Western Samoa

 

Hello Again

Alec cutting up Pomelos
 

We leave Palmerston Atoll with east south east winds. It is a sunny morning, but lots of cloud about. We are running under a reef in the main and no jib, and are able to maintain a speed between 5.5-6.5kts. The seas are between 2-3mts with breaking tops. It is a little rolly, but not too uncomfortable. I am able to make muffins to go with our morning coffee, and make a batch of yogurt. Dinner is crumbed parrot fish fillets which we were given. It really is a yummy fish.

An evening of light winds
 

It takes us five days to cover the 595nm to Western Samoa. The last couple of days the winds dropped making for a slower trip. But we are now anchored in Apia harbour on Western Samoa’s north coast. We passed American Samoa to our starboard during the night.

We did have squalls on this leg, but the winds were never above 17-19kts. We are also notice how much warmer and more humid it is here. The nights in Rarotonga had been quite cool.

Also on this leg we crossed the International Date Line, so we are now one day ahead. We check into Samoa the following morning. It is Thursday 17^th October. Alec takes the tender ashore to the small marina in the corner of the harbour. Most of it was destroyed in a cyclone a few years back. Like many things here overseas aid provides amenities, but there is a lack of upkeep when things start to fall apart.

SHAMAL at anchor, Apia Harbour

He brings back the Health and Customs officers. I am horrified to see that our Health officer has nits, yes I mean head lice! The officers do their inspection and paperwork. Alec returns them to the marina and is to bring out the Quarantine officer. It has been raining quite heavily on and off, and they are not keen on a dinghy ride out into the harbour. So, Alec says he will bring ALL rubbish etc. into the station which they agree to! We take it to the quarantine office where it is disposed of in a huge incinerator. Job done, that was easy enough. Next is a walk into town to visit Immigration for the stamp in our passports. With that complete we call into the bank. It is now hot and very muggy. The bank is air conditioned and the tile floor would make for a lovely cool place to lie down on. Of course I refrain, but I do take off my sandals and let the tiles cool at least my feet.

New Catholic Church, Apia
 

Samoa has a particularly long history dating back to around 1000 B.C. An ancient race of people known as the Lapita are believed to have crossed the seas in large sailing canoes from the Solomon Islands and spread into the Pacific. They are said to have developed the Polynesian culture. Archaeologists have found their pottery here, as well as on other islands in the Pacific.

It appears that whalers, pirates and even escaped convicts were on Samoa before the first recorded European arrival. This was a Dutchman by the name of Jacob Roggeveen who sighted the Manu’a Islands in American Samoa in 1722. He sailed by without making landfall.  Over the next 100 years other Europeans arrived, and again brought diseases to which the islanders had no immunity.

The Hilton (Aggie Grey's Hotel) Apia

The Missionary John Williams arrived in 1830 followed by Methodist and Catholics, and a little later by the Mormons. Today, Christianity plays a very important roll in the lives of the people. Every village has a least one large church. In Apia, we lost count of the number we could see from our anchorage in the harbour. Church is followed by a traditional Sunday lunch.

In the 1800s the British, Americans and Germans were all showing an interest in Samoan territory. Then in 1899 a treaty was signed giving control of Western Samoa to the Germans, and eastern Samoa to the Americans. Then in 1914 at the outbreak of WW1 Britain persuaded New Zealand to seize German Samoa. This was done without resistance from Germany. They were having enough problems at home to worry about the take over.

Local Fish Market

Then a devastating outbreak of influenza in 1919 killed off more than 7000 people. This along with the European influence fuelled anger among the local population who were now calling for independence. After a change of government in New Zealand, Western Samoa’s independence was acknowledged, and by 1962 it was finally achieved.

The two Samoa’s lie in the heart of the South Pacific. American Samoa lies approximately 70 miles to the west of Western Samoa. Western Samoa is made up of two main islands. ‘Upolu, where Apia the capital is situated on the north coast, and Savai’i a little to the east. They are volcanic islands with tropical forests and vegetation.

 New Police Boat

Alec had worked for Polynesian Airlines in 2003-4 and lived in Apia. We had explored the island of Upolu by car and visited the beautiful south coast white sandy beaches. We had visited the lovely home of the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, which is now a museum. We had visited Aggie Grey’s famous hotel and been to visit her grave set in the hills above Apia where the temperature are more pleasant. Then on a later trip to these islands we visited Savai’i. This trip was to see the changes in Apia, and Alec was able to catch up with old friends.

The thing that noticeable stood out was the amount of foreign aid that had come into the country, and projects that were under way by foreign countries. Australia has supplied a new Police boat, New Zealand a new ferry to service the Tokelau Islands. The Japanese were building a new bridge. The current port had been expanded by the Japanese. They had also built a seawall around the Apia Harbour.  A Chinese delegation was visiting and Samoa was asking for a new larger port, and the Chinese were also constructing the Samoa-China Friendship Park and Art and Culture Centre on the Apia waterfront. It will be quite grand when completed. But all of this comes at a cost for the local people. Nothing is for free. It seems that these foreign countries are jostling for position of influence.

Fishing Boat, note chopper for spotting tuna!

As we sat in the harbour foreign fishing vessels were arriving every day and unloading their catch into contains to be sent offshore. One even had the helicopter on board which is used to spot the tuna schools. No wonder the Pacific tuna numbers are now depleting.

Thursday 24^th October sees us up anchor from Apia Harbour and motor out. Then its sails up. Reef in the main as we have squalls about. We sail along the north coast then drop between ‘Upolu and Savai’i through the Apolima Strait. We are now on our way to the first group of the Tongan islands.

The Admiral and Commander will sign out for now.