It's all in eyes of the beholder...

Hanamenu bay May 5 2006 16.00 local time

Yesterday the other yachts left early in the morning so we were alone in the bay. Looking out over the bay I saw what looked like a fin cruising slowly back and forth near the boat. Then sudden movement and splashing. Must have been a shark having breakfast. We had to postpone repair of the wind vane due to heavy rain all day. At one a clock the water in the bay were invaded of a rapid moving front of brown, sediment rich, flood water from the local little river draining the hillsides. Late in the afternoon we made a trip to the abandoned beach. Besides the ready visible small huts on the beach there is a quite large house a couple of hundred meters from the beach. And a lot of stone remnants from ruined buildings. A narrow road lined with lava stones lead to a beautiful little freshwater pond surrounded with lime trees. Obviously there's been a village here earlier. But now it all seems deserted. By hearsay an old Frenchmen lives here but I doubt that. We've seen a speedboat with a couple of men coming to collect copra but otherwise it is deserted. On our way back to Maiken it had already turned dark and we had a great time trying to force the waves breaking the shore with our little dinghy armed only with it's tiny little oars. And a fish found it's way into the dinghy as well. We where all wet getting back to Maiken. Fredrik immediately threw himself over the coconuts with savage raw power and a butcher knife. Did a great work though. Opened two coconuts in less than five minutes. Didn't particularly like the coconut water, but the meat was alright. Freshly pressed lime with salt and Tequila is more my style. Today it's only intermittent rain so the repair is underway. And in an hour or so we'll set sail again. I look forward to that. A sailor only air is that filling his sails. I can't get no rest anchored. Have to have the wind and waves, the voyage being the goal itself. We're heading for Ua Pou, 60 nm northwest. Searching for beautiful local wooden handicraft and a breathtaking view. Ua Pou is thought to be one of the most extraordinary island with it's wild rugged alpine skyline.

Hope You have some beautiful thing to rest your eyes on to out there. You
should have! It's all in the eyes of the beholder, at least so they say.

H�kan

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