Aboard Dignity (Lagoon 420) Blog

Category: Cruiser Connections

  • Waiting for the weather window / Swimming with the mantas

    Thursday morning we saw dive/tour boats come to the pass to let folks snorkel with the mantas. We hung back hoping to have less of a crowd later on. When we did go Helen decided to pass on it as the waves had picked up and it was a bit choppy. Ben and I headed out and managed to find one large manta ray but couldn’t keep up for long.

    In the afternoon we all went out to the nearby motu to walk all the way around. As we approached the outer reef Ben and I were assessing the place for possible places to go lobster hunting after dark. We made it all the way around the motu and back to the dinghy. We next went to the pass to let Helen swim around looking for the mantas but she had no luck. Final stop was to head out to near of the mouth of the pass to look at the reef opposite to were we had been walking. Ben and I thought this was more promising and waypointed the cut through the reef using the hand held GPS.

    After dinner and movie that evening Ben and I headed out in the dark. Finding our way through the reef in the dinghy was a little trickier than we’d anticipated but we made it. We had no luck hunting for lobsters though and thoughts of a banquet gave way to hopes for perhaps just an aperitif. But that was not to be.

    This morning our fortune turned. We woke to find almost no wind and almost flat waters. We first attacked our much postponed project to tart up the ragged bits of our head sail. Once this was done and the net was over we headed out to the pass to look for mantas. And mantas we found. The were a few circling a particular rock seemingly unconcerned with snorklers around them. At times we were able to swim down to the bottom at 25ft or so and just hang out while they swam over us with their mouths gaping wide. The largest was about 8ft across which makes for a big beastie – all the more impressive when they appear to be all mouth.

    Just before lunch Ben spent an hour giving some of the boat kids from Kamaya, Tyee and the nearby French boat a maths lesson. All about Pi. I think they enjoyed it – particularly having a change from their parents as teachers.

    This afternoon we’ve been cleaning the hull ready for our departure. The key thing is waiting for the right weather window. Oddly the downloadable GRIB weather forecasts have been remaining remarkably consistent and tomorrow (Saturday) looks to be the right day to go. We’ll start with southerly winds which may make exiting the pass tricky. This will allow us to push west before the trade winds reestablish themselves giving us a better line to Aitutaki. That’s the plan. We’ll see how it plays out. If all goes well, next blog will be at sea.

  • Hike / Motu Pitiahe

    After the morning net we dinghied ashore with a view to walking around the island. It’s about 6 miles all told and a paved road all the way. Despite the previous days disruption to the well being of my big toe I figured I was up for it. I’m glad we went as it was a very pleasant hike. At point point we crested a low saddle where we had great views to the south and north. There we bumped into John, Lucy and the kids from Tyee who were bicycling around the island. They’ve been here for two weeks enjoying being off the beaten path and the safety of the lagoon where they’ve been kite boarding practically every day.

    Back aboard we made final use of the internet before grabbing a bite to eat and then moving south to the anchorage behind the motu by the pass. Tyee were anchored there with a couple of other boats. Sea Mist and Kamaya were just arriving. Endless Summer had also arrived but were coming up to the town. We waved and chatted as we passed each other.

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    Lucy from Tyee had organised a beach party – mainly for the kids – but also for the adults. At 5:30pm we all started heading ashore. The folks on the French catamaran had gathered firewood and had already started a fire – an essential part of any beach party. We brought beers to quaff. Costa Rican beers. Although we’re still in French Polynesia we feel reasonably safe breaking into one of our bonded lockers to access our treasured supplies there.

    We ended up staying quite late on the beach chewing the cud as usual. The stars were out and it was supposed to be a good night for watching the Perseid meteors. When we returned to the boat Ben and I spent some time stargazing but saw very little sign of increased meteor activity.

    Today we plan to swim with the manta rays that are supposed to be easy to spot here.

  • Last Day in Bora Bora / Maupiti

    On Monday morning we loaded the dinghy with our dive tanks and set off round the corner to the hotel/dive shop where we could get them filled with air. Unfortunately noone was there who could fill them so our plan to pick them up on the way back from shopping had to be shelved. We left them there and went to the store for our last last few things and returned to the boat.

    We still had time to pick up the tanks later and dive outside the pass. However Ben’s rashes were spreading and getting worse. Also my toe, with the nail now mostly off, was looking as though it should stay clear of the water. So we canceled our plans to go diving and chose instead to ready ourselves to leave Bora Bora and also look for some steroids to relieve Ben’s rashes.

    In the afternoon we moved the boat round the corner to the fuel dock where we replaced the small amount of fuel used since Tahiti and refilled one of our gasoline cans. We anchored nearby and Ben and I went ashore to look for some steroids and get a bit more cash as the fuel station wouldn’t take a credit card. We managed to get a pack of the right pills for Ben for about $5 – a fraction of what they would cost in the US. We then picked up the dive tanks and loaded them aboard Dignity.

    As it was gusty we decided to spend the evening anchored behind the island of Toopua about a mile north of where we anchored the first time in Bora Bora.

    By 7am we were off on our way to Maupiti. As we passed we said Au Revoir to John on Sea Mist who was anchored nearby. It was dead downwind all the way so we sailed wing on wing the entire trip jibing to reverse the configuration about half way. With my new knots I had renewed hope of landing some fish so we had two lines out. We had three tugs on the lines dropping our nut alarms and on one of these occasions I saw a huge mahi mahi leaping out of the water before the line went slack. I reeled in the lure. The knot had held but the hooks had bent. I need stronger hooks now.

    The good news was that the steroids were having a good effect on Ben’s rashes making his life a lot more bearable. Less good, while messing with the fishing stuff I managed to drop one of the reels and the edge of it landed right on my nailless big toe end. That hurt and drew blood. I kept my composure – just.

    The pass at Maupiti was interesting. It flows out to sea continuously and the current varies between 3 and 5 knots apparantly with the least flow just before midday. We arrived shortly after this. Our charts were off by about 200ft but the visual cues were spot on. Following the range markers in we found ourselves in flat water flowing out at just under 3 knots. We motored in and up the marked channel and anchored just outside the main village.

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    We dinghied ashore and walked up and down the main street. There really was not a lot there – just homes, a fast food place, a close restaurant and a closed store. There was a bicycle rental place which we may consider using.

    Back on the boat we prepared for BBQing some ribs we’d picked up. While pulling out the propane tank for the grill I knocked over a full can (ie – heavy) of acetone. Guess what it landed on. Yup – my bloody toe. I yelled. I screamed. It was excruciating. Blood started welling up through the plaster I had over it and dripping everywhere. I was not happy. I distracted myself with the maths. It’s not often one drops something on ones foot. What are the odds you drop two things on your foot in one day and each time it lands on the one toe that’s just lost it’s nail. One in a million? I must be paying back for something bad I’ve done.

    Dinner was delicious. We watched a movie and a documentary together. Beer and ibuprofin didn’t quite dull the stabbing pains running through my foot but I managed to sleep in the end. Hopefully things won’t get any worse.

    We’ll be staying here for a few days. There’s not much to do but it looks like a front will be coming over in a couple of days and we don’t want to be out at sea for that. We may move nearer to the pass for a change of scene and maybe some time in the water. There is supposed to be a manta ray cleaning station near there which would be nice to see before we go. Next stop will be Aitutaki in the Southern Cooks – if the wind is right. We may end up in Rarotonga if it’s not.

  • Birthday Hike

    I woke around 5:30am before the alarm went off. Looking up through our hatch all I could see was stars so I knew then the hike was on. Shortly before 6am we were all up. We should have got everything ready the night before but we hadn’t so we had a bit of a rush getting hold of boots and socks for the climb.

    By 7 we were ashore. John from Sea Mist was there just before us and we had to wait a little bit for Hannah from Wonderland. Soon we were off. Initially the path was gentle but before long we were in the canopy and fighting our way upwards over and under branches that stretch over the path. From time to time we would find a clearing providing stunning views of the reef and islands/motus around us.

    It was tiring of course but our efforts were well rewarded. About an hour in Helen and I had to stop. We have not worn shoes for a long time and our boots have been tucked away for a long time. We were getting blisters on our heels which needed attention.

    At times the ascent was too steep to climb and ropes had been placed to assist us. That meant our arms were getting a thorough work out too. Some of the ropes were in places where the consequences of a fall didn’t bear too much contemplation.

    In under 2 hours we reach the first peak where we rested for a short while taking in the breathtaking views around us and the sight of the narrow ridge over to the next peak. Ben and Hannah left first and the rest of us soon followed. The ridge path was narrow and tricky. The drops either side looked sheer. The vegetation formed much of the path and certainly gave us some sort of safety net should we fall.

    We had no mishaps and half an hour later we were at the highest point of our hike. We were hot, sweaty and exhausted but loving the view. The higher peak to our east is too crumbly to be climbable apparently. If it was I’m not sure we’d have had the energy or time to make it. We just contented ourselves with eating our snacks and taking in the views of Bora Bora and the other islands around us. Raiatea and Taha’a were easily visible as was Maupiti.

    Soon it was time to make our way down. Not quite down as we had to traverse the ridge and ascend the first peak. After that it was truly down. The ropes we climbed on the way up we abseiled down (kind of). The pressure on our heels was eased as our boots took the pressure of our descent. Shortly after descending the lower peak I had a disastrous occurrence. The glue holding the soles of my boots on had given way sometime in the last year and the pressure of descent tore of my soles. I had to tie them back on with my laces which save my feet but made walking very difficult and resulted in many more slips and falls than I would have done. Where I could I used my arms on the way down to ease the pressure on my boots but I had to keep resetting them.

    We all made it down in one piece though. We parted company with John at the bottom. Hannah and Ben, having made it down ahead of us older ones had already had slushies at the snack bar the bottom. Helen and I ordered one as well as plates of salty French Fries which tasted heavenly. We then took Hannah back to Dignity and motored round to the Bora Bora Yacht Club. We had heard that the boat Infinity was having yet another party that night and as they had younger folks aboard this would end Ben’s Birthday perfectly.

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    Ben dinghied Hannah back to Wonderland once we’d arrived. We spent the rest of the afternoon recovering from our exertions. In the evening we dinghied back to town to the restaurant Saint James for dinner. Back on the boat Helen and I took an early night and left Ben the dinghy to go and enjoy the party. We understand he returned around 1:30.

  • Vaitape, Bora Bora

    John from Sea Mist stopped by early in the morning and offered us a couple of baguettes. He’d dinghied round to town to pick them up exploring the cut in the reef that we’d taken on the way south. We accepted them gratefully. This was while Ben and I were boiling up our evening’s catch for breakfast. It turned out they were slipper lobsters and they had a surprising amount of meat in their tails for their size. Lobster followed by brie on fresh bread – a tasty breakfast.

    Just as we were ready to set off for town Sea Mist passed us by. We agreed to make some copies of their paperwork so they could obtain duty free fuel. Ian passed it over to Ben as they maneuvered close by. The we were off. Once we were clear of the shallow I handed the helm over to Ben and went below to make copies. We were soon approaching town. As I’d let Sea Mist know the copies were ready, Ian rendezvoused in their dinghy. To keep it interesting we didn’t slow down for the hand over.

    We anchored in 88ft outside of the town ate lunch then rested. We all felt really tired – probably not yet catching up from the late evening two days ago. Mike and Jodie from Savannah popped by while we were resting and we got chatting. As a result they may be joining us today for our hike up the mountain.

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    In the afternoon we wandered around town. The main drag is all tourist/pearl shops aimed at the cruise ships that come by. Beyond this there was not much else. We did find a couple of places we may possibly eat at this evening for Ben’s birthday.

    We did have plans to join the pot luck at the nearby yacht club but as we were feeling tired and wanted our energies for today we passed on this.

    Today is Ben’s birthday. We are planning on hiking up the mountain here. The skies are clear right now so the hike is definitely on. We may be joined by John from Sea Mist, Hannah from Wonderland and Mike/Jodie from Savannah. The plan is to meet at the dock at 7am and head on up. It’s 3 hours each way so we should be back by 1pm.