Saturday, October 1, 2011

Kiribati Rat Tails...

Ok...stretch your mind way back.... Think of the 80's. Think about neon head
bands. And parachute pants. Remember the fad for guys to wear their hair
short, but with a lovely long piece of hair that extended from the nape of
their neck. We called them "rat tails".

Well...I'm seeing it again. Everywhere. In the Kiribati, we see rat tails on
young men, old men, boys, EVERYWHERE!! Sometimes hanging loose. Sometimes
braided. Always long. Very common.

And reminiscent of my junior high school buddies, Ty and Toomer - they would
be proud.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Inventory of Broken Stuff

It's been another busy month aboard Renova, in terms of stuff that has
broken. Here's a quick list:

- whisker pole broken in two
- spinnaker sail ripped
- alternator quit (spare installed)
- transmission troubles (repair in progress)
- GPS behaving oddly
- stove drip plate screws (not affecting use)
- outboard engine impeller (replaced)
- Lifeline broken (replaced)
- Traveller block broken (repaired)
- speedometer broken
- My sunglasses broken
- John's sunglasses overboard

Ahhh....this isn't uncommon. Everyone we talk to has a constant stream of
broken bits. But this many things in one month is unusual. Even for us.
We're grateful we have so many spares, and John's expertise to keep us
floating!! After all isn't the definition of cruising: boat repairs in
foreign ports??

Labels: maintenance, Renova, gear

Leisure time in Abaiang

Life in Abaiang is pretty laid back.

Once again, our beach access is limited by the tides, but we're less
frustrated here. We're happy to be hanging on the boat. Most days we do some
boat chores in the morning, have a mid-day siesta, then head to shore at
high tide in the afternoon. Most evenings, we watch a movie after dinner.

A family in the village has adopted us. They are two teachers, their son,
and their grand-daughter. Lovely. They invited us into their home for a
rest, and we chatted, drank coconut, and shared stories. We returned the
following evening and shared dinner with them - salted fish and rice. We're
hoping to have them to the boat for a meal - perhaps tomorrow.

The village is picturesque, the children love to see us and practice their
English, and yesterday they were chasing us down the road, asking us to take
photos of them!

The anchorage is absolutely blissful. While there is a steady and often
strong wind, we are well protected and the boat hardly moves. Finally, we
are able to sleep peacefully.

Labels: Abaiang, Kiribati, Gilbert islands, food.