TSUNAMI IN SAMOA
Panama City, Panama, 01 October 2009

We have been receiving reports of the tsunami that hit Samoa, American Samoa, TOnga and other islands in the SOuth Pacific yestereday.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/video.cfm?c_id=2&gal_objectid=10600857&gallery_id=107697

Here is a first-hand report from cruising friend Joe Bayne aboard S/V Jubilee. We know him and Dudi from our time together in Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador. They were in Pago Pago when the disaster struck. We are so glad that they are alive and well, though saddened to hear of loss of so many local people and some cruisers. We were also glad to hear that our friends, Philip and Leslie aboard S/V Carina in the Cook Islands are safe too. Still waiting to hear from others sailing friends who are in the South Pacific this year, Heinz and Silvia aboard the Austrian sailboat S/V Galathe (www.galathe.blogspot.com), for example, or Kim Corson aboard S/V Altaire (visit http://sailblogs.com/member/thewanderer/ There are pictures there). Another cruising couple we met in Ecuador, John and Linda aboard S/V NAkia also had a first-hand report to make. So glad they are all right too.


from Joe & Dudi aboard S/V Jubilee, Norfolk, VA.

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When we arrived here we did not find good holding for the anchor but were content and complacent when it snagged on something. The bottom is littered with debris and some wrecks. I had put down a second anchor because of strong winds on arrival but had taken it in yesterday in preparation for leaving today. So this morning while having coffee I felt a long lasting vibration through the hull. I have never felt an earthquake on the boat before so did not recognize what was happening. A short time later maybe 10-20 minutes the boat suddenly jerked sideways and water started rushing out of the harbor exposing shoals that had been about six ft or more deep. Knowing this was a sure warning of a Tsunami I started the engine and tried to get the anchor up. There was chaos all around and then the water started coming back in again, ships were being carried down on us, cars were going past, the water was full of debris. The anchor windlass tripped out one time and I thought about casting the anchor free but finally got it clear of the water far enough to find it was hooked on a chain evidently used as hurricane mooring. I was able to tie it up lower the anchor away and then cut the chain loose and motor clear. We motored for the next two hours around the harbor while smaller surges came and went finally re anchoring about 1130 local. While motoring we found out that my friend Danny was missing from the vessel Mainly and later found he had drowned. I did not go too far away from the pier but what I saw of the town was a disaster. I understand the water went pretty far inland at the head of the bay, some boats were carried with it, two ships were washed ashore but subsequently were pulled off. There is one boat on top of the pier and many building are gone. I looked on the internet and there is coverage of this disaster

Joe

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From Leslie and Philip aboard S/V Carina out of Kingston, WA.

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Dear Ron and Kathy aboard Vilisar;

There was an 8.3 earthquake in Samoa today and a tsunami was generated. We were anchored in Suwarrow (Suvarov) in the Cook Islands when the tsunami came through here were not aware of it since its amplitude was likely very small. We are awaiting word from friends anchored in Apia and Pago Pago where there are rumors (just rumors right now) of damage.

Your friends of the yacht Carina
Philip, Leslie and fat cat, Jake
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From S/V Nakia (JOhn & Linda)

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You may have heard about the 8.3 magnitude earth quake (actually an under-sea earth quake, which I guess makes it a sea quake) near American Samoa. Well we sure did. About 1130 this morning just after Linda finished making lunch a Gendarme boat came flying up to NAKIA and started talking rapid fire French. The only word I got was 'ami', I thought the guy was looking for his friend. Fortunately, Linda heard the preceding 'Tsun' (as in Tsun-ami) and understood that we had to head off shore for a while. No other instructions were given, like when we'd know the all clear was sounded, but after we sailed around in the lee of the island for a few hours I checked email and my hippy-dippy weatherman, Stan, was kind enough to have sent us an update that let us know it was cool to return to our anchorage.
Another day in paradise.

John
http://svnakia.blogspot.com/2009/09/no-tsunami-problems.html
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THis message was relayed thorugh S/V CArina from S/V Taramaro, with Dutch friends
from Ecuador.

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The news from Niutoputapu (Tonga)is sobering. The tsunami hit almost instantly so there was no warning which would have allowed anyone to climb to higher ground. Here is what we received from friends on the Dutch yacht Taremaro:

"Hello Leslie and Philip,

Thank you for your email and happy to hear that everything is fine with you. So good to know you were not yet in Pago Pago.

We were just leaving this morning at 6.45 from Niuatoputapu to the Vavau (Tonga). We were just in the pass leaving when we felt the first earthquake.

When we were in deeper water outside the pass the Tsunami struck and it was a spectacular view how the water was sucked away and the reef was totally exposed.
It was unbelievable..... with such a force we were sucked to shore. The GPS was given speed from 8 kn to 2 kn.

Motor in overdrive and we managed to escape. We left with three other boats, and you can imagine we were talking for a long time with intervals on the VHF to share our feelings.

We felt all immensely lucky, but also very sad we were not able to help the people of Niatoputapu.

There was still another boat at anchor and they told us that the markers of the channel were broken off, a lot of debris in the water, the two fishing boats severely damaged and roof tops in the lagoon....."

Philip and Leslie
Carina
underway to Pago Pago from Suwarrow (Suvarov)
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This is a very vivid description of what occurred in Samoa.

Taken off the SSCA Discussion Board today:

"This just in from SV Gallivanter in Pago Pago:

This morning(six hrs ago) we were shaken awake by an earthquake which seemed to
have no end! We were aboard Gallivanter and tied side-to a big concrete
dock in the heart of Pago Pago, American Samoa. And after living up
& down the California coast, I knew this was no minor tremor.

After
the rude awakening, Cath & I walked across the dock and chatted
with a few of our fellow sailors, one of whom said that he's just done
a Google search on "recent earthquakes" and said that it measured-in at
8.1 and the epicenter was only 120 miles distant.

We returned
to Gallivanter and I turned on our laptop and searched the same
website. Sure enough there it was... "8.1 earthquake - American Samoa -
20 minutes ago". I clicked on the "Show Map" option and noticed the
epicenter was located south west of Pago Pago... which is located on
the southern side of the island.

Just as I was considering the
ramifications of that little fact... all hell started breaking loose!
Our boat was on the move! My first reaction was to start the engine and
dash up on deck to see what was going on. I witnessed the water around
us was rapidly dropping! Rapidly! In a blink of an eye, we were on the
bottom and the boat was falling away from the dock! Three of our big
dock lines popped and we fell right over into the mud - the entire
basin we had been floating in only moments ago had completely drained!
People were screaming!

Next - the water came flooding back in
at an even more alarming rate and the next thing I knew we were
floating directly above the dock! Over the concrete slab and drifting
toward a young lady we knew (from another boat) who was desperately
hugging a power pole and up to her chin in swirling water! I told Cath
to cut the two remaining dock lines with our serrated bread knife and
to be quick about it!

Right as I put the boat into gear, we
were somehow washed back off the dock and into the basin as I
advance to full throttle and we accelerated through a floating debris
field of floating docks, fuel drums, sinking boats, a shipping
container and a barnicle encrusted wreck all of which were spinning in
the torrent of rapidly dropping sea level. It was absolute mayhem! As
we steered out toward the deep water in the center of the harbor I
looked over my shouder and saw what appeared to be a waterfall pouring
off the dock and shore beyond. Not one of the dozen vessels remained at
the dock. All were underway in a matter of seconds... with or without
crews aboard.

We motored around in the middle of the harbor
watching the waves of floods & ebbs while wondering about
after-shocks and our fellow cruising sailors. As we passed one of our
neighbors she shouted to us that her husband had been washed off the
dock as they were trying to get away. She was alone and seriously
concerned. Other boats broke free from their moorings and anchors in
the initial seismic waves and many were driven ashore, or driven under
by loose tuna boats.

After about three hours, we felt it was
finally safe enough to return to the dock. All we had were lengths of
old line and we were short a couple fenders. We were the first to go
in and we started un-tangling lines and helping others get back along
side the concrete dock. All of the store-fronts along the water are
destroyed, roving mobs of kids can be seen looting, the fence around
the dock is gone, every boat on stands in a nearby boatyard were washed
away. Big fishing boats are now in parking lots across the street.
Absolute destruction is seen everywhere along the shore.

Phones
and power are down but we got back online right away and I immediately
went back to the recent earthquakes website to see if things have
been calming down in the center of the earth. A number of aftershocks
as strong as 6.0 have been recorded over the past few hours - but
thankfully no more wave action has been noticed. We've been making
Skype calls to our families and letting others use the computer as well
to phone home.

Online news reports say that the earthquake
lasted three minutes and the highest flood rose 25 ft above normal!
There are 20 confirmed deaths... including our neighbor who was swept
off the dock. Most fatalities occured in and around the harbor where we
live. Boats are battered and nerves are fried. One friend wound-up on
his boat nearly 1000 feet away from the water after breaking from his
anchor and sailing right down Main St. taking power & telephone
wires down with his mast! Some people lost everything... including
their lives. We came through remarkably well with only minor dammage
sustained to our toe rail when the dock lines parted and to our fender
basket which was the only point of contact with that drifting wreck. I
never felt any jarring loads while we were hurtling around above &
below the concrete dock, so I believe our hull, keel & rudder
suffered no dammage from the wildest boat ride I've ever been on.

We're all okay... and very lucky.

And we've adopted a tiny kitten.

And that's the way it is.

All the Best - All the Time,

Kirk, Cath & Stuart ~~~_/) ~~~ s/v Gallivanter "
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