SSB Post 43 - Heading North

Wednesday, 12/1/2010

We started the morning with a beautiful sunrise and an early visit from Walden and Kien. Walden was returning our DVDs & bringing more gifts of shells. Kien was bringing us two lobster that he had caught, as well as a big glass ball as a present. They had coffee with Paul, TC, & Geoff. I thought about getting up, but the fact that there were mosquitoes just sitting in wait all along the outside of my mosquito net made me hesitate. Watching TC get out of bed, then being promptly attacked made up my mind. I'd stay in the safety of my net.

Around 8 AM, we picked up anchor and motored away towards Namu Atoll. At first, there was no wind at all, but there was a bit of a swell. Elli & Timo made yummy banana burritos with leftover tortillas and the gift of bananas from Buoj. Poor Elli started to feel seasick while cooking below, so she had to wait a couple hours before being able to eat her breakfast.

Paul, Timo, and Geoff spent the first part of the passage playing cribbage (after the fishing lines were put out, of course).

The wind did pick up some later, which Geoff, always the conscientious sailor noticed first. This allowed us to raise the main, roll out the genoa, & switch off the engine. It's always nice to just sail instead of motor-sailing - so much more peaceful. When the engine is on, I don't even bother to put music on.

We haven't caught any fish yet, though Paul saw a bunch of mahi mahi jumping around & chasing the lures. Okay, as I type this, we just got a fish on . . . and it's an uku. Paul released it since we already have a fridge full of yellowfin. Though we put a dent in it last night when Paul marinated and seared some big steaks for everyone (but me, I had some of TC's).

It's about 4 PM and we're nearing Anil Pass, where we'll anchor for the night. I think everyone is happy that it is early enough that we can get a snorkel in before dark.

Tomorrow, we'll pick up anchor again & head to Bock Pass further north.

SSB Post 42 - Goodbye Katiej

Wednesday, 12/01/2010

Yesterday, in the late afternoon, Geoff, Paul, TC and I headed in to Katchii (which I've now learned is spell Katiej) to say goodbye. We emptied out the boat of all the items we'd brought to give as gifts & hadn't yet given away or had been saving for Kateij. We brought paint, magazines, mosquito nets, flashlights, batteries, & a few more clothes, as well as fruit leather strips (thanks Anne!), Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Roll Ups for the kids. Also for the kids, we brought in the Breen's donations - toy cars, plastic sheets with roads on them, a Nerf football, a hacky sack, a yo yo, Kerplunk, & a little soccerball.

I had fun helping the kids figure out how to eat a fruit roll up (one girl was eating the plastic, as well as the sticky fruit), as well as playing with the cars with them (Vroom! Vroom!), throwing the football around, attempting to show them how to use the hacky sack (I'm not very good), how to play Kerplunk, and jumping rope.

We headed over to the school. They seated us inside and then lit a mosquito coil behind us (much appreciated as the mosquitoes on this island are nuts). Then the kids and their parents came in singing and presented us with so may gifts - necklaces, shells, purses, many flowers for my hair, many coconuts in woven baskets, a papaya, & plantain chips.

Then Walden gave a speech saying that what they were giving us was not enough to equal what we gave, but they hoped we would know that they really appreciated all that we had given to them.

TC gave a little speech saying that we had really appreciated their hospitality and being able to jambo all over the island. Paul made sure to remind everyone that all we did was collect and bring stuff to Kateij, but it was the people of Kwajalein who actually donated the items.

Then the kids sang another song for us. They were much more forceful/less shy than the first time they tried to sing for us - when we handed out the clothes. You could tell they had practiced some, so felt they could sing with authority. Plus, they were probably more used to us.

While all this was going on, I was freaking out because I was trying to figure out how best to hand out the mosquito nets. Then I realized that there were 6 ladies and I had 6 nets (albeit one was slightly smaller). Problem solved. Next time, we definitely need to bring more nets, as there is no way the whole family could fit under one.

After speech giving and singing was over, it was refreshment time - coconuts and plantain chips. Between stuffing my mouth, I went around handing out the nets. The ladies didn't know what they were at first, but after pulling them out of the stuff sacks, their faces lit up. It was great to see how excited they were about the nets. While I handed out mosquito nets and some of our last clothes to the ladies, the guys handed out flashlights, paint batteries, & fish hooks to the men.

As we were leaving, Walden's wife walked me to shore and thanked me/us for bringing their things from Medyil Island. She was particularly happy to have received her wok.

Right before we got to our dinghy (where we were attacked my mosquitos - there were actual swarms around us), Kien stopped us to ask if we would give him money for lobsters - if he could catch them. We told him that we would. He said he could use the money to buy rice.

The people of Katiej were so generous and friendly. I can't wait to go back & visit again, and I'll make sure I bring more mosquito nets.

SSB Post 41 - Party Time for Cherokee

Tuesday, 11/30/2010

Yesterday was chore day on Cherokee!

Actually, first, TC, Paul, & Geoff went in to shore and delivered tons of Walden's household goods - a huge box of clothes, paper for the school, a solar panel, & a couple other boxes. Walden moved across the lagoon this past summer, and couldn't bring much in a small boat.

Then, we moved to a different anchorage - right across from Katchii to Berangu Island. We moved next door to a 100+ foot monohull. TC & Paul had dropped off about 50 lbs of yellowfin to them the night before (our fridge can only take so much), & invited them for dinner. They invited us for cocktails on their boat before hand.

So, before we had seven guests over, we decided to clean house. Cherokee hasn't looked so good since we put her in the water. Plus, the pump for our freshwater was leaking. Geoff was the main maintenance man for that project.

Then, we all got to work prepping for dinner. The day before Paul and TC had made poke to serve as an appetizer. We decided our main course would be fish tacos. TC had woken up early to soak black and white beans. In the afternoon, TC, Geoff, Ellie, and Timo all worked making LOTS of tortillas, while Paul was shredding cheese for the tacos. I made a chocolate cake. TC also marinated the fish for the tacos and seasoned the beans.

At 1730, we went over to the monohull. Some people have referred to our boat as a "yacht." However, for me the connotation of that word would really best apply to this monohull. It was GORGEOUS. Tons of wood inside and out. I'm sure that it is tons of work to keep the boat up.

The owner was not on board, but the crew of 7 was. It is 4 permanent crew, plus 3 delivery crew. They were a great bunch of people from Australia, the UK, Tahiti, Germany, and the US. Jinny the cook served us a crab dip, as well as hummus, brie, and cheddar cheese with crackers, carrots, and broccoli. We were in heaven - fresh veggies! They also provided lots of beer and a yummy strawberry cocktail.

The tour of the boat was also fun. The master suite had a huge bed, as well as a huge shower (for a boat), marble countertops in the bathroom with real fossils in the marble, and push button flush toilets. There was a TV that rose out of the woodwork. The captain did point out that means there are more things to break. The rest of the boat was great too - they had a real washer/dryer, a fridge and freezer, as well as a dishwasher.

After a couple hours on their boat, we headed back to Cherokee. Everyone liked our boat too. Even if not quite as posh as the boat they worked on, it is a boat you could easily live on and not have to spend as much time polishing. Plus, it is really quite homey.

Everyone seemed to enjoy dinner, as well as dessert, which was nice to see. They all left around 2300 right before the storm came, & storm it did. There was so much thunder, lightning, wind, & rain. It lasted pretty much all night, which was crazy.

This morning, as the monohull was leaving, they gave us a parting gift - two huge bags filled with produce. We got oranges, potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, bok choy, and lettuce. What a treat; we'll be ending our trip in style. They're heading back to Majuro, so they can restock there. We owe them big!

TC, Paul, & Timo went surfing at Mezetchoku Pass during late morning. The swell was okay - smallish, plus there was wind and rain at times. However, I think they wanted to get in at least one last surf session.

TC stopped surfing early & took a kayak with a grab bag and a few kids clothes, as well as coffee, sugar, and creamer, to give as gifts to the family on Mezetchoku. He said that they were very excited to receive the gifts. It's just one family on Mezetchoku Island - mom, dad, and 4 kids. The kids go to school on Katchii - though it's Tuesday and they were there on that island, so we're not sure how that works exactly.

SSB Post 40 - Fish On! Fish On!

Sunday, 11/28/2010

First, yet another correction, that last post should have been named SSB Post 39. That'll teach me to rush!

Yesterday, we sailed across the lagoon to anchor in front of Medyil Island. I was excited about our anchorage because we hadn't gone ashore here yet. A new island! However, it was almost dark when we got there, so going ashore waited until today.

We woke up to a rainy morning. So we had to wait until about 10 AM to go into shore. TC and I brought the last of the kids' clothes, as well as one grab bag. I also brought some toys since I was afraid that I might not have enough clothes for everyone.

Quite a few people on Medyil (an island of about 70 people) spoke good English. We ran into Parliament. He met Paul a couple weeks ago when we went to Medyil to pick up Walden's boat. Parliament asked us if Paul was around. We told him that Paul stayed with the boat this time. Parliament said, "Paul is a very good Christian man."

TC or I said something like, "Oh yeah? Why do you say that?"

Parliament replied, "His name is from the Bible." (Paul laughed upon hearing of this conversation when we returned to the boat).

Medyil is a fairly short island, but relatively wide. Pretty and lush like most of Ailinglaplap during this trip. We enjoyed our walk down the main road. We also discovered that they have 4 churches - Catholic, Protestant, SDA, and BNJ. I have to research & find out what the BNJ stands for. The Catholic deacon gave me the full name, but the "B" is a Marshallese word.

I was happy to have had either clothes or toy cars for every kid that we came across (except for the 2 week old baby). I'll have to let my friend Aimee know that it is good that she is such a petite lady. Her shirts came in useful when I was running out of clothes, & since they were basic T-Shirts, they were good for boys and girls.

Before we returned to the boat, one of the families we had talked to quite a bit presented us with coconuts and boiled cooking bananas (like plantains). I felt bad about taking the bananas because I am pretty sure they were the family's Sunday dinner. However, they insisted, so we obliged.

We headed across the lagoon, out Namu Pass, and west towards Mezetchoku (to check out waves). As we neared Mezetchoku, we had six lines out. We had been talking earlier about how we needed to catch fish, or else Paul's claim about always having fish in the fridge would no longer be true.

Lucky for Paul, his streak continues. About 10 minutes after passing a big bird pile, we got two fish on - one right after the other. They were BIG. They almost took all of the line on the reels. Paul starts yelling, "Slow down! Stop the boat!"

Poor Timo is driving and probably thinking, "I'm driving a sailboat, how do I stop the wind?"

Then Paul yelled frantically, "Turn the boat around!"

That's when everything got CHAOTIC. We were trying to get the 4 other lines in, trying to move water into the tank from the cooler (so the cooler would be free for fish), fighting the dinghy (which in the huge swell wanted to ram into the boat), take down sun shades that were tied to the boom and blocking Timo and Paul's way as they did 360s around the boat chasing their fish, getting TC the gloves so that he could help Timo pull in the fish, and everyone was yelling.

After about 15 or 20 minutes, we got the fish in. They were two huge yellowfin - around 100 pounds each. Lengthwise they were about 50 inches long, but super fat. They had a much bigger girth than the big yellowfin that we caught on the way back from our attempt at going to Fiji.

Unfortunately for the guys, the waves at Mezetchoku didn't look as big as they'd hoped. Plus the wind was onshore, so it wouldn't have been any good. Thus, we headed straight to Katchii. We shared the bigger of the two fish with them. They said that they couldn't remember seeing a bigger fish.

SSB Post 38 - A Day of Reading

Saturday, 11/27/2010

We left Jeh Island early this morning and arrived at Namu Pass.

I spent almost the whole day reading. Yay! I've realized that my unlimited amount of reading time is coming to an end, so I better take advantage of it. I think I've read about 45 books since we left. We'll see how many more I can squeeze in before our return. However, reading so much does turn me into bit of an antisocial person. Oh well.

I know I've slacked when it comes to posting reviews/suggestions of books, but I don't want to waste precious time on the SailMail to send those. I figure I can offer my suggestions when I return to Kwaj since I'll also try to post a variety of pictures of our travels.

Others took advantage of our wonderful location to snorkel (TC, Geoff, Ellie, and Timo) or windsurf (Timo and Paul).

However, now we're leaving once again to sail across the lagoon to a better anchorage. I have a feeling that we'll be moving westward tomorrow since there was no real swell to be found at Namu Pass.

SSB Post 38 - Goodbye Jeh!

Friday, 11/26/2010

Today was a rainy day. I still love rainy days. The boat is so cool, I can use as much water as I want, & it's an excuse to be lazy.

Actually, we weren't too lazy. In the morning, TC and I once again sorted. I had a few clothes left from the kids on Kwaj, so I packed it in two separate bags (girls and guys) since we were going towards the southeast end of the island (where we hadn't gotten clothes to kids). We also sorted mosquito nets, fish hooks, fishing line, batteries, flashlights, some toys and kids sunglasses.

After lunch, I printed out about 40 pictures to hand out around Jeh.

Around 3, we headed in to Jeh. Lucky for us, it was fairly overcast, but no rain, so it was fairly cool. We went into near the SDA school first. Selvin wasn't there, but Nora and Nervin were. We gave them some batteries, another couple toys for Nervin, another shirt for Selvin, & some pictures from our last visit. Then we said our goodbyes.

On our way to Tommy's house, we handed out fish hooks & fishing line to him & another man that was out fishing in his own outrigger. They were cheerfully accepted. Plus we said goodbye to Tommy.

At Tommy's, we have his wife and kids a rum cake, a mosquito net, a box of school supplies from Aimee (for the Jeh School where Tommy is a teacher), & a soccer ball (for the Jeh School). Then we handed out sunglasses to the kids (provided by the Breen family). As the kids looked so cool, in their new shades, I realized that a jumping picture was necessary.

We followed this pattern - handing out our last gifts and saying goodbye, as we worked our way westward on the island.

We also went to check out the outrigger canoe that had been painted - with the paint that we brought a couple weeks ago.

It was sad saying goodbye. They asked when we'd be coming back & if we could have another "party on the boat." I was a little bummed that we didn't have enough time to have them out again.

It will be fun to see how much they have grown on our next visit to Jeh (I'm sure there will be one).

As we left, we were presented with gifts of coconuts & pandanus. Beethleen gave me a Marshallese shell necklace, as she exclaimed, "Thank you for my mosquito net."

Beethleen was the one gave me the idea to buy the nets when she asked (a month and a half ago or so) if we had any extras to hand out. They were only $16 a piece from REI and are probably the best gift that we could give. So many of the kids have scars all over their arms and legs, most of which I'd guess are from mosquito bites that they scratch until they bleed. The next time we go to any inhabited outer island, I'm ordering LOTS of them. Plus, I'll ask lots of people if they want to donate a mosquito net or two. We'll do my own "Idol Gives Back." Although, I suppose the people in the Marshalls are lucky that we don't have malaria here.

Tomorrow we head out to Namu Pass for more surf (hopefully).

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

SSB Post 37 - Goodbye to Buoj

Thursday, 11/25/2010

A correction on my earlier post: the subject was entitled "A Fun Day on Jeh," when it should have been "A Fun Day on Buoj." Also, I should have mentioned that the boxes we gave away were from Bess' Uncle Fred and Aunt Prudy. I can't wait to send them letters from the recipients of their boxes - thanking them for the books.

The reason I made the mistake was that we sailed to Jeh today.

We started the morning fairly early (0800), so that we could go in and Omela could give Ellie a basket-weaving lesson. Plus, we wanted to say goodbye to everyone before we left.

As we walked in, I gave a little shirt to the little boy who lives at the house where we always pull up our dinghy. His mom was pretty happy (he's probably only a little over a year, so he doesn't know what's going on).

We also had brought a bunch of gloves to go along with the betadine, tons of gauze, triple antibiotic ointment, and medical tape. One of the students at Clare's school had a scrape that looked pretty infected. Actually, at this point, it looks like it requires a doctors help. It's grown quite large in size (more than 5x the original), it's been over a month, it's covered in pus, and it smells - plus flies buzz all over it. NOT good. Clare and Omela (the principal) were going to go talk with the parents to see if they might take the girl to the doctor.

While Clare had her basket-weaving class, I took over Omela's 1st grade class since she was otherwise occupied. She had left them with a task - copy down the alphabet, but after about 10 minutes, they all had finished it. One kid started crying, so I went over (it was in the room next to where we were at) to see what was going on.

I found their 'vocab' words on the board, so then we started going over their vocab words. It was kind of fun being in the classroom again. Although, I am pretty sure that I still do not want to teach first grade on a regular basis.

Paul, TC, and Geoff played soccer with the kids at recess.

After spending the morning on Buoj, we said our goodbyes. I gave Flomina some shirts for her three grandsons. We thanked them again for the gifts of bananas (two stalks) and 25 limes.

We sailed north and east for Jeh. On the way, it started to rain and it looked as if it was going to last for a while. I seized the opportunity for a Cherokee spa day. I washed my hair (twice - since we had more than enough water and I hadn't had washed my hair in three days - yuck), scrubbed my face, shaved, and then rinsed my hair again. It was WONDERFUL.

On our way up, I made pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. We had some butternut squash, which Geoff is preparing. Instant mashed potatoes (prepared by TC and me) since we have only 1 real potato left. A soup prepared by Ellie and Timo. And bread prepared by Paul. We'll also have beer and red wine with dinner, and then champagne with dessert. We're going all out!

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

SSB Post 36 - A Fun Day on Jeh

Thursday, 11/25/2010

Yesterday, we went ashore a bit after 9 AM, so that we could get a ride in the truck down to Airek (about 6 to 7 miles away). When we arrived, we found out that the truck had made an impromptu run earlier and would return "shortly." That ended up being probably an hour or an hour & a half. That was okay, though, we're used to island time. Plus, it gave us time to give Flomina & her family their grab bag of items donated from Kwajalein.

The ride was worth the wait. I definitely wouldn't have wanted to walk all the way down there & back - especially with two boxes of books.

Buoj is probably the most spread out of the villages. There seems to be more space between each of the houses. It's the southwestern post village of Ailinglaplap Island. Heading east, after Buoj is a couple miles of thick jungle, as well as a grove of mangrove trees. I don't think I've ever seen mangroves in the Marshalls, & definitely not that many!

We met Steve (World Teach) at the Jabwan school. He was delighted to receive the box of books and said that he has been trying to figure out a way to reach out to give Marshallese parents English lessons/class. He thought the books would be helpful. Plus, he said he'd enjoy reading them himself.

We also found out that the Jabwan and Airek schools received grants from the Yokwe Yuk Women's Club on Kwajalein. So I found out what they had purchased with the grant money - MANY pencils and composition notebooks, a regulator, batteries, & inverter for their solar panels (the panels were provided by the Ministry of Education, but they didn't have the other components), an electric typewriter, a printer, a digital camera, a TV/VCR/DVD combo, a computer, a lawn mower, and a pool table. Yep, a pool table. However, the kids do use it at recess, and it seems widely used by the community as a whole after school hours. I took pictures, which will be fun to share with the YYWC upon our return.

Jabwan and Airek are pretty close to each other, which explains why they are able to share school equipment. These two villages seem to have houses placed much more closely together.

Then we went down to Airek with Steve (it was his lunch break) to meet his wife Sarah, and drop off a box of books at her school (Airek). I was surprised by her cheerfulness. I don't think that I'd have been in such high spirits, if I'd had typhoid and dysentery just a couple weeks before. She said that she had been vaccinated against typhoid, but apparently it's only 50 to 80% effective, or at least that is what she was told. It'll be interesting to research that on the internet when we get back.

We ended the day inviting Lee, Flomina, Omela (Flomina's sister & Ellie's new BFF), and Claire out to tour the boat and for dinner. First, we offerd them triscuits and cheddar cheese. Clare was so excited since she hadn't seen cheese since August. Then we ate a delicious dinner prepared by Ellie and Tiimo - they used the tortillas TC and I made the previous night to make an enchilada casserole of sorts. She also breaded some ono with panko and fried it up. I provided homemade brownies with chocolate peanut butter icing for dessert. Claire and Omela (who has had more experience with western foods) seemed to be in heaven, as they enjoyed their food.

It was a great day!

SSB Post 35 - Books for Buoj

Tuesday, 11/23/2010

First, a correction on the fishing report from yesterday. We caught 2 ono, then got 4 hits, but only pulled in 1 mahi mahi, 2 of the lines broke, and the 3rd lure was all chewed up, but the fish got off. We kept the two small ono, and then took the mahi in to Katchii for the people there.

Today, we woke up and TC worked backwards from when we plan to return to Kwaj to calculate where we should spend time over the next couple days. We wanted to go back to Buoj once more, as well as Jeh, before we leave since we have a few more things to drop off. We heard that there are more waves coming in the next week (not near Buoj or Jeh), so he also wanted to make sure that we are free to hit those waves.

So, after Geoff, Ellie, and Timo got their snorkel in (and Ellie saw her first shark!), we sailed south to Buoj this afternoon. Timo had fun (I think) steering the boat.

This evening we went in to shore to bring a box of books to the World Teach teacher in Buoj (Claire), some laminated posters and alphabet books for Claire to use to teach English, as well as fishing magazines for Lee (thanks free box at the Grace Sherwood Library), and materials to make chocolate chip cookies for Flomina (brown sugar, vanilla, butter-flavored shortening, baking soda, and chocolate chips).

Claire was super excited about the books since she had finished reading the books we brought previously. Plus, she told us that her Lee and Flomina's daughter-in-law had gone to high school in Honolulu and loved reading too. They're both going to write letters for Bess' aunt and uncle.

Flomina also seemed pleased with the cookie ingredients. She said she couldn't wait to make cookies in her Marshallese oven.

Tomorrow, we're going to go in and drop boxes of books off with each of the other World Teach teachers. They're a married couple (Sarah and Steve) who teach at neighboring villages. Claire said that Sarah returned from Majuro just a little while ago. She'd had to head there for medical care after getting typhoid and dysentery at the same time! CRAZY. What a trooper to return!

Thanksgiving Day, we'll probably be heading back to the western side so that we can get to the waves. I'll be missing my PDR Thanksgiving buffet - crab legs, shrimp, cheeses, and more. Oh well, we'll see what we can scrape up for a Thanksgiving meal here. :-)

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

SSB Post 34 - Boys are Getting Their Waves

Monday, 11/22/2010

Yesterday, we hung out around Katchii in the morning before heading out to Mezetchoku for the guys to surf in the afternoon.

All this surfing is getting a little monotonous for Ellie & me maybe. However, I am enjoying trying to take good pictures. It gives me a challenge/something to do.

Plus, I am happy that TC is getting to have some fun now. He worked so hard for so long (October 2008 to September 2010 with all the issues in Majuro). The first year the boat was out of the water, he worked on it almost every day, but usually took one weekday evening off. Then all last year, he worked on Cherokee 7 days a week when he was on island. When he was off island, he was working on finding parts and getting them delivered to Kwaj (I remember because I'd usually have to run to the boat to measure something). He can probably now say that he has been able to surf more in the past month (with the Northern Kwaj Atoll trip) than the past two years. We're looking forward to returning to Kwaj & actually getting to enjoy the benefits of living there.

Plus, yesterday, I got in the water too and snorkeled in the waves with the little GoPro camera. It was fun, but I have to learn to get closer.

Today, we've had pretty rainy weather. However, the guys still went surfing. I didn't take pictures until the slight rain stopped, and the pictures weren't quite as nice since it was overcast the whole time. That's also the reason I didn't get in the water. I was cold (and drinking hot chocolate) while I hung out on the boat completely dry.

We're on the way back to Katchii now. We just caught two ono and had two more strikes, but we also had two lines break. Oh well, once again, Paul continues to be lucky with his fish catching. We still haven't run out of fish yet. :-)

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

SSB Post 33 - More Aquatic Fun

Saturday, 11/20/2010

Yesterday, there were more waves at Mezetchoku, but they were not as consistent as the previous day. I took more than 100 pictures (not quite close to the 531 pictures from the previous day). I'm having fun playing with the camera, as well as the new Macbook (and its movie making software). Each day, I choose the "pic of the day."

We returned to Berangu Pass at around 3 PM, and the waves were breaking right out in front of the boat. So Geoff, Ellie, and I got out our longer surfboards (Geoff on a 9'3", me on a 7'11", and Ellie on a ) and attempted to catch waves. Geoff and I triumphantly stood up, but it was mainly the white water. It's a start, though, right? At least I am actually attempting to stand.

It's a great place to try and learn since the water was fairly deep (up to my chest) all the way in close to shore, so I wasn't as worried about slicing myself up on the coral. Unfortunately, it'll probably be our only time to try surfing there. Later that night we were told that it is not appropriate for us to be playing there since the reef surrounds a little island that used to be a burial ground for the chiefs of the Marshall Islands.

Actually, we asked the Marshallese on Katchii if it was okay and they said yes, but the person who lives on the island (an American ex-pat) is a self-described "curmudgeon" who doesn't really like to interact with people. The iroij gave him the island for as long as he is alive, and he is the caretaker for the island and the reef surrounding it. I think we were a little too close for comfort. Oh well, we're not here to cause trouble. It was a nice place to play while we could.

TC and Timo were also out there - TC on the SUP and Timo on the kayak. TC caught a few waves on the SUP, but often fell (hopefully he doesn't mind me sharing that).

Last night and today have been rainy, which is nice. I love rainy days. It means we get all filled up with water. I do so love that precious resource.

SSB Post 32 - Fun on the Water

Friday, 11/19/2010

So, yesterday, we went in to retrieve our cooler (the guys had dropped it off with the dogtooth inside for the people on Katchii), & one of the Marshallese told us that everyone on the island had some of our fish for dinner. Yay!

Then we headed to Mezetchoku Pass, which is about 2 miles east of Berangu Pass. TC, Geoff, & I had anchored there previously about 3.5 years ago and did not want to anchor there again. It goes from being shallow reef to 125 feet, so there is no great place to anchor. However, the waves were going off, so of course we had to stay. Geoff volunteered to just drive the boat around while Timo, TC, & Paul surfed. Ellie & I either took pictures our observed through the binoculars. All the guys said that their adrenaline was pumping.

After the current shifted and made the waves bumpy, the guys wanted to check out and see how the swell was hitting Namu Pass, so we headed north again. Once we arrived around 6 PM, we saw that the swell wasn't quit hitting the reef right & the waves were much more playful, so Ellie & I went out in the kayaks, Geoff snorkeled, & Paul & Timo surfed. TC stayed behind to take pictures.

Ellie and I decided that we would try surfing the next day since the reef was nice and flat here, and the waves not so big. However, the guys wanted to move back west again to Mezetchoku where the big waves were hitting. So, Ellie, Geoff, and I headed out around 7 AM today in the fairly shallow water (low tide was around 8:30). None of us actually caught any waves, but we did paddle a bunch, almost catch some waves, and of course got pounded by some waves.

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

SSB Post 31 - Waves

Wednesday, 11/17/2010

Well, on the 14th, there were no waves. It was okay, though, some of us read, while others kayaked or snorkeled. Plus, Paul and Geoff caught a yellowfin. While washing the cutting board and knife, I got a little carried away, and basically sliced off the upper knuckle of my right index finger. I am so clutzy sometimes.

However, we did get some waves on the 15th. The guys were pumped and got in morning and evening sessions. While Paul, Timo, and TC surfed, Geoff and Elisabeth took turns on the SUP board. They did find the current was a little too strong, so they ended up getting dinghy service, and then drifted back.

The size of the waves diminished on the 16th, and the guys were spoiled, so they only went in the waves in the morning. However, Geoff and Paul did go and kayak in the surf later in the evening.

Today, we headed west to Katchii Island (Berangu Pass). We heard that the waves will be coming in from pretty much straight north and are hoping that they'll hit here better than they would at Namu Pass. We went across the lagoon to pick up a little aluminum boat that Walden on Katchii had asked if we could bring down to Katchii.

On our way here, we had the fishing lines out, as usual. I actually saw two mahi mahi flying through the air before one of them went after a lure. Then shortly after, we caught 3 dogtooth tuna. Actually 2.5 fish, since one of our fish got chomped on by a shark. After we arrived at Katchii, the boys dropped off the aluminum dinghy and two of the dogtooth, then went out to check the surf. They liked what they saw enough to come back and get their surfboards. Meanwhile, Elisabeth filleted the fish. It was her first time doing so, and she did a great job.

We'll see what tomorrow holds. Right now, we've got to go put up our mosquito nets (this is the one place we've used them regularly).

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

SSB Post 30 - Another Anchorage

Saturday, 11/13/2010

Geoff, Elizabeth, & Timo arrived yesterday. Yay! We had heard that the plane was canceled for the second day in a row, so we were not there to meet them. Good thing that Paul spotted the plane. Normally, we would have heard it, but we had the music on (since we weren't expecting them).

We introduced them to some of our island friends, including Kalani, who I met just a couple days ago. She's confined to a wheelchair and can only use one of her hands/arms. Yet, she is in good spirits and comfortably talks about the cause of her problem - fish poisoning (ciguatera). She speaks English well and has a more worldly outlook than many other Marshallese. I look forward to visiting more with her in the future.

Today, we sailed over to Namu Pass (Ailinglaplap) hoping to see some wave action. No such luck yet. However, we did catch a fairly good-sized yellowfin, so Paul's streak continues! He's kept fish in the fridge ever since we left Kwaj the first time.

After we arrived, we had a later afternoon lunch of breaded dogtooth with a chili peanut sauce. I do love TC's cooking. Plus, we had a fruit salad - mangos (from Kwaj), bananas from Katchii, apples, and grapes (from Geoff/Kwaj). Yum!

Too bad I basically shaved all the skin off the knuckle of my index finger. I'm just lucky I sliced it more horizontally (and not too deep) than cutting a deep gash. That's what happens when I get so excited about dishes.

Anyway, we'll wake up to waves in the morning. If not, we'll enjoy the gorgeous snorkeling.

SSB Post 29 - Christmas Came Early

Friday, 11/12/2010

For the past 3 days, Paul, TC, & I have been heading into Jeh with loads of clothes or other goodies.

Two nights ago, we headed in and gave Selvin, Leonora, & their son Nervin all the treats that Island Memorial Chapel & the rest of the Kwajalein community had graciously donated. Selvin & Leonora were so happy that they were almost speechless. They kept saying how blessed they were. Little Nervin seemed to love his new toys.

After leaving the Intongs, we headed back to the boat to pick up clothes. We were able to outfit 17 kids in stylish new clothes before it got too dark to see. I told the kids to spread the word that we'd be back tomorrow at 3:15 (after school got out) to try and outfit some more of Jeh's children.

Yesterday afternoon, we handed out clothes to 37 more kids. Some of the kids who had received their outfits the previous day were wearing their new outfits, which was fun to see. Plus it was cute how they helped to get kids in a line and helped them pose for their pictures (arranging the clothes so that you could see the tags that identified which child/family/class had donated it.

Today we went to shore & handed out grab bags of stuff - they were mixes of men's and women's clothes, shoes, toiletries, household goods, & jewelry. I figured they can all swap to get the right sizes, if necessary.

So far, 85 kids have been outfitted & 18 delighted families have received grab bags. Actually, it's usually multiple families live together, so it's more than 18 families that have been made happy. Plus, Katchii Elementary School & Jeh's SDA School were excited/relieved to receive school supplies. And I have so enjoyed handing out boxes or bags of books & magazines. I love books.

NONE of this would have been possible without the generosity of the Kwajalein community, which we've expressed to each person who has received something. I can't wait to share pictures with everyone who wants to see them on Kwaj. If you've donated something, hopefully you can spot it in one of the pictures. Thank you very much Kwaj friends for helping us bring big smiles to Jeh and Katchii.

SSB Post 28 - Mosquitos!

Monday, November 8, 2010

We didn't get into shore yesterday as planned since it was pretty windy and rainy, plus we remembered that it was a Sunday so the kids would not be at school. We let them know that we'd come today at around 2:30. It'll be fun to hand things out, and it will be good to clear some space on the boat before visitors arrive.

After two nights here, let me say that the mosquitos are BAD! We knew this from last time (when I got 15 mosquito bites on my foot from having my foot against the net), but it seems even worse. TC was trying to exercise on deck, and he was surrounded by a swarm. He killed 20 mosquitos in a few minutes and decided to quit. I took refuge in our berth where we had hung up the mosquito net the previous night. I counted at least 20 mosquitos swarming around me - after I killed ten that were resting on the top of the net above by head. It kind of looks like a war zone in our berth now - squashed mosquitos everywhere. Yuck.

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

SSB Post 27 - Back at Katchii

Saturday, November 6, 2010

After leaving Bigej yesterday afternoon and sailing through the night, we arrived to Katchii around 2 PM. We arrived with a storm. We were two miles from shore and could no longer see the island. Thankfully, it let up before we needed to anchor.

When we arrived, Chien and Walden (the teacher) and Chien's sons came out to see us. They brought us coconuts and we offered them lemonade and coffee and cookies.

We've arranged to go to the school tomorrow at 2:30 PM to hand out some of our gifts from Kwaj. We can't wait. Now I'm off to sort - we know there are approximately 20 kids at this school, so we're going to bring a variety of sizeds of girls' and boys' clothes and hope we can find an outfit for everyone. We can't bring all that we collected because it's at least 30 bags and boxes of donations.

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

SSB Post 26 - Bigej Bliss

We just arrived at Bigej. I've always loved Bigej trips. Even during my first year on Kwaj, when I was basically living and breathing prepping and grading classes, I was able to get away to Bigej for a day or so (bringing the grading or textbooks along with me). It totally refreshed me. I look forward to short, carefree Bigej trips in the future when we're living back on Kwaj. The nice thing about those trips is that you don't have to buy $600 worth of groceries.

On the way up, Paul caught a good-sized dogtooth tuna. His streak of always having fish in the fridge continues!

Gary and Cheryle, if you're reading this, the dogtooth was caught on the pole that Paul had put one of the bells you gave him. It made a very pleasant tinkling sound.

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com

Generous People Of Kwajalein

I was totally exhausted today from all the running around of the past couple days prepping to get ready to take off for another month.  Plus, we had to make sure that we have enough food for six adults for three of those weeks.  

However, this evening, TC and I were sorting and storing all the items that Kwaj folks want to share with people in the outer islands - clothes, shoes, books, school supplies, toys, toiletries, etc.  THERE WAS A LOT OF STUFF.  We filled up the V-Berth and the starboard ama.  It is awesome.  By the end of the night, I wasn't feeling tired, but excited.  I can't wait to see the looks on people's faces when they get their gifts.  

This is the starboard ama.  It's a full size berth and it's packed with donations.  There's also more on the ground (not visible in this picture).

This is the passageway from the starboard ama to the main ama.  Filled with clothes!

TC laughing as we sort through things in the main ama.

We got five boxes of books from Bess' uncle.  Yay for reading!

This is the V-Berth.  Underneath all of this stuff is a double bed.  We're going to be able to give whole islands new wardrobes.  

I can't wait to return and post pictures of the people who benefit from the generosity of the wonderful people of Kwajalein.  

More Pictures From Kwaj Atoll

October 29, 2010 - Mellu Island

Gary and Cheryle just love fish!

I like this picture, it looks as if his board is what is making the whole spray.

Paul was happy to be able to go left.

TC almost got barreled.  :-)

Paul shows off with his acrobatic dismounts.

A bright rainbow as we sail into the rain across the lagoon.

 October 30, 2010 - Happy Birthday Cheryle!

Yum!  Delicious crabs for Cheryle's birthday.

A cute picture of Garyle.

TC and I end the night with what might be our best jumping picture together yet.  

I have a few more pictures from this trip to put up - fun things we saw in the water, as well as our sail back to Kwaj (caught four big dogtooth tuna), but I ran out of time.  This is probably the last bunch of pictures until December.  Until then, I'll try to do a good job of describing what we see and do.  

Pictures from Kwaj Atoll

While sailing, I do miss my friends from Kwaj.  It was nice to be able to spend time with them for the few days we were on island.  Yay for fun times!

October 25, 2010

Alex and I attempted to use the timer to take jumping pics.  It was hard.  Apparently neither of us can count.

It's my marathon training crew.  I love these people.  Part of me is sad to miss out on the training with them this year.  (The other part of me loves getting to sleep in and the fact that my toe nails are beautiful - not blue/black or missing.)

Apparently, we are all going to attack Phil.  I love this picture!

October 27, 2010 - Sailing From Kwaj to Boggerik

Cheryle shows off Cherokee!

TC caught a fish!  Too bad it's a barracuda.

Cheryle and Gary with yummy sandwiches made by Paul.  Check out that bread!  Thanks Billy!

They caught this well in the lagoon (and we had bananas on board).  

Anchored in the lagoon, these four set out for an adventure at Boggerik Island in the rain (it did stop).

October 28, 2010 - Fun in the Water at Boggerik and Mellu

Paul shows off his sweet rash guard.

While the boys surf, Garyle go for a paddle while I play paparazzi.

The anchorage was bumpy, but beautiful.

Gary prepared a delicious lunch - the sandwiches were served on garlic toast.

Cheryle tightly grips her catch!

Another rainbow runner.

At Mellu Island - can you see the rainbow?

Paul

Paul

Talia swipes the hair out of her face. 

John

TC gets swallowed by the wave - the next wave in the set broke his board in half.  

Pictures from Katchii, Ailinglaplap and Anil Pass, Namu

October 20, 2010 - Exploring Katchii

This could be your home.  Great view and, thanks to the solar panel, low energy costs.  This house no longer had any inhabitants.  I joked with TC that we could move in.

These guys were re-thatching a roof for a member of the iroij's family.

Kind of a cool view.  The building was circular.

This is Chien.  The guy who gave us the yummy coconuts and let us feed his chickens and geese.

Jumping with Q and our friends on Katchii.  My friend Alex has more of my jumping pictures at http://jpwstw.blogspot.com

Paul, John and Q get ready to jambo.

October 21, 2010 - Leaving Katchii for Anil Pass, Namu

Quincy enjoys the hammock, but learned and respected the rule that while under sail he could only be up on deck when an adult was up there with him.  

Tie dye Thursday aboard Cherokee.  Paul even had a tie dye shirt on earlier.

I love the hat my Mom sent.

Target practice - getting rid of bottles from the boat (out in the deep ocean - don't worry, they are filled with salt water).

Paul (notice the tie dye shirt) and Quincy work on Spinly (after we lost Twirly) - the fish attractor.

At Anil Pass, Namu Atoll

A cool shot of the sky.

Jumping jacks!

Lifting weights.  Yay for PE on the boat.

Paul admiring the pretty sunset and rising moon.

Quincy and I with the sunset.

Jumping at sunset!

Quincy continued on with his exercising.