Malakula

Hi you all - David here with another daily update from Sidewinder the wonder ship. We left Laymen Bay on the north end of Epi this morning around 09:00 and sailed over to the south end of Malakula where we are hunkered down in a great little bay ( 16 31.8 S 167 46.0 E )which hopefully will offer us enough protection from the forecasted winds that are suppose to begin tomorrow afternoon. The trip over was delightful with even a spinnaker run to entertain Sidewinders crew and to remind us of our best cruising partners of all time Richard and Virginia on s/v Mandy. The first time we met them on the west coast of the Baja just days after we had left San Diego, they helped us patch our spinnaker. Well the patch is still there and holding like it was done in a sail loft instead of the cockpit of Mandy in Bahia Santa Maria. I love flying that kite and remembering the special times we spent with them. But I also have to mention yet another fish tail, this one was a bull Mahi Mahi about 4 ft. long that fought like a big dog. In fact he fought so hard that after I horsed him in along side the boat and missed with my first gaft attempt he made that last ditch effort and slipped off the hook. I was soooo bummed I yelled at the top of my lungs " Fuc..........." I so wanted to land that beauty and have fish dinner for us along with our cruising partners Evan and Donna off s/v Java. He was big enough to give some to the locals as well and nothing like a little fresh fish to put smiles on their faces. But it wasn't meant to be so that lovely green, golden and blue monster is still out there swimming around with a new knowledge of what not to bite into.
Tomorrow will be a rest day with no crossings or anything on the agenda. Suzi may venture over to the local village and go to church but this old Pirate is hanging out with a good book and a cold beer thank you. It's time for a little R & R ...    So hope all is well at your end's and we will stay in touch. See ya -  D & S   PS. Suzi here just needing to mention the huuuuge turtles with heads the size of coconuts, grazing on the bountiful flat green covered coral laying on the black sandy bottom, right underneath Sidewinder. They were the largest turtles I have seen since the galapagoes and they could care less that I was hovering just above them. WOW! What a treat!