Kelcey Chandler-Yates and Jim Yates present...

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July 1st
After a week and a half and two days of festival this past weekend it is time to move on--we get tired of crowded anchorages quickly now but we must see Daniels bay before we leave for our three day journey to the Tuamotu. We are also leaving our crew member with another boat-it will be glorious to have our boat be family only again!

July 2nd
After rising early we scooted around the corner to Daniels bay.  We were not disappointed.  It is a beautiful enclosed anchorage with steep rock walls on three sides and a beautiful green sloping valley up the fourth.  As an added bonus there is a two-hour hike into the jungle along an ancient road to the second tallest waterfall in the world so we are told.  I was certainly the most unique and beautiful with huge rock boulder to swim around and clear cool pools to swimming along with the steep cliffs and lush pasture.  Horses would have made it picture perfect but then that is my image-it was perfect just as is and certainly spectacular to behold.

July3rd - passage from Nuka Hiva to the Islands of the Tuamotu
Awake at dawn with nono bites everywhere (the one downfall to these islands which I will not miss-but that is about the only downfall!) we pulled anchor and headed out to sea.  It was a beautiful beginning but as night wore on the seas rose with it and Nick and I became a bit green.  It was no wonder as Chris and I were really sailing the boat getting it up to 9.5 knots-unheard of before we used up the spare diesel and the extra stores on board from Panama-I helped too that we helped our crew member to find passage with another boat along with her 200lbs of stuff!

July 4th
By morning Nick was fine but the nono bites had taken their toll on me and with swollen face and a green stomach I went back to bed to allow Fourth of July to pass with out celebration.  Cheese and crackers for lunch and leftover mashed potatoes for dinner, but the boys didn't seem to mind.

July 5th
Today was much improved with consistent winds and the knowledge that tomorrow we will be in an anchorage again.  Peach tarts were made and Cajun risottos.  All stomachs were in heaven.

July 15, 2002 - Raroria to Makemo, Tuamotus
Having been here in Raroia Tuamotus, for the past week we have enjoyed trading everything from photographs to cookies and cereal for beautiful black pearls.  The locals, who are eager to show their wares, come to the boat with pockets full-even the small children.  Being as remote as we are here, cookies and cereal are not common items but ones they know enough to ask for.  Stalks of bananas are also a favorite, as they cannot be grown on the poor soil of these atolls.  In between trading, we enjoy searching the small motus for scallops and oysters as well as lobstering in the surf at nightfall.  Overall, the pickings are good and we are once again not hurting for variety and delight in our meals.  For instance-two nights ago dinner was goat lasagna, last night varietal sushi (tuna, wahoo, scallop and oysters) along with fresh chowder made of the same and tonight it shall be smoked bore (pig) and goat pasta.

Jim is in heaven as his friend Ben on the boat Gypsy Soul arrived yesterday.  Both being hunters are relishing the products of the reef and sharing previous freezer goodies so meals become feasts.  The kids are also in heaven as they can hunt with their dad and windsurf within the lagoon as well as wake board during the morning calms.  I enjoy it all being able to pick the daily activities or delight in the solitude when are all off the boat.  My favorite activity has to be diving the pass however as we are always greeted with the company of at least 100 sharks and usually triple that amount.  They thrill me with their close passes as I enjoy photographing their behavior.  Occasionally however enough is enough and with a kick of a fin, I shoo them away and when they refuse to obey -- I BE OUTTA THERE!  With stories to tell!

July 24, 2002
After diving with sharks until our hearts content and trading for pearls until our cookies were gone, it was time to move on.  We are now in Makemo.  It is a nice village, although quite large compared with Raroia.  The people are very nice however; those we wish to contact who have carved pearls and scrimshaw are currently in Tahiti so hopefully they will return before our departure.  We are still traveling with the boats Ventana and Djarka and enjoying the company.  Rob on Ventana has a windsurfer and a kite surfer so Chris is enjoying his company.  Nick found another boat, Island Express, with a lady named Pita who loves sci-fi adventure books as much as he, so they traded stacks of books in Raroia and we haven't seen much of him since except when I dragged him to shore and left him to play with the kids.  He was forced to use much of his French and enjoyed his time.  Yesterday a boat entered the lagoon that had been "attacked by two whales the night before.  His rudder was bent as well as his skag.  All on board were much shaken up (two small children and his wife).  All of the men on our boats helped remove both so they could be flown to Papeete to be duplicated.  And all this time I have been bummed that we haven't had any close encounters with whales! I'll watch what I ask for from now on. The boys are being kept busy doing summer school.  French, typing, algebra, spelling and weekly compositions.  We do not want to pay the 500 dollars to have the new schoolbooks shipped in (shipping only!) so we will wait until we go home this fall to start the new school year.  Until then, they will continue to brush up on their studies.

July 26, 2002 Makemo, Tuamotu - Passé Arikitamiro - (northeastern side)
Just as I was feeling bored with being by these beautiful motus, I received a reprieve.  For the several days we have been anchored off of the main town of Makemo.  I found it dirty with little culture and locals who are pleasant enough but seem to be just existing and not very open to visitors.  I realize this is because they have most likely been inundated with cruisers this past year and are sick of having to be friendly on their own little island but it doesn't do anything for my fondness of the place.  Usually places grow on me-even Colon grew on me!  Well having our part in hand for the compressor which broke two weeks ago we were able to finally leave and sail with our destination the far western pass.  Time got the best of us while Sarah from Djarka and I looked at more pearls and gathered the last of the baguettes for awhile and it was 11 before we were able to pull anchor and get under way.  By the time we made it half way to the pass the light was glaring at us on the surface of the water so bad we picked (Sarah actually) a place to anchor.  Our luck was with us as it is sooooo lovely.  Palm studded as usual with a beautiful long sandy beach.  Hermit crabs galore feasting on fallen coconuts and fabulous shelling.  Upon deeper exploration we found a very old graveyard with eroded tombstones as well as a few recent ones.  Nick busied himself climbing coconut trees and twisting off the coconuts so I would have it to put in the granola I will be making tomorrow.  Not only the meat is good but the water inside we find quite refreshing after a nice walk.  Then we turned around a cut and there was dinner looking out from under a coral ledge---crabs-YUMMMMM . Jim grabbed them and tossed them over to me and Nick grabbed them by their claws and toted them to the dinghy.  We only took four, as we wanted to taste them before harvesting any more!  They were delicious so tomorrow we will stay to hunt a bit more as well as photograph the motu and dive the reef.  This is what cruising is about!  Nothing better than watching your kids explore and catching dinner an hour before you eat.

July 29th - Passé Tapuhiria
We moved to the west end to dive the pass.  The anchorage is marginal-room enough for 3 boats maximum and then if it is blowing out you would have to put two anchors down and wrap one around a coral head-they are 20 foot tall here but these were donated to the anchor gods along time ago.  The water is the most beautiful clear turquoise blue I have ever seen.  Snorkeling is good and the pass is nothing to write home about but the outer wall is magnificent.  The north end being better but with several silky sharks who like to pester you and the southern side beautiful coral with many types of angelfish swimming in pairs everywhere.  Tomorrow we leave for the "t" island-a small circular motto with no entrance so we will anchor off the lee shore.

July 31, 2002-AM
It was up at o dark early and to work for the kids and I. Clean the galley with bleach from top to bottom and vacuum the rest of the boat as well as wiping down the soul of the boat.  Then it was the ceilings with vinegar water and the woodwork with lemon oil.  A good days work-perfect for a smooth passage and calm seas.  Well we went to Tepoto where our friend on Gypsy Soul anchored on the lee side for four days but the surface current was moving to the north and the wind was out of the north east so our anchor was not setting very well.  Jim dove it and although pristine coral it was all small and delicate so we decided to move on to Tahanea.

The tricky thing about these islands is the passes.  Due to the tides there is current either flowing in or out of the narrow passes.  Ideally we want to be moving through them at slack tide which is between high and low.  At slack tide you have control of your boat.  Moving to high tide the current is flowing into the lagoon and you have less control as you pass and when tide is approaching low tide you have a strong current against you.  The tides are on 12 hour cycles so the 30 mile trip to Tahanea from Tuanake needed to take us from 5 p.m. to 8am when the tide was at it's slack.  Bare pole (no sail) we moved at 1.5 knots until morning when with sail up we approached the island.  Once in the lagoon it was picture perfect.  Small little palm studded islands and turquoise water with unlimited visibility.  -It was not long before we were in diving.  Napoleon wrasse and angelfish of every shape and size along with beautiful coral.  This was the site we were greeted with as we dove to the west of the middle pass-Passé Teavatapu.  Later we will move further west to dive as we think the corral may be better away from the passes where there is cooler water and less sand being moved by the tides between the motus.

July 31, 2002-PM
WOW great dive with a grey reef shark who kept approaching within 3 feet of me until after the third time I was sick of kicking at him so I swam towards him and blew out all my air as I yelled-he didn't like that too much!  We had an even better snorkel right under the boat where five black tip reef sharks as well as two Napoleon wrasses hang out.  Nick was thrilled when I threw in the end of a loaf of bread I baked this morning and the wrasse took it in one bite - five feet from Nick's face!  Time to cook dinner - we will see what tomorrow brings on the dive front.