Apr 8, 2010

Marshall Islands Sailing Trip

Just came back from Marshall Islands. 2 weeks on a boat and 5 days or so in Majuro .
It was amazing, not the typical boat trip for surfing. it was more like ocean workshop for me.
Many times I was not in my comfortable element , I was seasick at first and many days I was feeling super drousy from the drugs.
my back wnet out again and I had to lay down and lay low for several days. being on a boat hoping to get some good suring and kiting and possibly good shot. being stuck inside the boat in a hot humid day, laying in agony of pain wasn't fun .

But our hosts, Sophie and Didier were great. and so tough and comfortable with open ocean that made me feel so safe and relaxed about that. if it wasn't them, having 2 storms with lots of wind , being on a boat could have been scary for me.

Ocean was healthy in Marshalls, so healthy that there are fish everywhere and so are sharks.
I had never been worrid or scared of sharks on Maui but here, I was . towards the end I was even scared to jump in to snorkel.
once when I was kiting in shallow sandbar I saw big gray shadow, which at first i thought it was shadow of my kite that I was stirring.
but it didn't move the way I was moving the kite.
it was very close and buzzing near me. I guess it was gray shark being terrutorial.Other incident was when I was already nervous going through the passage towards outside of the lagoon to ride some waves, I saw black fins swimming right by me. between 2 little islands, there was a windshadow and I almost dropped the kite. I would have been super scared if I dropped the kite there since Didier told me there are many sharks hanging out in the passage.
but all of a sudden I saw those fins were 2 of them and not sharks but dolphins. whew!
When the boys went spear fishing, once they catch the fish , thay had to rush up to the surface and get on a boat and out the fish in a boat and leave the spot and go to the next spot, because within a minute , pretty good size shark will be lurking around you every time.
I guess that is you call "healthy sea"
When we were walking around exploring shallow sandy lagoon. we saw plenty of reef sharks blacktips, etc.they weren't big but they are still sharks. i guess if you dive,you are used to seeing them and you don't get scared. but once I got scared, i had hard time getting rid of the fear.Nonetheless, I fully enjoyed the whole trip. especially being in the middle of nowhere and see noone around .
we would pick some lime , breadfruit growing wild and catch all kinds of fish and eat like kings and queens.
You have plenty of time. not being rushed for anything, and shells! I had never seen any place like that.

We got to kite and were planning to catch some swell in one Atoll, I had amazing time last time I was there and was looking forward to it but mother nature had different plan, the storm was approaching and it would have been dagerous if we get stuc there so we had to go straight back to Majuro, and turned out it be that decision was good, because we were stuck in Majuro with crazy rain and wind for days after that.

My windsurfing freids from Maui were traveling there a week before we were there and they had a same kind of swell size and direction while there were there and scored! they have a great footage and shots to prove them and it will probably come out in media and the movie this coming summer. I am looking forward to that!

Traveling to places like Marshall Islands , it is not just for the surf, even though you would love to score some unknown uncrowded surf, that is a bonus.
I was so thankful of Sauvage Yacht, soshie and Didier for giving me the oppotunity to experience the power of big ocean, enjoying the simplest way of life and being humbled by mother nature constantly, I think we all need that once in a while.

I cannot wait to go back there again!

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