May 11th, 2003
Picked Cory and Becky up at the airport.  Naturally the luggage came in on the next plane so we waited.  All was well when the luggage arrived and we sped back to the boat in the dinghy.  Back at the boat we enjoyed dinner and the around 8 Talperi and John Paul arrived to go to sleep so we can get up in the early morning to do some more tuna fishing!

May 12th, 2003
Becky is a but under the weather after staying up late, smoldering in the humidity with little breeze and driving around in circles chasing tuna since 4 am.  Cory is in heaven catching tuna and enjoying the heck out of it all.  She will feel better soon as she is taking a nap and we will arrive in Toau soon.  All the residents here will share the tuna we caught so all will be feed like kings tonight.

May 13th, 2003
Got up at the crack of dawn and went clamming with Gaston and Valentine - many clams.  Nick and Cory really got into it while Becky, Valentine and I marveled at the beauty surrounding us.  Valentine asked me if they could build a home for us so we could visit often.  As much as I would like to we must move on but it is an option for after the kids go to college!  Later we cleaned the clams and then Cory cooked them for us to eat after our dive.  Spectacular dive!  A 200-foot wall with undercuts and visibility I have never experienced before - wow.  Cory now knows why we call it the walls of Toau!!  Becky and I taught Liza and Momma how to cook brownies and caramel.  Liza is thrilled.  We ate at Talperie's tonight - a huge feast with lobster and fish, Poisson Cru (raw fish in coconut) and two deserts.  We all ate till we could not eat anymore!!  Over 18 people and all from Austria and Germany except us.  It was interesting as usual.

Cory and Becky and Liza at the Toau Fish Harvest

May 14, 2003
Lazy day.  Read while Cory made lobster chowder and then dove the wall - much current!!  And not so good visibility.  Great meal however as Cory made us lobster chowder from the two kilo of lobsters momma gave us for getting her a bunch of groceries in Fakarava.  Now with a full tummy and a gentle breeze it is time for bed.

May 15, 2003
Today we began the day by going to shore and giving momma the pearl necklace she asked me to restring for her. Naturally she loved and appreciated it.  She is such a great lady and so loving.  She came back out and gave Becky and me both a bag full of beautiful shells.  We then proceeded to organize the pizza party.  Each boat was to bring something and each family also.  20+ people showed up and we made an equal amount of pizzas.  The French guy and another guy we taught how to roll out dough and the locals made the dough.  It was a bit sticky and Jim, the pizza master, said it was too thick but we dealt with it and had lobster, crab, sausage, tuna, olives, etc., etc.  It was quite the trip.  Late night - and then the wind blew like stink! 25-30 knots all night long!  We are not looking forward to a trip into the wind tomorrow to go to Fakarava and take these guys to the airport.

May 16, 2003
Big seas and strong winds.  25-30 knots on our nose!  Swells 5-6 meters.  Becky is on Dramamine and Nick feeling sick.  A large dorado landed and another on the hand-line.  Blood is all over the cockpit and as I look back my fishing pole, in slow motion, falls out of it's holder into the sea.  Next Jim follows!  Hands on the wheel, eyes watch Jim bob with fishing pole held high.  Reality strikes - mind goes blank!  Innate pulls through as the boat is stalled into the wind.  Jim is being swept by current away from the boat.  Fortunately mind clicks in!  Around we go, sails flapping.  Crew out of it or so clueless as not sailors or sick!  Jim flies past.  Big seas rock the boat.  Into the wind again behind Jim.  Jim swims to boat.  All safe -*(*(@!$^*#@#*$%$#@$ to Jim - half relief and half royally upset.  Now we bring in the other dorado on the hand-line and pull it aboard.  Reality sinks in - Jim gets another ration of emotional terror.  What on earth did he dive off the boat for in those conditions???  ARHHHHH another day at sea!  Big Dorado steaks for dinner with fresh salad.  Life is wonderful again!

May 17, 2003
A day of waking at 6 to purchase fresh croissants at the bakery and then taking Cory and Becky to the airport.  Calm seas so we loaded up diesel for us and kerosene for Momma on Taou and cleaned.  Everything secure for a trip to Raraka.

May 18th, 2003
We took off at the crack of dawn - actually before but with a full moon and a good chart-plotter it was easy to see.  About 6 we were out the north pass of Fakarava and into the open ocean.  Seas still too big to go into with winds of 15 knots.  We had 3 choices:  go back in and try tomorrow - too far to the anchorage for us.  Or head into the wind and seas for 7 hours at 4 knots to get to Kahui and then be too late to enter the pass and have to be in open ocean for 12 hours before we could enter on slack tide or an inflow - not for me.  Or go to Toau on a down wind sail to a good anchorage and wonderful friends.  You guessed it - we went to Toau!

North pass and village Fakarava. We spent the day cleaning and getting ready for Jamie and Brad to arrive on the 2 o'clock flight. The winds were picking up from the north and we did not want to take the big boat down to the airport so we took off in the dinghy.  Thank god I had been there before and knew of Manihi's tie up as otherwise it would have been a very wet land fall.  The waves going back to the village looked ugly!  Fortunately for us, Manihi was there dropping off guests, took felt pity on us, and gave Jamie and me a ride in his cousin's truck! The boys got wet but not half as wet as they would have had all our weight and the luggage been in the dinghy.  It was not the last time we would see the airport however!  When they exchanged luggage with our friend Sylvia they gave her the wrong black bag!  Off to the phone to ask for another favor!  "Sure," she said, "for you, I will go to airport and send the bag."  I said, "I will pay you when I see you next."  No problem - what a gem!  If I could, I would give her Loreto but the kids want him too bad so I cannot.