Brian delayed changing course saying we had the right of way. Not in this case. It suddenly was on us. We just barely missed a swamping in its wake. Welcome to the open Pacific.
The problem was the engine would not start. Brian was baffled, befuddled and sort of drunkenly confused in response. I said it is usually the electric connections as we peered down in the engine compartment below the sole. He finally took my advice jiggled the connection to the battery and sure enough, the engine sprang to life. Laurie put the helm over just in the nick of time. We were nearly overwhelmed by the tremendous wake this vessel threw up.
The problem was the engine would not start. Brian was baffled, befuddled and sort of drunkenly confused in response. I said it is usually the electric connections as we peered down in the engine compartment below the sole. He finally took my advice jiggled the connection to the battery and sure enough, the engine sprang to life. Laurie put the helm over just in the nick of time. We were nearly overwhelmed by the tremendous wake this vessel threw up.
I could see in the aftermath of this event. There were dead fish that could not get out of the way. The skipper of the sub gave us one of those WTF looks as he raged on with no clear destination.
You might remember the Japanese fishing vessel that was struck by a sub practicing rapid surfacing. Quite a few kids drowned that day. It was our lucky day not to drown. These guys will not stop for any rescue on the open ocean.
Palmyra Atoll was our first stop on the magnificent tour of the South Pacific. 'Just keep 'er pointed 180 degrees due south,' said the drunken skipper. After 21 days at sea we raised the island making landfall at dusk. Our rate of travel was sometimes 200 miles per day at 7 knots. It was slower, especially crossing the Horse Latitudes which left us becalmed for days.
Palmyra Atoll was our first stop on the magnificent tour of the South Pacific. 'Just keep 'er pointed 180 degrees due south,' said the drunken skipper. After 21 days at sea we raised the island making landfall at dusk. Our rate of travel was sometimes 200 miles per day at 7 knots. It was slower, especially crossing the Horse Latitudes which left us becalmed for days.
We motored for a few hours each day in these latitudes looking for that squall to drive us a few more minutes south. Finally, we were overtaken. The squall slowly approached the ship.
Imagine the glassy waters instantly turning into a frothing monster with huge, pelting raindrops pounding you into submission. The rain marched up to us in a distinct wall of water. We gathered our wits and got the soap out. We instantly lathered up for this unique cold shower which took days to plan.
After proper positioning of the sails to refill our water tanks at the goose neck, we motored on. We were finally able to clear these doldrums and continue on to Palmyra with the mercy of heaven and favorable winds. This was the first of three events that enthralled us.
The second, being at the absolute deepest point of the Pacific except for the Marianas Trench and the Tonga Trench, this happened....
The second, being at the absolute deepest point of the Pacific except for the Marianas Trench and the Tonga Trench, this happened....
In his haste to hoist the mainsail after the doldrums the skipper left his homemade winch handle in the winch. It shook loose as the vessel rocked to and fro. It fell overboard after striking the deck one time thus setting it to wildly vibrate. As it entered the water it threw up those tiny vibration splashes.
As it plummeted to the bottom of the briny deep roughly 5 miles down in a sort of daze Brian realized his mistake. Stopping to reflect on this great distance down to Davy Jones locker, I remarked that it probably was still vibrating when it finally landed in the soft sands of the Pacific Ocean. Davy Jone's locker just got heavier. Luckily, we had a spare.
The third amazing thing that happened while standing watch at 3 am was an unusual boarding. The ship was plowing through heavy seas. Out of the darkness there appeared a fleet of projectiles headed directly for the vessel barely visible under the spreader lights. Increasingly larger, they sailed over the deck right in front of my face. Flying fish as big as mackerels were in a school of air born frenzy. They were swarming the ship. These fish were wild eyed and sparkly as their great orbs peered into mine.
The third amazing thing that happened while standing watch at 3 am was an unusual boarding. The ship was plowing through heavy seas. Out of the darkness there appeared a fleet of projectiles headed directly for the vessel barely visible under the spreader lights. Increasingly larger, they sailed over the deck right in front of my face. Flying fish as big as mackerels were in a school of air born frenzy. They were swarming the ship. These fish were wild eyed and sparkly as their great orbs peered into mine.
For just a few seconds the amazement of both parties was palpable as the fish hung in the air. The ones that were tangled up in the rigging turned into breakfast for the crew.
We were refreshed and ready for Palmyra. At first the islands appeared on the horizon and continually grew larger as we closed the distance. I sang out 'land ho' and pointed. The ecstasy was nice. However, Lorie was not ready to give sex to the crew.
Darkness caused us to anchor for the night outside the channel that was created during World War II. With the island rangefinder still intact, we waited until the sun was high and behind us as we began the treacherous navigation of the coral filled channel to the safety of the inner lagoon. I was at the bow on the lookout for gigantic coral heads as big as houses.
Darkness caused us to anchor for the night outside the channel that was created during World War II. With the island rangefinder still intact, we waited until the sun was high and behind us as we began the treacherous navigation of the coral filled channel to the safety of the inner lagoon. I was at the bow on the lookout for gigantic coral heads as big as houses.
This is like flying blind with about a 50% chance of making it without a grounding. We lined up the range finder as best we could and began motoring in. After a few nautical miles of this we arrived at the anchorage and were surprised by the number of vessels already there.
We threw the hook over and launched the dinghy for a row around the lagoon showing our friendly selves to the locals. The first thing to happen was a shark following the dinghy. I was leaning back with my hands on the transom close to the water when Brian said 'better pull your hands in' and laughed that laugh of a diabolical joke. I could have lost my hand or worse.
Welcome to Palmyra. Glad to be free of the tumultuous Pacific, we relaxed at the thought of three weeks here. Afterwards, we landed at the boat launch that was created by the Seabees (CB's) Construction Brigade. We met the old salts who had been at this particular spot for some time. 'Palmyra Yacht Club' was stocked with enough powdered Margarita Mix to open a bar. Some sailor left it here for all to use. Sailors are such optimists. The shark jaws hanging in this hut were huge. They become larger as you drink. BYOL was clearly stenciled on the wall.
That's when I saw my first coconut crab. Theses critters are as big as the legend. Their claws are huge. They climb the coconut tree and cut the stalks with these giant pincers then back down and feast after tearing into these coconuts. They move at night so you can't really see them during the day. If you use your flashlight it will reflect off their retinas. Don't be too afraid of them. They are eaten for protein and are scarce now.
These sailor sojourners had just gathered mussels for dinner. These mussels had been growing a long time for they were as big as dinner plates. Along with other sea creatures that were caught made for a delightful stew of huge proportions. The beach barbecue was a Palmyra tradition.
That's when I saw my first coconut crab. Theses critters are as big as the legend. Their claws are huge. They climb the coconut tree and cut the stalks with these giant pincers then back down and feast after tearing into these coconuts. They move at night so you can't really see them during the day. If you use your flashlight it will reflect off their retinas. Don't be too afraid of them. They are eaten for protein and are scarce now.
These sailor sojourners had just gathered mussels for dinner. These mussels had been growing a long time for they were as big as dinner plates. Along with other sea creatures that were caught made for a delightful stew of huge proportions. The beach barbecue was a Palmyra tradition.
One of these fantastic mornings, I chose to launch myself off the ship's spreaders. It was a spontaneous thing and somewhat idiotic. I climbed up to the spreaders to survey the island. Rather than climbing down I chose to step into oblivion with a swan dive.
However, I failed to develop a plan by using the 6 p's for any venture. Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Thinking back, I should have rocked the boat before launching. I pushed off with sufficient force. The boat gave way and I was headed for a close brush with the side of the ship. I missed the hull by mere inches. All's well that ends well but was that ever so close.
I threw out my line with a hand tied fly hoping to catch an edible species. Something grabbed the lure. I was dragged around the lagoon until the hook straightened. It let go with a surge that almost threw me overboard. This is why man fishes. It is the possibility of catching an unseen monster. I was probably a shark of some size. I was actually very glad to have lost this fish.
Our drunken skipper offered everyone a chance to go spearfishing with him since he had scuba gear. Many took him up on this. He speared a huge parrot fish which was subsequently barbecued on the beach. I declined to go to this barbeque simply because I was still recovering from seasickness which makes you dehydrated. Lucky thing too, because everyone at the barbecue came down with Cigutaria which is caused by the corals as a self protecting mechanism.
I threw out my line with a hand tied fly hoping to catch an edible species. Something grabbed the lure. I was dragged around the lagoon until the hook straightened. It let go with a surge that almost threw me overboard. This is why man fishes. It is the possibility of catching an unseen monster. I was probably a shark of some size. I was actually very glad to have lost this fish.
Our drunken skipper offered everyone a chance to go spearfishing with him since he had scuba gear. Many took him up on this. He speared a huge parrot fish which was subsequently barbecued on the beach. I declined to go to this barbeque simply because I was still recovering from seasickness which makes you dehydrated. Lucky thing too, because everyone at the barbecue came down with Cigutaria which is caused by the corals as a self protecting mechanism.
These Parrot reef fish eat the coral. Over the eons the coral had developed this protection from these fish by emitting poison which does not actually deter these fish but builds up in their tissue. The fish simply developed immunity to this poison.
Such is the fate of the unstudied forager. It takes about three days of bed rest and plenty of fresh water to overcome the malaise of poisoning. It really hurts because your whole nervous system is effected. I became the Nurse for everyone who ate this fish. I was secretly smiling though.
By now, we had gathered information about the fresh water tank which is why Palmyra is such a haven for yachtsmen. This is a huge catchment of millions gallons of rainwater. Always full and constantly leaking this reservoir is the temple for all South Pacific sailors.
Fresh water showers are one of the most valued moments for sailors. We immediately plunged into the hard work of filling our water tanks on board the 64' sloop. You never know when you will drink your last drop. We were down to our last gallon of rusty drinking water when we spied our landfall even after filling the tanks in the squalls.
The joy is overwhelming finding water in abundance when you are at sea on the very salty ocean. Drinking saltwater will slowly dehydrate you. Death comes a little faster if you elect to do that. A small amount is great for the electrolytes though.
Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. The 6 P's of sailing were seldom followed by this skipper. On the first night we were awakened by the tink tink tink of the hull striking the coral wall. We had dragged anchor. Instead of diving on the hook to check the set as all good seamen do when in a new anchorage, we neglected this. Brian did not attend to his duties. He wrote it off to fear of sharks. The South Pacific can be kind at times. This was one of them.
Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. The 6 P's of sailing were seldom followed by this skipper. On the first night we were awakened by the tink tink tink of the hull striking the coral wall. We had dragged anchor. Instead of diving on the hook to check the set as all good seamen do when in a new anchorage, we neglected this. Brian did not attend to his duties. He wrote it off to fear of sharks. The South Pacific can be kind at times. This was one of them.
On a subsequent night one of the skippers came roaring up in his zodiac with news of a significant earthquake in Alaska. Tsunami warning! It turned out to be a false alarm. There was definitely a shortage of excitement on Palmyra so any news or paranoia must be shared.
The Frenchmen came limping in at sunset. Their sails were blown out by boarding seas with most of their gear spoiled. They were in bad shape. They also had on board a wine cellar with some of the best wines from Marseilles. After hearing of this, the finding of a sewing machine was easy. Enough manpower to overhaul their sails of their yacht was found ready and willing to apply skill to the problem.
Soon after this crisis was settled, another ship appeared outside the channel calling for a dinghy to lead them in. It seems that they allowed the sole chart to blow overboard while the 6 crewmen were all standing around it with nothing in their hands or heads either, we were soon to find out. The skipper was a Korean War hero who managed to kill 7 North Koreans with a camp shovel. This was amazing in itself. The rest of the crew had different stories. None of which turned out to be true.
The Frenchmen came limping in at sunset. Their sails were blown out by boarding seas with most of their gear spoiled. They were in bad shape. They also had on board a wine cellar with some of the best wines from Marseilles. After hearing of this, the finding of a sewing machine was easy. Enough manpower to overhaul their sails of their yacht was found ready and willing to apply skill to the problem.
Soon after this crisis was settled, another ship appeared outside the channel calling for a dinghy to lead them in. It seems that they allowed the sole chart to blow overboard while the 6 crewmen were all standing around it with nothing in their hands or heads either, we were soon to find out. The skipper was a Korean War hero who managed to kill 7 North Koreans with a camp shovel. This was amazing in itself. The rest of the crew had different stories. None of which turned out to be true.
These men were mostly former criminals escaping to the new wonder of Australia. If you don't know, Australia was created as a prison colony back in the day of British colonization. The ills of this crew were ulcers and boils that all needed medical attention. All I had to offer was baking soda which is the universal cure of almost everything except death.
The next ship in was skippered by a French MD, his wife and kids all crammed into a 27' Cheoy Lee. His services were badly needed by everyone. He offered his services unrestricted. We gathered food for him and the family. We carried his water and saw to his needs as a way of paying. Seamen are not known for having money.
There was another French couple that were just married in Paris and sought the warmth of the South Pacific as a way to set themselves up in life. After all, a good travel story is the life of the party in France. I asked for and got a haircut from this beautiful Parisian girl. Her husband was never a few steps away, though. It was a quick and dirty cut. My long pony tail disappeared into the coconut debris.
The lagoon is filled with black and white tipped sharks which made for hazardous swimming. During the heat of the day they migrate to the bottom of the lagoon. The big bulls are outside of this lagoon. Lorie found out the hard way one day diving with the French sailors of the disabled yacht from Marseilles.
The next ship in was skippered by a French MD, his wife and kids all crammed into a 27' Cheoy Lee. His services were badly needed by everyone. He offered his services unrestricted. We gathered food for him and the family. We carried his water and saw to his needs as a way of paying. Seamen are not known for having money.
There was another French couple that were just married in Paris and sought the warmth of the South Pacific as a way to set themselves up in life. After all, a good travel story is the life of the party in France. I asked for and got a haircut from this beautiful Parisian girl. Her husband was never a few steps away, though. It was a quick and dirty cut. My long pony tail disappeared into the coconut debris.
The lagoon is filled with black and white tipped sharks which made for hazardous swimming. During the heat of the day they migrate to the bottom of the lagoon. The big bulls are outside of this lagoon. Lorie found out the hard way one day diving with the French sailors of the disabled yacht from Marseilles.
It's a funny story...there is never a shortage of dark humor on Palmyra. As they came flying up from the bottom with the bull chasing them, they were leaving the water like seals. Less than 3 mm of rubber between them and certain death.
It is a long way from home to have the sails blow out. These guys were lucky to have limped in for repairs. Lorie was the only single girl for thousands of miles. Her dance card was full. Such is the charmed life of a world class gypsy.
Taking a hike around the island brought breathtaking vistas both above and below the surface of the waters. Standing on the bank of the channel and looking underwater with a face mask was quite astonishing.
Taking a hike around the island brought breathtaking vistas both above and below the surface of the waters. Standing on the bank of the channel and looking underwater with a face mask was quite astonishing.
Herds of Buffalo fish were charging through the vast underwater valleys of coral. Great Whites were cruising for scraps of food. They were lazily picking and choosing as if at a gigantic buffet table. The Tangs were like a subway crowd moving in unison and making way for the larger species. The colors are extraordinary hues of pastels of yellows, greens and reds all sunlit and beamed with streaks of light. You find yourself participating in this web of life simply as a momentary witness of the sanctity.
Suddenly, a bull shark saw me and made a charge. I stepped back from this attack. He was out of his element. Talk about an adrenaline rush.
Army and Navy are two dogs stranded by some sailor on Palmyra Atoll. The adaptation of these dogs is astounding. These sailor dogs hunted juvenile sharks by standing in the clear shallows using those skinny dog legs to attract these juveniles then waiting until they got close enough to bite the dorsal and throw the victim onshore.This was done in one quick move.
Army and Navy are two dogs stranded by some sailor on Palmyra Atoll. The adaptation of these dogs is astounding. These sailor dogs hunted juvenile sharks by standing in the clear shallows using those skinny dog legs to attract these juveniles then waiting until they got close enough to bite the dorsal and throw the victim onshore.This was done in one quick move.
Opening coconuts with their teeth was another skill of adaption that amazed us. Their teeth are worn down and sorely in need of dentistry.
The coconut crabs are huge with the carapace being over a foot long. The bonefish in the central lagoon are the biggest I have ever seen and are easily hooked because they don't know fear.
Thus the need is to protect these islands by the Hawaiian Nature Conservancy. They bought the islands and have set up a sanctuary for all the inhabitants. You need special permission to visit these days. I heard that the State of Hawaii now oversees them. The Coast Guard patrols regularly to keep the odd seaman off its shores.
On the beaches, one sees the huge piles of plastic garbage mercifully deteriorating in the bright ultraviolet light. The fairy terns are always hovering overhead. Never having seen anything like you before, one can reach up and the tiny thing will land on your finger. Further down the beach and on the north side of the island is the great history of the war years memorialized in the pillboxes and wrecked planes slowly being reclaimed by nature.
There is a troubling dark side to the history of Palmyra. You can read about it in the old newspapers of Honolulu. It is a murder story of some consequence. I won't go into detail here.
As is the pastime of South Sea sailors, retiring to the shaded cockpit for a Mai Tai or something more dramatic is dream everyone relishes. As if on cue a ten foot Manta explodes into the air right off the stern either seeking to engorge himself on bait or simply shake off some parasites. With a great whoosh he plunges into the slowly darkening depths.
There is a troubling dark side to the history of Palmyra. You can read about it in the old newspapers of Honolulu. It is a murder story of some consequence. I won't go into detail here.
As is the pastime of South Sea sailors, retiring to the shaded cockpit for a Mai Tai or something more dramatic is dream everyone relishes. As if on cue a ten foot Manta explodes into the air right off the stern either seeking to engorge himself on bait or simply shake off some parasites. With a great whoosh he plunges into the slowly darkening depths.
Either way, it felt good to see these creatures at play getting ready for the long night ahead when the krill start making their way to the surface. Let the feedings begin.
As with every sunset in the South Pacific, if you don't find a seat facing west then you've lost the most entertaining part of your day. Your mind will rebel and your eyes won't work if you miss the one exciting moment of nature's finest display.
The days of glorious, fiery sunsets will forever be imprinted in your noggin for you to enjoy for a long time to come.
The days of glorious, fiery sunsets will forever be imprinted in your noggin for you to enjoy for a long time to come.
I was once at a lecture in Arcata, California about delivering boats to their new owners with a hired crew. Refitting the vessel at sea while under way is challenging and death defying for a delivery crew.
The remarkable thing about this slide show was after the first couple of slides about the ship and crew all the rest were increasingly picture perfect sunsets that were masterfully artistic visions of warmth, comforting to everyone who was there and was so enthralled. Being bound by the cold grip of winter, this was the most refreshing thing any skipper could have done for his audience.
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