American Samoa

My first impression of American Samoa was in the wee hours of the morning. When we came into the harbor the first thing I noticed was the cloudy harbor waters and then the stench of the tuna canneries. Then I noticed bags, cups, and bottles floating in the water. All I could think was, “gross, this place is awful!” This impression did not improve after we finally got the boat tied up and the bright lights of the McDonalds lit up the sky. It wasn’t until the next morning walking around the town of Fagatogo that my first impressions were proved wrong. The shock of a real American McDonalds after so long in French Polynesia wore off within the first bite of my double quarter pounder with cheese. Walking around town and checking out the local hangouts and restaurants I found myself immersed in one of the friendliest cultures I have been in.

American Samoa seems to have a little bit of the best of everything all rolled into one. Sure I miss the delicious baguette bread of French Polynesia but it has been great to be back among English speakers after what feels like so long. Will and I successfully located the cheapest ice cream cones yet here at just 50 cents for a scoop of chocolate ice cream. Stores here are cheap and have everything (and sometimes more) that you would expect to find in an American hardware of grocery store especially snack foods. I was surprised after one trip to a small store when Will walked out with a bag of “Cuttlefish Chips” and yes, they taste just like cuttlefish…I think. Busses here run everywhere just like in Panama for a dollar a ride and they even blast loud music. The internet here is still not free but it is a fraction of the cost of French Polynesia and is unlimited which makes emailing and web browsing much less stressful. The post office here is USPS and postage to the mainland is as cheap as if I was right back in North Carolina. American Samoa is also wonderfully lacking in tourists which gives it a small town feel which I have really enjoyed.

American Samoa isn’t without its own bad luck though. Minimum wage is on the rise to match that of the U.S soon and unemployment is becoming a bigger and bigger problem as the tuna canning factories that used to employ hundreds are leaving Pago Pago. Tutuila was also hit by a major Tsunami in late September of 2009 and the damage is still very evident in some boarded up buildings and even some boats that are still high and dry. Waterfront businesses in Pago Pago harbor were hit hard and some have yet to recover.

My favorite thing about American Samoan culture is the great emphasis on family and community. This trickles down into everyday interaction between Samoans as well. Everyone I have met has been respectful, ready and willing to help, and friendly on the street often stopping to talk to us. Samoa is definitely on my return-to list and I will do my best to take a little bit of Samoan culture with me. I think we could all take a lesson in family values from the Samoans.

-Alan

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June 14th, Day 10

We have arrived! We just tied up in Pago Pago, American Samoa. There is industry everywhere, it smells weird, and we can see a McDonalds from the boat. Yup were in America alright. I'm sure it will look better when the sun comes up. 

Stay tuned for updates and pictures as we explore this strange new land. 

-Alan

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June 13th, Day 9

Little to report, light wind this morning with some really rolly swells. We started the motor around noon and have been motoring ever since in hopes of speeding up our arrival. We are surrounded by small rain showers that we can see off in the distance but we've managed to sail around them so far.

Well I probably sealed our fate with that sentence. We just sailed into the rain. Hatches closed and now it's getting hot down below decks. Such is the life of a sailboat in the pacific I suppose.

Were almost there! All is well.

-Alan

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June 12th, Day 8

This morning we sailed through a drenching rain shower accompanied by another wind shift. I guess the rain likes me since I was again on watch just minding my own business watching the sunrise and here comes this rain shower to get me all wet. I turned the tables though and got a great freshwater shower from it. When Will came to relive me of the watch, naturally the rain subsided and there was a rainbow. Why do I get all the luck?

For dinner, a cold chili with beans and crackers with cheese and spinach dip! We are motoring now due to the light wind that has settled over us in the late afternoon but hope to be under sail only soon. With just 250 miles to go, were all ready to feel dry land again.

-Alan

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June 11th, Day 7

Today was another hot one but with good steady wind. We now have about 450Nm to go. In the late afternoon, some scattered clouds started building around us and we could see numerous rain showers. By about 10pm the rain hit in a big downpour that lasted about 20 minutes accompanied by a wind shift to the Notheast. During the downpour I was able to fill all my water bottles and made some gatorade. The downpour ended and so did my shift. We have had to start the motor however to give the batteries some juice. They have not been benefiting from the wind generator at all in the light conditions and the solar panels are shaded for half the day and are not able to keep up with our power usage.

We checked in with the "Pac Sea" radio net this evening. Loud and Clear!

-Alan

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June 10th, Day 6

Today was a hot one. Staying cool under the shade of the bimini cover was a must. We had a little wind shift in the morning but it straightened back out after lunch and we have made good steady progress directly on course all afternoon at around 5.5 knots. Skies have been clear, sun had been hot, wind has been windy from the SE around 5-8 knots.

This evening we listened in on and joined the Pacific Seafarers Radio Net. This net covers the entire Pacific ocean and meets daily at 3:30 UTC. With the help of about a dozen relay stations from Minnesota to New Zealand to Australia, these ham radio enthusiasts (some with large and powerful antennas) volunteer their time to listen in for any emergencies out on the pacific ocean from any vessel and take position reports from cruising vessels and make sure they arrive safely in their destination. We will be checking in with them every evening until we reach American Samoa.

In other news, our supply of baguette bread was exhausted today and just in time too as the final piece was starting to look a little green. We are starting to get very creative with out meals and are looking forward to some restocking in American Samoa.

-Alan

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June 8th and 9th, Day 4 and 5

Yesterday and today have kind of blended together. I had a late watch and we changed time zones again. We are now 7 hours behind Eastern Standard time and in the time zone of the Samoan Islands (GMT-11).

The trade winds have returned and we have been enjoying wispy scattered clouds with a beautiful blue background and some great sunsets. The wind has been relatively steady around 8-12 knots out of the SE and the seas have been calm making life onboard pleasant. We made a soup last night in the rice cooker of peas, carrots, and canned chicken which was pretty good and today we made two pots of rice for lunch. We are running low on baguette bread but we have a surplus of cheese and onions. Also, we may all be addicted to Nutella chocolate and I for one hope we don't run out!

600 miles to go!

-Alan

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June 7th, Day 3

Last night was cloudy and rainy. We had light and shifty wind and we were motoring on and off to keep moving. In the morning it was still mostly overcast but as the day progressed we sailed out of the clouds and the wind improved. By this evening we were sailing nicely and we haven't had to use the motor much today. With some luck we will see the trade winds fill back in for us and it will be easy sailing the rest of the way. We also had quite a few birds following us around today.

Everyone has been doing lots and lots of sleeping and reading while off watch. I think I probably slept for most of the day today. We are not sick of our baguette bread and cheese yet but we have plenty of time for that I suppose. The rice cooker has been doing a good job so far with meals and we even managed to cook eggs in it last night.

Nothing major to report really. No fish to speak of or freak waves but we'll keep our eyes peeled. All is pretty quiet really, maybe too quiet....knock on wood just in case.

-Alan

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June 6th, Crossing to Samoa

5:30pm local time:
It is our first full day back at sea on our way to Samoa and we have been enjoying light wind and very calm seas which we hope will continue for the rest of our crossing.

Unfortunately, we ran out of propane in Bora Bora so we were forced to make this crossing without but we still have the electric rice cooker and have been doing pretty well and trying to be creative with meals. We have lots of fresh bread and today I made a Tuna salad for lunch. We also have coconuts gathered from Bora Bora that we have been munching on.

At our current rate of speed, we hope to arrive in about 8 or 9 days for now. Too bad for Will, that won't be soon enough to catch the World Cup match between the USA and England. We will however be looking to see if we can pick up the game on the radio.

-Alan

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June 5th, Another Farewell

So long French Polynesia. We have said adios to our last French Polynesian Island, Bora Bora, and are currently back at sea. With a light Easterly wind we slipped our mooring and sailed west under main and jib through the pass without even starting the motor. A very peaceful departure indeed. With light but steady winds expected for the next 5 days we hope for at least a smooth if not also quick crossing. Knock on wood of course.

I cannot really say that I will miss the aggravatingly slow internet or phone connection afforded to the French Polynesian islands or the relatively high cost of my favorite delicious treat, ice cream. But I will definitely miss yummy cheap baguette bread (which we loaded up on before leaving) and cheeses and I will of course never forget the kind and hospitable people that we met in the Marqueses, Tuamotus and Society Islands. What an incredible experience we all had.

I am also looking forward to the future. Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu and Australia are all places I have never been and surely they will bring new and exciting experiences in the months to come as we continue to ride the trade winds across the pacific.

Look for more updates from our crossing to the Samoan Islands soon.

-Alan

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