The Skipper Speaks (Update 18)
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Update from: Jonathan Smith – Skipper
Onboard Uto Ni Yalo

We are currently cruising along at Latitude 34 South and Longitude 153 West. The 40 knot winds and 20 ft swells have abated and we now have a nice sunny day with about 20 knots of wind from the South East.

All the other canoes have caught up and we are now sailing East keeping each other in sight and trying to make as much headway as possible before the winds start turning again.

One thing for sure - it was very cold during those last few days of bad weather near the latitudes that’s called the “Roaring Forties”.

One night, around 0200 hrs, the wind chill temperature dropped right down to 7.7 degrees Celsius. Combined with the 40 knot winds, 20 foot swells, sea spray and swells breaking constantly right over the canoe, 7.7 degree temperatures, Steering with a steering oar soaking wet exposed to all these elements... it was not funny at all.  Any feint-hearted sailor would have quit on the spot. Tell you the truth, if I would have spotted a hint of an ice burg we would have headed straight for the equator where it’s nice and hot, that’s how much we hate the cold. I don’t care if we miss the chance to see a polar bear or penguin, we got Tukana (Setareki) onboard to show us what a polar bear and penguin looks and sounds like.

As always, on any ship you have to have the right combination of crew to make everything work. And this crew certainly has the right combination, even though some of them have never been to sea in their lives just sota vata (or click like clockwork). Of course on every ship I’ve been on there’s always a kisitoni (Cartoon) onboard and on the Uto Ni Yalo we have Tukana (Setareki) who keeps the moral and laughter onboard very high. Even in the roughest conditions he’s got something to do or say that just cracks everybody up. Poor Manoa Rasigatale (kai Rewa) gets constantly ribbed with no mercy what-so-ever by his Tauvu from Lau Moala, Tukana, Kaiafa, Vili and Unaisi. But he gives back just as good being a kai Rewa and of course being Manoa Rasigatale.

The other day our chief cook yells out “Weet-Bix for Breakfast”, and Tukana relayed the message to me, “Skipper, meal mix for breakfast”.

Obviously he got a few choice (can’t be published) words from me...nanuma tiko au vuaka the @#@%^$.

Doing this project has been great and I have not regretted being a part of it. I’ve sailed or worked on many foreign-going ships as Second officer and Chief Officer for over 12 years. I was arrested in Bangladesh for four months and lived on rice and water. I’ve managed diving, whale watching in Tonga and many different dive, archaeological, Scentific expeditions around the Pacific on the dive live aboard vessel Naia for another 6 years as skipper and that was another great chapter of my life. I did a stint in the Middle East, Muskat, Oman which was different but just as exciting and now this... a canoe.

My mates on the foreign-going ships are all saying “Bro, we’re trying to get onto bigger, more sophisticated ships and you seem to be going backwards!”

But I look at this project as a once in a lifetime opportunity to give back to the sea and the land what I have taken away. It allows me to promote the benefits of a healthier ocean and islands and protecting what’s left of it so our future generations can enjoy the beauty and the bountiful foods that was once so abundant. And judging by the support messages we’ve been getting online at www.fijivoyaging.com, a lot of you agree with me that this is a very worthy cause.

The big ship jobs will always be there but the Ocean is dying very quickly.  I guess there is always something new to learn no matter how old you get. Manoa is in his 60’s and he’s still as enthusiastic as if he were 16, and that’s the mentality that needs to be spread out to the younger generation now... live life to the fullest, no matter how old or how young you may be.

Moce mada.
Jonacani Smith