Tubuai off the Port Bow

Five days later and ten pounds lighter. Who would have known that one could subsist on mashed potatoes and saltine crackers for so many endless days at sea. I read six books and slept for approximately 80% of the trip, trying to put my mind elsewhere aside from the up and down, topsy-turvy motion of the boat. From my small porthole in my stateroom (bedroom), I went from seeing 6 inches of water to 6 inches of sky, to 6 inches of water to 6 inches of sky….and if that isn’t enough to turn one’s stomach, just throw in the acrid smell of alcohol from our galley stove, sticky 90 degree heat, and the sound of others throwing up into their personalized buckets. Poor Aunt Dedee laid in a horizontal position the entire time, ill from seasickness, Wes had insomnia, Lexi tried to catch up on homework but ended up with her head in the sink, Mom cooked up creations that nobody could eat and I lay prone on deck and tried to think happy thoughts like Peter Pan suggests. The wonderful life of sailing…….how romantic!!


My turn at the helm was from 4-6, both a.m. and p.m. , offering an excellent opportunity for brilliant sunsets and splendid sunrises. As I was trying to concentrate on not getting dizzy and running for the rail, I missed most of them and stared at the compass instead. We only hit one gale with approximately 55 mph winds one grey evening. Grey turned to black rather quickly and our quirky yellow jackets came out of the closet in a hurry. The QQ crew tried to steer through the blustery wind but finally decided to lash the sails, point into the wind and drift for the rest of the evening so we could get some well deserved rest. “Batten down the hatches” isn’t just an expression anymore.


Finally, on the morning of the fifth day on our southeasterly course, I spotted the starkly pointed mountains of Tubuai off our port hull. Land sighting finally!! By mid morning, we were motoring into the channel, the only sailboat in sight along Tubuai’s striking golden beaches. Don and Aria waved widely on shore and, after two dingy trips, we were enjoying cold rum punch and grilled Mahi Mahi on the back lawn with the Beach Boys crooning in the background. Afterwards we all piled into Don’s blue VW bus for a tour around the island.


Tubuai was a breath of fresh air. It was wonderfully refreshing to be welcomed with open arms by everyone on the island. Passing motorists and cyclists wave and people chat in the grocery stores, eager to learn where we are from and where we are going. Wes, Carrey, Lexi, Deedee, and I rented a little beach house directly across the road from Don and Aria’s. Two bedrooms, a full kitchen and a tiny living room, complete with a perfect view of the ocean and QQ swaying on her anchorage. We had ICE and an OVEN to enjoy - glorious!! (plus the barking dogs at all hours of the night but hey, paradise isn’t always perfect.)


Lazy days followed. In between doing twenty odd loads of laundry (it’s amazing how quickly things mildew and start smelling stale on the boat), we kayaked, bicycled around the island, fished, swam, lounged, read, and visited with our friends. Don was my father’s first mate on his voyage around the world in 1967. They haven’t seen one another since departing in the first Queequrg so there plenty of reminiscing. We spent many afternoon enjoying Aria’s island cooking and admiring old photos from dad and Don’s two years of sailing together. I think they left out the promiscuous ones although a story or two came out of the woodworks after a few Tahiti beers.


A Feast Fit for A King
Friday night brought about a wonderful birthday celebration for mom, complete with Mahi Mahi that Wes caught while fishing with a local islander. I’m never going back to canned tuna after so many delicious meals of fresh dolphin. The following night was the highlight of our week on Tubuai. Dad treated us to a long awaited authentic island umu - or earth oven feast. A pig was slaughtered for the occasion and we invited everyone we knew to come and enjoy the festivities. Being new on the island, this didn’t amount to much so Don and Aria helped out by inviting some friends and extended family.


To properly have a traditional umu feast, it takes man power and many hours of labor. We helped as much as possible but it was Mere, Don’s sister in law, and her wonderful cooks, that really got the wheels rolling. First the pig was chopped and cleansed. Pieces are then rolled tightly in banana leaves and placed on the bottom of the umu. The oven was prepared earlier in the day, having been dug out and piled with coals and nearby sand. Taro root and sweet potatoes are placed on top followed by red snapper and several other kinds of fish, also wrapped in banana leaves. Heaps of fresh oysters and green taro leaves and spinach were mixed together and placed in a pressure cooker that was also then lowered into the earth oven, followed by a simmering pan of curry and vegetables.


The pile of assorted goodies was covered in leaves, sand and stones and set to roast for approximately 5-6 hours so the juices and flavors could simmer and mingle. Meanwhile, other odd jobs were completed. We arrived at the local grocer just in time before the doors closed for the weekend to stock up on Hinano, the local brewed beer. Coconut shells needed to be husked and ground out to gather the fresh milky pulp on the inside. If you’ve never seen an islander open a coconut shell in record time, it is an amazing feat indeed. I’ve spent hours with a rock and knife trying to open my own stubborn coconut, only to become frustrated and more than likely, kicking the bloody thing across the beach. Mere completed the task in about 20 seconds.


By 7 p.m. that evening, our banquet table was piled high with food including an obscene amount of wine and beer. We were decked out in the best that our “boat clothes” could offer, though they were slightly wrinkly and a bit musty. Baked bananas had been added to the platter with the sliced taro and sweet potato. Bits of pork was mixed into the sautéed greens and oysters to the yellow curry. Although some tastes were a bit foreign, I tried everything and had seconds and thirds of many dishes, as did the rest of our laughing party. I’d like to say that we stayed until the wee hours of the morning enjoying the island spirit, but we only lasted till around 10 p.m. Too much fun in the sun for one day!!


Aria’s Poisson Cru Recipe
Ingredients: white fish pieces (mahi mahi, wahoo, parrot fish), chopped tomatoes, green onion, bell pepper, chopped cucumber, shredded white cabbage, grated fresh ginger, grated carrot, chopped garlic, lemon juice(fresh squeezed and strained) - add sugar to lemon until no sour taste
Salt to taste, peanut oil....mix, mix, mix
Method: mix fish with salt and peanut oil, add green onions, add remained ingredients and add lemon juice last (this cooks the fish) Best served chilled!

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