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Trip 1
DAY 1
March 26 1999
And we’re off... We’ve just departed
Port Moresby and Martin won’t tell me
where we’re going.
You know what? Who would have ever
thought Veronica (that’s me) would be
right here, right now in one of the most
remote places in the world (according to
Martin) embarking on a 10-day voyage to
explore unchartered waters and places no
surfer has ever been before on a
27-year-old vessel named the Indies
Trader. Stephen is behind the wheel
doing a one-hour watch.
Toward the evening we hit some pretty
rough seas. We were all feeling queasy
and were thinking about anchoring for
the night. I went to bed. We ended up
pushing through it. Things calmed down
and this morning was beautiful.
I am reading Moby Dick and just found a
relevant quote: "There you stand,
lost in the infinite series of the sea,
with nothing ruffled but the
waves."
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DAY 2
March 27 1999
Today was a good day! I got to
drive, catch fish and talk to some
natives who paddled out to our boat. On
top of this I experienced the majesty of
being on the ocean, it is as if nothing
else exists; just you, the boat and the
life that surrounds us all. Usually we
are too busy to notice.
It’s the feeling of sheer bliss and
quiet calm. Nothing compares.
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DAY 3
March 28 1999
We’re at this huge reef in the
middle of the ocean somewhere. There was
a huge shipwreck, a US warship from
World War II. We went diving and it was
really spooky looking at all the old
remnants, imagining what the people went
through and what they were like, and how
many of them died with their ship. We
moored by a deserted island.
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DAY 4
March 29 1999
We took the tinny to the island and
looked for seashells. We found a canoe.
Then we went diving on our first
official Reef Check. The reef was
healthy. The Reef Check was really fun.
They put me in charge for some reason.
Hornbaker says he is going to get me a
sash that says Reef Check Girl. Anyway I
was responsible for the boys and making
sure they got it done. They were good
sports. We thought we did good and we
noticed everything, then we got in the
boat and Martin checked our data. He was
proud of us but listening to him made me
realize how little I know and how much
there is to learn. It’s exciting
though and this is just the beginning.
It feels so good to feel like I’m
contributing and with this project, the
Quiksilver Crossing, we’re going to
make a difference.
Then we are back on the road again (well
ocean).
We started a fishing contest; Stephen
and Troy versus Hornbaker and myself. I
caught an eight pounder. |
DAY 5
I've lost track.
I swear time doesn’t exist out
here. You wake up at 6am and the next
thing you know its 9pm and you can
barely keep your eyes open, but you end
up talking for hours in the galley, or
night fishing, on climbing up top to lay
under the stars.
I don’t think there is anything
better; being on a boat in the middle of
nowhere, no land in sight, except for
the occasional, deserted island; and
nothing to interrupt the sights and
sounds, the taste of the salt air
blowing across your face, the smell of
the sunshine, the peaceful trickle of
the passing sea.
DAY 6
I have to admit being out in the
middle of the ocean amongst the vast
darkness below and blue expanse beyond
is pretty cool but when we had to stop
because of engine problems, it was
pretty scary. It turned out to be a
small fuel leak, but the boys being as
efficient and experienced as they are,
had us fixed up in no time.
DAY 7
We had a really big fishing
tournament. Stephen and Troy versus
Hornbaker and me. The winner would
receive red carpet treatment for the
evening including beverages, dinner,
dessert and tea or coffee served to you
at your leisure at the location of your
choice. We had been going all day and we
hadn’t caught anything. Troy and
Stephen had caught two but the largest
was only an eight pounder. There was
less than an hour of daylight left so we
jumped in the tinny because we were
anchoring for the night. I made
Julianne, who had been anti-fishing,
jump in with us. We barely got our lines
in the water and Horny snags a
26-pounder. We didn’t have dinner so
we took it back to the boat. Stephen and
Troy knew that was going to be hard to
beat but wanted to give it a try. A few
minutes later and bam, I hooked a
12-pound dogtooth. We didn’t have the
scale but I wanted to throw it back so
we guessed. Now Troy and Stephen are
really hurting. A few minutes later our
line gets snagged again. We decide we’re
giving it to Julianne and it turns out
to be 35-pound plus (we didn’t have
the scale but the thing was huge!!!) We
threw it back as it was so big and so
cute.
By this time the sun was setting and we
headed back to the boat. Those guys got
schooled! They were really good sports
and even better waiters.
DAY 8
All of a sudden we look up and there’s
the greenest of green islands I’ve
ever seen. They were beautiful. As we
got closer we saw a village among the
trees. We decided to go and check it
out. As we got off the boat we were
dowsed in the sweetest smiles and
greetings of the loveliest kind.
It was like all the women took me in
their arms. Horny told me I had to meet
this one girl in particular. Our eyes
met and all social, economic, colour
boundaries and all those other base,
man-made falsities came crashing down.
We were friends who couldn’t wait to
go sit in a corner and just talk. We all
sat and talked, mostly giggled. Some of
the women were putting their hands on my
shoulders and putting my hair over
theirs and looking at each other. I didn’t
want to leave. I felt like I could
relate. Maybe we’re not so different
after all. People are people no matter
where you go; we’re all the same, just
in different clothes. |
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Wait a second, we might get to go for a
surf.
Stephen, Troy, Kelly, Martin and I
jumped in the tinny to have a go (as the
Aussies say). Even though we hadn’t
surfed in six days I think all of us
were a little unmotivated and sluggish.
We almost make it out the break when we
are surrounded by dolphins. I was scared
we were going to hit them but actually
they made us go faster. When we slowed
down they still hung around for a while
jumping and playing. I stuck my head
over the side and all you could see was
dolphins. It was so exciting. I was more
excited to go surf after watching them
flying and dancing through and over the
water than I’ve almost ever been. The
surf ended up being about waist to
shoulder high but we messed around and
had a good time. Some villagers boated
out to us with local information. There
had been numerous shark and crocodile
attacks, mostly fatal. They couldn’t
stop waving to us, and smiling and
laughing. We were the first surfers to
surf there. Stephen got the first wave
so he decided to name it Dolphins,
Crocodiles and Sharks. The left
Dolphins, the right Crocks and the
inside bowl Sharks. What an incredible
feeling being the only surfers in the
clearest, warmest water (so clear it was
hard to see the wave with no one in the
water except us). Four friends sharing
waves of some island in the middle of
the South Pacific.
Snorkeling, oh my, beautiful water and
the bluest staghorn coral covered the
ocean floor, it was so blue almost
purple. It’s incredible to see and
experience a place that has had little
or no contact with humans and is so raw
and untouched. That’s it, I am going
to get certified and learn to scuba
dive.
After lunch we decided to make chocolate
chip cookies and watch Braveheart.
The boys decided to get manly and do a
fitness test: while the boat moves along
at 10 knots shimmy across the rope to
the tin boat and back in record time.
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More surf maybe... Kelly, Stephen, Ted
and I jumped in the tinny. Oh my
goodness, waves everywhere, perfect
reefs. After circling around the two
islands riding the waves with Kelly
behind the wheel we picked this long,
perfect left. The boys made me jump out
first and catch the first wave so I can
name the spot. I caught a head-high
perfect left and raced it down the line.
It was fun and I named the place
Caucasians because Stephen and Kelly
always call me Veronica Caucasian. I
wanted to name it something that would
remind me of them because that’s what
it’s about – surfing good waves with
your friends. |
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