Where is SV Merakai

Early afternoon we set out for Damo Bay, a bit further west in the 17 Islands NP. Two boats, each with 6-7 guys, behaved oddly. They came rocketing out of the entrance to Damo Bay heading east, then did a 180 degree turn and came along us - one on each side. They paralleled us for about 2 nm, then one moved in front. We proceeded steadily, but nervously. Then they just headed out to sea. We carried on into the fjord-like anchorage of Damo Bay. The outer entrance to the fjord is about 500m wide and the inner entrance about 260m wide.


Entrance to the fjord-like Damo Bay is difficult to see - the curving smooth band of water (skirting a reef) shows our path on the way out.

The fjord opens into a small bay - very protected, but also very vulnerable if the 2 boats came back at night. After drinks and a rest, we debated whether we should go back to Riung Bay, but in the end decided that they were probably guiding us through the reefs. There was a small village at one end of the bay, and we watched 2 fishers balanced in outrigger dugouts lay several hundred metres of nets before sunset. They stayed out most of the night, periodically turning on their torches, presumably to check their nets.


Fisher laying out nets.