Stuck in the middle of the ocean

After nearly 6 weeks relaxing in Tonga, and most cruisers already having moved on, we were feeling the heat to get moving out of the hurricane zone as well. Though all those we spoke with that had multiple passages from Tonga to New Zealand kept telling us that the longer we waited, the better the weather is for the crossing, we were still feeling like we missed the window. One in particular has made this treacherous passage more than 30 times in his 92 years (yes, he is still sailing the oceans at 92!) which did help us with some confidence in our decision to skip the most recent weather window. Those boats, by the way, got caught out there with some nasty weather with one dismasting half way across.

Another week passed and a window began to appear. We were ready. Meriwether was ready. And most importantly, the weather was showing more and more to be a good window. So we checked out of the country and set off to make the 1200 mile passage towards New Zealand with an option to bail out at Minerva Reef if the forecast began to change. We made it only 30 minutes before having to turn around as we remembered that we had forgotten a sail on the docks that we were meant to bring to New Zealand for another boat. Once retrieved, we retraced our steps and started the passage proper. It was then that we got confirmation that the boat with the 92 year old sailor had also chosen this window to cross, figuring we chose right if someone that experienced chose the same window as us.

In the first 24 hours, sailing directly South West, we passed by the other Tonga islands that we chose not to visit before getting into open ocean once again. The wind was perfectly on our beam and we had all three sails up making extremely good speed. Meriwether shines with the wind and waves on her beam. A constant heal to one side made for a much more comfortable ride than the following seas/winds of most of our time in the Pacific, which make for violent rolling back and forth. 

With a consistent 6 and even 7 knots of boat speed, we covered the 400+ miles to our one and only safe anchorage in just 72 hours. We had been spending the previous 24 hours obsessing over the forecast, which showed a new front hitting New Zealand the day after we would possibly arrive, still eight days into the future. That forecast would change, of course. The weather could get there sooner and be worse then forecast… or later and lighter. Our boat speed could drop off and stick us into the worst of it. It was a gamble we chose not to fuss with. Every time we choose to race against the weather we hate it. The need to maintain a specific speed is a major stressor and just kills any joy we get out here. So we would stop for a couple nights at Minerva Reef.

Minerva Reefs (there are two) are two submerged atolls, each with entry channels, out in the middle of no-where-Pacific. Hundreds of miles from any other land, they happen to sit smack in the path of this voyage. The reef sits under a few inches of water at low tide, and probably a few feet of water at high. It is just enough to act as a break-wall, preventing the swell from the ocean from making it into the protected inner waters, which measures roughly two miles across. This was all very similar to Beveridge Reef from not that far back, with nothing to see the full 360 degree horizon but clouds. It is truly an amazing place to be, anchored hundreds of miles in the middle of an ocean. Google Maps has numerous reviews for Minerva, and as I was browsing these reviews and photos I had a realization; every single person that comes here is a cruiser. There are no planes. No tour boats. No ferries. Only ocean crossing cruisers have “set foot” or dropped anchor at Minerva Reef, since the dawn of time. That is a very select few people on the planet. Likely no more than a few hundred boats sail through these waters each year, and not all stop.

We chose the more common north reef, where there were already a few boats anchored when we arrived. A few more would arrive in the next couple days, adding up to eight of us at peak. It didn’t take long for us to realize we made the correct choice in stopping here. The wind blew and blew. Not dangerous, but certainly uncomfortable if we were in the ocean waters. Those that left Tonga the same window as us, and continued past Minerva, had a rough ending to their passages and we were both behind and slower than them.

Most mornings during our time at Minerva all of us that gathered at Minerva we would meetup on the VHF to plan activities, socializing, and talk about possible weather windows to continue on. On one occasion Meriwether’s crew got out to partake. At low tide, with only a few inches of water covering the reef, you can actually walk on it. On the ocean-side of the reef are large holes in the reef that an adventurous person can peak into and possibly find a meal or two. And that is what we set out to do one day, as a group. I thoroughly enjoyed diving into the holes, and did spot a few lobster but could not bring myself to grab it by hand. I called in the assistance of another boater that had a spear gun, and returned home with a monster lobster… for Kerri. I don’t eat those things (actually I had a few bites this time)

For the first time in… well, I don’t remember the last time… we were making enough solar power to not have to run the motor occasionally to help in charging. Two weeks at anchor, and the motor didn’t clock a single hour or running. How great is that? We even pulled out the projector for a good old fashion movie night, just the two of us.

We did, unfortunately, depart Tonga with some stowaways; ants. Little black ants. First just one or two, but eventually their population grew. Oddly enough, they are very polite ants and not very organized at all. They haven’t been swarming a food source as I am accustomed too. Instead each ant wanders around trail blazing their own path to find a crumb before returning to the queen somewhere on Meriwether. Of course, we have no means to eradicate them. The only bait/poison we found in Tonga the ants seemed to thrive on and no population decrease was seen. Kerri had heard that if we declare the ants when arriving in New Zealand, they will fix us up with the means to get rid of them. Otherwise, they are pretty good little guys. Mostly keeping to themselves and not organizing into huge lines of ants when they do find something to eat – which is not difficult on this boat. Kerri and I talk about how, if we could communicate with them, we would be happy to coexist with these ants. Even supply them with sustenance. They do provide a good service to us by cleaning the boat, so if we could just work out a schedule for when they are active, we can start naming each of them.

In the end, our stay at Minerva went on for two full weeks, though I was not annoyed by it at all. It was nice to sit still again, get a few more minor projects done on the boat, and simply relax before the real ugly part of the passage. However, as we closed in on two weeks here, unable to progress towards New Zealand due to the weather, we were all beginning to feel a little “Hotel California” vibe from this place, and were collectively quite anxious to get moving again.