11 April 2010

Day 96: Nuku Hiva, Marquesas – 11/04/10

Mike gets his new box of breakfast cereal this morning and just as he’s about to pull open the sealed plastic bag, he notices that there are about six moths flying around in it.  Not particularly small ones either – after all, they have been feasting on his berry clusters for a while.  We quickly put the bag back in its box and put it outside the cockpit.  At nearly eight euros for the packet (it’s that arm and a leg thing again) it’s going back tomorrow.

We noticed yesterday that the green, slimy algae is already growing back on the hulls, just at the point where the anti fouling stops, so Mike starts to clean that off while I deal with last night’s dog pooh.  Why does it always get everywhere before you notice it?  Nearly all the jobs I want (well, need) to do involve water but I have to put them off as we now only have just over half a tank.

We revel in free internet connection, piggy-backing on some poor bugger’s system on the island.  The connection is slow (probably everyone in the anchorage is using it) but useable.

Dreamcatcher continues to have problems.  Today the generator packs up which nearly brings poor Marie and Charles to breaking point but John and Graham from Eowyn go over and between the three of them, they eventually get it going again.

Joe and Jared leave to go to the north of the island where the airport is located – Judith is flying back in tomorrow – with my camera.  Hurray.

As i hang yesterday’s washing out to dry, I see boats start to arrive from the Blue Water Rally, the other organisation that offers the chance to sail around the world as a large flotilla, and we watch as they get together on each other’s boats to celebrate their long passage from the Galapagos.  I wonder if Aqualuna will arrive before we leave?  (I met Gabbie on the train to Gatwick when I was heading back to Grenada in December.)

In the early evening, a helicopter takes off from one of the huge ‘tinky winks’ (motor boat – private joke between Mike and I).  How the other half live!  The crew are probably going off to the airport to pick up the owners.

IMGP2968IMGP2969Photos:  To and from the airport in style 

John comes over for dinner in the evening and is amazed that the soya mince can taste so good in a bolognaise.  Anther convert.  I have to say that the chunks are not nearly as good but I can’t praise the mince highly enough – as long as you season it REALLY well it is brilliant.  Must try it as a curry soon.  We manage to get through two and a half bottles of wine – John’s influence obviously – then I finish his stomach off with my leaden banana bread.  It can’t be that bad though as he has seconds, although he does bemoan the lack of custard or vanilla ice cream to go with it.  You just can’t please some people! I am in the middle of showing John some photos of my netbook when Carole, his girlfriend, calls me on Skype.  Just to confuse her, I put John on to answer.  The confusion works!

 

Our position is:  08 deg 54 min S, 140 deg 05 min W

Distance so far:  5775 nautical miles

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