Hanamoenoa, again

Juffa
Bill and Caroline
Sat 11 May 2013 23:30
09:45.30S 139:08.50W
The social scene in anchorages proved exhilarating and at times challenging even to the hardened rum connoisseur. Dancing below deck to carefully selected convivial music on board Flapjack was enjoyed by many and a very late night (after 9pm...) for all, followed by the occasional sunset BBQs and taste testing of rum punches, mainly by the men it has to be said. Snorkelling is either feast or famine with the most lively of reefs or a complete dearth of sea life (and the notion that this may be a result of the unseen sharks).
  
Foraging opportunities with fellow scrumpers and a bumper crop of green mangos, perfect for trialling a range of mango chutney recipes, now an accompaniment to all meals. The revered pampelmousse however, were more elusive but once shared between boats they will keep us in vitamin C for a while. Coconuts abound again and roll gently with the occasional thump as they fall onto the cockpit seats, usually in the middle of the night causing slight consternation as someone has to check if the noise is anything more sinister.
  
Heading towards Nuka Hiva and sailing in the company of fellow foragers, tuna are caught and escape (with the favourite lure, trace and swivel), caught and released (too small) and finally caught and in the process of being hauled in when something large and ominous takes a significant chunk of the hard won prize. This does however, reduce the effort required to haul in the still large, half a tuna. The size of the teeth marks suggest that it's good we weren't swimming at the time and neither was it the dolphins seen off the bow….
 
Settling in for the night on a lee shore as we break our journey, is not always a comfortable thought, but hopefully the wind will give the bugs a hard time getting out to us.