Friday 16 January – our last leg north

The early mornings tend to be calm, so we got going as soon as Rowan woke up, just before 6am – always a bit too early for me. Our devices don’t sync we must have crossed a time zone somewhere, which adds a little to the unknown. It was a wonderful calm flat sea and an easy motor north, by midday we were nearing our destination, a string of islands separated by reefs. We had to do a bit of exploring as Rowan was not happy with the swing room on the only anchorage marked on the NFL App. Our first attempt the anchor dragged, it must be loose coral rubble, we moved into a better space and got a good hook. At least it was a decent space away from the reef on our second attempt, but it required a stern line on to be sure we did not swing onto reef if a squall hit and pushed us in the opposite direction. I decided I needed to do it, now that the dinghy engine is a little easier to start and the steering has been lubricated so it is no longer a battle to steer. It went reasonably well, until we ran out of floating rope, it did not reach PolePole. We then had to use another line and of course the current swept away the floating rope, in the end Rowan had to jump in and wait while I retrieved the other line. Rowan wasn’t too happy hanging around in the water in what looks like ideal croc territory! Anyhow after what seemed like hours we were finally attached and secure.

We had a couple of hours chilling and recuperating, until a big local boat came through aiming for our stern line. After loads of gesticulating they spotted our line at the last minute, we had floated one fender, but that clearly was not going to be enough. We discovered we are anchored in the middle of one of two passages in between these islands and reefs. Rowan went out and put out a couple more fenders to mark out our stern line. We had quite a few long boats we had to call out to, we had not realised we were in such a main thoroughfare.

It feels incredibly remote where we are with a ring of volcano islands around us, but not so remote as there are two big villages either side of us on small islands. We had a magical sunset with the call of the imam from the village carrying over the water. It was very atmospheric. We feel we have reached somewhere significant, because now we just wait for the wind to sail south. Fingers crossed it happens Monday or Tuesday. We have seen turtles and big rings of disturbed water which I am convinced are manta rays.