#113 NOW August 17, 2006 0111 (UTC +13 hours Tonga Standard Time) S21002.3 W176027.5, Temperature 75.9, Pressure 1009 mb, Heading 0290 magnetic Overcast occasional Rain, Wind 0200@ 4 kts, Swell from NE at 4 feet, Para-vanes down, 198 Miles to Go, SOG 6.5 kts, 1600 RPM, ETA Neiafu  Approximately 1000 Friday Good Morning, South Minerva ReefWow! We arrived around noon last Tuesday after spending a little time determining the entrance to the reef. It was close to high tide (not desirable) and of course, there are no buoys to give you a clue. However, with Rainer and Kirk on the bow and a walkie-talkie in hand, we were able to pick our way among the coral heads into the lagoon. There is quite a history of shipwrecks on this reef as noted by the rotting carcasses of ships strewn about. Thank you God for GPS! First, I must differentiate between a reef and an island. A reef consists of coral, rock, and sand. It usually is completely covered at high tide. There is no land, trees, or vegetation of any kind; just crashing waves breaking on the reefs give you an outline of the reef. At low tide, the inner waters of the reef are protected and you have a very nice lagoon. Another big plusI observed no flies, mosquitoes, or insects of any kind. Once we anchored, Rainer and Kirk immediately set out with the dinghy to fish and explore. I launched the kayak and headed for the reef. With the protection of shoes and gloves, (in case I fell) I waded through the tide pools and coral. I have never seen such an abundance of marine life. There were hundreds of different kinds of brightly colored coral. Clams, starfish, sea slugs, tropical fish scurrying about, and dozens of creatures that I have never seen beforewhat a paradise this would be for a marine biologist. It was nice to get a good sleep anchored inside the protection of the reef. However, our schedule does not allow much time for sightseeing, and we were soon on our way to Tonga. Underway Kirk celebrated his 26th birthday by catching a nice tuna. You will have to ask him about the one that got away. It took one chomp on the lure and was off, breaking the line. We have not lacked for fish dinners on this passage. The watermaker just produced 200 gallons of water without a hitch. Maybe I have conquered this all-important mechanical beast. Another system that has been working very well is the HF weather fax. I have been able to get excellent weather charts from Wellington, NZ, and Honolulu, Hawaii. This will be especially useful on the leg from Pago Pago to Honolulu. We did have a major equipment failure however. My bread maker decided to come to a noisy halt. It has not been used for some time and I guess the marine environment was not to its liking. It was rather ancient. I may pick up a new one when we get to Pago Pago. Kirk suggested that we get a 25-year-old model (blond). You know, I like the way this young man thinks. Life is a Cruise, Larry, Rainer, and Kirk -- Larry Rick Done Dreamin' Nordhavn 40 #33 Site: http://gricknet.homedns.org/Dads%20Web/doneDreamnHome.htm