Palmerston Atoll
'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Fri 10 Sep 2010 17:07
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18:02.836S 163:11.589W
We left Aitutaki on a forecast of ESE
winds 15-20kts, maybe becoming 25-30kts. That would have been OK, a fast but
slightly bumpy trip. BUT, on leaving we had 15 kts which was fine and we bowled
along quite merrily at up to 7 kts, occasionaly 8 with a bit of the old surfing.
Come nightfall, still just on target to reach Palmerston just at sunset the next
day. Because of the forecast we furled the gennaker and naturally never got more
than 13/15kts all evening (true wind). Come the morning, the
wind.......dropped!!! We then had quite a pleasant but slow sail at around 5
kts, which was going to put us in at about 2100. Come sunset, the wind INCREASED
to 20kts, and we shot along at up to 8kts.
We arrived around the SW corner of the aroll and
motored up, eventually getting shelter from the swell (3 m+ metres) but not the
wind as the highest point on the ato;l;l is 25 metres amsl. We eventually made
contact with ther boats in the anchorage and a local boat came out (Edward
Marsters) and helped us onto a buoy. In the end, we finally tiedied up the boat
at 2300 and had a relatively peaceful night, apart from noisy wing
genearator.
In the anchorage, we have Sympatica, Vagabond &
Calypso (+ a couple of others I don't know) and Aurora B has just called up and
will be here in an hour or so. It looks a fascinating place and as the forecast
is for a very high swell untill the middle of next week we may be here a
while!
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