Cruise Mode

It rained for two days straight, but if we had to be stuck somewhere
waiting out the weather, Port Maurelle was a good place to be. The
forecast called for a continuous but light "drizzle" but it really came
down, so much that it filled the dinghy. I should have rigged my rain
catchment system to fill our nearly empty water tanks, but by the time I
realized that the forecast was really wrong it was too late. We spent our
time playing cribbage, reading, relaxing, and I installed adjustable
webbing waistbands in two pairs of shorts where the elastic was dying.

Yesterday the rain stopped so we moved about a mile south to Nuku Island
which we heard was beautiful. The gossip was correct. Nuku is a one acre
uninhabited island with a nice wide beach on one end. We swam ashore and
met a couple of women from New Zealand who said their husbands were out
sailing their cat in the ocean and left them to relax on the beach. They
didn't describe the cat, but later we saw a Gunboat 62, just about the
nicest sailing catamaran on the planet, come pick them up. Good choice
boys. I'd ditch the gals to go sailing on that boat too.

We are sailing just about everywhere we go here. We are using just the
mainsail at the moment because of the stranded headstay, but everywhere we
go is just a couple of miles away, so slow is fine. We only power if
there is no wind. The charter boats are easy to pick out from the private
yachts who sail like we do. The charterers are usually under power. They
are in too much of a hurry seeeing as much as possible to spend much time
sailing.

Our sat phone email connection had been zero for ten over the past few
days, so we called Lori from Nuku. Her departure for Tonga was in just a
couple of days and she needed some logistical information we couldn't get
from the anchorage, so we booked it back to Neiafu in time to get the info
we needed and make our email transmissions from the comfort of the
Aquarium Café via WIFI. We also got stuck there with our pal Tom from
Maine, had dinner and too many beers, and he gave us a tour of his lovely
Swan 51 where we had a few too many more beers.

This morning we departed for the famous Coral Gardens between Nuapapu and
Vaka'eitu Islands. The ladies on the beach at Nuku raved about it, so we
decided to check it out. We found a nice little anchorage in the lee of
Kulo Island, but the tide was falling by the time we got in the water to
snorkel. I made it over the super shallow reef to the gardens, which were
spectacular, but Rocky didn't get there. He will try again tomorrow
morning when the tide is better.

We plan to attack the remaining lamb tonight, and explore Lape Island
after Rocky does his snorkel. Not sure where we will end up tomorrow
night, but the following day we need to be back in Neiafu to meet Lori. I
can't wait to see her!