Hello all. It's been a while. I really have been busy, but have neglected to photograph my adventures. That will change soon. I'm headed to Roi (via plane) for a girls' weekend this Saturday. Unfortunately, I'll be missing Oktoberfest here on Kwajalein. But fortunately, I'll probably be headed back to Roi (via sailboat) the following weekend for their Oktoberfest. Which, by that time it'll actually be October, so it makes more sense anyway.

Last weekend I went to Bigej again. This time we took a speedboat, so getting there and back was a lot faster, naturally. The big news of the day was that someone had capsized a B-boat earlier that morning. B-boats are simple speedboats rented from the marina. They have a lot of deck space and a hard canopy. They're good for hauling things (dive tanks, fishing gear, etc.) but I don't think the motor's strong enough to pull a skiier or wakeboarder. Driver(s) must have a boating license to rent one, and only adults can operate them. So a group of 3 or 4 people rented a B-boat to go diving near...maybe Bigej or some other island that morning. Apparently they anchored too close to shore, and when the tide came in their hull took on some serious water since the anchor line became too short. When they surfaced after their dive, the first person's weight (as they were getting back on the boat) was that last straw that capsized it. On our way to Bigej we saw the Star Boat (I think it's called that - it's a rescue boat) hauling it back upside-down to the marina. When we got back to the marina that evening, the capsized B-boat had been righted and was draining on the boat ramp, but the top had been torn off and the railing was all mangled. I wish I would've taken pictures of the excitement!

No one was injured, luckily. I'm sure someone's bank account took a hit, though. And our Colonel is very safety-conscious, so it's anyone's guess what new safety measures will be instituted after this incident.