Another Adventure!

It all started with the VHF radio squawking at 11:30 at night. The weather outside had deteriorated from bad to worse, and the wind through our rigging was a dull roar (over 45 knts.). The VHF call was a frantic call for help from one of the boats in the mooring field here at Anse Amyot on the northern tip of Toau Atoll in the Tuamotus of French Polynesia. The large cutter rigged sailboat had slipped his mooring and was on the reef bow first, and they needed all the help they could muster up to get her off. I threw on some clothes, and Suzi and I ventured out to drop the dingy in the water; the blast of water and wind that hit us as soon as we stepped out of the protection of our hard dodger was an example of what I was going to face for the next couple of hours. Just leaving the safety of Sidewinder took more will-power than I have displayed in a long time considering the sea state, but a fellow cruiser was in need. I yelled to Suzi "Here goes nothing!," picked up Dave from Soggy Paws, then headed over to help. 


As it turned out there were three other cruisers who had done the same thing I did, and with the help of Gaston who, along with his wife Valentine, run the land services here, we were finally able to pull that beast off the coral head it had lodge on, and finally back to the mooring ball it had been attached to. Gaston had come out in his panga that has a 100 hp. Yamaha on it, and without him and his boat there was no way we could have moved that 20 ton boat into the wind. He was the hero of the night, and I hope the owner of the boat that was saved makes it worth his effort. After some initial investigation we found that the line the skipper used to attach to the mooring had chafed through and with no back up line run (??) he was soon off to the races at the mercy of the wind and waves. But in the end, damage was minimal: no major structural problems and the worse thing to happen was some damage sustained to his Maxi Prop. and some deep scratches to his bottom. 


I was back inside the warm and comfy salon of Sidewinder by 2:00 am and was proud of how Suzi had started the engine in case we had problems and that she had already checked our attachment lines for chafe. I didn't like leaving Sidewinder, considering the weather, but she was in good hands. By this morning the wind and rain had subsided and the sun has come out with a day of snorkling ahead and the excitement of the night before a distant memory. Never dull around Sidewinder, sort of keeps you on your toes !!!!  Anyone for a round of golf???  -David


You can tell how yesterday ended and why we are not yet on our way to Fakarava. The weather today looks favorable, so we intend to leave very early in the morning, reuniting with Savannah and Alexis, who are anchored at the north end of the island. Love, Suzi