Time - abundance of time .

Ronja
Jan Morten Ruud
Tue 13 Apr 2010 04:50
Position 13:40.35S, 145:14.16W

Dear readers,

We are truly sorry for not writing to this log on more regular basis - but we are just enjoying life. We even do not know what day or date it is. For once time is not a shortage, we are just living, just enjoying the sunset of the new day, not having any idea at all what to this day. So what did the last day bring of ventures for the Ruud family?

Back on the beach where the unhappy accident with the finger on we left together with 6 other WARC boats for Ua Huka. The sail was magnificent, with excellent conditions the whole way. We arrived I Ua Huka 2 hours earlier than planned. The anchorage in Hu Huka was terrible though. The swell were coming directly into the bay and the wind where holing down the mountainside. It was just as it tried to blow us back out at sea.

Since we had been able to anchor up, we decided to get ashore and explore the village. The dingy where launched and the whole crew hopped in - not an easy task in 1,5 meter swell. That managed, the next challenge where to get ashore without being flipped around by a breaking wave at the beach. With perfect timing we surfed wave and landed far up on dry land. With military precision everyone jumped out of the dingy and runned for higher grounds, Snorre, Lars and Stian secured the dingy by carrying it far up on the beach and securing the dingy line to a tree.

The village was just lovely, and we were so lucky to stumble in on the Easter Mess in the church. Vibeke joined the natives in the Easter mess. It was carried out in the native language, but several of the speeches and songs where recognizable. After the mess we just walk around in the village, which was clean and well maintained. We met the police chief, which could calm us that it would be a safe and quite anchorage during the night in his bay. He should have a big fine for giving out misleading information. We decided to have an anchor watch this night, to secure the wellbeing of the whole crew and ship. 06:00 the next day I saw both David in Voyageur and Charles in Dreamcatcher up in the cockpit giving signs that very much would like to leave. 15 minutes later we had all taken in the anchor and where on the way to Nuku-Hiva, the main Island on Marquesas.

Well on the way - in the middle between the two Island, Dreamcathcer lost her steering out there in 2,5 meter swell and strong current. Voyageur where closest to Dreamcatcher and sircled around until Marie and Charles managed to get the emergency tiller in place. A ling store short, we all arrived in the big and safe anchorage at Nuku-Hiva. It was the bolt fixing the autopilot and wheel to the rudder that had broken.
After spending some quite and nice days in Nuku-Hiva, we left for the Tuamotus together with Voyageur. We are now on the 4th and last day towards Manihi, planning for landfall tomorrow morning at 10.30 - at slack tide so that we get an easy passage in to the atoll.


HIGH SEA PRODUCTION BULLETINE
There has been little development in the High Sea Production unit the last month, but now there has been some development. After our recent build up of competence and experience we have now started on a book to be released - "The anchorages of hell". If anyone has an anchorage that should be mentioned, please send us an email with position and a short description and we will squeeze it in.

The very best from Lars, Patrik, Stian, Snorre, Vilde, Vibeke and Jan Morten