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Monthly Archives: February 2010
The ‘VIP yard’
After a weekend spent indulging in the rare angle of wave energy produced by the latest cyclone that turned southwest, I busily made the final preparations for Laurent, the yard’s in-house glasser, to get started cutting away the shaft log the following morning. The week prior, the mechanic had helped me remove my transmission, to [...]
A Mother’s Work is Never Done
The instant I plucked the wee bird from the soggy sticks, there was no going back…I was undeniably the mother of this orphaned baby seabird.
I was certain that the little creature must eat fish, but I had no idea how to raise it?! Shortly after the adoption, I rode my bike over to my Tahitian [...]
OLI’s ‘Pearl’
The wind had decreased slightly by morning but it was still gusting over 40 knots. The waves had pulled the dirt away from Swell’s supports in the night, but she remained upright. No boats in the yard had fallen or broken lines in the marina but others whispered of boats that had been beached or [...]
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Cyclone ‘Oli’: thanks be to LAND
I couldn’t imagine how strong it was going to get as Simona and I finished taping the windows and bringing all the tables and chairs inside. As the gusts soared into the 40s, we gathered the last of the fallen mangos and prepared the boards to put in front of the doors should the waves [...]
NISHA Fizzles, OLI bites
“There is only room on the back lot of the yard,” Karin said. “And Nisha has been downgraded. Are you sure you want to haul out now?”
“Yes.” I replied. “I’m here, so let’s just do it.”
The crew hauled Swell and transported her to the back of the yard near the street.
…Nisha passed with only 30-35 [...]
Posted in Captain Liz Clark and the Voyage of Swell Tagged boatyard, cyclone Oli, Tahiti Leave a comment
‘Vacation’ is Over.
Warm evening light danced between the shadows of the overgrown limbs and leaves on the jungle road. I bounced down the mountain in the back of Frederique and Teva’s truck, after they’d treated Tina, baby Matai, and a few other ladies to a day of pareo-making and a glimpse of island life in the mountains. [...]
Legally Challenged
I popped my head out of the hatch around 10am after another brutal passage east from Bora Bora the prior day. Just then, the big gray French police boat pulled into the bay. My heart lurched. I had a letter from the yard stating that Swell was ‘unsuitable to take to the sea’ until the [...]
Extracteuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuur!!! Say it with a french accent…it’s kinda fun.