Browns Beach BBQ (Update 39)
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Date: Tuesday 1st June
Time: 1630 hours Tahiti Time (GMT – 10 hours)
Position: Avana Harbour, Rarotonga

Bula Viti kei Rotuma

Yesterday (Monday) we were invited to a get together with all the five crews plus the crews from the support boats, Ranui, Evohe and Foftein.

This would be the last social gathering of the crews of all five canoes. Hine Moana and Te Matau a Maui will join us on the sail to Samoa. Faafaite will be accompanied to Aitutaki by Marumaru Atua where the Cook Island crew will farewell the crew from Tahiti.

A pig was roasted right on the beach on family land belonging to Cook Island Traditional Navigator, Tua Pittman.

The support boat crews prepared a huge spread for us under two large tents behind the beach. The food and drinks were paid for by our kind sponsor Dieter Paulmann, founder of the Okeanos Foundation.

It is always wonderful talking to the other crews as there are so many interesting people amongst them.

It was a chance for Johnathan and I to talk to Teva Plichart skipper of Faafaite and Matahiarii Tutavae, President of the Tahitian Voyaging Society. We wanted to discuss our new crew member Tevita (Titaua) joining us on the rest of our voyage.

Teva was concerned about Tevita’s visa and return airfare to Tahiti. We assured them both that we would take care of Tevita and make sure he returns to Papeete safely.

Once the informal meeting was over, the crew members of Uto ni Yalo embraced Tevita and welcomed him onto our crew.

Just before the sunset, Tua invited everyone down onto the beach and we formed a large circle around him.

Claire Gardiner, wife of the Captain of Support Boat, Foftein said a few words on behalf of our sponsor, Dieter Paulmann.

Then a representative of each crew stepped forward to say a few words. I stepped forward to deliver a thank you speech on behalf of our crew.

First I called on Ian Karika, President of the Cook Islands Voyaging Society to come forward and accept a Tanoa from Fiji as a token of our appreciation for all their leadership and for being fantastic hosts.

Then I called on each of the canoe skippers to come forward and accept a Fiji flag signed by each of the Uto ni Yalo crew members. Before departing Fiji I had the flags printed with UTO NI YALO across the bottom.

Following our presentation of gifts, Ian Karika stepped into the circle to say a word of thinks to the Fiji Islands Voyaging Society.

He talked about how Fiji had been introduced to the project following a chance meeting with our crew member, Moala Tokota’a at a NGO cocktail. Moala noticed the Cook Islands Voyaging logo on Ian’s shirt and said to him, “you must meet Colin”.

The rest is history and Fiji now have their own canoe and have traveled the furthest of the five canoes.

He talked about the unity in our crew and the way we were always one step ahead of everyone with our sailing, uniforms, costumes, cultural protocol and so on.

There was loud applause in agreement with Ian’s comments.

I was standing next to Ratu Manoa and we embraced afterwards as we felt so proud of being recoginised for all our hard work and preparation for this wonderful voyage.

Next to speak was Sir Geoffrey Henry, Patron of the Cook Islands Voyaging Society. Sir Geoffrey talked about the Pacific people reclaiming our ocean, the Moana Nui.

He said our ocean is being exploited by the rest of the world and we had lost control of our largest resource.

To gathering concluded with Tua Pitmann summing up by saying that even though we were on separate Vaka’s, we were all part of one big family and the canoes were a way of connecting all the people of the Pacific Ocean.

He stressed the need for unity and for us to work closely together. Fitting final words for a wonderful evening.

Vinaka

Colin/Uto ni Yalo

Report by Satellite Phone courtesy of DIGICEL