SV Yohelah – Pacific Loop

We had decided to stay another day and dive with Warrior and Hello World, but I was still a little concerned about the wind. It was already blowing 5 knots harder than forecast. So when I woke up at 3:00 it seemed like a good time to get a new forecast for a spot mid passage between Toau and Tahiti.

It showed winds to 30 knots and seas to 18 feet for the next 6 days. The winds would be on our stern quarter, which is good, but 30 knots can generate pretty good wind waves. The forecast seas were from a system in the Southern Ocean, and would be from the south-southwest. Given that we need to travel southwest to Tahiti, it seemed like heading into 18′ waves wouldn’t be all that amusing. And when two wave trains meet, the size of the resulting wave is the sum of each. So does that mean that the forecasted 18′ accounts for the wind driven waves from the east combining with the southern swell, or will we end up with 25+ foot seas?

It became pretty easy to decide the buoy we’re on here was a nice spot to hang out for another five or six days. And it really is beautiful here. We’re in a little slot in the reef around the atoll which appears to be a pass, but which really is a a cul-de-sac blocked by a coral bank across the inner side. The water is stirred up by the wind, so the diving is no good, but the snorkeling is still fabulous just 50 yards off the bow of the boat.

There are two locals here who have installed the buoys and have a little restaurant. Last night we went ashore and joined our friends in an absolutely delicious Polynesian dinner. There were six courses, including appy and desert, and we left completely filled. I even snuck home a piece of fish for Maya.

So we’ll do some chores and swim a bit and I’ll try to not go stir crazy while we wait out the weather system. So far the forecasts are pretty consistently agreeing that it’s going to die on July 2nd. So we have to balance getting out in time and having enough wind to sail to Tahiti with getting out too soon and bashing all the way there. Our fresh fruit and veggie supplies are cleaned out, the food and paper goods we bought in Panama six months ago are nearly gone, and we have almost nothing but water and coffee for beverages. Definitely time to find the big city of Papeete and some mega grocery stores.

Teresa

Anse Amyot is here

After dinner last night Valentine invited Brit & Michelle and I to come ashore this morning and she would show us how to make coconut bread. So at 10:00 we brought our bowls and some flour ashore, where Gaston was wringing the milk from from some freshly grated coconut.

During the course of the conversation we were discussing the whole hunting and gathering thing, which admittedly Rob & I suck at. He’s great with a fishing line, but that’s about our limit. I mentioned the day we had rented the car in Nuku Hiva and Michelle burst into laughter.

Apparently she had read my blog posting and had to tell me that as and it turns out, believe it or not, that pineapples do NOT grow on trees! In my own defense, I can only say that if you’re two North Americans from the Pacific Northwest and two Germans from Bremen, the things you see from the car certainly look like pineapples.

But no, they’re another type of tropical fruit named pandanus. Rob, of course, says “that’s Polynesian for pineapple”. And reportedly they’re extremely bitter.

After we finished making coconut bread, Valentine and Brit got down to some serious trading of jewelry making stuff for black pearls. Valentine took out her tools and showed us how she seeds the oysters to make the pearls, which is very interesting. Hopefully she’ll have some time tomorrow and she’s going to take Brit & Michelle & I out to see the pearl farm here.

Teresa

Anse Amyot is here