Apataki, week 6 and a bit

Juffa
Bill and Caroline
Mon 29 Jul 2013 18:17
Today is the first time for a couple of weeks that wind speeds have been below 20+ knots. The boat has been bobbing around on the mooring as though at sea, waves splashing on the hulls and intermittent rain showers drenching everything, but not providing substantial quantities of water for the tanks. An outing in the dinghy has become something to do only if it is really essential and a change of clothes is remembered. Fortunately the long hoped for package of boat bits has arrived, but unfortunately not all of the bits were included so waiting continues. Again, hopeful about the possibility that the bits might arrive today, but we are living in relaxed Pacific time so we'll need to wait and see.

Food, an obvious distraction, has become a little less inspired. Corned beef lasagna, corned beef spaghetti bolognese, corned beef curry, corned beef chilli (sans) carne and the odd spam fritter. Becoming connoisseurs of various tinned vegetables wasn't an experience that was planned. However vinaigrette on most tinned beans, asparagus (no known association with fresh asparagus unfortunately), palm hearts and the odd mustard greens makes them at least less tinny and sometimes surprisingly tasty. Fishing in the atoll is generally off the agenda despite the abundance of life here, as ciguatera (fish poisoning) is far too common even amongst the locals who rely on fish in their diet. The toxin is accumulative in many of the reef fish and best avoided, we think. There is of course always coconuts.

The boat yard family celebrated grandma's 71st birthday with the cruisers, BBQ chicken, birthday cake and music provided by the family and cruisers. British, Italian, German, American and Polynesian all singing happy birthday in French and attempts at Tahitian…