall hit. Having four people on board they get more sleep, their eyes & minds were sharper than ours! We made it in safely, dropped the anchor & as always look back at the route & think it wasn’t as bad as it looked coming in. The unknown is always scary!

Kavieng was great. We anchored close to Nusa Island Resort. The waters were clear & as warm as bath water. To you divers & surfers (surf season starts in Nov) who like to get away from the normal holiday destinations & don’t need 5* luxury resorts, put Nusa on your list of places to visit. It’s a great relaxing place with an array of bird wildlife living there. I sat down with a drink & had a cockatoo speaking in pigeon English to me. Treating ourselves to a meal off the boat we were told lobster was off the menu as the guests had eaten it for the past 3 days & would crab be ok! You’ll eat like a king here! Add to that snorkelling at more WW2 plane wrecks, beautiful corals, fantastic local people & a huge array of tiny uninhabited islands. We haven’t seen another cruising boat since leaving Honiara (our buddy boat s/v Emelia excluded!). The route less travelled has been worth taking.

Passages from Heaven

Bet you never thought you’d be reading that! It appears we have earned some good weather & calm seas. I think I deserve it after all the “narliy” (I’m trying out my American slang!) passages I’ve been put through – yes Dad I know they are learning curves but I’m happy to have some straight lines for a while!

This is the doldrums or tropical conversion zone. Words you may have heard & may not have a clue what it means. In a nut shell….no wind! Result…..we burn some bloody expensive diesel & now plan our passages at an average speed of 3 knots rather than 5. Previously we would have considered 5 knots slow but now its speedy!! Attempting to sail in light winds with the sails flogging drives me up the wall. I’ve decided it’s a form of torture. I feel like I should be doing something to stop it but other than praying for some wind there is very little that can be done. Don’t tell Bobby but the only way to stay sane during the night shifts is to play my ipod, low of course so I can hear if any boats are calling on the VHF. In the light winds & calm seas we have finally mastered using the whisker pole in a way that Bobby now deems safe – only took us the entire Pacific crossing to work out! The pole keeps the head sail out & stops it flogging itself against the spreaders, with every hit you worry that it’s ripped a huge hole. Another plus is if the non excitant wind comes from the stern, we can sail wing in wing, ie one sail to the port & the other out to starboard. If any sailors are reading this I apologise now for the basic explanations but I’m thinking of my little sister with whom I once expressed an interest in wanting a CAT (catamaran). She thought I wanted to buy a pussy cat & suggested a dog would be better company! I love you Gilly aka Bridget Jones! ; )

In every other way the passages are a dream. Flat calm seas that allow me to cook meals in the galley without loosing my appetite, stary stary nights where I count endless shooting stars & where planets looming on the horizon get confused for boats. The bright quarter moon shines brightly, its reflection glistening for miles in the sea. The description that came to mind was a slice of lemon in a glass of rum & coke with the stars as bubbles in the coke – maybe the ban on alcohol during passages isn’t such a good idea!

Phospheensaince lights up huge portions of the sea. I have never seen anything like it before. Shining a light on the sea & huge sections would immediately light up. It kept me entertained for many of the hours on night watch! I am yet to get bored of these natural wonders.
Dolphins have begun to appear almost daily. Swimming in the bow of the boat or if we are travelling too slowly, totally ignoring us whilst we beg them to come & play. Talking to dolphins…a sign of madness??

During the day the lack of wind & bright hot sun results in sticky passages. I attempt to hide from the sun & am in & out of the sea trying to cool down. I drag behind the boat holding tightly to the stern ladder. Bobby teases me by humming the Jaws theme tune, a guaranteed way to get me to the water ; ) For the first time ever we sleep in the v berth with the large top hatch open. Normally during a passage you want to be as far from the bow of the boat as possible & we camp out in the rear cabin. With flat seas, hot weather & a hot engine, the v berth is the coolest place to be. Before the evening shifts begin we take turns to watch an episode of 24. Quality, chill out, alone time. An hour where we can switch off & relax by ourselves, even better with a bar of chocolate!

Not sure how long these calm, dry passages are going to last but I’m making the most of them & enjoying (almost!) every second! This is my idea of perfect sailing!

PNG at Last

A little behind schedule. The original plan was to spend all of August in PNG & here we are arriving at the end of Sept. There were no big deadlines just a proposed plan but it looks like we will be hitting Indonesia a little later than expected. Only problem being our cruising permit for Indo began on 1st Sept but hey we will just have to get another one!

We checked into Buka a small town north of Bougenville. At least I think it was small, I never got off the boat. In these parts we are concerned about the “rascals”, that’s what they call thieves in this part of the world. I can guarantee if I catch any of those “rascals” onboard Barraveigh the words coming out of my mouth will be far more explicit than that! Bougenville has suffered tension in the last few years. 20 – 50,000 islanders have been killed. You can now understand our concerns at being anchored close to the island. Originally anchored away from the town to avoid going through Buka pass but moved closer after being advised by the Port Captain that we would be guaranteed a visit from the local “rascals” with their guns during the night in our present spot. Buka pass had some serious currents, progress was slow at 2 knots under full engine power.

Still feeling uneasy about the area, ourselves & Emiela decided that one person from each boat should go to shore to complete the check in procedures & one person should remain on each boat for security. So I saw Buka from the water & never touched land. According to my sources I didn’t miss anything other than a 2 hour queue at the ATM!

After raising the PNG courtesy flag (made by my own fair hands & trust me for a non artist that bird wasn’t easy to paint) we got a good nights sleep & took off the following day. Minor drama on the way out, with Emelia hitting a reef. Luckily all was ok & we are on our way to Kavieng.

Its my Birthday & I'll scurff if I want to!

Ourselves & s/v Emelia made it to Mono Sterling yesterday morning after a four day passage. Today I’m celebrating my birthday in tropical paradise. We are surrounded by tiny islands covered in palm trees, clear blue waters & the blackest locals I have ever seen. I awoke to fruit juice in bed, freshly made pancakes & a fantastic brownie birthday cake made by Bobby’s fair hands. We snorkelled some amazing reefs & then spent the afternoon scurffing (standing on a surf board being towed by a dinghy). The locals were fascinated by it & many of them came in their dugout canoes to watch.

Sundowners & more birthday cake, courtesy of Emelia (a fantastic recipe for cruisers that requires no butter or eggs – you have to taste it to believe it!). Followed by an evening meal of fresh lobster. An amazing birthday in paradise. It’s hard not to enjoy this life on days like this!
Mono Sterling is a great place. Yet again loads of war history, The pikinis love jumping into the water from huge tripods made from tree trunks especially if we are watching. They paddle out to us in huge dugouts with no adult in sight. They befriended Bobby who proceeded to have a huge water fight with them. The only downside to this place is when we are surrounded by locals in their canoes. They mean no harm & I’m sure are just curious plus they want to practise their English but having no privacy sure gets you down after a while. On the plus side they aren’t stealing from us & with my new burglar detection mats down we sleep well at night. I worked out where burglars are likely to climb onto the boat, pushed drawing pins/thumb tacks through a rubber mat & then lay it down on the deck at night now we lie there hoping someone will try to come onboard – evil I know! The people here are some of the blackest people I have seen. Word has it that people from Bougainville are the blackest in the world & these people aren’t too far from there.

I nearly forgot to mention my personal serenade back in Honiara before we left. Unwell with a cold I had spent the day in bed sleeping. I woke to sounds of “wake up little Suzi”. Stepping into the cockpit I saw all our friends in their dinghies around the boat. Gene was playing guitar (he’s a country song writer & most famous for his song 16 wheels & a dozen roses) & everyone else was singing. They then sang Happy Birthday & produced a cookie with a candle on it. An early birthday celebration from the friends we would be leaving the following day. Memories from this trip are precious.

Photo: a young child from the village who screwed up his face & burst into tears upon seeing us. It was pretty typical of all the small children who were so very scared of the weird looking white people. The grandmother explained to us the child had never seen white people before.

Honiara - Round Three!

Walking down to the fruit & vegetable market trying to avoid the splodges of red spit. Smiling & saying good morning to everyone that walks by. The people are so friendly, young girls look at me & smile, small children are looking back whilst being pulled in the opposite direction by their mothers & even the scariest looking gangs of men all smile & say hello. What is it that makes them look? I try to dress modestly (although in this heat I really don't want to be wearing clothes that cover my thighs, chest, shoulders, so I hope they don't mind if I manage 2 out of three!) I think it’s as simple as a white person walking down the street. White people aren't uncommon here but they tend to stick to their air conditioned 4x4's.

I love walking around the large bustling market with all its noises & smells (some unpleasant!). The stalls piled high with fresh fruits & vegetables. Everything already put into bundles, green beans & watercress wrapped & tied with a banana leaf. No plastic bags are handed out. Customers bring along their woven baskets & bags. Coconuts are deshelled except for a small section that is then used as a handle. We really could learnt a thing or two about bio food wrapping from these people, admittedly we don't have too many bananas leafs growing in the UK! The whole market is probably the size of a large supermarket back home. Tables of goods everywhere & those that can't get a table lay their wears out on the ground outside. You can also pick up locally made jewellery, fish, crabs (you buy the legs & body separately!) & much more. Towards the rear of the market hot food is sold & there is even an aisle of ladies selling their cakes & cookies from huge plastic storage containers. If only they provided trolleys! I even saw a trader watering her goods with a home made watering can – a water bottle with holes pierced into the lid. She knew that the goods would look better & juicer if they glistened.

A fight broke out in the middle of the market this morning. Everyone ran towards it crowding around & laughing. I have never before been caught up in a fight that felt friendly! The warring parties had obviously just had too much sun for the day & after a 10 minutes or so shook hands & all was peaceful again. This place is just fantastic! Walking out with my bags piled high of purchases I saw some vegetables for a $1 less than I had paid. For a second I was a little cross with myself for not looking around properly before I bought but I quickly told myself it was equal to 1 pence & I certainly don't begrudge giving these people money for their fantastic crops especially when its so cheap!

Work on the windlass continues. I stay off the boat as much as possible to avoid the fibreglass dust from the grinding (huge thanks to Shaun & Angela for giving me a night on land in their lovely house). Bobby appears to be winning. I have learnt its better not to ask questions! He now has Clement, a local guy, onboard working with him in the anchor locker grinding & laying fibreglass. They wear matching overalls & headlamps, stopping at 6pm for their allotted dinner break. They look like miners! Clement tells us stories of his island & how he can talk to the crocodiles. Under normal circumstances I would have cause to section him under the mental health act but he is deadly serious & totally sane! Trust me its hard to keep a straight face when he explains how the crocodiles stand in the water & rock their arms in front of them apparently telling Clement that they have their baby close by!

Highs & Lows

In one week we have managed more drama than I have had on this entire trip. I'm exhausted & looking forward to a peaceful nights sleep. The transmission was fixed & the fridge stocked with fresh foods. We headed out to the Florida Islands to give the transmission a trial run & then planned to head west to Gizo. There we met our buddy boat s/v Emelia & friends on s/v Katoska. It was a rough day sail over there but we celebrated being out of Honiara with an open fire on the beach. Katoska put together some amazing fish dishes (these guys can catch fish unlike ourselves!) whilst Emelia & I brought the salad dishes. It was a perfect evening. A huge high at the beginning of a week, that would see us pull together as a team over & over again.
We were “canoed” non stop – local guys paddling out to the boat in their dugouts, (canoes carved by hand from a one tree trunk) wanting to trade fruits & shells or just hang out at the boat. It’s hard to get rid of these guys. Unfortunately for us they can see directly in through our water line hatches meaning that hiding below deck didn't work plus we had no privacy.

John Ruka was totally different in his approach. He paddled over with his children, did not approach the boat until he invited, then just gave fruits & vegetables from his garden without wanting anything in return. He won us all over with his generosity & friendship. We all picked up anchor& moved over to his village. They put on an amazing show of local dancing & music to celebrate our arrival. This is the first time his village had done it & with less than 24 hours notice put on a spectacular evening. They made “leis” of fresh flowers for each of us, had an arch from palms & flowers for us to walk through. Put sand over the dirt where we were sat & presented us with a fresh coconut decorated in tropical flowers complete with a bamboo straw. We sat in a semi circle whilst the girls & boys put on traditional dances with the band on instruments made from plastic tubes that they hit with flip flops, & others on pan pipes of varying sizes made from bamboo. Tears pricked at my eyes as these generous Solomon Island people welcomed us into their village. There was no charge for the evening, it seemed they enjoyed putting it together as much as we enjoyed watching it. What did they want it return?? It was as simple as expertise & friendship. After the treat they had given us we were happy to help in any way we could.

As we headed for bed on a high from the evenings entertainment we had no idea what we were in for. Bobby & I were awoken by a noise on deck, upon hearing another we were straight out of bed. ****ing thieves. You never totally shut off when sleeping on the boat. Your brain automatically listens out for rain & wind although I’ll admit to pretending I’m still asleep so Bobby gets up & closes the hatches….don’t tell him! Now its thieves we have to beware of. I immediately alerted the other boats via VHF whilst handing Bobby the search light& a pair of shorts! At that point we only saw one guy in a dugout canoe paddling for his life, we learnt later than there were two of them. I was busy lowering the dinghy & shouting that we should go after the thief. I was later told me that normal people don't chase thieves & that my cop side came out. Bobby, Eric (from s/v Katoska), plus one big knife went after the guy. He made it to the mangroes & legged it. Bobby returned to Barraveigh toeing the dugout plus our flip flops & clothes pegs. We claimed victory, they got away with nothing plus we had their canoe which we hoisted on deck, no simple task those dugouts weigh a tonne. The next morning we realised the camera was missing, someone (no names mentioned but lets just say it wasn't me!) left it in the cockpit & to top it off we discovered the canoe belonged to our host’s brother & had been stolen by the thieves. From victory to despair in matter of minutes.

During the next few days we witnessed some amazing local politics. The chiefs of the villages got together & the villagers identified the thieves. After being found hiding in the bush, they were placed under house arrest. The priest was summoned. According to our host John, a man will lie to a man, but a man will not lie to a priest. He was right the thieves were so scared of the priest they admitted everything. Finally after two days we got the camera back, complete with photo from the thieves! Thankfully its a waterproof camera & was still working after its trip overboard. We won. We got everything back & were part of an experience we would never have witnessed otherwise. The priest declared all the boats taboo. Anyone touching them would freeze & would be found there the next morning. Yes you are prob thinking exactly what I thought when I was told this but the locals here still believe in black magic. John & his family became security guards & took turns in paddling around the boats at nights just to be sure.

The next few days were blissful, putting in mooring balls for future visiting yachts, putting together ideas for John on how to attract yachts. We played with the kids, teaching them to hula & skip whilst they showed us how they hunted animals with bows & arrows, & wove baskets from palm prongs.

To show their gratitude, John & his family put on another show. To be honest I think they all just loved having people to entertain! Again it was outstanding but cut short as a storm blew in covering us in torrential rain & high winds. We sheltered under a leaf hut until the sickening shout of “a boat is on the reef”. We all ran to the dinghy’s, set off into the water with rain hitting us & waves crashing into the dinghy. Rounding the corner I saw Barraveigh was safe where we left her but Katoska was on the reef near shore. From there on it was a huge team effort. I clambered onto Barraveigh to ensure she wasn't dragging whilst Bobby assisted Katoska. They got her free after a few tense hours. Damage – none, they were lucky! Celebratory drink – rum!
Could there be any more drama in this tiny bay! Answer: Yes & typically it had to be us again! Ready to leave for a 2 day sail to Gizo, said our goodbyes & were pulling up the anchor. All of a sudden I hear Bobby swearing at the bow, concerned he had trapped a foot in the windlass I rushed forward to see the windlass totally ripped off its footing & inches from being dragged overboard, saved only by Bobby attaching a rope seconds before the incident. On come all the boys to help haul up the chain & anchor while I drive us round in circles away from the reef .

Guess where we are heading? Yep back to Honiara!

Honiara Part 2!

Back in Honiara we soon were joined by s/v Luna & s/v Emelia, with whom we have been bumping into for some time. Emelia & Barraveigh will be buddy boating together for next leg to PNG & then around the northern side of PNG into Indonesia. Fewer boats sail this route, most opting for the Torres Straight between Australia & PNG but we are taking the route less travelled. With the two boats together we hope to experience less problems with pirates & hoping there is safety in numbers. Unfortunately for Emelia awaiting the seal for our transmission is becoming a bit of a nightmare. It never seems to make it onto the plane in Australia! No complaints from me, each day we are here I get to enjoy a roti & ice cream!
I finally treated myself to a night on land. My parents very kindly bought me an early birthday present, a weekend diving. I think Mum wanted to take it back when she realised one of the dives was going to be with manta rays! I had a fantastic time, completing 5 dive including a night dive & a wreak dive. Unfortunately the manta rays weren't working on our schedule but my confidence underwater has come on leaps & bounds.

To be in Honiara during the anniversary of the American landings was very special. Beautiful wreaths packed full of orchids were placed at the American memorial & even here at the yacht club. Now for a short history lesson! During WW2 the Americans attempted to land right here on the beach at Point Cruz where the yacht club stands. The Japanese lay in wait only opening fire once all the troops had disembarked. Signalman First Class Douglas Munro, officer in charge of a group of Higgins boats led five small boats to the shore to rescue nearly 500 solders. He put his boat with two small guns on board between beachhead & the enemy fire allowing the troops to shelter behind & evacuate. Douglas Munro was killed by enemy fire towards the end of the evacuation but was awarded the Medal of Honor (no I haven't misspell it, its a yank medal so I should spell it their way!!) for his bravery that allowed so many soldiers to survive. As I write this I am sat looking out over the calm waters of Point Cruz with the sea gently lapping up on the beach. It's hard to imagine all the fighting that went on right here.

During the anniversary we were honoured to meet a very special man, Theron MacKay (known as Mac). An 84 year old American Navy veteran who was a seaman in the Solomon Islands during WW2. His boat, LST-342, was torpedoed on 18th July 1943. Amazingly he survived. Thrown into the water during the explosion he swam to the bow of the boat, which had broken off & miraculously still floating. Other survivors pulled him out the water & up onto the bow. They were rescued the following day. Of the 85 crew only 5 men survived, along with only a handful of the 100 troops onboard. Mac has returned to the boat to lay a wreath for the last 10 years in memory of his lost comrades. It was a true honour to meet this lovely man & moments spent with him will never be forgotten. In the rush of our busy lives we rarely reflect on how different it could have been had all those young men from all the allied forces not fought for their countries. As time marches on there are very few still around to tell their stories & the first hand experiences will all too soon remain only in history books.

I will never forget working in Central London during a Remembrance Day Parade. Proud elderly men walking behind their ensign or being pushed in wheelchairs by their comrades. I was moved to tears & bitterly disappointed at people from my own generation who show these men very little appreciation. This November buy a poppy & wear it with pride. Wear it & remember it displays your respect for all those men who have fought in the many wars fighting for our futures.


photo courtesy of Greg Barr

Retracing our steps

We were 12 hours out of Honiara when we had to make a decision. 12 hours of motoring due to no wind, led us to notice we had a transmission fluid leak. Bobby made the hard decision to turn around & head back to Honiara where we knew there were the facilities & expertise to fix the problem. It is horrible go backwards when we have so far to go but it was the right decision.

Bobby immediately hit a low - I think it was the thought of the 185 American dollars we had just burnt in fuel for going no where! To make it worse we turned back into a strong current doing 3 knots at the best. It didn't do too much for the flagging spirits. I didn't tell Bobby that when he went to bed we were only doing 1 knot! Even the dolphins swimming at our bow weren't impressed at our slow speed.

We came back into Honiara bay at night & dropped anchor. 24 hours at sea & we were back where we started. It's all part of the adventure!

Honiara

I haven't boarded a plane home, I'm staying & have loved our time in Honiara. We arrived tired & are leaving fully recovered. For those of you who haven't got a clue where in the world the Solomon Islands are, get onto google earth! It's east of Australia & south of Papua New Guinea. The name Guadalcanal may ring a few bells. This is where the Japanese & the Americans battled it out during WW2. I have trekked over hills, through jungle & jumped in & out of Japanese fox holes & imagined what those men went through. Much of the island is as untouched & undeveloped as it was back in 1942. Rusting Japanese & American WW2 tanks, jeeps, planes equipment lay where they were left. A few days of discovering war paraphernalia was enough for me so I left the boys to dig up fox holes whilst I sat by the pool with a good book.

Honiara is not a pretty town by any standard but it wove a magic spell on me & I love it. I will admit to feeling apprehensive upon first walking down the street. Metal grates pulled down over every shop & drunk guys loitering on the street, one of whom took offence when Bobby won't hand over his ice cream! The pavement & shop fronts are littered with red splodges. It looks like someone has taken a pot of red paint & flicked a paint brush everywhere. This decorative red that the Solomon people put all over their towns & villages is the result of betel nut. Every country & society has its drug of choice but this is the worst I have seen to date! You chew a green looking nut the size of a small kiwi fruit, your mouth is then full & you look like a hamster storing food in your cheeks! You then dip a green bean (like a runner bean) into a ground white lime powder & put that in your mouth. The combination turns your mouth bright red & at some point you have to spit the contents out & apparently the nearest bit of pavement is acceptable! In this country you don't see “do not litter signs” instead there are “no spitting” signs & job adverts in the paper state the list of qualifications required & “must not chew betel nut”! Bobby, a willing guinea pig to try anything once, only managed to cope with the nut in his mouth for a matter of seconds before spitting it all out due to the horrible taste. I just wasn't quick enough with the camera!

Honiara quickly grew on us. Yes, it looks a little rough & Sunday is not a day to walk around town as all the men have been spending the weekend drinking but underneath the rough exterior the people as with all the South Pacific are wonderfully friendly & smiley. Honiara has a big expat community. Due to the ethnic tension the country experienced a few years ago the Australians have stepped in & assisting the country to get back on its feet again. The yacht club here in Honiara is the expat & local hang out. Only about 3 boats actually remain here in Honiara & there were no other cruisers when we arrived so we were somewhat of a novelty. The local people were much friendlier that the expats & the staff at the yacht club just couldn't do enough to assist us.

We met Laurie, an ozzie guy working out here who became a firm friend. He drove us up to the villages where we all clambered about the ridges where battles took place in the war. The local boys picked a bunch of wild flowers for me which I placed on the American War Memorial. Bobby & Laurie seemed to be having a competition over how many grenades (still with pins!) they could find. I made sure I was standing some distance from them! We took a walk through the fantastic jungle to an amazing waterfall. Bobby was given a piggyback through the many rivers as he didn't want to get his boots wet (check photo gallery for his embarrassing photo) whilst I waded through like a real man! Towards the end of the walk (some four hours!) his boot totally gave in & the sole completely came off! Walking through a field past a village church with beautiful singing pouring out & the children running out of church towards us – not too sure the vicar would have been too impressed with us unintentionally interrupting his service!

We have stayed here much longer than we expected, there is no beach & you can't swim in the ocean here due to the raw sewage but have I have enjoyed every minute. It's time to leave we have too keep going, we did consider staying for a year & getting jobs but after weighing up the options we are moving on. Its time to get to those islands & Thai curries!