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Auckland to Tonga Trip


Roger Mills

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I came across some old footage when I was backing up the old computer and decided to edit it together. This was out trip to Tonga in 2003. Footage is a bit low resolution compared to today but it gives you an idea of the conditions.

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Good Video Roger! Looks like your boat goes pretty well!

 

We were in Tonga in 03 as well, but I think a bit ahead of you. I see in one of your closing pics the Whiting 40 Satori, another boat from Mana CC. Our friend Bill Byford. Interesting that we managed to miss meeting you guys! Did you stay in Tonga for the season, or what?

We left on April 15th, did Wellington - Tonga - Fiji - Vanuatu - New Cal - NZ, back home in Wellington in late Sept if I remember correctly. Had a great time and enjoyed it all - have good memories of Tonga, as I sure you do too...

Cheers

Matt

Island Time

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Yes we cruised for a couple of months in Tonga, via Ha'apai group and Vava'u. Strange that we never saw Island Time. We then sailed via Nuiatoputapu (magnificent) to Samoa before heading across to Fiji for a few months then back to NZ. Looks like from the timing you were just ahead of us. You also travelled much further west- quite a lot for one season. Yes I remeber Sartori and also in the last pictures was a Lidgard 42 "Skywalker" I think which we borrowed a pair of bolt cutters from to break into our own boat after I tossed the boat keys into the tide! Skywalker was lost later that season on a reef.

 

We did the trip from Fiji to Vanuatu on our friends Ketch Tamariki a few seasons later- there sure is plenty to explore!

 

Had a great season away - there's always a few good stories to tell!

 

cheers

 

Roger

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Roger, don't know if you remember Bill from Satori. He sold satori on his return, and bought a bavaria 46 called Pebble Rebel, in which he won the Solo Tasman in about 2006. Unfortunately he has MS, and is now confined to a wheelchair... :thumbdown:

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Bill was my rugby coach in Taihape when I was 12 and I got into the Rangtaiki rep team, we went on to win the tournament that was played in taranaki.

 

He was also the rep coach.

 

This was is about 1986 I think..

 

He was certainly a legend then, and I bet he is now.

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Hi Roger,

Thanks for posting this. Really enjoyed your video and gave me some armchair sailing in lieu of the real thing which will have to wait til later this year. I have Morning Cloud - also a South Pacific 42 in Auckland which I will be taking to Tonga hopefully next year. She is one of the Byrant (Tauranga boats) built in 1999. Was interested to see how the South Pacific did in the blow you had. I am currently landlocked in Alice Springs of all places but do get to sail Morning Cloud in the NZ summer. Any advice/tips about the South Pacific 42 off shore and getting through Cat One would surely be welcome. Thanks again for sharing your video. Michael Lawton

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Hi Michael,

 

I think I remember your yacht , you passed us motoring back from Kawau near the Tiri passage a few years back. Alice Springs is certainly a long way from the sea, but good for planning offshore trips.

 

Getting Cat 1 was relatively straight forward. The inspector had us pin the mast to its base on the cabin floor, and I remember coming up with a simple way of securing the hatch slides from coming out if we rolled. Oh yes a great tip I got from a friend was to put a Perspex cover over the engine instruments which were low in the cockpit. To get access to the key we cut a hole and put in a plastic agee jar top with screw lid, so that you just unscrew the lid. Worked a treat, and a godsend when the cockpit filled up with water from a rogue wave.

 

The trysail was also on a separate track with the sail bent on in its own bag, so when it blew we didn’t have to try and attach anything. Same for the storm jib, all sheets were attached and just raised it on the inner forestay.

 

Sailing at night we had a cutter rig setup so when it got windy just rolled the headsail in from the cockpit and didn’t need to go on deck.

 

Other stuff was just following the long list.

 

Good luck with the trip planning.

 

Cheers Roger

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Hi Roger,Thanks for the tips ESP the pin in the mast step. The engine controls are in the companion way so out of the weather luckily.Morning Cloud has been up to Japan with the builder I understand so has some of the offshore gear such as the tri sail track you mentioned. Looking at the long list it appears that I may have to add 2 more cockpit drains for current regs. I wouldn't mind tapping your brains a little closer to re fit time for the Tonga trip for any South Pacific 42 specific info if that is ok with you. I am off to Fiji next weekend to crew for the previous owner of Morning Cloud to bring his boat back to Nz. It may have been him you saw as I have only had MC for a couple of yrs. thanks again for the tips. Cheers Michael

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Glad the info was of some use. Happy to provide any further info closer to the time. One thing I found useful for sailing from Fiji to NZ was using a full height short footed headsail, a bit like a blade, with battens in the leach. The battens were collapsable so that you could role them up round the forestay. This was useful with upwind sailing into heavier winds so I could carry it completely unfurled up to 25 knots, which left you with good sail shape. You know how awful headsails normally get with a few rolls in them hard on the wind. The smaller sail area didn't really slow you down too much in the lighter wind.

 

Hope the trip back from Fiji goes well , cheers Roger

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