Tropical Angst

It is surprisingly easy pulling up the anchor, and off we motor to join Savannah and Alexis at the pass to head out for Tahiti during slack tide. The wind is still pushing strong against us as David, on the bow, points to the direction Sidewinder needs to go in order to avoid lethal coral heads, and we weave our way through the shallow reef [lagoon?]. As I try to increase our speed beyond 1600 RPM's, there is no increase in power, and we continue to creep forward slowly; both David and I look at each other and immediately are concerned. We are not even at the pass yet, and the current and waves are incredibly strong when going out. Savannah takes off and successfully makes it to the outside sea, Alexis follows, and we quickly turn around, maneuvering our way back through the coral to our previous secure anchorage. Disappointment fills my being and I begin to cry. 


We drop hook once again near Soggy Paws and wait for the wind to help us set. Calls from cruiser friends come in on the VHF radio, wanting to know how they can help us, and we sit for a minute to get beyond our frustrated state. The engine does rev up to 3,000 RPM without a load, and the new problem-solving episode begins. PHEW!!! Once again we untie Worm, attach the spinnaker halyard to his bow line, lower him down to the water, load him up with fuel tank, seat, anchor, and finally the heavy 15HP Yamaha engine, lowered down with the pulley, and he is ready to rock n roll once again. As David thinks, I dive in the water with mask, snorkel, and fins, first checking out the anchor and then head for the beach. 


The swim helps give me a new perspective; the water is delightfully refreshing and clear as I near the shoreline. my feet feel the peaceful, pristine, pink sand beach, palms sway in the breeze and warm sunshine fills my core. I take a deep breath and know that life is certainly not so bad. David makes his way into shore, ties Worm to a palm tree and we walk the sand beach for a while. After a Friday night tequila and dinner, David, with his headlight on, changes one fuel filter from the Filter Boss system, cleans the horribly grungy clogged air filter on the engine (which could actually be the problem) and  is now looking for any possible leaks in the fuel lines. And I ........... have stopped whining, know I am so lucky David is here with me, and am thankful we noticed a problem before entering the gnarly pass. Tomorrow is another beautiful day in paradise.