To Lintea Atoll
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Sat 13 Aug 2016 22:57
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To Lintea
Atoll
   Heath Robinson was consulted and I
now have a functioning tap once more. One more look
at our Hoga Island anchorage and off we went at eight
thirty behind Wirraway with Wishful Thinking following up. Our
happy band set off in to wind on the nose so the engines needed to help each of
us. I kept my eye on a fish attracting device (FAD) – a huge block of
polystyrene connected buy a floating line to a wooden raft complete with tiny
mast and palm sail, these vessels seem to be everywhere. We were at a critical
stage in a game of backgammon, I was leading four one when Bear made a near
Fowey comeback to four all. I was determined not to lose and knew the FAD was
someway off to our right and the wind would blow it well beyond us. Next thing I
know it’s behind Bear’s head. The polystyrene block on Beez left, the craft
whisking along with us. I was so surprised I forgot to take a picture.
Immediately disengaged and on the radio to admit one all with Wishful
Thinking........ I did however sneak a five four win. The rest of the journey we
played Tri-ominoes with no further incident.
 Our thirty four
mile journey will take us within the Coral Triangle.
 Wirraway
ahead and a local tour boat.
 Miles out to sea a
longboat passes by.
 Very faint on the horizon, right of
picture we could just make out three
‘buildings’.
 Way over to our right we could see
Serica and Brahminy Too anchored in
what looks like the middle of the ocean. They are in Karang Kaledupa Atoll, our
destination on the morrow. Again, we could see a building each
side.
 Wirraway
line up at the pass.
 We line up as a
local exits the pass.
 Perhaps the most
‘extreme village’ we have yet seen.
 Meanwhile, Wirraway have taken their first right and now seen
turning left.
 A noble look, a
man at peace in his world.
 Skipper enjoying
himself enormously.
 We take our first right at an even more isolated dwelling. Perhaps they fell out with the first
two......
 At the ‘gateway’ coral as far as the eye can see each side.
 Wirraway
on their final left turn...........
 ............and on
their final right. Wishful Thinking radioed to say they had
anchored on the inner reef edge in eight metres of water. Nicha seen to their
right.
  An incredible anchorage seen on my chartplotter and Bear’s Google
Earth.
 We went for a long
spuddle as far as we could before we came to solid
reef.
 Heading back
toward Beez we stopped at patches a couple of metres
below the surface, this one marked by a stick. I
looked down through my viewing bucket at each coral patch and saw healthy brain,
hard and stag horns. No bright colours and not many fish.
 Looking back to the line of anchored boats, from left to right – Nicha,
Wirraway, Wishful Thinking, Beez Neez and Rock and Roll Star. A
happy bunch.
 A local out and
about fishing in a traditional hat.
  We were bouncing in the dinghy and
Beez was rolling a little but clear enough to see were dirty marks, a bit of foliage and a
crab holding tight. Tomorrow looks like an outdoor spring clean
then.
 Spuddle ended with a picture of the girl in the late afternoon sun – anchored in the middle
of nowhere. We followed Wirraway over to Wishful Thinking for
our first taste of delicious coral trout served with homemade chips and sweet
potato. Bev (Wirraway) had made fresh coleslaw and we took tinned fruit
salad and cream. A very funny game of Taboo followed. Gin (WT)
experienced her first ever dyslectic attack.........beautifully describing a
Greek delicacy which Bev got at lightning speed – Baklava................
however, the word she was meant to have us guess was in fact
Balaclava..............
ALL IN ALL A UNIQUE AND
MEMORABLE ATOLL
BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY TO AN AMAZING ATOLL
ENTRANCE |