21.12S 159.47W
JENNY
Alan Franklin/ Lynne Gane
Thu 5 Jun 2008 05:35
|
Hi everyone
Slight change of plans,Alan umble permanent crew
here.
Due to small crew rebellion, and a realistic
assessment of the chances of Peter getting to Rarotonga to meet his flight
for his epic journey back to UK, Peter decided to fly from Bora Bora - Tahiti -
Rarotonga - Auckland - Tonga - Los Angeles - Heathrow. One could ask for a
sanity check as Peter is clocking up more miles than Jenny (the
boat).
Jenny, Ellie and I departed Bora Bora 2 days after
P left, but before that we enjoyed a snorkelling trip, swimming with
leopard rays 3 feet across, so tame they would come up to within 6 inches of
your face, and generally push against you in a friendly puppy sort off way -
wonderful, so soft to stroke and no slime!! Swimming with reef sharks later - we
didn't stroke them - they looked mean! in all a wonderful day. later that
same day we ate in "Bloody Mary's", the restaurant where all the stars from US
visit, Johnny Depp, Nicole Kidman, etc etc. A nice meal with "Bacchus"
and "Shaula" and good food, but no smiles and plenty of arrogance from
the waiting staff was off-putting - we ignored that - the company is what
counts!!
We left next day for Rarotonga. Not the best
of trips - 30 knot headwinds, and 25 knot beats the order of the day.
nothing like that forecast of course!! Other boats measured up to 55
knots but fortunately no one suffered any damage and the fleet arrived
safely in Rarotonga, 4 days 556 miles from Bora Bora.
Rarotonga is a small island, 25 square
miles and looks like Morea, but unlike French Polynesia we can eat and drink at
reasonable prices, and speak English (although they have trouble with our
"accent"!). They drive on the right side of the road too!! Rarotonga
is the main island of the Cook Islands, seemingly a extension of New
Zealand!! We've toured the island (about 2 hrs!) and its really a relaxed
place to be - some boats have been here a week, but usually 3 days is enough to
see most things.
We have just left Rarotonga on route for
Nuie, another of the Cook Islands, before we continue to Tonga where we
met up with Peter again. Another plan change. A young French
skipper on another boat has been left with a crew problem - in fact no
crew! As Ellie knows him she was asked if she would help out, and
she has now left to join "Miss Styx", an
X442 for the trip to Tonga. Both "Jenny" and "Miss
Styx" have left now so Jenny and I are in close pursuit! It will
be an experience to try short handed sailing for us as well as Ellie, but
its only 4+ days to Nuie, and we'll meet up then, with another 2+ days to Tonga
so hopefully all will be fine.
I guess that's all for now, its dark again now with
a new moon. Why do the nights seem so long in the tropics? But another
gorgeous sunset we've seen so no complaints.
Must be my watch
A
|