bit-of-a-blog

On a beat

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:15:20 +0100

We finally left Palau after 5 and a half months of stationary dwelling.

We had intended to move westward once Ralph had completed his divemaster certification but as per usual…..things change. In this case it was our destination.

You may recall that our journey had begun with the intent of exploring and contributing to the communities we encountered and having kept this in mind we decided to formalize this a little and have committed ourselves to volunteer assignments in the Solomon Islands.

Having passed through PNG on our way north when we left Oz we had not initially ventured through the Solomons but we had skirted close enough to feel a certain affinity with the Melanesian character and culture and decided the Solomons would be just the ticket for us….. but what of Hafskip….well….she came with us of course.

So… we sailed. Time constraints meant we had to move as fast as possible and in October it wasn’t going to be easy to set against the prevailing winds and currents to head east…but east is where we went nonetheless with the intention of heading to the Solomons, via the Hermit Islands and Rabaul.

Surprisingly enough we started out quite well…good weather window…a few southerly gusts which meant we were able to cross the west setting equatorial current to find the countercurrent at around 3 degrees. Lordy, what a difference that made, even when the wind died in the ass we were still scooting along at 3 knots!...Then we got cracking with the ‘pole thing’ and ran wing on wing at a screaming 5 knots….not bad for us in 7 knots of wind……

Unfortunately good things tend have a habit of coming to an end and with a twang our forestay broke at the tip of the mast sending the genoa and furler tumbling into the sea. We were thankful this occurred during the day on a mild sea…and as we were feeling quite perky we simply hauled our wet foresail onto the deck and secured the furler to the railing and drifted on with the current, making adjustments to the stays as we went to rebalance the main.

For a wee while at least we stayed with the countercurrent but eventually we figured we needed to head south and with an annoying onslaught of south westerly winds we ended up beating to windward for as long as we could, which was not long given we had only a teeny storm gib on the baby stay!....so for the rest of our passage (over 5 days) we motored…… nursing a leaky propeller shaft (one of those things that really should have been repaired when we hauled out in Airlie Beach!!)

Most likely even with the genoa we would have struggled as the further south we went the stronger the west setting current became. I would strongly recommend staying north in that countercurrent for as long as possible as our decision to head directly for the Hermits meant we had an extremely slow and occasionally ‘ungentlemanly’ sail.

Nonetheless with the aid of our new and extremely useful autopilot (can’t quite believe we sailed 4500 miles without one) we made it to The Hermit Islands, not too exhausted and had a nice morning run through the west entrance. (Not the recommended passage I know, but really quite simple if you’ve got good light and stay awake.)

After our lengthy passage we were rather glad to motor our way towards Luff Island in the Hermits and even happier to pick up one of the mooring buoys installed especially for passing yachts, and after stemming the leak from the propeller shaft we were set to explore a fresh paradise.

But what of Palau?

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:42:22 +0100

In our haste of late….I have omitted a description of this amazing place, and it does warrant some attention.

Palau is a truly beautiful place and physically quite distinct from its Micronesian neighbors. Whilst palm studded beaches are in abundance, even more abundant are the startling limestome islands, known as the Rock Islands.

These islands offer some of the most beautiful cruising opportunities we have encountered. Crystal clear, turquoise waters and secluded, sheltered anchorages make for some pretty damn amazing sailing and a great break from the sometimes public existence one leads on a yacht in the pacific. You see these islands are basically uninhabited so you are in no way likely to get ‘canoed’ or even observed! About the only threat to your privacy once tucked away in the islands is the odd dive boat or tourist boat, the latter providing the most direct assault on your senses as Japanese tourists can often be a tad noisy.

By virtue of its location and relationship to the States, Palau is also an extremely ‘easy’ place to reside (especially if you’re an American), most things are available to the cruiser and if you can’t find it locally, you can always get it sent from the US thanks to the wonders of the US postal Service within record time. We scored a bargain basement Autopilot and definitely haven’t looked back since.

The diving also deserves a mention, despite the fact that this is really the main reason most people flock to this place. It is diverse as it is exciting…great drop offs, walls, wrecks…you name it it’s there.

About the only thing you won’t see a lot of in Palau are Palauans. The population of Palau is approximately 21,000, of whom 70% are native Palauans, but if you’re wandering around town the majority of people working are from the Phillippines…in fact if you want anything done…they’re the ones who’ll more than likely do it!

I realize this is a scanty appraisal of such a fabulous place but really if you want to know more about Palau…just go! After all if you’re in the North Pacific it’s merely a hop, step or a jump from anywhere.

Simple Algebra

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:37:54 +0100

Before I commence, first let me apologise for the sad state of affairs our blog has been in since we arrived in Palau. Whilst the internet connection here is not great it is certainly no excuse for our lack of activity as we’ve had worse!

We have however, been distracted…. Dive master courses, job applications, short jaunts around the islands, weathering the fortnightly typhoons and of course we’ve had way more social activity than we’ve encountered in our entire trip. Palau (or more specifically Sam’s Bar) has been full of other yacht dwellers and all the human/nautical interactions that accompany such a gathering have kept us somewhat busy.

Just to put this in perspective, outside our portholes rest at least 15 other inhabited yachts… 12 more than we’ve had the pleasure of meeting thus far on our travels and by far the largest number of English speakers congregated outside Australia that we’ve come across in one place (Lae Yacht Club doesn’t count coz that is Australia).

We’ve learned a great deal about this cruising thing as a result…. I’ll try and boil it down to a few points for you.

A) Cruising types tend to have a well-developed sense of humour and fun, I mean, if you haven’t learned to laugh a little when your toilet pump ceases to function mid passage or your thongs (aka flip flops) blow overboard in a storm then you’re not a cruiser. Most we’ve met so far have a hearty laugh at some of their own awkward situations and a veritable belly laugh when you convey your own!

B) Cruisers, by and large, are extremely helpful. My spares are your spares…my tools are your tools ….and my time is all yours….has been our experience thus far. There is a sense of camaraderie that is a natural extension of the cruising life. We all wrestle the elements and fight to keep boats afloat with the same limitations of time, skill and resources…..so if a little extra help can be given there’s not many that would refuse to give it.

C) Folks that cruise always have a story to tell. Each small vessel is a floating microcosm of intrigue designed to provide endless hours of beer dipped, wine drenched, salt encrusted gossip. Large amounts of time spent in isolation must to some degree heighten the need for a good chin wag and when the travel tales and associated nautical feats have been relayed to each new audience a little non-malicious rumormongering can be a pleasant way to fill the void. Not a great deal different from any small isolated community.

D) I’m gradually coming to the conclusion that one doesn’t take to the ocean in a bathtub with sails unless one has a certain level of self-assurance (or stupidity). Consequently cruisers tend to have a multitude of opinions about the ‘right way’ to get things done and an associated desire to communicate it. This is particularly the case when it comes to sailing etiquette….anchoring too close, laying your chain across another’s bow, running a noisy generator too late in the evening….or for some….inappropriate use of the radio.

Generally speaking these cruiser characteristics are endearing and tend to mean there’s always either something to learn, something to do, and always….something or someone to talk about, but occasionally lines get crossed and senses of humour fray.

For example should you employ a sense of humour and fun and either accidentally of deliberately mess with any element of sailing etiquette, it is entirely possible that you may no longer receive such a warm welcome from your sailing companions and be the next hot topic of beer drenched gossip

Thus we see an excess of point (A) has the unfortunate consequence of transgressing point (D), which results in the withdrawl of (B) and potentially a significant dose of (C)

Simple maths really: A over D equals C minus B

Is it Luck or Risk Management?

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:49:06 +0100

Whilst anchored in Colonia harbour in Yap we'd been watching the weather like hawks, knowing full well that we were now a little further north of the equator than we intended to be so late in the season. The North East Monsoons slowly abate in May as transition season begins, the winds drop, the seas warm and create a the perfect conditions for the generation of typhoons. In fact the majority of typhoons in North Pacific have their origin in Micronesia and usually in close proximity of Yap making any passage something of an exercise in risk management.

We'd already noted a couple of tropical depressions winding themselves up just north of us and had monitored their progress as they tracked north, north west below Yap and toward the Philippines. Our holding in Colonia was excellent but sitting out typhoon strength winds with a fairly exposed aspect was not our idea of fun, so it was time to move on.

The trick is to pick your window...so you have enough wind, but not too much, to reach your chosen destination. With Palau only 255 miles away we weren't that concerned as we would be able to manage motoring the entire distance if necessary but we were keen to avoid the appearance of any tropical depression likely to build....

As it turned out we had one day perfect sailing to Palau but almost no wind at all for the remaining 2 days (talkin' flat as a tack here) so we motored of the way, timing our arrival for a check in free of overtime charges....and a good thing too...Palau is a pretty expensive place to obtain clearance....but at least its well organised so it all happens quickly and efficiently. The only surprise fee we encountered was a 'rope handling' fee at the commercial dock. This dock is the only place one can check in and it is a private dock and as a result it charges!...and as we found out I charges $10.00 per tonne of vessel displacement...all for catching a mooring line! By a stroke of good luck and perhaps hunger on the part of the harbourmaster (he was out to lunch) we managed to avoid this little fee and as anchoring in Malakal harbour outside the yacht club is a freebie our expenses thus far have been limited to hamburgers, internet access and a bar tab.

As it turned out, our timing had been pretty good, within a couple of days arriving in Koror, another tropical depression (which evolved into typhoon Songda)was gathering strength to the south east... and the slippery little sucker was gunna skirt Palau before it traversed the eastern coasts of the Philippines, so we hunkered down for the inevitable blow...and blow it did. We spent a couple of sleepless nights watching the anchor as constant gusts of between 25 and 35 knots ripped through the anchorage but all held nicely aside from a couple of boats dragging anchor just a tad.

Songda followed the predicted path and skipped on past the Philippines, then, gathering strength, headed up to Japan. Several Japanese ports received a whopping 120 knot barrage and some folks that had recently left Palau for Japan prior to Songda's appearance reported weathering 60 knot gusts even from behind a sea wall. Unfortunately these same intrepid sailors also sustained a wee bit of damage as their boat was lifted onto a concrete wharf in one of the squalls....seasoned sailors that had assessed the risks and continued their journey in a safe window, yet still managed to encounter the very conditions they sought to avoid.

Occasionally, such happenings make it easy for me to understand the somewhat superstitious nature of the sailors we encounter... you see.... every sailor assesses their own risks in accordance with their need/desire to undertake the passage of their choice, but every now and then..... luck plays a role.

A Sailing Culture

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:10:11 +0100

28^th May 2011

Oops...let the blog slip a tad. We're now been in Palau for over 2 weeks, done our necessary boat maintenance and can now relax a little and enjoy the plethora of goodies Palau has to offer....but before I progress too far down another rabbit warren of adventures, misadventures and assorted tales of the high seas, I think it's worth capturing a few aspects of our previous port of call lest they be forgotten!

Having said a sad farewell to our friends on Woleai we had intended to set our course directly for Palau, but with an unfavourable wave and wind combo we simply headed north a little more and made for Yap. One of our best decisions yet! Just a small compass variation made for some great sailing 15-20 knots of wind giving us a whopping 130 miles a day (for us, in the Pacific, that's huge). Still hard hand steering with a predominantly aft wind but at least we were scooting, so we made it to Yap in 3 short days even with a couple of long rests where simply hove to and slept.

Whilst you wouldn't call Yap (or more specifically the port of Colonia) a pretty place we were blown away by the efficiency and helpfulness of the port authorities and assorted officials we encountered, making check in (and out for that matter) a breeze. Not to mention having a good secure holding in about 13 metres of mud right opposite the main drag that helped in ensuring we were able to replenish all our depleted stores of fuel and assorted luxurious beverages and eatables (After a month or so of fairly Spartan living it's always good to find a hamburger and a beer).... Not to mention having the opportunity to go diving with sharks and Manta rays in the company of some awesome guides.

Compared to Woleai, Yap is a veritable metropolis, and whilst the traditional culture is largely subsumed by western conveniences and behaviour there is still a strong sense of Yapese identity and that which makes it unique. Villages still exist with the centrepiece men's house, impressive stone money and complex social code but English will flow as effortlessly from youngsters mouths as beetlenut juice will from that of their parents.

Despite the variations in culture we noticed between different islands in Yap state, a close affiliation with the sea is a distinctly binding aspect. The ocean and it's navigation is to the Yapese what the internet has become to us....a means of communication, a source of vital information and just plain necessary for survival.

Canoes may well have been a central part of PNG life and culture and occasionally one would see the use of sails as the local winds were used to shorten the distance between one island and another, but in Yap these folks really sail! (island to island, state to state, and across the Pacific). The art of navigation is complex and well regarded and given it takes place without the aid of electronic assistance and intervention it is truly remarkable... we're not just talking a knowledge of the stars here as a means of determining reckoning, we're talking about an in depth understanding of wave action, wind patterns and marine biology (if you can identify the fish unique to a reef you may just know where the hell you are) that assists in voyage planning and survival.

There have been concerted steps taken by the Yap state to maintain the integrity of the Micronesian sailing culture but sadly there is also evidence that it is waning.

In Puluwat (Chuuk State but close enough to Satawal to remain a strong link to the culture) for example, only the one senior navigator still remains and whilst he is an active sailor and teacher there are smaller and smaller numbers of young sailors stepping forward to learn the ropes...so to speak.....Similarly in Woleai, whilst the teaching and learning of maritime skills and knowledge is slightly more structured and sustained...the large and graceful sailing canoes of this atoll lie inactive on the beach, iconic monuments of a bustling fishing and voyaging community pointing out to the water they used to lie in, yet never touching it....Quite simply....they have no sails!

The morning we left Woleai...we took the measurements of these sails in the hope we may be able to obtain one in our travels to send back to them...for that matter even a second hand sail would suffice as it could be cut to size. Unfortunately, we'd already disposed of our old mainsail in PNG....bugger, it's currently being used to reinforce a roof as opposed to it's original purpose.

Should anyone reading this blog ever happen to be passing Woleai and just happen to have a spare sail (you never know now do you)....drop it in....it's value goes beyond measure.

Woleai

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:13:37 +0100

Gauguin lives....There truly are small nooks in the Pacific where young nubile women run around topless and golden hued muscular men spend there days in a loincloth decorated only by sweet smelling tightly woven lays. Nowhere else have we been where we felt quite so overdressed. Actually I make light of such things... the dress code is quite specific despite it's seemingly liberated exterior. Men of course have a deal of freedom in their choice of apparel and the loincloth (or 'thu' as it is called) is both practical and desirable in such a warm climate. Women however, in this traditional setting have a strict code to adhere to. Whilst young women who have not yet reached womanhood may wear a grass skirt, once a woman has reached maturity a handwoven lap lap is folded and held intact with a cord (often decorated with turtle shell) over which is placed another cloth covering (although this is not always required). The purpose of this apparel is cover the upper thigh and rear end....the only parts of the human body likely to cause offence......Lucky for the people of Woleai I was not expected to adhere to the dress code, although I did refrain from wear pants, jeans or shorts for the duration of our stay and kept the bikini in storage.

We entered Woleai lagoon in the late afternoon after spending hours bobbing around within 10 miles of it with no wind while Ralph did an emergency overhaul. Mysteriously we had gotten sea water in the engine which meant Ralph had to bleed the engine and change the oil before we could get going and I needed to steer the boat into the waves for 4 hours as best as possible to minimise swell while he did it. Nothing like a whopping challenge to keep you on your toes when you're already exhausted and your destination is within sight! Having successfully met the challenge amidst much understandable cursing, spays of greasy water over the cabin walls from the fuel injectors and throbbing back aches from wrestling the swell we finally motored into the east lagoon weighed anchor and promptly slept for 14 hours.

In the early morning light Woleai looked almost uninhabited and we were surprisingly devoid of visiting canoes (most unusual). In fact it did cross our minds to simply get on our way as the trades had made an early morning reappearance, but we thought perhaps a little stretch of the legs may be in order....and who knows....maybe even a few supplies (sugar, flour and oil had almost run out)....so off we went...heading for what appeared to be a large hut.

Within metres of the shoreline we were greeted with a rousing 'Hello would you like some help'? A young man by the name of Romeo (yes...no shit...his name was Romeo) gave us a hand to haul the dinghy on to the sand and having promptly an efficiently tied it to a coconut tree proceeded to guide us up the beach towards a large hut housing a large number of canoes. We were handed coconuts and asked to sit in an open circular hut while the chief was called...within moments Chief Fred was introduced to us and a large portly fellow by the name of Bernardo (a local teacher) was translating on his behalf. We were informed of the anchorage fee ($10.00 per person and $5.00 anchorage) and what it entitled us to (basically the ability to roam freely over the island)....all very efficient really and a far cry from what we had expected. We were also invited back to the hut for a drink with the men in the afternoon..... so we decided that we'd go for a little wander then return later with a gift for the chief and join in the drinks (having finished our last beer a week ago we were quite looking forward to it.).

Now I just need to clarify a few things for you.....

Firstly...drinking is only permitted for men (for the duration of our stay I was an honorary man) and the canoe house/drinking circle is a critical component of Woleai culture. It is the place where stories are told, knowledge exchanged and the following days activities are planned... It just so happens that this is best done with a 2 litre bottle of home brewed tuva (coconut wine)...mind you every man brings his own bottle and the circle does not break until the bottles are consumed!

Secondly...according to Yapese custom having been 'invited' to wander amongst these beautiful people by Chief Fred, meant we had the 'protection' of the chief, we were in essence, his guests. We treated with courtesy and good ol' fashioned generosity. Everywhere we went we were invited in for food or handed fresh coconuts. Even the supplies we managed to obtain were in the main given to us from peoples own personal supplies..... Actually we were somewhat overwhelmed by it and in awe of such open hearted acceptance. Our invitation to join the drinking circle was just one of the many ways we were welcomed to the island and we were grateful for it.

Our week long stay on Woleai saw us participate in the Good Friday procession across the island, attend mass (an opportunity to be swept away by the incredible voices of the parish), listen to the squeals of pigs being slaughtered for Easter lunch (couldn't quite bring myself to go watch, although we were given a share of the the little sucker which we promptly roasted), watch the young people play games on Easter Sunday, sit around in the shade with the womanfolk and spend many an evening drinking tuva whilst chewing beetlenut with the menfolk. It also saw Ralph make numerous attempts at fixing a variety of things, both electrical and mechanical...not all attempts were successful unfortunately but his efforts were always appreciated.

Of all the interactions we had on this amazing island I will remember Tianna with warmth. Tianna is one of the chief's daughters, born in the same year as myself and is not only a kind soul (and tireless community activist) but an articulate one. She was keen to share her culture and was also capable of critiquing it. We sat for many hours outside her hut in the shade talking about the challenges facing her community. Tianna was of the belief that it was vital to maintain the integrity of Yapese culture but expressed her frustration at a generation of young people incapable of coping with some of it's rigidity, especially when contrasted by the apparent freedoms that a more westernised existence offers....She spoke of the growing number of teenage pregnancies (not a good look in a devoutly Catholic population), the alcohol abuse and destruction of traditional values. Tianna called it the creation of the 'me and now' culture...... a more selfish western existence.

Strangely enough the consumption of alcohol (Tuva) is also a large part of Yapese culture, however it strikes me that it's use is now far from culturally significant. The men's drinking circle, once a limited activity and an essential means of communicating the next days tasks, now lasts til the wee small hours and consists of little more than hearty laughing and jovial singing. This may seem harmless but it's impact on family life is quite profound...Fathers are rarely present at home in the evening and family exchanges are limited as none but the men of the village may attend the circle. With increasing numbers of young men and women now also making their own Tuva and sneaking away to consume it (and have sex) it is of no surprise that alcohol related crime and teenage pregnancy is on the up..... It would appear that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree....but I digress.....

The night of our departure saw us once again in the drinking circle, where we were joined by Lewis (kinda the local government representative, secretary to the chief and Principal of the local High School) who had discovered we were both teachers and wanted us to come and talk to the seniors. Naturally we were only to happy to repay if only a little of the kindness shown to us and on the morning of our departure walked to the school and spoke to the students for about an hour on a variety of topics.....careers, travel, western culture, finding your way in the world....just to name a few. To be honest I'm pretty sure the slideshow we showed them of our trip thus far went over better than the talk....perhaps a picture tells the story better eh?....but we enjoyed the encounter and could have happily stayed longer.....alas the tradewinds were calling and we had to depart.

So with our dinghy heavily laden with parting gifts of bananas, papayas, drinking coconuts, taro and an incredible coconut sweet (made from Tuva) we sadly left these incredible people.

Deserted Island

Wed, 04 May 2011 23:54:16 +0100

20^th April 2011

With the wind still not as strong as we'd like it our passage on from Puluwat was not so speedy, in fact a shocking 70 miles a day! But at least we were sailing and not motoring! Nonetheless a break was in order to ensure we didn't burn ourselves out too much.

You have to remember we are without an autopilot and with the wind coming predominantly from behind 'Steve String' was little use to us....so it was hand steering all the way and vigilant steering at that to ensure we could keep the sails full enough to propel us in the 2-3 metre waves... exhaustion became a significant factor in our trip planning...on a couple of occasions we simply 'hove to' and fell into a coma despite the massive swell and slept for a couple of hours....so the possibility of an overnight stop at another wee lagoon was eagerly anticipated!

And a wee stop we had... anchored safely in a wide (somewhat exposed) lagoon nestled between frigging reefs off a genuine deserted island....at least it was deserted until another yacht turned up...would you believe it? The middle of nowhere and we end up with neighbours. No matter, our visitors simply stopped to stretch their legs and were up and out before we'd even blinked...or at least before we'd finished eating the cake and scones I'd baked.

Refreshed, we followed suit...off out of the lagoon albeit heading in the opposite direction...not before Ralph was able to wrestle onboard a massive Dogtooth tuna. His third fish since entering this little enclave....2 on the way in and another monster on the way out!!!

Lucky we like sashmi.

Puluwat

Wed, 04 May 2011 07:49:16 +0100

April 15^th 2011

After our initial bluster the winds abandoned us, leaving only massive swell. Not my favourite sailing mix so we motored...and we motored....had a few brief sailing interludes but these were more fraught with sweating swearing and bruises from getting knocked around the cockpit (steel is a harsh partner at times) so we motored a little more....basically we motored the entire way to Puluwat (about 160 miles or so due west from Chuuk).

Technically speaking we are still in the bounds of the North East Monsoon and the trade winds are still apparent however as the season progresses they blow with decreasing frequency and strength so it becomes a tad more important to pick your weather window well....unless of course you happen to have a massive fuel carrying capacity (which we do not)...so Puluwat was looking like a good option to sit out the doldrums and wait for the trades to pop back into play.

Still a little burned from our Chuuk experience we were not holding out much hope for Puluwat, but as it turned out from the moment we entered the lagoon to the moment we left, we were completely converted.

The lagoon entrance itself is quite narrow and the deepest passage (stay starboard) brings you perilously close to waves breaking on the frigging reef, but with good light for a few dips and dodges of coral heads it's not so bad at all and well worth it when you find yourself in the centre of a lagoon with water so piercingly blue and clear you need to pinch yourself to be sure it's real.

We anchored a little lower than an old abandoned jetty (Japanese relic we were told) in a nice sandy patch clear of a few patches of shoal and were promptly joined by two sizeable gentlemen in loincloths back to back in a canoe. One was a local high school teacher who informed us that the anchorage fee of $10.00 (not again we cry silently) per yacht for as long as one wishes to stay (thank Christ we sigh silently). This fee is usually payable to the Mayor but as the Major and eight other senior fellows were currently out hunting turtles (and had been for the last 5 weeks) we simply handed over the dough to the teacher.

After a respectable interval (enough to enable a dip and a nap) we had a bit of a wander onshore. Strangely enough we didn't really encounter a village (so to speak), more a collection of grass huts set with sufficient space between so as to require a well worn path between them....so we simply trod the well worn paths, dodging the pigs tied to coconut trees and generally tried to be unobtrusive (quite difficult when you're the only white person in a yacht for 100s of miles).

We didn't really encounter anyone until we started heading back to the boat, where we came across a bunch of kids laughing, singing and generally having a good time...not understanding each other there wasn't much of an exchange but we did enjoy listening to the singing and having the kids laugh at us and themselves....such willing and generous smiles.

I think our little wander broke the ice somewhat...not half an hour after returning to the boat we were joined by a bevy of children/teenagers led by the fearless (and quite bossy) Patty. Patty and her troop kept us company each day after school for our entire stay and we kept her supplied with DVDs, updated MP3 collections and kept her digital camera empty enough for her to continue her happy snaps with the customary 2 finger salute in each shot.

Thanks to Patty we also had the opportunity to meet Tonia (her cousin) who was an absolute fountain of information on frying breadfruit (makes great chips) and making coconut cream (from scratch mind you). She was also kind enough to let us try a bit of freshly prepared turtle (kinda chewy beef/fish like stuff) as by this stage the men folk had returned in their canoes with a catch of 8 turtles, evenly distributed amongst the villages on the island.

Over the next couple of days we simply spent time with the kids, swam, dove and generally rested our weary bones, aside from one rather energetic and sweaty walk to the old Japanese lighthouse on a neighbouring island in the lagoon. Our tour guide (one of Patty's younger cousins) had apparently been there many times before, however I think he was slightly more focussed on finding mountain apple trees than the right path so we went from tree to tree for hours before coming across the lighthouse which was located in the old secondary school grounds...now deserted. Lucky the walk was worth it (Ralph was getting rather close to stringing up our guide)... the view from the top of the lighthouse was incredible, although strangely enough the walk back to the dinghy along the beach was waaaaaaay shorter than our inland trek!

Our last afternoon on Puluwat was spent peacefully wandering around the lagoon swimming and snorkelling with one small visit from the elder navigator (named Rapwei) on the island who's canoe block needed a little TLC courtesy of Ralph's toolbox. Being only too happy to help Ralph had it ship shape within minutes and the navigator (absolutely stoked with the result) had returned back to our boat with some locally made rope made from coconut husk and a hand woven lap lap (not that I knew that at the time and Ralph thought it was a table cloth). Turned out Rapwei was well known, he had originally come from Satawal and had a selection of cousins in Woleai as well. Quite an amazing man I feel... one of those rare individuals so at peace with their life you can see it shine from their eyes....leaving us feeling honoured to have spent time in his presence.

As the days had passed the wind had gradually gained in strength enough for us to consider setting sail....but not without a final farewell from Tonia, Patty and the crew who turned up in the morning of our departure laden with bananas, coconuts, breadfruit and flowers freshly picked and promptly fashioned into lays... a bit of a treat for us as we'd not received them before.... nearly 2 months in the Pacific and never been laid (so to speak).

So lays freshly donned and farewells spoken we set off out the narrow passage to continue our path westward towards Palau, well rested and significantly richer for the experience.

Leaving Weno

Wed, 04 May 2011 07:45:50 +0100

April 8^th 2011

Strangely enough we managed to escape Chuuk with no further overtime payments to either Customs or Immigration, a small wait of course, for the pleasure of their company but at least no additional donations to the education funds of their children. Unfortunately we were not so fortunate with the Port Authority. We were charged a $25 dollar fee to moor alongside in the harbour (Customs requirement), a $25.00 entry fee and a whopping $135.00 for anchorage, a grand total of $185.00 for our entire stay in Chuuk! All of which coming as a complete surprise as no-one had advised us of this on our arrival.

It may be a slight exaggeration to say we were livid! But I can tell you we were sure as hell pissed off! Ralph had sought clarification on the legality of these charges and was shown a document indicating a range of fees applicable to visiting fishing commercial fishing vessels, but no amount of reasoning could convince the Harbour Master that Hafskip was not secretly holding 10 tonne of tuna. To be honest I'm sure the argument was both heard and understood but apparently, it is 'simply the same fees charged to all visiting yachts'.... ahh well....live and learn eh. So we paid and left.

The situation left quite a bitter taste in our mouths and as we slowly raised the main we felt somewhat cursed as the weather began to turn steely grey in a wide band behind us. As the seas began to build a passing banana boat turned towards us gesturing to us to slow.... 'what now?' was our first thought.....

We were told the island of Tol in Chuuk Lagoon houses a race of violent and somewhat unfriendly people. Our chosen passage from Chuuk took us right past here and our passing banana boat was from this direction.

As the banana boat came closer arms waving and voices piercing the engine noise.... all we could do was smile... A small boy was holding up a beautiful grouper and wanted to give it to us. The fish we gratefully accepted and we said a quick goodbye in the face of the weather. Amazing eh... just when you're ready to dismiss an entire population you are reminded of the beauty and generosity of individuals.... Me thinks Chuuk government and bureaucracy are not necessarily representative of the Chuukese.

Another port... another part

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 22:53:33 +0100

There's definitely a few similarities between PNG and Chuuk... the largest being, the impact of western colonisation (in this case, American). Poor ol' Weno suffers badly from an array of western concepts... like unemployment, homelessness, alcohol abuse, STDs, petty crime, American pancake mix, Californian vegetables (not much is grown and sold locally).....and the list goes. It makes a stark contrast to the beauty of the surrounds.

It also suffers from corrupt and self serving bureaucratic assholes but to add insult to injury it throws in an over use of restrictive legislation....

We had anticipated, having landed in the wreck diving capital of the world, to be able to have partaken in some of these easily accessible and spectacular dive sites, but alas...... twas not to be. You see Chuuk state has declared the entire lagoon a national monument and one cannot dive the wrecks without a licence ($30.00 per person) and a guide obtained from an authorised dive operator ($250.00 per day...or roughly $140.00 per person for a couple of dives off a banana boat).... pretty bloody steep when you're on a cruising budget and have boat repairs to attend to!

So instead we've been amusing ourselves with some reef diving and snorkelling, which has been pleasant and relaxing but not quite the marvel we'd anticipated....

On the plus side however we did manage to obtain a new water pump from New Zealand (NZ via Hong Kong, Korea, Guam and then finally Chuuk) that Ralph has already installed which looks to be behaving itself very nicely. So we should be able to head on outta here tomorrow after we check out (another opportunity for Customs to incur over time) and we'll island hop our way across the pacific for a bit.... Pulawat, Pikelot then Palau (might even make it to Yap before Palau but didn't wanna spoil the alliteration).

So it'll be goodbye to Chuuk... and thanks for the DHL.

PS: If anyone anchors opposite the Blue Lagoon Resort watch out for South Easterlies cause you'll have little or no protection from them, anchor to the right of the Odyssey mooring bouy (local dive liveaboard) coz on the left you'll run aground, buy your beer from Vins store just beyond the dive shop in the resort grounds ($2.00 cheaper a can) and be prepared for ALOT of banana boat traffic!