Arrived at Abaiang, Kiribati

We made the day trip from Tarawa to Abaiang in less than 7 hours. It was a
lovely sail with winds from 15-20 knots - slightly forward of the beam. The
pass was easy to find with the waypoints we had on hand, yet was directly up
wind. We tried to tack back and forth, but with the current pushing against
us, we made no headway, and so the engine was turned on to help push us into
the lagoon. The waves through the pass were high, and I was continually
soaked as I stood on the bow looking for coral heads. It was a wonderful and
refreshing spray, and I was so pleased to be in a place where the water was
once again clear and clean! We anchored on the eastern side of the lagoon,
and I immediately took a swim. Tomorrow we'll head ashore to explore. David
and Pauline on SV Wasatch (US sailboat that we met in Tarawa) are also here.

Labels: Kiribati, Gilbert Islands, Abaiang, passage.