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American Spirit II - Day 448; We Leave Union Island and Go to Tobago Cays & Have a Lobster Dinner on a Beach; Monday, March 30, 2015



One year ago today:

"Day 86; Arrived in Nuku Hiva, First Sunrise Green Flash and Wifi Day at the Snack Shop; Sunday, March 30, 2014. Mike woke me at 5:30 AM as we were 10 miles from Nuku Hiva. The sun rose at 5:52 AM and for the first time in my life I saw a Green Flash at sunrise. I wasn't looking for the flash, it just happened. Green Flash number 6 on our trip. With sunset at 5:50 PM the night before and sunrise at 5:52 AM the days and nights are equal in time. That's what being near the equator is like."

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Up at 4:15 AM; then back to bed; up at 6:15 AM; then back to bed; then up for good at 8:00 AM. Joel and I are both suffering from 'Rum Punch Malaise.' A big rain shower is passing by to starboard.

We run the generator from 8:45 AM to 10:50 AM; then turn the engine on at 10:50 AM and weigh anchor at 10:58 AM. The wind is 18-20 knots and the waves 3-5 feet. We're heading to Tobago Cays. No breakfast this morning. Rum Punch Malaise.

We arrive at Tobago Cays at 11:40 AM and grab a mooring ball near Nexus. The mooring ball costs 45 EC per day and we have to pay a national park fee of 10 EC each to stay at Tobago Cays. Chicka-lu just left and Bongo Alive is here also. NDS Darwin arrives at 12:05 PM. We see our first turtle surface near the boat for a breath of air right after mooring.

Lunch at 12:40 PM is hamburger patties and pretzels. A decent day, partly sunny. At 1:50 PM we inflate the dingy; then Joel hops in the water and checks the mooring line and concrete block anchoring it. Its impressive. A first rate mooring.

We then dingy to the beach/island 100 yards away; and climb up a small sand dune to get a better view. Sigi from Avocet joins us and says that they're having a lobster dinner prepared for them on a beach on the island behind us tonight around 6:30 PM. On the way back to the boat Joel spots a 2 foot bright green Iguana. Good eyes Joel! It poses for me to take a nice picture. We drop Sigi off at his boat and talk to the local cooking the lobster dinner. We make a reservation. Avocet will pick us up in one of their 2 dinghies. The trip is too far for us to use our electric motorized dingy. We're back on the boat at 3:35 PM and turn the generator on.

From 4:07 PM to 6:00 PM I type 2 logs.

Margaret and Sigi pick Joel and me up in the 'crock proof' dingy at 6:00 PM. The dingy is yellow, hard plastic and capable of being bitten by a crocodile and surviving. Derry and Cameron join us 15 minutes later. There are picnic tables for us to sit on, with a plastic tablecloth that says 'Bon Appetite' on it; lights strung over our table run by a generator; a cooking/grill area to cook our meal and a tent for storage. For dinner we're served, family style, twice baked potatoes; fried plantain's; mixed vegetables; dark rice; lobster and banana bread for dessert. The lobster is fresh as I watched the local 'dispatch' the 2 lobsters we have for dinner myself. Its not a pretty sight. The lobsters are cut up and then grilled. We bring our own wine. The dinner costs 110 EC for lobster and 100 EC for chicken, which Margaret and Cameron have. We're back on the boat by 8:45 PM.

From 8:52 PM to 9:25 PM I finish 2 logs and then 'proof' them. Proofing reading the logs after I type them allows me to find most of the spelling or typing mistakes I've typed previously; and to add any other thoughts that come to mind.

At 9:30 PM I read in the cockpit, joining Joel. There are 22 boats anchored on mooring balls behind us; and 5 in front. A beautiful night.

In bed at 10:20 PM.

Brian Fox





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