Everyone always asks if we have ever been caught in a storm. We have in the PAST always said "No, we plan better than that!"
Well... not any more! It is only 60 miles between the passes of the two atolls. We left Aur in time to clear the pass before sunset, planning a nice comfortable beam reach back. The grib files all agreed we should see 15 to 20 from the NE all the way.
About 11PM the wind switched to the SE, right on the nose and came up to 35 to 40 knots! then the rain started. Then it got up to 45 for an hour or so then back to 40 for a couple more.
We made it though. Trinda got seasick again. Every thing is wet. We tore a small rip in the main sail. The sun protection on the staysail tore loose and the sheets chaffed nearly through. One of the wooden boat hook poles floated off once when we were heeled over too far during one of those gusts.
But we made it fine, boat didn't sink or even make us think it would.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Aur for Liberation Day
Sunday night we left Enemonet for Aur (pronounced like hour) about 4:00PM. We cleared the pass before dark and had a vigorous sail the 60 miles from pass to pass. Three boats left at the same time so we talked on the VHF ever hour or two.
Trinda had another bout of 'mal de mer' but managed to take her watches OK. I felt fine all the way, except for being tired.
It was raining when we got to the pass at Aur, so we waited till about 7:30 to enter and were anchored by 11.
There's Trinda in front of the new dinghy after we got help dragging it up the beach. I haven't had time to install the wheels from the old one yet. Besides, they always change something. Now there is a new plastic drain plug in the back of the dinghy where I put the bolts for the wheels before. It will take some thinking to figure out how to install them this time.
After the ceremony, base ball was the order of the day. There are two villages on Aur, one is Aur the other is Tobal. So there had to be championship games, men, women, kids and tug-o-war and races.
The first pitch Trinda hit the ball right back to the pitcher and hit him... he quit and let someone else pitch! It was just practice anyway.
Wed all the boats moved from the anchorage at Aur 10 miles up to Tobal. The atoll is out of gasoline for their boats, so we all took passengers back with us. We had 16. Andy wanted to drive, and said he knew where all the coral heads were so I let him.
They ate all the chips we had, fritos, cheetos, tostados, all of them!
The cruisers and the 'world teach' teacher decided to organize a jam session. There were a couple of guitars and maybe 8 ukealalis (little Hawaiian guitars). There was a lot of singing.
Only a few of us knew 'On Top of Old Smoky' and 'You Are My Sunshine'. I think we are OLD!
We met the mayor of the atoll and his daughter. Of course Trinda made chocolate cakes for the feast the first day too. His daughter, Rosalie, wanted to learn how. She lives and works here in Majuro. Anyway Trinda took her out to the boat and made one more cake. She is supposed to have us get together here now that we are back.
She also took a bunch of the beads that Sherry (my sister) had sent us and her and two other cruisers (Linda of Hawkeye and Judy of Ursa Minor) helped the kids make bracelets and necklaces. Used up a lot of beads!
All loaded up and ready to leave.
Trinda had another bout of 'mal de mer' but managed to take her watches OK. I felt fine all the way, except for being tired.
It was raining when we got to the pass at Aur, so we waited till about 7:30 to enter and were anchored by 11.
There's Trinda in front of the new dinghy after we got help dragging it up the beach. I haven't had time to install the wheels from the old one yet. Besides, they always change something. Now there is a new plastic drain plug in the back of the dinghy where I put the bolts for the wheels before. It will take some thinking to figure out how to install them this time.
After the ceremony, base ball was the order of the day. There are two villages on Aur, one is Aur the other is Tobal. So there had to be championship games, men, women, kids and tug-o-war and races.
The first pitch Trinda hit the ball right back to the pitcher and hit him... he quit and let someone else pitch! It was just practice anyway.
Wed all the boats moved from the anchorage at Aur 10 miles up to Tobal. The atoll is out of gasoline for their boats, so we all took passengers back with us. We had 16. Andy wanted to drive, and said he knew where all the coral heads were so I let him.
They ate all the chips we had, fritos, cheetos, tostados, all of them!
The cruisers and the 'world teach' teacher decided to organize a jam session. There were a couple of guitars and maybe 8 ukealalis (little Hawaiian guitars). There was a lot of singing.
Only a few of us knew 'On Top of Old Smoky' and 'You Are My Sunshine'. I think we are OLD!
We met the mayor of the atoll and his daughter. Of course Trinda made chocolate cakes for the feast the first day too. His daughter, Rosalie, wanted to learn how. She lives and works here in Majuro. Anyway Trinda took her out to the boat and made one more cake. She is supposed to have us get together here now that we are back.
She also took a bunch of the beads that Sherry (my sister) had sent us and her and two other cruisers (Linda of Hawkeye and Judy of Ursa Minor) helped the kids make bracelets and necklaces. Used up a lot of beads!
All loaded up and ready to leave.
The New Dinghy Arrives
It finally got here OK. Even though it was Good Friday, the customs people checked the container in on Thursday without opening it! It was delivered to Do It Best at 11:00 and by 12:30 the dinghy was delivered to the dock by the boat.
I unpacked it and inflated it right on the dock then rowed out to Katie Lee.
By 4:30 we dropped the mooring and motored down to Enemonet, a park with free buoys part way toward the pass out of the atoll.
I wrote a letter to the editor of Latitude 38 explaining how wonderful the service from AMI Boats is. He wrote back saying he needs a photo of us in the new dinghy before he runs the letter. Maybe tomorrow.
I unpacked it and inflated it right on the dock then rowed out to Katie Lee.
By 4:30 we dropped the mooring and motored down to Enemonet, a park with free buoys part way toward the pass out of the atoll.
I wrote a letter to the editor of Latitude 38 explaining how wonderful the service from AMI Boats is. He wrote back saying he needs a photo of us in the new dinghy before he runs the letter. Maybe tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Old Dinghy Dies
Two days too soon! The seam gave out today. When I came back from school today the motor was almost in the water! The replacement is supposed to be here day after tomorrow about noon.
The neighbors on Hawkeye said they'd give us rides to and from shore till it gets here.
I went to customs today to get the new one cleared in, but the master paper work for the ship isn't done yet. They did decide that I do not have to pay import duty on the new one though. Maybe tomorrow I can get the final clearance so that I can actually gt it delivered on Good Friday.
We still want to leave Friday night to go up to Aur. It is about 80 miles from the anchorage, so if we leave in the evening, we should arrive in the next morning.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Majuro Race Sunday
Trinda and I crewed for John and Linda on Hawkeye again last Sunday. It was dry most of the day.
It iss always fun to race, especially when you come in FIRST! Notice all the other boats in the background.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Web Site Up Partly
Well, almost. I moved the network information about my website, www.tcls.com,
to a new home and put up the front page only. I have mailed backup
copies of the old site to the new one, so in a few weeks it may all be
back to normal and my photographs will all be back.
to a new home and put up the front page only. I have mailed backup
copies of the old site to the new one, so in a few weeks it may all be
back to normal and my photographs will all be back.
The tribe mailing list should be back as well as the other email addresses at tcls.com.
My internet class looked at blogs and net Groups today.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Still Here
It is difficult to keep up the blog when working at a daily routine. It seems that nothing worthy of note happens.
Trinda is feeling better most of the time. It seems that every Thursday (Ladies cards day at the restaurant)she feels bad Friday morning. This week she didn't eat or drink anything but ice water and still felt a little down. Maybe its the air conditioning. They keep it cold in there.
The new dinghy is on the ship due to arrive Thursday, container to unload Friday morning and be checked by Customs by noon, BUT no one knows it they believe in Good Friday!!! We had planned to get the dinghy and head up to the atoll of Aur for the week on Friday night. Well, 'the plans of mice and men'....
Teaching is still fun. They have nearly all sent e-mail now.
Trinda has been making 'flag pins' where you put red, white and blue beads on safety pins and hang the pins on another pin to look like a flag. She even tried the Marshal Islands flag too.
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