Blog Entry 19 – Sixteenth October 2008

CURRENT POSITION: 14 40 S  -  172 14 W

HEADING: 259T

SPEED: 9.3 kts

JACK:

Hi Folks,

We cleared the picturesque Pago Pago harbour this morning and I must say it was sad to leave the characters we met over the past few days even the taxi drivers were unhappy if we didn’t choose their cab for transport.  The name Speedbird spread quickly no doubt through our method of acknowledgement for services rendered, i.e. a few bucks in a handshake.  It was interesting when requesting permission to leave the harbour by VHF radio to the port captain graciously invited us back, wished us well and a safe trip.  He then answered a request from a French warship that he had failed to acknowledge despite their calling for 30 mins. 

General synopsis of conditions etc. at Pago Pago confirmed there are some 60000 residence spread over 7 islands with a total land mass of 36.1 square miles, of this of course two thirds is mountainous terrain and unusable for building.  In the year 2000 the median age was 21 years.  The residence are heavily supported by Uncle Sam with a per capita income as at year 2000 of 5000 dollars.  Primary income sources are from canned tuna, government services and retailing.  The tax structure mirrors the US except for territorial tax and most importantly investment incentives.  These generous incentives include a minimum 4% tax rate on personal income, 34% of so much of the taxable income as exceeds 75000 but does not exceed 650000, 5% excise tax on items imported for commercial resale, no gross receipts, property, export or value added tax.  The governor of American Samoa can grant exemptions from local tax on some or all taxes from up to 10 years for the establishment or expansion under the industry incentives act.  Foreign sales corporations established in the territory may receive an eleven-year exemption of corporate taxes dividend distributions, custom duties and other taxes.  There is no requirement to maintain an office or agent or to hold shareholders meetings in the territory.  There is no restriction on the repatriation of funds etc. 

So when I tell you there is already one McDonalds established near the airport and another McDonalds under construction in the port area i.e. 2 for just 60000 people you will see why they are they establishing themselves in Samoa.  With cruise boats coming back to the area and a previously used cable car allowed to fall into disrepair and a mountain overlooking the port a great opportunity exists for a casino and resort.  Also noted, roads and new buildings are already being constructed by Australian companies. 

The government being aware of their alliance of the fading tuna industry currently employing some 2000 people they will go all out in assisting tourist orientated ventures.

We expect to arrive in Fiji on the morning of the fourth day at sea it is now happy hour so we will catch up later.

Blog Entry 18 - 14 Oct 2008

Hi folks,

After 2265NM from Honolulu we have arrived at the island of Tutuila (14 17S, 170 40W), now universally known as Pago Pago pronounced pang-o pang-o after the main port of entry.  This island like the Tahitian group is mountainous and is considered to be one of the best ‘Hurricane holes’ in the south pacific, hopefully we will not need a hurricane hole.  This is a commercial port for the large fishing fleet and tuna-canning factory.

Even with the short break at Fanning Island this trip has been a little tiring, bucking the trade winds, 3M swells that strike the port quarter and port side.  The stabilizing fins are superb and necessary for an ocean trip in a motor vessel. 

The restaurants are described as ‘unremarkable’ in our pilot books and whilst we will seek a good restaurant even an unremarkable one that stays still will do.  In fact we had lunch today at an ocean front restaurant and were given extra beer because the 4 meals did not arrive together.  The meals were excellent and when this beautiful port comes up to tourist standard it will be the place to visit.

The crew are happy and well, and Speedbird is superb.  She is burning 3.7 US GPH plus 1.5 US GPH to run the generator to give us air-conditioned travel.  The garbage compactor is great and allows us to compact and store a large volume of rubbish in a confined space.

We have met the requirements of customs, immigration and port authorities and will get a spot to anchor in the harbour tomorrow.

Love to all.

Jack

Blog Entry 17 – Eleventh of October 2008

POSITION:                 09 27S, 167 30N

SPEED:                         8.0kts

HEADING:                       199T

BRIAN:  

Como ninguem me-falou que a ultimo entrada no blog foi bom ou ruim, eu vou fazer outro para vocês.  Esta semana foi muito interessante, comprido, legal, e chatô.  Fanning Island é igual uma cidade bem no interior da Bahia, mas o interior mesmo.  Não tem electricidade ou communicações com o resto do mundo.  Não tem telefone ou internet.  Tem um cara com um HAM radio só.  Tem dois out res carros que anda, menino corrindo nu na rua, e as casas são feito da cocôqueira, que tem muito.  A agua é bem clara, turquoisa, linda.  Praias maravilhosas.  Nosso barco foi a terceira que parou lá este ano.  Tres dias atráz a gente cruzou a linha do equador, duas horas da manana – um brinde de rum para todo mundo…  Agora nós estamos no posicão 9˚S 167˚W.  É para chega segunda-feira no Pago Pago, Samoa.  Este semana que passou o mar ficou mais chatô ainda, e pela a primeira vez em minha vida eu ficou expulso, rejeitado da cama!  Fui voando contra a parede – por causa das ondas…  Mas é isso.  Todo mundo está esperando a chegada na terra firma.  A gente vai comprar comida e combustível, relaxe um pouco, come bem, e depois o dono vai pegar avião para Australia e eu e os outros dois austalianos vai para a isla do Fiji.  Mai sou menos tres dias de viajem da Samoa.  Os aussies são felizes a estam no hemisfero deles, no sul, e para mim a aventura vai continuará.  Goodbye, amor, beijos e abraços.

ROGER:

Hi everyone,

Its 1230 local time and we are at 09 27S, 167 30W.  Since leaving Fanning Island there isn’t much to write home about except the difficulty of staying on our feet preparing quick and simple meals and dealing with the incessant roll of the boat in 3M swells on our beam.  The south east trade wind strengthens each day and mercifully sometimes at night drops off leaving conditions a little more bearable.  I set up a mattress on the floor of the saloon and whilst off watch I sleep there but keep sliding off it, so I now sleep on one of the recliner chairs in the saloon.  I can wedge this across the saloon between table and sideboard and feel reasonably confident the recliner and I won’t part company.  Jack has the best berth on the setee in the saloon, Brian in the master cabin where on one particular rough night he finished up on the floor.  Scott moves about the boat like a cat trying to find the most comfortable place to sleep whilst off watch.  We have another full day and two nights of these conditions before reaching Pago Pago, ETA late AM Monday our time.  So far this passage has been voted the most uncomfortable and we are all looking forward to getting into Pago.  Love from us to all.

Thursday 9th October 2008

POSITION: 03 54S, 154 08N

HEADING: 193T

SPEED: 7.7kts

SCOTT:

Hi Everyone,

Well today and last night have been the worst conditions so far, we had the first bit of green water over the deck and that is saying something for the mighty Speedbird to dig her nose in.  The seas have risen to 3 to 3.5 meters and the wind is constant at 20kts both sea and wind are on the port beam.  I tried to poach some eggs this morning and they came out scrambled and nicely arranged in all corners of the microwave.  It is a test of the reflexes opening the fridge door you need to be ready for the olives slash can of coke that is just waiting to jump out and hit you in the head.  The crew has been good and is coping well with the sleepless nights, I think after this leg I will be able to sleep tied by my ankles to the back of a roller coaster.  We are seeing alot of Jap fishing boats who are out here for the tuna we just need to be careful and make sure we don't hit their fishing gear, Jack has an instrument here which identifies the light signals and sequences so we can tell the direction they are heading and the type of fishing they are doing it has been helpful.  We are about 700 miles out of Pago Pago now which equates to about four more days.  Even though Pago is a commercial port and is known for its smell that wafts from the tuna processing plants we will be glad to have a rest from this weather.

Hope all is well, we are all missing out friends and loved ones.

Scott and the Boys. 

TUESDAY THE 7TH OCTOBER 2008

TIME: 1000Z

POSITION: 01 45N,  160 43W

SPEED: 6.9 kts

HEADING: 198T

JACK:

We are now 120NM from Fanning, on course 200T for Pago Pago.  I have finally got full control of my sea legs and can make a coffee balancing on one toe.  Sea state reasonable with 2m swells made a little uncomfortable by a 15 knot wind on our port side.  Many thanks to the inventors of stabilizers.  We will probably cross the equator in the early hours of tomorrow morning and it will feel great to be in the southern hemisphere.

Love to all.

Blog Entry 14 – 4th October 2008

JACK:

Hi Folks,

Well we have arrived at Fanning Island (‘Tabuaeran’ in the native tongue) this morning in the republic of Kiribati pronounced (khi-rii-bass) made up of the Gilbert, Line and Phoenix Islands discovered by US explorer Edmund Fanning in 1798 and annexed by Great Britain 1889. 

            Fanning is a little out of our way from the direct route Honolulu to Pago Pago however its isolation is its attraction being 1040 NM from Honolulu and 1250 NM from Pago, boy is this isolated.  So for the Burraneer bay crew mapping our progress we are located 03 51N, 159 22W.

            The lagoon is large and deep in places and reasonably protected although the sand and coral holding ground would require a constant anchor watch even in moderate winds.  Being fair minded we took a vote on this and Scott lost.  This said it’s a nice location to rest a while and being 5pm in the afternoon Roger is preparing his marinated steaks to go with red wine compliments of Erin and Leon so perhaps it will be a fairly relaxed evening and in air conditioned comfort watching some of our 300 movies thanks again Erin, Leon, Danni and Taylor for insisting that we take some entertainment. 

Bruce, thanks for the interesting email and yes there are now two radio masts although neither were of assistance when we attempted to contact the harbour master to confirm entry conditions and pilotage, the entry is narrow with an ebb tidal flow of 8 knots so dodging coral heads etc raised some sweat and my comments about the work ethic of the locals perhaps left something to be desired.

We had a look round this afternoon and I would like to get stuck into this place with a D9 to make way for a 5 star accommodation.  Tomorrow they have some ‘Teachers day celebration’ and the boys promised to attend a tribal get together to eat some pig.  Not seeing too much soap around the place or washing facilities, I am volunteering for anchor watch at this time.  That’s all from me as roger just called out the steaks are done.

All the best,

Jack.

SCOTT:

Hello all,

Today has been very long but also very interesting.  From 3AM we have been awake, negotiating the small and difficult entrance to this atoll with neither of the nav computers being any help because the maps were out by a few degrees which made it look like we were about to mount the reef yet we could see that we were clearly in the right spot.  After sliding through the 50-meter gap unscathed we found it difficult then to moore amongst the wrecked ships and large sections of coral.  All good fun and nice now that we are sitting in a still lagoon in the clearest most turquoise coloured water surrounded completely by coconut trees.  Tomorrow Brian and I are going to grab a couple of large sacks and get some nuts from a place out of the village a bit.  We will compare the colour and size of our nuts then Brian will share his nuts with Jack and I’ll probably give Roger a taste of mine. 

We went for a walk around today and the people are still living like they probably did 100 years ago.  They have pigs and chooks running free around the dirt streets with the young kids who live their lives free from clothes and worries no doubt.  It looks as though white man has had an influence from time to time with the odd brick building and lightweight truck that now have been abandoned and left to decay.  This tells me that they have no need or desire to use modern equipment, even the fish traps being used were made completely from natural materials.  Some of the pictures we have will blow you away…

Until next time.  

 

Blog entry 13 – 1st October 2008

TIME:                        1300Z

POSITION:                         11 18. 126N / 158 48. 400W

SPEED:                         8.3 kts

BEARING:                         177T

 

SCOTT:

Conditions today have deteriorated a little.  We have about 20 knots of breeze and 2M of swell hitting us on the port beam, it makes for very uncomfortable travel, still, it could be much worse and the barometer is steady so we should be ok. 

Speedbird is really enjoying the trip and continues to become part of the environment, or tries to.  The small pigeons that tried to make a nest in our spare anchor were shoved off time and time again along with all the twigs and leaves. We thought they were really nice at first but unfortunately we don’t think the customs in Fanning would agree to the live animals entering their pristine island.  We also had a problem with the flying fish trying to join our crew last night, Brian went around this morning and threw eleven, foot long flying fish back into the water, we would have tried to eat them if we found them a little earlier.

We have estimated that by Friday lunchtime we will have arrived in Fanning and all look forward to hiding out for a few days. 

Hope everything is good back home.

Peace out.

BRIAN:

Ok, this entry is for the Brasilians…  Du me-falou que ninguem está intendendo o blog com tudo escrito in ingles.  Então eu vou TENTAR, e tentar mesmo, escrever em portugues. 

Agente passou 6 dias em Hawaii, na isla da Oahu, que está famoso para as praias da costa norte – ondas enormes para surfing.  Mas não tinha nada de onda enquanto a gente estava la.  Tambem é a isla do Pearl Harbor, mas não fomos.  Du passou quase o tempo todo comigo la, foi otima!  A gente passou dias descobrindo as praias, cada um mais bonita.  Adorei nosso tempo…

Mas agora a gente, eu e os australianos, está no alto mar 3 dias, saiu o Hawaii para o sul.  Neste momento nós estamos na LAT. 12˙00´N  LONG.158˙ 45´ W.  Nós vamos para a isla chamado Fanning Island ou Tabuaeran, perto do Christmas Island.  Os Britanicos tinha uma mina de cobre la 60 anos atrás.  Hoje em dia a mina está fechado, mas ainda existe gente la, e o dono do barco diz que existe um grupo de nativos ainda, e o chefe vem para aceitar tripulacões dos barcos que passam.  Nós temos roupas e chocolates para as crianças. 

Ontem a noite o tempo virou pior, e neste momento e chato.  Eu acho que as correntes do mar estão mudando e criando um confusão no mar, e com este vento, não ajuda.  Mas é isso.  Não pode ser fantastico o tempo todo.  Eu espero que isso deu para voces intender…  Até logo – Beijos e abraços.