Samoa 18/10-23/10-2016 previously called western Samoa
Time used 4 days 20.5h, Distant 516 NM, SOG 4.9 avg, 7.2 max, TWA 198, TWS in knots 12.6 avg, 25.8 max
13/10-18/12 Sailing to Samoa, also called Kingdom of Samoa
Time used 6 days and 20.5 h, Distance 516 NM, SOG 4.9 avg, 7.2 max, TWA 198, TWS in knots 12.6 avg, 25.8 max
Day 1-13/10
10:30, after checking out of Cook Islands with the nice rangers and happy to be able to give them a pack of rice, we sailed out of the reef, sat jib and stopped motor, change the bed sheets, bake bread, Lars on Poly-magnet (Andrew, Jeff and Rodger) and West Poly-magnet (Amanda and Marc) cruisers net and we are well on our way to Samoa. We had a beautiful evening and night watch with a full moon on a clear sky.
Day 2-14/10
8-10 knots of wind sail 3.3 knots, sat main sail, bake cookies, rainbow snapper from Suwarrow for dinner.
Day 3 -15/10
Maria baked rye bread and run motor for power. In the evening on Maria’s watch, with15 knots and high swells, the autopilot did not work so hand-steering. Lars slept in the cockpit.
Day 4 -16/10
Lars rinsed the hose for the salt water cooling of fridge and freezer. Lamb-shops for dinner. Beautiful orange moon.
Day 5 -17/10
Nice with Pancakes today. The autopilot did not work well during the whole night so hand-steering.
Day 6 -18/10
Six in the morning we sail in to Apia on the north coast of Upolu island, after great difficulty to wake somebody up to give us permission to enter the harbor.
At noon we got visit of the quarantine man in skirt and we could take the yellow flag down. Short time after came two custom men also in skirt and the young man started to go threw every cupboard and drawer under neath. Off cause there were forms to bee field out by Lars. We had to take a taxi to the immigration office in town and we arrived in the last minute before closing. At the tourist office in the traditional park close to the big state administration building were immigration was we got the advice to meat in the park at noon next day and join the tourist information and show for the cruising ship tourists.
Wednesday we took a taxi in to the city at noon. The show for the big Cruising ship was amusing and also good information on Samoan culture like how to make a Tapa from a tree branch (see pictures), traditional dancing and cooking in a whole in the ground with hot stones.
Thursday we had to check out from Samoa because immigration was looked during weekends and we wanted to sail on Sunday. Also provisioning was important to do and we finally find a taxi-driver that could drive us to a big supermarket.
Friday disappear in Samoa time because of the Date Line!
Saturday we hired a Taxi with a driver to go around the island for a whole day. First stop on the tour was at a convent for education of priests. We had a swim in a cave with fresh water and there was a hidden tunnel we dared not use. Upolu island is a very green Island with very beautiful sandy beaches in the south. On the way south we passed a lot of villages with the traditional Fale, that is buildings without walls. A Fale could be small, just for the family or bigger for all village people to use. Beach Fale is very popular for backpackers to rent and quit inexpensive. Lars had to drive the last part of the drive down south because the driver was close to falling a sleep. After a nice meal at the beach he could drive us back to Apia. We past by the grave of the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson’s tomb with the famous epic poem.
