Earle L. Reynolds

“ After a restful two weeks in Hilo, we moved on to Honolulu, stopping en route for a week in one of our favorite spots, Lahaina. Here in Maui is none of the frantic scrambling to be seen on the island of Oahu. In Honolulu new buildings are rapidly cutting off the classical sight of Diamond Head, while automobile fumes compete with the subtle fragrance of mimosa. But on Maui—at least for the moment—there is leisure for rest and contemplation. ”

“ At New Year’s, in South Africa, we were both pleased and touched to receive a warm personal response to the mimeographed letter we had sent out to announce our arrival.
No doubt you must be proud of accomplishing such a cruise, and you must be thankful to God for your luck of what I call a trouble-free track, but for a few odds. You have seen oceans, seas, countries, and peoples of all sorts. Makes my mouth water, so to say. You have made friends everywhere, because sympathy is not merchantable: it is born in Earle, Barbara, Ted, and Jessica; you are such a charming group, you are. ”

“ We stood watch and watch, spending most of our waking time together playing chess. We held ourselves ready to sail out at a moment’s notice, if necessary, and to cruise on and off until the pilot boat brought back our ship’s company. Rough waters, heavy tides, and numerous squalls kept us company, and the imperative clank of the anchor chain was an ominous and constant sound. Meantime, during the heavy and frequent showers, we filled all the water tanks to overflowing, and, on Jessica’s birthday, we whipped up and frosted a birthday cake for her, which we put away against her return. ”

“ For these crowded thousands, the canals that traverse the city are laundry, swimming pool, public bath, social center—and privy.
From the deck of the Phoenix we could see, in one direction, the beautifully appointed yacht club where a constant procession of limousines drew up to discharge members and their friends who came to swim, sail, or water-ski, or just to relax with a drink on the shaded veranda. ”

“ We continued up the strait and drew abreast the Yotsuda shipyard. We broke out the foghorn, Mickey blew lustily, and the entire shipyard crew—all four of them—came down to the shore while Yotsuda-san ran up the Japanese flag, and we dipped our American colors in a return salute. Just four months ago the Phoenix had been launched from here.
The next several days were idyllic. The fall weather was perfect, the breeze light but fair, the scenery unsurpassed. We found out now that cruising may take a lot of work ashore, but that cruising is also sailing, and this is the reward. ”

“ Barbara’s own diary continues to reflect the unusual atmosphere:
A miserable, rolling, wallowing night with alternate rains and high seas, followed by dropping winds. Rolled violently in my bunk from side to side and dozed fitfully. The swift dropping sensation as the boat rolls down, down, goes against one’s most basic instinct, the fear of falling. A queer shuddering seems to have entered the picture, giving rise to night fancies involving a loosened rudder or working keel bolts! What terrors can suggest themselves and become rapidly convincing in the dark! ”

“ Hailing a passing launch, Nick too went ashore. We sat on the deck and watched the harbor traffic, too dispirited to talk. Below decks, Ted and Jessica were shouting at each other, in an overheated sibling dispute. Here we are, I thought—what remains of my crew. One woman—with only half a heart in the venture. One son, age fifteen—willing, but a bit absentminded and not too good with his hands. One daughter, ten years old and small for her age, expert at handling dolls—but what good will she be on the mainsail? ”

“ Immediately Nick, as hot-tempered as I, flung himself into the fray. “Not your business what Mickey wears!” he challenged.
My own problems with Nick had been many—open insurrection, like the one in the North Pacific, or simply sullen withdrawal, when he disapproved one of my decisions. Since he was, technically, first mate, and at most times a good and responsible shipmate, I felt the need of his cooperation. I decided that now was as good a time as any to have it out, so I called a conference of all the men in the hope that, somehow, we could achieve a meeting of minds. ”

“ The walk to town is long, even after one has left the dock area—and it is even longer coming back with supplies. And the wind! Here is one place where it blows—and rarely, it seems, in a direction to give the tired pedestrian a needed boost. One afternoon I was coming back from town, leaning against the wind at every step, with my eyes slitted to protect them from the grit that stung my face. Arriving at the club, I understandably felt the need of a rest and nourishment before attempting the trip by dinghy to my ship. ”

“ Jessica, standing on tiptoe, cut with a tiny golden ax the ribbon which symbolically bound the Phoenix to the shore; Barbara swung mightily and broke the traditional bottle across the bow, cutting her finger in the process; a workman knocked out the last block. We paused for a breathless moment, and then began our slide, picking up speed as we descended rapidly, until we hit the blue waters of the Inland Sea with a grand and noble splash. ”

“ We found it fascinating to be always within sight of land, sailing by visible landmarks rather than by celestial navigation. The countryside was fertile and lovely, with brilliant green uplands dotted with the woolly blobs of grazing sheep, while along the shore stretches of sandy beach piled into yellow dunes or reared up in sheer sandstone bluffs.
We made only one stopover, at Kawau Island, where we spent a most enjoyable weekend tied up to the private dock of Roy and Irene Lidgard, New Zealand’s number one entry in the Be Kind to Visiting Yachtsmen sweepstakes. ”

“ The Phoenix, which takes a bit of a breeze to get underway, was making an easy seven knots under storm jib and reefed mizzen alone and her motion evoked unwelcome memories of our North Pacific crossing.
By evening we were well down the coast and had about decided to pay a visit to Christchurch, as long as we were in the neighborhood, when the evening weather forecast announced a strong southerly in Cook Strait. That was what we had been waiting for, so we put about. ”

“ How is it possible to pass on without mentioning the dockside parties that foregathered nightly beside the Phoenix, parties which sometimes started by a song or two in Japanese by one of the Three M’s, or a cowboy or hillbilly record on our portable victrola, but which always ended with the soft 98plucking of a guitar, the strumming of homemade coconut ukuleles, and a completely spontaneous exhibition of Tahitian dancing to the compelling rhythm of slit drum, kerosene tin, or just the slapping of hands on a bare thigh. ”

“ We thought it time to sail on.
The island of Mooréa is eight miles and one universe away from Tahiti. After living for twenty-four hours a day in the midst of a never-sleeping carnival atmosphere, it was a blessed relief to drop anchor in Papetoai Bay, which many have called the most beautiful in the whole world. Certainly it is one of the most spectacular. The mountain peaks are a vivid emerald green and quite unreal in shape, rising almost vertically to end in a surrealist play. ”

“ The worse the weather and the higher the waves the more fantastic (and friendly) became the mythical creatures who had become Jessica’s closest friends. She and Barbara were good companions as they shared work in the galley or bent together over the day’s lessons, but when Barbara—tired out after a sleepless night or just in need of an hour or two alone—retired behind the curtains of her bunk, Jessica was never at a loss. ”

“ Bali was worth all the trouble it took to get there. Not only is it spectacularly beautiful, with its rugged mountains, its misty vales, its crumbling temples, and the glossy green of its rice paddies, but the people are beautiful too. Outside of Den Pasar, where the tourists congregate and create understandable disruptions and where it is considered “rude” for women to go about unclothed above the waist, the Balinese serenely follow their age-old customs, practice the Hindu religion, which is the hard core of their society, and preserve their independence and integrity. ”

“ The abandoned dock where we tied up during our stay in Bora Bora was a relic of the war. Here, during the late unpleasantness, several thousand American troops had directed round-the-clock activity, a state of affairs that remains a highlight in the memory of many on this island. As one of them expressed it, “Maybe everybody have another war pretty quick, yeah? Maitai!—Good! Then maybe more soldiers come—we work like hell all day, all night—see plenty movies—eat plenty ice cream—get plenty American babies!” ”

“ From the main cabin we could hear Nick, Mickey, and Moto carrying on animated conversations in their own language, and Barbara, who had soon given up her praiseworthy idea of cooking special breakfasts of sour bean soup and cold rice, often reported exotic adaptations of cucumber pickles with the oatmeal.
Of all the jobs on ship, Barbara’s in many ways was the toughest. Not a boatwoman by inclination, or the typical “athletic” type of girl, she suddenly found herself thrust into a role which demanded every ounce of her courage and stamina. ”

“ Yon dake!—Four!”
“Hard to port!” I shouted. Ted, at the helm, pushed it hard over but before we could even begin to swing around there was a shock of impact. With an ominous crunch we ground to a stop.
“We’ve hit!”
No further words were needed. Barbara and Jessica huddled on the deck box, keeping out of the way while the men sprang to drop the sails. I went below and started the engine, but already the moment was past. Pushed by the current, the bow of the Phoenix swung gradually and she drifted free astern. Unbelievably, we felt again the gentle rise and fall of the deck beneath our feet. ”

“ Taiohae Bay is a dream anchorage. Deeply indented into the coast, cradled by high hills, it offers perfect safety, and with a sandy coast, groves of palm trees, and scattered huts, a setting of unequaled charm. Nuku Hiva itself is a perfect example of a high island in the South Seas, than which nothing is more verdantly beautiful. ”

“ It was obvious that nothing fragile was going to survive this trip—and that included people.
Barbara doggedly cooked supper but no one felt like eating. The girls were told to climb into their bunks and pay no attention to any crashes which might occur in the galley. No mental effort, however, made it possible to ignore the smash of waves against the hull. Each one that hit sounded like a sledge hammer striking an empty drum—a nerve-racking experience for those on the inside. ”

“ It was my first trip outside the port town and I soon began to see what Barbara meant. The Samoan fale is nothing if not open. A thatched roof, a floor of coral, and between the two, posts at regular intervals marking off a circle or an oval. When it rains, shutters of woven pandanus matting can be dropped on the windward side, but at all other times the houses are as a cage at the zoo. ”

“ At various levels below the surface we could see hundreds of life forms: jellyfish of many shapes and colors and innumerable other floating shapes ranging from tiny, confetti-like blobs to fairly large and elaborate, flower-shaped creatures. We caught a man-of-war, floating on the surface of the water like a child’s plastic bath toy, and Jessica, who spent hours hanging over the gunwales, discovered a school of half a dozen little banded fish, about eight inches long, who were escorting us faithfully, in the shadow of the hull. ”

“ We were already learning that it is not wise or fair to form judgments in advance so, in spite of Charles Brotherson’s dire predictions—and his tempting offers of expeditions to fabulous marae on the far side of Raïatéa if we would only remain a few more days—we decided we must push on.
With Jessica very proudly manning the tiller, we edged cautiously out Paipai Pass through the Tahaa reef. Bora Bora, its distinctive rocky pinnacles rising through the early-morning mists, could be seen to the west, its distinctive profile like a giant molar making a sharp break in the horizon. ”

“ You look aft, and see a dark projectile overtaking you at fantastic speed. It roars past you in a horrible crescendo of sound, seeming to miss the mainmast by inches. The sails flap in the turbulence caused by the sudden passing. The crew, startled out of their somnolence, rush on deck. Before you can explain, they see for themselves: again the plane dives at you, this time from forward. Almost touching the waves, it passes just to starboard, lower than the mast, banks sharply, and returns for a third pass, the closest of all. ”

“ The next day, with Ted at the masthead to con us through, we worked our way down inside the reef to the south end of the island, where the charming little village of Haapu nestles in isolated quiet. No roads connect it with the outer world and only an occasional visit from a motor launch, with mail and supplies, keeps the people in touch with the world outside. ”

“ One of the inevitable drawbacks to such a trip as ours is the lack of companionship for those who are under age. Ted and Jessica got along far better than most brothers and sisters with a five-year gap in their ages—but the gap was there. And although Barbara 135had found an amazing number of interests, confidences, and giggles that she and Jessica could share, we knew that even the best mother-daughter relationship is no substitute for an intimate of one’s own age.
At every port there are dozens of things on the list of Things to Do and Things to Buy. Sydney was no exception. ”

“ Every day brought visitors to the Phoenix. Some of them, naturally, were friends of ours, or friends of friends, but so many were people of Japanese ancestry who bowed and chatted in their native tongue with Nick, Mickey, and Moto that I sometimes wondered whether we weren’t still tied up to the dock in Hiroshima.
“I thought you said you didn’t know anyone in Honolulu,” I remarked to Moto, after several days had passed with no slackening in the steady stream of callers.
“Yes!” Moto agreed happily. “We don’t! But Hawaii people very kind, very friend.” ”

“ For the moment we refused to think of the work yet to be done: all the interior joiner work, the engine installation, the tanks, the deck-iron work, the standing and running rigging, the sails. And beyond this, such items as clothing, supplies, stores, navigation equipment, charts—literally hundreds of individual items to be obtained. And at the end of it all, the cruise itself, for which the entire undertaking was merely preparation. ”