Concert for the adults
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sun 16 May 2010 00:11
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Saturday May15th 0805 Local time
1805UTC
16:30.37S 145:27.57W
After a day or so in our remote anchorage we
were joined by Nika who had arrived earlier outside the atoll and seen us on
their AIS. The boats were only a matter of a few hundred yards apart - them in
over 1000 metres of water outside the atoll and us in under 10 metres
inside the atoll, but they still had 10 or so miles to go to join us, which they
considerately asked us if it was OK to do.
So it was dinner over at Nika that evening and the
next day the three Nika kids and I spent the whole day planning a concert, which
we put on for the adults that evening. We greeted our audience at the transom of
Rhiann Marie with our box office and a "meet the cast". We had been ashore to
one of the islands to chop down some fresh palm fronds which we used to decorate
the "stage" - the intermediate cockpit deck of Rhiann Marie. We
made programs and tickets and we all did individual acts with 5 year old Tyler
starting with a knots demonstration including the all new rolling hitch,
which he learned that day. Zoe (7) did an "Australian" ballet to
Beethoven's 5th, and Jesse (9) did a musical tune on his recorder then a visual
interpretation of the same tune with finger puppets. We then all four did a
song "Lord of the Dance" with me leading the verses and the kids all kicking in
for the chorus. Then there was a popcorn intermission and finally, accompanied
by a power point to introduce the scenes, a five act play. It was all hilarious.
The play opened with three Ozzie kids singing Waltzing Matilda and a Scotsman
(appearing up through the aft cabin hatch) having tunneled all the way from
Scotland. The Australian sailers then sailed him all the way back to
Scotland via Polynesia, the Antarctic, the Amazon and finally Scotland. At one
point some idiot was doing a "Polynesian" dance with a newly prepared coconut
cup bra and flowery skirt. The night was finished with a movie showing of "The
Green Mile" for the adults while kids slept. A great night all round -
great craic! One day when I get a chance I will grow up.
On Friday morning though we left the anchorage and
the atoll, with me up on the pulpit to spot the coral "bommies" and Trish at the
helm.
Once out of the pass which was run this time with
3.5 knots behind us so exiting at 11 knots we headed for South East Fakarava,
initially being unsure if we would visit another atoll first. There was little
wind and it was almost directly behind us so it was onwards with the engine for
the 40 miles or so across to Fakarava.
There was still a lot of rain around from the
torrential downpours we had had the previous night, and heavy thunder clouds
were everywhere with huge dark squalls
evident all around.
We decided to fit our bimini sides. On Rhiann Marie
we have the ability to totally enclose the whole cockpit and helm area, which is
already large, but feels enormous when closed in.
This initialtive of mine to have the ability to
close in the whole area drew a few gasps when first erected at the commissioning
quay in Southampton, and even I would concede it did not look pretty. The whole
ensemble comes in several pieces and can be "built up". The bimini is up all the
time in the Pacific and the spray hood is up almost all the time. We also have a
clear joining "windscreen" piece between the two which we use a lot and
generally at anchorage this is enough to keep most of the cockpit dry. We can
then join all three of these up with sides, also with "windows" all around.
These sides, which roll up to underneath the bimini, also have "doors" at the
helm positions for access in and out of the enclosure. Finally we have a piece,
again with windows, which closes off the transom area - giving total enclosure
and protection - and under which all controls and lines can be
handled.
My main idea in having this arrangement made,
was for visiting the high latitudes, but here in the Pacific it has proved to be
an excellent feature of the boat and one of which I am sure a lot of other
cruisers would wish for. So in this case the practicality of the enclosure won
out over the aesthetics and I for one think it is an excellent "Blue Water
Cruiser" piece of kit.
Now the reason for telling you all this was that on
this short pasage, Trish and I had just popped the sides on to protect the
cockpit before an enormous squall hit us. The wind had been about 8 knots
almost directly behind us (we were going South East) and it veered to more or
less be on our beam at 15 knots or so. The sea built up to match
the wind.
Then the thunder started, crashing, rumbling and
roaring all around us. Then came the forked lightning whiplashing the surface of
the seas. This was followed by forked lightning splitting the black skies open
horizontally. I was fairly comfortable and dry and had I not been worried about
losing our electronic instruments in another lightning storm (we lost a lot of
electronics in BVI on a Christmas Eve thunder and lightning storm) I would have
enjoyed the show.
Then a strange thing happened the wind built and
built and stabilised round about 28 knots for a time although gusting to 33
knots and even 38 knots at one point. But .......... I was sure that the
conditions outside on deck could not support this - in fact it was almost eerily
pacific. It was certainly black but the sea and the air on my face outside on
deck felt more like 15 knots or so. Glancing up at the top of the mast I could
see the wind indicator almost fixed solid in the direction indicated on the
instruments and the vane turbine was just a blur. This situation passed after a
while then the wind did a full 360 degree rotation in direction but
down at 8 knots or so before finally settling back at 13 knots!
I am, and you may be, aware that wind speeds are
forecast and mostly read at 10m above sea level and there is always some
differential between that reading and the actual speed felt at sea level,
though we are always quoting what we are measuring at the top of
our masts. In this scenario I experienced aboard Rhiann Marie, it
could be, could be, that the wind in the squall was "sheared" from the sea
surface and passed over us nearer the top of my mast which is almost 30m above
sea level and it certainly felt like that.
It could on the other hand have been our
instruments going crazy with the electro magnetic forces at play in the
storm.
On the other, other hand it could be just one of
these stories that sailors allegedly make up, exaggerate or
enhance describing incredible storms and experiences at sea.
You decide, and one day, if you are good, I may let
you know which scenario is true.
Entering the pass at Fakarava though very close to
large breaking rollers to port and starboard, did not present any real problems
but did have the heart healthily pounding. We anchored up inside and went
ashore to the motu to arrange some diving for the following day. The pass
is world famous for its diving with sharks and the vizibility is fantastic. The
whole of the area is a UNESCO world heritage site.
I was looking forward to swimming with sharks again
as it reminded me of my job back
home.
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