Sunday 8 August 2010 (MANGAREVA)

Picton Castle at anchor at Rikitea, Mangareva, French Polynesia; Sunday 8 August 2010 בס"ד

A triple entry. Friday morning we braced in a bit during the second hour of watch, the I stood third lookout and at sunlight I was able to sight Mangareva and other small islands. On my lookout we took in all sails but fore-and-aft sails, which I helped with, and after my lookout we took in the fore-and-afts as we motored through towards the reef surrounding the archipelago. We also braced around for windage and did plenty of sail-handling, even though we had no sails set. When I was doing my shipcheck, I checked the boatgripes and the Captain saw me on the quarterdeck and called me over to say, “Fred, you're enough of a seaman to know when you look at the gripes if they're tight. You don't have to feel them like a wanker.” So we had no deckwash or soogie. After watch we had about an hour before all hands were woken up and on deck. We came in by the ATONs and at around 1030 we were at the harbor of Rikitea. The Captain told me to check out what the Mate was doing on the focslehead, and so I ran up and helped to unlash the port anchor, which had been catted up since Lunenburg. We dropped anchor and the harbor here is so tranquil, I'd believe the ground was rollier than our ship, which was completely still as if in drydock. While we waited to be cleared in, we got all of the stuff off the galleyhouse, so that we could rig up some tackles to hoist off the two boats we had up there: Sea Never Dry (our dory) and the old skiff. We got them in the water, and all the spars and sails for them came out and got rigged up and they really look awesome. Lots of work was done getting this ready, and I went ashore at around 1700 to check stuff out. We were walking around in a big touristy group (which those who know me know that makes me anxious) and pretty much the scene was that everything was closed in the one street town except one or two places that didn't take US dollars and/or didn't speak English. We mananged to find a place that sold wine, but I had a bottle of wine aboard, and I was hungry and it looked like we wouldn't find a place to sleep ashore, so Jo and I returned and had dinner leftovers and some vino, then just chilled and slept.

Saturday morning, I took the 0900 skiff run in with Liam, Bob, Brad, and Robert. Our goal was to find black pearls and climb Mount Duff. We walked by a store with Paul, Paula, Logan, and Meredith Spratt sitting against the outside wall drinking beers like bums. I decided I'd hang out with them doing that instead and was able to make change from US to Polynesian francs when I bought a beer. We were hanging out there for a while and locals would drive up and hang out, and I got to speak French for the first time since none of them speak English, only French and Mangarevan Polynesian. After a bit, some invited us to a BBQ and they offered us beers and brought out a huge, freshly caught, and cut us out big chunks to eat raw. They were also chopping up a sea turtle, and told us that A) we're going to have some fresh turtle soup, and B) don't tell the police. We took a ride in their boat back to the ship, and gave them a quick tour before we returned and I ate the sea turtle (not kosher, I know, but you can't go to French Polynesia and get offered illicit soup and say no). Hung out at a park for a bit, then went to a little store and partied behind it with even more locals. I made very good friends with two, and my new name is Leon, or also, Roi Leonidas, since they said I look Spartan. We were talking for a while and I brought out my English-French dictionary every so often, and the one guy very sincerely wanted to learn English, so I just gave him the book as a cadeau. Well, in exchange, he insisted on giving me a huge black pearl (he is a pearl farmer, as are most of the locals), which was awesome. Soon after, though, some wannabe tough guy tried starting a random fight with Logan, so we just left and went to another guy's house. There I got a gift of a black pearl and shell necklace, and we sat around and chilled. By this time, I was speaking French treis bien, but probably was just drunkenly mumbling. I went back to the dock with some other PCs, and there were about twenty or so teenagers having a party there and I chilled and talked with them while I waited for the 2100 skiff. Came back and passed out.

Today, right after breakfast, we were all-hands to the windlass as we took in the anchor. There was concern that we may have fouled the chain around the stock, and if we drag we've but a short way to the reef. It's my on-watch day today, and after domestics we broke into ospho-ing the forward bulkheads to remove the rust streaks. Pretty much did that until 1530, when locals came aboard to visit. I gave a tour of the ship to a gendarme, aka the fuzz. The Captain asked me how to say “sailor” in Hebrew, and interestingly enough it is מלח (mAlakh), just like מלח (mElakh) which means salt. So, “Old Salt” is older than I thought, since we say it in the Book of Jonah. I went on a quick skiff run to rescue some stragglers that we saw on the dock who wanted dinner. Just did dishes in the scullery and I'm standing anchor watch at 0200-0330. Tomorrow we go on small boat expedition and maybe hunt goat. Time to sharpen my machete.

NOTE: I learned yesterday from the locals that today the island of Maruroa, which is 280km away, will be nuked by the French military, turning it from an O to a C. Hope I don't melt?