Sea Dragon has been sunning herself in gorgeous Hawaii for the past week and a half. After our last crew left us, we took a few days of relaxation (showers and mai tais) and exploration (snorkeling and hiking), before delving into some of the boat projects that needed doing.
Out on the very North Western tip of O’ahu at Ka’ena point is a nesting ground for albatross. Very fluffy, fuzzy looking animals when they’re juveniles. We spotted a few from afar, although they blend into the sand and brush very well!
It was a hot and sunny walk back to the parking lot, so we grabbed our snorkels and dove into the waves with little delay. There were lots of fish and a giant green turtle—its tail looked like an entire lobster it was so large! The number of fish all over is crazy: swarms of white and black stripped ones; tons of long, skinny guys with long, skinny noses; handfuls of bright, yellow ones with fake white “eyes” on their backs…even from the marina docks you can see angel and puffer fish.
Other hikes were hiked as well: Koko Head Crater has an old tram track you can haul yourself up, if you are so daring, that rewards its climbers with a beautiful view of Honolulu and Diamond Head below. Next, there was a longer hike through lush jungle, soft pine, red dirt, and slippery rock to a small waterfall up in the ridge line that runs down the Eastern side of the island. Shaved ice with haupia drizzle was quite the treat after that.
In between trips to the ocean for swimming or trips to the coffee shop for wifi, we spiffed Sea Dragon up to all her shining glory. Hulls were scrubbed, decks were washed, old fans were fixed and new ones installed, winches were greased, and joints were gooped.
We did have a few extra hands of help though! Our second deckhand, Meret, joined us from England a few days ago. She brought chocolate so I think she’ll be a good one. Mary, a veteran deckhand from last season, also came aboard this weekend. She is a Marine Wildlife Toxicologist (Eric fact check me) with a gentle southern twang, and will be providing some scientific insight on this next voyage.
After a giant provision (the number of carts seems to grow every time, it’s crazy) and with a new set of crew onboard, Sea Dragon is excited to set sail for Palmyra tomorrow morning!
