- Sailplan for 2010 Polynesian voyage
- Vutala Na Ua 2010
- Uto Ni Yalo - Update 1
- Uto Ni Yalo - Update 2
- Uto Ni Yalo - Update 3
- Uto Ni Yalo - Update 4
- Uto Ni Yalo - Update 5
- Uto Ni Yalo - Update 6
- Uto Ni Yalo - Update 7
- Uto Ni Yalo - Support, Friends in NZ
- Uto Ni Yalo - Vili's Finger
- Photos : Fiji to NZ leg
- Moce, NZ (Update 10)
- The Journey Continues (Update 11)
- Zen and the Art of Fishing (Update 12)
- Heading East (Update 13)
- The Crew Reports (Update 14)
- Uli and Life On The Seas (Update 15)
- Glorious Sun and then... (Update 16)
- Battling the Elements (Update 17)
- The Skipper Speaks (Update 18)
- Heading North! (Update 19)
- North Easter Blows (Update 20)
- Warm weather at last (Update 21)
- Becalmed (Update 22)
- Uto ni Yalo Song (Update 23)
- Raivavae Welcomes Us! (Update 24)
- Tahiti, Tourists, and Tamure (Update 25)
- Magical Motu Vaiemanu (Update 26)
- Moorea (Update 27)
- Moorea Welcome (Update 28)
- The legend of the Fe'e (Update 29)
- Papeete Welcome (Update 30)
- Missing Crew Members and Sad Goodbyes (Update 31)
- Siga Bibi Mataka (Update 32)
- Taputapuatea Marae (Update 33)
- Pufau Bay (Update 34)
- New Watch Captains (Update 35)
- Raro here we come! (Update 36)
- Carson's Story (Update 37)
- Avana Welcome (Update 38)
- Browns Beach BBQ (Update 39)
- Fiji Netball Visit (Update 40)
- Raro departure delayed (Update 41)
- Departing Raro (Update 42)
- Crew Swapping (Update 43)
- The origin of the 'Tabua' (Update 44)
- Rotuma's Link with French Polynesia (Update 45)
- Fijian links to Samoa (Update 46)
- Uto ni Yalo's carvings (Update 47)
- The story of the Samoan Tattoo (Update 48)
- Uto ni Yalo in Samoa (Update 49)
- Tonga Time (Update 50)
- Last Stop (Update 51)
- Neiafu Harbour (Update 52)
- Come Welcome the Uto Ni Yalo Home!
- A Tongan Feast (Update 53)
- Homeward Bound (Update 54)
- Fiji, we are home. (Final Update)
- “Move your paddle silently through the water”
- SUV-AUK LEG Daily diary 11/3/11 (Update 02)
- SUV-AUK LEG Daily diary 12/3/11 (Update 03)
- Weather Update (Update 04)
- New Crew Comments (Update 05)
- SUV-AUK LEG Daily diary 13/3/11 (Update 06)
- SUV-AUK LEG Daily diary 14/3/11 (Update 07)
- New Crew Comments (Update 08)
- SUV-AUK LEG Daily diary 15/3/11 (Update 09)
- SUV-AUK LEG Daily diary 16/3/11 (Update 10)
- New Crew Comments (Update 11)
- SUV-AUK LEG Daily diary 17/3/11 (Update 12)
- SUV-AUK LEG Daily diary 18/3/11 (Update 13)
- SUV-AUK LEG Daily diary 19/3/11 (Update 14)
- Herb Kawainui Kane Condolence Message
- Youngest Crew Member
- Chartered into unchartered waters
- Talk to me
- Auckland Departure
- New Leg - Update 7
- New Leg - Update 8
- Day 9 Update
- New Leg - Update 10
- New Leg - Update 11
- New Leg - Update 12
- New Leg - Update 13
- Hawaii - Update 14
- Moce Hawaii
- N. Pacific Garbage Patch - Update 16
- Cleaning Up Update 17
- San Francisco beckons Report 18
- Jack Newells Story of the knowledge collecting trip to Lau
- FIVS crew departs Fiji for San Diego for the next leg of the voyage
- Report #1 - 2012 - Uto ni Yalo - The Journey Continues
- Report #2 - 2012
- Report #3 - 2012
- Report #4 - 2012 - The Ladies of the Uto ni Yalo
- Report #5 - 2012 - Meet the "Matua"
- Report #6 - 2012 - Sunday on board - to Cabrillos
- Report #7 - 2012 - Meet the Men of the Uto ni Yalo
Uto Ni Yalo - Update 4
Report From Colin Philp – Onboard the Uto Ni Yalo via Sat Phone
Fiji Time : 1130, 1 April 2010
30º14’00”S 174º04’00”E
Before we left Fiji, we decided to name our maiden international voyage “VUTALA NA UA”, which means “breaking waves”. We felt it captured what we are trying to do with the Uto Ni Yalo as we cross the South Pacific. We didn’t expect the sea to respond so literally! 5 metre swells continue to break and crash against the canoe, but she’s holding her course (with a lot of help by the crew manning the big steering oar) and we continue to make great time as we head towards Cape Reinga on Northern New Zealand. At this point in time, we are only 266 miles from the Cape.
Yet despite the breaking waves, the skies have cleared and the sun is shining brilliantly. Last night everyone enjoyed watching the full moon rise. It always seems so much bigger and brighter when you’re out at sea, especially when no lights are on!
Last night we were managing to average 10 kts and this means we could be reaching New Zealand by tomorrow afternoon which puts us well ahead of schedule. And this will give us time to get to know the other crews from New Zealand, Cook Islands and Samoa that will be joining us as we travel to French Polynesia, and beyond over the next 12 weeks.
But the best news is that the crew are fishing once again (somewhat more carefully now – no-one else wants to lose a finger, or any other body part for that matter!) and we’ve been lucky. We caught a flying fish which we had for breakfast along with some Rolled Oats courtesy of Goodman Fielder and for lunch it’s the large mahimahi we caught this morning.
Our skipper, Jonathan Smith is very happy with the progress to date and we may just continue straight to Auckland rather than stopping at Opua Port. This means one more night without a shower (and more cold-water ocean baths!) but I think everyone will be happy to get there, and we are ahead of schedule after all. However, he’ll make the decision once we’re closer to land depending on how much the wind changes as it is expected to do over the next day or so.
Huge lolomas to everyone back home. We are getting your messages on fijivoyaging.com and we will be able to send some photos back once we are within range of a decent internet connection so check the site again soon (and don’t worry - no shots of Vili’s finger – I promise). Everyone is missing their families and contact is difficult from the middle of the ocean. I know that everyone will be putting our new Digicel phones to good use once we land.
Until then, have a happy and safe Easter, from everyone onboard the Uto Ni Yalo.
Attached Google map is a rough guide to position as at 11am today. For the latest updates, check www.fijivoyaging.com
For more information:
Nathan Hildebrand
FIVS Media Officer
