ISLAND ADVENTURES ASHORE
SV VIVA'S ISLAND ADVENTURES ASHORE
SV VIVA is in French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Their recent report shares a few different ways to explore the islands of Moorea and Tahiti:
We rented a scooter and toured the island of Moorea yesterday and did a 9-mile hike up to Belvedere and back on the 3-cocotier trail a few days ago...found many amazing views. Today, we took the ferry across to Tahiti at 7 am, rented a scooter and toured the whole island with several beautiful stops along the way. We sprinkled this tour with some provisioning that we could fit in backpacks and boxes on our rented scooter.
VIVASweet bike lane!
SV VIVA 
Pierre & Marie - Amel 52'
Adventurous and Practical! Thank you for sharing VIVA!
HISTORY OF BLACKBIRDING REMEMBERED
Australian South Sea Islander National Recognition Day
August 25, 2024
Blackbirding: A Dark Piece of History Remembered
Australian South Sea Islander National Recognition Day is significant as it recognizes the the arrival of the first South Sea Islanders to Queensland, Australia and a distinct cultural group that has become a part of the fabric of Australia's population and heritage. The arrival of the first South Sea Islanders was part of the practice of "blackbirding", or slave-trading, that went on in the mid to late 1800s in the South Pacific. Blackbirding refers to the recruitment, trickery, and outright stealing of people from their native lands forced to labor in distant lands. Labor conditions and pay were notoriously poor to inhumane.
This period of South Pacific history tangles with American history here: the US Civil War was dragging on and dramatically impacting worldwide supplies of sugar and cotton. Furthermore, as the US Civil War came to a close and it was apparent that the South would never be the same again, people from the Confederacy that had the means to escape found their way to the new places to practice their old ways: whether it be cash crops or slave trading. In response, new areas of production were opening up in new parts of the world like Australia, Fiji, and Hawaii. The new areas of production needed cheap laborers. Pacific Islanders, primarily from 80 different islands in Melanesia and Polynesia, were blackbirded and forced to work on new sugar and cotton plantations.
Tens of thousands of Pacific Island laborers were brought to Australia from neighboring Melanesian and Polynesian islands. In particular, Queensland, during the late 19th century, used these indentured laborers for work on sugarcane plantations. Estimates suggest around 60,000 to 80,000 humans were involved.
Fiji was another major destination and saw a significant influx of blackbirded laborers, with estimates ranging from 60,000 to 70,000 individuals. The sugarcane industry in Fiji heavily relied on coerced labor.
In Australia and other colonial powers involved in black birding, legislative measures were introduced to regulate and eventually restrict the recruitment of labor from Pacific Island nations. These measures aimed to improve labor conditions and protect the rights of indigenous populations. The practices associated with blackbirding were increasingly criticized by humanitarian and human rights advocates internationally. Reports of abuse, mistreatment, and exploitation of laborers led to growing pressure on countries involved in the practice to address these concerns. In various regions, including Australia and Fiji, labor reforms were introduced to address the unethical practices associated with blackbirding. The goal was to ensure fair treatment, appropriate wages, and better working conditions for laborers. Indigenous communities in affected regions began advocating for their rights and raising awareness about the mistreatment and exploitation they faced due to blackbirding. Their efforts contributed to increased attention on the issue and the need for change. As economies evolved and industries changed, the demand for labor through blackbirding diminished. Economic factors, coupled with increased awareness of ethical concerns, contributed to the decline of the practice. By the early 20th century, blackbirding had largely faded as a widespread practice due to a combination of the factors mentioned above. Many countries introduced laws and reforms to prevent the recruitment of labor through coercion and deception.
Formal Deportations of South Sea Island Laborers began in 1906 and continued until 1908. More than 7,500 South Sea Islanders were returned to their home country, though some had arrived in Australia at such a young age they would have had no memory of their exact origin. Indenture ceased in Fiji in 1911.
The official Australian South Sea Islander flag initially designed in consultation with the ASSI community. The flag was formally adopted in 1998. The color scheme incorporates colors resonant to people with forebears of which the three quarters of the trade were taken from the 83 islands of Vanuatu and are represented through colors green, gold and black, a third of the trade was from the Solomon Islands represented with blue, white, green. The overall flag is inclusive other parts of the South Pacific affected by Blackbirding as we are connected through the ocean blue and white stars.
While the formal abolition of blackbirding marked an important step in ending the exploitative practices, it's important to recognize that the legacy of blackbirding continues to impact affected communities to this day. The efforts to remember this history, address its consequences, and promote awareness of human rights and social justice continue in the affected regions.
THOR HEYERDAHL'S KON-TIKI EXPEDITION
UNSOLVED MYSTERIES:
SOLUTIONS WRITTEN IN THE SAND AT LOW TIDE
In spite of living in the age of information, there are many unsolved mysteries in the world yet. These are mysteries that may not ever be solved. Nonetheless, there have always been and will always be people unsettled with not knowing, asking questions, seeking answers, inventing theories, proposing possible solutions, and testing ideas. The question of human migration is one such mystery shrouded in many theories that do not all agree thereby leaving the definitive explanation as elusive as sailors plans written in the sand at low tide.
Luc & Viviane – Fountaine Pajot 42′ The story of Thor Heyerdahl can be found in books, museums, and in movies. He was born in Norway in 1914 and grew into an inquisitive and adventurous archeologist, geologist, ethnographer. He is most known for proposing, testing, and potentially proving his theory of human migration from South America to Polynesia. He surmised that Polynesia was actually populated from the east by Indigenous South Americans who drifted aboard balsawood rafts across the ocean. He sought to prove his theory by building a balsawood raft, which he named Kon-Tiki, lashing it together with natural materials as it may have been, setting out to sea, and drifting to Polynesia. However, in the spring of 1947, Kon-Tiki, Thor, and her crew put out to sea in search of ocean current that runs west from South America to Polynesia. After 101 days alone at sea, Heyerdahl completed his so-called Kon-Tiki expedition, leaving the world in awe. Kon-Tiki and her crew crashed into the eastern side of the Raroai Atoll in the Tuamotus in French Polynesia. Thor met few scholars who supported this theory of Polynesian settlement stemming from South America then or even now. However, his drift theory has been looked to by some as a testament to oceans as conduits for cultural transmission.
Set among a million shades of blue, a beautiful anchorage and a small monument to the Kon-Tiki expedition can be found on the inside of the Raroia Atoll in the Tuamotus.
WHEN THE HALYARD SKIES OFFSHORE...WHAT DO YOU DO?
WHEN THE HALYARD SKIES OFFSHORE...WHAT DO YOU DO?
On every passage there are sail changes and shifts that go smoothly or even better than expected...and then there are the surprises. Some surprises are more or less demanding than others. Our most recent surprise underway gave Captain Mike the opportunity to go up the mast in the middle of the ocean under clear blue skies over gentle 2 meter seas.
His thought was, "I'd rather see what it's like now under these conditions in case I have to consider going up the mast in anything else."
Here's what happened:
Last week, we sailed from the Marquesas to the Tuamotus. Conditions were excellent; we decided to go dead downwind and fly our Main and Jib wing and wing. We poled out the jib, adjusted our course, set the main, and put a preventer on it. The boat felt rock solid sliding down waves and sailing at 9-10 knots.
The wind slacked, we shook out the reef and sailed for maybe 5 more minutes before we heard a "floosh" sound and SURPRISE our mainsail lay a limp pile on the boom.
After minimal discussion, Mike went up the mast to retrieve the halyard. He used his ascenders on one of our spinnaker halyards and we backed it up with our second headsail halyard. At the second spreaders we swapped and he was raised the rest of the way on the headsail halyard and the spinnaker halyard was his backup. Now with all these halyards, where is the backup main halyard? THAT and a backup mizzen halyard are now on our list. Had we had a backup main halyard we could have waited to ascend the mast on anchor instead of underway. Hindsight is indeed 20:20!
Once down with the skied halyard, we found that the shackle had opened, the main twisted out, and bent the shackle arms open. We fixed that, reattached the halyard to the sail, raised the main.
Mike's Take-away:
"It was about what I expected. The hardest thing was staying on the mast. I would definitely not want to go up in anything more than that without more in place to make it easier...like maybe some mast steps or a better climbing set-up."
SV WHIRLWIND Mike, Maurisa, Russell, & Josea - Alajuela 48
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURES UNDERWAY
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Marquesas named UNESCO World Heritage Site
Marquesas named
UNESCO World Heritage Site
According to the World Heritage Convention, The Marquesan Islands were recently named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its "exceptional testimony to the territorial occupation of the Marquesas archipelago by a human civilization that arrived by sea around the year 1000 CE and developed on these isolated islands between the 10th and the 19th centuries. It is also a hotspot of biodiversity that combines irreplaceable and exceptionally well conserved marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Marked by sharp ridges, impressive peaks and cliffs rising abruptly above the ocean, the landscapes of the archipelago are unparalleled in these tropical latitudes. The archipelago is a major centre of endemism, home to rare and diverse flora, a diversity of emblematic marine species, and one of the most diverse seabird assemblages in the South Pacific. Virtually free from human exploitation, Marquesan waters are among the world’s last marine wilderness areas. The property also includes archaeological sites ranging from monumental dry-stone structures to lithic sculptures and engravings." https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1707
The ancient Marquesan anthropomorphic sculptures or tiki have received wide attention since they were first noted in 1595. Oral stories of their significance are difficult to come by as many have been lost. The Marquesan language has been all but lost to French in the islands although, presently there are many people trying to study it, use it, and keep it alive. Beginning in 1980's, there have been academic efforts to trace the history of Marquesan language, spirituality, and stone structures. Stylistically the Marquesan stone tiki followed certain social rules with similar characteristics to tattoos and material objects.
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE HUMPBACK WHALES MOVE TO THEIR BREEDING GROUNDS
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE HUMPBACK WHALES
MOVE TO THEIR BREEDING GROUNDS
It is the austral winter in the Southern Hemisphere right now which means that the Southern Hemisphere humpback whale populations have moved from their feeding grounds along the Antarctic coast to their more northerly breeding grounds. In the South Pacific, that means that humpbacks can be seen and heard in their low latitude breeding grounds where they will mate and calve. Humpback Whales breed around oceanic islands, offshore seamounts, and reef systems.
Where to find Southern Hemisphere Humpback whales this time of year:
- Oceania in the South Pacific islands of French Polynesia, Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji, Niue, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Tonga, and Norfolk Island.
- The Pacific coasts of Central and South America as far north as northern Costa Rica to Ecuador including the Galapagos, and the Pacific Panamanian Islands.
- The Atlantic coastal waters off Brazil around 23 (degrees) S
- Southwestern and Southeastern Africa
- Northwestern and Northeastern Australia
According to Mark Carwardine’s HANDBOOK OF WHALES, DOLPHINS, AND PORPOISES OF THE WORLD: “Humpbacks that feed in widely separated regions in the summer gather together and mix in the same breeding grounds (increasing the chances of finding each other and promoting genetic diversity).” Like sea turtles there is a strong loyalty to natal breeding grounds. Mother -Calf pairs generally stay close to one another and prefer shallower water. They may or may not have another whale with them. Other groups of whales are usually made up of a female whale and a dominant ‘escort’ and perhaps other hopeful ‘escort - contenders’.
The demonstrative behaviors of humpback whales make are very distinct. Both males and females of all ages breech, dive, tail waggle and smack, and flipper wave and slap. They can be seen doing this on their own or in larger groups. Both males and females can vocalize for communications and the Singing Humpbacks are usually lone males. Their songs can travel great distances (tens of Kilometers) in the ocean to be heard underwater and through the hull of vessels. The songs are shared among large groups of whales and evolve. They have been described as everything from haunting to beautiful.
Up until the mid-1950’s the humpback whale as a species was depleted by 95% in the whaling days and today, their biggest threat is entanglement in fishing gear. Other threats include noise pollution, ship strikes, oil and gas development, and coastal habitat disturbance/destruction. Thankfully, global humpback whale populations have recovered significantly with the ending of commercial whaling and despite current threats this majestic whale is thriving.
MUST SEE: LEVUKA, FIJI
MUST SEE: LEVUKA, FIJI 
THE ORIGINAL GUNKHOLES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
Levuka is a town on the eastern coast of the Fijian Island of Ovalau. Up until 1877, it was the capital of Fiji. Currently, this strangely haunted town has a population of about 5,000. It is the economic hub of the largest of 24 settlements on the Island. Levuka was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2013, in recognition of the port town's exceptional testimony to the late colonial port towns in the Pacific Ocean.
The modern town of Levuka was founded around 1820 by European settlers and traders as the first modern town in the Fiji Islands. Levuka quickly became an important port and trading post in the Pacific. A disparate band of settlers made up Levuka's population- traders, missionaries, shipwrights, speculators, vagabonds, and even respectable businessmen. Much of Levuka’s unique heritage is in its wooden architecture (highly vulnerable to fire).
The South Pacific's first Masonic Lodge was built in 1913 and housed the Freemasons that were established in Levuka by Alexander Barrack in 1875. There is much controversy about the Masonic fraternity in Fiji. The dominant traditional Christian faiths consider the Masons to be devil-worshippers. The Masonic Lodge was burned down in the 2000 Fiji coup d'etat. The Lodge contained priceless historical artifacts and records of Levuka's history dating back to 1875. The arsonists have yet to be identified and prosecuted.
GOOD NAUTICAL: BAIE MARQUISIENNE
GOOD NAUTICAL: BAIE MARQUISIENNE
Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
8°54.8555'S, 140°13.4389'W
Baie Marquesienne is on the western facing side of the island of Nuku Hiva. The Trade Winds generally blow from the East or SE; the swell is similar so this anchorage is generally in the lee of the island making the anchorage very calm and surprisingly dry. Since the water is calm, the clarity is pretty good too and there is a nice spot to snorkel on the N side of the anchorage. I saw sharks, dolphins, and lots of very colorful fish among large boulders and small bits of coral here and there. The bay is surrounded by rocky hillsides that appear to be dry with patches of green vegetation where wild goats roam and bleat all day long. A valley winds up into a steep canyon.
The head of the bay is a rather steep too so landing is not really an option. We have four people onboard and were fortunate to have two that wanted to stay onboard and two that wanted to explore. So, we got dropped off on the beach, brought a radio, some water, and headed off into the wild. There is no marked trail to follow but there are waterways (some dry, some running, some rushing) that we followed up and up and up...until we could not go up any more. As we travelled up the valley we found an oasis and a waterfall, wild pigs and goats, many different flowering trees and plenty of shade to stay cool.
https://goodnautical.com/french-polynesia/anchorage/anse-uea-bai-marquisienne
SV WINDSONG SAILS FROM FRENCH POLYNESIA TO FIJI
SOUTH PACIFIC PASSAGE REPORT:
French Polynesia to Fiji, with stops in Aitutaki and Vava’u, Tonga.
with Erick & Jenny on SV WINDSONG
Having cleared out of French Polynesia in Bora Bora, we made way towards French Polynesia’s westernmost settled island of Maupiti to wait for our weather window to sail west towards Tonga, and our ultimate destination of Fiji. We entered Maupiti through the narrow and daunting pass, and dropped anchor in the beautiful lagoon, ready to spend a few days enjoying the last taste of French Polynesia. Those few days ultimately ended up being over three weeks, as the South Pacific weather patterns decided to send system after system of immense swells towards French Polynesia, pinning us into Maupiti.
Maupiti’s one pass faces directly south, as such it receives the dominant southerly swells face on. When swells reach 2 meters and above, it is unsafe to navigate in a small sailboat not only due to the waves nearly closing out the channel, but also the strong current caused by all the water needing to escape the lagoon. The dominant winds oppose the current, causing chaotic standing waves. While there were a few times where the wind forecast looked good for us to leave towards Tonga, the waves kept us pinned in for all those weeks.
Once the wait was finally over, we had a clear weather window to sail west and the swells died down. We enjoyed one final night in Maupiti experiencing the opening ceremonies of the French Polynesian Heiva festival, a lovely way to send us off to the next adventure. The next morning, we set sail, having beautiful sunny skies and perfect 15-17 knots downwind. Only two days into the passage, a trough which was in the forecast but was previously showing to be quick and mild, had now strengthened and pushed more north, right into our path in about 5 days. One more day’s forecast update now showed we would enter a nasty zone of rotating winds as the trough pushed through our path. We decided to alter course further South to Aitutaki, Cook Islands.
We spent a lovely 10 days in Aitutaki waiting out the front, which showed some nasty rotating winds as we were at anchor, giving us comfort that we made the right decision to put into port instead of carrying on at sea. Once conditions settled, we set out to Tonga. We saw another weak trough coming through on the forecast, so we aimed northwest to get out of the potential zone of thunderstorms or squalls. The first few days were prefect sailing, and once the trough moved below us we had one day of dead calm wind, which we motored through, before the southeasterlies came back. We escaped the squalls thankfully, and now turned more southeast towards Tonga.
The next few days were among the roughest we have had at sea. While the winds were steady at 20-25 knots, it was the seas that gave us the most trouble. 3 meters, very short period, coming from multiple directions. It was the first time in almost 10,000 nm sailed that both of us felt seasick. We always keep night watches in the cockpit, but waves would regularly break over the boat, soaking us and making for uncomfortable conditions; as such we spent much of our time below. The next three days passed like this, and we finally made landfall in Vava’u Tonga, happy to have the long part of the “dangerous middle” Pacific past us.
With a few weeks of time enjoyed in Tonga, we set sail for the last of our long passages to Fiji. This passage was just about the best sailing we have ever experienced, easy light winds and mellow seas. Humpback whales breaching here and there, fish on the lines, easy motion, sunny skies and a stunning full moon. We are now settled into Fiji and look forward to only needing to do short hop sails for the rest of the season.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURE ON THE WATER
SV WINDSONG Erick & Jenny - Downeaster Cutter 38′
GOOD NAUTICAL: Makogai Island Dalice Village, FIJI
GOOD NAUTICAL:
Makogai Island Dalice Village, FIJI
17° 26.4200' S, 178° 57.9100' E
Makogai is located in the heart of the Lomaiviti Group in Fji. Makogai is not only abundant with biodiversity and beauty, but brimming with South Pacific history. Like many Islands in the South Pacific, approaching the island and navigating to the anchorage requires careful study, preparation, and planning. Ideally, once the anchor is set gently in the sand paradise it found.
Recently, Pacific Posse member asked the group whether anyone had a track for entering Makogai. Chris on SeaGlub quickly responded:
Haven't been myself but this is a shot from trusted friends:
*NOTE: these tracks are shared friend to friend...a POSSE PERK...verification and a sharp lookout still required.
To read more about Makogai click on this link:
https://www.fijimarinas.com/anchorage-at-makogai-a-significant-south-pacific-treasure/
Makogai Island, located in Fiji's Lomaiviti Group, offers a unique experience for sailors, blending natural beauty with rich historical significance. The island is best known for its past as a leprosy colony from 1911 to 1969, and today, remnants of this history can still be explored, including the old leper colony ruins and a graveyard. The island now serves as a mariculture center focused on the conservation and breeding of giant clams, an effort crucial for maintaining marine biodiversity (Two At Sea) (Levuka Town).
For sailors, anchoring at Makogai Island, particularly in Dalice Bay, presents a serene and picturesque spot. The anchorage is protected by surrounding reefs and small islets, offering a calm and enclosed environment. The approach to Dalice Bay can be navigated through two main passes, with the north entrance often preferred for its ease. Once anchored, sailors can engage with the island's caretaker, who also acts as an informal chief, by participating in a traditional sevusevu ceremony, where kava is presented as a gift. In return, the caretaker provides a tour of the island, including the leper colony ruins and the giant clam farm (Two At Sea) (Wikipedia).
Makogai Island is also home to a significant marine research station, focusing on the conservation of giant clams and trochus clams. This initiative began in the 1980s and has since played a vital role in repopulating Fiji's reefs with these important species. The island's ecosystem, featuring verdant hills, palm-covered flatlands, and clear teal waters, adds to the allure for visiting sailors (Wikipedia) (Diver Bliss).