tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80450821955830544572023-11-16T05:30:50.322-08:00bringingbriohomeThis is Louise and Ivan's blog about their grand adventure to bring Brio from Indiantown, Florida to Nungurner, Australia.bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-17859715650402663392012-10-23T19:39:00.001-07:002012-10-23T20:44:51.144-07:00This is the end<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We ended up
spending 12 days in Tanna, a lot longer than anticipated due to winds from the
wrong direction and then a 24hr bug that we each came down with on different
days, but finally all was right for us to lift the anchor and move on to Port
Vila. After a very pleasant evening on board Brio with our friends Wolfgang and
Corrine from Moin, we departed Port Resolution at 4am on Thursday morning.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The SE/ESE breeze
we were hoping for to get us to Port Vila didn’t come in until about midday so
we motored until then. By early afternoon the breeze became a 10kt headwind so
once again we turned on the engine and then motorsailed through the night to ensure
an early arrival into Port Vila. We needed to use every minute of our Friday in
Port Vila to make sure we could complete our check out, re-fuel and provision
and do any other important business things before the weekend. All went
according to plan including getting some laundry done, having a couple of
decent meals at a ‘sports bar’ and stocking up from the local market.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We left our
Port Vila mooring at 2pm on Sunday bound for Bundaberg, Australia, some 1100nm
away. The passage took us 8 days and as usual we had a bit of everything. It
did seem with this passage though that perhaps Hughie had saved his ‘best’ ‘til
last. For the first day and a half we had around 10kts from the SSE or ESE so
we needed to run the engine for at least a couple of hours each day to ensure
we had enough battery power to run our chartplotter and nav lights. Ivan was
into the groove with his various radio schedules: we were still checking in twice
a day to the Pacific Drifters net that had been going since the Panama Canal,
there was the Rag of the Air at 6am for check in and a basic weather report,
there was the ‘David and Patricia’ show on Gulf Harbour Radio at 6.30am that
provided us with exceptional and invaluable weather reports and then, later in
the passage, Ivan was also checking in to a midday net that some people had set
up for the crossing between New Caledonia and Australia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the
early hours of Tuesday the wind had increased to 20kts coming from the south
and we had changed down from the reacher to a reefed genoa. On checking in with
the Drifters net we heard Windwalker reporting sustained 40kt winds where he
was further south off New Caledonia. The wind continued to be a strong 20-25kt
SE, not easing until Thursday morning. While it was uncomfortable sailing, it
also meant we were counting down the miles nicely as we averaged 5 ½ kt speeds.
By this time David had started to warn of an impending front that would be
hitting Bundaberg at about the same time as our scheduled arrival. With
estimations of 30+ kt winds and big seas we were obviously keen to arrive
before the front if we could. So it was ‘pedal to the metal’ to use Patricia’s
words from then on. On Friday at 1.30pm we reached our waypoint where we turned
to 235 degrees magnetic and made our home run for Bundaberg, 420nm to go. Our
morale and nerves went up and down with the wind. If it started to die out and
our speed started to drop we would get anxious about our arrival time. We knew
the change was due to come through late Monday/early Tuesday and while we knew Brio
could handle it, the question was, could we?! We also had to contend with quite
a bit of current against us we had not expected. We either motored or
motorsailed continuously for our last 3 days of the passage just to try to get
to Bundaberg as soon as possible. We were burning fossil fuel like it was going
out of fashion (oh yeah, it is going out of fashion). On Monday the wind was
light again so we took down the reacher and decanted some more fuel into the
tank from our jerry cans to make sure we wouldn’t run out of fuel at a critical
time. It was a sunny day although there was obviously a thin, high layer of
cloud as the sun was weak and the light was somewhat yellow, a little like when
there is a bushfire far away. By the afternoon, the NW wind had picked up
again, our ETA for Bundaberg was for 8 or 9 pm Monday evening which we knew
would get us in before the predicted 2am south east change. The wind was
reasonably steady for most of the afternoon at 15-20kts and towards evening it
increased to around 25kts. The seas changed from a 2m swell to a more boisterous
chop as we entered the shallower waters of Hervey Bay. We had been using the
tiller pilot to keep us on course, but chose to change to the wind monitor for
a smoother ride as its faster response time meant Brio wouldn’t skew as much
when buffeted by the seas. The sun set, a red ball behind a haze of cloud, and
the lights of Bundaberg started to appear. We easily spotted the channel markers
and motor sailed up it into the strong north westerly, until we arrived at the
quarantine anchorage (or so we thought) and dropped anchor at 9.15pm by us or
8.15pm Queensland time. We chugged down a couple of well earned beers, had some
dinner and without too much sentimentality said both hello and goodnight to
Australia. We were very glad to be home and very glad to be safely in port.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Exactly as
forecast, at 2am the strong north westerly turned to an even stronger south
easterly, waking us enough to rattle the rigging and getting us to check our
anchor was holding before going back to sleep. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two days later
as I sit here and type, the south easterly is still howling, there are stories
of 2 multihulls breaking up in the horrendous conditions and our biggest
concern now is how to clear customs and quarantine as cheaply and quickly as we
can.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s been
an adventure, Ivan has ticked an item off his bucket list and I think we are
both glad we have ‘brought Brio home’ (not quite to Nungurner yet) although we
each have different reasons. Ivan will now bring Brio down the east coast to
Nungurner and Louise will go for a little jaunt to Borneo. We hope you have
enjoyed sharing our adventure through our blog. This is the end.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7swI2U9CwIavYNKcmU1NoxPb2OGPbsrxfk7M_fovIFaiwXgzyWtu_S3og4YTWA4MSDpkNPxMPF2DpB50nGUYRB-ptxB2ykKD0CBOrjNwzrLR8nV8BhfycBV_m86DV98G0jmlPL3AYww/s1600/kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7swI2U9CwIavYNKcmU1NoxPb2OGPbsrxfk7M_fovIFaiwXgzyWtu_S3og4YTWA4MSDpkNPxMPF2DpB50nGUYRB-ptxB2ykKD0CBOrjNwzrLR8nV8BhfycBV_m86DV98G0jmlPL3AYww/s320/kiss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-90789857296158514182012-10-23T18:21:00.002-07:002012-10-23T20:47:46.809-07:00Tanna Island, VanuatuJust a day’s sail away, but Tanna is quite a different island from Aneytium which we just left. Tanna is well known amongst cruisers for its active volcano, Mt Yasur. And what a sight it is. As we got closer to the island we could see great puffs of grey and white smoke and steam rising from a mountain top. Where we anchored in Port Resolution we couldn’t actually see the volcano, but not more than 200 metres from us on shore we could see steam rising from a number of vents. One of the highlights of our time in Tanna was a visit to the volcano at night. It was an amazing experience to be standing on the edge of a crater, looking down into a glowing mass of coals and then hearing a growling rumble that would grow to a roar and culminate in a display of red hot balls being tossed in the air like a jugglers festival with sparks and flares all around. Fortunately the audio on the bit of video footage we took is not very clear otherwise my exclamations/profanities at what we were witnessing would be on the historical record!
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDWu30Fd7zN48ttkN9oDqcz6ZXzwzI7Mo6cieWmoVczejl9x-_MN7ukW7nM_JUZ2G-O5waw0LwbvymjzLfeCEZrVQKOaeeav4TpSmt5eM_ewX4k7Om6GemEfLpBh5bZ8t3Ph838vRNA/s1600/iv+&+fireworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDWu30Fd7zN48ttkN9oDqcz6ZXzwzI7Mo6cieWmoVczejl9x-_MN7ukW7nM_JUZ2G-O5waw0LwbvymjzLfeCEZrVQKOaeeav4TpSmt5eM_ewX4k7Om6GemEfLpBh5bZ8t3Ph838vRNA/s320/iv+&+fireworks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan looking a little surprised by the volcano's fireworks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Tanna is much more densely populated than Aneytium. There is a road linking Port Resolution with Lenakel, the main town of the island. All along the road there are small villages of 10-20 houses, and, like Aneytium, there are children everywhere in Billabong t-shirts. From Port Resolution to Lenakel it is only about 30km, but it’s about a 2 hour trip over a bumpy road, that includes crossing a desert of ash near the volcano. Ivan spent a long day getting to and from Lenakel, just to get some cash from the bank as there is no bank at Port Resolution. While he was tired at the end of the day, he was also exhilarated by the adventure claiming “What a day, what a day I’ve had!”
<br />
<br />
Anchored in Port Resolution, it is really relaxing just to sit and watch the local men in their dugout outrigger canoes fish each day. They work as a team, including having some scouts high on the hill on shore. On seeing a school of fish the scouts call out to the men in their boats to direct them to where the school is. They use a kind of “cooee” sound that is quite unlike any I have heard anywhere else. The men then paddle furiously across to the area and lay a net in a large circle to surround the fish. Sometimes someone will suddenly leap from their canoe and swim and thrash in the water, presumably to force the school back toward the net, rather than them escaping through a gap. It was great entertainment and we admired their persistence and skill. We even benefited a couple of times through gifts of very tasty fresh fish. Although the fish was offered to us with no expectation of money, we always insisted on giving the person a couple of Vatu in return. It made us feel better at least!
Often a man would come over to our boat in his canoe and ask us if we could charge his mobile phone. Fortunately we had some good winds and sun for most of the time we were at anchor so our batteries were well charged and we were happy to oblige. It wasn’t unusual for us to have a couple of phones on charge at any one time.
<br />
<br />
We became friendly with Patrick and Nellie who lived in a nearby village with their children and extended family. Ivan tried to fix Patrick’s generator for him, but was unable to for lack of a functional fuel switch. It is typical of what these people face: because there are no shops or services nearby and they have little money to pay for replacement parts even if they could easily get hold of them, equipment lies unable to be used. Patrick and Nellie, like most of the islanders, have an extensive veggie garden which they rely on for their food needs. They also had a collection of pigs. Pigs are usually slaughtered only on very special occasions, so I guess we were lucky when we attended a feast in another village and they fed us pig-on-a-stick.
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjFUCi-VyAGKVPQ2NWqxPyagtWwreuSKdr54NK6zWeS1YmI6t5pyNe4Ia2Bq0GHDVkurMiwKvBAR6ViZROSswdb14jEH2cS9GAA5p5ftptFre1XsrLvGKLOmJ8tRcsldatzOTqia4qg/s1600/patrick+&+ivan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjFUCi-VyAGKVPQ2NWqxPyagtWwreuSKdr54NK6zWeS1YmI6t5pyNe4Ia2Bq0GHDVkurMiwKvBAR6ViZROSswdb14jEH2cS9GAA5p5ftptFre1XsrLvGKLOmJ8tRcsldatzOTqia4qg/s320/patrick+&+ivan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan and Patrick in Patrick's veggie garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbQaSIYQtHqMnNzB82oRQSGecv5N8nDtoC6rItn4YKxnAdcEyF9TH_UtVoM4Dw1Bzh4e316Xsnq3nDXdaLjucaBiGkld35OHUUgw-b1vas93V1ta4ppmaehbMdYARrIg87LTe3qBv9A/s1600/pig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkbQaSIYQtHqMnNzB82oRQSGecv5N8nDtoC6rItn4YKxnAdcEyF9TH_UtVoM4Dw1Bzh4e316Xsnq3nDXdaLjucaBiGkld35OHUUgw-b1vas93V1ta4ppmaehbMdYARrIg87LTe3qBv9A/s320/pig.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The results of pig on a stick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We were really pleased to see the yacht Mystic anchored in the harbour one day. We had first met Archie and Jo in Bocas del Toro in March and hadn’t seen them since Shelter Bay, Panama. They had two friends aboard and they were all going to visit a ‘custom village’, Yakel, the next day. At Yakel the villagers live a traditional lifestyle eschewing western ways. It’s all bare breasts, grass skirts and penis gourds in these places. Archie and Jo’s friends were particularly interested to go to this village as a filmmaker friend of theirs had make a documentary come reality series on the villagers. After a long drive across to Lenakel and beyond to Yakel, we finally came to the village, where as custom dictates all the men from our vehicle were introduced to the village chief while we women stayed in the truck. Ewan explained how it was his friend who had made the documentary and was told that Jimmy Joseph (JJ) the documentary’s narrator was in another village practising for the Toka festival. The Toka festival is a once a year event where there is much traditional dancing and feasting as part of a ceremony for men to find a wife. We eventually found the village JJ was in and he came back to Yakel with us and gave us a really interesting guided tour of the village, explaining the traditional way of life there. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwx_ulXr9d8jMXjWZNETE05eGrC7Ugg_Am9AdcjcP-pHIPkpwG_VbOpjZp5_kpLOYU8w7AbDcv43AmjlsL20k_S-EZbgBJpZgLVT9rA1ql0yO_qijZ7rhLGfXFmhqImFEvoQTVk8C-yA/s1600/jj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwx_ulXr9d8jMXjWZNETE05eGrC7Ugg_Am9AdcjcP-pHIPkpwG_VbOpjZp5_kpLOYU8w7AbDcv43AmjlsL20k_S-EZbgBJpZgLVT9rA1ql0yO_qijZ7rhLGfXFmhqImFEvoQTVk8C-yA/s320/jj.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JJ in Yakel's version of jeans and t-shirt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The boys were invited to drink cava with the local men and then we were all treated to a dance about planting taro. We felt really lucky to have been able to visit Yakel and get a better understanding of life there without it being an organised tourist event. The day was not over yet though……JJ then invited the boys only again to go and watch the men’s Toka dance in the neighbouring village. Once again we women waited in the truck, entertained by young boys nearby who were practising bow and arrow shooting and listening to distant singing and stomping of the men’s dance practise. The 2 hour drive back to Port Resolution was interrupted by a flat tyre. The wheel nuts were completely and utterly frozen on and no matter how many men tried and how many methods were tried, that wheel was not coming off. At one stage it was looking like we would be staying the night on the floor of a village hut, but then the decision was made that we would drive back on the flat tyre. And so we did, wincing all the way at the horrible sound the flat tyre was making.
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzij47oNe2O-Na7Vq9XTscBw_JlHfB2oYYuGZ2xrEXpYE-Q6ZKrQtjyxesqaGew0Ra3WtySz_G7FX6waOja_2iC83169YFyguhJ8YDHRQnOUP_q2D9BZ03quPC13bmP0__FJCgl86gtg/s1600/dance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzij47oNe2O-Na7Vq9XTscBw_JlHfB2oYYuGZ2xrEXpYE-Q6ZKrQtjyxesqaGew0Ra3WtySz_G7FX6waOja_2iC83169YFyguhJ8YDHRQnOUP_q2D9BZ03quPC13bmP0__FJCgl86gtg/s320/dance.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taro planting dance at Yakel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-5658697769464890162012-10-13T12:38:00.000-07:002012-10-13T12:38:02.119-07:00Ile Aneytium, VanuatuMany of the trappings of modern living are yet to appear in the village of Anelgaohat on the island of Aneytium in southern Vanuatu. There is no electricity network, there are no roads or cars, the water supply is via the mountain stream or what is caught on the roof and there is very little produce in the handful of grocery stores. The ubiquitous mobile phone has made it here though!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeKzB28ohImKVlY_3IFnwI56_11pzpyj2RY4c4QllFc6CIoBUEc0F058I5AhY8pK06x2wS_keFelYG7A3D0YgV9qv8MszhQLYJuT7YyW4clOZ-Ca0EPAijjJ1apVuxQRFEPvmv5ExFA/s1600/phillip+singh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeKzB28ohImKVlY_3IFnwI56_11pzpyj2RY4c4QllFc6CIoBUEc0F058I5AhY8pK06x2wS_keFelYG7A3D0YgV9qv8MszhQLYJuT7YyW4clOZ-Ca0EPAijjJ1apVuxQRFEPvmv5ExFA/s320/phillip+singh.jpg" /></a></div>
We arrived here on a Sunday morning, day of rest and church for local people, and as such we expected to just spend the day aboard cleaning up and resting after our passage. The anchorage we were sharing with 7 other yachts was nice and flat and we were enjoying just being. In the late afternoon however Timothy and Kevin, the local police/customs and immigration officers, arrived at our boat in the police launch and we duly filled in the sheaves of forms handed over to us. We completed our check-in the following morning when the bank opened, enabling us to change some money and pay the required entry fee.
The islanders have their own language, but most people are also fluent in English. As we walked along the narrow dirt path everyone would wish us a good morning with a huge smile. Here again there are many skinny dogs, but unlike in other places, these ones are much more friendly and will come up to you for a pat (probably looking for food more likely).
We spent a day walking with 6 other yachties and Keith, who guided us, to a waterfall in the mountains behind the village. There was no way without Keith we would have found the right paths from the network around the village or have been able to follow the trail as we neared the waterfall and rock hopped and zig-zagged across the stream. It was a beautiful walk, starting alongside the small woven pandanus and thatched huts that are home to the locals and then winding its way up, mainly under the canopy of trees all shades of green. A village dog kept us company the whole way and she was variously called Ginger, Foxy and Speedhump (due to her propensity to suddenly plop down on the path in front of us for a scratch). The 3 hour trek to the waterfall was worth it alone for the refreshing swim at its base when we got there.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSIL2eqBQwAa_8xwR7gxjUdX_l9_ohmaIoI1lgjAPo_n6p1-yvVRZHaEXTR4Z9U2itqxTgoAQWDYutnw4CNMOhlhyphenhyphenoadNL8hcYu-F3tCtmWXND8p1LcIp8BXYdDtvfyPTYS3BHEdpqg/s1600/house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSIL2eqBQwAa_8xwR7gxjUdX_l9_ohmaIoI1lgjAPo_n6p1-yvVRZHaEXTR4Z9U2itqxTgoAQWDYutnw4CNMOhlhyphenhyphenoadNL8hcYu-F3tCtmWXND8p1LcIp8BXYdDtvfyPTYS3BHEdpqg/s320/house.jpg" /></a></div>
That evening we sauntered along to the cava bar that opened each afternoon at about 4.30pm. On this island where no alcohol is sold and can only be ordered from Port Villa for personal consumption, cava is the drink of choice for relaxation. It is openly acknowledged that it tastes awful, but the mildly sedative effect it has on one is supposed to make it worth it. Louise had already had a taste of cava in Tonga at the local fire station no less (that’s another story!). Ivan was keen to try the cava here at Aneytium, especially since we had seen the ‘cava boys’ making some the day before and we knew it was fresh, not powdered. Keith who was also at the bar, explained how we were to drink the cava; after paying 100 vatu (approx $Aus 1.10) at a small window for each drink we then moved across to the next small window where two coconut shell halves full of what looked like Yarra River water were waiting for us. We took our drinks around the corner where we were instructed to scull it in one go and then immediately after to swig from a small beer bottle filled with water (in order to rinse the taste from our mouths). A good idea as it tasted like we had just been chewing on a green twig. We then sat on a bench looking out at the yachts in the harbour and waited….and waited….and waited…for something to happen. Apart from a slight tingling in the mouth we couldn’t say that we noticed any great effect. We headed back to Brio and both tired from the day’s big walk – or was it the cava actually working on us? – it wasn’t long before we were tucked up in bed.
ins
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyJ5Vu6Tep65r9rCfsd534EmQ4GPple7rJDEsj4mkDMpBXDLKaB18AX17wy2haX64eZ-QWSV_gruX-O6FnPxmJnYJ2w0oj26zbJw9epoi9R7tYHH-dA7AH7HzsaXCOWkpUH0Yb1ekyw/s1600/waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyJ5Vu6Tep65r9rCfsd534EmQ4GPple7rJDEsj4mkDMpBXDLKaB18AX17wy2haX64eZ-QWSV_gruX-O6FnPxmJnYJ2w0oj26zbJw9epoi9R7tYHH-dA7AH7HzsaXCOWkpUH0Yb1ekyw/s320/waterfall.jpg" /></a></div>
Thursday and Friday were fundraising days for the local primary school. There are masses of children on Aneytium. About 120 are enrolled in the primary school and that’s out of a total population of 600 they say. Not a bad ratio! We weren’t sure what to expect by way of activities that would help raise funds, but we were told it would start early in the morning. We showed up at the grassy area in front of the school on Thursday morning and found a lot of people busy preparing kebabs, salads and other food that was to be the fundraising lunch for the day. A raffle, soccer games and a DJ playing music that no one was listening to seemed to complete the day’s activities.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxSTr3djXSOs72zq51034mlkMIzhlHf8r-SJ2gfDycHHEHmQDein3tGKHxQWtU1J3olk8WFVwrtq0QpyaDqKYHH3GOAC_uOU-XEQHxCqJ2eI3UCr4H0WlfO0R02XjFYsO20DJutMu0Q/s1600/weaving+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxSTr3djXSOs72zq51034mlkMIzhlHf8r-SJ2gfDycHHEHmQDein3tGKHxQWtU1J3olk8WFVwrtq0QpyaDqKYHH3GOAC_uOU-XEQHxCqJ2eI3UCr4H0WlfO0R02XjFYsO20DJutMu0Q/s320/weaving+girl.jpg" /></a></div>
We had a pleasant day lounging in the sun chatting to people, including Henry, who late in the afternoon took us to where the Lucas sawmill was in the pine forest. From there he took us along one of the numerous dirt paths, up and over a small rise, past some simple woven huts on the ridge, down into a valley of giant mango trees, and through the long grass to his son’s house. Here we met not only Henry’s son, but also Henry’s wife, daughters in law and grandchildren (only in Vanuatu would you see a 5 year old sitting n a tree wielding a machete like it’s his favourite teddy bear he’s taken up here to play with!). It was one of the granddaughters birthday so we were treated to birthday cake and lime drink. Henry’s son brought out samples of his walking sticks carved from acacia that we had come to see. We duly bought one and made our way back to Brio the short way, via the beach.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIX2GTIStj49aU3d91SvYCBH0t3LE8u9z9OpKPOjrOMlxDIiyDBHfNoyh7HBk2J15Tg_mPDyeZFvrGDMZ8oeHRZ-SfYh3N1eLHwOSdh14pOMpNcDHU2NPKf5FaLh0RsejHr3YrNO3Pg/s1600/kite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIX2GTIStj49aU3d91SvYCBH0t3LE8u9z9OpKPOjrOMlxDIiyDBHfNoyh7HBk2J15Tg_mPDyeZFvrGDMZ8oeHRZ-SfYh3N1eLHwOSdh14pOMpNcDHU2NPKf5FaLh0RsejHr3YrNO3Pg/s320/kite.jpg" /></a></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-32357643500879334252012-10-13T12:29:00.000-07:002012-10-13T12:29:18.971-07:00Sailing to VanuatuWell as I’ve indicated before, cruising is full of plans…and changes to plans. This passage was to be no exception. We left Tonga intent on a 4-5 day passage to Suva, Fiji with the possibility of pulling in a little earlier at Kadavu, in the southern end of Fiji, if the weather turned nasty.
Our first couple of days out saw boisterous conditions of ESE winds of 20-25 knots, gusting to 30 during the night, with seas of around 3 metres. We were sailing with three reefs in the main and the genoa about 1/3rd unfurled. Brio was getting along well at 5-6 knots, unlike her captain and crew who were yet again paying the price for having been in a flat anchorage for too long, and were dealing with the usual effects of mal de mer. By day 3 the winds were easing, the seas dropping and our stomachs were starting to settle. Brio was lolloping along at 4 knots by late afternoon in a 10 knot east, nor’easterly, but by early evening the wind dropped to the point we started to motor and continued to throughout the night.
At some point around this time, we made the decision not to pull in at Kadavu and not to aim for Suva, but to keep going to Port Vila, Vanuatu. There were a number of factors that swayed us: Kadavu is not a port of entry for Fiji, so we ran the risk of the wrath of the authorities, if not fines, if we stopped there; Suva, while potentially a harbour of ice-cream, wifi and other such delights, was also likely to be big, noisy and dirty and as we really didn’t need to go there other than to check in, the cons outweighed the pros; having just got our sea legs again, the thought of stopping in port now and then having to endure another bout of sea-sickness for the leg from Fiji to Vanuatu was definitely not appealing; and finally, and probably most persuasively, it was going to cost us around $200 in clearance fees to enter Fiji, which for the few days we would be there, was going to make it an expensive stop.
Port Vila was going to be another 4-5 days sail away, so resigned to our fate, we put all thoughts of pulling in to a nice, calm anchorage to the backs of our minds and just dealt with what the weather gods tossed at us: drizzle, winds up again, rolling seas then backing down again, northerlies, easterlies….being in the South Pacific Convergence Zone, where the moist air over the ocean condenses and rises, and mixes with cool air that comes in with fronts from down New Zealand way creating rain and thunderstorms, what else could we expect? (note: this is my very basic understanding of the SPCZ. There are many books, websites and amateur and professional forecasters dedicated to the explanation and analysis of the SPCZ and I’m leaving it up to them if you want to know more! And while on this note, I should sing the praises of David and Patricia who operate a net on the SSB called Gulf Harbour Radio. They provide – on a voluntary basis as far as we could tell – an invaluable weather information and analysis service to yachties in the zone. Each morning we would listen to David’s opinion of what the weather was doing and might do in the general area. The David and Patricia Show as I called it was chock full of info fur us.)
On Thursday morning, day 6 at sea, we changed our course yet again, this time to aim for the island of Aneytioum (pronounced Aneeshum), the most southerly island of Vanuatu. We had learned from another yacht on the SSB radio, that it was a port of entry. Importantly, it would also mean one less night at sea for us! That night at midnight, motoring again through lack of wind, we encountered a pretty nasty storm that came in suddenly with winds all over the place, very heavy rain and lightning. It lasted for about 3 hours, during which we motored through it. During the storm a cargo ship, the South Islander, showed up on our AIS on a heading directly opposite us. Ie. On a potential collision course. Of course, it wasn’t that dramatic though as one of the beauties of the AIS is that we can pick up vessels as much as 20 miles away. We kept an eye on it and when she was about 7 miles away we called her up on the VHF radio. Yes, her captain had seen us too on his AIS and radar and he offered to alter his course slightly so as to pass us on our port side. We were very appreciative of that as if we had had to change course, one of us (and that would have been Ivan!) would have had to go out into the pelting rain and adjust the tiller pilot. The captain of the South Islander called us up on the radio to let us know he had passed us about 1 mile to port and wished us a safe passage for the rest of our journey. In the driving rain we had been unable to see any of his vessel’s navigation lights, even though it was so close to us; a little unnerving!
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVezpSQEbqIpmUHLi6zT8f-Q6J2lePNnJw37dn9bSDpltZOOAhSYAtBeVLFh2bwFCJ2NeR2TJgkWyHZGxHpM2GW60t31dF8z-IsiX4fG2YKOge5t3c9Cb5Y5Ubc4ifNq1m9c-3xCrWAA/s1600/booby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVezpSQEbqIpmUHLi6zT8f-Q6J2lePNnJw37dn9bSDpltZOOAhSYAtBeVLFh2bwFCJ2NeR2TJgkWyHZGxHpM2GW60t31dF8z-IsiX4fG2YKOge5t3c9Cb5Y5Ubc4ifNq1m9c-3xCrWAA/s320/booby.jpg" /></a></div>
Friday morning saw the rain give way to sunshine and a surprise for us in the cockpit. Louise glanced out the main hatch to see how the day was shaping up and came face to face with a booby preening itself. It was totally unafraid of us and continued to preen while Louise took photos and Ivan made a buddy of it by scratching its neck. It wasn’t too long however before we realised why Bobby Booby was so intent on preening – he/she/it was teeming with small black insects we suspect were some form of lice. What was worse was they were dropping all over our cockpit. From then on the rest of our morning was taken up with us trying to remove Bobby from the yacht and detering him from coming back aboard. He was a determined bird that’s for sure. Ivan would pick him up by the tail and legs and sling him over the side. He would land in the water and watch as we would sail away and then after some time take flight, wheel around and hone in for his next landing. Sometimes he succeeding in making it back aboard the boat, all be it some of his landings were more crash than land. We were quite worried he would injure himself. Sometimes we ‘won the round’: as he came in to land Ivan would bark like a dog and wave a red cushion in the air, while Louise had resorted to the Indian villager method of detering animals by banging on a saucepan with a metal spoon. Eventually, after many ‘rounds’ of this ‘game’ Bobby sat on the surface of water, having been returned to it again by Ivan, tilted his head to one side and watched us sail away, with I’m sure a sad look in his eye as though he was saying “but why can’t I come with you?”
We were nearing our destination with more light winds and more motoring and motor sailing. With less than 100 nm to go, the wind dropped right out and we wallowed in the rolly seas. Eager now to get into the anchorage at Aneytioum we burnt some more fossil fuel and early Sunday morning we joined 6 or 7 other yachts already there and dropped the anchor. We were glad to have those past 8 days behind us.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_E3fa3zoAab3sEUMhTF60Q7I7nI5Cy0YCAMFFVe-8J3uf88PcwPQ-AzIhrlroC-WITS-baGuA3rQl_N2nJG0gjypRvD1ikCMmqI-ascnSe00LXy3paygOBJeMoWmDQ2SYGM4PGjeUhw/s1600/brio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_E3fa3zoAab3sEUMhTF60Q7I7nI5Cy0YCAMFFVe-8J3uf88PcwPQ-AzIhrlroC-WITS-baGuA3rQl_N2nJG0gjypRvD1ikCMmqI-ascnSe00LXy3paygOBJeMoWmDQ2SYGM4PGjeUhw/s320/brio.jpg" /></a></div>
bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-3590314556638076722012-09-13T14:38:00.000-07:002012-09-13T14:38:32.898-07:00Tonga - the Kingdom of!We have been in Tonga for a week now, having motored up the channel to Neiafu, Vava’u last Wednesday morning. We had left Nuie the previous Sunday morning in rolly seas of about 3 metres and the wind directly behind us. We were making 6kts under the genoa which resulted in 124nm over 24 hrs – good stuff!! Monday saw the wind ease and the swell lessen although it was still rolly, so not comfortable travelling. The winds lightened off to the point that our batteries were getting too low, so at 2230hrs on Monday we started the engine to boost the batteries thereby ensuring our chartplotter, our best friend when on passage, would still have enough juice to operate. Tuesday disappeared into Wednesday as we crossed the International Date Line somewhere out there on the blue, with little fanfare on our part.
Neiafu has been a great place to stop and catch our breath. We have been on a mooring in the large, calm harbour right in front of the Aquarium café/internet spot. Once again we have spent a good deal of time just catching up with friends from other yachts, doing internet stuff and eating plenty of non-traditional foods such as pizza.
In fact it took us quite a few days before we did anything remotely cultural (unless you count the lady boys on our first night in town) we were having such a nice time doing ‘nothing’. I think we have reached the point one does in an extended trip away where one can ‘smell’ the closeness of home and just wants to get there, rather than exploring the nooks and crannies where one is.
So I should explain about the lady boys……boys who look like girls, but are NQR (not quite right) eg. They wear a mini skirt but have really hairy legs or have breasts, but wear boys shorts or have their hair done up in a lovely bun, but sound like a man when they speak. Lady boys were all over French Polynesia, we didn’t see them in the Cook Islands at all, but here they are again in Tonga. I can’t quite work it out – some say historically it has something to do with ensuring that there is someone (ie. a girl) to stay at home and look after the parents. Regardless, they are an interesting part of the local culture and here in Neiafu, the lady boys put on a show at Tonga Bob’s, the local seedy bar, every Wednesday night. It was one of those shows where it was bad enough to be funny; we were treated to one dancer at a time coming on stage, lip-synching out of time to Cyndi Lauper or someone similar, gyrating on a pole and making suggestive motions to men in the audience. The deal was if you liked what a dancer was doing you would put cash in her cleavage. Some of them left the stage looking like an overflowing ATM!
The other big thing to do in Neiafu is to go whale watching. We ummed and ahhed about the ethics, er no, it was actually more about the price of doing this, before we agreed we were unlikely to ever have the opportunity again to swim with whales – certainly not in Australia. Wow, what a great day. We motored out into the ocean on the whale watching boat with 10 other tourists. After spotting two whales in the distance we motored over towards them and Date, one of the whale boat operators, got into the water to keep an eye on them, and then signalled for 4 of us to get in the water to swim over. The way it worked was that we would keep pace on the surface looking down through our masks into the depths to a mere shadow of a mammal for 15-20 minutes. We would then see the whales start to materialise as they surfaced and came INCREDIBLY close to us. Should I swim forward or away? Gotta keep taking photos. My goodness how big are these creatures? Yoiks!! Were random, clashing thoughts in my mind at this point. We had about 3 swims with the whales all up and each time it was great. We also thought that the boat operators were really good, keeping the boat a good distance away from the whales and ensuring only 4 of us at a time were in the water hovering over them.
Tomorrow we sail off for Fiji or maybe New Caledonia, depending on how the weather is as we travel along. Perhaps we will return to Tonga one day to explore some of her anchorages. For sure there is more to her than beer and pizza (and lady boys) in Neiafu.
bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-22624452710090765212012-09-08T15:43:00.000-07:002012-09-10T21:10:39.504-07:00NiueWe left Palmerston at around midday Saturday to sail west the 390nm to Niue. We set the reacher in about 12 knots of wind from the north east, but then ended up motor sailing through the night as the wind dropped. A breeze came in from the SSE at around 9am on Sunday and increased to around 15 knots so we pulled in the reacher and unfurled the smaller genoa. The winds increased throughout the day and night to 20-25 knots, gusting to 30. We were averaging 6kts with a reefed genoa. The seas were boisterous and uncomfortable. Monday brought more of the same so the cockpit was a wet place to be. The most comfortable place for each of us to take our turn on watch was from the bunk, with the timer set for every 20 minutes lest we fell asleep in the relative comfort of the bunk. We managed a cracking 135 miles over a 24 hour period. Tuesday still brought us good winds, but by now they were mainly from the east and the sky was alternately cloudy and sunny. We motored the last hour into Niue to make way against strong headwinds. We picked up a mooring ball at 4pm alongside 13 other yachts. Somewhere along the way we had lost a dorade cowl, but other than that all on Brio was intact.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTRbInzPNl7qE86nk0zfvL44StG6N0PMF1XFpGZYO9TvxUTPJg9EwyqPEGa98MIhLBMiRaJNQxkaM6GNRwMqSQZxGux1HvTmqTXqpq1n5P43fEu6tOT5gYdB-v4F9RDpvRG2WnpXzAg/s1600/Matapa+chasm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTRbInzPNl7qE86nk0zfvL44StG6N0PMF1XFpGZYO9TvxUTPJg9EwyqPEGa98MIhLBMiRaJNQxkaM6GNRwMqSQZxGux1HvTmqTXqpq1n5P43fEu6tOT5gYdB-v4F9RDpvRG2WnpXzAg/s320/Matapa+chasm.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matapa Chasm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Niue illustrated to us yet again just how different the island groups across the Pacific are from each other. Stuck out on its lonesome between the Cooks and the Tongans, Niue rises straight up out of the sea like a rectangular, flat-topped chunk of cake. From a distance the vegetation all looks similar, but up close we could see some palms poking up amongst casuarinas and other trees. All the tourist brochures and guides for Niue talk about its wonderful ‘seatracks’ and how each one is different from the others. Well it’s not just propaganda we can assure you! The seatracks are, as you would imagine, paths that lead one from the road down to the sea. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscIlzUqdFj0kDkBduZdDgipTGHq-bPSXn6fjfZ6CnNf60OHt-ii1xrPr4uxbp7qqNsNoZGEipEm1ELkiR19X_wvOkeJ9DwQ_IxLZWk8VRZdBFBbGRN8Km1GFOIg0jTeYLUXlbgoCZFg/s1600/Lipu+Pools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscIlzUqdFj0kDkBduZdDgipTGHq-bPSXn6fjfZ6CnNf60OHt-ii1xrPr4uxbp7qqNsNoZGEipEm1ELkiR19X_wvOkeJ9DwQ_IxLZWk8VRZdBFBbGRN8Km1GFOIg0jTeYLUXlbgoCZFg/s320/Lipu+Pools.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glorious Lipu Pools</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
They are all around the island and we had a great day in a car with Michael and Barbara from the yacht ‘Astarte’ visiting as many of them as we could. One of the highlights was the seatrack to Togo Chasm which led us through some lush forest, past a field of coral pinnacles and down a very steep ladder into the chasm where we wandered among coconut palms growing out of quite fine white sand. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IypWnzF_PoDaJxN1VAKw-u6i1MkZcFVxMMPEoiXFWOwvYy932cgNbIxquNcq2K3UUpEooRLj09aw40LRDTvZE49yfSJr_cyJQv3FoJ8EHIh-RHHePlai8kfuMKLKMCOZEitYFbjazQ/s1600/palms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IypWnzF_PoDaJxN1VAKw-u6i1MkZcFVxMMPEoiXFWOwvYy932cgNbIxquNcq2K3UUpEooRLj09aw40LRDTvZE49yfSJr_cyJQv3FoJ8EHIh-RHHePlai8kfuMKLKMCOZEitYFbjazQ/s320/palms.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Togo Chasm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As we drove around the island we were fascinated to see as we had on other islands, just how many graves were either next to houses or seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. Niue has less than 1500 people living there now. There was apparently a huge exodus of people from the island following cyclone Hattie in 2004. Evidence of Hattie’s destruction is everywhere in the form of abandoned, derelict and half destroyed houses. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHuI15LpzN13O5DVEF6OB1FdHIqXnygUH03MLAVLa2xPqS6_Xemtvi-WehvHFPKh85T6iTP73cjfvuOmYjp2fQ0pMj5YW-0XjdFNYu4CCOCDTznz6RX4n5NX3WdYK3WTDXK2lL-MGYg/s1600/view+remains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkHuI15LpzN13O5DVEF6OB1FdHIqXnygUH03MLAVLa2xPqS6_Xemtvi-WehvHFPKh85T6iTP73cjfvuOmYjp2fQ0pMj5YW-0XjdFNYu4CCOCDTznz6RX4n5NX3WdYK3WTDXK2lL-MGYg/s320/view+remains.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remains of cyclone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We also learned that you can’t get insurance on the island so it is easy to imagine people simply walking away from ruined homes and businesses as starting again would be financially impossible. We concluded our car tour of the island at the Matapa Bar, a delightful chance discovery. All day we had been hoping to find an ice-cream shop and/or a place to have a beer. It actually just became a bit of a standing joke as we knew that almost all places for food and beverage were in the main town of Alofi. Suddenly we saw a sign for Matapa Bar pointing down a dirt road. We didn’t really expect to find anything or anything open at least and we didn’t until Ivan leaned out the car window and asked a man who was painting a shipping container (there are a lot of shipping containers in yards!) if the bar was nearby. The man grinned, stepped off his ladder and said “You’re here. This is it”. We looked around and all we could see was a house and a shipping container, but happy to go with local knowledge when there was likely to be a cold, refreshing beer at the end of it, we parked the car. The man walked over to another shipping container and started dragging out a plastic table and chairs. We positioned them on the patch of dry grass out the front of his house and he asked us what beer would we like – Steinlager or Lion Red. He disappeared into the house and came back out with the ice-cold beers. Turns out Pele was one of the 20 (!) local MP’s on the island. We chatted to him while we slaked our thirst, not actually learning much about local political issues when we asked him, but certainly hearing all about the many countries he had visited in the world and the many prime ministers and presidents he had dined with! <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3iO6QOPbY24ugrNoLqbQ-oCKYfdhV621a0z49ynenOdLTBqDSNS7A-XFCcJRFafjE6C4V5kY8NgS_U2z1_i1oC1Kq-5TmANm4KmjNPFcxIkXzHDBBzpKVfFP51SHkpygFsNRRKnB7A/s1600/matapa+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3iO6QOPbY24ugrNoLqbQ-oCKYfdhV621a0z49ynenOdLTBqDSNS7A-XFCcJRFafjE6C4V5kY8NgS_U2z1_i1oC1Kq-5TmANm4KmjNPFcxIkXzHDBBzpKVfFP51SHkpygFsNRRKnB7A/s320/matapa+bar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matapa Bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We hired bicycles the next two days which allowed us to visit some more stunning seatracks, including ones where we could snorkel in pools that had layers of fresh and sea water. On Saturday morning we cycled the 10km to Tuapa village where they were having their annual festival. The order of events in the village festivals is you get there early in the day to buy some bbq food from one of the food stalls before they run out and you then listen to some speeches (mostly in Niuean so a bit meaningless to us) and then you watch some dancing put on by the people of that particular village. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiKjW9IG5tMvQ6WOQe2etGGyWdZ-hfLN-HjO5h1EmLmKAWoy1Kzzuu2-saX8JUD3TGFnZvA2PPF5W45x2-egiMgrsJW0yanFeG61THEv1HuDZH1gG2idEv_GNeTg3qt0snXLrgspgIg/s1600/dancing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiKjW9IG5tMvQ6WOQe2etGGyWdZ-hfLN-HjO5h1EmLmKAWoy1Kzzuu2-saX8JUD3TGFnZvA2PPF5W45x2-egiMgrsJW0yanFeG61THEv1HuDZH1gG2idEv_GNeTg3qt0snXLrgspgIg/s320/dancing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">apparently Jesus loves them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of the aims of each village fair is to generate funds for the village so there is a donation basket in front of the dancing and all throughout the performances people throw coins and notes into the basket and hop up on to the stage to poke notes into the cleavage or costumes of the dancers. Sometimes the notes would drop out and someone from the audience would have to scurry over to retrieve it before the wind took it away. It was all a bit of fun. The weather was due to change with a westerly front on the way. It was time to leave. We departed Niue early the next morning, having had a great few days, enjoying the hospitality of the local people, including those at the wonderful Niue Yacht Club and saying goodbye to the whales as we headed for Tonga. </div>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-15725809406261132922012-08-30T21:40:00.005-07:002012-08-30T21:40:53.324-07:00The Cook Islands
So much has happened since our last blog post: two days at Taha’a snorkelling in the coral gardens and playing more Scrabble and cards with Dancing Walrus (by the way there is usually always an interesting story behind the name of a boat. In this case Dancing Walrus bears its name as the result of an award Ken won plus he and Joni feel the big cat lumbers along like a walrus trying to dance). We had a fast sail under the genoa over to Bora Bora, only 15 miles away. Two nights here on a mooring ball at the Bora Bora Yacht Club, a yacht club in name only as it really is just a bar, restaurant and cheap mooring balls. While Bora Bora was nice enough, there were lots of skinny, barking dogs and traffic so we decided to limit our time there in order to keep moving west and to give us more time in other places that beckoned. After concluding the endless paperchase of checking out and retrieving the bond we had had to pay for Louise to be in French Polynesia, and topping up with diesel, we bade farewell to these French Society Islands. We set sail at 3pm on Friday 10 August for Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, some 478 miles away.
Our passage to Aitutaki started with steady winds from SSE of about 12 knots. The winds started to ease in the first evening and then continued to lighten over the next 2 days so by Sunday night we had furled the reacher and started motoring. We motored for around 36 hours in order to keep an average speed of 5 knots that would ensure we would arrive at Aitutaki in both daylight and high tide – essential for entering the narrow, shallow pass through the coral reef. On Tuesday afternoon the wind came in from the south so we were able to douse the motor and unfurl the genoa. Ironically, after all that motoring, as we closed in on Aitutaki on Tuesday evening and into the graveyard hours of Wednesday morning, we had to reduce sail to slow ourselves down so we wouldn’t arrive before daylight. We had a relatively small window of opportunity to enter the pass as sunrise was at 7am and high tide was at 7.30am, but we arrived in good time. It is recommended that only boats drawing 6 feet or less attempt to enter the pass and even then it should be at high tide and with good visibility. Brio draws around 5 ½ feet when loaded so we figured we’d be fine and we were, but it was still a little nerve wracking seeing the coral so close.
The Aitutaki anchorage is tiny with space for around 4 yachts. We manoeuvred into a pozzie tying our bow to the nearest palm tree and putting out a stern anchor. Aitutaki is a low island, fringed by coral reef and on its way to becoming an atoll. It has a population of about 1,500 people and thousands of wild hens and roosters of all colours and sizes scurrying everywhere. Surprisingly not a dog is to be found on the island. The story behind this is that many years ago one of the chiefs sons was bitten by a dog and so he decreed all dogs be banned from the island.
As an introduction to the Cook Islands Aitutaki was fabulous. The islanders are relaxed, welcoming and always happy to have a chat. We rented a motor scooter while we were there to get around and visited the marine research centre where they are breeding clams from the Great Barrier Reef to restock their own reef where the clams have died out (apparently due to chemical run off from banana plantations). We ended one afternoon watching some soccer matches “Soccer Friday” where village plays against village in various age groups. We noticed a similarity between this island and that of Moorea in French Polynesia: grandma is often in the front garden – 6 feet under that is! It seems it is more usual to bury one’s family on the family land than to put them in a graveyard. Many of the graves look like well kept shrines. It is also interesting that you can’t buy land on the island, it is passed down through the family line.
We had an excellent time at Aitutaki. One of my lasting memories will be of flying my kite in the late afternoon sunshine with a couple of young boys who were screaming and giggling with pleasure while the beautiful singing from the church service nearby came floating across on the wind.
Go there before it’s too late for there are plans to expand the harbour to cater for 100 boats.
After 5 days taking it easy on Aitutaki we pulled in our lines and anchor at about 10.30 on Monday morning and left on the high tide, again making it through the pass without incident. Our next destination was the even smaller island of Palmerston about 200 miles NW of Aitutaki. The forecast indicated we should have one day of reasonable wind before easing to light winds. However it was not to be as we experienced winds of below 10 knots then petering out to nothing. While it meant we ended up motoring virtually the whole 2 days and nights of the passage, at least being in the middle of a high meant we also saw some fantastic sunsets. We also tried out our new 100m line and caught a nice big tuna along the way.
We arrived at Palmerston at around 8am on Wednesday to the sight of a whale breeching. Louise’s first ever sighting of a whale in the flesh. If the Pacific is like a blanket of turquoise and royal blue with islands strewn like jewels across it, then we have found the brightest gem of all. Palmerston is unique, there’s simply no other word to describe it…..well actually we could describe it as we would other islands: brilliant white coral sand, surrounded by water all shades of blue, coconut palms swaying in the gentle breeze under a cerulean sky. What sets Palmerston apart though is its interesting history and local culture, including how visitors are received. Palmerston was uninhabited in 1862 when Lancashireman William Marsters came to live here with his three Polynesian wives. He divided the island and reef into parts for each family and fathered 26 children. 73 people live on the island now and all of the families are descendants of Marsters.
When you arrive at the island you are met by someone in a tinny who will guide you to a mooring ball or anchor site. That person and their family then become your hosts for the period of your stay at the island. There are 6 moorings balls outside the reef and when we arrived they were all taken so we were directed to an anchoring spot (fine as long as the wind didn’t change to the west and push us onto the reef). As yachts come and go regularly we were able to move onto a mooring ball that evening. In our case Edward Marsters guided us in and once the anchor was down he chatted with us for a bit and then said he would be back at 11 o’clock to take us through the reef and to the island for lunch. The hosting is taken very seriously and responsibilities include providing us with meals whenever we are ashore, ferrying us to and fro the island, navigating the tricky, shallow pass and generally looking after every need we have. In return we cruisers scour our boats for food and hardware items, books, cd’s, clothes etc. that we can give to our host family as they only see a supply boat every 3 or 4 months if they are lucky. We were actually transporting a bag of tomatoes, a cabbage and tobacco and papers for Edward as a result of a request we had received over the SSB radio. On our first day we were also happy to hand over some of our freshly caught tuna to contribute to the lunch. Lunch was a big affair, the womenfolk preparing the food in their outdoor kitchen and about 20 people comprising Edward’s immediate and extended family and cruisers from about 4 yachts partaking of the feast.
For a small island Palmerston is well appointed with a small school, a health clinic run by one nurse, a church (of course!) and a telecommunications office where you can pick up internet, phone home and check the timetable for what will be on the satellite television that night. The island generators run for about 6 hours in the morning and 6 hours in the evening to power the batteries that provide the island’s power supply. Continuous power is important as so much of the food must be kept frozen with little fresh food able to be grown here.
You would think a walk around the few ‘streets’ on the island wouldn’t take long on an island that only takes 30 minutes to circumnavigate. But wherever you go people invite you to stop and have a drink or share some food or simply sit for a while and have a chat. Usually they want to give you something to leave with too – fresh eggs or wholemeal bread. Such is the generosity and open interest that people display here. We are not naïve enough to think that in such a small community there are no divisions and issues, but overall there appears harmony and a pretty united community spirit.
We were sad to leave Palmerston on Saturday morning for our 3-4 day journey to Niue, but other lands, including Australia beckon.
bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-28194827980822290482012-08-05T16:31:00.000-07:002012-08-05T16:31:01.136-07:00Raiatea for Repairs, Repairs and more Repairs<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were not
confident that the salt water pump would continue behaving so we pulled out of
Huahine on Monday morning, to sail the 24nm to Raiatea, where we knew we could
have it repaired or parts replaced. The sun was shining, the wind was a light
northerly and we started off motorsailing on a close reach, averaging 5kts. We
had the reacher up for the first time since we had broken our forestay on the
Galapagos to Marquesas passage. After about an hour we cut the engine and
sailed gently along at 5-6kts, aiming for Passe Toavapiti which would allow us
to motor up to the dock or anchorage near the main town of Uturoa. We sailed
into the pass at about 2pm and then furled the reacher and started the engine
to motor the couple of miles up the channel to the anchorage. About halfway up
the water pump seized again and so, unable to continue under motor for fear of overheating
it, we turned the boat around, put a small amount of reacher out, and sailed
back down towards the pass. So near and yet so far! We knew we could anchor off
a small motu (islet)just inside the pass. One of the difficulties in these
parts is finding somewhere that is not too deep to anchor in. Depths of 50, 60
feet and more are common. The 30 year old cruisers guide we have for the area
might be a bit dated when it comes to population numbers, hotels and
restaurants, but it’s still good for anchorages and depths!</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2YFznoTlXMcExsIMNIY3u5NNjl_0PQaGbJtIXiv3C4YYq34A4ZG__b-zjMi_fzdeWJ09R1wmshI8pRfKnC4kqBUAXzATeB08nDDryhJ0zUXAPusCo5YwzFZDH6DwWFMSH6vLgWmW2w/s1600/motu+at+pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC2YFznoTlXMcExsIMNIY3u5NNjl_0PQaGbJtIXiv3C4YYq34A4ZG__b-zjMi_fzdeWJ09R1wmshI8pRfKnC4kqBUAXzATeB08nDDryhJ0zUXAPusCo5YwzFZDH6DwWFMSH6vLgWmW2w/s320/motu+at+pass.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motus at Passe Teavapiti</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Also at
anchor off the motu for the afternoon was Unama, the one and only yacht we saw
on our Galapagos to Marquesas passage. We couldn’t raise them on the VHF radio,
so we left a message on David, the skipper’s, phone and within a few minutes
David and his girlfriend had snorkelled over. Unama was about to move from the
motu back to the town anchorage and David, who knows the area well, showed us
on the chartplotter the best place to take Brio. He also called us when he got
to the anchorage to let us know there was a mooring ball free if we were able
to get to it. Ivan spent the rest of the afternoon installing a temporary
electric water pump that Renee and Cheryl from Gypsy Blues had given us when
they learned of our troubles. They had no use for it and thought with some
adaptation it could help us out. I am forever amazed by the helpfulness and
generosity of people who are cruising, and even those who are not cruisers, but
who sail. It’s not why we do it, but I guess we all figure it is good karma and
doing someone a favour one day will bring us returns another day<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We spent a
windless night at the motu, but the wind came in from the north before dawn and
we realised we had dragged a little towards the motu. As dawn was breaking we
started the engine and motored up towards town. Thank goodness for Renee and
Cheryl: the temporary water pump worked, keeping the engine cool enough for us
to get to the mooring ball. Little did we know then what further repairs we
were in for!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After walking around to check out the Uturoa town
dock and to drop off the water pump for repair, we moved Brio off the mooring
ball and onto the dock for easier access to town. The dock was pretty full, but
we found a place where a charter yacht usually docks. To cut a long story
short, then began a <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">succession
of four moves on the dock until we tied up to where we are at present. The two
moves we made where we needed to use the engine alerted us to the fact that all
was not happy in the motor department. First the engine struggled to fire and
then it would turn over at all. To cut another long story short, it turns out by
using the temporary electric water pump we were letting seawater into the
engine. It wasn’t the actual use of the pump that was the problem, rather that
we should have turned the pump off before we turned the engine off to stop it
from continuing to cycle water through the engine when the engine was stopped. While
Ivan and a wonderful local electrician/mechanic, Richard, set about draining,
refilling, draining, refilling the engine oil ad nauseum and checking all sorts
of other aspects of the engine, I vacated to the cockpit for a 2 day reading
session until order was restored to the boat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_OKsyBKd-PbXLZ7Q4xKIGth4kUHQeCRBb_A6ksFqJgQiVLw9TNimcoYEp8vALWAEJFSorDuUYmG2UCcElaVm_FOkyYGMHfVVSwJi51dCU_PUw-PQQInYpMZQE4CSFMUq3D2WF9oEdQ/s1600/engine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_OKsyBKd-PbXLZ7Q4xKIGth4kUHQeCRBb_A6ksFqJgQiVLw9TNimcoYEp8vALWAEJFSorDuUYmG2UCcElaVm_FOkyYGMHfVVSwJi51dCU_PUw-PQQInYpMZQE4CSFMUq3D2WF9oEdQ/s320/engine.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exposed engine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Our engine
is highly inaccessible, requiring most of the galley to be dismantled before it
can be accessed. To work on the engine usually involves lying on one’s back,
head torch attached and arms disappearing into very small, very dirty spaces.
Grunting, skinning knuckles, swearing and hearing the tinkle of parts descending
into the abyss of the bilges is all par for the course when working on our
engine.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">I couldn’t
help but think of the similarities between fixing a boat problem and going to
the doctor…….Take a pill to cure an ill, cause a bigger problem still. Ivan
couldn’t help but mutter the mantra “Cruising is just boat maintenance in
exotic places”. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Since we
arrived in Raiatea the wind has picked up from the east and feels like it is
blowing 20-30kts. We have made some noises about moving to the west coast of
neighbouring Taha’a Island for a bit more shelter, but are reasonably snug here
at the town dock and are enjoying a nightly scrabble challenge followed by ‘Oh
hell’ card game with Joni and Ken on Dancing Walrus. The high wind is likely to
persist for a few more days, but we will probably move on to Taha’a tomorrow
regardless.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzQoFGYbrtjd5Y5YkcOjP0EIZbL_9eQJ1KQOXb8oMvIBv6TBlvZ2QkdWloVoUHHWlRNyOwngSofMNrEm_Uf4-Zz590TQCEkmXExuuBkY0OFrElMF_TMAeW0iieco0aYsp8wcYiQH4Jg/s1600/tahaa+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzQoFGYbrtjd5Y5YkcOjP0EIZbL_9eQJ1KQOXb8oMvIBv6TBlvZ2QkdWloVoUHHWlRNyOwngSofMNrEm_Uf4-Zz590TQCEkmXExuuBkY0OFrElMF_TMAeW0iieco0aYsp8wcYiQH4Jg/s320/tahaa+view.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taha'a from th top of Raiatea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-85645625476622564152012-07-31T19:41:00.000-07:002012-07-31T19:41:03.738-07:00Huahine the Hard Way<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After beers
and conversation with Tooria and Laurance we returned to Brio at about 4pm and
decided the time and the weather were right to depart for Huahine, about 80 nm
away. We were soon underway, motoring out of the pass when we heard the now too
familiar sound of a belt slipping. This was quickly followed by the engine’s
high temperature alarm going off. A quick look revealed the salt water pump
belt was broken and the pump had seized. Not wanting to destroy the engine
through overheating we unfurled the genoa and shut the engine down. There was a
very light breeze, barely enough for steerage, so Ivan paddled with a dinghy
oar while Louise steered us between the marks of the reef. It was not the
perfect getaway from an island! We made it out the pass and away from the reef,
but we were in the island’s wind shadow and unable to clear it. We wallowed
about 5 miles offshore with little or no steerage for the next 8 ½ hours.
Others who had left around the same time as us were reporting 15kts of wind and
travelling at 6-7 kts. Even the half-moon had left us just after midnight; it
was frustrating to say the least. We finally reached wind at about 2.30am, set
the monitor to hold our course and started to feel like we were making
progress. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having been
at anchor or docked for the past 4 weeks or so, we were both suffering from
seasickness and so were looking forward to arriving at Huahine as quickly as
possible. The clock was against us as we sailed towards Huahine; the closer we
got, the lower the sun was in the sky. We knew it would be foolhardy to risk
entering the coral pass without an engine and in the gusty headwinds we would
encounter as we turned into the pass. We discussed our options: see if the
water pump could be freed up so we could run the engine and enter the pass
before nightfall or bypass Huahine and sail on to Raitea, another 24nm on,
meaning another night at sea and slowing right down so as not to arrive in the
dark. We preferred the former of the two options and Ivan set about removing
the water pump, soaking the partially disassembled pump in hot water and
working the pulley to and fro to free it. It seemed to work and he re-assembled
and installed the pump with a new belt, finishing about an hour before sunset.
Not sure whether the repair would hold up, we gunned the engine and motorsailed
towards the southern pass (Passe Avapeihi) that would take us to the small
anchorage off the town of Fare. All went well; we entered the pass at sunset
and dropped the anchor behind the reef on dark. Suddenly we were both starving
hungry, so we heated up some leftovers and turned the lights out at about 7pm
for a good night’s sleep.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-HRMqSITIcGn_SedPeZPqWovrFfKI-E3zrZFlT3807wDDck8AXSBTKTqo293CQoyYQ_e_QQ5SeIBt_mYWwU0g8yhXJdlv1NldFHstvcX6SMjuME9YuPU9bNsFNsF4ZZEAqMMhOs9BSQ/s1600/fishing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-HRMqSITIcGn_SedPeZPqWovrFfKI-E3zrZFlT3807wDDck8AXSBTKTqo293CQoyYQ_e_QQ5SeIBt_mYWwU0g8yhXJdlv1NldFHstvcX6SMjuME9YuPU9bNsFNsF4ZZEAqMMhOs9BSQ/s320/fishing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outrigger fisherman<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Early the
next morning we re-anchored much closer to the town so it was an easier row in
to the dock. It was a good anchor spot in about 4m of clear water and no coral
heads to worry about. We spent the day relaxing and doing some boat chores,
ending it at the waterfront café’s happy hour with lots of other cruiser folk.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMicHpWrXkhg43ZbvM5XZifUrswkDCA8N-efvgM3Y736RnOx5ihgg5-MeDAquWlItxzsebMbIysGh5DMXqAkYhGKfvIiLL4DqI_Jy9R6-PrOEiqOkiNHi_2y48fChzxncSxnnlGjWSMg/s1600/iv+%2526+bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMicHpWrXkhg43ZbvM5XZifUrswkDCA8N-efvgM3Y736RnOx5ihgg5-MeDAquWlItxzsebMbIysGh5DMXqAkYhGKfvIiLL4DqI_Jy9R6-PrOEiqOkiNHi_2y48fChzxncSxnnlGjWSMg/s320/iv+%2526+bike.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forget about thegood looker with the bike...check out the colours of the water!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We rented
bikes for the day to explore Huahine. The island is only about 15 km in length
and made up of two parts joined by a bridge. As with the other Society Islands
we have seen, the main road mostly hugs the edge of the island where it is flat,
with only a few roads going into the very hilly interior. We figure we did
about 60 or 70 km to get around the island, including a torturous 15% incline
(which was very fun on the descent). We were fascinated by the ancient stone
fish traps put across the inlet in one place. They are apparently still used
today. We also saw some giant ‘sacred’ eels in a river posing as a drain. Not
sure why they are sacred. Maybe something to do with them being across the road
from the Seventh Day Adventist church!</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBajWWCtMv35Yf2qj7WaW0RuFwWtv02RBaRcdbNtLixxAWalnPkJxJsusZHPbmG5WjEa2PaoZM7KQvfnPZ2QOplLbE3B9cP6NncF1OLgntdNG9JWidc7ztoazFpVgoSxe59hab8k0ebw/s1600/fish+trap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBajWWCtMv35Yf2qj7WaW0RuFwWtv02RBaRcdbNtLixxAWalnPkJxJsusZHPbmG5WjEa2PaoZM7KQvfnPZ2QOplLbE3B9cP6NncF1OLgntdNG9JWidc7ztoazFpVgoSxe59hab8k0ebw/s320/fish+trap.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish trap in idyllic surrounds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
</span><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
</span><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
</span><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<div align="justify">
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-35261793720012346482012-07-31T19:34:00.000-07:002012-07-31T19:34:09.760-07:00Moving on to Moorea<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our
replacement chartplotter and tillerpilot arrived on Wednesday so there should
have been nothing holding us in Tahiti. We had however booked tickets to see
the Heiva finalists on the Saturday night, so we stayed on in Tahiti for them.
To make it easier to get to and from the Heiva, we motored Brio the 5 nm back
up to the town quay from where we had been staying in the mooring field off
Marina Taina. To do this one has to pass the airport and is required to radio
the Port Captain requesting permission to go past. Presumably so one’s mast
doesn’t tangle with the undercarriage of an ascending or descending plane. Both
times we did this Louise used her best radio enunciation and listening ears,
but still found the Port Captain’s instructions confusing. Suffice to say, both
times we made it past the airport without connecting with a low-flying jet. <o:p></o:p></span></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As with the
previous Heiva performance we saw, this one was also spellbinding. The dance
and singing troupes who performed were the winners of their categories, so they
were the best of the best. The ‘singing sunflowers’ were back again! It rained
a little during the show and a kindly woman in front of us held her very large
umbrella so we could shelter under it. The rain didn’t stop the show though and
even enhanced it as the rain slick stage area reflected the colours of the
costumes wonderfully.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before the
Heiva we had Lindy and Michel aboard Brio for drinks. Lindy and Michel’s son,
Lio, was in one of the Heiva groups and we had met him at a rehearsal. He is
Tahitian, but has lived in the US for 12 years and is studying there. Lio had
given us his and his mother’s phone number in case we needed any help while in
Tahiti. We actually rang Lindy, not for help, but to find out if Lio had made
it into the finals. Lindy was one proud Mum of her boy who was just now
starting to show an interest in his culture. Michel is a politician with the
Independence Party that is currently in power. While we weren’t able to spend
long with them it was great to meet them and learn a little more about the
French Polynesian culture and Franco/Polynesian politics. </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdJNVyiR3IzpLm9J9ATiKzLSp7bQeOxi7JioIOTfw9NGI89rc8HRqeKH0MA3GfxiijwnQc10hLSRvmXucO12d33TKsxZrek7slq_2gS_K1JBQchP97GJrnoD8Bp3rn8UOSimDKWB0nw/s1600/ivan+costume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdJNVyiR3IzpLm9J9ATiKzLSp7bQeOxi7JioIOTfw9NGI89rc8HRqeKH0MA3GfxiijwnQc10hLSRvmXucO12d33TKsxZrek7slq_2gS_K1JBQchP97GJrnoD8Bp3rn8UOSimDKWB0nw/s320/ivan+costume.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What Ivan would look like if he was in the Heiva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The next
day, Sunday, we readied to sail to Huahine Island, approx 100 nautical miles
away, so an overnight sail. By the time we got away it was well into the
afternoon and with little wind we motored, deciding to go the few hours across
to Moorea and stay the night there before continuing on to Huahine. As we
entered the pass to Opunohu Bay, Moorea, the wind picked up, rain started to
fall and the light was fading. We dropped the anchor among about 15 other
yachts, not far from where we had stayed when on Water Musick for the Pacific
Puddle Jumpers weekend. We spent the next 3 days at anchor due to there being
big seas and winds outside the island. Much nicer to wait for some settled
weather. It also gave us a chance to explore Moorea and do some ‘must do’s’.
The main ‘must do’ was a trip to feed the rays. James and Sophie on Paramour
III kindly offered us a lift in their dinghy as it was too far for us to row
(our dinghy outboard is kaput). There is a certain ambivalence in feeding the
rays: it’s nice to feed them so they come up close and brush their soft bodies
by you, hanging around like a dog waiting for pat, but they are becoming more
and more habituated to humans feeding them, so ultimately it is not good for
them. I had to cast my biological morals aside as we offered the rays tinned
sardines. While they would come up to us for sardines, anyone who offered them
fresh fish pieces was soon surrounded by frenzied rays. It was quite an
experience watching them and the black-tipped sharks that hung around the
edges.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_A79OYDMS4x0ZVtSp9Uy8tMgwqRJ2iql_AW21Z8TmI5kcf9jWLfKnNFfllTJ4nKI1LiQdnxC9_aomhEDJwW_O-9js5OkYM92AALoiIWmFtDfW7I1FZjrtlKzqxW68HGAQ_iHIZ3fE3Q/s1600/ray+whisperers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_A79OYDMS4x0ZVtSp9Uy8tMgwqRJ2iql_AW21Z8TmI5kcf9jWLfKnNFfllTJ4nKI1LiQdnxC9_aomhEDJwW_O-9js5OkYM92AALoiIWmFtDfW7I1FZjrtlKzqxW68HGAQ_iHIZ3fE3Q/s320/ray+whisperers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray whisperers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next
day we did the ‘Three Coconuts Walk’. We hitched a ride with a local woman,
Tooria, who dropped us not too far from the start of the walk. She was an
interesting and articulate woman, keen to give us her view of the
French/Polynesian political situation, and insisted on our return we drop into
her place for a beer. Was it not hot and are we not Australian?! Of course we
said we would drop in! Three Coconuts Walk was a shaded path winding up the
mountain through enormous and vibrant green ferns, huge mape trees, a forest of
bamboo big enough to use as scaffolding and across a creek. The 1½ hr walk
ended on a ridge where we could see one side down to the bay where we had left
Brio and on the other side another bay. After baguettes for lunch we walked
back down to the start of the track and hitched a lift back to Tooria’s house,
recognising it by the blue pareo (sarong) she said she would leave on the
hedge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlj6E6R4ruty6_twEGQ-whFt9OJ6Ybr1wL5kATbY03B9Ko_gljBCFdjVKb5lemr4UWoBC2FF6FlYC4CCQ2i4_9PAMSCwo_MzdHP9cI_DPZZYqdmeHz6lsxSbn33NApEWT0hn4XSQEtg/s1600/monolith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlj6E6R4ruty6_twEGQ-whFt9OJ6Ybr1wL5kATbY03B9Ko_gljBCFdjVKb5lemr4UWoBC2FF6FlYC4CCQ2i4_9PAMSCwo_MzdHP9cI_DPZZYqdmeHz6lsxSbn33NApEWT0hn4XSQEtg/s200/monolith.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">aiming for that on the 3 coconuts walk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpWuJCLaPZKEZrhtprp0FhHN3MbIjXAXun4gAxrFxyxwakI5Ln1L56zgxpoVFTojpDiBeUig6QlEzPPi3QxIiKdxlqJScA1ZXJoJtoD88ybHKt6GKiebWrHfk5vWa5wRgwVnmHBRx4g/s1600/LA+bamboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpWuJCLaPZKEZrhtprp0FhHN3MbIjXAXun4gAxrFxyxwakI5Ln1L56zgxpoVFTojpDiBeUig6QlEzPPi3QxIiKdxlqJScA1ZXJoJtoD88ybHKt6GKiebWrHfk5vWa5wRgwVnmHBRx4g/s200/LA+bamboo.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louise checks out the bamboo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44YbHIqqbwckEl-jB00v_Q-ArHbgUEBexkl1xK4uakFpagnE6Oowq1ww_4PLSK2CUlXFGnXOoAEUh1Jn9-Zt1oNsnXwoPRy1GuuH0CXD2aM72CLCHq0CZEcBlRvTFmTH2ZegFdVjEAQ/s1600/mape+trees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44YbHIqqbwckEl-jB00v_Q-ArHbgUEBexkl1xK4uakFpagnE6Oowq1ww_4PLSK2CUlXFGnXOoAEUh1Jn9-Zt1oNsnXwoPRy1GuuH0CXD2aM72CLCHq0CZEcBlRvTFmTH2ZegFdVjEAQ/s200/mape+trees.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mape trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tooria
introduced us to her husband Laurance, an art dealer. Laurance only spends 3
months of the year in Moorea, their home base, while the rest of the year he is
either in Paris or New York for work. The sort of art that Laurance deals in
has names like Picasso, Matisse and Gaugin attached to it! We spent a lovely
couple of hours in Tooria and Laurance’s beautiful waterfront home, covering
all sorts of topics, including the fact that Tooria’s first husband was good
friends with famous sailors such as Bernard Moitessier and Eric Tabarly. For
those of you who hero worship him, Ivan and I can now say we have met someone
who washed Moitessier’s underpants!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As with
meeting Lindy and Michel, we felt very lucky to have met Tooria and Laurance;
to have spent time with ‘real’ people who live here and gain a further insight
to life in French Polynesia. It’s not all coconut milk and hibiscus…..many
people are feeling the pinch of constantly increasing prices and unemployment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 108pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter">
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0">
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1">
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1">
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth">
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0">
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight">
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0">
</v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas>
<v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f">
<o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit">
</o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></span></v:shapetype><v:shape alt="ivan costume.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_0" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 153.75pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 115.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<v:imagedata o:title="ivan costume" src="file:///C:\Users\AVERY-~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg">
</v:imagedata></span></v:shape></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-76393054394324584402012-07-17T13:56:00.001-07:002012-07-17T13:56:32.936-07:00Still in Tahiti
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">More than 3 weeks since we arrived in
Tahiti and we are still here. Although it is a lovely island and we have been
having a great time, we never intended to stay this long. What has been holding
us here is the expectation of our replacement chartplotter and tillerpilot
arriving from America. It all sounded so positive when we arranged it with
Tuckker, our friend and manager of a West Marine store in Florida: 3-5 days
delivery to us. Seems things slow down once they hit Tahiti though. We have now
engaged an agent to try to track the package down for us and if we don’t have
it by the end of this week, we will press on into the Pacific without it. Paper
charts and hand steering all the way!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have moved from the town quay to
a mooring field off Marina Taina, about 5nm from the centre of Papeete. Like
little chickens coming home to roost, many of the friends we have made along
the way are also here. Once again we are being social butterflies, meeting
people we have only known previously by their voice on the radio; marvelling at
couples who live aboard boats smaller than Brio. For about a week now it has
been blowing 25-30kts all around the area, but not in our very calm mooring
field. So, although we are ‘stuck’ here, we are also glad to be here and not
trying to sail in such wind.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Apart from dealing with our postal
administrivia, we have been making the most of our time here. We took a day
trip around the island by car with another couple. Compared to the islands of
the Marquesas and Tuomotus, Tahiti is very built up and busy. Most of the
population lives on the coast, but there are a few roads that follow valleys
inland. Turning in from the coast, one gazes skyward at steep, green pinnacles
with their tops covered in cloud. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZuWj-lrO2SgK_paxjew5ryToAMCA14219Kx6rhGoXym0FwDq7xrMQFxAIu2Mxaa_hsywmTbUDYc_agOKsoctasuJtv01JyVuK3LqUPqxL1m5ygPwC_slaMmhUB1FB5JbxuubHS0YoA/s1600/Mountain+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZuWj-lrO2SgK_paxjew5ryToAMCA14219Kx6rhGoXym0FwDq7xrMQFxAIu2Mxaa_hsywmTbUDYc_agOKsoctasuJtv01JyVuK3LqUPqxL1m5ygPwC_slaMmhUB1FB5JbxuubHS0YoA/s320/Mountain+view.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papeno'o Valley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We went into town one evening to watch
a performance of the Heiva competition. We saw 3 dance troupes and 2 singing groups.
It was an amazing spectacle: about a hundred people dancing on stage at any one
time, dressed in the most exquisite costumes, with drumming and other musical accompaniment.
The singing groups are not quite as spectacular and the dancers and the locals
in the audience show it by leaving their seat to go outside while the singers
perform and then returning for the next dance! I found the singers a bit
mesmeric actually as the song is quite repetitive and the group sways as it
sings. One group dressed in bright yellow looked like a bunch of sunflowers
swaying in the breeze!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12H_-kSN1iC31yob6becg2XZjKrdaojgnA2mTCk5Xoh2aTxM7hmyAhyphenhyphenbIrXvozTjFYzzIrv5Re47Sed_BX44wbkuXpMHL_EryRVhFcltzBU33kozhNpycyOHAhXvf7ebrt6p88dmKJg/s1600/dancers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12H_-kSN1iC31yob6becg2XZjKrdaojgnA2mTCk5Xoh2aTxM7hmyAhyphenhyphenbIrXvozTjFYzzIrv5Re47Sed_BX44wbkuXpMHL_EryRVhFcltzBU33kozhNpycyOHAhXvf7ebrt6p88dmKJg/s320/dancers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurry, but amazing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We visited the Musee de Tahiti which
has a good display of artefacts from the area. While there we found out about
the traditional games they were holding there on the weekend. We went along
last Sunday, easily hitching a ride there as the public transport system here
is not good. Local people seem quite used to picking up hitch hikers and
delivering them exactly to their destination. The traditional games were fun to
watch, especially the javelin tossing. Not like we are used to seeing: these
javelins are aimed at a coconut positioned on top of a pole some 9 metres high.
All the competitors throw at once and they are all kitted out in colourful team
outfits (bien sur!). </span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2jSKWgCIJmwKPWEV9J_y7PIcWhg5E7XzP9SSq3oXsZYRFDp9rljDzl5qKVFc61ZhvQGgIGsA7uvGdS046n1TlVgcl3SqwYulFzFr6WpI7wMnkr9fVKWEqbUMDTXXQU0q1yLgoDmlQQ/s1600/men+jav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2jSKWgCIJmwKPWEV9J_y7PIcWhg5E7XzP9SSq3oXsZYRFDp9rljDzl5qKVFc61ZhvQGgIGsA7uvGdS046n1TlVgcl3SqwYulFzFr6WpI7wMnkr9fVKWEqbUMDTXXQU0q1yLgoDmlQQ/s320/men+jav.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above & Below: images from the traditional games</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicF7JrYlopeA4qDAF_fqSLb9eKLX1opqN-tAinXec88Hi4s-BYIANg0W1v4k9867V1lwTIsYFJi-ul_5-jedsNqeVbjHAH5u6cUtgYEa6VuIbIy34PcYsfpo6VdImMjQplmCtcSACASw/s1600/husking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicF7JrYlopeA4qDAF_fqSLb9eKLX1opqN-tAinXec88Hi4s-BYIANg0W1v4k9867V1lwTIsYFJi-ul_5-jedsNqeVbjHAH5u6cUtgYEa6VuIbIy34PcYsfpo6VdImMjQplmCtcSACASw/s320/husking.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgIawj7a301r7pd1PCCQSnpKa4vWpYF7lE1HEC_zxupGScybxKd26XB7eMc9gBmXvw4YFTn7iGXZRJuB-swpgcYEAa2VqPs07Y2FuIwdqyuwwCeRku7Yh1u5G48HEAcFY3AKEbPzsVw/s1600/woman+jav+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgIawj7a301r7pd1PCCQSnpKa4vWpYF7lE1HEC_zxupGScybxKd26XB7eMc9gBmXvw4YFTn7iGXZRJuB-swpgcYEAa2VqPs07Y2FuIwdqyuwwCeRku7Yh1u5G48HEAcFY3AKEbPzsVw/s320/woman+jav+2.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-61622953797715971552012-06-29T15:52:00.002-07:002012-06-29T15:52:37.569-07:00Tahiti<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our passage
from the Tuamotus to Tahiti was a quick one. We went through the Fakarava pass
at 3.15pm on Monday, a bit after slack water. There was a little turbulence and
we used the engine as well as sail just to ensure we stayed clear of the reef.
The south easterly breeze was 20-30 knots and we were all (Good2Go, Slick &
Gypsea Heart were also out there with us) reefing sail to both stay under
control and slow down so we didn’t reach Tahiti in darkness. We tried to have a
game of Scrabble during the day, but gave up as the sea was just too lumpy. We
motored into Papeete Harbour at about 7.30am Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are tied
up at the Town Quay on a floating dock with quite a few other cruisers. It’s a
very convenient place to be as we are less than 5 minutes walk along the
waterfront from the centre of town. I, Louise, have been in ice-cream and
shopping heaven since we arrived. The clothing stores are having sales in the
lead up to Bastille Day (July 14) so it has also been a great opportunity to
replace some of my fetid banana stained tops and shorts. It takes a cruise like
this to discover just how badly banana sap stains clothes! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just near
the Town Quay is the area where the ‘roulottes’ set up each evening. These are
vans from which you can buy your dinner and sit at the plastic tables they also
provide. The food is reasonably cheap, good and plentiful and we have eaten
there a few times, enjoying the Chinese food and crepes with ice-cream. It’s
nice to dine out in the mild evening and take in the sights and sounds.
Speaking of which, each night we hear drumming or singing or music. We think it
is the local people practising for the Heiva which is a major cultural event
for French Polynesia and goes from about now to Bastille Day. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s really
nice to see how the traditional culture is also everyday eg. Men and women
wearing flowers behind their ears, vibrantly coloured pareus (sarongs) and
amazing shell and bone jewellery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdE_jVZpqpNXCrqNnly6AdWtbBOVqaB7yGayjFhqaSrgRFJgfitP0lB_SbzCXuCaywtckr8O0nPzpu8_N7S9U1SN-kQQMnjxTpNoLsyx25Wo6NOSw6c5hyXhOV16vTb-cfC1PA5xENQ/s1600/Moorea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdE_jVZpqpNXCrqNnly6AdWtbBOVqaB7yGayjFhqaSrgRFJgfitP0lB_SbzCXuCaywtckr8O0nPzpu8_N7S9U1SN-kQQMnjxTpNoLsyx25Wo6NOSw6c5hyXhOV16vTb-cfC1PA5xENQ/s320/Moorea.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moorea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We spent
last weekend at the neighbouring island of Moorea. There is a mob here who put
on events for the Puddlejumpers (us mob who are crossing the Pacific by
sailboat). They organised a great weekend which started on the Friday night
with cocktails, dancing and fire sticks. On the Saturday morning about 30
yachts sailed over to Moorea – they kept calling it a rally, not a race, but
everyone looked like they were racing to me! We left Brio on the Quay and went
over with and spent the weekend aboard ‘Watermusick’. </span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Musick family, Bill,
Becky and kids Joseph, Raymond and Melody were very kind to let us ‘invade’
their space for the couple of days. But honestly it feels like such a big boat
compared to ours, we never felt like we were in anybody’s way. </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y5TDpCg4zSW5jZVGnFeAkayA79nEpKL1hbnQgTWSOABlOxy2S8samIS0H8uHyHlmxFcTF3bGK2lnVPEb5ydaHBnfAxJ8tj14PgGdDdzKw-mXCS31NVkURZhPWX8GwphaK5jD3CQmzw/s1600/Musick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Y5TDpCg4zSW5jZVGnFeAkayA79nEpKL1hbnQgTWSOABlOxy2S8samIS0H8uHyHlmxFcTF3bGK2lnVPEb5ydaHBnfAxJ8tj14PgGdDdzKw-mXCS31NVkURZhPWX8GwphaK5jD3CQmzw/s320/Musick.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Water Musick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We did pretty
well in the ‘not-race’, coming in at 7<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> place. The anchorage at
Moorea is beautifully clear and has a stunning mountain backdrop. On the
Sunday, we had a day of cultural sports and other activities, including
outrigger races, tie-dying a pareo, banana carrying races, tug-of-war and
dancing lessons. I just can’t seem to manage bending my knees one way while
swivelling my hips the other way. The Polynesian women look so much more
graceful and gorgeous when they do it.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvYujOj0uqgIf-XnpN3WVlyFHw11DRvKSIMvYM4DpQ4nCf42jYjsjr0k8rTr9DaW1WSBWVMOtmfu_kTWqXWa7sW5C0sEjb2j8km6RtpTz02CCDDPoaV1vZBY0vCGxV639DxNB7OhUXw/s1600/dancing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvYujOj0uqgIf-XnpN3WVlyFHw11DRvKSIMvYM4DpQ4nCf42jYjsjr0k8rTr9DaW1WSBWVMOtmfu_kTWqXWa7sW5C0sEjb2j8km6RtpTz02CCDDPoaV1vZBY0vCGxV639DxNB7OhUXw/s320/dancing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love that colour and movement!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23kMSUT1-vd7D4e1sH4URdhy19vj1ZgW1RLfpOMRvYqgdKbucw5OYnxp2EsDh9Kp8-qee9z7uzmR5VfwV0Z_Z4aeP1yPzr4NT3XVpnotJevmX9ZGvyrccr9oMyNaV13LFXe2G2vPVoA/s1600/winning+team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23kMSUT1-vd7D4e1sH4URdhy19vj1ZgW1RLfpOMRvYqgdKbucw5OYnxp2EsDh9Kp8-qee9z7uzmR5VfwV0Z_Z4aeP1yPzr4NT3XVpnotJevmX9ZGvyrccr9oMyNaV13LFXe2G2vPVoA/s320/winning+team.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan's team won the outrigger races - Happy chappies!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeRpIP7vjQFRp3TTntnolYJH97kd6N70G6oFMQLAvUdfFx__0-A0X_vUj7OGUhRkxQOBUkL_aSRyNRHazchscMPuugqo5Za6zSqvMACQl01reoP0yF5jWHr-xk4GnAEV6WLTjGy2oEw/s1600/LA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXeRpIP7vjQFRp3TTntnolYJH97kd6N70G6oFMQLAvUdfFx__0-A0X_vUj7OGUhRkxQOBUkL_aSRyNRHazchscMPuugqo5Za6zSqvMACQl01reoP0yF5jWHr-xk4GnAEV6WLTjGy2oEw/s320/LA.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louise makes a pareo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Today is a public holiday in Tahiti for
Independence or something like that. They call it the day of internal autonomy - sounds more like a surgical procedure to me. There are outrigger races going on just next
to where we are on the Quay. People seem to have come from all over French
Polynesia to participate and it is wonderful to see all the ‘colour and
movement’ (as Dame Edna would say). The bodies, the costumes and the
spectacular backdrop of Moorea island are all gorgeous.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJSJFLR2VkM-4ltv4b2Dg_7CKrwzQ4rmlpFRtx9qBIzRTYJIVsepanJi2z8IVaReStNsK5xrTMNK4zB-PTBbuyMMBvPJSqcv_aZ-xjiTx1R2lozs2Yo40Ag3c6FqmzpEgxsiQppfwqQ/s1600/boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJSJFLR2VkM-4ltv4b2Dg_7CKrwzQ4rmlpFRtx9qBIzRTYJIVsepanJi2z8IVaReStNsK5xrTMNK4zB-PTBbuyMMBvPJSqcv_aZ-xjiTx1R2lozs2Yo40Ag3c6FqmzpEgxsiQppfwqQ/s320/boys.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boys lining up for their race</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdd0M5Gqv5m7B4GVhDaocQAAxFZsAoSitnmoMV0cDRobVMEsMD48DvXN_w5da-UrAWNnU8WRtNyua0WfCDgPv0-DiPFwfTvqy2Dj_zZ7A6CF8M3ORLW9ipbBuDBkQuX_GV8YPStx28w/s1600/girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdd0M5Gqv5m7B4GVhDaocQAAxFZsAoSitnmoMV0cDRobVMEsMD48DvXN_w5da-UrAWNnU8WRtNyua0WfCDgPv0-DiPFwfTvqy2Dj_zZ7A6CF8M3ORLW9ipbBuDBkQuX_GV8YPStx28w/s320/girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous girls - tres jolie<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLURgjr-ueO08Lfdi4JXiRGhEUUn-G1J9-yGa2M01g6V1u55KPUWOP7t6BF_GffO3YguWnFYcoMCr_ZuR-JURvtZgdeTpyPaMEWO5TqbDq_UHTNmAFnm0hVdzRs67Zifvq7aBjbgXJg/s1600/boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLURgjr-ueO08Lfdi4JXiRGhEUUn-G1J9-yGa2M01g6V1u55KPUWOP7t6BF_GffO3YguWnFYcoMCr_ZuR-JURvtZgdeTpyPaMEWO5TqbDq_UHTNmAFnm0hVdzRs67Zifvq7aBjbgXJg/s320/boy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tres jolie aussie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-58110753043196588902012-06-20T20:22:00.000-07:002012-06-20T20:22:21.137-07:00Tuomotus<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We moved on
from the verdant mountains and towering granite monoliths of the Marquesas to
the Tuomotus group further south east. The geographic contrast couldn’t be
greater: The Tuomotus comprise low lying, palm tree fringed coral atolls. The
lagoons within the atolls are turquoise and aqua and lap upon brilliant white
beaches. It is classic Pacific postcard and travel magazine cover imagery.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgVdKGbPHOl1ROdRmNO6_5dkUkXWv3gWRQkXKTg1T6tG2dVC_jLeL2tDITYe09O4-0EtewOaoDaVRcEZ42na4hjj79ALQI1L0wES40VpBdqdJxGZF4_yuMp9gxbj-tdfZiLqSnWAuxQ/s1600/hut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgVdKGbPHOl1ROdRmNO6_5dkUkXWv3gWRQkXKTg1T6tG2dVC_jLeL2tDITYe09O4-0EtewOaoDaVRcEZ42na4hjj79ALQI1L0wES40VpBdqdJxGZF4_yuMp9gxbj-tdfZiLqSnWAuxQ/s320/hut.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">classic coral atoll scene</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our passage to the Tuomotus was 4 days
and 4 nights to reach our chosen destination of Kauehi atoll. The sail across
was fine, starting off in little or no wind and by the end of it dealing with
squally, 30-40 knot winds. I mozzed us when I said as we were just about to
enter the atoll through the pass in the reef that at least we hadn't had much
rain with the squalls. As we motorsailed into the anchorage the skies
thickened, the rain came in and it was grey all around. Not great conditions
for seeing and avoiding the notorious coral heads that are in the atolls. But
we knew it was a pretty easy pass to enter and could see most of what we needed
to see on the chartplotter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hd54-wC9P3Vy4Sp3Lrs9UZAMn2i0Frs_s1u2rHxAB7WVq-mSaYkyiM-BGlANgmD_2PY5PW1NqzVC_geC6rwzX91XuSVhwZc0i3I6nHs_-Wye7dFzfL1ndv8zWY0GYQgLRrFZPz-4rA/s1600/Barry+&+fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hd54-wC9P3Vy4Sp3Lrs9UZAMn2i0Frs_s1u2rHxAB7WVq-mSaYkyiM-BGlANgmD_2PY5PW1NqzVC_geC6rwzX91XuSVhwZc0i3I6nHs_-Wye7dFzfL1ndv8zWY0GYQgLRrFZPz-4rA/s320/Barry+&+fish.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speccy snorkelling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We celebrated my birthday here<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-the big 50. I didn’t have the gourmet
experience I was hoping for as there really is nothing but coconuts on these
atolls, but I managed a chocolate brownie 'birthday cake' and we had a couple
over from another boat to share a couple of bottles of red wine. The next
evening a bunch of us got together on a catamaran (aka a palace) and feasted on
fish and salads. Another chocolate cake was produced and I was sung 'happy
birthday'.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2oCXaJqZYIKLpy3y3IT5xtGb2YRZAOTwlw2VBqqOknIh3wcMuLtM6rQXC6hNfDo0qnEh2Jas8AnDfuPf3dvgmBHv53vF2XAEHegl2W_vUxSr9Tr3wBk1bU4lxPpXjR18s_1RqBbKBw/s1600/LA+50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2oCXaJqZYIKLpy3y3IT5xtGb2YRZAOTwlw2VBqqOknIh3wcMuLtM6rQXC6hNfDo0qnEh2Jas8AnDfuPf3dvgmBHv53vF2XAEHegl2W_vUxSr9Tr3wBk1bU4lxPpXjR18s_1RqBbKBw/s320/LA+50.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a new 'do' for my 50th</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After 4 or so relaxing days at Kauehi
we moved on to Fakarava atoll. To ensure we got out the Kauehi pass as near to
slack water as possible, we sailed up to the pass in the late afternoon to
anchor just inside the pass for the night. There were 2 other yachts there
doing the same thing. We had been undecided as to whether it was better to stay
at our anchorage off the Kauehi village for the night and leave at 4.30am in
the morning to get to the pass, or to spend the night anchored inside the pass,
therefore only requiring a 6am start. To our regret we chose the latter. It was
a very rolly anchorage and we got hardly any sleep, mostly because of the worry
about whether the anchor would hold or the anchor rope would chafe, potentially
letting us loose on the reef less than 20 metres behind us. As it turned out we
survived the night, raised the anchor, still in the bucking seas, early the
next morning and motored easily through the pass. We sailed in a south-easterly
breeze of 12-16 knots, with quite rolly seas, the 30nm to Fakarava. As we were
aiming to reach the northern pass of Fakara by about 1pm to get the end of the
incoming tide, we turned the engine a couple of times to maintain an average
speed of 5 knots. We came in through the pass at the expected time and sailed
down to the anchorage off the town of Rotoava, dropping the anchor amongst
about 10 other yachts at around 2.30pm.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As with the previous village we stayed
at and in the Marquesas, the people who live here are very welcoming and
generous. The villages are very clean and neat and while it is hard for people
to grow a garden on the coral base in the Tuomotus, many houses have some
bouganvillea, frangipani and assorted other plants around them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouapsi6R3rESYIwFFYg6vvgFUJcJyOlQsm_p5krsD8h_1v6IzgEdWhqrt-USzN0DRYpDxiH1MQfJ7bHbv7celI_0qVRPfWA_OEP0zqyBjd7gW3zaw0NBh5zJhLAUq8B6umfAoNzB1Gw/s1600/boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouapsi6R3rESYIwFFYg6vvgFUJcJyOlQsm_p5krsD8h_1v6IzgEdWhqrt-USzN0DRYpDxiH1MQfJ7bHbv7celI_0qVRPfWA_OEP0zqyBjd7gW3zaw0NBh5zJhLAUq8B6umfAoNzB1Gw/s320/boys.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the local boys gave Ivan a fishing lesson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We hired bikes for a day and rode the
length of the bitumen and beyond. In one direction from the town the sealed
road stretches for 16km and then continues for about another 5km. There wasn’t
much to see along the way other than some houses and pensions and of course the
ubiquitous coconut palms! We enjoyed the exercise though. Because the nature of
coral atolls is that they are circular and narrow, we could usually see either
the lagoon side or the ocean side of the atoll at any one time. The width of
the atoll is probably only about 500m on average. In the other direction from
town, the sealed road only goes for about 3km – to the airport. Most people come
to the Tuomotus for the diving and snorkeling. I came for the chance to ride a
bike on an airport runway – not many places in the world you can do that!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpl5256ODsqwGScjZjPLJbNmbF93q4onP76nxn-0qpS8pIAG-IwUqd8DPS2mFz_sus6cm1F1dTKhvSi8q2BAZyTD7UsjVc-70bD57WgHwayiPCss8z9CtNuSRUFUpQmrm-lfPfPrDvQ/s1600/ivan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpl5256ODsqwGScjZjPLJbNmbF93q4onP76nxn-0qpS8pIAG-IwUqd8DPS2mFz_sus6cm1F1dTKhvSi8q2BAZyTD7UsjVc-70bD57WgHwayiPCss8z9CtNuSRUFUpQmrm-lfPfPrDvQ/s320/ivan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">another baguette about to be devoured</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a really interesting tour of a
pearl farm, including the purchase of a belated birthday present for me, we set
sail for Tahiti.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Miss allie pic<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-70187123333168574632012-06-20T20:06:00.002-07:002012-06-20T20:06:47.584-07:00The Marquesas<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We spent 11
days in the Marquesas, exploring 3 different locations. We could have spent
weeks there of course, but we really are trying to get this little boat home to
Australia. Anyway, if I was to be a ‘live-aboard’ it would definitely have to
be on a 45ft catamaran, complete with shower, a decent sized bed and
communication systems that don’t involve standing on one leg, at a 45 degree
angle holding the satellite phone out the hatch while the rain comes in! Ok,
maybe that last one was a bit of an exaggeration. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Back to the
Marquesas…..we arrived in Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva in the early afternoon on
Thursday 24 May. We had a big sleep that night and the next morning rowed the
dinghy (our crappy second hand outboard has spat the dummy and Ivan likes the
exercise) to the dock and walked up the pretty little street, passports and
boat papers in hand to check in with the Gendarmes. The Gendarme who checked us
in had only arrived on the island from Paris a few days prior. Apparently they
have to do a 3 month stint in a French outpost every couple of years. We said
he must have felt very lucky to have been posted to such a beautiful place. He
looked at us like we were crazy. I guess the Marquesas are a bit quiet for a
boy who’s grown up in Paris!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMC7RRVzn3EWzXwVqaUqydCm2XyaBzP_U8_PRTB0l1JTddY_X5ZKeAvbxWfJyRw3m8s-iCvijEh30xl1xcWGBJRmwcJki4Uz0LN9_sY1e75D1i3y2WmYdZZElp_aA7mOY6ka_xIvIAdw/s1600/marquesas+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMC7RRVzn3EWzXwVqaUqydCm2XyaBzP_U8_PRTB0l1JTddY_X5ZKeAvbxWfJyRw3m8s-iCvijEh30xl1xcWGBJRmwcJki4Uz0LN9_sY1e75D1i3y2WmYdZZElp_aA7mOY6ka_xIvIAdw/s320/marquesas+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Nuku Hiva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">My brain
and belly have both switched gears since leaving the Galapagos. I have caught
myself on more than one occasion saying “gracias” instead of “merci” or “hola”
instead of “bonjour”. It’s hard to shake off months of Spanglish, replacing it
overnight with rusty schoolgirl French. Still, it keeps the brain plastic they
say! As for my belly –baguettes, brie, pate and chocolate mousse – I was in
heaven! A big topic of conversation amongst cruisers is food – what is
available and where and when to get it. It is extreme in the Marquesas (and the
Tuomotus) where fresh food is hard to come by. We love visiting markets
wherever we are, but having to get to the Taiohae Bay market at 4am just to get
some veggies is ridiculous! By 5am it’s all sold out. We did it though and came
away with avocadoes, lettuce, tomatoes, bok choy and some fruit while others
who arrived later came away with “nada” oops “rien”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We did a
tour of Nuku Hiva with another couple. It was really interesting to learn the
history of the island from Richard, our guide, as well as hear about current
social issues they face. The island only schools children up until abut year 9.
After that they have to go to Tahiti to continue their education. Richard’s
daughter is only 6 years old now, but he is already worrying about sending her
off on her own to Tahiti as a 14 year old. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsipYGUrDzd1Ha7jBlz_lKyH4Tq9LSBZmBPxa7QOi7PbfUG4SMBMJmlcAmsnwbpCbbl8uUykHVWzm4dSR-WTEeCa8-T36X-XVNT3768uWrUt6uAv594Uc3PcmdVvn5tDn6pwNz-_TIQ/s1600/bay+on+Nuku+Hiva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrsipYGUrDzd1Ha7jBlz_lKyH4Tq9LSBZmBPxa7QOi7PbfUG4SMBMJmlcAmsnwbpCbbl8uUykHVWzm4dSR-WTEeCa8-T36X-XVNT3768uWrUt6uAv594Uc3PcmdVvn5tDn6pwNz-_TIQ/s320/bay+on+Nuku+Hiva.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty top view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We
celebrated Ivan’s birthday in Hakaui (or Daniel’s) Bay. It is a relatively calm
anchorage, surrounded by towering mountains and the feeble bleats of wild
goats. A handful of families live in the bay. They grow fruit and some
vegetables that are shipped to Tahiti every couple of weeks via the
cargo/passenger ship Aranui. We asked a local couple to prepare a Marquesan
feast for us and 8 others for Ivan’s birthday. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It was a great afternoon featuring
shrimps in coconut sauce, taro, green bananas, manioc, a salad of watercress
and cucumber and banana turnovers for dessert. There was also a coconut husking
session - it's not as easy as it looks!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfr1kJ-ZgMm0LdtydjPHrokS_Y-JYbg4SsW9kJAw7Su1hULbnwyrTT3BHLCFr-mnjV5_j5nQThSoMOtdPnNNoVpNEz3AC8tAo07iAO6fk_Qi43XFmloOjIklORqcCrGGt3-Tah2POtA/s1600/Ivan+birthday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfr1kJ-ZgMm0LdtydjPHrokS_Y-JYbg4SsW9kJAw7Su1hULbnwyrTT3BHLCFr-mnjV5_j5nQThSoMOtdPnNNoVpNEz3AC8tAo07iAO6fk_Qi43XFmloOjIklORqcCrGGt3-Tah2POtA/s320/Ivan+birthday.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let the party begin!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From </span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hakaui B</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ay we day sailed across to the island of Ua Poa and spent a couple
of nights in quite a rolly anchorage there. The dinghy landing there was a
challenge as there was a huge swell at the dinghy dock. We just had to leap out
very quickly and then drag the dinghy up onto the dock before the surge dragged
it away from us. The village here was a little larger than the one at Hakaui
Bay and even boasted a primary school and a shop. We were met at the dock by a
guy who led us up the road to his family's fruit farm where we spent a couple
of hours, talking, watching him make coconut milk and finally purchasing some
fruit. It was nice to be able to have a freshwater shower at this village, even
if it was just a stream of water coming out of a pipe in full view of everyone
next to the dinghy dock! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4taHZFHe4SYfvXpX7r3e97-TIxZmheomN4xgMwseibTlhJOROXT7Ib8Bw6S7IU3RS_3l0Pgr4FpWFW9Sr35pH3A0-6LSvuYRzjlYh9Xkf5KjnvFO5BAeO0Dmc9aSM1ISJdbpUqK170Q/s1600/Ua+Pou+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4taHZFHe4SYfvXpX7r3e97-TIxZmheomN4xgMwseibTlhJOROXT7Ib8Bw6S7IU3RS_3l0Pgr4FpWFW9Sr35pH3A0-6LSvuYRzjlYh9Xkf5KjnvFO5BAeO0Dmc9aSM1ISJdbpUqK170Q/s320/Ua+Pou+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan chats to the neighbours while the granite looks on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<br /></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-3355843469884805662012-05-30T12:07:00.002-07:002012-05-30T12:07:43.539-07:00Passage to Maquesas<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well we
made it! 23 days and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3,000 nautical
miles later we arrived at Taiohae Bay on the island of Nuku Hiva in the
Marquesas group. It was very refreshing for our eyes to see lush green
vegetation after more than 3 weeks of ocean, ocean and more ocean all around.
During our passage we averaged 5.8 knots and 130 nautical miles for each 24
hour period. Not bad at all we think for a small, heavy boat.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWa6GVNqcj9n83kwFGtZbA4L-ww8u1TRrjhI9CeaeGcFMJS3QGdaLanzc5vfqlNLWeCxK5Guogh_CXibOJxOrMsAvOCtyFFFKt9BsqAn7B7Qz0fBPjVhvE42sN2F9kAPlCDxfw2ghKw/s1600/LA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWa6GVNqcj9n83kwFGtZbA4L-ww8u1TRrjhI9CeaeGcFMJS3QGdaLanzc5vfqlNLWeCxK5Guogh_CXibOJxOrMsAvOCtyFFFKt9BsqAn7B7Qz0fBPjVhvE42sN2F9kAPlCDxfw2ghKw/s320/LA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not always blue skies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We both
agreed that while the passage was never boring, there was always something to
do or fix, it became somewhat monotonous and we quickly slotted into a daily
routine. A typical day went something like this: Ivan came off watch at 9am and
would make us breakfast. He consistently had muesli while I decided on the day
– muesli or fruit and yoghurt and/or toast. If I didn’t need to be on deck all
the time while on watch, and heel of the boat permitting, I would then make
some bread if we needed it and also start to organise lunch. I figured it was
best to do as much foodwise in the galley as possible while conditions were
good, because you never knew when it would all change and the galley turn into
a gunnel to gunnel rolling nightmare.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We decided
early on in the passage to make lunch our main mean of the day. I prepared 90%
of the meals and I was finding that the preparation and clean up of a big meal
in the evening, before those long night watches, was cutting into the rest time
I needed to get ready for the night ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our night
watches weren’t actually any longer than our day watches –3 hours each – they
just seemed longer. By the end of 3 hours, in the dark of night, I was well and
truly ready to hand over to Ivan. I fairly quickly exhausted my supply of Radio
National podcasts I had downloaded in Panama and so I would listen to music or
read to keep awake and help pass the time when on watch. My meagre supply of
music started to get a bit repetitive though. I was also amazed at how many
songs I have that have “ocean”, “sea” and other nautical words as lyrics. One
songster even mentions “man overboard” a few times. Hmmm, I’m not too keen to
listen to that one anymore!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our other
major activities most days were an afternoon game of Scrabble, reading,
watching the fishing line for tell-tale jerks that there was something edible
on the end of it, and checking in with a couple of different SSB radio nets.
Actually that was Ivan’s pastime more than mine. He calls it his networking
time. I call it his social addiction. Flippancy aside, the radio nets have been
extremely useful (as well as re-assuring to know there are at least 20-30 other
yachts out there like us, making their way across the Pacific Puddle).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OmbLNw9dV9IpAc4GlGWrqt3Qde7NXlbzQRbPrwbVdbYRT9iYRDQht39lNfhMmgRrdmLTnknO1uB8r-v130kjsmVWYNsHTKmVH7KLoDnX3uk_PM1aX0Govgpnd8x3P36HKNy-tIZFpw/s1600/Nuku+Hiva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OmbLNw9dV9IpAc4GlGWrqt3Qde7NXlbzQRbPrwbVdbYRT9iYRDQht39lNfhMmgRrdmLTnknO1uB8r-v130kjsmVWYNsHTKmVH7KLoDnX3uk_PM1aX0Govgpnd8x3P36HKNy-tIZFpw/s320/Nuku+Hiva.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nuku Hiva at last!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had
pretty good weather during the passage – typical south easterly trade winds of
10-15 knots, some squalls and the seas ranged from a ½ metre swell to a 3 metre
swell. We had about 5 days in the middle of the passage where the seas were
large and confused which made for very uncomfortable sailing and put a lot of
strain on the rigging as the boom would bang around even though we had tied a
restraining rope to it and the reacher sail would flog. For much of the passage
we sailed using the reacher only as that seemed to balance the boat best for
using the wind monitor (which meant we didn’t have to hand steer all the time).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brio coped
with it all pretty well. Our major problem was when our outer forestay gave
way. Fortunately Brio has two forestays – one of the things Ivan liked about
her when he first saw her – which also fortunately meant that when the forestay
broke the mast didn’t come crashing down! The forestay gave way during pretty
calm weather, but it was probably all of the flogging and banging that caused
the breakage. To cut a long story short, we were able to drop the forestay, the
aluminium track it is housed within and the sail alongside the deck and lash it
all onto the side rail. With some grunting and sweating we removed the sail
from the track and threw it down into the cabin and then got back on course
with a 10 foot extension now hanging off the rear of our 33 ft. For the rest of
the passage we had to use the inner forestay with the smaller genoa sail and we
hoisted the main for balance. It meant we were probably travelling a bit
slower, but at least we were moving! Now we have arrived at a port where we can
use email and telephone, we will set about ordering a replacement furler mechanism
that dropped overboard when the forestay came down and a new forestay. Papeete
in Tahiti will be our best chance to get the parts and get the work done, so
until then we will manage.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87iCXsWoGmQN5qJyk59RWbDw0R51Ic59Oix4sFf6uzp3RYGgJ8QnBnowfMyUx7EVmDWf5D2FbPpshbD5anopmBjT8Xj29r-T9T7O9DPO8piSV0AlSinQVvRG69kdLF_EDTir9m2oXCQ/s1600/brio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87iCXsWoGmQN5qJyk59RWbDw0R51Ic59Oix4sFf6uzp3RYGgJ8QnBnowfMyUx7EVmDWf5D2FbPpshbD5anopmBjT8Xj29r-T9T7O9DPO8piSV0AlSinQVvRG69kdLF_EDTir9m2oXCQ/s320/brio.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brio on the high (flat) seas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maintaining
a good charge on our batteries has been a challenge. I suspect our fridge
thermostat is on the blink and it is draining the batteries, although it could
also be a problem with the batteries themselves. The electrics on Brio are a
mystery to us. To keep the batteries charged during the passage we were running
the engine for 2-3 hours each day and that would only give us enough power to
keep the chartplotter and fridge going. We didn’t use our cabin lights or watch
dvds so it really felt like a camping experience!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our fresh
food lasted more than 2 weeks and when we arrived here at Taiohae Bay we still
had oranges, limes, potatoes, yucca, onions, cabbage, garlic and eggs. Just as
well as our fishing skills need improving, having caught only one fish (a mahi
mahi) during the entire passage. That’s not counting the little flying fish
that would sacrifice themselves on our deck most nights. Ivan collected them to
cook up (as I refused to deal with the desiccated little bodies), but never
did, so we gave them to someone’s cat the other day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We didn’t
see much else in the way of wildlife while we were out there: a pod of about
100 dolphins one afternoon and the occasional bird looking for a place to land
on Brio. The only other boats we saw were the lights of two fishing boats in
the distance one night and early in the passage we were passed (within 20
metres!) by a 58ft catamaran called Unama. We talked with them on the VHF radio
and each took photos of the other boat under sail exchanging email addresses to
send them on. As luck would have it, Unama came into this anchorage yesterday
and we handed over our photos. They of course only took a very respectable 15
days to make the passage from Galapagos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpf2pKt_1mt0ULR00UqEAtCozj-TXNYbpUPxMRViNDNgqNsxUWkuO8VGiLddz3UQrZa-4qd3cBNhiIbrzkO1T04dsDt6o3Gg_eeNCAfB7q5uQbPxrimBNgEVLg4sixQqFk1_ZM8u44Q/s1600/Unamar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpf2pKt_1mt0ULR00UqEAtCozj-TXNYbpUPxMRViNDNgqNsxUWkuO8VGiLddz3UQrZa-4qd3cBNhiIbrzkO1T04dsDt6o3Gg_eeNCAfB7q5uQbPxrimBNgEVLg4sixQqFk1_ZM8u44Q/s320/Unamar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unama passing us at a great rate of knots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now we must
get on with the business of exploring Nuku Hiva!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-56546514792300030562012-04-30T05:42:00.002-07:002012-04-30T05:42:38.219-07:00Isla Isabela Part 2<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are
still on Isabela after 8 days and enjoying it so much. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The lava
tunnels snorkelling trip was a highlight. We spent a good part of a day with
some the crew from Lisa Kay, Jack from Cat Weazle as well as a couple of fly in
tourists on a small boat exploring the marine life and the geology of the lava
tunnels in the water nearby. Our dead-ringer-for-John-Travolta-skipper,
Leonardo, expertly gunned the boat over the reef into the calmer waters beyond.
We spotted very cute penguins and blue footed boobies immediately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the water with our snorkelling gear on, we
swam amongst a school of yellow tailed surgeon fish and saw numerous other
fish. The day just got better and better as Leonardo manoeuvred the boat
through the narrowest of channels in the lava rock, passing bridges of black
rock and cactus growing out of fissures and cracks. We looked down on aqua
coloured pools and saw green turtles and spotted eagle rays rays swimming to
and fro. I spotted a shark from above and others saw them while snorkelling. We
snorkelled all around; swimming into gloomy caves to find an opening at the end
to take us back out into the sunlight and another stunning pool. (Oh Dan, you
would have loved it so much) Back on the boat we shot back out through the reef
and over to another area to swim with turtles. They are so very gentle and
really don’t seem fazed when humans get close to them. Finally, back out in the
ocean and heading for home, Leonardo slowed the boat when he spotted a huge
manta ray. Those who wanted to quickly donned snorkelling gear and swam over to
it. I stayed in the boat and it was funny to hear the hooting and honking
noises coming from people’s snorkels as they got so excited about being so close
to the huge creature.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next
day we went on a trip to Sierra Negra, the volcano on the island that is second
only in size to the largest in the world which is in Tanzania. Its caldera is
12 miles by 10 miles, and I can tell you it looks huge! Steam rises in places
and the surface that you look down on from above looks somewhat like cracked
and crusted bitumen after an earthquake. To get to the volcano we walked about
10km from where the bus dropped us off. We also saw Volcan Chico, and were able
to walk on its surface, in some places feeling warm air venting through cracks
from way down below. As we walked the 10km back to the bus, it bucketed rain on
us and turned some of the track to mud, but Lisa Kay’s Tootsie Roll Pops kept
morale high!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We do of
course also have days where we don’t play tourist. There are always jobs to do
on Brio, whether it’s putting a coat of paint on rust spots, getting the bar
under the boom repaired, sweeping up the hair that just seems to fall
everywhere or cleaning the algae off the hull. Ivan has spent some time making
a centreboard and rudder for our Walker Bay dinghy so he can use it as a
sailing boat (aaagh! Another one!). It’s still not quite right yet, but soon….<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We were up
early this morning and walked to where the pink flamingos are known to hang out
and there they were. They were lovely to watch going through their morning
routine of feeding and grooming. They are amazing to see in flight as they are
so big. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We expect
we will leave this lovely island on Wednesday. PS. Sorry, no pics – way too
slow to upload.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-51476711272991197052012-04-24T09:46:00.000-07:002012-04-24T09:46:00.531-07:00Galapagos, Isla Isabela<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>ES</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Tabla normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style> <![endif]--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We ended up staying 3 days in Santa Cruz and while the swell was never as bad as the first night we were there, it never got much better. Again, we used water taxis to get to and from the dock, which was rather exciting with all the pitching and rolling, when one had to leap from boat to boat. When bringing aboard 10 gallon containers of fuel it was all the more exciting!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Having replenished our fuel, water and food supply and gone through the formal checkout procedures, we left just after sunrise on a Saturday morning for our final Galapagos destination: Isla Isabela about 45 nm away. It was a sunny day with a breeze of about 10-12 kts for most of the way, allowing us to average 6-7 kts. Coming in to Puerto Villamil on the island wasn’t too tricky once we spotted the 2 channel markers to guide us away from the reefs. There were about 13 other yachts and a couple of big cruisers at anchor in the snug, narrow anchorage. We were delighted to see a couple of penguins swimming around Brio as we set the anchor – already we liked this place. The town of Puerto Villamil is very small and the place has the feel of somewhere like Mallacoota 40 years ago – there are a few sandy roads, a bakery, some small hotels and restaurants. The giant tortoise breeding facility is a short walk out of town via a boardwalk built through international funds and as is the case with a lot of externally funded projects, it doesn't look like any funds are being put towards ongoing maintenance. The boardwalk passes a number of lagoons, in one of which we spotted a pink flamingo and in another marine iguanas. As we were to discover, there are thousands of marine iguanas sunning themselves on the jet black volcanic rock that has flowed in times past down to the beach. With their spiky, reptilian, slightly grotesque features, they make excellent photographic models.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We expect to spend a week here, perhaps more as the wind is forecast to drop out later in the week and we will need to wait for good wind to set off for the Marquesas as 3,000 nm is way too far to motor.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-107528204261183692012-04-19T11:16:00.000-07:002012-04-19T11:16:51.985-07:00Galapagos Islands<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Daniel, Ivan’s son, arrived from Canada to do the Panama to Galapagos Islands passage with us. After a few days at La Playita anchorage in Panama, making final preparations to get away, we set sail for Las Perlas, the Pearl Islands 31 nautical miles south of Panama. We were all keen to leave the hustle and bustle of Panama and get to somewhere where the water was clean enough to swim in. Many people have this idea that cruising is all sunsets and gin and tonics, but I’ve found that especially when in a port, it’s all paperwork and hardware shops. Or, as someone said to me recently cruising is just boat maintenance in nice places </span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRqaM4HSOCin8HBxEb_QbXcWYo1u1bXDO-UyNN1zQsQ9UklrTSlNWYLoh5dg5pvhvQKIkwUYsXzbwGh8t0YnxuX4qi7iPnJmHiiVNboxX7zWIR4Z8FAR_a1nPbMBsROZxiLfaLSDF5Q/s1600/P4010021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRqaM4HSOCin8HBxEb_QbXcWYo1u1bXDO-UyNN1zQsQ9UklrTSlNWYLoh5dg5pvhvQKIkwUYsXzbwGh8t0YnxuX4qi7iPnJmHiiVNboxX7zWIR4Z8FAR_a1nPbMBsROZxiLfaLSDF5Q/s320/P4010021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We sailed and motor sailed 4.5 – 5 knots to our first anchorage in Las Perlas, dropping the anchor at 9.25pm. The next morning started with scrambled eggs and tomatoes with freshly squeezed orange juice, courtesy of Carlos’ father. Carlos was the taxi driver we used while in Panama. He was a bit of a dude and eagerly interpreted for us in (hardware!) shops, took us to a huge fruit and veggie market and negotiated with the stall holders and carried our bags for us and then he invited us to his home to meet his family and share some food. Coming back to the orange juice – I was going to buy some oranges, but he said “momento” and rang his father and asked him to drop off a bag of oranges to his house which he then gave us. He was very generous and helpful.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Las Perlas was nice and relaxing and we were able to get some swimming in and Daniel caught three fish while we were sailing. After a few days in the sun, salt and sand we set off for the Galapagos Islands. To cut a long story short, it took us 11 days to make the passage. During that time we used the motor a lot because the winds were mainly light and against us. It was good to see that Brio is very economical on fuel. Our days were spent watching flying fish (sadly no more fish were to be caught), dolphins, birds trying to catch a ride on our spreaders, eating, reading and playing scrabble. We saw more life in this ocean in the first couple of days than we did the whole time we were in the Caribbean. We didn't experience much rain at all, although others ahead of us were reporting on the radio continual downpours. On day 10 we had enough rain to justify stripping 'nekked' and having a wash. We certainly needed it by then!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We motored into Wreck Bay, Isla San Christobal early on Thursday morning. What a lovely anchorage and a lovely little town. We spent 5 days on the anchorage there catching water taxis into town. Very few people put there dinghys in the water there because the sea lions treat them as their personal bathing platforms. The shore and waters edge is teeming with sea lions - they seem to be a mixture of a puppy, a sloth and a slug :) </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQaDVjqlOupw2U2joqXMdwVmeregQB1p9W47lCO8VHHfNw1Ewnj_JIZzhyTUpSIa8Kx-Jpj_0hjZKWzJHw2oQze91a1rKfzRwHk6PpL5FYfL5vk7vwY4OzG0ztNbp61QFCu_2qKsalQ/s1600/P4130082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQaDVjqlOupw2U2joqXMdwVmeregQB1p9W47lCO8VHHfNw1Ewnj_JIZzhyTUpSIa8Kx-Jpj_0hjZKWzJHw2oQze91a1rKfzRwHk6PpL5FYfL5vk7vwY4OzG0ztNbp61QFCu_2qKsalQ/s320/P4130082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slugfest of sealions</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We spent a day with others from yachts on a snorkelling tour. We snorkelled around Kicker Rock which is an amazing rock towering out of the water. It was wonderful to be swimming amongst a huge variety of fish, turtles, hammerhead sharks (!), marine iguanas and of course sea lions. We also saw a bit of birdlife incluing the gorgeous blue footed boobys, brown noddies and the very pre-historic looking frigate birds.</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_YPZ3r9G0qFE2WbikfTEB2KKBD8SRGjt1pFV9Yvl-spDtdBEX0vWQwq3KePTV87zMf4IVwrl4ZoA15kcpenVTCkwc3z9RG_q0j61QDl2OEDXYjLMsAjAWLpqXVtjf1C0kVFfnWgufg/s1600/P4140296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_YPZ3r9G0qFE2WbikfTEB2KKBD8SRGjt1pFV9Yvl-spDtdBEX0vWQwq3KePTV87zMf4IVwrl4ZoA15kcpenVTCkwc3z9RG_q0j61QDl2OEDXYjLMsAjAWLpqXVtjf1C0kVFfnWgufg/s320/P4140296.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marine Iguana</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The next day we joined a couple off another yacht a did a tour of the island. It included visiting the giant tortoise sanctuary where we got to see these giant creatures from young to very old.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The San Jose BBQ restaurant was our favourite place to eat as the meals were enourmous, tasty and huge. We had a very social time with other cruisers on San Christobal and went to restaurant twice with various people. </span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1OwL6_ID-Xd_RRyTvElGNg5uws2Gh3Gs5MX3-Bad-RApuBxuOsDZ0IkzgWL62PlyeQGQ-6sKoHrP9q54ioKigViPISzMVMhKz8MqQtCeAYQbchNwZdvMUa8JICAEmCaiwHAzC-PtPQ/s1600/Dan+&+fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj1OwL6_ID-Xd_RRyTvElGNg5uws2Gh3Gs5MX3-Bad-RApuBxuOsDZ0IkzgWL62PlyeQGQ-6sKoHrP9q54ioKigViPISzMVMhKz8MqQtCeAYQbchNwZdvMUa8JICAEmCaiwHAzC-PtPQ/s320/Dan+&+fish.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bearded Dan at San Jose BBQ</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Daniel left us here to fly home to Canada. It was sad to see him go as we had had a great time together and he was really great on the boat during our passage. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was hoping to be able to swim withthe sea lions at Playa Lobaria, however they weren't in the water the afternoon we went there. Ivan got to swim with a turtle though.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have now moved on to Isla Santa Cruz, the most populated island of the group. We are anchored in Academy Bay which is just off the township. The swell here is very uncomfortable and we are worried our anchor rope will chafe so we may not stay here very long. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we leave I susect Gordon Gecko, our resdient gecko I discovered the other day, will come with us. He tends to hide amongst the fruit in the fruit hammock!</span></span></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-6651377211853150312012-03-27T15:04:00.000-07:002012-03-27T15:04:52.097-07:00Shelter Bay Part 2 & Panama Canal Transit<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Fe87Yrl8rjdH32mRr2kw-QpoklixC9IY10C4ipIAI5dK-IpkYp2-Evc5_jag9cjDMDcMkpuq3dRuh4TnLQt2GuZK1tuiyftl_ejD6Kp6QKeIeFBAQz08LuArdutc_qD8dKaS9Jruvg/s1600/P3200055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Fe87Yrl8rjdH32mRr2kw-QpoklixC9IY10C4ipIAI5dK-IpkYp2-Evc5_jag9cjDMDcMkpuq3dRuh4TnLQt2GuZK1tuiyftl_ejD6Kp6QKeIeFBAQz08LuArdutc_qD8dKaS9Jruvg/s320/P3200055.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a Howler monkey, but a Capucin I believe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>W<span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">e left the howler monkeys of Shelter Bay last Thursday to make our transit of the Panama Canal. We had spent about a week and a half there getting Brio ready for the next leg of her journey and doing the administration required for the Canal transit. The marina at Shelter Bay is a very comfortable place to be – the restaurant has excellent food at equally excellent prices, there is a very good grocery shop there, they have a swimming pool (which unfortunately we didn’t have time to use) and the marina is bordered by national park. We met some wonderful people during our stay there and the place is teeming with Aussies making the trek back home. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had Brio hauled out so we could clean and antifoul her bottom and do some other ‘out-of-the-water’ jobs including the biggest head job I’ve done in my life. For those not familiar with nautical terms, the head is the toilet, so I will spare you the details of what the job actually involved.</span></span></div><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">To transit the Panama Canal several things are required: first you need to hand over your wallet! We used an agent, Erick, to make our transit arrangements which felt worth it to us so we didn’t have to run around to the various offices getting bits of paper copied, stamped and signed. They just love paperwork in Panama! Every boat needs to have a Skipper and four line handlers. John, our Canadian friend, and I (Louise) were two and we had a German couple with us as our other two line handlers. Dani and Jens had left their yacht in Cartegena, Columbia while waiting for a new tiller pilot to arrive and were seeking a transit to get some practice before they transit themselves. They were really great and it was a pleasure to have them aboard.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I (Louise) did a transit as a line handler with another boat a few days before we did our own transit. This is recommended and I found it really beneficial to do. I went aboard Cornelia that is skippered by a lovely young Dutchman Marc, and his girlfriend Vanessa. Marc casually mentioned that when he was 28 he decided he wanted to do something ‘a bit special’ so he circumnavigated the globe solo, non-stop in Cornelia. It took him 7 ½ months. That’s what I call a bit special!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every Canal transit is different it seems. Whether you raft up with other yachts in a lock, hug a sidewall or get put next to a huge sports fishing boat depends as much on the speed of your boat, as it does<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the weather and the frame of mind of your Advisor! Our transit began with us motoring from Shelter Bay Marina across the channel to an area called The Flats to wait for our Advisor to board. Every boat transiting the Canal must have an Advisor on board. Advisors know the Canal and lock procedures intimately. They issue instructions to the skipper and line handlers to ensure we manoeuvre correctly and quickly. Our Advisor (another Ivan!) boarded at 4.15pm and we upped anchor and motored off towards the Gatun locks – a series of 3 locks through which we would rise up 26 metres - about 2 miles away. Two other yachts followed us and we had a huge refrigerated cargo ship in front and other huge ships coming up behind. There is a constant stream of traffic in the Canal.</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vsuh_vK4rvbW_DhhD-rq2Zsv923v6Z0QuvMsUbmapgr3v11sB__4Dopjj38mC3tdt_LbrANF-_DXEFVBrLfXeTvltaQvos8jjJLkMEKnwmo283DzvOc57YuJxnvIrH8CCqcr7Zk4Uw/s1600/P1040595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vsuh_vK4rvbW_DhhD-rq2Zsv923v6Z0QuvMsUbmapgr3v11sB__4Dopjj38mC3tdt_LbrANF-_DXEFVBrLfXeTvltaQvos8jjJLkMEKnwmo283DzvOc57YuJxnvIrH8CCqcr7Zk4Uw/s320/P1040595.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting to go into the Gatun Locks</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We had quite a long wait before we could enter the locks which meant we had to keep motoring around in circles to make sure that we didn’t get ahead of the carrier in front of us. There is quite a current there and we had a breeze blowing from behind. It was a bonus to spot a crocodile on the shore. Finally we were instructed to raft up with the other two yachts – Brio on the port side, an enormous French catamaran in the middle and a large monohull on the starboard side. For protection (from each other and the lock walls) we all had a dozen or more car tyres hanging against our hulls as well as our own fenders. It all happens very quickly in the lock with men high up on the wall throwing lines down to our boat which we, the line handlers have to attach to our lines so they can be hoisted back up and placed on bollards. Then the gates closed behind us and the water started swelling in. Ivan was constantly instructed to motor forward and reverse in order to keep our raft of yachts straight while we line handlers had to bring in the lines as they slackened. All went well for the 3 locks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We then motored as fast as our little Brio could across the 38 km (20 nm) of the man made Gatun Lake. By this time it was well and truly dark so mostly what we saw was a very pretty row of red and green lights marking the channel, and the occasional eerie looming black mass of a ship passing us. Yacht transits in the Canal have recently changed, so rather than spending the night moored in the Lake and then descending the locks into the Pacific the next day, pleasure craft are now required to complete the transit all in one go. It certainly takes the tourism element out of the transit as we don’t get to see the famed forests, sloths, birds and crocodiles of the Lake. On the plus side though, it’s not hot - a very good thing for Brio as our shade arrangements are not the best. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YOQzSKwEqM0OlWDNLB-nJ6jwGcjonueCr9mZHwRtBRkZ0rlUmTJYgPnzrqSJjyoi6xgYLJti2LwsyBcT3E785WUCtnsL8bPpmWj9SglN7bybpjcMvC5QA9p2kGebFk5SFWT3w6yvUg/s1600/P1040619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YOQzSKwEqM0OlWDNLB-nJ6jwGcjonueCr9mZHwRtBRkZ0rlUmTJYgPnzrqSJjyoi6xgYLJti2LwsyBcT3E785WUCtnsL8bPpmWj9SglN7bybpjcMvC5QA9p2kGebFk5SFWT3w6yvUg/s320/P1040619.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well wouldn't we all love that!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Lake narrows into the Culebra (or Gaillard) Cut; arguably the most well known part of the Canal due to its black history of deaths through landslides and other accidents, malaria and yellow fever while its 14km (7 nm) length was being cut. Transiting here we passed a number of dredges in operation and caught glimpses of work proceeding on the excavation of the new Canal. At this point we knew we were going to be able to complete our transit (and not have to stay the night in the Lake and be fined a huge amount for doing so) because there was a bulk carrier somewhere behind us that we could go through the descending locks with. Being a relatively small vessel with a small engine, the other yachts had left us for dead in the Lake and we therefore needed to make sure there was at least one other vessel that we could go through the locks with as the canal authority will not open the locks for pleasure craft only. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzJSeE_xD_jMgmO1V6jfuueIcDfdVAwMd-X78HfP4o7L0BzrwIhVVi3srYsjLPe7lpfRz4AxwyeBHhiLgHXRv_BZMRJNlKt_rUk7FnnEUCJrmrkCh-R9fT05550AlbROYtAQdmEWfnQ/s1600/P1040675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzJSeE_xD_jMgmO1V6jfuueIcDfdVAwMd-X78HfP4o7L0BzrwIhVVi3srYsjLPe7lpfRz4AxwyeBHhiLgHXRv_BZMRJNlKt_rUk7FnnEUCJrmrkCh-R9fT05550AlbROYtAQdmEWfnQ/s320/P1040675.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">entering the Miraflores Locks</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We entered the Pedro Miguel Lock ahead of the dry bulk carrier Sujitra Naree. As we were the only other vessel in this and the next 2 locks apart from the Sujitra Maree, we did what they call a ‘centre chamber’ which as you might imagine is where we are attached by all four of our lines to the lock sides so that we descended each lock in the centre of the lock chamber. We descended the 9 metres of the Pedro Miguel Lock and motored the mile or so to the Miraflores Locks. All went relatively smoothly apart from the last lock, known for its strong currents as the fresh water of the canal mixes with the salt water of the Pacific. John and I were at the bow dealing with our lines so we missed seeing the events that led up to Brio skewing to one side and thumping her starboard stern against the lock wall. According to skipper Ivan what happened was that the man on the stern port side of the wall was too slow to throw us his rope to attach to our line and then when he drew our line back to himself he attached it to the wrong bollard. Because the line was too slack there the currents pushed Brio to the side and her stern connected with the wall. The only damage done was some paint removal and once again we knew there was a good reason Ivan had insisted he wanted a steel boat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpf_Ou9C7vl5vyjZ46QKDgVKUoCBRazxhpKGfXqQaj9HVPs5XxZBIQlQ8uwP7Jn49i00WCVI7TmDSGS9GwkS9ODAA0Sh1Fv7zRuy9hwddr1fDSppJtZXFSeX6O6bWhyxG4Ju-4Hz86Q/s1600/P1040683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpf_Ou9C7vl5vyjZ46QKDgVKUoCBRazxhpKGfXqQaj9HVPs5XxZBIQlQ8uwP7Jn49i00WCVI7TmDSGS9GwkS9ODAA0Sh1Fv7zRuy9hwddr1fDSppJtZXFSeX6O6bWhyxG4Ju-4Hz86Q/s320/P1040683.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where will John fit on Sapphire all the new gear he bought?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On exiting the last lock we did the fastest speed we had done all night due to the strong current – 8kts – for a couple of hundred metres anyway! It was then another hour or so of motoring, passing under the beautifully named Bridge of the Americas (which looks like a mini Sydney Harbour Bridge), before Ivan our advisor was spirited away by a speedy pilot boat and we finally dropped anchor at La Playita anchorage. It was 4.15am, exactly 12 hours since our transit began (or 15 if you want to count from when we left Shelter Bay Marina). We had a quick toast to the transit/canal/Pacific/good teamwork and great line handlers and then got some much needed shut eye.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">John has now gone back to Sapphire in the San Blas Islands and Daniel, Ivan's son, has joined us for the trip to the Galapagos Islands.</span></span></div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-81902421892462737312012-03-12T16:22:00.000-07:002012-03-12T16:22:06.352-07:00Shelter BayWe bid a fond farewell to our friends and helpers at Marina Carenero on Saturday afternoon, leaving somewhat later than we had anticipated as we discovered the engine's alternator had seized and needed replacing. Not a huge problem as we had a spare alternator available, but a hot and sweaty job for Ivan as access to our engine is verrrry squeezy. Anyway, a few hours and many curses later we were on our way.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfBIcx0lKIuP8-fJbvpqrMLJwzx46_-vvaFeRCyyTfkgvD9x0YJsGLPVOkb4nBzNFhj8UA_IC1cujdlC9qGEtk4nUf6YO9SOQ1kGSIHFF4CACedfcwyHd5KMeA5IcF0HZkb7EWpN5Ew/s1600/P1040482_edited2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfBIcx0lKIuP8-fJbvpqrMLJwzx46_-vvaFeRCyyTfkgvD9x0YJsGLPVOkb4nBzNFhj8UA_IC1cujdlC9qGEtk4nUf6YO9SOQ1kGSIHFF4CACedfcwyHd5KMeA5IcF0HZkb7EWpN5Ew/s320/P1040482_edited2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Marina Carenero, Bocas del Toro</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
We hadn't planned on going too far anyway, just a little closer to the open sea to be able to leave reasonably early the next morning. We motored over to Isla Bastimentos and spent the night anchored off the village there. For dinner we hiked up the hill by torchlight to the Thai restaurant only to find they were ully booked. So we hiked back down the (very muddy) hill and ate in Ca Venice, a place that focussed on Italian style food because that's where the proprietors are from.<br />
<br />
We left Isla Bastimentos at around 9.30am the following morning heading towards Shelter Bay at the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal. We had a "jolly lively time of it" as Dick from the Famous Five might say as the winds were fair and there was a bit of swell. I think we were averaging 6 knots over the 130 mile passage. We arrived at Shelter Bay somewhat bleary eyed as we had to hand steer all the way because the tiller pilot and the wind moitor both decided not to work.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow we haul Brio out of the water to remove the seafood salad that has grown on her in the past 6 months, put a new coat of anti-foul on her and do a few other out-of-the-water jobs.bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-74575753970361339142012-03-09T18:48:00.000-08:002012-03-09T18:48:55.425-08:00Back to BocasWell it's been a long time between posts, but as most of you know anyway, we have been back home in Australia enjoying the summer with family and friends. It all went too quickly and now here we are again in Bocas del Toro aboard Brio. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3Yi7iKUvIackGLYUEDSm6dbo0bLd2fGGvUiP9n4Byi7_Y4Hip4LWEatquaxAGBwbsOmWLMVUuDo0-Z5iCWC_uk1uCDFCezjmSq2m3FljWRIoaO6LuKuXtt19kG3z6JWBjnHHcEaZzg/s1600/P3030011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3Yi7iKUvIackGLYUEDSm6dbo0bLd2fGGvUiP9n4Byi7_Y4Hip4LWEatquaxAGBwbsOmWLMVUuDo0-Z5iCWC_uk1uCDFCezjmSq2m3FljWRIoaO6LuKuXtt19kG3z6JWBjnHHcEaZzg/s320/P3030011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John & Marilyn with Cole and Huck the dog</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We arrived here a week ago, having spent a lovely few days on the way over with our friends John and Marilyn who live in Los Angeles. As always, they were incredibly welcoming and we were lucky enough to be with them while they were babysitting their grandson, Cole, for a few days. He is just a magic little bundle of energy and laughs.<br />
<br />
We arrived at Marina Carenero in Bocas just as the weekly 'pot luck' was happening (this is the saturday night communal dinner for people staying at the marina where everybody brings a dish to share). It didn't matter that we had just stepped off the plane and had nothing to offer, we were made to feel extremely welcome and got to say hello again to some folk who were here when we left 6 months ago, and got to meet lots of new people too. Since then, our Canadian friend John has joined us and we have been working at getting the boat ready to sail over to Shelter Bay marina at the Carribean entrance of the Panama Canal. Brio seems to have sat contentedly in her berth while we were away, so most of the work has been trying to remember what sails and sheets go where...oh and the small matter of evicting a few pets (weevils!).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq-SCn5gabfUDvhaaqBac4kVp2bt42kMbp68efNVoDBs5PxVvH6jKYZcp_-zOJ-iwvdu_9e57jYY6C8uIggKisYK_CiQe95qoWPS1xBFOwsRshn4bBTWxkO-i6zvMJkbUheRF-_yM6w/s1600/P3070012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBq-SCn5gabfUDvhaaqBac4kVp2bt42kMbp68efNVoDBs5PxVvH6jKYZcp_-zOJ-iwvdu_9e57jYY6C8uIggKisYK_CiQe95qoWPS1xBFOwsRshn4bBTWxkO-i6zvMJkbUheRF-_yM6w/s320/P3070012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John hamming it up in the main st of Bocas</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The weather during the past week has been unseasonally wet and windy so no boats have been moving anywhere, but it looks like there is a break in it and we may even be able to get going tomorrow.</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuMj5G-IbZ2Rs9G6UrVPYItK3bQ9MEJxYxBBW6NZOh-xgfslLvVjD11btAW24nti9P0axJlp2lql2ZNw3BP72G2cpxT9DbhfIWGv5OK2suB6jkGtt7wbQNo6RzqvYiD_G_zSFw2xmDg/s1600/P3080021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuMj5G-IbZ2Rs9G6UrVPYItK3bQ9MEJxYxBBW6NZOh-xgfslLvVjD11btAW24nti9P0axJlp2lql2ZNw3BP72G2cpxT9DbhfIWGv5OK2suB6jkGtt7wbQNo6RzqvYiD_G_zSFw2xmDg/s320/P3080021.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little dinghy finally has her name 'Miss Allie' put on</td></tr>
</tbody></table>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-37296929660841125312011-09-09T09:13:00.000-07:002011-09-09T09:13:26.204-07:00Canada<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Our best laid plans for getting to <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Bowmanville</city>, <state w:st="on">Ontario</state></place> to spend 2 weeks with Daniel, Tanya and Baby Knight, went somewhat awry with Baby Knight’s arrival. However, as I said to Ivan, if I can spend 10 days on a yacht with hardly any sleep, I can sleep one night in an airport! And so we did, before catching the early morning bus to <place w:st="on"><city w:st="on">Toronto</city></place>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The reason we are here!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRlgrpU0VRUg9LDLjGs5cSZ4axILbT5QP06LmdVtDu73uSUcSPsjFzVRGrKi3PsvvsGEWh-WRt8B-P75_zkywTvzJR-hjWIbwBemxfNcAWrixt_6yL5pPN8N1QnQ4pX7Kr9xmNLKuqg/s1600/P9050338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRlgrpU0VRUg9LDLjGs5cSZ4axILbT5QP06LmdVtDu73uSUcSPsjFzVRGrKi3PsvvsGEWh-WRt8B-P75_zkywTvzJR-hjWIbwBemxfNcAWrixt_6yL5pPN8N1QnQ4pX7Kr9xmNLKuqg/s320/P9050338.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Knight now named Zaden Troy Gnarly Knight with his gorgeous parents</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-43376504422923146862011-09-09T08:54:00.000-07:002011-09-09T08:54:47.055-07:00Back to Bocas<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We caught buses back to Almirante and then a water taxi to Bocas and another water taxi over to Marina Carenero to be reunited with Brio. We were surprised, after all of the rain we had been experiencing, to find the marina in drought. They had not had rain for two weeks and the beautiful basil and other herbs in the kiyuka gardens was dying off and the laundry had been closed for a week to conserve the precious rainwater. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiut8g6oB4DPQqkmQYixMUXWZzHUUfIaC0HiaRe28BlM1N4Pf3Ufk-UHtq-yPg7uQqAYog-nwUznzt_XjYgXZphzwYPBG7yO4GzBbPu_-u_QT3zH782lQxIZFp0OFdA35GBEgxB9gAWw/s1600/P7250533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiut8g6oB4DPQqkmQYixMUXWZzHUUfIaC0HiaRe28BlM1N4Pf3Ufk-UHtq-yPg7uQqAYog-nwUznzt_XjYgXZphzwYPBG7yO4GzBbPu_-u_QT3zH782lQxIZFp0OFdA35GBEgxB9gAWw/s320/P7250533.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kiyuka herb garden before it dried up</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We had a week to pack up the boat before leaving her for 6 months. It will be an experiment to see just what state she is in when we return. There is all sorts of advice available about how to leave a yacht in a hot, humid environment – foil on the windows, kitty litter in trays, shade cloth over the top. In the end we didn’t do all of these things, although I did try to store things so that air could circulate and cleaned the inside surfaces to try to reduce mould growth. Ivan was busy oiling tools to prevent rust and covering the propeller to prevent barnacle growth amongst other things. We will see when we return!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The day before we left, the rain came in the form of a wild storm. The timing was outrageous – we had just received word from Daniel, Ivan’s son, that Tanya, Daniel’s wife was in the final stages of labour with their first child. The storm caused a power outage and the internet was also out. It was another 6 or 7 hours before we could log back onto the internet to find out how Tanya and the baby were and in doing so we received the great news that she had had a boy and all was well. Of less importance, but also something we were keen to finalise, was our washing that was half done, but now with the power back on could be dried before the morning.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-12873372369358878342011-09-09T08:48:00.000-07:002011-09-09T08:48:51.547-07:00Panama - Boquete<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We spent 2 days at Boquete, a town known for its cool climate, coffee, cloud forests and walking trails. We spent our first day enjoying a leisurely breakfast in a converted garage and then walked along a road out of town into the hills. After about an hour the cloud rolled in and the rain pelted, fortunately just as we were passing a bus shelter. So we ate our picnic lunch in the bus shelter and then hailed a passing taxi to take us back to town. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in chairs watching the river next to our hostel swell from the rain. The hostel (Suenos del <place w:st="on">Rio</place>) is so close to the river that at night it is hard to tell if you are listening to rain fall or just the usual rushing of the river. It was a nice place to stay, especially as we had a small kitchen/lounge are to ourselves.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gMsQzqrlYRslb8zA5rXLinzYKOTQ7s3iqvQBcxgnTGAfOILVsjdtegKnW-8CRUf1GnCbUADuFD-siYWHpH97eUC8isoaEYmNqjByQ0Anszzx6VIQpHGjrMc8eazK9lSzCfQbovoQBg/s1600/P8250323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gMsQzqrlYRslb8zA5rXLinzYKOTQ7s3iqvQBcxgnTGAfOILVsjdtegKnW-8CRUf1GnCbUADuFD-siYWHpH97eUC8isoaEYmNqjByQ0Anszzx6VIQpHGjrMc8eazK9lSzCfQbovoQBg/s320/P8250323.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloud rolls across the forest</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">The hostel owner put us in touch with Feliciano, a local guide who has been guiding in the area for most of his 56 years. He is a very fit and personable man. In order to avoid a washout, we were up at 6 the next morning to be ready by 7 for Feliciano to collect us and take us on a walk into the World Heritage listed national park, La Amisted. We had a really enjoyable walk with him – 3 hours up and 2 hours down – through lush, secondary forest. We saw some flowers and birds, but the season for the elusive quetzals was over. At the top of the walk we could see the <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Altlantic</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Ocean</placetype></place> in one direction and the Pacific in the other. The path we were on continued all the way to Almirante on the Atlantic side. Feliciano sometimes takes people on a walk all the way. It takes 4 days when he takes tourists, but only 2 when he goes alone! </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2Qp8_2e1UNgYMhkJ5XzCODJQkPwQBJrPT9VbFiFqlfl9LrrkZ5SkhggckMlexgWVp1aN_7GgpccLV242wxyrShMdTInyivhm1EHhFkp_rR9Pjd96_JotCMP_pf_Iu2RArju5v_z95A/s1600/P8260332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ2Qp8_2e1UNgYMhkJ5XzCODJQkPwQBJrPT9VbFiFqlfl9LrrkZ5SkhggckMlexgWVp1aN_7GgpccLV242wxyrShMdTInyivhm1EHhFkp_rR9Pjd96_JotCMP_pf_Iu2RArju5v_z95A/s320/P8260332.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the trail was very narrow</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We were not long back in town when down came the rain in great torrents, so although the early start was a bit confronting for “she who loves her bed”, it was worth it to avoid a drenching on the walk and walking on a path turned into a river. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjacLOq7uoipU3eol-iW5e1j80_zgAHhOiijeN986JCufq53YIMxfdJe2RIWffdgXYQ5_ZdN8mJvM8dsLRshk8tc7IuomHHFnRZQNGkNWSPFsr9MIkVVsRC0n5Xyw2n-rSzxwwcxiBw/s1600/P8260333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjacLOq7uoipU3eol-iW5e1j80_zgAHhOiijeN986JCufq53YIMxfdJe2RIWffdgXYQ5_ZdN8mJvM8dsLRshk8tc7IuomHHFnRZQNGkNWSPFsr9MIkVVsRC0n5Xyw2n-rSzxwwcxiBw/s320/P8260333.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan and Feliciano at the top of our walk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045082195583054457.post-76880626213347303572011-09-09T08:39:00.000-07:002011-09-09T08:39:30.603-07:00Panama - El Valle<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">After our two weeks in <country-region w:st="on">Colombia</country-region> we spent 6 days on mainland <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Panama</place></country-region> before going back to Brio. I was keen to see some wildlife in the cloud forests if possible.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">Our first stop was a town called El Valle. After the beauty of the towns in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Colombia</place></country-region>, the Panamanian towns look very plain and unkempt. El Valle was one such town, but the Don Pepe Hotel was clean and comfortable. We were hungry after travelling most of the day to get there so bought some kebabs from a street cart. They tasted of firelighters and were completely inedible so we went to a busy looking restaurant for something else. It wasn’t a great culinary experience here either – the service was incredibly slow and at one point the whole restaurant filled with smoke. My rice arrived and was quite ok, but Ivan’s soup didn’t. We asked for the bill and his soup arrived not long after, but it was inedible glug. My Spanish is good enough to indicate the soup was not good so they struck it off the bill. Other people on nearby tables were also having problems with their food arriving, so it seems the restaurant was having a really bad day. Oh well, we retired to our room to take in the luxury of cable TV and proceeded to watch what looked to be the fall of the Gadafi regime as rebels took control of Tripoli.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJS6u0vaR9bP4R-Cn-GVpOEWyI3bG3Dt2We48qPqhA2S-Ya3ydu9O3SLaa7vEgxGGYDgrT6-5qzs6NcKHP9lfmqDmu5Sk3I6eoxwG8_Vh-z4SSrsdiZhTle1dvPWzUao0I4tTipn_qMg/s1600/Bogota+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJS6u0vaR9bP4R-Cn-GVpOEWyI3bG3Dt2We48qPqhA2S-Ya3ydu9O3SLaa7vEgxGGYDgrT6-5qzs6NcKHP9lfmqDmu5Sk3I6eoxwG8_Vh-z4SSrsdiZhTle1dvPWzUao0I4tTipn_qMg/s320/Bogota+050.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding a good restaurant is tiring business</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-AU;">We spent the next day in the company of an American couple, Bob and Tammy, and we visited the zoo and frog sanctuary, the Macho falls and the local mud pools. We also found a better place to eat!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pMSQyD-z-hc_EYYR6DZlzWXBVf2bXHypBrK5SY3GkyH3D06wORoSrRcYoA1iRlOvcjnYSGohgLTSdf75_evku-kVqJYXdSA6rqyLBAAxxFFxB-t9jS6EZW6lKsO1gxMwMOJT68CLMw/s1600/P8230285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pMSQyD-z-hc_EYYR6DZlzWXBVf2bXHypBrK5SY3GkyH3D06wORoSrRcYoA1iRlOvcjnYSGohgLTSdf75_evku-kVqJYXdSA6rqyLBAAxxFFxB-t9jS6EZW6lKsO1gxMwMOJT68CLMw/s320/P8230285.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at the Macho falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLFh5ZfUiN-9jYhU6nMeef_sMSSUGOsNKcq-gIN24tW7WhUm7-IPAj-fAZiVt-R_xPVQu_TDFFsD-C9o02Vt6nMzuVR6jP7QEUrcKN_dIHVo0uywof0tPmvijkQ9rsAL_rjTBycenCw/s1600/P8230306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLFh5ZfUiN-9jYhU6nMeef_sMSSUGOsNKcq-gIN24tW7WhUm7-IPAj-fAZiVt-R_xPVQu_TDFFsD-C9o02Vt6nMzuVR6jP7QEUrcKN_dIHVo0uywof0tPmvijkQ9rsAL_rjTBycenCw/s320/P8230306.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having fun at the mudpools</td></tr>
</tbody></table>bringingbriohomehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09262015456667072214noreply@blogger.com0