12/7/82 Whilst taking our noon navigation sights… sorry, I got called away and now it’s the next day…. Suddenly and much to our amazement a strange hump, much shrouded in cloud, appeared on the horizon. After being at sea, really out at sea with nothing around but sea and a miraculous bird or two occasionally, it is extremely difficult to believe that this is the long-awaited island that you’ve been headed for for 26 days. All through the afternoon I would be startled by seeing the island out of the corner of my eye and would suddenly swing round to gaze at it once again, still in disbelief. However, it really was there and after laying a little way off overnight, as we couldn’t anchor in the dark, we finally made it into the bay this morning. And what a beautiful place it is. The bay is surrounded by high cliffs with the most beautiful rock formations jutting up into the blue sky. There are palm trees everywhere and wild mountain goats grazing on the rocky cliffs and high slopes.
Land again at last, after many weeks, and the potential for both couples to get away from each other, at least for a while. But it really was a spectacularly beautiful place, and in so many ways entirely untouched, being so remote.
Pamela J Blair
Hooray! You finally made it. The photo probably doesn’t do the island justice. I’ve enjoyed reading Val’s letters.