Ashmore Reef

After days of light wind and nights of no wind we finally got our "big air" as we approached Ashmore Reef. It was with mixed feelings that we decided to go inside and pick up a mooring as it's tempting to keep going when the wind finally fills in. We had a few tense moments picking up our mooring which is a huge marshmallow shaped float with a large metal ring on top and it's just barely above water level. As we pulled alongside Peter had to lean over the side of the boat to reach the ring and
tie a line on. We had 15 - 20 knots of wind and some strong current pushing the boat around but finally we were able to get the line up to the bow and have the boat streaming out behind.
After a few hours of rest the customs agents stationed here on a boat at the reef came to check our paperwork and write up a visitor form with our info. Then it was time to inflate the dinghy, add a second line to our mooring and help our friend Bob on Scooter as he was just pulling in to the lagoon. Peter tied a pennant to the free buoy and Bob was secured without too much hassle.
We were invited to dinner on Phoenix tonight but came to a mutual agreement that it was way too rough to brave the seas and wind in the dark. Peter made a trip in the dinghy across the 100 foot gap between us and Phoenix and came back completely drenched with several gallons of water in the dinghy. So, we're catching up on some reading and riding out the wind and waves with a quiet (except for the shake, rattle and roll) evening on Marcy.
Peter, with his interest in traditional sailing craft, is extremely lucky as the windy weather has made some Indonesian fishing vessels want to come in and wait out the weather. We heard from customs that several boats sailed on by yesterday but tonight there are two boats in the inner lagoon and we were fortunate to notice the second one on their way in before they dropped their sails this evening. The morning plan is to head in and admire these small vessels. Fortunately there is a low tide around
the time of our planned trip so the waves shouldn't be too big.
Tonight on Marcy we're keeping a close eye on our mooring lines...