20130815 Thursday

0545 I hear noises aboard and surface to find Lars in conversation with a very excitable group of young fishermen who have been out spear fishing all night and had decided to pop by and say hello!!

                            early morning call                                                                                      saved from the pot

“Do you know what time it is I ask” “yes they say and start laughing even louder. Before the usual barrage of questions starts I thought I’d get mine in first when I asked them what they had caught, where upon they reached into the bilges of their boat and pulled out their prize, which they proudly displayed, a Turtle.

Lars chirps in with “They’re protected aren’t they?” to which they all nodded in agreement and promptly dropped it overboard! After much more banter, a tour of the yacht (Shân still in bed so is tactfully bypassed) photo taking, both with my camera and their mobile telephones, it’s a good morning Bula venaca, and they're off. Its 0630 and we return to our bunks.

Re-surfacing at 8ish we breakfast up anchor and away. There’s a stiff EastSouthEasterly blowing which sends us rocketing down the west coast and cooling us as the temperature rapidly rises under clear blue skies.

By ten we are approached by another couple of fishing boats and share “Bulas” as we pass. After lunch we’re pursued by another boat full of women!! And their male driver who pulls alongside asking if we had any cigarettes or fuel to spare. Unfortunately or otherwise none of us smoke and we don’t use 2 stroke fuel, so it was Bula venacas and away again.

                       ships that pass

In as much as we realise they don’t get many yachts visiting this area it seems like word has got out and everybody wants to see the sight, as we “Bula” our way down channel between the reefs.

Worn out from early start we relax after dinner and prepare for an early night, but it was not to be.

                      Passing on route

“Bula” came from the darkness, as our deck light comes a fishing launch with father son aboard are exposed. Nimbly jumping onto our sugarscoop he ties his boat to a stantion and the pleasantries begin. Luckily Lars has just opened his whisky bottle and Shan’s brought up a bottle of white wine for our nightcap.

                          New visitors                                                                                                        Bill

Father, Miles is given a beer and the son, Bill (we think his Fijian name is Dellai) an orange squash as a prelude to a tour below. Bill is fascinated with the electronics and tells us he uses computers at school. Shan’s doing her thing and he gets a Welsh flag and a solar powered calculator.

                          Icebergs!                                                                                                        Miles

Lars fires up pictures of our trip to Antarctica and has them enthralled with sights of Icebergs and Penguins. Then it’s time for them to resume their night snorkelling and spear fishing and for us to get to bed. The lot of a Foreign Diplomat is not and easy one!

Bob the Blog