An amazing thing happen the other day – we caught a large fish – about 4’ long and 20 kg – it was just about beyond us to bring it in – gave a good dose of gin to knock him out and then we brought him on board and now we have lots of fish.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
THE STORY OF WILSON
Vanessa found a lonely coconut at 'Bird Island' at Tikehau in the Tuomotos and brought it back to the boat and named him 'Wilson' - (ref Tom Hanks movie)
Wilson has been travelling around with us since Vanessa went home and so we thought at Huahine that Wilson needed to be reunited with his 'pals' and so David and I took him ashore and replanted him on a beach.
Coconuts are amazing resilient and will grow anywhere so we have great hope that 'Wilson' will survive.
Wilson has been travelling around with us since Vanessa went home and so we thought at Huahine that Wilson needed to be reunited with his 'pals' and so David and I took him ashore and replanted him on a beach.
Coconuts are amazing resilient and will grow anywhere so we have great hope that 'Wilson' will survive.
STILL IN FRENCH POLYNESIA
Mandrake is still in French Polynesia ( big place) – currently in Raiatea which is just south of Bora Bora. We will be exiting this part of the world in about a weeks time and sailing west for the Cook Islands and Tonga – a trip of about 1300 nm in all.
For those of you who are huddling under blankets in Melbourne, it has not been all roses here in paradise. The last week has brought strong winds up to 30 knts and rain – making it cold for these parts.
Under the title of Photos in Raiatea, take note of global warming effect on a house here – one more fraction of a degree of warming and he will be underwater. Though he does have position.!!
For those of you who are huddling under blankets in Melbourne, it has not been all roses here in paradise. The last week has brought strong winds up to 30 knts and rain – making it cold for these parts.
Under the title of Photos in Raiatea, take note of global warming effect on a house here – one more fraction of a degree of warming and he will be underwater. Though he does have position.!!
Friday, June 6, 2008
THE TUOMOTUS
These are a group of atolls to the south west of the Marquesas – once called the dangerous iles as they are all low lying – barely above sea level with a few palm trees growing on the top of them.
We visited Manihi where a lot of black pearl farming is done. We tried to buy pearls in the village but ‘the man’ wasn’t there – so oh well that’s that. Next day we tried to leave and couldn’t get our anchor up – tried for about an hour. Then we heard that ‘the man’ could fix it the next day. After a very disjointed radio conversation on the VHF the next morning in partial English and French, we gathered that he could come out and try to get the anchor up but we also got the impression that it was connected to us agreeing to go visit his pearl farm.
Out he came and free dived 20 meters on the anchor about a dozen times (this guy free dives to 30 meters and wasn’t a teenager) – after 45 minutes we were free and we asked how much – he wanted rope so David gave him 6 meters of Kevlar rope that we had on the deck. Happy chappy now – so next was the visit to the pearl farm.
Robert and I went out to the farm whilst David stayed on the boat – we weren’t game to anchor again – we were the 21st boat that season that he had to help with the anchor.
Very interesting time and we managed to purchase pearls that we harvested ourselves ie pulled the oysters up from where they grow on the farm (in the middle of the lagoon) and then they were opened and we extracted the pearl from the oyster – that is if there was one in it that had grown. Great time.
We next went to Rangiroa about 500 nm away and swam with reef sharks in the Blue Lagoon.
Next we went to Tikehau and anchored off ‘Bird Island” and swam and snorkeled on the surrounding reef. The local villages are built on the largest piece of land at the atolls and this might only give them 8 miles of road – and they all have cars – dead flat land – so why would you buy a car- where can you go – from one end of the road to the other!!!
We visited Manihi where a lot of black pearl farming is done. We tried to buy pearls in the village but ‘the man’ wasn’t there – so oh well that’s that. Next day we tried to leave and couldn’t get our anchor up – tried for about an hour. Then we heard that ‘the man’ could fix it the next day. After a very disjointed radio conversation on the VHF the next morning in partial English and French, we gathered that he could come out and try to get the anchor up but we also got the impression that it was connected to us agreeing to go visit his pearl farm.
Out he came and free dived 20 meters on the anchor about a dozen times (this guy free dives to 30 meters and wasn’t a teenager) – after 45 minutes we were free and we asked how much – he wanted rope so David gave him 6 meters of Kevlar rope that we had on the deck. Happy chappy now – so next was the visit to the pearl farm.
Robert and I went out to the farm whilst David stayed on the boat – we weren’t game to anchor again – we were the 21st boat that season that he had to help with the anchor.
Very interesting time and we managed to purchase pearls that we harvested ourselves ie pulled the oysters up from where they grow on the farm (in the middle of the lagoon) and then they were opened and we extracted the pearl from the oyster – that is if there was one in it that had grown. Great time.
We next went to Rangiroa about 500 nm away and swam with reef sharks in the Blue Lagoon.
Next we went to Tikehau and anchored off ‘Bird Island” and swam and snorkeled on the surrounding reef. The local villages are built on the largest piece of land at the atolls and this might only give them 8 miles of road – and they all have cars – dead flat land – so why would you buy a car- where can you go – from one end of the road to the other!!!
Monday, May 26, 2008
THE MARQUESAS
We have visited five of the islands – the photos in the Picture albums tell the story.
The weather is the same most days though we have had a bit of rain – good to wash the salt off the boat. The sea temperature is about 33 degrees – very warm – we don’t swim that much as there are munchies around. We swam off a beach a few days ago which was very pleasant and in a very cold swimming hole just behind the beach on one of the islands. Robert and I scrambled our way up to a waterfall with a pool at the base of it for a look and a swim.
The weather is the same most days though we have had a bit of rain – good to wash the salt off the boat. The sea temperature is about 33 degrees – very warm – we don’t swim that much as there are munchies around. We swam off a beach a few days ago which was very pleasant and in a very cold swimming hole just behind the beach on one of the islands. Robert and I scrambled our way up to a waterfall with a pool at the base of it for a look and a swim.
CROSSING FROM SAN DIEGO TO THE MARQUESAS (FRENCH POLYNESIA)
The crossing is 2,800 nm as the crow flies but in reality about 3,000 nm as one cannot always sail in a straight line. We made the crossing in 23 days which is quite good time. We made our first landing at Bay of Virgins at Fatu Hiva in the Marquesa Islands. Described as the most beautiful bay in the world.
What do you see and do you might ask. Well, we see the same thing everyday – water in its different moods as well as skies. Each day passes in a different way – some days we seem to do many sail combinations – the skipper sees us having too good a time reading sleeping etc and thinks he needs to liven the show . This usually only happens on days when there is light airs and we are trying to keep the boat moving.
We had a really good run down to close the Equator with 10 – 15 knots of breeze behind us – we didn’t put the engine on for a week – just ran the Gen set for the batteries. At about 08 degrees North we ran out of consistent wind and entered the ITCZ (doldrums). We had light airs, rain and lots of squalls. At around 03 degrees N we were through and the wind from the SE stayed in and the trades developed.
We broke the boom end fitting at the goose neck and jury rigged the boom so we could put a partial main out. In 15 – 20 kts of breeze we are doing 7 – 8 knts reaching with a boat weighing 25 tonne fully loaded with food and fuel – not too bad with a partial rig up.
We have seen dolphins twice and small pilot whale once – no fish caught to date – did catch a small dolphin fish but put him back – lots of bites. Some bird life and lots of flying fish especially in the mornings after a fast ride in the night.
We have had a birthday, a wedding anniversary and a few arguments but everyone is still smiling – Robert must wonder will this trip will ever end. It is a case of endurance and patience which is bit hard at times when the boat is chucking itself around the ocean – especially for the cook – Me Julie.
What do you see and do you might ask. Well, we see the same thing everyday – water in its different moods as well as skies. Each day passes in a different way – some days we seem to do many sail combinations – the skipper sees us having too good a time reading sleeping etc and thinks he needs to liven the show . This usually only happens on days when there is light airs and we are trying to keep the boat moving.
We had a really good run down to close the Equator with 10 – 15 knots of breeze behind us – we didn’t put the engine on for a week – just ran the Gen set for the batteries. At about 08 degrees North we ran out of consistent wind and entered the ITCZ (doldrums). We had light airs, rain and lots of squalls. At around 03 degrees N we were through and the wind from the SE stayed in and the trades developed.
We broke the boom end fitting at the goose neck and jury rigged the boom so we could put a partial main out. In 15 – 20 kts of breeze we are doing 7 – 8 knts reaching with a boat weighing 25 tonne fully loaded with food and fuel – not too bad with a partial rig up.
We have seen dolphins twice and small pilot whale once – no fish caught to date – did catch a small dolphin fish but put him back – lots of bites. Some bird life and lots of flying fish especially in the mornings after a fast ride in the night.
We have had a birthday, a wedding anniversary and a few arguments but everyone is still smiling – Robert must wonder will this trip will ever end. It is a case of endurance and patience which is bit hard at times when the boat is chucking itself around the ocean – especially for the cook – Me Julie.
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