Farewell Niue

Dawnbreaker
Lars Alfredson
Sat 27 Apr 2013 01:37
Pos 16:43.68S 170:37.70W



20130426 Friday - Farewell to Niue



0730 Early ashore to catch the Bakery and to Skype home at a more decent hour given our minus 13 hour time difference



Fred and Grete take the car shopping and to eventually return it while Lars and I sit outside the Yacht Club and mozzie heaven to providing breakfast for them while we try Skyping our nearest and dearest.



Having made contact we spend most of the time asking each other whether they can hear us and listening to distorted alien voices replying in the same manner. As there is not much progress on this front it's decided to call it a day and e-mail.



The rest of the team join us and Brian from the YC advises us that all Customs etc are all at the airport dealing with the once weekly flight so off he goes to find out what's happening. On his return he says that they will be down to see us at around 3pm and brings back immigration departure forms for us to fill in the meantime.



Suitably devoured we head to the Crazy Uga for breakfast ourselves and then back to the Yatch for a snorkelling session along the reef line. Every trip we seem to discover new species in differing hues and shapes. Today's specialities are the sea snakes that seem to take an unnerving interest in us as they come up for air.



Fortunately they have very small mouths and cannot bite you, which of course would be very unhealthy as they carry deadly venom, but I have no wish to test the theory and keep a safe distance and a weather eye open.



1445 Lars and Fred go ashore to meet Immigration etc and do the paperwork Meantime we prepare the Yacht for departure removing sun shading awnings and battening hatches various, before returning to sunbathing, reading or both until their return.



1640 All aboard, Dinghy hoisted up and anchor weighed, we motor into the wind and hoist the Mainsail. The wind is blowing just off our stern quarter, so we pole out the headsail and goose wing our way down on a course along the island shoreline before it's out into the wild blue yonder.



Leaving the island behind we're doing 8 knots in 14 to 17 knots of wind and the seas are relatively moderate in the lee of the island. As the sun sets its happy hour and so we say farewell to Niue with a G & T toast as we set our course for Western Samoa some 340 nautical miles away.



After an excellent dinner of curried fish we start our shifts. The winds and seas have got up a bit and were running 9+ in 21-24 kts making for an exhilarating ride as our phosphorescent wake leaves a luminous trail in the light of the full moon.



Bob the Blog