The Voyages: Marshall Islands III

April 12, 2010 – We sailed up to Aur Atoll and the island of Tobal. The island celebrates Liberation Day (from the Japanese during WWII) on April 15th. It was a 70 mile sail close-hauled in moderate seas, but the boat gave us a very comfortable ride. We left in the late afternoon and arrived early the next morning.

 

Tobal is a small island with a population of about 250 people. There are no phones, no internet, no TV, no video games and very little else in the way of technology. It is gloriously beautiful and the people are wonderful. They treated us like royalty. They fed us, entertained us and were among the finest hosts we’ve met in the Pacific so far. The children, who are smart, well-behaved and vivacious, followed us wherever we went and were the highlight of our stay. The island is paradise, like something out of a fairytale. The waters of the lagoon are crystal clear and full of fish and healthy coral. The little village is a storybook setting. We only hope places like this can avoid the damaging effects of the modern world.

 

During our stay, we discovered the port upper chainplate had a crack growing in its stainless steel surface. After 14 years, the metal had finally succumbed to the salt water environment. So, after only two weeks at this idyllic place, we distributed the gifts we had brought, said our tearful goodbyes and sailed back to Majuro to make repairs. We hated to leave.