Annual Lamen Bay Canoe Race
Tuesday, 8. September 2009, 14:24:39
1st Friday in August
The dugong was here first but the cruisers began sailing into the bay at the north west corner of Epi from mid July. Everyone was jumping overboard into the sparkling clear water for the chance to swim with the friendly dugong that forages for food around the anchor chains.
At about three and a half meters
the caramel coloured mythological like creature surfaces about three times for a breath then rounds its hippo like back and with a flip of its whale tail dives for the next four or so minutes to feast on the seabed grass along with a few huge turtles that are also regulars. It is an unusual looking animal. I managed to get within a meter or two when it came up for air and the rest of the time I snorkelled on the surface while it “walked” on its fore flippers on the seabed snuffling the sparse grass with nearly ten remora fish hanging off its sides waiting to suck up the scraps. I saw it snap at one of these hangers on when it appeared to get too close to the large flappy mouth.
The racers set off from the beach.
Their hollowed out logs with outriggers all cobbled together with bits of sticks and tied up with twisted vines hardly look sea worthy enough for the two to three mile stretch of open water to Laman Island. They are however surprisingly sturdy and stable. A couple sported the luxury of a go faster stripe but I’m sure all had a bailing scoop. If they could avoid the waves splashing over the 30 cm high sides the weather had conspired to fill them from the heavens while giving the spectators a day long dowsing. Such a pity to have a day of rain for this event but even so we all had a good time.
A bouquet of palm leaves served as the sail
that was tied fore and aft with more bits of vine and stripped palm leaves, for the outbound leg. All rope on the island is used to tether their cows. When they reached Laman Island they ditched the sail and rowed back. They made surprisingly good speed out of the bay, one of them almost wearing his sail like a hat when his knots came undone. It didn’t hinder him too much as he finished second and next day came over to us with some pampelmousse from his garden. He didn’t want anything in return for these huge sweeter than usual grapefruits but his eyes lit up with some tins of paint that we can do without. We’re hoping multi coloured go faster stripes will see him into first place next year. Go Jim!
As I said these canoes with the stabilizing outriggers are surprisingly steady and after anchoring at another bay (about 100 meters from the shore) we had four children rowing out to the boat. The eldest 11 years with the youngest no more than two! Mothers the world over, take a tablet and lie down awhile and don’t even think about swimming lessons or life jackets. The children learn a different set of dangers here.
We went a walk through their village of basic houses constructed of wooden poles and woven palm leaf walls and roofs. No soft beds or over stuffed sofas. They sleep on the ground on woven palm leaf mats. A few of the children guided us to the gardens that were a half hour walk away through pretty much jungle following the narrow well trodden paths taking the correct fork every time there was a choice.
On the way back the troop of kids stopped to eat the cacao fruits sucking the juice from around the pips. These pips cleaned and dried are used to make chocolate but not here where they are spat out in whatever direction feels right. The best was watching these youngsters cracking open the pods (a good adult handful size) with a 60cm long machete! Holding the pod in their one hand and whacking it with the machete in the other. Somehow they still had all their fingers.
Life is simple here and full of joy and fun. The trader boat comes into the bay most days and the regular visitors on another cat signal arrivals and departure by a loud melodious drone from a conch shell. We joined in giving 3 blasts on our horn. Sounds like a duck in distress but it got lots of hoots and cheers. Soon other yachties also joined in with their hooters and tooters. The locals created a vocal hooting tooting racket especially if we were late or forgot to sound our horns. Toot toot toot, quack.
James and Lorna
The dugong was here first but the cruisers began sailing into the bay at the north west corner of Epi from mid July. Everyone was jumping overboard into the sparkling clear water for the chance to swim with the friendly dugong that forages for food around the anchor chains.
At about three and a half meters
the caramel coloured mythological like creature surfaces about three times for a breath then rounds its hippo like back and with a flip of its whale tail dives for the next four or so minutes to feast on the seabed grass along with a few huge turtles that are also regulars. It is an unusual looking animal. I managed to get within a meter or two when it came up for air and the rest of the time I snorkelled on the surface while it “walked” on its fore flippers on the seabed snuffling the sparse grass with nearly ten remora fish hanging off its sides waiting to suck up the scraps. I saw it snap at one of these hangers on when it appeared to get too close to the large flappy mouth. The racers set off from the beach.
Their hollowed out logs with outriggers all cobbled together with bits of sticks and tied up with twisted vines hardly look sea worthy enough for the two to three mile stretch of open water to Laman Island. They are however surprisingly sturdy and stable. A couple sported the luxury of a go faster stripe but I’m sure all had a bailing scoop. If they could avoid the waves splashing over the 30 cm high sides the weather had conspired to fill them from the heavens while giving the spectators a day long dowsing. Such a pity to have a day of rain for this event but even so we all had a good time.
A bouquet of palm leaves served as the sail
that was tied fore and aft with more bits of vine and stripped palm leaves, for the outbound leg. All rope on the island is used to tether their cows. When they reached Laman Island they ditched the sail and rowed back. They made surprisingly good speed out of the bay, one of them almost wearing his sail like a hat when his knots came undone. It didn’t hinder him too much as he finished second and next day came over to us with some pampelmousse from his garden. He didn’t want anything in return for these huge sweeter than usual grapefruits but his eyes lit up with some tins of paint that we can do without. We’re hoping multi coloured go faster stripes will see him into first place next year. Go Jim! As I said these canoes with the stabilizing outriggers are surprisingly steady and after anchoring at another bay (about 100 meters from the shore) we had four children rowing out to the boat. The eldest 11 years with the youngest no more than two! Mothers the world over, take a tablet and lie down awhile and don’t even think about swimming lessons or life jackets. The children learn a different set of dangers here.
We went a walk through their village of basic houses constructed of wooden poles and woven palm leaf walls and roofs. No soft beds or over stuffed sofas. They sleep on the ground on woven palm leaf mats. A few of the children guided us to the gardens that were a half hour walk away through pretty much jungle following the narrow well trodden paths taking the correct fork every time there was a choice.
On the way back the troop of kids stopped to eat the cacao fruits sucking the juice from around the pips. These pips cleaned and dried are used to make chocolate but not here where they are spat out in whatever direction feels right. The best was watching these youngsters cracking open the pods (a good adult handful size) with a 60cm long machete! Holding the pod in their one hand and whacking it with the machete in the other. Somehow they still had all their fingers.Life is simple here and full of joy and fun. The trader boat comes into the bay most days and the regular visitors on another cat signal arrivals and departure by a loud melodious drone from a conch shell. We joined in giving 3 blasts on our horn. Sounds like a duck in distress but it got lots of hoots and cheers. Soon other yachties also joined in with their hooters and tooters. The locals created a vocal hooting tooting racket especially if we were late or forgot to sound our horns. Toot toot toot, quack.
James and Lorna
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