Aur to Maloelap

We left Tobal, Aur about 8:00 AM this morning (Oct 10th here). I had thought it was about 25 miles pass-to-pass, but turns out it is 25 miles total from Tobal to Airik, Maloelap. We got here about 3:30. Not too bad considering the 1.5 knot adverse current and the 15-20 knot wind nearly on the nose! We sailed down the lagoon in Aur, then motor-sail the rest of the way. Lots of the time under 3 knots. But we made it OK.

As soon as we were anchored, a local boat came out. It had two doctors aboard. The have declared an emergency and requested we take them to Kaven, Maloelap immediately, 30 miles across the lagoon. I don't cross lagoons full of coral-heads in the dark, but told them we'd leave at 6 in the morning. That was after I tried to sell them my gas from the dinghy so they could take their own motor boat.... I also pointed out that a government ship just left here and maybe they should call it back for their emergency, but they didn't want to use my radio. I hope it is a real emergency, cause I don't know that we'll be able to come back here and really did want to see some of the folks we met here last year.

Kaven is on the downwind side of the lagoon, and with the wind at 20 knots all day the waves should be about 6 feet high on the beach there. It will be dangerous anchoring on a lee shore with wind and waves and taking the dinghy in. They say there is no boat there to come out to get them there either? Seems poor planning for medical emergencies.