A Week Aboard S/V Sabado: 6/16/2024- 6/23/2024

Hello and happy Sunday! Did you see our latest YouTube video? 🙂 

We missed you last week but were craving some time away from our electronic devices. We’ve been catching up with friends, enjoying the views, and getting to know the local wildlife here in the Tuamotus!

We woke up Monday morning to a flat, glossy sea. A few of our friends invited us out for a fishing trip. They had hired a local to take them to the pass to snorkel, spearfish, and jig. I eagerly shimmied into my wetsuit to tag along. I’m not much of a fisherwoman, but I’ll take any excuse to swim here, and I hadn’t yet made it to the pass during calm conditions. They picked me up around 9am, and we zipped over to the other side of the atoll.  

The excursion began with a snorkel outside of the pass. The ocean floor was carpeted with coral! It was deeper and darker than the other snorkeling I’d done here, but it was exciting to see the thriving reef and several new (to me) species of fish. The visibility was pristine, and I was getting more comfortable around sharks. 

We had missed slack tide, so we drifted with the current as it ripped through the pass. I kept my head on a swivel, trying to take in all the marine life that was flying by below me! 

We were on the other side before we knew it. We did a second round before switching gears to focus on fishing. No one had seen anything worth spearing, so we headed to deeper water. We had two fishing rods going, a flasher, and one person in the water with a spear gun. The first catch of the day was a small bluefin trevally, followed by a good-sized false albacore, which we decided to cube up and use as chum in hopes of attracting a dogtooth or yellowfin tuna. 

Without a breeze, the sun was zapping our energy, fast. We re-set in a couple of different spots and were beginning to accept defeat when we got a bite- a big bite! Dan started to reel it in; sure enough, it was a beautiful yellowfin tuna. We all cheered when he got it into the boat! 

We were about to head in when we spotted a tiger shark coming to check us out. The men entered the water, and the ladies anxiously watched from the boat. The huge shark came by to investigate several times before finally coming close enough to touch Dan’s camera lens. It pulled away quickly, but that was a little too close for comfort… We headed home shortly after that, parting ways with our friends. We watched the sunset as we sipped cocktails on the bow. They dropped off a hunk of tuna for us for dinner that night, and Ray cooked it up. This is the life! 

The wind shifted the following day, leaving us bouncing around in the fetch on a lee shore. The weather changes so fast here! We spent the day inside, hiding from the rain and tackling some chores. 

The sunshine and flat seas were back by Wednesday. Ray and I spent the afternoon on the beach, finding land crabs and pointing out sharks. The days have begun to blend together: mornings in the water, afternoons spent paddle boarding or exploring new beaches, and cocktails together on the bow at sunset. We are loving it here. 

Last night, we hosted dinner with friends. Given the sparsity of supplies here, it was a group effort. Everyone had something to contribute to the meal! We had fresh sushi as an appetizer, followed by duck confit, mashed potatoes, carrots, sourdough focaccia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and some red wine. We had a lovely evening swapping stories and laughing ‘til dark. It has been a simple, sweet week here in paradise! There are plenty more atolls for us to explore, but we haven’t found a reason to leave this one just yet. Thankfully, we’re in no rush. 

I hope you had a great week. ❤️