Rotuma's Link with French Polynesia (Update 45)
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Date: Tuesday 8th June
Time: 1400 hours Samoa Time (GMT – 11 hours)
Position: 18* 22.9’ South/ 165* 42.5’ West (435 n.m. from Sinalei)

Bula Viti kei Rotuma

Another gorgeous night of sailing last night with not a cloud in the sky practically all night.

We had the Cambridge Star Atlas on deck and could clearly identify the stars used in navigation at various times of the night.

Last night we were able to watch Te Matau a Maui (Scorpio) as it tracked across the sky from East to West over our heads through the night. We watched Canopus drop below the horizon after 9pm and Achernar rise after midnight.

Progress is slow towards Samoa but at least we are managing over 140 nautical miles per day in the light 8 – 10 knots winds that have been swinging between due East and East South East over the last 24 hours.

At around 2am we watched what looked like the Air Pacific Nadi – Apia – Honolulu flight to the North of us heading from East to West. Then just before 3am we noticed a plane to the south of us travelling from West to East. We assumed this must be the Rarotonga to Auckland flight.

We received an e-mail from Teva on Faafaite this morning to say they are 150 nautical miles from home and that they caught an 18 kg Wahoo yesterday. I keep saying we are not catching any fish because of all the bananas on board.

We also received a very nice email from Duncan the skipper of Marumaru Atua. He talked about the rainsquall and rainbow just as we left Avatiu Harbour. The same happened when we farewelled Faafaite. The same also happened when we departed Raivavae, Raiatea, Moorea and Tahiti.

It has to be more than a coincidence, rainbows and rain at each departure.

Rotuma’s link with French Polynesia

Ratu Manoa and I met Robert Roland Tauaroa on Raiatea at our welcome ceremony. During the welcome lunch we happened to sit with Robert and he told us he had links with Rotuma.

Robert went on to sail on the Marumaru Atua to Rarotonga and visited us one evening at the St Joseph Hall to drink kava and share his story about Rotuma.

He told us how a Royal Prince from Rotuma named Te Fatu visited the Society Islands and married the Royal Princess, Te Ura from Vavau in Porapora (Borabora).

They had twins named Te Maro Tetini and Te Maro Tauaroa. There is a Marae on Borabora named Marae Farerua that was dedicated to the twins. Robert is a direct descendant of Te Maro Tauaroa and if you looked at Robert you would swear he was Rotuman.

Kupe the famed navigator who sailed to Aotearoa and back again was a descendant of Te Maro Tetini . Kupe’s remains have only recently been discovered on Maupiti in the Society Islands. Matua Hekenukumai (Hector) Busby visited Maupiti last year to research this as Aotearoa have a close link with Kupe.

We plan to sail Uto ni Yalo to Rotuma later this year and Robert will accompany us to try and retrace his ancestors.

If anybody has any further information on the link between French Polynesia and Rotuma, please visit our website www.fijivoyaging.com and send us a message as we would like to learn more about this fascinating link. I can also put you in touch with Robert in Tahiti.

Moce

Colin/Uto ni Yalo

Report by Satellite Phone courtesy of DIGICEL