Tuamotus!

      We are currently anchored in the atoll of Rangiroa, and lucky enough to have wifi that reaches the boat, so I'm taking advantage of it to write another blog. This will be my last one before Tahiti, which will also be my last stop on this trip.

      Our first stop in the Tuamotus was Ahe, which is off the beaten path for most visitors to the south Pacific. The sail from Nuku Hiva, Marquesas was a big of a drag, we had to motor for 48 hours straight due to lack of wind. The motoring isn't that bad, but when the sun bakes the boat, and the engine heat builds up inside the cabin, it basically makes the boat uninhabitable. The result is 5 people crowding around on the shady side of the cockpit, trying not to move and risk creating more heat.

      Lets just say that if Emily things Argentina is bad, she should come here. Holy Shit.

      The good news is that although it was mostly an uneventful trip, we did catch a fish, a very big fish. In fact, this yellowfin tuna put up such a fight that Mike and Steve and I had to pass the rod around a few times to get it into the boat. When we got the fish near the boat and realized how big it was, we also realized that there was no way that we could fit even half of the meat in the freezer. It was this tuna's lucky day. We got it near the swim platform and released our first and only yellowfin of the trip. I estimated the fish at 75 lbs. Steve has a video, but we lack good enough internet to post it.

     This overwhelming heat also lead me to make a very tough decision. The beard or not the beard? I decided my face was hot enough without a fur coat, and brought out the buzzer. Luckily for you all I took before and after pictures. This afternoon I am planning a dive in one of the two passes through the motus of Rangiroa. Its a drift dive through Tiputa Pass at about 5 knots. It should be fun.