Sunday,11th April 2010
Again, another beautiful day at sea, with a 15/18 knot breeze over our quarter.
Very flat seas by comparison and the color, just wow !
We could see another yacht about 8 miles behind... interesting, she was only 1 mile off our starboard bow last night as it got dark. Funny thing, we could not see her at all on the radar!
We received sad news that Maura Twomey from Crosshaven died yesterday unexpected. May she rest in peace.
10.15 hrs We could just see the palm trees on the horizon of Manihi. The first of the Atolls and also it was the first
of the Islands to produce cultivated black pearls .......
We sailed down the east coast, about a half mile off, and the depth was still 3500feet deep (don't think we could anchor there!).
Rom sent us an account of the rugby of the rugby matches. Munster and Leinster, both are through to the semi finals.
Could they ever wind up playing one another in the final in Paris? That would be some match.... come on MUNSTER
and remember we will be flying the flag in the South Pacific. Rom's accounts of the games are excellent and very entertaining. Thanks for that.
14.00hrs We arrived at the entrance to the lagoon on the south side of the Atoll. Many of the books about these Islands do not recommend this place for stopping (they cited: "Too shallow, entrance too difficult, tides too strong", etc, etc). Well we decided "feck the Begrudgers" we are going in anyway, and that is just what we did. Mind you, we had a 4 knot tide with us and at one stage in the narrow entrance the dept under the keel was less than a meter.
If we grounded with that strong tide... ohhhhhhh feck, we would have torn the ass off the boat, but the funny thing, the skipper never thought for one second that we would touch bottom. A good case for positive thinking... When we got inside, the dept went to 16m and we nibbled (a Hugh Gibson expression) our way between the coral outcrops across the lagoon and finally dropped the hook just outside the "Manihi Pearl Beach Resort" with all its bedrooms on stilts
in the water. Oh my God! What a place, Paradise X 2, everything we expected and more, so no more talk and all into the beautiful crystal clear blue water for a refreshing dip... It would take a lot of this to kill you....
Another thing... NO riff raff or Lager Louts ever make it to these places. Worth its weight in gold................
Donal went for a nap, while S & A went ashore and explored the Hotel and also booked dinner for later.
19.00hrs We all went ashore again and had a good dinner (not as good as our own restaurant on board the boat) a night cap and all off to the bunks for a good night ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
That;s it from Paradise today.
Stephen Hyde (skipper)