New Fishing Pole

The waves are a lot smaller than the last time we were here, so the water is even clearer.  When we stopped at our secret island to check on the baby birds and the egg that we saw on our way down, everyone was surprised to see that instead of the egg there was a fluffy little chick!  And the fluffy chicks from last time were looking like smaller versions of their parents!  Even the little sharks that continuously circle the island were looking bigger.

Today we anchored quite close to the beach, within swimming distance! I always love to anchor close to the beach, but it is typically not possible due to the coral and reefs that infest the waters!

Integrity caught a fish on his new fishing rod, and was SO proud. He just kept saying to himself and anybody who could hear "I caught a fish, I really caught a fish." The children then had the fish for snack. Talk about fresh fish!

Courage

Heading North

We are off again heading up through the beautiful 

Ha'apai group of islands. 

Should be a nice quiet overnight passage.

This is the perfect Island.

Red Eye Crab

Back to Ha'apai Islands

We are back at our favorite anchorage here in the Ha'apai. Not because of the shelter, but the beautiful "beach islands". I will try to send some photos in a couple of days.

After picking up Shannon and Cassidy we were heading off to do some shopping with Lil' Explorers.  I was up front finishing pulling up the anchor as we started to leave the anchorage.  Unfortunately, we had only attached the lifting ropes to the dingy, and not actually pulled the dingy up.  So as we started moving the dingy was being dragged sideways between the hulls. I felt the whole boat shudder as if we had hit a soft sandbar!  Then there was yelling from the cockpit.  The dingy had capsized and was dragging between the hulls upside-down!

Fortunately Cassidy and Shannon were able to pull the dingy up far enough to get the motor out of the water.  This falls under the not-so-good.  But all turned out well for the dingy in the end, but not good for the stuff in the dingy.  It was 60 feet deep where the dingy flipped, and I Scuba dove three times without any luck. So unfortunately we are in the market for a dingy anchor.  We loved that dingy anchor with the red X's!

Until next time!
Courage