Toward southern skies
12 April 2012
David
We are on schedule to arrive off Saipan around 6am to meet Border Control at Smiley Cove at 7. They are off after 8 and we are not permitted from our boat until they stamp our passports so we need to be there. Nicky has arranged all 5 agencies to meet or clear us through or at least the latter hopefully. Thanks Nicky! He even has their personal mobile numbers and possibly an escort into the harbor by Don the local dive shop owner. (Ifll appreciate that as it will be my first time navigating in a non-Japanese port and the markers on the chart appear to be different to what I studied in Japan). The agencies include Border Control, Quarantine, the Coast Guard, Commonwealth of Northern Marianas, Saipan Port Authority and Customs. The Coast Guard gave us a scare this afternoon. eWithout 4 days notice we can refuse you entry. We will call Guam and see what they say. ...... Oh, that is only if you are over 300 ton. See you tomorrowf
As we are actually a bit ahead of schedule we stopped the boat and practised deploying the drogue and some rough weather techniques in case I need to use them later in the trip. We were in the lee of the most unusual looking island it could have been King Kongfs home! (Will look up its name later as I have forgotten now). As we did so a school of dolphins appeared. I got the best little video of them as I hung off the bow. The largest one seemed to not like having his podfs photo taken, turned upside down splashed me with his tail and then they were gone.
My little boat is just flying along as we now have her so well tuned. Without much wind (guessing 15 knots on the beam) we are doing around 5.8 knots. I cooked up a Japanese style spaghetti with mushrooms, boiled onions and soya sauce and Andrew cranked up the music and we watched the stars. Our last night on this leg and not a cloud in the sky. The first night we are not wearing waterproofs. The view is just amazing looking up at the sky. We were jamming along enjoying the scene, the music and food and the before our eyes, unbelievably, there right in front, toward the south, the Southern Cross! Perhaps only an Aussie or Kiwi would appreciate it. Had no idea it could be seen from this latitude but there it is like a beacon and Yarramundi under sail is pointed right towards it. How cool - life rarely gets better!
I thought by this stage of the trip I would be eager to get back on land but not so.
Signing off to get some sleep before taking the midnight shift and also meeting the 5 agencies tomorrow.
David