The Hurricane. January 29th, 1966.

I had gone through what most people think might be terrifying or frightening, but to me, this is just another small adventure waiting to happen.

My next stop is Pago Pago. Pago Pago is 14 degrees south and 170 degrees west. It's neighboring major islands/cities include Olosega, Manono and Upolu.
A few days after I arrived at Pago Pago, the weather reports indicate a hurricane is well on it’s way. This is the worst hurricane to hit Samoa in seventy years. It’s still hurricane season, so it seems like a good idea to hole up in Pago Pago. Jude Croft, a friend of mine who have flown to Samoa a few weeks ago, joined me aboard Dove.

On January 29th, nine o’clock at night. The hurricane is starting to pick up, I grabbed my tape recorder and gave a running commentary: Gusts of wind are hurling spray though the air like snow in a blizzard. This is so exiting! Dove is swinging and rolling from gunwale to gunwale... The notion is like sitting in a rocking chair, swinging back and forth, and back and forth... Ten o’clock. Man, I’d never imagine winds of this kind existed... Through the ports I can see the lights going out in the town - whole streets suddenly blackened as the power fails or telephone pole crashes... I can sense Dove is being propelled by a brutal force... Wow! That blast dipped the port gunwale underwater... Mid-night. The noise is now deafening... Radio says that winds are topping one hundred miles per hour! Wow man! The boat is being lift up by the wind and throwing her side to side until the ports are covered. Imagine that! No sails, just bare poles... the sea is pouring over the cockpit combing. Boy, my ears are popping... Suzette and Joliette are keeping their cool. Guess they know they have nine lives. Wow! I think that was it! We heeled over eighty-five degrees.

There was plenty of screaming and yelling along with laughter and exhilaration in the playback. Nature provides nothing to match a hurricane - devastating though it always is - for sheer thrill which tightens every nerve like violin strings. It was a fantastic night.

Event from Chapter 3 of Dove, Where Earth Day Begins. Page 42-43.