Finally the day has come. Daryl is filling the water tanks and getting ready to fuel up with duty free fuel. Cool Bananas is setting sail for NZ. The forecast has stayed stable for a few days and is looking very promising for a great passage. We should be in Tauranga in about a week.



See you soon from the Team on Cool Bananas.

Tonga -November 2006

Greetings once more from the Cool Bananas Team

We are still relaxing in Tonga and really enjoying the fact that we don't need to move on in the near future.

Selby and Judy managed to get some sea and sun in the time they had with us and have now departed.

We have Debs, who previously crewed for Archangel, now on board with us.

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She will crew with us back to NZ. In a few weeks we also have a friend of Katie's', Ed, join us. This will complete the crew for the journey home.

We have adopted the Tongan pace and lifestyle quite quickly here – lots of eating and socializing, relaxing and time in the water. Daryl has been diving most days and the snorkeling has been great. Most days we can recall seeing something new or different.

Tourism in Tonga is minimal, so we have been luck enough to be able to interact with the, fairly unspoiled, local way of life.

Last week Katie and Daryl were out in our dinghy and went to the aid of a local who had got into difficulty in his outrigger canoe. They helped him back to shore and, despite the language barrier, they understood that we were invited to church and lunch the following Sunday. These people have so little and yet so hospitable. On arriving we realized that no-one there spoke English. We were first invited to join the kava ceremony. Once seated, we followed suit and hoped we weren't doing anything wrong or offensive. Then on to church- the singing in the church was magnificent – the volume incredible. People were so welcoming, even without language. The children stared, as if indeed we were a rare sight. The sermon was of the fire and brimstone variety- much shouting and gesturing.

In accordance with their culture the lunch was all spread on the table, but the table set only for the four of us. We ate while they looked on. Only once we had moved away did the family eat. A marvelous experience and one made possible (or more likely) through our cruising lifestyle.

We have decided we have a passion for caves-some of us to a greater degree than others. We dinghied to Swallows Cave, parked the dinghy in the first chamber, swam to the shore, climbed up through a tunnel to a second chamber where the old Tongan Kings used to have their feasts and then the more adventurous tramped on into the dark and beyond. Katie got some great photos.

Cruising is proving to be quite social and we are finding it interesting meeting people from all different parts of the world. There is a radio net in the mornings which boats check into, so we can keep track of where everyone is.

Daryl and I are coming home in early November for Amanda's 21^st. I have decided to stay on in NZ and miss the final leg of the journey. This last passage can be rough so I will leave it in the capable hands of our experienced skipper and crew. The boat should be back by the end of November.

Hope Spring is being kind to you all.

Cheers from Cool Bananas _/)

Rarotonga - September 2006

Hello to Everyone

We are back from our NZ holiday, returning with Daryl's brother Selby in tow. Katie managed famously in Rarotonga without us and was well supported by cruisers and locals. She had so many meal and food donations that anyone would think we had left her there to starve.

We found Rarotonga to be extremely friendly and welcoming to cruisers. The common mode of transport was motorbikes, which everyone, young and old, local and tourist, used. Daryl, as you can imagine, was in his element and I was back out of my comfort zone. You can imagine the two of us, with the groceries, making our way back to the boat!!

We went to a few local dinners with concerts, which were great. The weather was variable but didn't stop us.

We had a varied sail to Nuie (from nil to good winds), with a great stop at Beveridge Reef on the way. We will always remember Beveridge Reef for its sharks. As we were leaving we put a line out hoping for a fish dinner. Selby was so excited as he wrestled with a large (ish) fish on the end of the line. When the fish finally gave up the struggle, Selby proudly wound him to the surface. What he had on the line was a big yellow fin tuna with two huge shark bites out of him. The shark circled the back of the boat, clearly visible in the water. We decided on a compromise – we cut 2 fillets of the remaining flesh and fed the rest straight back to the waiting shark!! We made a fish pie for dinner that night.

We have now been at Nuie for 4 days and have loved it. Nuie has a population of 1200 people and accommodation for 120 tourists at any one time. The locals have been great. We had a full day with a hire car seeing the island, caves and coast.

The water clarity has been amazing and the diving spectacular. Daryl's new experience is holding a sea snake.

Katie and Daryl were lucky enough to swim with a humpback whale with a calf (on two occasions). Katie got some great photos. Others of us had to be satisfied with having the whales at close contact in the bay where we have been anchored. Did you know a baby humpback put on 45kgs a day and drinks 200 litres of milk a day?

We did, however, get into trouble here in Nuie. We forgot that Sundays are a quiet day on the island. When we saw the whales at 7am in the morning we jumped in the dinghy to follow -bad move – no boating allowed on a Sunday. Then, we farewelled 'Archangel' by the traditional, reciprocal blowing of our horns- bad move - regarded as disturbing the peace on a Sunday!!! We cleverly blamed it all on the departed boats so we have stayed welcome on the island.

We have joined the Nuie Yacht Club so we hope we will always remain welcome on the island.

The water temperature is a chilly 26 degrees, so we aren't popping in and out of the water as readily as we were.

We have met other cruisers while here and have had quite a social time. Sadly we have said goodbye to 'Archangel' as they are making their way to Fiji now, while we are heading to Southern Tonga.

Daryl & Laurel

Tuamotus/Tahiti - August/ September 2006

Hi from sunny Tahiti

After the roughest crossing to date we are now relaxing in the sunshine at Moorea just off Tahiti.

We checked 3 weather forecasts, all telling the same story, so set off from Rangiroa in the Tuamotus expecting a pleasant sail. Not to be! As the crew constantly reminded me 'it was uncomfortable but never dangerous'. Katie found it exhilerating - I do worry about her sometimes!! The wind generator nearly spun itself out, it got so excited. Not a passage I want to repeat in a hurry.

When we last wrote we were heading to the Tuamotus. They were absolutely ideallic- palm tree atolls surrounded in reefs. We felt like we had arrived in paradise. It was lovely to be able to again swim and snorkel off the back of the boat in crystal clear water. We anchored off a posh hotel where the accommodation was in the form of individual huts that overhung the water. Each one had it's own ladder down into the lagoon- very flash!!! We couldn't even afford to have a drink at their bar.

The Tuamotus are where the famous black pearls are cultured. The crew on Archangel were lucky enough to meet a local who swapped 5 pearls for a bottle of whisky that had cost them $5 in Central America!! Shop value -probably US $500. We didn't get to meet this local so consequently I am not coming home sporting new black pearl jewellery.

We tried out a new sport - drift snorkelling. Rangiroa, where we were, had a channel for entering the lagoon . On an incoming tide we could take the dinghy out through the channel and then jump out at the channel entrance ( along with other tourists who had paid $100 for the privilege). The current push you in over the reef, through clear water where 100's of fish flashed before your eyes. It was amazing.

Daryl kept hold of the dinghy as we drifted so we could hop back in and do it again. Getting in the water at different points sent you in different directions. We saw little fish, big fish, sharks, manta rays and turtles to name just a few. I think that they were the most amazing snorkels I've ever had. The dolphins there are the largest we have seen so far.

After arriving in Tahiti we have had a few days in Papeete getting supplies, maintenance etc. We were surprised at how large the city was. We hired a car for a day and did an island tour. The scenery was spectacular, especially the waterfalls.

We were, however, pleased to get out of the city and over to Moorea. The time here has been full of activity - swimming, diving, snorkelling and the proverbial walk to the ruins. This morning we saw a huge shark cruising the reef. Even from my snorkelling position on the surface I got a good view. Katie has a fabulous camera that has an underwater case, so we have been able to get some good diving shots.

Tomorrow we are dinghying up to swim with stingrays. Apparently the sting ray are extremely friendly and swim all around you- not being afraid to touch you wrap themselves around you and slobber on you. I am considering finding Daryl's full wetsuit to wear.

Roger has only two more nights before he flies back to the UK. We will miss him and his skills. He is cooking us Confit de Canard for dinner (duck for those with rusty French). We are taking advantage of being once more on a French island. The 'Carrefour' supermarket in Papeete was huge and full of French goodies for us to feast on.

We will soon be looking for a weather window to sail from here to Rarotonga where we will be leaving the boat in the capable hands of Katie (and Debs from Archangel) and we will fly home for 10 days.

Sorry to those who aren't coping with the NZ winter, but we are having our fill of sea and sunshine and don't seem to tire of it.

Au Revoir from The Cool Bananas Crew.

Galapagos - July 2006

Hola from Galapagos

We have been a week in Galapagos and as you can imagine we are having a fabulous time. The local people are very helpful, laidback and friendly. Although there has been a major language barrier sometimes, their genuineness is still obvious.

There are quite strict laws on the movement of tourists in Galapagos, so as a result we checked in and our boat is unable to move from the bay in Santa Cruz, until we leave. This has meant that any exploring we have done has been on organized tours. This ensures that no one is ever in a national park without a guide/ranger, thus aiding conservation.

Daryl has been diving and saw hammerhead sharks, sea turtles and garden eels. He will try to dive again tomorrow.

The wildlife has been all we anticipated and more. The animals and birds are usually unconcerned about human presence, so we have been able to 'get up close and personal'. The photography here has been amazing, as most days have been overcast and therefore not the glare.

We are just back from two nights away on Isabela Island – an action packed time and the first time sleeping in a bed on land in six months!! The trip took me way out of my comfort zone as we rode on horseback up to an active volcano, walked for two and a half hours over rugged terrain and lava, then back down on the horses.

I'm pleased I did it but not something I intend to repeat in the near future!! On Isabela we also swam with sea lions (a small variety that look more like seals). They really played with us, which was amazing. The fish on the other hand were all larger than we'd seen in the Caribbean.

I couldn't get enough of the penguins – so cute!!

I have to mention the tortoises, of course. It was pretty awesome seeing an animal that is 160 years old. We went out to see them in their natural environment. I was surprised how fast they can run -when they want to!!

Tomorrow we prepare and provision for the longest leg of our journey – Galapagos to the French Marquisas. We are expecting it to take 20-25 days. The weather is looking great, the trade winds are blowing steadily, so it should be a smooth sail. Archangel, the yacht we are travelling with, is leaving a day ahead of us, as our boat is expected to be faster than theirs on this leg. Another yacht bound for New Zealand also left today and we will keep in radio contact with them also.

Laurel & Daryl

SV Cool Bananas _/)

Panama City - July 2006

A quick update before we grab a taxi to go and see the old city ruins.

We have been in Panama City for just over a week now. The temperatures have been in the early thirties but the killer has been the humidity. We are constantly dripping sweat- day and night!!

We have had a little swap in crew. We found we were not very compatible with Mike so he has joined another yacht bound for the US/ Canada . We have now two young ladies on board, Shylo and Katie. They were on another yacht bound for Australia and found the skipper's skills 'not what they expected'. They had been in St. Maartan, for a season, working on race yachts.

Daryl has used much of the time for maintenance - catching up on fiddly little bits. We also needed to replace our entire bank of 9 batteries, which has solved a lot of issues. There are great taxi drivers that know where to try for all the parts that we have needed.

Today our final list consists of finding- a lead weight, an Ecuador flag and a place to illegally photocopy a marine chart.

I have had time to do a spot of shopping in a real shopping mall, even air conditioned!! Clothes were a bit disappointing though. Both Daryl and I are in need of cool clothing, but it seems that we are the only big people out this way and our size is not catered for. Looking around I see that people tend to squeeze into their clothes – not what we're after.

Like Colon the old architecture here is gorgeous but not always well maintained. The beautiful colonial houses in the inner city seem to house low income people- I would say many building having been condemned. The taxi driver assures us, though, that the government intends to restore them as a tourist attraction.

The Panama Canal museum was great. Like a lot of places, we're disadvantaged not being able to read or speak Spanish, but we get by.

I am disappointed I haven't seen the Panamanian men in their pale linen trousers, embroidered linen shirts and a panama hat. Obviously a dying tradition!!

We have still been eating and drinking too much and all of us on board are looking forward to getting on our way to Galapagos and back to onboard cooking.

Food is relatively inexpensive here so we have provisioned to the max. Our living area is currently piled with food and alcohol with no home.We had a fabulous morning yesterday at the local fruit and vege market. I can hardly lift the stalk of bananas we chose. I'll keep you posted as to how many ways we can come up with to use ripe bananas!!

Debs gave us one for starters.

Split the banana down the middle

Place on tin foil

Drizzle with rum and chocolate sauce

Seal and bake

A sack of oranges, lemons or grapefruit $3 – so we have to find storage for 4 sacks!! And on it goes. We are going to be such healthy eaters in the next few weeks.

All the eggs have been sealed with Vaseline to help them keep.

Meat is all vacuum packed and frozen prior to us getting it.

We've heard most issues with the officials in the Galapagos can be fixed with 2 bottles of rum – so I'm still trying to find storage space for them.

We are looking at leaving, with the other yacht Archangel, early tomorrow morning and will probably need to motor for about a week to get to Galapagos. We are looking forward to being back in clean water and clean sea air.

Talk to you again soon.

Colon /Panama - June 2006

We had a hitch free transit through the locks and we are now safely moored in the Pacific at Balboa Yacht Club.

We went through the Gatun locks about one hour later than scheduled, behind a large ship. I know some of you saw us on the web cam (attached is a photo of this.) We moored overnight on the Gatun Lake and then started the 27 mile journey across the lake, arriving at the Pedro Miguel Locks, one hour ahead of our time. We managed to slip around a large ship and straight into the lock. Unfortunately not the same luck in the Miraflora locks. We had a two hour wait as they were doing repairs to one of the locks. So we had lunch on the Miraflores lake before going through the last two locks and out to the Pacific Ocean.



We had eleven on board - Laurel and I, Roger- our existing crew, Shylo and Katie- our new crew, Debs and Fred- crew from Archangel , Jim and Ged -fellow travellers from Albert II and lastly the Advisor and his trainee.



I was at the helm. The Advisor and his trainee's role were to advise me. And all the others we rope handlers for the locks – two to a corner. The whole trip went extremely well and without incident.




I know Laurel is going to do another email in a few days so I'll just give you the trivia that she probably won't.

-The Gatun Lake is only 85 ft above sea level. Miraflores Lake is only 54ft above sea level

-200,000,000 (yes two hundred million) litres of water is used in each lock.

-There are six locks.

-Up locking is the hardest as the water surges into the lock.

-The temperature was 35 C with little wind

-The beer cost 27cents per stubbie

-The rum cost $5.10 US per bottle .750ml

-The gin cost $5 US per bottle 1.75 Ltr

And the crew drank toooo much and didn't go home (except Jim and Ged from Albert II, who had to get back to their yacht in Colon and prepare for their own transit on Friday.)

Warm Regards

Daryl and Laurel

San Blas - May/June 2006

We left Bonaire without our part. It seemed to be lost in the mail!! Most frustrating. The weather was good for sailing through to Panama, so we forfeited seeing and provisioning in Curacao and set off. This passage has a reputation for having challenging sea conditions at times, so we were keen to optimise the weather window. We had a smooth passage down to Panama. In fact we had to motor the last few hundred miles because of lack of wind, which was most unexpected.

The past week we have spent in the most amazing group of islands called San Blas, off the Panama mainland. The people are Kuna Indians and, it seems,are living today as they have done for 100's of years - grass huts, dirt floor, no power, dug out canoes, fishing and very few possessions.

They are warm friendly people. Women often have a ring through their nose and their legs are heavily beaded. They are known for their appliqué stitch work called 'molas', which they paddle out with, in their dug outs and try to sell to you.

Daryl has found his island paradise - white sands and coconut palms. We drifted from island to island anchoring off, swimming, snorkeling and interacting with the locals. The photo opportunities were abundant.

Crayfish and fish we bought from them in abundance. In fact, with supplies a little low, I think we have had crayfish nearly every night.

One night we did go out to a hotel for dinner, fairly basic by NZ standards but a unique experience and the atmosphere was great. When we pulled out one of the chairs a big crab came scuttling out!! The fish meal cost US$2.50. Beer less than US$1 a can.

We do feel privileged to have had this experience, because with the speed of change, it will no doubt be difficult for them to maintain their uniqueness.

We are now motoring (no wind!!) to Cristobel, Colon which is the entrance to the Panama Canal.