David Talks Fish w/ Darrell B.

Well how was the fishing? Hope you knocked them dead; I haven't caught a fish in so long I can't remember the last one. I hooked into a huge Mahi on my pole (wish it had been my heavy duty drag line) but he spooled me until I didn't have a choice but to tighten the drag until he snapped the line with about 10 wraps of line left on the spool. It was one of my favorite jigs also, so a real bummer all around. We have fixed the refer!! With the help of two other cruisers who supplied parts, tools and refrigerant, we were able to locate the leak and repair it. Then over the course of two days I was able to fill the system and get it back up and running!! So it's cold beer again for this Kid as well as a place to keep leftovers and fish (if I ever catch another one again). But I'm still interested in getting another unit to compliment the one we have. Maybe keeping the freezer going of our existing one and getting an Engle to use as a refer. It's still up in the air right now, but a decision needs to made ASAP as it will dictate were we head next. 

We are in the So. anchorage in the Fakarava Atoll and have been having 20-40 knt. winds for the last 3 days and getting sick of hunkering down hoping the anchor holds. It's a real bummer since this place is world known for its diving and we have spent about 30 minutes max. in the water to date. Maybe that will change today as it looks like the winds may lay down to 15-20 as per this morning's SSB net weather report. Storms like this come through this area about every 2 weeks, and we were unlucky enough to be here for this one. The anchorage is good and we are in the lee of the the atoll, so the swell is no problem, but the 40 knt. gusts feel like you are going to blow away!! The noise in the rigging is nerve racking and we are constantly monitoring the GPS anchor alarm in case we drag or something in the anchor system fails. I have my emergency anchor along with 300 ft. of 3/4 rode* posed** and ready at the bow so if we do break away, I can deploy the other quick enough to keep us off any coral heads behind us. Makes for exciting stuff!!! So let me know how the fishing was and tell the gang we say Hi. Still no internet access to send photos with, so just reading and some shots Kris has found on the net of places we have been. She really has worked on the blog for us and I'm not sure how we will ever be able to repay her. See ya,  David & Suzi

         * I think he means rope, but maybe this is a sailing term with which I am unfamiliar.
         ** poised?