Adventures of Orcinius

11 September 2015 | HOME - Vancouver WA
24 August 2015 | 46 11.4'N:123 51.4'W, Port of Astoria Marina
22 August 2015 | 46 42.0'N:132 09,4'W, 330 West of CR Bouy, Astoria
21 August 2015 | 46 41.8'N:136 13.8'W, 500 West of Astoria
20 August 2015 | 46 22.82'N:140 28.00'W, East end of High
20 August 2015 | 46 22.80'N:140 28.32'W, Middle of High Same as Fish
20 August 2015 | 46 22.79'N:140 28.57'W, Middle of High
20 August 2015 | 46 22.7'N:140 30.2'W, 675 Miles West of CR
20 August 2015 | 45 57.6'N:144 54.0'W, East End of the High
18 August 2015 | 44 38.2'N:147 57.0'W, 1000 NM to Astoria
18 August 2015 | 43 31.0'N:150 28.0'W, 1126 NM to Astoria
17 August 2015 | 41 40.1'N:153 00.1'W, 1200 miles West of Astoria
16 August 2015 | 39 30.1'N:154 53.1'W, West end of the North Pacific High
15 August 2015 | 37 34.5'N:156 00.0'W, 1011 North of Oahu
15 August 2015 | 37 04.5'N:156 23.0'W, 983 North of Oahu
14 August 2015 | 34 12.3'N:157 26.1'W, 800 North of Oahu
13 August 2015 | 31 50.0'N:158 06.5'W, 650 North of Oahu
12 August 2015 | 29 02.0'N:158 51.0'W, 330 North of Oahu
11 August 2015 | 26 32.0'N:158 59.0'W, 330 North of Oahu
09 August 2015 | 23 44.1'N:158 49.4'W, 140 N of Oahu

Love Aitutaki

06 August 2012 | 18 51.8'S:159 47.7'W, Aitutaki
Lisa
Flat Tires, Blue Waters, and Big Smiles - We are Loving Aitutaki, Cook Islands

We arrived in Aitutaki on Friday, 3 Aug. Around 10:30am, we entered the narrow, shallow channel without any problems - but the channel depicted on the chart was about 100 yards off of the actual location. We were able to pick out the first green bouy though, and from then on the channel was well marked with white posts all the way in to the small wharf. Once inside the wharf there is a small basin to the south where we threw out the hook, then backed up and tied ourselves stern to a palm tree. We had the small anchorage all to ourselves for a few days - very nice! Another catamara has since arrived (Yemaja X with Ken, Bill and Troy onboard - from Hobart Australia) and are now side tied to us with their own stern line tied to a palm tree. They are really nice guys and fun to have as new neighbors!

So the island - we are having a blast on Aitutaki! It is easy to get around as everyone speaks English (as well as their native language - Maori), and everyone is so friendly! We have rented a scooter while we are here and have taken every paved road and dirt path we can find - it is so picturesque here. And everyone is always waving at us and giving us a big smile - they are very outgoing people and really enjoy sharing their island with visitors.

We explored the southern half of the island on Friday afternoon, then the northern half on Saturday. There is a golf course on the north end near the airport, so we stopped for a beer. The golf course is for the locals - it is not associated with any resort. So while it's nothing fancy they do a nice job keeping it up and making it their own. The last of the golfers were just finishing up their round and writing their scores up on the board as we arrived. We sat down at one of the empty picnic tables and within a few minutes a group of them got up from their table and sat down at ours so they could meet us. Even though the golf course is normally open just one day a week, we now have a golf date for Tuesday afternoon (with Bob the customs officer who checked us into country, and Carla who invited us to church on Sunday). As we were burning daylight, we hopped back on the moped to check out the end of the penisula beyond the airport. As we motored along we noticed we had go tten a flat front tire - just as we were pulling up to the Samana Bar & Grill on the beach. So we stopped in to tell them of our little problem. No worries - they called up the gas station where we had rented the scooter and they were going to bring us another one out to the bar & grill. An hour later we had the keys to a brand-spankin new scooter and in the mean time got to know a few more of the locals while waiting at the bar. The Samana bar and grill overlooks brilliant blue water on the east side of the island and is very protected from the normally strong tradewinds. We promised we would be back the next day for the all day Sunday BBQ and just relaxing on lounge chairs next to the beach - after all it is Sunday, the day of rest.

So we headed back to the boat in the dark - about 7 miles. John got a number of bugs in his eyes, but he managed to get us back safe and sound. After some dinner on the boat, we went back onshore to hit the Aitutaki Fishing Club just on the other side of the wharf. The club is an open air cement building (a roof with walls on 2 sides, and some picnic tables scattered inside and out). Saturday night is the big party night there, but things don't get hoppin until about 10:00 pm. It was only 8:30 when we got there. We didn't think we were going to make it that late. Boy was I wrong. We finally crawled back to the boat and into bed sometime after 1 in the morning. Ouch!! We had a blast though - met some med students from Australia and ran into Carla again and some of the other golfers. We had a great time talking and dancing into the night. But church was coming early the next day...

We did it - we made it to 10 am mass at the catholic church just up the road. All of the singing was in Maori (and man do they belt it out!), but the sermon and reading were both in English and in Maori. After church they insisted on having us hang around for the social brunch. They put out once heck of a spread. There was so much food - every inch of the long table was covered with a wide variety of home made hot dishes, salads, and deserts. We tried everything - the poisson cru (they call it Ika Taka), seaweed salad, taro, spinach with pork rinds, and some stuff I have no idea what it was, and then your normal chicken, potato salad, etc. - but it was all good - and filling. And we still had to go to the BBQ at the bar & grill! So after church we went back to the boat for a nap in order to rebuild our appetite. We headed back to the bar & grill around 2pm and split a single plate of BBQ fish and chicken with all the fixins. To aid with our digestion, we lounged around the b each and beautiful blue water for a bit before heading back to the boat. Now for round 3 - we also had dinner reservations for 6:30 at the Pacific Resort for a really nice (fancy) dinner overlooking the water. (We haven't eaten like this in months!). We went to the resort a bit early to meet an Italian couple for drinks, whom we had met earlier in the day at church. We had a really nice visit and exchanged contact information. We plan on meeting again one day when we are in Italy and going out for dinner in Portofino - how cool is that!! Our dinner (and desert - what the heck) was terrific. Back on the scooter for a ride back to the boat after dark - but this time John wore some speedo swim goggles. No bugs in the headlights tonight! What a terrific day.

This morning (monday morning) we decided to stick around the boat and get a few chores done (and get this blog written). Around 10:00 this morning we got a call on the radio - it was Charisma!!! Bob and Ann were just arriving around the north side of the island and would be coming through the channel around 11 - just a bit ahead of high tide at 12:40. We stood by on channel 18 as they made their way through the channel. Just as John was saying "looks like they made it in past the shallow part" - Bob called on the radio and said they had gone aground. (I think John jinxed them!). So John and I hopped in the little dingy and came up along side of them to see how we could help. We started out by John and I hanging off the end of the boom as it was swung out to port, Ann on the bow, and Bob gunning the engine. No luck. So next we got on board and tried having all our weight on the bow while Bob tried to gun the engine. No luck. But 3 is the charm. Bob had me come back to the whe el and drive so we could use his weight upfront, while John hung off the boom again. I gunned the engine a few times, turned the wheel back and forth a few times, and finally Chrisma was free! They are now side-tied to us on the other side, all snug and well in the little harbor. They caught a mahi mahi during their passage - and we already had steaks pulled out, so looks like mixed grill for dinner tonight. All is good in the land of Aitutaki!!

Lisa
Comments
Vessel Name: ORCINIUS
Vessel Make/Model: Lagoon 440
Hailing Port: Vancouver, Washington
Crew: John LeDoux & Lisa Danger
About:
Sailing since the mid 90's. Prior to this trip, 4 sailing adventures from Vancouver WA to the San Juan and Gulf Islands in the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Bought ORCINIUS in West Palm Beach Fl in April 2010. Sailed her South through the Panama Canal and back up the West coast to home port. [...]
Extra: Lisa is the real captain. I have never been at the helm when docking or anchoring, she has a great touch to docking.
Home Page: www.orcinius.com

Who: John LeDoux & Lisa Danger
Port: Vancouver, Washington