08/19/2007, Suwarrow Atoll, Northern Cook Islands
Today the park warden took nine of us cruisers across the lagoon to Gull Island so that we could observe and photograph the thousands of seabirds nesting there. They were mostly sooty terns, white tropic birds and some frigate birds. There were many young chicks and hundreds of eggs placed haphazardly on the coral rocks, sometimes supported by a small branch to keep them from rolling into the water. The frigate birds are especially interesting as they cannot walk on the ground nor land on water and they make their living usually by robbing other birds of their prey.
Back at Anchorage Island in the evening we had a barbecue/birthday party for one of the sailors, an Australian fellow. The warden had caught a nice dogtooth tuna in the lagoon so we ate like kings. Four boats left today for Samoa and two more new boats arrived, both with Swedish flags.
The weather has become much more settled and the forecast calls for light winds for the next couple of days. This will give us an opportunity to explore some of the outlying motus (small perimeter islands) of the atoll.
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08/18/2007, Suwarrow Atoll, Northern Cook Islands
The wind today dropped to about 15 knots which is typical for this time of year here. The swell is still quite large but should drop as well in a day or two as it always lags behind the wind. There is now very little rain, just an occasional shower of very short duration.
Today I went fishing with my fly rod. I saw no bonefish but then I did not expect to. The warden says there are none on this atoll. I did hook several blue-fin trevally and landed them before the sharks could get them. The black-tip reef sharks on Suwarrow are especially aggressive and I always keep an eye out for them while wading. In fact, I carry a couple of rocks to throw in case any large ones get too close. Most of them are only two or three feet long but every now and then I see a four footer, big enough to take a chunk out of my calf. On other islands the black-tips are timid and never approach closely. For some reason they act differently here.
All else is well onboard. There is a barbecue on the beach tonight.
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08/17/2007, Suwarrow Atoll, Northern Cook Islands
There has been no rain for the past 18 hours but the wind continues to blow hard with gusts up to 35 knots. The seas on the outside of the lagoon are reported to be 10 - 14 ft from the southeast. Several boats are leaving here today so I will be anxious to talk to them on the radio to get a first-hand report on the conditions. The forecast calls for decreasing wind. The wave height will drop a day or two later. I am content to hunker down and wait for better weather as there is no hurry to leave.
All else is well onboard.
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08/16/2007, Suwarrow Atoll, Northern Cook Islands
Normally the trade wind at this time of year blows through Suwarrow at 10 - 12 knots . Last night and today it has been blowing very hard, up to 30 kts. The anchorage is protected from high seas because it is in the lagoon but it is subjected to some wave action from the seven miles of water across which the wind blows. As a result, it is difficult and wet to travel very far using the inflatable in the lagoon. The park warden say this weather is unusual for this time of year and should only last a few days. I am anxious to go exploring the outer motus.
I spent most of the night on anchor watch and when the sun was high enough, dove on the anchor to see if it had moved. Fortunately it had not so I felt very secure and took long naps during the day. All else is well onboard. I have plenty of beer and wine but no fresh fruit or vegetables nor bread. Maybe I will try baking today.
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08/15/2007, Suwarrow Atoll, Northern Cook Islands
Suwarrow Atoll, also known as Suvarov, is a Cook Islands National Park overseen by a warden who lives here during the winter cruising season with his wife and four young boys. There is a $50 charge for anchoring no matter how long the stay and perhaps a hundred yachts call here each year. There are many regulations, mostly to preserve the pristine nature of the atoll. Spear fishing is not allowed, there is only limited harvesting of coconut crabs, travel to the surrounding motus (small islands) is by permission only and garbage must be taken away by the cruisers for disposal at sea.
The island has been uninhabited except for occasional hermits, one of whom wrote a book entitled An Island Unto Oneself. It has for many years been a favored destination for sailors because of its pristine nature and its location on the route from Bora Bora to Pago Pago. There are at present two very large boats in the anchorage, a very sleek mega-sailing yacht of some 100 ft. with all the high tech bells and whistles and a tall ship from the early 1900s which is a restored brigantine having a crew of 30 reliving the past. They are as different as night and day but the crew on the old ship appear to be having more fun. They must be easier to please.
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08/14/2007, Suwarrow Atoll, Northern Cook Islands
Land was sighted at 9:00 AM this morning and the anchor was down at 11:00 AM after negotiating the entrance passage at maximum ebb tidal current. The final day of the three-day passage saw an average wind speed of 20 knots and boat speed sometimes reaching 7.4 kts as Sand Dollar surfed down some large waves. The distance covered since noon yesterday was 138 miles for an average speed of 6.2 kts. I could have arrived a few hours later to meet a more favorable current but I wanted the morning light so as to better see the submerged coral reefs near the pass. As it was, the entrance was a nail biter. The reference points used by the guide book were not obvious, the strong current was setting me toward Anchorage Island, and the GPS coordinates on the chart were not to be trusted because the geographical data were gathered in the 1920s. Many ships have struck reefs relying on GPS positions which do not jive with what is on the printed or computer chart, especially in remote areas.
There were 10 other boats in the anchorage when I arrived including a couple I knew. One boat called me on the radio to direct me to a good spot to drop the hook in 20 ft. of water. After resting most of the day I went ashore to meet the caretaker family, a Cook Islands couple with their four boys. They were very friendly and invited me to a beach barbecue in the early evening. Of course I went but retired early to catch up on sleep. All else is well onboard.
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