To the Warriors of the Pacific Ocean
A dull golden glow marks the rising sun as it slips quietly over the eastern horizon tingeing the dark clouds and silhouetting the scattered falls of rain in the distance.
In the West a rainbow as big as the sky welcomes the new day, a mountain of soft greybrown cloud behind it sprinkling the deck, not enough for a shower, but the blessing of Hiro none the less.
Hiro is/was a demi-god in the eastern Pacific. He played the same sort of role as Maui or Sketco the Raven in America’s Nor’West bringing fire, slowing the sun in it’s race across the sky, finding new land. Hiro’s blessing is rain and very often we’re rained on immediately before entering somewhere.
The Cook Islands is in the process of establishing what will become the worlds largest marine reserve encompassing the entire Southern Group of it’s islands. It will be interesting to see how that will operate. The biggest difficulty of course is policing such a vast area, substantial investment will be needed in boats and crew and I believe the hope is that the value of reserves like this will be recognised and supported internationally. It’s fantastic to see it in process and vital if we are to maintain fish stocks in an ocean where even the most virile of species are suffering at the hands of commercial fisheries. Obviously fisheries are needed, but the senseless rape of today has to be ended. An empty ocean is no good to anyone.
Rarotonga has just been sighted. The wind has cranked up to 25 knots, we dropped the kite (the genaker, an asymmetric spinnaker) and put up the AP, a smaller sail and all we need in this wind. It’s a little chilly, grey and blustery, but lunch in Raro is on the cards. It’ll be great to be back. I was here a year and a half ago helping with training for the voyage. Great place, good people.
Kiaorana Rarotonga!
Here’s something one of the school kids in Aitutaki gave us as we left.
To the Warriors of the Pacific Ocean;
You sailed across the Ocean
You proved that you can do it
You are the best!
You gave us hope
You gave us love
For our Pacific Ocean
For our special place
For our own people
We thank you sincerely
We know now that this is serious
We will do it
We will save our Ocean
Kia manuia
Taylor Kamoe
Meitaki maata Taylor, you and all the young people of Aitutaki have touched our hearts.
Kia kaha, together we’ll make a very bright future.
Dunc and Faafaite
Beautiful heartfelt words from a child of the gods, profound in their simplicity. May you stand and take you place on these waka in the future Child of the Gods.
Arohanui
Makere