Monday morning we dove on the shipwrecks at Beveridge reef. There is an old wreck with very few remnants left, although there is a lot of thick chain left on the ocean floor from the attempted recovery of it. The other wreck is sitting up on the reef. It's a fishing boat named Liberty and has a substantial net wrapped on it's propeller. Not sure if that was the cause of it washing up, but then again, it never helps to have your prop wrapped. The kids LOVED exploring on it, climbing and checking it all out. It was slippery with moss and rusty, but other than that, excellent playground. We left the boys there with a radio to call if any emergent issues and went for a quick snorkel. We checked back to pick them up and they requested a picnic lunch on the wreck. When we did not return with lunch soon enough, they chose the emergency channel to alert us that they were nearly starving!
This passage was only about 140 miles, so shouldn't be ridiculously long. We left Beveridge reef Monday afternoon when the slightest amount of wind was starting. We knew it would be slow going, but it was actually smoother outside of the reef in the glassy ocean than anchored inside where waves breaking over all sides made sort of a soup bowl, especially at high tide. It was great and interesting, but we were ready to go. So we headed out and drifted at sea. Our batteries were running low, so we motored for a little while at a very low idle to charge them and make a little ground. Then we shut it all down and drifted for awhile. The rain and wind picked up during the night, so we began to move some. By this morning we put in a second reef in the sail with winds as high as 31.5 knots. Shortly thereafter, the winds have been dying and seem like they are coming from every direction. Every time we adjust our sails and course, it's different wind, new speeds, different direction. So, we're heading nowhere fast, but it's good.
This section is called the dangerous middle. The first passage to French Polynesia is the coconut milk run. From French Polynesia to Tonga (I think) is called the dangerous middle because you start getting more weather, bigger seas, more obstacles, etc. Our friend on Malua had his biminy and sails torn during this passage here in 21 foot seas. Carpe Diem had to do sail repairs in Palmerston, I don't know if it was the seas or the gear that failed them. Rhapsody lost their mainsail 200 miles out from Tonga in big seas and winds. These are just the boats we know. So, light and variable winds with minimal waves are a welcome crossing, we anticipate arriving tomorrow morning, and if not, we will probably start the motors.
We had a dorado on the line as we left the pass of Beveridge, but somehow it slipped the line. Not sharks this time and our lure was intact, so no gain and no loss.
We have heard rumors of hot showers in Niue. Not holding my breath, but quite interested in the proposition. Haven't had a hot shower in, well, forever. Since February. I'm tickled when I have collected rainwater and get to rinse off in fresh water, but warmed up?? Also heard from another boat that they do a lot of hydroponic gardening there and there's a great variety of fruits/vegetables. She said they don't confinscate our fresh stuff (many islands do). Fortunately, that's not an issue, I have a few onions and garlic, but that's it!! We ran out of fresh stuff days ago. Really looking forward to a salad and some fresh fruits and a warm shower and exploring some caves!!
As an aside, Innocence took it upon herself to "take care of her little brother" Valiant. He now has his toe nails polished and is sporting a new haircut. It wasn't a terrible job, but his little straight blond hair shows the irregular cuts. Vitality definitely did more of a number on her hair on our long passage and still hasn't recovered, but I re-iterated to them that they just can't be cutting their own, or in this case, each other's hair. Valiant seems pleased with his new doo.
Shannon
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