Captain's Log #16: Southern Cook Splendor

We'll never tell!

he trade winds have been consistent over the last few weeks, making our sailing among the finest I have yet encountered: fast runs, calm seas. Add the quality of the our last few landings and you have together what any sailor dreams of: true paradise. We left the island of Moorea, our last French Polynesian port for Rarotonga, the dominant island in the Southern Cook chain. The Cook's consist of 15 islands, whose land mass of a mere 240 sq. kilometers are scattered over 1.83 million square kilometers in the middle of the South Pacific. Rarotonga provided a week of brilliant food festivals, friendly people (of which 85% are of Maori descent), sun and some laughable windsurfing (laughable in that it has been over ten years since I've attempted the truly idiotic sport). A boat is much easier to stand on than a flimsy wee little board and large kite. We had a memorable evening at a restaurant called the Perfume Factory, which specializes in roasts- roast chicken, roast beef, roast lamb. Here's how it was presented to us:

"Hi, we've got chicken, lamb and beef tonight. It comes with some other stuff."

This mouth watering presentation left me a little undecided, so I followed this kiwi's lengthy description of the cuisine offered with a common question:

"What do you recommend?"

"Got no idea mate, haven't tried any of it."

Bill Marsters and Crew

A month would not have been enough time, but with the cyclone season rapidly approaching we kicked off for Aitutaki with special cargo. In 1863 a legendary British settler named William Marsters came to the atoll of Palmerston and started a colony with his three wives that still lives today (his wives produced an impressive 28 children). Every inhabitant (currently numbering 52) on the island has the last name Marsters (there's 3000 around the world!) and it was our good fortune to provide a ride for the islands' Reverend AND Mayor, Bill Marsters (names apparently change little over time there) back to his home after a stint in New Zealand. Carrying this lovable 78 year old has proved advantageous for our receptions in the Cooks. In Aitutaki we were given the red carpet welcome: tour of the surrounding motus; (one of which hosted the famed show "Survivor", which I thankfully never saw), where we partook in some of the world's most incredible white sand beaches and non-chlorinated 40 mile swimming pool (i.e. lagoon) I thought only existed in resourcess; more local feasts; and the Reverend even hosted Sunday service. You should hear these people sing! Whoa.

Then we headed another 200 miles west for Palmerston. Palmerston has 5 neighbors, all uninhabited atolls which can only be visited by a sailing yacht. Fish of every kind abound and the rich soil produces every fruit and vegetable imaginable. The three matriarchal families live in a utopia- except for one thing: Imagine living with 52 of you close family members 365 days a year. Yep, there's a bit of tension. When a yacht arrives (we were the last of the season), a member from one of each family races out to meet you. The winner's family is bestowed with the "honor" of feeding you endless fresh goodies, and maybe a tale or two of their neighbors' misdeeds. But on Saturdays the whole island gets together for an all day volleyball tournament. Hear you see laughs, love and a very peaceable people who are living in paradise, with no ill will present. A visit to the school reminded me of the preciousness of youth the world over: differences accepted, inadequacies ignored, hope ever-present.