With the boats loaded up again they headed for the pass not far away. Picton Castle, with engine silent, set a staysail and drifted off to leeward, safely and serenely. Quite a sight for crew to see. She was to remain close by, not more than six miles off in the lee of Palmerston.
The Starboard watch huddled in the big fishing boats as Bob, Edward, Charlie, Tikiroa or John masterfully threaded the pass against the strong outflowing current, swerving around coral heads, rusty bits of wrecked steel fishing vessels, sundry iron stakes marking obstacles. And then stitting well forward in the bow to get the outboard’s prop high we headed a couple hundred yards into the beach. Coral pink sands, palm trees swaying and rustling in the winds, all the kids at the water’s edge to say hi and greet the new gang. Much excitement! Little ones grabbed our bags and hands and hauled us all up to “The Palmerston Opera House,” a tin roofed shelter that could seat us all – 22 crew and most of the 27 Marsters and room for more. Sand between the toes once again. And the ship comfortable, safe and sound at sea with a capable gang aboard.
Here Bob Marsters as Deputy Mayor was master of ceremonies and took charge of welcoming this watch as he has done so many times for other crews. Bob and Tupou’s daughter, Taia, had been crew in Picton Castle for about a year. After a welcome by the minister and a prayer for the visit, the assembled Marsters sang an island welcome song in Maori to make your spine shiver and give you goose bumps. Songs from ages past. How could we be so fortunate? How can we take this all in? How can I even write about it? There is NO chance of doing it justice. Tammy was my “talking chief” yesterday, now it was my turn to say something. No doubt Tammy did it better. Soon enough Bob divided all the crew up into their host families. And then off they all marched scattered across the sandy island beneath the endless coconut palms to their Marsters homes. First order of business must be a cool, freshly cracked drinking coconut. Nothing better.
The northeast winds continued to lay down and get steadier. A moon almost full climbed the sky over the lagoon to the east. Now we had sunny days and starlit nights with a big moon. I must wrap this up, so here is just a list of things the crew did. Walk around the island in under an hour. Feed the sharks in the lagoon. Fix outboards on the island. Get dance lessons and practice, too. Doctor Rob and Dentist Leo saw many islanders to advise with Nurse Mele. Leo pulled 6 teeth. Volleyball of course. We have enough folks for a couple teams which made for fun and a change on Palmerston. Day fishing on the reef for parrot fish and mullet. Night fishing. Lots of fish in the ship’s freezers now. Swimming in the lagoon. 11 year old Dawson disapeared and ran around with the eight kids on the island. Learned to husk coconuts and get maybe a hundred for the ship as we sail onward. Watch the kids sail their Optimist prams in the lagoon. A great thing this, as they learn at an early age how to handle boats. Collecting flowers and making the flower ‘eis for the dance, both neck ‘eis and head ‘eis, a flower crown. They smell so good. Visiting around from home to home. Cannot stay through Sunday so no church – too bad. Walking through the many sandy leaf strewn paths on the island in the shade under a canopy of palms and hardwood trees. No roosters, no chickens clucking – odd this. No pigs.
There is one spot on the lagoon with a fishnet hammock which I have returned to year after year. Tammy, Dawson and I spent some time there. At the end of a long soft sandy path through the trees and looks out on the lagoon, warm winds in my face. Magic and sweet watching the sparkling lagoon waters with its many colours. Half a dozen frigate birds seemingly holding station overhead and tropic birds swooping around. Dawson found the many hermit crabs fascinating. The black ones really bite hard he learned. There are two other kinds and they are everywhere on the beaches. And the beaches are everywhere too. He found one without a shell so he and his mum found a shell for it and he slipped it right on. Just like that. Almost said “thank you!”
Then it came time to wrap up our vist. We had to leave on time. We do not know where the three day time limit came from but obey we shall. And sail on time we will. The Marsters had planned a big BBQ and send off. Here is where and when the newly trained dancers would show their stuff. And they did indeed. I am shortening this up too much. Almost all Picton Castle crew participated. The girls dance was sublime, taught by Maeva, and boys dance was hysterical, taught by Deone. BBQ was fish, chicken and heaps pf pasta salad from the ship. And lots of cold coconuts. This was on our last night at Palmerston. The crew kept their ‘eis for the next day.
Saturday morning. A bright sunny day with light winds. A big breakfast at Charlie and Maeva’s under and outside canopy. A last check on the hermit crab population. One more volleyball game and with the sun high overhead it was time to go. We had planned a goodbye lunch aboard for the islanders as a modest thank you as the ship lay drifting. The gang gathered on the beach, most wearing their ‘eis. Into the boats, shove off, out the pass as Dirk brought the Picton Castle in closer into still waters. All aboard!
A nice big spread on the main deck. Boats ranged alongside. Short speeches, crew did their dances again for the Palmerston islanders – kind of a neat switch, dancing for the islanders! A goodbye song, then came heaps of hugs. And boats away. With all quiet the ship’s crew loosed sail, sheeted home and set sail as the islanders watched from the boats. We began to steer west again, away from Palmerston and towards Tonga. Our former crewmember Vai from Tonga is well remembered here at Palmerston and we are sent off with best wishes for her. We should be seeing her soon. In light winds the ship sails away. The boats head back for the pass and so it goes.