svbeachhouse

Category: Ship’s Log

  • Rangiroa, Tuamotu Atolls…..

    Dear F&F,

    September 2, 2009
    Rangiroa, Tuamotu Atolls

    The wind was less strong overnight and John & the other 6 boats in the anchorage secure, so we felt comfortable to go diving with Six Passengers Dive Center. A freckled red-haired Frenchman, Fred, was our dive master with just one other gal along. We dove outside the atoll on the reef. We saw 1 manta ray very deep & far from us, but quite a few grey sharks & a nice school of barracuda. We wonder why barracuda have a reputation as being nasty since we\’ve only seen them swimming calmly. They shine silvery with dark grey stripes & beautiful to behold. The shallower part of the reef was not that fun. There was a lot of surge causing us to fly back & forth. Difficult conditions for Scott to film in because that kind of motion is not interesting to watch. There were plenty of fish, but the coral looked a bit weather beaten & the water was murky due to the recent rain & strong winds stirring things up.

    We were eager to do the pass dive on the incoming tide so went again with the group at 3:00 pm. The call was for 2:15 pm so we were suited up, sweating in the sun. Waiting, waiting. We saw 2 of the company\’s boats go out but they didn\’t come to pick us up despite our waving to them. We hailed them on the radio & they said, \”Yes we are coming\”. We jumped in the water off the back of our boat to cool off a bit. Sinbad, a Polynesian, was our dive master this time, with a nice couple from Rome. He is Italian, she is from Toronto. The owner of the company also dove with us, taking video footage of us divers & the wildlife. The high point of this 2nd dive was DOLPHINS! A mother & young one zooming very near us. Always a joy to see dolphins & we have not had many close encounters underwater. We saw some grey reef sharks too and the schooling barracuda again. Other than that the dive was unremarkable. Visibility not great, not much coral. Just drifted in above sandy rocky bottom without much to see. You just never know what you\’re going to see.

    Between dives John, who Scott helped yesterday, came by to thank us profusely. He said he had a knowledgeable guy with him from the time he left Los Angeles until 3 weeks ago. John is a New Zealander who lived a lot in Australia, and has a non-sailing lady friend there who he is trying to work his way back to. We gave him our email & also instructions on how to re-hoist his genoa. Poor guy is truly clueless. We hope he makes it safely the 800 miles from here to Rarotonga, where he knows people & plans to keep the boat for the cyclone season.

    Scott had casually checked in to the Ham radio Pacific Seafarer\’s Net & became an active relay person. We are positioned such that many boaters hear Scott but not the Net Controller. He is madly writing people\’s info then reporting it. Latitude, longitude, destination, speed, direction, weather, any questions, any contacts, etc. I know it is fun for him, although he looks a bit harried as this responsibility was unexpected. I just refilled his wine glass so he should be fine. My Hero, once again taking up the baton for the good of the sailors of the world!

    Cindy & Scott

  • The B.F.H and Sailboat in Drag – Rangiroa…..

    Dear F&F,

    September 1, 2009
    The B.F.H and Sailboat in Drag – Rangiroa

    We knew something was coming. Weather Guru from New Zealand, Bob McDavitt had been telling us about the \”BFH\”, Big Fat High (pressure system) to the south of us. This thing stretches from New Zealand to French Polynesia. That is big and fat. It\’s accelerating the trade winds on its north side. Strong winds & squalls are predicted for September 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th . Right on cue at 4:00 a.m. the rain began. The wind built steadily and by 5:30 a.m. we went out on deck to see how all the boats were faring in the 25-30 knots. A monohull that had been anchored safely ahead of us, was clearly dragging and now perilously close to our port side. We started our engines to maneuver out of harm\’s way.

    The solo gentleman looked small & helpless as his boat bobbed stern to the wind and waves, exactly opposite of all the boats that are securely anchored. Scott tried waving the radio microphone to get him to communicate his problem, but despite the fact that the man was clutching a handheld radio, all he returns is a \”deer in the head lights\” gaze. His genoa (forward sail) had partly unfurled. Sail & line viciously flapping in the wind added to the chaos. Scott figures he\’s French and can\’t speak English. The man is frozen, taking no action.

    Scott instructed me to use our engines to keep \”Beach House\” out of danger then jumped in our dinghy to go take control of the frozen man and his boat. Due to the strong winds & their direction, the swell inside the lagoon was as if we were out in the open sea. A small splinter of islet in front of us is barely keeping the anchorage from looking like \”Victory at Sea\”.

    As Scott unclips the dinghy davit lines, a huge swell rises then drops him in the dinghy, pulling the line out of its rope clutch. I secure it on a cleat. Note to selves: This must be rethreaded through the clutch before we can raise the dinghy back up. We waste no time, and re-secure this line properly between assisting our clueless neighbor. A figure eight knot in the end of our davit line will prevent this problem in the future.

    Scott clips our dinghy to his boat & climbs aboard. The man says he is an Aussie from San Pedro, near Los Angeles, single handing and doesn\’t have a lot of experience! How he made it this far is a shock. He had tried to maneuver with his engine, but got his anchor line fouled on the propeller. He has no idea how to get out of the fix he\’s in. Embarrassed, but grateful, he follows Scott\’s directions. Getting the head sail down is the first order of business. Scott cuts the tangled genoa sheet to not be killed by its flailing about. He asked the man to lower the halyard to bring the sail down. He does not know where the halyard is! Scott switched positions with him, getting him to haul down the sail as Scott found & released the correct halyard. Having done that, they stuff the sail down the forward hatch.

    Scott next realizes he must dive on the man\’s anchor to clear the line from the propeller so the boat can be moved away from us and re-anchored. We had planned to go diving for fun this morning, but with this situation & the weather, that is obviously off. We notify the dive center of the predicament and they offer their assistance in the form of any necessary scuba gear. Scott feels for now, he can manage alone.

    We tie our dinghy to the side of \”Beach House\” to keep her painter line safely away from our big boat engines. Scott quickly dons scuba gear, swims over to the monohull and takes a look. Sure enough, 6 wraps of his anchor line are on the propeller. Scott instructs the man to prepare a second anchor line that he can shackle to his chain. He tried to go OVER the bow pulpit with it. Scott stopped him and got him to put it through the bow roller. If he lead the line incorrectly, it would have bent the pulpit and/or cut the new anchor line. They take up the slack and Scott asks him to release the original rode. He cannot, as the bitter end is knotted up against the deck. He must cut it free.

    Scott goes below to unwrap the prop and finds that it is dangerous with the boat pitching 3-4 feet up and down over his head. Not willing to be injured to save him 40 feet of anchor line, he cuts it with his dive knife. Now he has a functioning engine and his boat swings bow to the seas and we are getting somewhere. Scott reattached the pieces of cut anchor line to double him up as the back up shackle was too large to go through the chain. It had to be put OVER the chain in between links. This back up shackle was only 3 mm thick and Scott worried it would break off. He wanted the line doubled up in case the shackle let go.

    Out of nowhere, a Polynesian gentleman has appeared to help out. This guy speaks no English. It turns out he was a good Samaritan dropped off by a friend from the beach in a dinghy. He gets one big \”atta boy\” from us.

    John, (the owner – boat name still unknown as it\’s not painted on the stern), wants to just tighten up his gear and stay put. Scott cannot approve. \”If the wind shifts direction you\’ll be right on my bow. If you don\’t move, I must move my boat right now\”. John is convinced to pick up a mooring that is a safe distance from any other boat. These are described in the guide books as fine for cruisers to use, and at least two other boats here are on these moorings. Although we generally prefer our own anchoring equipment, if we know the moorings are good, we too have used them in other places in the past.

    The electric motor of his anchor windlass burned out two days ago. He and our Polynesian friend spend an hour trying to get the anchor up by hand. The wind has backed off to 5 knots now. Scott bobs in the water above the anchor. The knock-off Bruce style anchor is hanging on to a piece of coral. If that lets go, his boat will crash on the reef. Scott is getting fatigued & cold. He sees the lift bags he\’d put in place on our own anchor nearby below & uses them to float up John\’s 30 kg (66 lb.) anchor.

    As the boat begins to drift free of the bottom Scott hollers for them to start motoring away from us. The wind and seas are building again. I know we will not be able to rest until this sailboat is secured to the mooring and definitely away from \”Beach House\”.

    Scott takes a fresh tank & I drive him in our dinghy to the mooring. There is no painter to it. Scott asks John to toss him the cut piece of anchor line, to make a bridle out of it that he can slip when he\’s ready to leave. Scott snorkels down 4 meters (15 feet) to get it attached.

    It is blowing 30 knots again and our Polynesian Friend at the helm has no idea how to drive a monohull sailboat. Scott is almost run over 4 times trying to get the bridle line to John. I am in our dinghy staying out of the way, but in constant visual of Scott. John\’s boat hook, inadequately short to begin with, bends & is useless. Just as Scott is becoming exhausted and exasperated, the other Polynesian hero comes out in his aluminum dinghy, and assists in securing the bridle to John\’s boat.
    I bring Scott back to the \”House\” and revive him with hot coffee and a hot shower. This adventure took 3 1/2 hours, most of which he spent in the water.

    It is still blowing 20-30 knots but we can breathe easier knowing John is safely on the mooring and away from everyone else. We feel pity for the poor guy, but also some anger that his lack of knowledge and skill put not only himself but us in jeopardy. He\’s in his mid 60\’s and we have no idea what he\’s doing out here with his stated level of \”non\” experience, especially by himself. He told us he\’s going to go to Rarotonga next to get hauled out for repair work. \”You mean Raiatea?\”, as we\’ve never heard of a haul out in Rarotonga. \”No\” he says, Rarotonga\”. It\’s a mystery�

    The wind and swell give the feeling that we are out to sea, but it is comfortable enough. We are safely anchored with 40 meters (150 feet) of 3/8\” (10mm) high test chain with our 30 kg (66 lb) Rocna anchor. Snug as bugs in a rug! The dive boats went out despite the inclement weather. We will see how things go tomorrow and proceed accordingly. It was not the pleasure dive that Scott had imagined he would make today. But a self-preserving act that also saved our fellow sailor. If we had just sat and watched, that boat\’s anchor line would have been eventually and he would have been instantly on the reef. He could not have started his engine and would have either washed up on the reef directly in front of the Kia Ora Village Hotel and possibly hit us in the process. No thank you.

    Another neighbor sailboat, Adrian on \”Mandala\” (from New Zealand), called Scott on the radio after the ordeal, giving him congratulations for (literally) jumping in to save the day. I know what I don\’t know, which in regards to boating is a lot. But one thing I do know for sure is that I have the best and bravest Captain, ever inspiring me to be a more competent mate. Another day in the life of team \”Beach House\”.

    Cheers from Rangiroa,
    Cindy & Scott

  • Passage to Rangiroa…..

    Dear F&F,

    August 31, 2009
    Passage to Rangiroa

    We were patient & maneuvered a lot to get the chain off the coral when departing Manihi, but thankfully Scott did not have to dive on the anchor. We invited the Xavier the SailMail operator, for lunch, but he had just eaten his breakfast at 10:00 a.m. & declined. I am sure many of the boaters that visit here invite him onboard, so seeing a boat is nothing special. We hope to see him & wife Ann Laurence in Tahiti.

    The exit from the lagoon out the pass was pretty easy. We followed our track from when we came in a week ago. We had been outside the reef with the dive boat 3 days in a row so knew the landmarks. We passed by the atoll called Ahe, making sure we skirted it during daylight which we did. From 2:00-5:00 p.m. the sailing conditions were ideal. It was one of the most comfortable sails we could remember since we don\’t know when. I made dinner while it was still light so I could do the dishes & put everything away. Scott took the first watch, but I only lay down for about an hour to stretch, didn\’t really nap. During my 6:00-10:00 p.m. watch the wind picked up strong and the sea got lumpier on the beam (sideways). I was very glad I\’d put a scopalamine patch on in the morning. When Scott relieved me at 10:00 p.m. we reefed the mainsail smaller to slow down since we wanted a daylight arrival to enter the pass. I had a pretty good sleep from 10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.. When I came up for the 2:00-6:00 a.m. shift, there was intermittent rain & various wind strengths & directions. At one point we were just bobbing around so I motored for about 45 minutes. Then I could sail again. It was overcast & cloudy but light enough to see Rangiroa at 6:00 a.m. when Scott got up. We were just 3 miles from the pass, so I stayed up to roll away the mainsail & help him navigate the pass. It is a nerve-wracking pass due to the large standing waves, but did a great job. The tide was coming out of the lagoon, pretty strong current against us. Fortunately we have powerful engines that can overcome the force of the water, but our speed drops down with the same or more RPMs. The place where boats anchor is not far from the pass & there are 1 or 2 villages here. There are 6 other boats, one we think we met in Fakarava before. All spread out so no crowded feeling.

    Once we got the anchor down, I napped for an hour, then made us breakfast & we both lay down again. I finished the book I have not been enjoying (the negative guy who paddled his canoe around many of the Pacific Islands). This squally weather is predicted to last severa days. We\’ve seen dive boats zooming by, so we know they will go pretty much no matter what the weather. We get wet anyway, so it doesn\’t really matter for diving. But for grocery shopping or taking a walk on shore it is better to wait until we have a good break from the rain. So a relaxed day of recovery for us.

    Cindy & Scott

  • More Manihi…..

    Dear F&F,

    August 29, 2009
    More Manihi

    Yesterday & today we enjoyed diving with Serge, the outgoing divemaster here in Manihi atoll. Marc, has been getting oriented to the sites & dive center operations. We hope to see Wilfred again when we get to Tikihau in about a week. The 5 of us are all very experienced divers so it has been a very enjoyable group. We dove at the manta ray \”cleaning station\” several times. They hover & swirl around this 70 foot deep pile of rocks & uninteresting coral. The small fish nibble clean any wounds or parasites. Win-win: the little fish get a meal & the mantas stay healthy. The mantas are filter feeders, plankton, so the small fish are not in jeopardy of being eaten. In fact they swim inside the mantas mouth & do oral hygiene. Very interesting to watch. The water was murky, but Scott video & photos turned out surprisingly well.

    The second dive today Serge baited the sharks. We had been on one of these experiences years ago in Moorea. A big frozen tuna head was lowered into the water in a wire cage. We dove while the tormented grey reef sharks swirled around smelling but not yet able to eat it. After Marc, Wilfred & Scott got their fill of close up shark photos, Serge tripped the line to open the cage & the mayhem began. I\’m not afraid, but I don\’t love it. We kept a safe distance from the short-lived feeding frenzy. I find it more enjoyable to watch sharks calmly swimming vs in a feeding frenzy. We had one other French tourist who had apparently requested to see this, which is why they did it. It has been a very enjoyable 3 days of diving here & we look forward to diving at 2 more Tuamotu atolls before spending the cyclone season in Tahiti.

    We are checking the weather & will pick our time in the next day or two for the overnight sail to Rangiroa, the largest of the Tuamotu atolls. Wilfred gave us a referral for a dive operation there. Everyone who we\’ve spoken to that has visited raves about it.

    Cindy & Scott

  • Manihi Diving…..

    Dear F&F,

    August 27, 2009
    Manihi Diving

    At 2:30 p.m. it has already been a great day. Serge, Marc & Wilfred picked us up at the Manihi Pearl Beach Resorts dive boat. Wilfred is the assistant manager of the Pearl Beach Resort Hotel in Tikihau, the last Tuamotu island we may visit, before Tahiti just after Rangiroa. He is staying at the Manihi Pearl Beach for a long weekend & loves to dive. Since Marc already knows us, it made for a very congenial group of avid divers. The ride in the dive boat is a lot faster & more comfortable than our own dinghy. There was no wind so the lagoon looked glassy & we had a smooth ride.

    Serge tied the boat to a mooring inside the lagoon, 5 minutes from the hotel. They call the site \”Le Cirque\” the circus. It is a cleaning station & has a consistent reputation for manta rays in the morning. The mantas glide, hover & circle as the small fish eat off little parasites, groom wounds & generally tidy up the larger animal. As advertised, we descended & immediately saw 1 manta. Three others joined shortly. He briefed us of the no touch policy & said that if we swam toward them or exhaled when they swam near us, they might be shy & swim away. We dutifully held still on the rocky bottom & enjoyed the view without interaction. Of course our hearts beat faster when one came near, with fond thoughts of San Benedicto imprinted in our memories forever. Despite the hazy water, Scott got some good photos. What a great way to start the day.

    We zoomed back to the shop for our surface interval. They refilled all tanks except mine & we had a cup of tea. I am paranoid about any other compressor filling my tank with potentially less than pristine air. After one horrid dive using a tank from south Fakarava dive shop\’s that tasted like I was sucking on an exhaust hose, I really value the clean air our own dive compressor puts out. Scott risked using a Manihi shop tank since they have an electric compressor, not gas. Serge claims to change the filters regularly. I could not bring myself to risk polluting my perfect clean tank & had brought 2 of our own, so no need to take a risk.

    The second dive was outside the lagoon. We tied up to a mooring on one side the pass. We dropped down 15 feet to a beautiful, crystal clear coral garden. Myriads of fish of all sizes, shapes & colors. A few moray eels. We swam against the current which I find exhausting, but I knew there had to be an end point. We dropped down the reef wall to about 100 feet and saw 2 white tip reef sharks & 1 nurse shark resting under a ledge. It was easier kicking the other direction with the current & we enjoyed the majority of our hour dive exploring all the critters of the reef. Marc, ever the divemaster, pointed out fluttery nudibranchs (tiny colorful slug-like creature), 3 varieties of lion fish, 2 different flat fish. Scott took photos of Marc & me hamming for the camera. It is so great to have this chance to dive with him again.

    The wind picked up strong by the end of our dive, so the ride back to \”Beach House\” was rough even in their boat. Thank goodness we convinced them to transport us so we didn\’t have to slam into those waves in our dinghy. With the wind now pushing the sailboats somewhat toward land, we are glad of where we are anchored – a bit further away from the shore than the other 2 boats.

    We left all our gear except my 2 tanks with the dive boat since we plan to go again tomorrow. We just had our wetsuits & swimsuits to rinse & hang, take showers & eat lunch. I am always glad after the fact that I\’ve cooked ahead. My pot roast over rice & some carrot sticks made a hearty lunch for 2 hungry divers. Scott gave me a preview of the manta photos. Even without being worked by his digital darkroom program, he got some good shots. We know the website is already loaded with manta shots from our 5 weeks at San Benedicto & Socorro, but you will forgive our fondness for these creatures. They will be a highlight wherever we find them. I read a bit then dozed as Scott carried on with photo processing. I came up for a cup of tea, to write you all & hope to receive emails from you when I connect to the ham radio.

    Last night we enjoyed the sunset from Xavier\’s pier. Xavier, who owns this motu (islet) is a warm & wonderful guy. He lit a hurricane lamp and shared Navy stories, including a memorable dinner with Jacques Brel (A famous French Folk Singer who died from lung caner in the late 197o\’s). I enjoyed talking to Kenny from San Diego, the contractor building his house. Kenny flew to Tahiti today to visit his Tahitian wife Matania & 2 daughters. Matania works for Air Tahiti Nui & he\’s asked her to get my seat assignment for my September flight to LA. Kenny wants his girls to experience American high school, so they may live with friends in San Diego when the time comes for that. Born in the U.S. & living in Tahiti about 4 years, they are already fluent in French so should be bilingual for life.

    We swapped stories with our fellow sailors, learning more about British Arthur who has been to sea for the better part of 20 years. He used to run a sailing school. Since leaving the U.K. he has lived for long stretches in France, New Zealand, the Caribbean. When I asked crew member Augustine, from the Canary islands, who did the cooking aboard he described that they all take turns in the galley. On Sunday they have a proper 4 course dinner & wear colorful shirts. How delightful! Crew member Chris from Brazil is dashing & we talked about the Galapagos, where he joined the boat. They seem to be a happy trio. Sylvan is still uncertain where to go from here for cyclone season: New Zealand, Hawaii, Kiribati. We loaned him our cruising guides & he\’s taking digital photos of charts. His good old dog Eddie (Jack Russell terrier) is sweet with people but gives a warning growl so the 2 other dogs keep their distance. The 6 month old cocker spaniel, Fletcher (named after Fletcher Christian of Mutiny on the Bounty fame), is adorable & a real snuggler. It is nice for us to have dog interaction, then return to our boat without the hassle of onboard ownership.

    That\’s the update from here. We are so glad we chose to come to Manihi & that the timing to dive with Marc is working out. More bubbly stories to come!

    Cindy & Scott

  • Manihi Life…..

    Dear F&F,

    August 24-26, 2009
    Manihi Life

    This is a nice spot, very comfortable anchorage. A 3rd sailboat pulled in today, \”Aquarius\”. The captain is an older British guy, Arthur, with 2 crew (1 South African, 1 from the Canary Islands). He\’s been cruising 20 years, since his wife passed away. Scott tried to help Arthur get his Sailmail going. They fixed one computer problem but there is still a modem issue. Scott sent a tech support request email. Hopefully he\’ll get some helpful advice.

    We are waiting for Marc\’s arrival to get back in the water – soon we hope. The outgoing dive guide, Serge, that will be replaced by Marc did not want to take us diving today. He is preparing to return to Paris in 1 week (death of his mother, needs to help settle the estate, plans to be there a while).

    So we had \”free time\” this morning. That sounds funny, I know, but we usually have some kind of agenda. We did a few jobs: changed the sheets, changed the watermaker filters. I had defrosted some chicken that I needed to cook. I opened an experimental can of yellow curry paste I bought in Costa Rica. I think Mary said she\’d tried it & said it was really good. When I opened the can the smell of lemongrass rose to my nose. It reminds me of the smell of Thai chicken coconut soup which I love. I started with a small scoop & got braver as I kept tasting how the flavors blended with the condensed mushroom soup, coconut milk and chicken bouillon. Frozen peas & a can of sliced mushrooms were added to fill it out. Yum! It will be great over rice.

    While I washed the pile of dishes I\’d created I listened to audio French lesson #1. Scott got motivated to make a concerted effort to learn some every day & is up to lesson #4. It is sad how much we have forgotten since the days when we took Berlitz while having the boat built in France. Something about \”use it or lose it\”.

    After being in the galley for 3 hours, I decided to cool off with a swim/snorkel. The visibility was kind of hazy along the shallow coral reef. It always feels great to be in the water & there were plenty of small reef fish to see.

    Scott meanwhile went to shore with his media computer hoping that some Adobe updates would help solve the snags he\’s having with his video editing program. First it took 45 minutes to update the anti-virus software. He came back to the boat after 3 hours, leaving his computer there to continue loading the updates that would take the rest of the day. Welcome to slow speed internet. Tempting to use, but frustrating as heck. It was to a very kind & patient American Airlines booking agent that helped me purchase my ticket to California via a poor Skype connection. I am so happy to have that trip nailed down

    It was 15 minutes in the dinghy to the hotel / dive center dock. Going is the easy direction. Returning we slam into the wind & swell. We did not see Serge, so just asked some departing tourists to point us in the direction of the airport. I always feel a bit weird when I finally get to stride out & stretch my legs when we haven\’t been on shore much. The waiting room was an open air thatched roof with some benches. The runway was right there. Serge pulled up in a hotel golf cart that they use to transport the guests the 1/2 mile to the hotel. It was great to see Marc strolling off the tarmac in white linen shirt & long pants. We never saw him in anything but a wetsuit or lava lava before (polynesian wrapped skirt). His hair was cut short and he lost 10 lbs – looks great! Serge & Marc began chatting in high speed French. Scott & I could only smile to each other & wish we had stuck with learning the language before this trip. C\’est la vie, no time like the present. Marc had 2 carry on bags & 1 checked. His dive gear etc will arrive on the cargo ship tomorrow. Serge showed him to his new home, a hotel staff bungalow. Less private, but nicer than his digs in Fakarava. We visited with them a while, convinced Serge to pick us up in the dive boat at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow & excused ourselves. We could tell the two of them had a lot to discuss, mostly we just wanted to be part of Marc\’s welcoming committee. I quietly left some cake I baked last night in his room. I knew he was coming, so I baked a cake…as the saying goes.

    Scott took cupcakes into Xavier, Kenny & Sylvan. In return Scott came back with half a loaf of Xavier\’s bread machine bread that was really good. It had some seeds in it, nice to have something besides low quality plain white baguette. Scott thinks the Tahiti baguettes will be better. So far I\’m not impressed, but white bread isn\’t my thing.

    The other 2 boats have decided to have happy hour on Xavier\’s pier at sunset. Eight guys & me. It\’s ok. We won\’t stay long since we have to get out all the dive gear, pump tanks, etc. So that\’s our day. Eager to dive tomorrow. Hopefully it will be Serge, Marc & us. Maybe one other couple. The early dive is inside the lagoon, there is a cleaning station where a few manta rays are known to come. It is always a treat for us to see mantas up close. The 2nd dive will be on the reef on the outside of the atoll.

    Scott checked on the progress of his computer updates. It had stalled so not much progress. Perhaps the power convertor had blown so the computer went to sleep? Anyway, he re-connected & is letting it work all night, hopefully it will finish. Xavier is very kind to let us boaters use his facilities, such as they are.

    Cindy & Scott

  • Manihi – Tuamotu Atolls…..

    Dear F&F,

    August 23, 2009
    Manihi – Tuamotu Atoll

    We decided to head to Manihi for a few reasons. We both woke up before the 5:00 a.m. alarm so got a good jump on hoisting the anchor, which was made easy since the lift bags we put on yesterday kept the chain off the coral heads. The morning twilight gave us enough light to see the north pass exit clearly, plus we had our track marked on the chart plotter from our test run out & back the day we arrived.

    The wind was 20-25 knots very close to being on the nose. The angle is too close to sail, plus we do not want to risk going too slowly & missing a daylight entry. We motored the whole way with the staysail out to give us a little boost. We took 2 hour watches. I was not perfect, but not too seasick with sturgeron & the A.W.Z. (Annoying Wrist Zapper). My 2nd off watch I slept hard & when I got up we were here – wonderful. The entry was well marked & not difficult. It did get as shallow as 11 feet, but Scott had good control of the helm on the ebb tide.

    We hailed Xavier on the VHF. He runs the SailMail station here. It is a parallel, pay system similar to Winlink, but allows business. We use both systems (in fact sends all these web posts to our site via Sailmail). Scott had emailed Xavier telling him we were coming. He has arranged for us to buy diesel when the next supply ship comes. Xavier is French, a retired commanding officer for the French Navy in French Polynesia. He & wife Ann Lawrance also have a home in Tahiti. They bought their motu (little islet) here about 3 years ago & are in construction of a wonderful home. She is a maritime law attorney. They were both welcoming & delightful.

    We also met cruiser Sylvan from Quebec. He used to work in the lumber business out of Costa Rica & Dana Point. He left for the cruising life 3 years ago. He had engine trouble plus a leak at his mast which resulted in a 56 day passage from Costa Rica to the Marquesas. YIKES! He looks very \”native\” with bushy hair & beard. Lucky for us, they all speak English very well. It is embarrassing that our French is so rusty. When I try to speak, Spanish comes out. Sylvan invites us all onboard for crepes. He has a sweet 15 year old Jack Russell terrier. Xavier & Ann have 2 dogs also. An American contractor from San Diego, Kenny Crocker, is living with them in their temporary dwelling overseeing the building of their main home. It will by lovely when finished. A lot of work still.

    Scott took photos of Xavier with his SailMail equipment. The weather is a delightful 82 with a 13 knot breeze. We are so glad we chose to come here & not just head to Rangiroa. We will get there, but we have some time to spend here. Tomorrow I get to use the high speed internet at Xavier\’s home! He described how shockingly cheap it was to run a submerged cable from the village to his house for internet. They have solar & wind power plus a generator. Ann\’s enthusiasm for the project was contagious. There are daily flights from Papeete to Manihi so she is frequently back & forth. They have 4 grown children, 3 in Paris, one in Tahiti she intends to send back to school in Paris. They are a very warm & friendly couple.

    Today is our 18th year of being in love. On this day 18 years ago we sailed to Catalina together for the first time on \”Greybeard\”, Scott\’s parent\’s boat. It seemed fitting to share our afternoon with another couple in love with each other and this island.

    We will dive here for sure. We can dinghy 15 minutes to the village & see about diving with the local dive center. Ann said her kids have gone & it is very good. Marc, dive master from Fakarava, may be coming to work here. It would be fantastic if we could dive with him again.

    I am glad I cooked rice & chicken with my last jar of Trader Joes mojito sauce last night. So easy to just heat dinner. There is a bakery here, so we can buy fresh baguettes, which is good since I am down to my last frozen one & not so keen to heat up the boat baking bread. I\’ll be eager to see what else they have in the store.

    Cindy & Scott

  • Apataki Atoll, Tuamotu Atolls…..

    Dear F&F,

    August 20-22, 2009
    Apataki, Tuamotu Atolls

    We had one more day of diving at Toau\’s coral garden. The following day we dinghied out there but had to cancel diving due to 6 foot breaking waves on the reef. The next day we decided we\’d had our fill of Toau, so slipped our lines from the mooring. There was not enough wind to sail, so we motored 17 miles to the south entrance of Apataki atoll. The only village is in the south, but we had heard that the good diving is 15 miles up the lagoon in the north. We took a few photos then continue north. There were no other boats. A couple of isolated beach shacks, but basically pristine sand/coral beaches, swaying palm trees & crystal clear water. We could tell the tide was coming in so went out the north pass then came right back in, just to check it out. Tomorrow we plan to dive there, towing the dinghy. It has the potential of being as good as south Fakarava.

    Our only problem with this beautiful atoll was finding a safe place to anchor. There are many coral heads very shallow that we must avoid. The beaches drop off steeply. Not far from shore is too deep to anchor. So we wandered up & down the coast searching for a good \”campsite\”. Scott got in the dinghy while I managed the big boat to try to better see the coral heads & using the depth sounder check the depth, searching for a safe place to anchor. We must envision the wind coming from any possible direction & make sure we are safe with the amount of scope (length of anchor chain) we need to put out for a certain depth. Usually 4 or 5:1 ratio, meaning if the water is 40 feet deep we will put out 160 (4x) or 200 (5x) feet of chain. That makes for a wide swing, so we have to assess every bit of water that is in our path. The wind is very light & predicted to stay this way for a week, but we must be prepared for any possible change. Although the 5 hour trip was lovely, the 3 hours trying to find a safe place to anchor was hot & we got weary. At least we had plenty of daylight so were not stressed about putting down in the dark.

    It is such a contrast to be completely alone compared to packed in with 8 other boats at the last place. I prefer this. There is always a concern that we could have a dinghy engine problem & might have difficulty rowing back to the big boat, with no one to radio for assistance. But that is just a worry. Like you can worry about having a flat tire on the highway at night. It will be a fairly long dinghy ride to the dive site, the pass. We are glad we bought 5 gallons of unleaded from Gaston. We are hopeful that what we see in the pass will be great. We could stay here a week if it\’s good.

    We got the nicest email from Werner, a German dive instructor in Indonesia. He found our website by searching the web for diving websites, then subscribed. He wrote us, saying that he just finished reading every Ship\’s Log from start (Sept 2007) to current. I was flabbergasted & very flattered. That is a lot of reading! He says he is envious of our travels & told us of places in Indonesia where he thinks the mantas are also friendly like San Benedicto. We look forward to meeting him one day.

    We are kicking back tonight. We\’ll haul out the dive gear tomorrow & hopefully have reports of great things tomorrow night.

    *************

    Yesterday we were so gung-ho to dive that we loaded our gear & zoomed the 15 minute dinghy ride to the pass to watch for the incoming tide. We don\’t dive when it is flowing out because it can push you down as well as out & that is not safe when we are alone. If we lost control of the dinghy it would be hard to retrieve it in the open ocean. If we lost it with an incoming tide, we have a good chance to retrieve it inside the lagoon. We had to wait almost 2 full hours for the tide to turn. It was interesting to watch the whole process. Seeing the outside waves reduce and then the inside turbulence begin. Everything gets flat calm at slack tide & then within minutes it starts flowing the opposite direction, into the lagoon. That\’s when we dropped down, me holding the video camera, Scott holding the line to tow the dinghy. The current got very strong within 10 minutes. Visibility was just ok, not great. We did not see any sharks, but we were unable to stay at the deeper place very long as we kind of got blown into the lagoon by the strong current. We each grabbed on to a rock or piece of coral to stop & look around. I did a little filming, but it is too hard to manage clearing my ears, inflating or deflating my B.C., make sure I don\’t smash the lens port of the camera housing into a rock or scratch it on coral. This kind of adventure diving is always challenging especially the first time we dive a new site. There are old pieces of rebar sticking up on the sides of the pass which was also a concern to not bash the dinghy into them. These are old fish pens that no longer have chicken wire on them so no fish are trapped. It was an exhilarating dive. But the stress to enjoyment ratio was not good, especially for Scott struggling with the dinghy. We had such high hopes for this pass, but are disappointed.

    The next day we dive on our anchor putting lift bags as needed to assist lifting when we are ready to leave. We explore the coral heads near \”Beach House\” which are pretty & alive with smaller fish.

    Just before sunset a panga (don\’t know what the French word for it is) with 3 local guys came over, wanting to sell us some fish they just caught. Apparently they live in one of the shacks on the beach near us. Three brothers, one of them has a baby & there are older parents. So 6 people in one shack. Hard to imagine. The structures look so run down we thought they were abandoned. They were very friendly but disappointed that we did not want to buy a fish. We spoke in our broken French & their broken English. They will sell their fish in the south village. They said some is even shipped to Tahiti for sale. They don\’t see many boats up here, so we are somewhat of a curiosity. They mentioned sharks in the pass. We told them we didn\’t see any. They said they would be in the village today but would come show us the sharks on Sunday. We\’ll see.

    Cindy & Scott

  • Toau Atoll, Tuamotu Atolls…..

    Dear F&F,

    August 12-17, 2009
    Toau, Tuamotu Atolls

    It was about a 5 hour easy motor from Fakarava to Toau. The entry into the mooring area was pretty easy. There was some current, the opening of coral not too narrow & shallowest depth seen was 25 feet. The mooring area is kind of a \”cul de sac\”. It is not a true pass entry. You cannot navigate anything besides a dinghy through to the main lagoon. The people that own this land smartly put in permanent moorings to protect the coral from anchor damage. The diving is on the outside of the atoll. The local owner of the moorings here, Gaston, directed us to a mooring. We introduced ourselves & gave him greetings from \”Lazy Bones\” our boat friend Jeff Allen was here 3 years ago.

    Another boat came in just ahead of us. There are 8 boats quite close together. No going naked outside here. The captain of American sailboat \”Rominy Star\”, Paul, came over to say he knew about us from the online news report for cruisers \”Latitude 38\” (which is published in San Francisco). We have been featured in articles about careening our boat in El Salvador, Scott\’s photo from the top of our mast in marina Barra de Navidad and a few photos of me with the mantas of San Benedicto. Apparently we are semi-famous amongst the sailing/diving crowd.

    We didn\’t waste any time getting back in the water. Our first dive was in the entry of the \”cul de sac\” & Scott towed the dinghy. It is hard our first time at a new site to get our bearings underwater & know if we are going the way we want. Scott kept surfacing to check our position. We saw a few moray eels, a lion fish & lots of tropical fish. No sharks. Gaston, the local guy said that after several days of a strong wind, there can be manta rays inside the lagoon. We could take the dinghy but not the big boat in to explore.

    Over the next 2 days we dove further down outside the atoll. We were able to tie the dinghy to a buoy there. Very pretty coral reef & good visibility; lovely. We stayed down over an hour. It really makes all the difference in my comfort in the tropics if we spend a couple hours a day submerged at 81 degrees. We fondly refer to is as \”therapeutic hypothermia\”. The most interesting sighting of this dive site was anemones with resident clown fish. We used to have this kind of fish in our tropical tank at our Los Angeles home. It is much more fun to see them in nature.

    Gaston predicted strong wind & sure enough, it began to blow Friday night and has not stopped. The prediction is for the strong S-SE winds to continue through Tuesday. As the wind blows the surface of the water along there is a sensation that we are sailing, even though sitting securely moored. Despite the low lying atoll there are not big waves so the boat just swings a bit left & right, not bouncing around much thank goodness. One charter boat left here Friday night, which did not seem like a smart idea, but they probably had to keep on a schedule to get a guest to an airport.

    Valentine & Gaston have been busy getting ready for Valentine\’s sister\’s wedding next weekend on Fakarava. Apparently they already slaughtered a pig & are roasting it or letting it ferment or something; cooking it an a traditional earth oven. I\’m not sure how that is working in the rain. Paul & Erin took pictures of the bloody mess, no thanks. I can be squeamish about eating meat without seeing the butchering process.

    We\’ve stayed onboard for three days in the wind. It drizzled on & off. Diving is no good in strong wind & just moving around outside is arduous when it is blowing 25-30 knots. No need to battle the breeze. Just wait for it to pass. Scott watched a tutorial DVD on video editing. There is a lot to learn. I could see the information oozing out his ears… Hopefully knowing more tools & tricks will make the editing task easier. It is very time consuming. But thankfully we have plenty of time. He just finished \”The Sharks of Fakarava\” which you will all enjoy. (See the Video Gallery)

    Erin from \”Rominy Star\” came by for a short visit. She wanted to see our Manta Magic video & more underwater photos. She & Paul left Seattle 3 years ago, cruising on their 39 foot monohull. So small & cramped & she is close to 6 feet tall!

    Cindy & Scott

  • Last Days in South Fakarava Atoll…..

    Dear F&F,
    August 9-10, 2009

    We patched the gennaker successfully. I went snorkeling to cool off, very nice. Then a nap & editing my journal for the website\’s \”Ships Logs\”. There are now four other boats anchored by us, one is \”Uliad\” who we first met via radio sailing on the Galapagos to Marquesas passage. We are thinking to go ashore tomorrow & say our farewell to Marc. Then motor to the north of Fakarava Monday. I will have a chance to buy eggs, milk & oatmeal there. Any fruit or veggie they have. A supply of baguettes and chocolate croissants. We still won\’t know our timing for Tahiti until Tuesday at the earliest. We will probably head to Toau Atoll on Tuesday.

    Scott has worked on video editing all day. It takes many, many hours of editing for him to come up with a 3 minute segment for the website. I nag him periodically to stand up & move around for his back. He will likely upgrade to a straight hard drive camera & new housing on our next trip home. It will save him hours of the tedious step uploading the mini digital video tapes to a hard drive. The new one will be drag & drop. He can use the same expensive wide angle lens, so that\’s good.

    Aug 10
    Marc came over last night to work on photo & video stuff with Scott. I handed each of them a bowl of rice, cut up beef & green beans when it became apparent that there would be no dinner break. It was fun to see them in their element. We are really blessed that we\’ve been making new friends along the way.

    Yesterday Steven, the M.D. on sailboat \”Uliad\” kindly made a \”house call\” to examine my ear. One look & he said there was no mystery why I couldn\’t hear well. He pulled out a bunch of wax with a little plastic tool; an ear currette. He showed Scott how & gave us the tool. He also instructed me to rinse with mild soapy fresh water (ear bulb in the shower) after being in the ocean, whether for a dive or snorkel. And to continue using my alcohol or vinegar/peroxide drops too. My ear was too sore for him to get all the wax so I used Debrox drops last night & tried to flush out more wax this morning. It is weird and somewhat jarring to hear clearly out of the right ear for the first time in a long time. I am very relieved that there is nothing more complicated than wax to deal with. Apparently, I not only have my father\’s nose, but his ears too!

    During the day we went ashore for a walk. I also had one last snorkel at the pier. I saw my fishy friends & cooled off.

    Last night the wind came more from the north which makes it feel like we are underway, even though we are still tied to the mooring.

    August 10
    This morning I asked to speak to Mary after the guys had their radio chat. There was a lot of static, but it was still nice to hear her voice. Their daughter is flying in from Scotland soon & will stay with them onboard for 2 months.

    We are conflicted, but think we will motor the 30 miles back to north Fakarava today. We are envisioning happy news from the visa office in Papeete. If they do not grant our delay and tell us we must be there for the renewal process August 14, perhaps one of us could fly to Papeete since there is an airport out of North Fakarava. If we can find someone to keep an eye on the boat I think it would be fun, although pricey, for both of us to go. Anyway, I\’m not really worried about it, it will work out somehow. It\’s all an adventure.

    Cindy & Scott