Storms Coral Sharks at Minera Reef
L'Esprit de la Mer
Dr Chris Bates
Fri 16 May 2014 04:43
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23 39 49 S 178 54 26 W
The last 30nm to Miera North were without wind and
we decided to motor .Just as we arried a tropical strom moed oer us ery rapidly
and we went from calm to 40knt of wind in a matter of minutes . The isability
dropped to less than half a mile and there was a short and sharp sea . The two
other boats we had met on passage were just infront of us. The entrance is quite
narrow and unmarked so it was rely onthe e chart , line things up and
enter at full speed to maintain steerage . With coral on both sides we entered
the lagoonand motored across to anchor near to other yachts ,some of whom we
already knew in the south east corner.. We anchored in 16m which is
deep but the anchor held well . Then it was roast beef .
Minera North iss a lgoon 1.5nm acoss and roughly
cirular surrounded by a reef 2m high which is dry at low water . The reef coers
at high water and one floats at anchor in the middle of the Pacific
.
In Noember when we first came here we had no dingy
and things were failing on the yacht . So we did not go ashore . This morning we
inflated the dingy and motored to the feef at low water . It was mazind to see
the pristine coral . Although dry the reef at low ater is a mass off pools and
we paddled across aware of walking on lie coral . We saw many clams with
beautiful purple and green lips which retracted when we dissturbed the water .
Coral with amazing clours . and then the outer reeef with the Pacific Ocean
uis not good sso we are here for a few days at
least .we got back into the dinhya 4 foot reef sharks swam up to James to
inestigate his legs .
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