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October 20, 2022

day 157:

Naomi here, A very hot day yesterday, I missed most of the dance party/yarn unravelling/cake scoffing party by going snorkeling with Magnus and Jap in which no one speared anything altho I did see one tuna underwater which was very cool, it was on its way somewhere at a very high speed. But I did see some squid underwater which was cool, found some crevices to swim through, and saw a couple sharks, blacktip and white tip. Really almost no eating size fish around which is a bummer. Later our friends on Pania left and I must say I was glad to see them go after our 4 year old friend Abel started throwing shade at me, suggesting bluebird needed a second smaller wheel for the helm- for me. Cheeky little bugger. After the heat of the day Miriam Magnus and I went snorkelling at a different spot, I took Jamie’s speargun out too but very soon was distracted by many little,,,, well they sort of looked like sea anenomes with very long feathery fronds,each moving individually, curling and uncurling. Like some sort of soft coral or seaweed. Then my perception of the known universe was shifted completely when I watched one launch itself off its rocky perch, landing on an outcropping of coral nearby. Are they plants or animals!! We will never know. Soon the light dimmed and I was so entranced by these little feathery creatures that I angled my head down too much and breathed in a large lungful of water. Reaching Magnus in the dinghy we agreed it was getting cold and dark and looked around for Miriam. No dice. Would she go back to the boat without us? Surely not. We trawled up and down the rocky coast searching and searching, sort of discussing what to do but to be honest there wasn’t much to do, she had to be somewhere and we must find her. In the failing light we came across our Dutch friends returning from a beer at the resort around the corner. Upon hearing the situation they became quite serious and took off at full speed to see if Miriam was back on bluebird while we continued our hopeless search. Soon the Dutchies returned, flashing a spotlight at us. Was the spotlight to search for Miriam for? This seemed not good. Fortunately they flashed the okay sign and reported back that Miriam was in fact lounging in the comforts of bluebird, alive and well. What a relief we didn’t have to face doing the passage back to New Zealand with only 3 aboard, suffering long watches and no special drinks doled out by Miriam.

Jamie here, I also opted out of the dance party and instead went on a fishing/hunting mission. After loading up the inflatable kayak with gear and provisions I set off around the island in glassy conditions, trawling as I went. I found a beautiful uninhabited sandy bay surrounded by reef and rocks and paddled into it, docking at a rock. I wandered around the island and watched some skinks for a while then got ready to go spearfishing. As I was eating a papaya in the rock pools to hydrate before my dive I suddenly noticed two young goats laying in a rock overhang on the beach. They were only 40m away and seemingly unaware of my presence despite having minced around for quite some time at that point. I ducked behind my kayak and plotted a stalk all while pondering the consequences of being caught by locals if I killed one of their wild goats. I decided it was worth it for the stew and steak. I grabbed my knife from the kayak and skulked into the beach, wading through with my wetsuit halfway down. I figured because they were surrounded by rocks I could creep right up to them and jump out at the last minute and grab one then butcher it and hide the evidence in the bush. Ooh I could make a fire and cook some back steaks before I return to the boat. Do we have stock to make a gravy? I got onto land and began to tip toe along the rocks, darting from one to the next, quickly making ground. The rocks had been baking in the sun all day and were very hot which added some amount of discomfort to my quiet stalk. I knew they were lying in the cave although I couldn’t see them for the boulders. I got to within one rock between me and the goats. Only 1-2m away, trying not to dislodge any loose stones under my feet. Knife in one hand and a rock in the other (for a longer range shot should they escape my grasp). I edged closer to the side of the rock, ready to pounce. And then drama. From 1m away a flash of brown as they jumped up and stared for a second. Time stopped as man and goat looked upon each other , each as surprised as the other. They took off, hightailing it to their only exit route. I had to throw the rock. I let it rip, aiming for the fleeing hindquarters scuttling away. Missed. Opportunity lost. I sat for a while and reflected on how things could have been. As I returned to the kayak I saw the speargun sitting there. If only I had remembered the spear gun. Just to give me a bit more range. The rest of the day passed relatively unremarkable with no prey being taken. WOD today is another cracker from Malcom Crum in mapua. Malcom, we sees ya. WOD: engine. Engine - a mechanical device engineered to create movement from a fuel source Used in a sen. I was sitting at the bar enjoying my beer while the man next to me was sipping on his tonic engine.

Miriam here, You may ask yourself, what was this dance party? Well, it was the inevitable consequence of multiple adults promising a 4 year old a dance party on Bluebird for days and then realising there was one last morning to make good on our word before said 4 year old flew to NZ. So the last conversation at the beach bonfire was about how the crew of Pania would come over first thing to bring Abel to dance. They sweetened the deal with a promise of blondies. I took the excuse of guests as a reason to tidy and stayed up too late to clean the kitchen and got up too early to swab the decks. Thus I got very little sleep that night and am so grateful Matt stayed to host with me, dj’ing some dance hits and helping keep the throngs entertained. 7 adults plus one child on this boat on a hot, still day with the boom tent up felt very crowded and sweaty. But the blondies were delicious and we played and unraveled a yarn mess that the Pania crew donated to me to make loincloths for our crew (or hats now that the tropics will soon be a memory); in exchange they (and you as well I imagine) are expecting a photo shoot. Stay tuned.

As for the afternoon, I do feel rather sheepish and very loved for having instigated a search. The snorkelling was amazing and I too was mesmerised by the fronds. But I wore a lighter wetsuit than usual and the water was choppy and I soon was tired and cold. I debated waiting in the dinghy or leaving something behind as a signal but I wanted everything I was wearing as I was already cold and the boat was quite close. There was a precedent as well as I have swum back to the boat before from much further away similarly near to sunset. Once back to Bluebird I got cozy and soon noticed Magnus and Naomi back in his dinghy. I stood on the stern, waving my arms, trying to signal my safe return. No dice. The Dutch couple seemed completely appalled with my choice but I’m grateful they were there to help end an unnecessary search. Incentivises fixing the pull cord on our dinghy motor so we too can move around at faster than people powered speeds once again. So all’s well that ends well and I will leave a note next time. Oh and Magnus let me climb the steps up to the top of Libre’s mast so that was an extra bonus to the day. We shared a delicious duck dinner (our last can of confit from Tahiti) and drank my favourite Indonesian drink of Kunyit Asem (sweet turmeric and tamarind punch) and went to bed early which counteracted the rolling swells and so most of us maybe got enough sleep…

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