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Mischief - Up to Mischief Log 32 Further adventures of S/Y Mischief through the eyes and ears of Chas Baynes



Day 65 Thursday 3rd May 2018 - Baie Faaroe, Raiatea

We dropped the mooring at 0800 and allowed Calisto, another ARC yacht whom had just arrived into the anchorage, to pick up our vacated buoy. We set off on a reciprocal course to our entry - it was still tight in places so had me on the bow on 'bommie watch' for an hour or so (and saw a small shark!), all the way back to Fare where we exited the lagoon and into the open ocean bound for Raiatea some 20 nm away to the west. There was no wind though, so we had to motor half way across before there was sufficient to sail, and then from in front of the beam so couldn't try out the repaired spinnaker that had been our intention.

Raiatea does look inviting apart from the rain squalls we could see obscuring some of the peaks. We are heading for the Passe Irihu into the lagoon,which leads directly into the Baie Faaroe at the head of which is the river Aoppomau that we can take the dinghy up, a real 'Swallows and Amazons' adventure. We managed to find a project buoy near the mouth of the river and set off in the dinghy to explore. The river suggested to me a small Amazon with the narrow muddy waters, the palm trees lining the banks and overhanging branches, leading to no-where in particular, although it was blocked some way in by a fallen tree, so we had to turn back; besides, it had started to rain which further enhanced the rain forest feel to the place. Once out, we headed off to shore to have a look around and found, well, nothing really!

Back on the boat, Wendy was swabbing the cockpit out with buckets of water (she had missed the 'Amazon' river ride). As we arrived she managed somehow to drop the bucket into the water and as Dave was still in the dinghy he leant over to retrieve it, over stretched and tumbled head first into the drink. Laugh we did, a bit. No, to tell the truth we laughed a lot especially as Dave had his expensive sunglasses on, his hat, and flip flops that all floated off independently in different directions. Having grabbed the bucket, he then floundered about trying to retrieve everything else in order of value. Dave is worried that this event may make the blog, which of course it won't - honest.

Earlier, I had made some bread which took forever to prove but after several hours it had started to show signs of life, so I baked it and has come out surprisingly well. Trevor meanwhile made a chilli for tea as there was nowhere ashore to eat and that was good too.

My God, does it rain here! No wondering as to why everything is so green. It is almost non-stop. That and the fish jumping out of the water in the dark prevent it from otherwise being a very peaceful anchorage topping which we are the only boat here. Let's hope the rain eases up a bit for tomorrow as we are to head off around the south end of the island and to see what's there, hopefully more than here!

Day 66 Friday 4 May 2018 -

Woke up to a really vibrant rainbow over the trees at the head of the river - it has been raining most of the night it seems, certainly the dinghy is awash.

We were away early amongst showers and the occasional deluge heading south towards Baie Tuatau about 12 nm, inside the reef. It's very pretty but you must be careful within the reef even in deeper water.

When we arrived in torrential rain we bobbied about until a lull before we picked up a buoy just off a little reef island. One can see waterfalls high in the peaks absolutely gushing with water and this isn't rainy season, goodness knows what it's like then! The thing is, the rain doesn't look like it's stopped for the day as further black clouds loom. It could be taken for Manchester without the palm trees.

Regardless, we took the dinghy ashore after emptying it of water again, me armed with an umbrella, to explore what was there - nothing! Well, other than a grotty Roulette place which looking at it did not inspire any confidence at all. There was however a little shop which initially was shut as it was lunchtime but was open when we were making our way back after a short walk and Dave bought us a lolly each which I ate watching huge eels in a gutter next to the Roulette - definitely not eating fish in there!

We had planned to stay here the night but deciding there was nothing further there we moved the boat over to another small reef island about 500m away which the charts suggested had mooring buoys available or decent anchorage points and promised a lovely beach walk. Well, we got within twenty feet of what looked like a mooring buoy and a chap on the beach there was waving his arms frantically clearly warning us something - perhaps the mooring buoy with the little red flag on the top was not a mooring buoy after all but a hazard marker, so we took his sign language word for it and backed out again. The anchorages looked either too deep or too shallow with little in between so we decided to cut our losses as it was still only 1400 and move on towards the 100 Waterfalls where we had planned to go tomorrow anyway, named as such apparently because there are perhaps 100 waterfalls there. I am determined to count them.

We travelled back north this time after passing the bottom of the island and picked up a buoy just inside Passe Toamaro in quite shallow water, but water that is unbelievably clear. Dave, Wendy and I ventured ashore again to check out the dinghy dock and try to book a place for us for dinner in what looked like a restaurant there. However, it looked deserted again apart from a few hotel guests by the pool. Dave eventually found someone who knew someone who pointed him to someone else who took a booking. This was a family hotel, so it said on the sign post, yet the bar area was all shut up whilst guests sat around the pool drinkless, as were we. I rather hope it is livelier at 1830 when we have booked for.

As it happened, after we ran the dinghy aground on the bommies having taken a wrong course to shore, the restaurant was very pleasant, but I chose entirely the wrong menu option and ended up with a damned 'neuveau cuisine' meal again as the other evening, whilst Trevor had half a cow to contend with. Definite dinner envy! But at least the rain has stopped, the stars are all out in abundance and we found the right track back to the boat. Phew, so I'll have a quick sandwich to make up for lack of dinner, and bed. A lot of waterfalls to count tomorrow, let's hope they don't have the same effect as sheep!

Day 67 Saturday 5 May 2018 - Uturoa, Raiatea

Saw several stingrays swimming under the boat this early morning with their entourage of other fish feeding off food they may disturb as they glide along the sand. Whilst I was watching them I noticed the shape of a dinghy paddle on the bottom; we need one of those so I got out my snorkel and dived down to retrieve it in 4m water. It was a bit over grown but it may clean up nicely.

We are going to look at the '100 Water falls' bay this morning, requiring an excursion outside the reef for 2 nm up the coast then back in again. This is the most beautiful little Baie Tetoora where the views of the tree covered peaks and valleys are scored with gorges from where the bay gets its name. The trouble is, even with the amount of rain we had yesterday, there were only six that showed any signs of water cascading at all, hardly a water fall, but on a count of the potential number of water falls an accurate assessment was - quite a few, whether there were 100 would need a recount! We motored around this lovely bay and again were reminded of the shortcomings of electronic chart plotters with huge unmarked bommies appearing out of nowhere and marked reef edges being some way out on the chart. But we managed to negotiate our way out of the reef and headed north under motor again as there was no wind, to the main town on this island, Uturoa.

We picked up a mooring buoy belonging to a local yacht charter company and were immediately visited by a work boat saying we had to pay to stay on the mooring and the cost was - six beers! We thought they were joking but Dave telephoned the office ashore and indeed the price was a pack of beers for the crew. So, Dave and Wendy took the dinghy ashore to pay the dues to the manager looking out for a big guy, who was unmistakable as he turned out to be 2m tall by 2m wide, the biggest man Dave had ever seen, so no arguing with him then. Blue Pearl came in to pick up another buoy as later did Mad Monkey but they were charged two packs of six, so the lads ashore were on for a good night tonight!

The weather today means visibility is particularly clear and the views of the islands are spectacular. From our position here at the top end of Raiatea we can see Huahine off to the east, Tahaa right next to us and off to the west Bora Bora with its towering peaks, all the Leeward islands in one panoramic sweep.

We went ashore to investigate and met Spirit of Catherine on the dockside with Steve, Johnno and Alex on board. Johhno and Alex were getting ready to go to a 'Rock' concert ashore at 5pm which sounded appealing so we went to have a look whilst getting a drink; turns out the bar - the only bar - was shut as it had been for four days by all accounts, and the rock concert turned out to be a Gospel choir in shirts and ties; Latter Day Evangelists I think who celebrate on a Saturday. Not quite what the billing advertised on the internet! Good luck with that then lads. Other than that, and a supermarket, the entire place was shut. Not only that, as tomorrow is a Sunday and election day again no alcohol could be sold anywhere - I think it is proportional representation so there are numerous election days as various parties get eliminated, it seems to have been going on forever.

We were invited onto Spirit of Catherine, a 50 foot catamaran for a beer whilst the lads attended the rock concert. Twenty minutes later they were back looking non-too excited by events. They had been warned.

As there was little chance of eating ashore this evening (apparently the one nice hotel restaurant was booked up), we were left with a grotty looking Roulette place, a hut selling large pizzas at $34, or eating aboard. We ate on the boat - much better, certainly on the wallet. There was even entertainment where we were moored as there was a drum/Hula dance group practicing in a nearby marquee on shore and we could just see through the window with binoculars. Does that make us, or more precisely me, peeping Toms?

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