The Crossing

This is a continuation form the previous blog...

I was so stoked to get out to sea, as was everyone else (them probably more than me because they’d been working round the clock for the last month).  This excitement soon wore off for me.  I was taking seasickness meds like candy and it seemed to work for the first 24 hours.  Apparently, a wind blows West to East constantly all day every day of the year across the Coral Sea.  This wind causes the boat to rock back and forth as it goes through the water.  The second evening at sea I was still feeling pretty good but noticed Irene wasn’t doing so hot.  She was cooking dinner so I decided to help out.  Because the boat was rocking anything on the stove had to be held in place otherwise it’d go flying through the gally.  All was good and well until Irene went out for a spew and I was left in the gally holding the pot thinking about the boat rolling and watching the walls go to and fro.  It was like being in a fun house at a carnival.  When she returned it was my turn to go have a spew.  Damn you seasickness.  Each time I was in the gally after that my stomach turned.  Outside I was good.  In my cubbyhole of a room I was good.  In the gally, not so much unless my eyes were focused on something like my computer.  After 2 ½ days of none stop rolling we’d finally made it through the Coral Sea and into the China Straits in PNG.

Our approximate route from Cairns to Kavieng

Andrew came down around 6:30am to get us all up to admire the calm seas, the sunrise and the first sightings of land since we left Oz.  It.  Was.  Beautiful.  The islands, the canoers, the thick, humid air all said “Welcome to PNG”. 

30 seconds before this photo I was asleep
in bed.  Land was a welcomed sight and
calm seas were even more welcomed hence
the smile at sunrise.

The view I was smiling at.

Land ho!

Nothing like a sunrise canoe ride.

While taking it all in Darty called out to me and had me come to the bow of the boat.  There was a pod of about a dozen dolphins swimming along with us.  I ran down to get my camera but by the time I’d come back they were gone.  Unfortunately, every time we saw dolphins something prevented me from getting a photo… I didn’t have my camera on me and they were gone by the time I came back with it, my battery was dead, no SD card, they swam off before I got my camera focused… I found this all to be very disappointing.  Thankfully, Mark was able to snap one photo of one dolphin on the trip.  One picture that I do not currently have so I can't share, but I’m happy that a photo was taken.

Once through the China Straits we set out through the Solomon Sea.  The Solomon Sea was nice and calm and lovely.  It’s really an incredible thing to be one what you thought was a large ship in the middle of the ocean/sea only to suddenly realize how small not only the ship is, but you are as well.  You’re a tiny speck in the world.  I had a Horton Hears a Who moment and I was a Who… and there was no Horton, but that’s besides the point.

There's a small rainbow on the right.

I think this was my favorite
photo of the trip back.

While passing from the Solomon Sea and into the Bismarck Sea we went past Rabaul.  Rabaul is home to the active volcano of Tavurvur.  The last time there was an eruption was in 1994.  I’ve flown into Rabaul and visited there a couple times as well.  After the eruption the town was covered in ash and relocated a short distance away to an area now called Kokopo.  It’s Kokopo that I’ve spoken of visiting in previous blogs.  We steamed passed Rabaul/Kokopo at dawn and what a lovely sight it was.  Just as I came out of the cabin to join Andrew and Mark in admiring the beauty, Tavurvur greeted us with small ash eruption.

A sunrise greeting from Tavurvur.

There's a smaller mountain behind this one
that is actually smoking but you can't tell
in this photo.

Around 11pm that same evening we pulled into Kavieng and dropped anchor.  A short nights rest and the next day began at a quarter past 5 to prepare for customs and the unloading of the boat.  My 3 weeks in Cairns/returning to Kavieng was lovely.  It was a welcomed distraction from the monotony of what’s become the norm after 5 months here.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time working on the boat and at sea, with the exception of being seasick of course.  In fact, I enjoyed it so much I hope to turn time on a boat into a future adventure.