Counting Down...

     Here I am, a day and a half from departure, and I'm swamped in laundry.  I ran most of my errands yesterday, and only need to find a few small things today, and then I should be set.  I'm still figuring out what exactly I need to take in terms of clothing, especially for the New Zealand part of the trip.  The rest of the journey is tropical and warm, although most likely rainy.  Sixth graders - if you had to make a list of everything you wore or used for three months, and then had to pack it, how would you do?  How many bags would you take?  I need to cut everything down to fit into two and a backpack.  My cats are trying to "help" me.  They are trying to get into my bags, roll in my clothes, and one apparently went sliding across the floor on a pillow I bought. 
     The most common question I've gotten over the last month or so is, "aren't you excited?"  Well...yes and no.  Leaving for three months is a daunting prospect.  There's a lot to be done in order to be able to disconnect from life here: make sure bills are paid, house and cats taken care of, school responsibilities are wrapped up, canoe club responsibilities are passed on, house is clean, car is clean (relatives are coming and will probably be using it).  Once that's all done, I'll have time and space in my head to be excited.  Of course, I watch the trailer for the documentary, or read the Facebook posts about what the fleet is currently doing in Pape'ete and I do get excited.   As with any adventure, I don't what exactly will happen or how, and that leads to some anxiety.  I do know it WILL happen, and once I'm there and in it, it will be grand.  I'm glad I'll be starting out in familiar territory...Tahiti and then the Cook Islands.  I have good friends in both places and look forward to seeing them soon.  I'm also very grateful to have my friend Michelle coming along with me. 
     Once I'm on the waka, life will change.  Privacy becomes a rare commodity.  I'll be on a watch, meaning that I'll work three hours, have six hours to rest, and will be back to work.  Some of those hours will be very late (or early, depending on how you look at it), some will be cold and rainy, but some...some will be clear and filled with stars.  Sleep, as you can imagine, is precious.  Life on the waka is team-oriented.  We all need to work together to get to our destination.  We'll need to put up, adjust and bring down sails and steer the waka.  We'll need to clean it and repair it as needed.  When we get to land, we will be participating in welcoming ceremonies, and then opening our waka "house" to the public to share it.  It will be a culture shock to come home and re-acquaint myself with the other "normal"!

     This is Fiona "helping"...

A Brief Tour of the Waka

     Let me introduce you to the wakas (canoes).  There are seven all together: Haunui, Te Matau A Maui, Hinemoana, Marumaru Atua, Uto Ni Yalo, Gaualofa and Faafaite.  All were built in New Zealand, based on the design of a Cook Islands waka, Te Au O Tonga, that was built for the 1995 voyage to Raiatea and the Marquesas.  The wakas are 72' long and double-hulled.  In the last photo, you can see the hatches that open into the hulls.  Each hull contains "shelving" along both sides: the top shelves are bunks with mattresses, and the bottom shelves are for food, supplies and gear storage (I didn't take any interior pictures before, so none to post).  This is different from Hokule'a in that we sleep on top of our hulls (under a canvas cover, though).  The hulls of these waka are deep enough that I can stand upright in them.  By the way, the picture of the full waka is Haunui, the one I will be on, and the rest of the pictures are from other waka.  They're all set up the same, though.  The hale on the deck contains two important areas.  On the bow (forward) side is the bathroom (the door in the wide shot of the hale).  Yes, there IS a toilet, although it requires the user to get a bucket of water to flush it.  The back side (see photo) is the captain's area as well as the galley (kitchen).  There's a small table with benches, as well as the electronics center of the waka.  The galley has a full stove with an oven!  Now that's a real luxury compared to the propane stoves I'm used to on Hokule'a. 
     One aspect of these waka that is unique is their solar-powered engines.  They are on brackets under the deck that unfold into the water for use, and fold back up for storage.  You can see the propellers in the picture of the stern (rear) of the waka.  I believe the capacity of the solar battery allows the engines to run for 5 hours at 5 knots without recharging.  However, the purpose of a waka is to be SAILED, and so each waka has two masts, for two sails.  They carry two different sets of sails as well; one, as you see in the picture, is decorated and is for ceremonial purposes, although they definitely work well!  These waka are very fast, and can average 9-10 knots an hour in good wind (a knot is a nautical mile and is equal to 1.1 miles over land).  The TOP speed recorded (going down a swell in very strong winds was something like 25 knots.  Like any waka, however, if there is NO wind, your choices are to run the engines or drift with the tides.
     Because each waka is affiliated with a Polynesian island group, the main parts of the wakas have names given to them that represent their culture.  On Hokule'a, for example, the mast steps and sweeps (steering paddles) are given the names of people who were foundational to her success.  I look forward to learning more about Haunui and sharing her names with you.  What I know now is that the waka was names for John Haunui who was instrumental in supporting this project in New Zealand.  You can read more about that on the Pacific Voyagers website. 
     What's exciting to me about the upcoming part of this voyage is that I will see each waka in its home, and see each crew come home to much deserved recognition and celebration in their islands.  having known some of the crew from years past, and gotten to know much more of the crew over the last year, it will be extra special!

Want and Need

     The idea of going on a three-month journey is still so surreal, even though it is mere days away.  Tuesday was my last teaching day, and it was a quite a struggle to get all papers graded, mid-quarters in, and to feel like the kids were left in capable hands (which they are).  Mahalo nui loa to Mrs. Stepien, Mr. Teramae, Dr. Iwashita and the sixth grade teachers as well as the rest of the Lower School faculty for supporting my adventure.  It would not be possible without you.  A big thank you, also, to 6F, 6G and 6Ko for being excited for me...I'll miss you all!  I look forward to hearing how wonderful you all were in the last month of school,  so make me proud!
     This morning, it is time to focus on getting ready.  The hardest part is narrowing down the items I really will be bringing.  Space on board is somewhat limited, so I need to think very carefully about the things I "need" vs. "want."  The funny thing is that now, I am so used to having everything that is in my closet/house available, that I see the "want" more.  I guarantee that when I return, my mindset will be focused on the "need." 
     So what do I NEED to bring? First of all, clothes.  The clothing considerations break down along two lines: what you wear when you might get wet and what you wear when you'll be dry.  Although we'll be visiting land frequently, so fresh water washing should be available, clothes most likely will be laundered in salt water, and need to dry quickly.  I'll need clothes for sailing (surfshorts, swim suits, drifit/capilene shirts), clothes for land (regular shirts/shorts/jeans), and foul weather gear (heavy rain jacket and pants).
     In addition, I will need accessories (hat, sunglasses, etc.), shoes, sunscreen (lots of it!),  camping towels, sea soap (soap that works in salt water), a basic first aid kit (Neosporin, Advil, Benadryl, band aids, etc), basic toiletries, a sleeping bag and a pillow. 
     Another issue for the "need" category is that the end of the trip will be a sail from tropical waters and warm weather to a New Zealand winter.  Therefore, I need to pack a second set of sailing clothes and land clothes that will keep me warm!  This includes waterproof boots, ski socks and windproof gloves.  I'm thinking of bringing a LOT of towel wipes, because I'm not sure how bathing in winter conditions is going to work (rinsing with buckets of salt water in an open area on the canoe).
     A third "need" consideration, one that I'm working out with my friend Michelle Kapana-Baird, a teacher at Kaiser High School, who is sailing with me, is gifts for the people we know and the people we meet.  We both have friends on the canoes, as well as friends in Tahiti that we would like to bring gifts for.  I also have close friends in Rarotonga...and who knows who we will meet along the way?
     The items on my "want" list that I am debating right now are my laptop and my hard drive.  I want to bring more clothes than I need, so I'm getting out the "wants" and will start narrowing down.  Some things that I "want" and I have chosen to bring are a journal, my camera (including picture cards, underwater case), entertainment (books, iPod, cards, cribbage board), navigation information, one credit card, an ATM card (it's pretty cool to use an ATM to get foreign cash!), spending money (I picked up some Tahitian francs and some New Zealand dollars, which can be used in the Cook Islands, too), and of course, chargers for everything. The canoe's electrical system was wired in New Zealand, so I need to bring the correct adapters to use on board, as well as for the islands we'll be visiting. 
     One more "need" that I will add before wrapping up this installment is knowledge of the places I am going.  Knowing how to act respectfully in each island group goes a long way towards making positive connections.  How do people dress?  What behaviors are considered inappropriate?  What will people expect from us?  A lot to learn!  Sixth graders - I'm trying to avoid a real life "Heelotia" situation (I hope you all remember that)!
     If you think about it, living on a canoe is like living on an island.  What do we "want" to have on our islands?  What do we really "need"?