#125 NOW October 12, 2006 0310 (UTC -10 hours Hawaii Standard Time) N05021 W159007, Temperature 82, Pressure 1007 mb, Course 0040 magnetic Wind 1800 @ 11 kts, Seas: 3 to 5 ft swells from SW, Para-vanes down, Miles Completed 93, Miles to Go 881, SOG 5.5 kts average. 1400 RPM Good Morning, Fanning Island, also called Tabuaeran, is a true tropical paradise with a good entry into the lagoon and quite peaceful waters once inside. Of course, it is a little less than 4 degrees above the equator, so it is hot and humid. The island has a population of around 1200 most of which are Micronesians from the Gilbert Islands, which came here in a resettlement plan about 10 years ago. However, their population more than doubles when the Norwegian Cruise Line ship unloads its passengers for the day. While they have spent about a million dollars fixing up a dock and shore side facilities, they have not change the basic character of the island. We came through the pass around 3:30 PM into a very large and mostly shallow lagoon, known as English Harbour. In fact, only a small area near the town has suitable depth for anchoring. It was too late to clear customs so with our quarantine flag up, we settled in for the night. The next morning we took the dinghy ashore where we picked up the customs officer and brought her out to the boat. In a short time, she completed her inspection and provided us with the necessary papers. There was a fee of $25.00 US. In addition, there was a fee of $33 for all non-commonwealth country citizens. Sorry Mike, there are advantages to being Canadian. Once ashore we met Bob, who was the resident manager for NCL. He was a friendly fellow and provided us with some bicycles to tour the island. This turned out to be a great way to see how the people lived. Their little huts built up on stilts provided a cool shelter. We noticed that in the afternoon during the heat of the day everyone was taking a siestanot a bad idea. We met a bunch of kids coming from school. They were very friendly, and enjoyed saying Hello to us, which was probably the extent of their English vocabulary. We took many pictures of these happy smiling children. On our return back to the dock, we stopped at a small grocery store. They had about two dozen items. Of course, there was the canned corn beef from NZ, some flour, oil, and surprisingly a couple of big bags of Huggies (baby diapers). There was no fresh food of any kind with the exception of a few tiny, but very good bananas. Their main diet consists of coconuts and fish on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. During the rest of the week, they have fish and coconuts. NCL starts its regular cruising season this Sunday, and everyone was very excited about its arrival and the supplies it would bring. At this time, there is no diesel fuel available on the island. NCL does have three boats used to shuttle passengers to and from the main ship. However, they were very short of fuel and could not spare any. It might be possible during the cruising season to pick up a little fuel from NCL in an emergency. Otherwise, your best bet is to go to Christmas Island about 150 miles away. We departed Fanning Island at 1030 Wednesday (Hawaii Time) with a bit of a rough ride over the entrance bar. However, with fair weather we are making good time to Honokohau, Hawaii. Life is a Cruise, Larry and Mike -- Larry Rick Done Dreamin' Nordhavn 40 #33 Site: http://gricknet.homedns.org/Dads%20Web/doneDreamnHome.htm