Let's get caught up. It's now been two weeks since we got to Palau and it's sure not Pohnpei. As I have said in earlier posts, these folks never do anything with out there being a fee attached. To go scuba diving--anywhere--you need a Rock Island Permit(even if you are not in the Rock Islands). This also applies to all cruisers that want to take their boats out from the main harbor. That's $50 and may go to $100 sometime soon. That's per person by the way and is only good for 10 days!. When you arrive, you pay $50 just to be in their harbor. Try and leave and you then need a "Cruising Permit. That's another $40.00 for a 30 day permit. If you want to play the tourist and go see some of the interesting things around the island--well that covered by fees also. Visit a waterfall--$5.00. Visit a Japanese communication bunker from WWII(only look at the outside), that's another $5.00 per person. Fees for this and fees for that. And all are under consideration by the local legislature to raise soon.

Dive boats leave Sam's Tours every day with divers going to different sights around the island. Normal fees--$145 for two dives. Only $125 if you belong to the Royal Belau Yacht Club(we do). Diving is big business out here but if these fees increase as is planned, one--just one trip(two tanks), everyone must have a Rock Island permit($50.00) plus the charges for the dive($145). So just one trip is $195. If you take more dives, the total cost per trip gets better as you use the Rock Island Permit more

We moved today to our assigned mooring. When we arrived, we were put on a free mooring. It's normally good for three days. Since no one was coming in at the time, we just stayed there but started paying a monthly fee of $50.00 for where we were. This morning, the mooring that we were assigned to came available as Calisto took off for the Solomon Islands. We dropped out line and left the harbor to empty our black water tanks from the heads. Easy out and easy in and both tanks were empty. We try to use facilities ashore but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. Now the tanks are empty and we are attached to a mooring with 1 inch line going to 2,000 pound concrete that is then attached to an old HUGE ships anchor. It was used last year by a Nordhaven 56 foot cruiser. I"m sure it will hold us just fine as it did him during the cyclone that hit here last year.

This morning, we dove into the water and scrubbed the waterline to get off the green growth that is ever present on boats. The generator hummed along charging the batteries as we worked in the water. We're just finishing lunch at Kraemers and then is off to town. I have an appointment at a physical therapists office at 1500. My backs been bothering me for the last 4 months or so and I need to get it taken care of and with luck, he will do the job. Tomorrow, on go the scuba tanks and we will be doing the true bottom of the boat. From the base of the keel to the water line. Gee, sure sounds like fun.