NovCoverTemplate 10/16/09 3:04 PM Page 1 Latitude 38 VOLUME 389 November 2009 WE GO WHERE THE WIND BLOWS NOVEMBER 2009 VOLUME 389 SAMOAN TSUNAMI When cruisers in Pago Pago Harbor The first surge lifted boats onto the main wharf, loose. "I'd just gone below when I heard on the south side of American Samoa such as the sloop 'La Joya' on its side above. heavy creaking and groaning," said Jody were awakened around 6:45 a.m. on The Polynesian cat (left) wound up a few hun- Lemmon, 28, aboard the Long Beach- September 29 by a strange vibration, dred feet inland. 'Biscayne Bay' (far right) after based Mason 43 Banyan. "I jumped on she broke free from the dock. many assumed the prop-wake from a deck and all I could see was water rush- large ship was the cause. But as soon wharf to compare notes with their fel- ing out and huge dripping pilings next as they popped their heads out of their low cruisers. "The mood was easy and to my head." companionways and saw telephone friendly," reported Wayne Hodgins from Dock neighbor Hodgins had a diffi- poles dancing on shore, they knew the the Victoria, B.C.-based 50-ft cutter cult time processing what was going on. truth. What they didn't know was that Learnativity. "Someone casually joked "The cacophony of sights and sounds the 8.3-magnitude earthquake centered that we should watch out for any big — boats smashing, docklines snapping 120 miles to the south had triggered a wave we see. No such wave ever mate- and rigging straining — were overlaid tsunami that would ultimately leave 186 rialized — what happened was much by an ominous sucking noise as all the people dead — including one of their worse." water around my boat suddenly drained own. About 15 minutes after the lightpoles away." The temblor brought crews onto the stopped their gyrations, all hell broke Then the sucking stopped. — SURVIVOR STORIES— ?? "The water came flooding back in flood were the crew of the Fremantle, containers," they passed Joan Olszewski at an even more alarming rate," noted Australia-based Irwin 52 Biscayne Bay. aboard the Florida-based Freedom 39 Kirk McGeorge, who is cruising with his Garry, Lisa and Jake Cross, along with Mainly. She was frantic. "Joan shouted wife Catherine and their 5-year-old son crewmember Chris Deller, had been on that her husband, Dan, had been Stuart aboard their USVI-based Hylas the dock when the first surge hit. They washed off the dock as they were trying HODGINS WAYNE 47 Gallivanter. "The next thing we knew, had just enough time to help rescue to get away," said Kirk. we were floating directly above the dock Hodgins's dog, Ruby, before sprinting Wayne Hodgins witnessed the event: "I and bearing down on Emily — crew from from the onslaught. "I watched helplessly watched in horror as Dan was swept off Banyan who'd been caught ashore — as as they climbed onto the base of a light- his feet by the torrent of water while he she clung to a lightpole. Just as we put pole, wrapped their arms around each tried to untie his docklines. Joan man- the engine in gear, the surge sucked us other and hung on as the water rushed aged to control the boat but we couldn't back into the basin." past them," recalled Hodgins. They, too, see Dan in all the flotsam." While Emily, who survived her ordeal lived to tell an exciting tale. As those ashore either hung on for unscathed, must have felt utterly alone As the McGeorge family accelerated their lives or ran for higher ground, as she hugged that pole, she wasn't. Gallivanter through a "floating debris the boats in the harbor — manned and Also up to their chins in the swirling field of docks, drums, boats and shipping otherwise — started making their way SAMOAN TSUNAMI toward the middle of the bay as the first surge slowed. "When I think about tsunamis, I envi- sion this giant wall of water, a monster wave," Hodgins explained. "There was no wave. The bay simply emptied like someone had pulled the stopper out of a really big bathtub, and then equally as fast put it back in and filled it from a giant valve below." CHRIS DELLER As the current slackened, errant boats bumped around the harbor while several 'Biscayne Bay's crew may have survived, but the Irwin 52 was a total loss. cruising yachts searched in vain for any sign of their lost comrade. "The water be- came eerily calm and smooth," reported Hodgins. The millions of gallons of water that had rushed into the bay were now eager to make an exit. "This was the first sign of a wave," he continued. "The water rushed back from its momentary travels ashore and formed a low, wide wave that headed right toward me. I pointed my bow into it and rode it out." Some cruisers had more exciting rides than others. Singlehander Steve Brasa's Pearson 35 Tulak was washed right down Main Street, taking out utility poles on its way. The first surge left the boat high and dry — as well as dismasted — about NICK JAFFE 100 yards from the water. Michael Traum and his father, Gerald, A Red Cross volunteer takes a moment during clean-up efforts on Samoa. on the Cape Mendocino-based NorSea 31 Eva also reported riding the surge ashore: "We didn't think to let out our anchor chain when the harbor emptied. We watched through the portholes as our boat was washed up onto the highway. We were swept down the road, past float- ing cars and, somehow, carried back over the guard rail and into the harbor." Un- fortunately, sEva' trailing anchor caught between the guard rail and a lightpole. As soon as the harbor had emptied again, Michael and Gerald leaped over the side and headed for the hills. Like a bowl of water tilted from one side to the other, the sea continued to rush in and out of the bay several more NEAL / MAHINA EXPEDITIONS AMANDA SWAN times before settling down. "After about three hours, we felt it was finally safe Heading for the hills in Apia. 'Tulak' landed 100 yards from water. enough to return to the dock," recalled air horns went off." The shallow depth to hear the sirens. "I watched from Aggie Kirk McGeorge. Others quickly followed of the harbor entrance dissuaded the Grey's hotel as the harbor waters receded suit, and set to work doing what cruisers Neals from attempting to leave by boat. several times." There was little damage. do best: helping those in need. "We followed the moving mass of people, But Jaffe had more to worry about cars and trucks up the hill until the 'all than just his boat: His parents were stay- clear' signal was issued." ing at a sea-level resort on the south end In Apia Harbor on neighboring Aussie singlehander Nick Jaffe was of the island, which was devastated by Western Samoa, John Neal and Amanda sound asleep aboard his Contessa 26 the tsunami. They were found, bruised Swan Neal, who run Mahina Expeditions Constellation when the quake rumbled and battered but alive. Sadly, the death aboard their Friday Harbor, WA-based him awake. "I jumped out of my bunk toll on Samoa topped out at 143, ac- Hallberg-Rassy 46 Mahina Tiare III, had with well-practiced speed," he said. "I counting for 77% of the total tsunami- arrived the day before. "We were on our stood in the cockpit and watched every- related fatalities. morning run when the street started one else in the marina doing the same." There, too, cruisers did everything shaking," John reported. "We ran back Not expecting a tsunami, Jaffe and the to the marina and, minutes later, the other cruisers at the dock were surprised Page 86 • Latitude 38 • November, 2009 — SURVIVOR STORIES— ?? AMANDA SWAN NEAL / MAHINA EXPEDITIONS AMANDA SWAN NICK JAFFE Lending a helping hand. The landscape was a tossed salad of debris. KIMBALL CORSON NICK JAFFE 'La Joya' (left) and another casualty laid to rest on the wharf. Cruisers brought what supplies they could to remote Niuatoputapu. KIMBALL CORSON DICK MADSEN KIMBALL CORSON Riding the wave. The newest 'Gallivanter' crewmember, Lucky. they could to help. But after being told 300 of the island's 1,000 residents were the third was heavily damaged. by the Red Cross that they had too left homeless after coastal villages were "Little Constellation raised some funds many volunteers, Jaffe and a number destroyed. This came after the island online," Jaffe said, "and with the help of other cruisers set their humanitar- had suffered a crippling blow when its of a Canadian Red Cross volunteer, we ian sights on the tiny Tongan island of ferry/supply ship — and a number of its managed to stock up as best we could Niuatoputapu. At just 500 feet high, the residents — were lost at sea in August. — 80 lbs of rice, flour, lavalavas, boxes six-square-mile island midway between No supply ship had visited the island in of nails, tarps, noodles and crackers." Samoa and Tonga's Vava'u chain — and almost five months. George and Kathleen Hill on the Pt. the nearest speck of land to the epicenter "Niuatoputapu is so small, all shores Townsend, WA-based Lapworth 43 Ka- of the quake — was devastated by the showed the effects of what the locals lalau delivered flour, rice, sugar, butane, tsunami, which made its way nearly a call a 'boiling wave of water' that never tools and tarps.