Busy doing not much

Yesterday I planned to hike up Mt Taitaa in the morning and shift the boat in the afternoon, but because it was raining in the morning, I did everything in reverse order. Moving the boat was interesting because as you can see in the photo I had managed the ordinarily impossible feat of threading the point of the anchor under a  tiny wire loop set in a lump of concrete on the sea floor. It  had been a small mooring and long ropes were still attached. I thought I was hauling up a  lump of coral, and used the main winch to bring it to the surface - I dont have a  windlass, and it  was much too heavy for my arms and back. Naturally, once it came close enough to the boat, the ropes entangled themselves round the propellor shaft and I could not motor forwrds any longer - I quickly lashed the concrete to the pulpit, as we drifted towards coral outcrops, lowered the anchor so it fell out of the wire loop and then anchored the boat right there. Next I dived under the boat, freed the rope from the propellor shaft, pulled in my anchor again and motored to a  permanenet anchorage, dropping the Rocna once more and resetting it, then letting the concrete go after attching an empty container to one of its ropes so that I can let someone onshore know theres  a little mooring available if they want it.

And so after lunch I hiked up Mt Taitaa, the highest point on the island, at 1200 feet. It was a vigorous walk along an overgrown and muddy track, and clouds enveloped the summit just as I got there and remained untiol I left! Wonderful! I could have retraced my steps back to where I had left Maevas bicycle but instead continued down the opposite side, then walked back to town along the beach as the sun set.I called in to see Don and Jeanette to ask for a lift the remining 5 km back to the bike, which they were only too happy to do, and plied  me with cake on the way. I then had an exhilerating ride  on the bike in the pitch black down the deserted  concrete road back to town in the cool evening air. It was  fun but I was worn out!



The Summit of Mt Taitaa



Flag and Stick at the top



The Motus out on the reef edge



Amazing calm and beauty



Brilliant sunset colours prehaps caused by ash from Chile?

I am moving back to the boat today hoping the wind will pick up in the next 48 hours so I can leave for Tahiti.  It has been  lovley to stay on land but its time to move on.