Break Out the Mukluks
12 August 2010 | Avatiu Harbor, Rarotonga
Waterfall
August 11
The more fastidious of you will be pleased to know that a laundry picks up at the dock every morning, so skivvies, sheets and a significant amount of salt soaked apparel will be sparkly by tomorrow morning. No help, regrettably, for cockpit cushions or quarter berth until, possibly, New Zealand.
After taking bus a quarter way around the island which is 32 klicks in toto, five of us discovered that a few stops, at four dollars a pop each (no transfers), made renting a van more fiscally responsible and proceeded to do so. Resultant flexibility allowed finding a waterfall, winery (no grapes, so they make banana soursop... uh huh) and another (yes, there are two) brewery with free samples. Dinner at unwalkable BYOB restaurant tonight brought it all together serendipitously.
Backing wind has again given harbor more motion than some passages, so, despite forecast minimal breeze from astern, want to depart Friday for Palmerston. May fill propane, spring for NZ $2.45/liter diesel to top off and just go. Early departure may also save the inevitable untoward incident while scaling truck tire fenders to the quai from a surging dinghy.
- Later
Wind at 20 gusting 30 backed 180 degrees to the south during dinner. Climb down seawall to dinghy in rain with temps in 60s was a joy and felt more like Chicago than South Pacific. This is just wrong.
Jack