SSB Post 25 - End to a Fun Day on the Water

October 29, 2010 and October 30, 2010

I should have mentioned in my last post, that even after hearing that there were 3 gray reefs circling the boat, I did get in the water. Of course, that was after Cheryle had been snorkeling and let me know that the last one had dropped down the wall. I even gave my fins and mask to TC and Cheryle and attempted to surf. I didn't catch any waves, but I paddled around, practiced sitting up and turning on the board, etc. The waves looked big, but they were mellow. However, up close, they do not look so mellow.

Yesterday evening, we arrived at Edjell Island. Paul convinced everyone to jump in the water at 6 PM. It was a beautiful snorkel, even without sunlight (a front had just passed and blocked the sun). We saw a nurse shark, a small black tip shark, a spotted eagle ray, and big puffer fish. Gary and Cheryle also saw a stingray in the sand, and then Paul saw what he thinks is an opah. We all said it would be nice to snorkel in the morning.

Too bad we woke up to the perfect storm. Not really, but lots of wind. If you've ever been our boat when the winds are high, you know that our wind generator sometimes makes a Chewbacca-esque noise. Well, let's just say Chewbacca sounds very angry. We've already dragged anchor once, but don't worry, we anchored again safely. Plus, we were given another chance to appreciate our windlass. Instead of heading further south this AM, we'll probably just stay put. It'll be more comfortable.

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SSB Post 24 - Sailing Around Kwajalein Atoll

Well, we had to sail back home for the boys to find waves. We set out on October 27th with two extra crew - Gary and Cheryle - for a few days around Kwajalein Atoll.

Our first stop was Boggerik Island. On the way there, Paul, Gary, & Cheryle had EIGHT lines out. They were fishing fiends. They caught a massive ono in the LAGOON with BANANAS on board! They also caught & released a couple rainbow runner.

We arrived at Boggerik Island with enough time for TC and Paul to get a surf session in. First, we anchored further in the lagoon, so the boys had to take the dinghy to the waves. Gary and Cheryle went along for the adventure while I stayed on the boat with my book.

The next day, TC and Paul headed back out for more waves. Gary and Cheryle decided to explore the little sandbar & the reef next to Cherokee. They took the kayaks, as well as snorkel gear. I played paparazzi. Unfortunately for Gary and Cheryle, they said I didn't miss much. The most exciting things they saw were a big puffer fish and a shark.

After lunch, we headed closer to Mellu Pass to meet up with John and Talia. TC and Paul were excited to have more people to enjoy the surf. On TC's first wave, he snapped his 9'1" longboard in half. So sad, but it was a 10+ year old board and it had broken before in the same spot. It was really more of a small waves board. TC said that in addition to a 6'3" board for Christmas, maybe he can get a new longboard too. He then took out my 7'6", which had before he moved out to Kwaj the first time in 1995.

Near sunset, Paul and TC headed back and we motored to Sand Island to anchor for the night.

This morning, TC made a delicious breakfast casserole (another recipe from Paul's mom). Then we all had a fun day on the water. TC & Paul surfed. TC went in too shallow & totally dinged up the nose of the 7'6", so then switched to the board John left the previous day. Gary & Cheryle entered into the First Ever Anchored Cherokee Fishing Competition. Gary is ahead so far, 2 fish to 1. Cheryle & I had fun snorkeling in the waves, as the guys surfed. The undersides of the waves are so beautiful. It's cool to see the power of water up close.

After our late/yummy lunch of fish sandwiches on toasted garlic bread cooked by Gary, we're headed off to another island in the atoll. Can't wait for more fun! We're definitely enjoying having Gary & Cheryle on board. It is nice to have others to talk to besides just the three of us.

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Taking Off Again

After an afternoon raid at Surfway, we are taking off again.  This time only for a few days, and we're staying within the atoll.  We plan to hit Nell and some northern passes.  The boys are hoping for some waves.

And this time we have friends joining us - Gary and Cheryle.  Yay!  I am going to have another girl on the boat again.

The few days we've been home have been great.  I loved getting to catch up with some friends, wish I had time to catch up with everyone, though.  I'll get to it - in December.

Pictures from Jeh

Pictures from Jeh Island in Ailinglaplap Atoll.

This is Selvin, Leonora, and their son, Nervin.  They're a great family who are doing a lot to serve the community on Jeh. 

This big sign used to span across the road entering the school, but the posts on either end were getting rotten and it '"wasn't safe" (in the words of Selvin), so they moved it lower.  It is a THICK/HEAVY piece of wood.

Another pretty sunset with a nice reflection of the masts on the water.

The tuna that we caught with TC's small casting rod (& gave to Tommy).

A colorful and delicious dinner - kind of a hodge podge of leftovers, plus fresh breadfruit trips.  

I love these girls!

We had a fun afternoon.  We played soccer and hit a volleyball around with many of the Jeh children.  TC and Paul led the older kids game, while I led a game with the young kids.

TC and Paul lead the kids down the road, back to the main village, after we finished playing for the day.

Pictures from East-Northeast Ailinglaplap

After a few days at Buoj, we headed to the easternmost/northern part of the atoll.  We tried first to go to Namu Pass and stay there, but after a bumpy night headed across to the calmer eastern side.

TC cutting up the last papaya from Jaluit.  It was delicious!

TC at the Cherokee barber shop.

Oh no!  He's bald!

Beautiful bananas from Buoj.  Thanks to the Horiuchi's. 

TC tries to catch me a pan-sized fish.

This was our anchorage for I think 2 or 3 days.  Gorgeous!

Pictures from Buoj Village

We were at Bouj a village on the southwestern part of Ailinglaplap Island, Ailnglaplap Atoll from September 26 to October 1.  I’d been to this village twice previously and always enjoyed our time there.  Almost four years ago, we had brought a lot of toys and clothes to hand out to the kids, so when we arrived three years ago, they remembered us.  This time, there were still some who remembered us – like Flomina. 

Here I am encouraging a little chick to rejoin its momma and siblings - a long ways away.

A beautiful sunset with the silhouette of the copra/supply ship.

TC has fun in the waves while Paul prepares to go fishing (he'd been surfing previously).  

TC gets a barrel - kind of 

Me with some of the kids on Buoj.  The girl in my right arm got a bit possessive of me.  I didn't like that.  

Group photo  - yay for colors!

This is the playground at the Buoj Headstart program.  I bet they don't have these stateside.  

We wanted to get a shot of this little guy running down the road, but he slowed down.  It's still a cute picture, though.

I love the colors in this picture - it's Ailinglaplap lagoon side.  I like how the guy in the boat is a silhouette.

Another gorgeous sunset.

TC took this picture of me, as I take a picture of Paul.  I think he had 3 lines out.

Pictures from Northern Jaluit

Here are pictures from Imrodj Island in northern Jaluit taken on September 25, 2010.  We headed in to the island thinking that there were lots of ruins from the era of Japanese control, but upon arrival found out it was the island across the pass.  Oops!  Still, we had a good jambo and met some nice people, including Monica, a motivated, energetic, smart World Teach teacher from Seattle.

This huge church is on little Imrodj Island.  It was built by the missionaries on the Morning Star in

Perhaps not appropriate to take a picture of graves, but I think the colors of all the vegetation and angles of the gravestones are beautiful.

Paul heading towards the residential area.

I met a bunch of cute little girls.  

I loved this little wagon, and the little boy made the photo even cuter (note: he is also naked from the waist down, which was kind of funny too).  

This is on the patio of the big church.  The artwork on the porch ceiling was pretty/unique.

Two different types of sailboats.

Cruising Back to Kwaj

We set out from Anil Pass with the intention of going to Bock Pass, just to anchor at the pass for the day, take some pictures, maybe play in the waves.  However, it started to pour and showed no signs of stopping, so we decided to bypass Bock and head straight back to Kwajalein.

For most of the passage, Quincy and I worked together on his homework.  He wanted to stop, but then he looked shocked and dismayed as I reminded him that we'd be returning to Kwajalein.  He said, "I've got to get all this homework done.  I should have been working on this the whole time!"  However, he was a trooper and he got it all done.

The other most exciting part of the trip was when we arrived back and headed in through SAR Pass.  Thankfully Cherokee has only about a 4 feet draft, but I was still a little nervous as I called out the depth (reading the depth gauge) as we swept through the pass.  "15 feet, 14 feet, 13 feet, 12 feet, 11 feet, 10 feet! 9 feet!  9 feet!  8 feet!  8 feet!  8 feet!  7.5 feet!  7.5 feet! 7.5 feet!  7.5 feet!"  I think Quincy could hear the tension in my voice, as he responded by gripping the lines that were hanging by him.  TC remained cool as a cucumber at the helm.

We got back into Kwaj around 11 PM, but by the time we finished our in processing, it was about 12:30 AM when we got home.  We had to wait for the K9 unit to come, so that Carla the new dog could check it out (since we'd been outer atoll).  Plus, we walked home.

Two things I was extremely excited about a 15 minute long HOT, HOT shower followed by sleeping in an air-conditioned environment.  TC woke up this morning and said, "Hey, your face isn't shiny," referring to the fact that most mornings on the boat, I awake with quite the sheen on my forehead.  Isn't he romantic?

Ailinglaplap to Namu Passage

Thursday, October 21, 2010 

We got up fairly early and set sail – or more accurately, turned on the engine since the wind was so light. 

During our travels to Anil Pass (south pass of Namu), we found a big bird pile and caught a baby yellowfin tuna.

Throughout the trip, Quincy and I sang songs.  It's been a long time since I sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Old McDonald," etc.  We even made up our own songs about the trip and all the memories we've made so far.

We arrived to Anil Pass around 4:40 PM. Quincy did not get sick at all on his first open ocean passage.  Yay!  We spent a while reading and hanging out, then around 6 PM, TC, Quincy, and I started exercising and doing yoga.  We did pushups, lunges, jumping jacks, arm weights, side planks, tree pose, downward dog, and more.  Quincy even tried to do the splits.  We also tried to get some jumping pictures as the sun set behind us.  

I am still in awe of the beauty around us.  As the sun set, the sky behind Anil Island was patterned with pink and blue light.  The almost full moon started to rise behind the island, which made for an even more wonderful sight. 

Katchii

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 

We slept in, then TC made a yummy breakfast of pancakes.

We discovered that not only are there mosquitoes at this anchorage, but there are plenty of flies.  All day, we killed flies.  TC and Quincy were the main flykillers.  Quincy had fun stalking the flies, smacking them, and "feeding them to the fishes."  He was quite proud of his abilities and his job.

After lunch, we headed to shore.  I really enjoyed our walk, as the road was quite shady with a pretty constant view of the lagoon through the trees.  Plus the wind was blowing across the lagoon and provided us with a cool breeze. We discovered that most people live on the lagoon side, which once the trades start up will no longer be quite as cool, but it will be protected.  We met teachers Walden "as in Walden Pond" and Jack.  They've only been here since September.  Before that, there had been no school on the island for over 10 years.  Families had to move to Wotja or Airek to get their kids a school.  They currently have about 20 kids.

Chien, who we had met the evening before, found us and led the way to his house, where he served us delicious coconuts.  I am wondering if perhaps I am acquiring a tasted for coconuts since I'm learning to be able to drink more and more of them.  After we drank our coconuts, TC cracked them so that we could feed the geese and chickens.  As soon as they heard the coconut being cracked, they ran towards TC.  It was a pretty funny sight.  The geese ate the coconut meat pretty darn fast.  They were like typewriters 

And we finally found out why there are geese on so many islands.  They are pets with a purpose.  They are aggressive enough and large enough to attack/eat/scare rats.  The cats do nothing. They said they didn't know what they'd do without the geese 

I got in some jumping pictures with kids.  I have to thank Alex for giving us something to do that brings out so much happiness in the kids. There are always lots of smiles and laughing when we're doing jumping pictures.  Later, when the same kids ran into John, Paul, and Quincy, they saw that they had cameras and automatically started jumping up and down.     

As we were leaving, we checked out the fish drying in the sun.  Their fly deterrent is old VHS tape waving in the breeze on sticks.  It worked okay (there were still quite a few flies on the drying fish).  

TC and I left the island, so that we could go play in the waves.  He swam/snorkeled and I kayaked.  We planned to swap while we were out there.  I made sure to have my booties on.  I had so much fun surfing on the waves in the kayak.  I was laughing constantly, even when I wiped out and got smacked in the head/neck by the kayak.  Because I was having so much fun, TC decided to let me use the kayak the whole time.  On the swim back, the current going out was pretty strong, so TC got quite a workout.  Halfway back, he decided to climb in the kayak with me since the current was so strong, he was at a standstill.  He had tried standing up and found he couldn't stay standing. 

Bye Bye Buoj Again

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Since the waves died, we decided to give John and Quincy and change in scenery.  Before we left, we wanted to go into Buoj to sell fuel to Lee & Flomina, and to say goodbye.  They had bought/brought a new truck to Buoj 5 months ago, then fuel stopped coming on the supply ships. 

When we got to their house, we found Lee working on his outrigger canoe.  He was giving it new coats of paint.  Of course, we got some pictures. 

Flomina gave me a woven bag as a goodbye gift.  I love the size of it and I love the fact that she made it herself – now I can remember her every time I use it.  She was still not feeling 100%, but she loved Quincy.  Lee did too.  They were both delighted every time Quincy tried his Marshallese skills. 

TC told me he was going for a walk.  He went to find Bender.  He did find him and told him that he offended me, and that he cannot talk to women like that. Bender said that he was sorry, he did it because he was very drunk.  So then TC told him if he would like the chance to apologize to me.  He came down in his truck and apologized to me.  TC told him that we had friends who when they drank too much they did bad things, so they stopped drinking.

We set sail for Mezetchoku Pass, but didn't stay because it was too windy and too bumpy.  We'll probably go back another time.  We then motored down to Berangu Pass.  In front of Katchii island, there were some small waves breaking, so Quincy, John, and TC had fun in the waves on the kayak and SUP.  Quincy caught a couple waves with his Dad on the SUP before transferring to the kayak with TC.  Quincy learned how to protect himself during kayak crashes (covering his head), as well as how to duck dive in the waves while waiting for TC to upright the kayak.  I attempted to take pictures.  Probably 40% are in focus, but I was pretty far away on a bobbing boat.

While watching the guys play, I also took pictures of some of the island kids who were on a palm tree log seesaw.  It's a pretty neat picture since they are only on one side of the tree, there is a rock in the middle, and I think the other half of the tree is rooted

I wanted to go kayak and play in waves, but forgot my booties and it was shallow.  I wiped out once and had to be very careful not to cut my feet up.  Thankfully TC paddled over to help me out.  After that I decided I better stay out of the waves for now. 

TC and I went to shore for just a short while to say hi.  I was feeling bad that we hadn't gone in yet.  We weren't trying to ignore them, but wanted to take advantage of high tide. 

While we went to shore, Paul went out fishing.  He caught a pretty big dogtooth.  He offered to give half to the Marshallese guy who was out fishing in his outrigger sailing canoe (he hadn't caught anything). 

That night TC and I tried to redeem ourselves for the previous night's awful dinner, we made spinach and garlic, artichoke hearts, and sun-dried tomato pizza on whole wheat crust. 

Then we played Scrabble after a yummy dinner of pizza.  John totally creamed us all.  Of course, it didn't help me that my teammate (Quincy) was our team's tile-picker and he used his eyes to pick us out all big point letters – like Q, V, P, Z, B, M, etc. (ie: no vowels) - he was trying to help us get big points.  Eventually we caught on and told him that he had to choose randomly (with his eyes closed).  

We also used mosquito nets for first time as we discovered that even though we were pretty far from shore, the mosquitoes found us.

Water Day

Monday, October 18, 2010 

We woke up and Paul, Johnny, and Quincy were out fishing.  They were out for quite a while.  They triumphantly returned with an aku.  They'd gotten an ono strike too, but it got away.  However, the way it shook itself free was probably pretty cool since Paul said it jumped in the air to get rid of the lure.  I am quite envious of the fact that they hung out with a school of dolphins for quite a while, and they were right in front of the dinghy showing off their jumps and flips. 

TC and I headed in to shore around 11, so that we could say hello to Flomina and Lee.  We usually like to go to shore in the late afternoon, but that was when the tides were best for surfing.  We also wanted to bring in the half of the aku that Paul was sharing with them. 

When we went in, we couldn't find Flomina or Lee, so we wandered over to the school where we knew that Flomina's sister is the principal there.  Lucky for us, school was getting out for lunch.  It was fun to chat with some of the kids. 

Flomina's sister helped us find Flomina.  Unfortunately, Flomina was really sick.  She had the flu, but she wanted us to stay and visit with her.  She said that she and her husband were excited to see our boat come back since their friends were back.  We also chatted with Claire (World Teach) for a bit.  It took her 4 different antiobiotics to get rid of the ear infection that she had the last time we were at Buoj, and ended up being in Majuro for much longer than she had expected. 

After our visit with Flomina, we moved the boat across the lagoon, so that Quincy and I could get a better view of the guys surfing.  Unfortunately, there were not any waves due to a reduction in swell, as well as a bad wind direction.  Paul snorkeled for a bit and found a big Napoleon wrasse.  Then Paul took Quincy and John in the dinghy to do a drift snorkel (the current quickly carried them back to the boat).  TC and I headed into the water too.  I got some paddling practice in with one of TC's smaller boards while TC snorkeled/swam beside me.  (It is a lot of work to paddle!)  I did have a mask around my neck so that I could snorkel once we got near the Napoleon wrasse.  As I paddled, TC noticed a smallish white tip shark that was very curious and not afraid.  It kept coming fairly close to the surface to investigate us.  That made me nervous, but TC kept an eye on it (and even he said it was interesting at how much he stayed near us).  We also saw a pretty big grouper and the Napoleon wrasse.

That night TC and I made our first dinner that we thought was just awful.  We were going for something different, so we broke out the Lachoy "Beef Pepper Oriental" since it had beef and quite a few vegetables.  I know, how could we expect to beef in a can to taste a good?  We tried to dress it up, but nothing really helped. As soon as we opened the "beef and sauce" can, I knew it was going to be bad. Oh well.  One bad meal out of many isn't too horrible.  Still, I apologize to Paul, Quincy and John for the awful meal.  

Back to Bouj

Saturday, October 16, 2010 

We heard there was going to be a big (relative to what we'd seen so far) south swell, so we headed back to Bouj.  On the way there, Paul caught two fish – dogtooth and ono.  Quincy almost pulled one in too (we think an ono), but it fell off the line as soon as it got near the boat.

As we sailed down, we encountered a couple small fronts with some rain.  Quincy and I got seasick.  Unfortunately, he threw up, slept, threw up some more, and then threw up again.  However, he shed no tears – quite the trooper.  Plus, we all appreciated that he let us know when he was going to be sick, so that we could get him a bucket or get him to the side of the boat.  I slept so I wouldn't get sick. 

After we anchored at the south pass, the reunited Cherokee boys headed out for surf.  Quincy & I hung out on boat, sent out mail on SSB, played on the Leapster, watched surf through the binoculars, looked for fish under the boat, and snacked.  It was an eventful afternoon for all.  And I really wish that there had been Leapsters around when I was Quincy's age.  I had a little electronic spelling game, but there was no color and no pictures.  I also had one of those push multiplication tables (not electronic at all, but the kind with the springs).  Of course, I had fun with both of them back then, but a Leapster would have been really fun. 

It poured the entire night.  There may have been a few periods lasting mere minutes that were dry, but for the most part it rained.  I'm not talking about a drizzle either, there was a consistent pounding on the roof.  TC had to go out and empty the dinghy 2 times.  There was a ton of lightning and thunder.  I also always get a little nervous when there is close thunder and lightning - it is one thing when you're in a house, but on a boat on the water is slightly scarier to me.

The Arrival of Friends

Friday, October 15, 2010 

 Morning was spent reading – as usual.

After lunch, we went to pick up John (an original Cherokee boy) and Quincy (his six year old son) who would be joining us for about a week.  Unfortunately, we missed the plane's actual arrival since it was actually on time.  We had been expecting it to be late.  After all, they were flying Air Marshall Islands (AMI pronounced AMY), which is often referred to as Air Maybe. 

I was delighted to receive their gifts of green beans, carrots, asparagus, and sweet potatoes, as well as some other necessities like oatmeal, triscuits, powdered milk, and pancake mix.

We all hung out and chatted on the boat for a while.  Then in late afternoon, we went to shore to swim with the kids for the last time for a few weeks.  It was fun to see one of the mothers come out to use the kayak and stand up paddle board.  We all swam together until after sunset – over two hours.  Quincy had a lot of fun playing with the kids, especially Sullivan. 

We said our goodbyes and told them that we would probably see them in November.  As we were leaving, Beethleen asked if we could bring back a mosquito net since she said it is often hard to sleep due to all the mosquitoes.  We had given her Dad a mosquito net on our last trip to Jeh – he lives apart from the rest of the family in a separate hut.  Hopefully we can order more nets to deliver to them.  Then she asked if we could bring a volleyball and a volleyball net for the school. 

We paddled back to the boat in almost darkness.  After the kayaks and SUP were hauled up on deck, Quincy and I found phosphorescence on the SUP board.  Even though I am quite a few years older than Quincy, we both found it super cool.  We even put it on our fingers and our fingers were glowing.  Then when we wiped our fingers back on the board, wherever we dragged our fingers lit up like a glowstick. 

We all took salt water showers.  Quincy showed that he can adapt to boat life quite well.  He was a little scared to jump in the water (in the dark) to rinse, but once I jumped in, he did too.

We ended the day with a dinner of homemade whole wheat tortillas, beans, rice, cheese & the last of the dogtooth.  

A Baking Fiend

Thursday, October 14, 2010  

It was a day of baking and reading.  I spent most of the morning baking pumpkin bread and chocolate cake for the two families who have given us so much – bread, breadfruit chips, coconuts, etc.  I am still learning how to use our oven, and I don't think I can ever complain about our kitchen oven making it hot.  Baking on the boat in the middle of the day makes it really hot. 

I made grilled cheese for lunch with the bread that Tommy's wife (Mina) baked for us.  Why is this noteworthy?  it's been so nice having BREAD!  (We ran out of it a while ago and are even getting near the end of our own flour, so not making bread for ourselves much).

We went in for a short while in the evening to deliver our baked goods to the Horiuchi family (Tommy's) and then we went over to Junior's family to deliver the second set of baked goods.  I hope that they liked them.

Changing Sails

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 

Today, we did more boatwork.  Actually, mainly TC and Paul did this chore.  They changed out the genoa sail – from our larger one to the smaller one.

We read some more.  Surprised? 

Late in the afternoon, we went in to play with kids.  Paul played soccer.  After he finished playing soccer, I played tickle monster.  I tickled them and chased them around – barefoot and in a string bikini top under my long sleeve shirt – not comfy.  However, all the sprints must have been good for me since my legs were sore the next day.  I haven't done sprints in quite a while. 

We got some jumping pictures in, which was fun.  

Some of the kids told us that some families had food to give to us.  TC was off on the SUP scoping out where would be a good place to take the dinghy in to pick up Quincy and John in a few days.  So Paul and I paddled down the beach to another group of families.  We both ended up with extra passengers since the kids so enjoy riding in the kayak.  Took Malina and Sullivan, then Malina back in kayak.

The families presented us with two different types of breadfruit chips.  Both were delicious.  One set was sliced thinly, so the chips were super crunchy.  The other chips were big, thick cross-sections of breadfruit that were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.   We hung out there for a while, but then we started to get bit by tons of mosquitoes, so we thanked them again and headed back out to the boat. 

While we were making dinner, Tommy paddled out to present us with a huge loaf of bread that his wife had baked.  It was probably 20" long.  He also brought out more breadfruit chips.  We cannot get enough breadfruit chips.  They are so yummy. 

Turtles and Phosphorescence

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Another lazy day – finished one book, then read two others throughout the day.

TC and I also finished our work on the boom.  Then checked our work by raising the sail at the different reefing points to make sure that we really had put the cheek blocks in the right spot.  It looked like it'll work.

While we were finishing this project, Jason and Gabriel (two kids) came out on the kayak.  (Paul had brought it in to shore to play soccer with the kids.)  They came on board to chat.  As they were out there, it started to get a little windy as a front passed to the southeast of us.  Jason asked, "Do you think that when we leave, we might get blown away?"  I told him that I thought they'd be fine since the front wasn't going to hit us.

Later, as I continued to read and TC worked out, he spotted a turtle, and this time I actually caught a glimpse of it.  

After a delicious dinner of homemade tortillas, we read.  When we went out to shower and get ready for bed, we saw that there was a TON of phosphorescence, which was surprising because it was not too windy, so it wasn't as if the water was being agitated.  TC went and got a kayak paddle and dragged it through the water, which lit up like crazy.  Every time he moved the paddle, it looked like the Milky Way followed in its wake.  

Oh How I've Missed Boat Work

Monday, October 11, 2010 

TC and I woke up to the smell of banana pancakes, thanks to Paul.  They were eaten with peanut butter and nutella or honey since we are at the end of our syrup. 

I had planned to spend another day reading, but TC had other ideas.  It seems so long ago that we discovered that we couldn't properly reef our main sail.  Columbus Day turned out to be the day that we, mainly TC, remedied that.  I served as the right-hand-girl – holding stuff while he measured, going to get tools/supplies, cleaning up after epoxying, etc.  We also used epoxy to fill in some dings on the SUP board and one of TC's surfboards, one of Paul's fishing rods, and then one of the steps on the main mast. 

Luckily for me, I was busy sending/receiving our messages while TC finished up the project by installing the new cheek blocks.  This is the messiest part of the job since it involves sealant.  I think he just felt bad for me since I'd clumsily smacked my head into the boom, and then an hour later ran face first into the edge of a sunshade.  I am very clumsy sometimes, and it occasionally hurts enough to bring tears.

Paul and Tommy went out fishing in the dinghy.  They came home around dark with a big dogtooth, a big uku or job fish, a couple mackerels, a rainbow runner, and an ulua.  Paul told Tommy that he could have all the fish, if we could have half the dogtooth.  Tommy was really happy when Paul offered to store his share of the dogtooth in our fridge, so they could have cold sashimi tomorrow.  

SSB Post 23 - Dragging

Sunday, October 10, 2010 - Dragging

In the evening, Paul went out for a kayak paddle in the lagoon. He brought along his fishing pole. He joked that he was going to get a workout, if he hoped to paddle fast enough to troll.

Not five minutes after he left, a huge storm came upon us. We saw Paul was closer to shore, so we knew he'd be okay. The wind was blowing like crazy, enough to make smoke appear on the water. Then the anchor started to drag. The engine started like a champ (yes!), & TC appreciated that we had a windlass, as we got the anchor up fairly quickly.

We then attempted to re-anchor - TC up on the bow, in charge of dropping the anchor; me in the cockpit, attempting to steer. Every time I popped my head out of the dodger to try and hear what TC said, the rain would stab me in the eye (or that is what it felt like). The wind was blowing so hard, I needed "step on the gas" to keep us going forward, which made the boat very quick to react to any steering changes. I am not used to that when anchoring - normally, the engine is at low RPMs, so I can slowly maneuver.

I saw Paul paddling up to us. However, as he kept paddling, we kept moving farther away - there was a huge coral head behind us on the port side. He actually paddled past the boat & watched as TC set the anchor.

As the wind continued to bow, we started to make dinner - curry with the bananas that are like potatoes (gifts from one of the families on our Saturday sail). We weren't 10 minutes into making dinner when the anchor started to drag - again. We turned the stove off, & all headed outside. With a sense of relief, I handed off the job of steering to TC. Paul was on anchor duty. And I was at the back of the boat using my skills to be a human bumper - making sure the dinghy didn't run into the boat when we drift back or go into reverse. It doesn't sound like a tough job, but since the wind was blowing so hard, Cherokee was pretty much constantly trying to attack the dinghy.

We set the anchor down again. It then started to drag, but thankfully, it eventually caught something (most likely a coral head). Apparently, the ground here isn't very sandy.

We were finally able to cook our dinner, which turned out very well. I think putting those bananas in the curry is probably the best way to eat them. They still retained their unique flavor, which added to the tastiness of our curry concoction.

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SSB Post 22 - Sunday Visitors

Sunday, October 10, 2010 - Sunday Visitors

I spent most of the day reading, I guess. Is it sad that I don't really know where the day went? It seems that the longer the trip goes on, the more the days stay the same. This isn't really a problem, but I feel that I should be more active. Oh well, time enough to be active upon our return. For now, I'll take advantage of my reading time.

In the afternoon, we had a visit from the fisherman to whom TC & I had given our fish (cava cava). We learned that his name is Tommy & that he is the brother of Lee Horiuchi who we met on Buoj. He paddled up with this four kids and a bag of coconuts and bananas. Yay fresh fruit! We gave them a tour of the boat & sat on the deck & chatted. I brought out peanut butter crackers and cheese crackers for the kids, which they devoured with shy smiles on their faces.

I was also struck by the thought that in the States, or even on Kwaj, I'd ask the parents if their kid had any peanut butter allergies. It doesn't seem to be a problem here. A lot of people eat their pancakes with peanut butter on them - or perhaps that is just what they have offered us.

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SSB Post 21 - Saturday Sail

Saturday, October 9, 2010

We hung out on the boat in the AM - reading. It's a good thing we all enjoy reading, or we'd be a very unhappy group of people.

I made banana bread from the last of the bananas that the Horiuchi's (from Bouj) gave us. I used one of Paul's Mom's recipes from the McGrew Family Cookbook. I did have to be a little creative since I lacked the yogurt that the recipe called for (I made do with rice milk).

Around 3, Paul went in to round up passengers for our afternoon sail. I am sure the adults enjoyed the actual sail, & the kids did as well - for about 15 minutes, then they were bored. They kept asking if they could go swim & use the kayaks or the paddle board. I told them they'd have to wait till we were at anchor. A few of the kids did help put up the sails & steer the boat, which put smiles on their faces & kept them engaged (for as long as they were doing their task).

The little one, Teline, kept walking along the outer edge of the boat, and was constantly getting reprimanded by the older kids, the women, and me. Haha. Poor girl. She is such a cutie, though!

After we got back, some of the adults and kids headed back to shore. The rest stayed behind to play in the water - jumping off the boat or paddling around in one of the kayaks or on the board. We took a lot of pictures. Plus, it was fun to watch the kids gain more confidence & be willing to jump further & further from the ladder.

TC taught Malina how to dive. She was so brave. She started off kneeling, then pretty soon, she was standing and jumping to dive.

One of the adult women, Rosetina, asked if she could try the stand up paddleboard. She almost wiped out jumping down to get on it (she jumped too far onto the rear of it), but she hung in there, crawled to the front, & didn't actually ever fall off. She started paddling from a seated position, but she got brave enough to stand up later.

One little guy, Gabriel, who'd come out after our sail via a ride on a kayak that had gone all the way into shore, was very patient. You could see that he wanted to jump, but that he didn't trust himself to be able to swim. Pretty soon, I got him to jump off the back of the boat, right near the ladder. Later, TC & him held hands as they jumped off the front of the boat, then Gabriel scrambled to get on TC's back and they swam to the ladder together. It was an adorable scene.

Finally, as the sun was setting (around 7 PM), we decided that the kids had to go. Poor Gabriel was shivering, & I was getting cold too. Paul got out some peanut butter crackers and cheese crackers to give them as treats to take away. He said that on the ride back, he asked Jason (who speaks the most English) what was his favorite part of the day - he said, "The cookies."

It was a great day. It fills us with joy to watch others have so much fun and to share in that fun too!

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SSB Post 20 - Soccer at SDA

Thursday, October 7, 2010

It was yet another rainy day, which makes me happy since it means that I can do laundry, shave, and wash my hair without feeling any guilt.

By mid-afternoon, it was still cloudy and sprinkling, but we decided to go in. We'd told the kids we'd be there, so I'd hate to disappoint them. We paddled to shore, TC & I chose to go barefoot since we knew the path was pretty muddy. Plus usually there are at least a few kids without shoes.

When we got to shore, there were already kids waiting for us (from the public school). We started our trek down to the SDA school, about a mile away. Some of the kids were pretty young/small, some didn't have shoes, but that didn't stop them. Paul & a couple of the kids jogged down, while TC & I brought up the rear with some of the smaller and/or barefoot kids.

TC and Paul played more of a real game with the older kids, while I took the younger kids for our own game. My kiddos didn't understand as much English, so we couldn't get many of the rules out besides "jab be" (no hands) and they knew enough to get the ball in the opposing goal (or two coconuts). To make it easier to know who was on which team, & to their enthusiastic agreement, I split the teams into boys versus girls. My group also lost interest after about 30 minutes, but that was okay. Our short game was full of shrieking and much laughter, especially when a flip-flop would go flying (this happened often during a kick). After our "game," we alternated between hitting a volleyball around and trapping and passing drills with the soccer ball.

Meanwhile, TC and Paul continued their more organized game. The kids had a lot of fun and Veronica, the young Marshallese teacher, even played.

Basically the entire time, it drizzled, but that was okay. Everyone had fun. I had planned to get a big group jumping picture at the SDA school, but the inclement weather made me decided to leave the big camera on the boat. Another time.

As we were leaving, Selvin told us that they really appreciated the mosquito net because now he can sleep with his wife and son (the net we gave them was larger than the twin size one they had previously, as well as without big holes). And he didn't need to light a mosquito coil to not get eaten while he was sleeping, which would help them all breathe easier. That made me/us happy.

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SSB Post 19 - Run on Jeh

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Another rainy day.

Around 4 PM, we decided to head in to the island to get some exercise. Plus, Paul had gone to shore yesterday & said that one of the kids was asking about us. He said it was Swinton's sister, & I was pretty sure that I knew which girl he was talking about. I'd been looking for her earlier, but hadn't seen her on the last trip to shore.

As we got to shore, there was Beethleen - Swinton's half sister. She remembered us & I remembered her. I had brought a bunch of pictures to shore for her and her family - to thank them for their generosity on our last trip. It was fun to look through them with her & identify all the people in them. Some have moved (to Majuro and Ebeye), but quite a few were still there.

After the guys started kicking around the soccer ball with them, I decided to go for a run to the SDA school, so that I could get some exercise, as well as deliver a gift to Selvin's family. When I got there, only Nervin & Leonora were there. I dropped off a bunch of bananas (we have a whole stalk of ripe bananas that we are trying very hard not to let go to waste), as well as one of the old mosquito nets from the boat. (Their one and only mosquito net fits a twin size bed and has holes.) She was delighted. It was fun to chat with her. I asked her if there was anything the school needed, she said pencils and basically any school supplies. I asked her what she missed the most living on the outer islands, she said she missed vegetables and fruit.

I ran back to the TC, Paul, & the kids thoroughly enjoying the view. The main road on Jeh lies along the lagoon, so it is quite scenic. We played some soccer & volleyball with the kids, which was a lot of fun. As it got dark, we decided to head back to the boat. The kids gave us a gift of a huge bag of coconuts, but we told them we'd just take one each since we still have lots on the boat. I felt bad about that, but I don't want them to go to waste, especially since it is so much work to get them & they seem to enjoy them so much too. Patrick (guy Paul had met on his earlier trips to shore & TC & I met him on our last trip) showed up right before we left with a bag of still warm breadfruit chips. YUM. These were really thick pieces too. We had them as a side for our dinner tonight.

All in all, it was a pretty great day. We made a date to go play soccer with the kids at the SDA school tomorrow during their PE (last period of the day, I checked with Leonora for an okay) & then the kids who go to the other school will come down after too. It should be fun. And I will bring the big camera, so we can get some jumping pics in.

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SSB Post 18 - Rainy Days Make for Good Fishing

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

It rained early in the morning, so we slept in till about 9:30 when we realized it was about to rain again. TC and I decided that it was laundry time. The main thing we wanted to wash was our sheets. Sheets are pretty time and water consuming to wash.

In the afternoon, TC and I went fishing in the dinghy since there was a big boil going on right behind the boat. We'd seen smaller size fish jumping out and hoped to catch a pan-size fish that I could eat. Plus, TC had been wanting to have some fun with his little casting rod. I drove the boat, while he cast. On his second cast, he got a bite! It turned into a much longer fight than TC anticipated. The fish spooled out almost the whole line, TC got all excited and yelled, "Follow the line, I'm almost out!" I prayed that my dinghy driving skills wouldn't lose us the fish and the line.

TC didn't want to force the fish too much since it seemed bigger than his 8 lb test line could handle. Eventually, he started pulling in the line by hand, while I reeled it in. When we finally got our fish up, it was a very tired cava cava. He was also much bigger than we'd been trying for - about the same size as the aku we'd been catching the other day.

Since we already had a ton of fish in the fridge, and when we tried to let our fish go, he was too tired to even swim (basically dead), we decided to give away our catch. We spotted a man bottom-fishing from his outrigger canoe and decided to ask him if he wanted our fish. We asked him if he wanted a fish, and he said yes, but was looking at us kind of warily. Then when we got up close, TC held up the fish and the guy got a big smile on his face as he said, "A tuna!" Giving the fish away was as much fun, if not more, than catching it.

We ended the day with a delicious dinner concocted by TC out of somewhat random items that we still have. It turned into a yummy casserole - canned spinach, Mexi-corn, leftover beans, leftover rice, some corn tortillas, stale Townhouse crackers, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, tomato paste, cheese, and various spices. I am not sure we could recreate it if we tried.

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SSB Post 17 - Jeh Jambo

Monday, October 4, 2010

We woke up and decided to move to Jeh Island, which is the northernmost island in Ailinglaplap. TC, Paul, and Johnny came here over 10 years ago, and TC, Chris, Swinton, Alex, and I came here almost three years ago.

We hung out on the boat for the hottest part of the day - reading our books. We are doing a lot of reading on this trip, and I am not complaining.

Paul was the first to head on to the island, but I wasn't at a stopping point in my book yet, so TC and I headed in almost an hour later. TC and I remembered that there is a lot of coral close to shore and it would probably be near dark when we returned, so we didn't take the dinghy. Paul had paddled in on a kayak, TC and I paddled in on the other kayak and the stand up board.

It was fun to see one of the boys we had met the last time we were here. We came across him, as he and another boy were pushing a huge cart of coconuts. Now that is a big chore - not only to load up the cart (it was at least twice the size of the average wheelbarrow), but to push it back to their home.

We saw some men carving out new outriggers, so we stopped to chat. One of them was the doctor that we had met on our last trip, who so graciously provided outrigger sailing canoes for our memorable afternoon. He even remembered us! The new canoes they were building were about the same size as the ones we had sailed on. He said it takes them about three months, if they don't run out of any of the necessary supplies.

We asked Morten (the doctor) about Selvin, the Filipino pastor of the SDA church. He told us that Selvin had moved down to the SDA school, so TC and I decided to jambo on that way. When we got there, it didn't appear anyone was around, so we just refreshed ourselves with the layout of the campus. I saw class schedules posted on the wall. TC saw that Selvin and a woman named Leonora had the same last name and said, "Selvin must have gotten married."

We went towards the apartment on campus and found not only Selvin, but also Paul, as well as Selvin's wife Leonora and his new son Nerman (7 months old). He said that since there was no American teacher this year, he had moved from the Pastor's house near the church to this apartment at the school. They live a very simple life - three mattresses on the floor, a little two-burner propane stove, two plastic chairs, a small table. However, you can tell they love each other and are very happy.

Selvin told us that not long after we left 2.5 years ago, they had a famine where the island ran out of food for about two months because no planes or boats came (they're supposed to come 4 months a year). He said that the food we had brought from Ebeye, as well as the cans we gave him when we left were what helped. He told us no young coconuts could be found on island since everyone was eating them for food. He said he's learned his lesson and now keeps a 5 month supply of food on hand, but that it's hard because it's very expensive to buy 5 months of food at once. (He and his family live on a small stipend.)

As we were walking back to the boat, Patrick, a man Paul had talked to earlier in the day, stopped us to give us a bag of coconuts. Just another example of the kind and generous people that the Marshalls has to offer.

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SSB Post 16 - Reading and Relaxation

Sunday, October 3, 2010

We were awoken in the early AM hours by the sound of the wind generator, his Chewbacca-esque noises alerted us to the likely arrival of rain. Sure enough, after about five minutes, it started to pour. Yay! I wonder if I will forever treasure the gift of rain after this trip. I hope so.

TC was probably up for an hour emptying the pots into our big water jug, making sure it got totally full. We've been doing a pretty good job of staying hydrated, so we go through quite a bit of drinking water.

Thanks to the rain and thick clouds, we slept in until after 9 AM. TC and Paul might have gotten up earlier if not for the wind, which would have messed up any existing swell.

It was cool enough for coffee and tea in the AM. Yay!

I finished reading another book, Rumors of Another World by Philip Yancey. He's the author of one of my favorite books ever - What's So Amazing About Grace? I've read that book at least 3 times and will read it many more. It helps remind me of what "grace" really is. More on that in a separate post on books that I've read.

When there is not that much to do, life around here is pretty darn relaxing.

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SSB Post 15 - Another Still Day

Saturday, October 2, 2010

TC and I awoke and jumped in the water for a paddle and swim. He swims while I paddle, then we switch. The snorkeling here is some of my favorite so far. There is a ton of coral, and healthy coral, at probably only 10 to 15 feet, so you can see the colors really well. There is a great diversity and abundance of fish, which is always nice. Makes the swim a bit more interesting. Plus, I found 5 clams, three of which were embedded in a big piece of golden-colored brain coral. I just love the vibrance of the colors; even when it's a brownish color, the color seems to pulsate with life.

On our way back to the boat, TC and I tested our balance by me sitting on the board, as he paddled. Once we got back to the boat, we took our saltwater shower since we were already salty. I was bummed when TC saw a sea turtle that I missed out on. It's the first one of the trip (I think).

We had a delicious brunch courtesy of TC - homemade hash browns (the shredded kind), warm baking powder biscuits, scrambled eggs, and cheese. Plus, TC made homemade granola for snacks and later breakfasts. Even without fresh fruits and veggies, we are eating pretty well.

The rest of the day we read, did logic puzzles, and attempted to catch fish with the casting rod when we heard splashes around the boat.

After dinner, we watched the first half of a made for TV movie - Broken Trail - with Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church. It's a western, so not my usually fare, but pretty good.

After the movie, TC and I laid in the hammocks and watched for shooting stars. He saw one, but I missed it. I did see one later while I was brushing my teeth. Yippee!

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SSB Post 14 - Today I Scalped My Husband

Friday, October 1, 2010

After moving to our new anchorage, we had a pretty lazy day. I sent out mail. I mistakenly sent out too many out at once and used up our time. Oops. I should have spaced out some of the blog/update e-mails of mine and Paul's. Now we'll have to wait a couple days to send/receive.

The rest of the day we read, ate, and napped. The most excitement happened at the end of the day.

Around 5 PM, TC decided that before we went out swimming and paddling, he wanted to cut his hair. Then he asked me to shave his head - with a razor. Yikes. I said, "What if I cut you?" He said, "You shave your legs without cutting yourself." So, I was a good wife and shaved his head.

And I did not really scalp him. I didn't even nick him. It just felt like I was scalping him at times since I am pretty sure the razor was dull, so I felt as if I was dragging it across his head at times.

I told him that now his scalp matches the color of his butt - pretty darn white!

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