Chuuk - February 2008

Checking in wasn't easy. Lots of questions, arrogant officials, "overtime" fees, more fees, more fees, anchor fees. Our passports are taken by immigration. We comply at first, but then realize what a bad thing that is. We are forced to stay at the jetty (25 USD/day), and the day after with an excuse we get our passports back. Not a nice start. Weno is swamped by mud, a little depressing at first, but we enjoy it still, with all the conveniences of "civilization". Soon we get visas, cruising permit and all the papers, and so we can now move by the Blue Lagoon hotel at the south point, where we rejoin Hamamas and have quite a few celebratory drinks. They lost their dinghy, so with my already miniature dinghy help them out back and forth. Lots needs to be arranged: fuel while at the dock, a new jib, countless other details as usual, many many trips at Ace hardware. Soon Nobina and Andrew arrive, and all we're waiting for is the new sail. While we wait and do some more provisioning, fixing etc. we spend a couple weekends cruising around Chuuk. First at Dublon island, where the main Japanese naval base was. Tunnels, concrete bunkers, generators, commemorative plaques and monument, melted industrial fuel stocking drums of thick riveted steel. A nice walk all around. A fishing plant was abandoned after mismanagement by locals, great structure brought in now rusting away. The island is stunning though, and we even get to snorkel over one of the shallower wrecks that make Chuuk a mayor diving destination. No sail yet, so the weekend after it's White Sand island, Polle and back. White sand Is. is just that, a sandbar in the lagoon. Great reef with very few fish but stunning picture perfect scenario. Day after we move to Polle. Kids soon swamp us in their self made rafts. One kid seems very smart, and upon hearing he likes to read I give him "White Fang" by Jack London...what he'll make of Alaska I have no idea, but I had no other suitable choice.

We return to Weno Monday afternoon, and the day after all seems to fit into place, the sail arrives which we pick up without customs charges. Day before checking out we try it on, only to discover that the jib furler had it, it must be bent too much due to past abuses, and the sail doesn't go up. We have some hanks (the sail does have eyelets), but they don't fit. On check-out day we tie up to the dock and while I try to take down the furler Michela is on a mission to find a suitable substitute to hanks at the local hardware shop. Common sense would have that I dismantle the furler in order to maybe fix or sell, but the poor thing is so gnarled in its innards and fasteners that after copious sweating I am forced to take out genset and angle grinder and shred the aluminum extrusions to bits, no mercy.

In the meantime the customs officials keep on showing up every hour inquiring on our departure. Unnerving. We are also supposed to deliver a package to one of immigration's relatives in Puluwat, they could be more graceful I'd say. Michela manages to find some galvanized chain links to tie the sail to the forestay, though we have to file them a bit in order to slip them in. At sunset we finally vacate the jetty, only to return in front of Blue Lagoon. Right before departure I manage to shop for some green grocery, a "secret shop" in the former premises of the "Chuuk Coconut Authority", the bureaucracy these people come up with is quite amusing.

Finally departure for the real Micronesia I've been dreaming about since my childhood's endless pourings over the atlas.