Bob Shepton has sent in a post script to last weeks talk. He also pointed out that Willi Ker took his Contessa 32 into one of the harbours and survived!

“It might be useful to add one or two things to last night’s presentation, in case any of those watching are planning to go to Easter Island.

Willy Ker did in fact go into the harbour in his 32 foot Contessa Assent. But it weas a hairy ride, and not worth the hassle!

A year or two later I did not fancy it and we anchored off Hangaroa. Yes the ride ashore through the surf in a small Avon dinghy with a 2 HP outboard was indeed exciting! Watch out for your anchor chain winding around coral heads on the seabed anchored there though. We nearly lost one.

I would like to underline Steve’s point about the anchorages. We were constantly going from north (Hangaroa) to south (Vinapu) to east (Anakena) to find shelter from the changing winds. But of course it was such an interesting place.
Anakena was our favourite anchorage when tenable. And the big Moai on the right side looking out to sea was the first Moai to be re-erected, by Thor Heyardhal using logs and ropes in what he considered to be the way they must have done it. He visited separate from the Kontiki expedition which was so inspiring in that era, but failed!
There used to be a naval mooring buoy you could moor to there, or you can anchor further in. There were no crowds on the beach as shown in one of the pictures when we were there. Thinking of Steve’s distances, we had come 3877 miles from Antarctica so the lads were desperate to get a coconut. If I can make it work I will send an amusing picture of their attempts to climb the tree…

Yes the Moais were made of what looks like fine grained solidified sandstone rock, but why there was also some redder than the rest for the topknots (spelling?) I don’t know. It was interesting that the Moai at the ‘factory’ of Rano Raraku still lying on the ground but not yet cut from the rock was 110 foot long! We only got to see his head. The situation must have been getting out of hand with the Moais getting bigger and bigger, but I gathered recently that they now think that the numbers declining alarmingly – was it toi extinction? - was not due to a rebellion by the Aku against the Long Ears and the general de-forestation, but because of disease like the small pox mentioned and other diseases brought in by European ships occasionally visiting. Another Moai incidentally had a three masted ship carved on its middle – presumably after a visit of a European ship.

If you think it inappropriate or pushy to add these footnotes to whom it may concern then just forget it!”

A photo essay of Easter Island, its antiquities, its culture and its festivals followed by a presentation on the difficulties of sailing their and various pilotage information.

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