News From Guam

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 May 04 - 01:23 PM

Brett-

Just so you knows, the black flies and ticks are finally out here in Maine. What joy!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 May 04 - 07:50 PM

Well, Judy, I have to confess that I did find something that looked suspiciously like a mosquito bite on my arm as I was showering this morning. Maybe there was one mosquito flying around down there. And Wakana woke with many small red marks on her that we could not identify. She's the only one who did not sleep in a hammock. She used an air mattress and slept on the outrigger of the canoe.

Wakana found the whole experience fascinating. Apparently in Japan men do not form friendships outside of their corporations and when they gather they only talk about work. That night she saw men who were long time friends from different walks of life talking of many things but not of their jobs. It was another illustration of how different our cultures are.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 May 04 - 06:45 PM

I have been engaged in a seemingly endless round of house cleaning. I can't believe how grungy a house can get with only one occupant. I would try to hire a maid but then she/he'd have to work around the clutter and really wouldn't know what to clean anyway. I thought I had reduced the number of possessions to a minimum but I still have too much.

If my emotional bitterness wasn't enough to keep me out of a relationship I am surprised the need to clean doesn't do it for me. Ah well, life mistreats you now and again and if you look carefully enough you will see it is really self abuse.

This morning the skies were gray and overcast. As I topped the hill on my way to work I could see the horizon which has been rare lately with the hazy conditions. It made a straight line where the lighter shade of gray that was the sky abruptly became a dark shade that was the water. Shades of gray can be beautiful too.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 May 04 - 09:03 PM

Brett-

Yes, one can live with shades of gray.

Why didn't you rent a clean house?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 17 May 04 - 11:21 PM

It was clean when I moved in but there must be a burglar who breaks into houses and makes them dirty. A friend used to talk about kitchen fairies who did the dishes while she was asleep. Maybe this is the antithesis, a dirty dog of a burglar.

The other day I cooked my PDA. I left it on the front seat of the truck in the direct sunlight. The thing still works but the screen is totally screwed. Now I have to live without my electronic brain. I'm already suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

I called home this morning. Dad has taken delivery of next winter's firewood and has started to stack it. He says he's still pretty weak so he can only stack a few wagon loads at a time. The wagon is a child's wagon with sideboards. He also went out to mow the lawn yesterday (riding mower). He reports the blackflies are numerous and hungry. He offered to send me a box full. I declined.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 May 04 - 11:31 PM

There is a new lecture series at one of the restaurants on base. The subject is the history and culture of Micronesia. The first one was an overview of the history and culture of Guam. Today we got lectures on the liberation of Saipan and Tinian. For once I saw a presentation on Tinian that did NOT feature a picture of a mushroom shaped cloud over Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

My attitude towards Pacific WWII history has changed since I met Wakana. The Japanese in WWII were always pretty much faceless and homogenous to me. But Wakana lost relatives in that war. Three people from her family "disappeared" in the Pacific islands. The written genealogy of her family was destroyed in the bombing of Tokyo. Now when I see war pictures of Japanese dead I actually have a reaction to the pictures I did not have before. Those have become people for me, not just a faceless enemy from a long time ago.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 18 May 04 - 11:45 PM

There's a certain kind of profile that is always attracting the attention of the Grime Goblins and the Dirt Fairies; can't say what sort exactly, but it sounds like you qualify!! Sheer endeavor is the only way to break the pattern of it. :>))

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 19 May 04 - 09:27 PM

Sheer endeavor? Hmm, don't know the meaning of the phrase. Could you define it a little more clearly? Taking its meaning from context I would guess it means you have to, choke, work, ugh, at it.:( My God man! Do you realize what you are saying?

But then, Wakana was pleasantly surprised at how nice the house looked. Maybe I should keep at it just as a change of pace.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 19 May 04 - 09:53 PM

There ya go!! The spell is melting away already!! All it takes is a little well-aimed female principle and zapppp!!

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 May 04 - 10:44 PM

Brett-

I was reading C. Fox Smith today and she was musing about how when less than scrupulous captains were shipping contraband cargos they would typically state they were shipping out to Guam and then go somewhere else, Guam apparently was so far out that no one ever questioned what might be sent there. I thought you'd like to know.

Happy housecleaning! Whistle while you work!!
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 04 - 04:38 PM

Refresh

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 May 04 - 06:29 PM

Last night we had a meeting of the Traditional Seafarers at Frank's Father's house. We went there to view a couple of videotapes on the Hawaiian canoe programs and the traditional lifestyle of the people of Lamotrek. Larry has a book called The Song Of Saterwall (sp?) about the island of Saterwall and the people who live there. It is near the island of Puluwat and it mentions our navigator, Manny Sekau, and his grandfather. The book tells the history of the island and explains how the people were pirates and raiders until Germany claimed (or bought) the island and installed a legal code. That brought the piracy to a halt.

Apparently there has always been a strong rivalry among the islands here. The art of navigation had fallen into disuse until the legendary Hepower navigated his way to Guam from Puluwat in a modern sailboat. That spurred another island to determine that they would do it using a canoe. Then the Puluwatese had to build their own ancoe and make a legendary voyage. Young men became interested once more in the old ways and the old men were still there to teach them.

One canoe made the voyage to Saipan from Palau or maybe farther away (I apologise for not having the details). On arrival they could not leave the canoe because there was no chief to greet them in friendship. So they bought provisions and went home again.

The video on Lamotrek talked about the skills of "rong". These are the necessary skills needed by the people to survive and thrive on the island. One of those skills was weather forecasting. They showed Manny's uncle using chants, dance and consulted sacred objects to determine the oncoming weather. He is gone now and his skills have gone with him. The islanders depend on the radio for weather forecasts. I met the man who runs that radio system recently. Quite a character. He was the one with the very smooth tequila at Diane Strong's party.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 21 May 04 - 03:54 AM

Brett, when I went to the Cook Islands 10 years ago there were a couple of traditional vakas rotting away under a tarpaulin in the bush that had been built for a recent Pacific Islands festival where many of the delegations arrived under sail. When we went back 2 years later they had built a new one for a forthcoming event and we saw it being prepared for its trial voyage and chatted to the father of one of the crew. The navigation skills of the Polynesians were amazing and apparently relied as much on recognising wave patterns as knowing their stars. There is a large stone marking the spot where the 12 or so vakas left to colonise what became New Zealand, around the time William the Conqueror was landing in England. Former Prime Minister, author and Doctor Tom Davis, who I think is still alive as a Cook Islands rep. in NZ, was the patron of the traditional sailing society formed to keep these boat building and navigating skills alive. If you look at the Cook Islands website there's a good book list (though many others are out of print):http://www.ck/index.html and http://www.cookislandsnews.com/

RtS
( still wearing the T-shirt - and "Hawaiian" shirts!)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 May 04 - 06:16 AM

Thanks, Roger, I'll check it out.

We are close to getting our plans together for going to the festival. We will fly down on July 24 and share a room with another of the Seafarers for four days. We only need a place to sleep and get cleaned up so the room can be pretty basic. I am curious about how that will turn out. I have great expectations about this festival.

Wakana has sequestered herself for the next few days. Her professor asked her to rewrite her Master's Thesis, consolidating it so he can get it published in one of the Japanese sociology journals. The due date is June 1 and she is hard at work. No more snorkeling until she gets that job done.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 22 May 04 - 09:21 PM

Is it right for a supervisor to be envious of a subordinate's house? Yesterday we went to a housewarming at a coworker's house. What a place! It sits up on a ledge on the side of a hill and overlooks the whole neighborhood. There is a very steep driveway and not much of a yard but the kitchen is large and the other rooms are huge. Sigh, One thing I would like to have eventually is just the right house with just the right rooms.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 May 04 - 02:32 PM

And the house should have a self-cleaning cycle!

Steep driveways are hell in the winter, Brett. Do you have a winch on your pick-up?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 23 May 04 - 06:45 PM

LOL Charley! I often think about how these roads would be in winter. There are so many roads that are steep, tightly curved, or both. Just leaving my road and moving into the main road is a difficult proposition in the rain. I have seen people wait at the bottom of the rise before gunning up to the intersection.

The only problem here is the coral and limestone roads. In the rain they become very slick. There are several theories for this. One is that there is an algae that exists in powder form. When it gets wet it opens up into a jelly like mass. I have seen it in parking lots so I know it really exists. That stuff is as bad as black ice. Then there is the theory that it is the oil that contaminates the road surfaces. In the rain that forms a slick as well. And my own special theory is that the limestone itself gets slick when it rains. And remember, it rains a lot here in the wet season.

Add to all that the fact that my pickup no longer is carrying weight for traction and the rear wheels have a tendency to dance a bit on the wet roads. The (corrupt and unstable) government of Guam is making improvements. Many tight curves have been coated with asphalt which gives better traction. I guess the asphalt doesn't have the cracks and spaces the limestone does so the algae cannot collect on the roads in those places.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 May 04 - 01:09 AM

Oh frabjous joy! I just bought the tickets for Wakana and me to go to Palau for the big festival! I hope she is prompt about paying me back for her ticket. I'll need the difference for pocket money while at the festival. I plan to make some wonderful purchases.

So we are scheduled for three and a half days at the festival. We'll split a hotel room with another member of the Seafarers and have all the days and most of of the nights to enjoy the activities. There may not be time to enjoy the rest of the country but I figure we can always go back.

I'm excited!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 24 May 04 - 06:25 PM

Driving into work this morning I drove through the outskirts of a rain shower. The sky was bright behind me with the rising sun. A rainbow, faded with a bright sky behind it, shimmered before me. As I came down the mountain it seemed to draw nearer. There is a long straight stretch at one point and the end of the ranbow seemed to touch the road in front of me. As I approached it drew away, slipping silently into the parking lot of the school. I was within 50 yards of it when it leaped the trees and fled down through the housing development on the other side. The road curved away then and I lost sight of my lovely companion. Then I turned to enter the base and it was there in front of me, in the distance still fleeing with the rainshower.

What a nice way to start the day.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 24 May 04 - 07:53 PM

You can still catch what you're chasing, Brett -- it just looks a little different when you do. But that is no reason not to pursue it!

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JennyO
Date: 24 May 04 - 11:41 PM

Hi Brett.

Rainbows have had a special significance for me for some years now. To me they are a sign that good times are coming. No need to chase them - they will find you.

I hope your good times continue to come (I get the feeling they have already started). You sound pretty content where you are.

Jenny (on a bleak winter day in Earlwood)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 25 May 04 - 07:52 AM

Thanks Jenny. I have been enjoying life more this year than I have ever enjoyed it in the past. I have found the right combination of therapist, antidepressants, and living conditions. Each day is as good or better than the next. There is real adventure in the air and in the future. The trip to Palau is a big one but just seeing the canoe finally slide into the water will be a great adventure also.

Tonight I sat with Manny down by the canoe. While the rest of the gang talked about the latest Seafarers venture he and I talked about what was left to do and when we could get together to do it. His son came up with a small octopus he'd caught down by the sea. manny told him to throw it back and then started remembering octopi he'd caught at various times. He said that he would kill the smaller ones by biting them between the eyes. They are smart aniumals and do not stay still for that treatment. Instead they try to climb up and on to his back. Larger octopi are too dangerous to bite because they latch on to the head and face and could cause a drowning so he uses his knife on them.

He also told me of two cousins who went to Alaska to work on the big fishing boats catching the king crabs. He says they told him they could tell when they had an octopus on a trap because it was much harder to pull up, the winch made a deeper sound. He said those were big octopi and were difficult to get off the traps.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 25 May 04 - 08:15 AM

Now there's an image worthy of a song -- the groaning of the winch and the fighting spirit of the big Octo, and the old men on the freezing deck telling his mood by the sound of the equipment trying to wrassle him!

A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 May 04 - 09:49 AM

And then dragging the crab boat beneath the waves and feasting on its crew! Chalk up another for the giant squigly.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: freda underhill
Date: 25 May 04 - 09:56 AM

It's so good to hear how well things are going for you Brett, and great to read all the interesting details. You have chosen a very beautiful life there.

I have a very special memory of a full double rainbow over the Pacific Ocean, one day, which happened to coincide with a very special and happy event, after a period of tension and concern.

enjoy your rainbows, crabs, sand and snorkling! (we catters are!)

best wishes

freda

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: SINSULL
Date: 25 May 04 - 10:25 AM

There is a semi-sad old song called "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" with a line "Maybe I'll find a little bluebird. Maybe you've found one, Brett. Still don't miss Maine and snow and black flies?

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Ebbie
Date: 25 May 04 - 11:43 AM

A troller fisherman friend of mine says that on some days on the ocean he can see as many as six rainbows resting on the water.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 May 04 - 12:15 AM

Snow? Blackflies? Let me give that a little thought, a very little thought. You left out the mosquitoes, the mud, the cold rain, and a lots of other little details.

But then you also left out the special warmth of a room heated by a wood fire. The smell of a wet wool coat and the special earthy smell of early spring with snow piled by the road and the fields showing brown. The comfort of sitting by a window drinking tea while the wind blows the rain around the corner of the house. That special deep blue of a spring sky and the awe of the first warm day in May, the first robin and the first crocus, the peepers filling the evening with their calls, and the fun of the late spring snow shower trying to extend winter just a few days longer.

Yeah, there are times when I miss all that.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 May 04 - 12:09 AM

Well, I just filled out a form that could have a deep impact on the rest of my life. The Navy is offering early retirement with and incentive bonus in order to trim the rolls. I signed up. That means that they might make an offer to allow me to retire early. I am not committed until I accept or refuse that offer.

Kind of scary.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 May 04 - 09:22 AM

gulp!

I'll be retiring in 3 years as I get a bigger superannuation payout & pension if I leave at 55 than I would if I stayed on. The thougth of retirement is very scary as I'm very good at isolating & my place is not the easiest for anyone to just drop in. I will need a part-time job to keep sane.

We were offered retrenchments recently & I never even considered one, but several colleagues of a similar age jumped at the chance of getting out. Coupla young colleagues also grabbed the money & jumped.

Brett, it's a big decision.

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 May 04 - 08:51 AM

It's not a decision I have to make soon. I have to wait for them to gather all the surveys and tally them and then decide who will get an offer to retire or separate. Then they will send out packages to those they select and they will have some length of time to decide whether or not to go. The ironic thing is that the departure date will be prior to the next fiscal year which means those who are going will have to survive one more year end push.

Wakana called tonight. Her project is complete! What a job. She had to cut her master's thesis down by 2/3. But she sounded quite happy with the end result.

The annual Micronesian Fair is going on this weekend. I've been hearing about it for some time but didn't know what to expect. The Seafarers are helping out by staffing one of the beer tents. This afternoon we put the beer booths together and started selling. Very slow. Tomorrow we will meet at the canoe and spend the next two days at the fair selling beer.

The fair is nothing like what I expected. It is in Skinner Plaza which is a park acros Marine Drive from the Chamorro Village. There are two rows of canopies with people selling out of both sides. At one end of the rows is a small covered stage. At the other end of the plaza is Plaza del Espanol and the Pivoting Pope.

The booths at first glance seemed to be just another row of carnival type games and cheap junk for sale. But down at the far end I found Mr. Lujan, Master Blacksmith. He is a little old man with a cane seated behind a table covered with items he has made: machetes, adzes, coconut scrapers, fish spears, and swords. They are very expensive and very beutiful in their simplicity.

Around the back side was a pair of booths featuring shell carvers. They make lovely jewelry from large pieces of shell. The giant clam is found in these waters tand the shell is very thick. One guy showed me a sling stone made from the hinge piece of a giant clam. It was about 4 inches long and two inches wide curving to a point on each end and smooth as a baby's... uh, cheek.

Farther down is a master weaver. His assistant is a heavily tattooed young man. Unlike modern kids though these are traditional Chamorro tattoos. Each one has meaning and power.

So that's where I'll be this weekend. I hope you all have a safe and happy Memorial Day Weekend.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 29 May 04 - 02:25 AM

I know many of you have some kind of experience with the sea. That being the case you would never want to go to sea with the spars I saw being assembled today. The canoe has one mast, short and of one piece. It has two spars that run along two edges of the sail like the jaws of a crab's claw. One of those spars is seated in a socket on the bow and tied down almost forming a second mast. The other flies free, controlled by the halyard. Those last two spars are not made of a single piece. Rather the seated spar is made of two pieces, on long and one short. It has a distinct curve to it. The other is made up of three pieces and has a shallow S-shape. The pieces in these spars are tied together making them less than solid. I know I shouldn't but I am beginning to have my doubts.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 May 04 - 08:12 AM

What a weekend! I am so tired you will get no details now but the weekend included the Micronesian Fair, a fiesta, and... we launched the canoe and sailed it out of the bay!!!!

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 31 May 04 - 08:57 AM

you mean we have to wait another day to read about it?

cruelty to tempt us with a brief description

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 31 May 04 - 06:14 PM

Geez-

We get back in town after a weekend opening the cottage and we have to wait another day or two to hear how she sails.

Not only that but I get a message on my answering machine "from the far side of the world" while we're away and he says "Oh, never mind!"

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 31 May 04 - 07:09 PM

Oh, he sails! I learned this weekend that, in the islands, canoes are male. That is a difficult transition.

I guess I'll tell the tale in reverse. Yesterday I went down to the canoe at 1:00. When I got there you could feel the celebration in the air. There were several Micronesians there that I had not met before, talking and laughing among themselves. We were introduced. The Micronesians were Mark, Santos, Ken, Laurenti, Mike, Brandon, as well as Diego and Manny, the two that had done the lion share of the work on the boat. Santos was wearing a number of palm frond decorations and appeared to be some sort of shaman. He sang some songs that were taken respectfully by the others and some that made everyone laugh. Mark was conscious of our inability to understand their speech and made efforts to explain, in general terms, what was going on. He wanted us to know they were not talking about the haolies.

On the ground in the middle of the group was a circle of stones representing the guide stars. Manny had been giving a navigation lesson when I arrived. He explained some of the process to me. The navigator memorizes the names and locations of the guide stars. Each island has its own guide star. Thus, when the stars first come out he takes a position and steers the canoe toward the proper star. as the star rises higher in the sky he watches for the opposite guide star to move down into a position to allow for him to continue on his course. He sits in the boat at right angles to the boat's direction so he can keep an eye out for both stars. If clouds obscure part of the sky then he can do the same using other stars and maintaining the correct angles in relation to the boat.

The north star is easy to work with because it never changes locations. The other guide stars have names modified by where they are in the sky, generally two names, one when it rises and one when it is too high to be used any more. The Southern Cross, or the Triggerfish as they call it, has several names as it moves through it's circle depending on where it is in the sky.

During the day the navigator uses the sun, carefully keeping track in his head where it rose and the angles as it swings through the sky.

As they sail the navigator will watch the sea for changes, looking for familiar shoals or wave pattern changes that marks the location of an island. He is constantly aware of the "feel" of the boat. If it changes then he knows they have crossed into another area and may be near their destination.

When Manny talked the others kept respectful silence. You could tell he was an important person. He was the focus of the Micronesian group. I sat there amazed and marveling at what I was seeing.

The time came to move the boat into the water. They laid out palm fronds to slide the boat over. The fronds were cut so that the thick base of the frond was placed at right angles to the boat length and the leafy parts were placed in line with the direction of travel. The boat was heavy! We had at least 10 people pulling and pushing. Mark sang a work song to keep everyone going and the rest had a response for his pauses. I HAVE to record that song!!! I don't know what he was saying but I know it was effective.

We had to move the boat, his name is Quest by the way, about 50 yards down to the ramp. We pulled, and heaved and pushed and finally, he was afloat! Shell horns and clappers were sounding, people applauded, the guys splashed water on Quest and shook hands. Ken was splashing and making a booming sound as he moved his hand through the water. He showed me how to do it.

Once he was in the water we checked for leaks. Sure enough there were a few but they were minor. Manny, Santos and Ken began to rig the mast and then they carried the sail down and began to rig that as well. As they worked I stood thigh deep in the water holding on to Quest as the wake from passing powerboats tried to push him ashore. Finally they were ready. Manny, Santos, Brandon, Paul, and Mark took up paddles and began to head out beyond the reef.

Once more the shell horn and clappers sounded as we followed them down the shore and out to the end of the breakwater. They paddled mightily working slowly out the mouth of the harbor. The waves were running about three feet high and the Quest bobbed over them causing some of the paddlers to miss their stroke. Farther our they accepted a tow from a small outboard. Once the were out a ways they dropped the tow and began to work on getting the sail up. It took them a while. We thought they were having trouble. I was down to my last picture and my extra roll of film was back at the launch site. Finally the sail went up. They still were having some kind of trouble but shortly they took off heading north up the coast, the crab claw sail drawing well and the Quest moving quickly.

We went back to the launch site, happy and excited, to wait for their return. We talked, ate, drank, and generally glowed with happiness and pride at the success. It was a great day.

Quest returned after a couple of hours and Mark took over. Manny came ashore. Mark loaded some passengers, Sandy and Wakana, and another crew and they headed out. This time they tacked out, sailing up near the rocks and then changing the sail rig and sailing off to the other breakwater. It was slow and it took some time but it was a skillful operation. They too were gone for a while and we sat and talked and ate and drank. The fishermen were coming home after a day at sea and Frank knew quite a few of them. One boat slowed and circled calling out to us. Frank and Larry and Manny ran over to see what was about. Earlier in the day Gordon and Larry had met these guys in the grocery store and invited them to join us but they were headed out for some fishing. Larry had laughed and asked them to bring some fish. Now they were delivering. Manny waded out and they threw him a plastic bag with two large sweetlips in it. One went right on the fire and the other went into a cooler.

Once more the Quest returned. The Ohana canoe club was finishing up a practice run. They race 30 foot paddle driven fiberglass outrigger canoes with half a dozen paddlers in each one. They were bringing their boats in so we had to wait. Finally we dragged the Quest up out of the water and settled him in his old canoe hut, or rather between the post that are all that's left of the hut. We cleaned up our site and I went home, exhausted, sore, sunburned, and very, very, happy.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 08:35 AM

We sailed Quest again today! What a day! Today being the first Saturday of the month we had to have an organizational meeting but once that was over we dragged the heavy old quest down to the water and out they went. The rest of the gang had to go out to run errands so Wakana and I stayed at the site to watch the gear and work on language lessons. She is doing very well and I have only just begun my Japanese lessons.

Once everyone returned it was time to go back out. This time Wakana, Larry and I joined the Puluwatan crew. There were 7 of us on the boat. They had brought a snack of fresh fish, sashimi at its rawest, and a cooler of beer. I had a bottle of water. We paddled out of the harbor and then set the sail. Once we got moving we shot along bailing all the while. It wasn't that Quest was leaking. With 7 of us aboard we were too much of a load. And with the sweep of the water and the slop coming over the gunnels we needed to keep up with the bailing. Sailing an outrigger is very much a balancing act. The pressure of the wind on the sails wants to lift the tam (pontoon) out of the water. The position of the crew and correct handling of the main sheet keeps the boat on an even keel.

As we left the harbor Laurenti was at the rudder. This is a long flat oar with a natural crook at the steering end. It is tied to the boat only by its upper end and then is braced forward against a stop built into the gunnel. The steersman keeps his foot on it to hold it in place but it is only used as needed. These boats tend to steer themselves and the steersman only needs to push him around if a stray wave pushes him off course.

Laurenti is a very quiet man but once we got moving he opened up. Life at the helm was a laugh a minute for him and he chattered away in Puluwatese as he steered and drank.

And they all drank, very heavily. The dead soldiers piled up in the bottom of the boat as they laughed and chatted and enjoyed a day on the ocean. Ken, Brandon, and Mark talked about trips they'd made to Pikelot to hunt turtles. They tried to pick out the various hotels they worked for. I tried to get someone to sing a Puluwatese song and Mark explained that they usually sang one to ask permission of the water spirits to enter the water. He said they hadn't done that today. We stared at him in mock horror. "You mean we are out here without permission?" Everyone laughed.

Sailing in an outrigger is an intense experience. On a European/Western style sailboat everything makes sense to me. I understand the forces working on the boat and I can sail her fairly well as long as I don't have to perform any actual feat of seamanship. But here we needed to watch the tam to make sure it didn't sink or fly. We had to feel the movement of the canoe and control the sheet. We had to watch our own movements because that might upset a delicate balance. Wakana was on the ep-ep, a platform that extended out the opposite side of the boat from the outrigger. It is not actually fastened to the boat. It is just jammed in place. I sat on the other end of the ep-ep, over the center of the hull. Gordon rode on the outrigger. And the rest of the guys were fore and aft, running the boat and passing fresh beers around as they drained the cooler.

I haven't accurately described the rig of the Quest. There is a mast set up in the center of the boat. It rests in a socket carved in a piece just outside of the gunnel over the outrigger. It sits in a socket because it needs to move fore and aft. The sail is rigged along two spars in the form of a Vee with lovely curves along both arms of the Vee. One of the arms of the Vee is hoisted to the head of the mast and the point of the Vee is lashed to the bow. The other arm of the Vee flies free and is controlled by the main sheet.

We were out for about 2 hours, running north along hotel row. We got most of the way to Two Lovers Point when we decided to turn around. This is accomplished by untying the point of the Vee from the bow, raking the mast in the other direction, and passing the point of the Vee aft and tying it down at the other end which is now the bow. The rudder is passed to the other end and the man in that end becomes the steersman.

After we returned to the harbor we unrigged the boat and straining mightily, we got her back in place. We covered her up and called it a day. And it was a day, exciting, warm, happy, and fun.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 08:54 AM

that's an amazing description, Brett.

It's not something I could do as I prefer to look at oceans & rivers, rather than ride upon them & you're so close to the water, too. Maybe one day I might go out on the James Craig, tho after John's epic description of the severe storm they met on the recent trip to Newcastle (100 miles north of Sydney), maybe not. They had to leave the ship in Newcastle for almost a week until the sea quietened. Tho John found that a good shanty & work on ropes held back sea-sickness.

sandra (speaking of sea-sickness, I must send you & Charley Bruce Watson's Landlubbers' Shanty.)

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 02:02 PM

Wow! The cruise of the Quest sounds like great fun, as long as someone competent remains sober.

I particularly like the idea of how to reverse course by shifting the rudder from one end of the boat to the other, and shifting the masts. Could you put that together in a song for us? It might be a fitting ballad for you as well, on a personal level.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 05 Jun 04 - 05:47 PM

Sandra, please do send me the landlubber's shanty. I'd love to read it. Include your phone number and I'll call you to get the tune.

Charley, what if I use the tune from that song that describes tacking a full rigged ship? Not only does that give me the tune but it is a nice counterpoint to the complexity of the ship as compared to the proa.

Got to get back to cleaning. Wakana's coming over this afternoon for more language lessons and a movie.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: JennyO
Date: 06 Jun 04 - 03:31 AM

I just went looking for Bruce's Landlubber Shanty, and although I didn't find the words, I managed to find a short MP3 of part of it here - just a small taste really.

Do you have the words Sandra? I wouldn't mind them myself.

Jenny

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 06 Jun 04 - 09:40 AM

when I type up the words everyone will have them!

But not tonight, I don't have the time - I'll do it at work tomorrow.

sandra

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Lana
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 02:05 PM

Dad, where have you gone? you haven't posted in ages!
love
kelli

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 02:57 PM

Yeah!! Last we heard Wakana was coming over for language lessons -- what happened??


A

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Jun 04 - 08:48 PM

Well, Amos, I'd like to think that our hero is too happy to waste time posting to us. But he's probably just too busy.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: ADD: Landlubbers Shanty (C. Bruce Watson)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 09:35 AM

funny, I got a reply to my email when I sent him the Landlubber's Shanty.

Maybe if I post it here, he might reply again!!

sandra
............................

LANDLUBBERS SHANTY
c. Bruce Watson (www.geocities.com/brucewatson1)

It's time we non-sailing types got a shanty of our own. Like all my
songs this is a true story


I'll tell you of a story, lads, that happened once to me
Heave, haul, ho, & open wide
Of the only time that I went out upon the briny sea
Heave from your stomachs lads & chunder over the side

As I went out one Sunday arvo on Port Phillip Bay
Heave, haul, ho, & open wide
The captain said, "She's blowing, lads, we'll get some waves today"
Heave from your stomachs lads & chunder over the side

My friends had all impressed on me how sailing was so easy
Heave, haul, ho, & open wide
If it's that easy, excuse me asking why I feel so queasy?
Heave from your stomachs lads & chunder over the side

While looking at the sea so green my face was getting greener
Heave, haul, ho, & open wide
Whoops! I didn't make the side, so we'll have to call the cleaner!
Heave from your stomachs lads & chunder over the side

The first mate & the Skipper said the boat was going beautiful
Heave, haul, ho, & open wide
But I grew more in need of some assistance pharmaceutical
Heave from your stomachs lads & chunder over the side

I wanted to be like those men at sea, who all go, "Arrrghh!"
Heave, haul, ho, & open wide
But when I tried to go like that it seemed to some out, "Yeuargh"
Heave from your stomachs lads & chunder over the side

The captain said, "Now heave that yard-arm mizzen to the tops'l"
Heave, haul, ho, & open wide
I said "Bollocks to your bulwarks, man, you can stick it up your
fo'c's'le!"
Heave from your stomachs lads & chunder over the side

Well, when we finally made for home, returning to terra firma
Heave, haul, ho, & open wide
I says, "The firmer it is the less terror it'll be", and went off
without a murmur
Heave from your stomachs lads & chunder over the side

The owl & the pussycat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green craft
Heave, haul, ho & open wide
But now I've had a go myself, I reckons they was daft!
Heave from your stomachs lads & chunder over the side
...............

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Lana
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 05:03 PM

i gave him a call tonight, he's definitely alive! he says he's just been very busy! :)
Kelli

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 06:59 PM

Huh? What? Oh, yeah, My thread. Hey, you know what happens to your time when you fall in love. I had a description of something or other half typed up and now I can't even remember what it was. Sigh, I either have to get rid of the girlfriend or... no! Either option is too horrible to contemplate. I guess I should budget my time better. Or get rid of the job...

I am making slow progress on Japanese but I am making progress. I can write Wakana's name in Japanese now from memory. I am building up my vocabulary. At this glacial rate though we will be in another millennium before I get there.

I'll see if I can dig up the last entry and get it posted. Whatever it was it was pretty cool.

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: bbc
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 07:05 PM

Nice to hear from you. There are much worse things than being in love. ;)

Barbara

Subject: RE: News From Guam
From: Amos
Date: 16 Jun 04 - 07:08 PM

Warmest congratulations, Brett!! Give yer Wakana-sana a hug for me.

A