Still Guam

Since we’ve been in Guam we’ve been doing exciting things like going to the supermarket and even visiting a laundrette; machine-washed clothes for the first time since NZ! We’ve also been doing various jobs on the boat including finishing varnishing the interior: the old saying cruising is working on your boat in beautiful places holding true, although Guam is not in our top ten of beautiful anchorages. The traffic in the harbour is quite interesting. Since we have been here we have seen a variety of military shipping, including frigate-y type ships, nuclear submarines, and what looked like a WWII troopship. The commercial shipping is no less varied, including a research vessel, which just sent a manned sub to the bottom of the Marianas trench, cruise ships, Paul Allen’s superyacht ‘Octopus’ (a large launch with 2 helicopters and numerous tenders- at least some of which are bigger than ‘Elenya’) and a Fench semi-sub launching platform used for launching rockets carrying satellites into space. Yesterday, we watched a helicopter repeatedly
dropping parachutists over the naval base all morning. Re-stocking the boat for the next passage may be interesting- we were prepared not to find things like vegemite but thought we would be able to get baked beans! Well I suppose you can, would that be baked beans with pork or bacon? Yes, you can buy special ‘vegetarian’ baked beans but at a special price of course.

The touristy end of Guam

Keeping Jim entertained for hours!

Rip in our very old headsail. On with the new one.

Enlarge the photo and from left to right you have a US submarine, a tanker which seems almost permanently anchored there, 'Octopus' and the launching platform as seen from "Elenya'.