Pacific Odyssey - Leg 3

We are sitting in the after cabin, listening to a howling wind of 30kts blow through the masts and rigging, with our anchor perched on the end of a coral reef, outside of the lagoon at Palmerston Atoll.  Below decks, our lives continue in our wonderfully communal way; we´ve played cards, we´ve read, we´ve been read to, we´ve had tea together and supper together, and Jamie and Chris even made peanut-butter popcorn for us before we started up a game for the evening. The contrast between what is happening below, cozy and warm, and what is happening on deck, strong winds and desolation, is great.  Half of our trainees and crew are spending the night on the island with families.  It´s called ´homestays.´  Tomorrow night, the other half of us will spend the night ashore.  There are 6 other sailing boats anchored in a row beside us, waiting out the strong winds, before they too head west. We arrived soon after lunch in wild windy weather.  The aluminum boats were ready to meet us, though Skipper had made contact with Jock 2 hours earlier; Jock is a wonderful woman who establishes contact with the boaters.  We met her husband too and they hope to host Skipper and family when they come ashore.  We first unloaded all their supplies into three boats, then organized ourselves and were ready to send half the crew when the boats returned empty.  They told us to pack light, they would basically provide everything we needed, including bedding.
Jordan VHFed and said they´d had a fun afternoon playing volleyball, touring the island, getting to know the islanders and having a bite to eat. There are 70 inhabitants, 12 families, 20something kids. There is a challenge set up tomorrow between the Grace and the islanders, volleyball, at 1600hrs.  Skipper is hoping the wind lets up a bit and we can all come ashore for a massive barbecue on the beach, hosted by the Palmerston islanders for Saturday.  When trainees return tomorrow I can let you know what being amongst the islanders for the 24hrs. was like.  It feels very much like when we go to Pitcairn and are hosted by them.  Back on the boat, life too is good.  Most of us swam the 200ft to the reef and snorkelled.  It was fantastic.  The blue of the water around the boat is so intense and deep in color, there´s nothing like it.  It´s like snow on the first morning, it´s overwhelmingly beautiful and one wishes there was something one could do with it other than just gaze at it.  The blue slowly ends and one sees shapes emerging, coral, and land, shallowing up, until you see fish deep below and shapes in the coral.  The waves are breaking large at the reef and the reef creates a wall with water surging back and forth over the top of it and out of the lagoon.  There are valleys in the coral that we followed, and caves to swim through, fish swimming everywhere; it truly is a magical world and you forget everything else that is happening above the surface.  We saw huge parrot fish, the really colourful ones, with their blunt faces and glowing colours of orange, pink, purples, blues, turquoise, yellow and reds.  We saw a reef shark cruising confidently by us, uncaring.  Some of the others saw a sea tortoise, and like always, there are many beautiful smaller fish which are incredibly intricate in their colours and design.  Supper was great, thanks to Katie, and now we are enjoying our evening.  Last night, just after I finished the log, the wind shifted and started to strengthen. Soon we were rolling around again, deep dips side-to-side.  Nobody slept well.  The ´Hold Symphony´ played all night; cups hanging up were shifting port to starboard clinking handles with every move, pans in the cupboards were sliding port to starboard with every roll, hitting the two sides of wood holding them in, knives, forks and spoons were sliding and jarring harshly against the sides of their prison . . . it really is quite something.  Gillian was kept awake by someone´s water bottle sliding back and forth along the galley floor and a spoon shifting in a ceramic mug on the counter repeatedly.   We all rolled from side to side in our bunks, aware the entire night of trying to sleep.  The water on the deck was amazing.  It was coming over the stanchions (the brass posts on the rail holding the lifelines) on both sides.  We had to keep the aftercabin portholes closed as the water would come knee deep around the house over the rails. The ship would rise up on a huge wave, the wave would move under the ship, cause it to roll and then dump some of it onto the port or starboard quarters, soaking everyone.  The entire deck was wet.  By the break, the water sloshed steadily from one side of the ship to the other.  By morning, we had lowered the foresail and were sailing under the 2 courses and the trysail.  The wind kept veering behind us and in order to keep our course to Palmerston, we had to lower the trysail as well, mid-morning.  We made 7 kts under the courses alone. The sea was beautiful, very blue, and the waves, although big, were even and lovely to watch.  We saw flying fish skimming over the white wave tips.  The sun came through occasionally and although there was plenty of movement in the ship, it was enjoyable to sit in the stern and look at the ocean and us, soaring over and through it, living our lives out on the Grace as if this was normal.  I´m not saying it´s easy, doing dishes, cleaning, using the head, cooking etc. all pose their challenges, but it´s still all worth it, when you stop and look at the incredible nature around us.  This, combined with the fun we have together make this voyage what it is, one-of-a-kind, totally memorable, and life changing.  This is it, until tomorrow, good night, Bonice.