Needles to say, we had a rather late start this morning after the full day's activities yesterday. I slept on deck both last night and the night before, but strangely, it seemed rather softer and easier to doze off thie last evening...

Our next, and last stop was Luncheon Bay which is also on Hook Island. This is another snorkelling site and it is simply amazing. One of the most expansive places I have ever dived or snorkelled. There was a shoal of big bat fish waiting for us when we arrived (although they didn't much like me jumping in on top of them to get a closer look!). I also saw a shoal of around half-a-dozen Wrass that were so big I almost spat my snorkel out in suprise. These fish must have been over a metre and a half long and a metre high. They were big boys (well, only one was, the others would have been all girls). Shortly after spotting them, I saw the largest number of fish that I think I have ever seen in my life. The sea was thick of these little guys. They were all just sitting in the current right next to a large rock. They started to swim around it as I swam a little closer to them, and so I followed them round it. Straight into the biggest suprise of my trip so far.

Just as I rounded the rock, through the fish I could see a white tipped reef shark swimming across my path, not 6 metres away from where I was. He also was a big boy, but I didn't stay there long enough to be able to sex it categorically. The sharks are relatively harmless, unless, say you corner them in a little bay, having just swam around a rock (or that's how my thought process went anyway). So I backed off and left him (or her) to it rather sharpish. I'm really chuffed ( pleased ) having seen it though, as I didn't get to see one when I went diving (about half the divers on the boat did see one over the three days that we were on board). Aparently, it is very lucky see see a shark around here, as they are very shy of people. The staff divers probably only see them once every couple of months or so. A great way to end the trip for me.

We sailed (ARSE) almost all the way home. the weather has been just perfect for us. Beautiful sunshiny days with just enough wind in the late mornings or afternoons to get the sails up. Today though we had some almost serious sailing wind and Scotty cranked the throttle up and the boat over to take advantage of it. These yachts are designed to sail (ARSE - if you don't know, you weren't on board, and it doesn't matter) heeled over at quite an angle and we were doing pretty well, with our low side railings kissing the water. We were sailing (ARRRSE) south, upwind, back into Shute harbour and so were forced into a few tacks to make it back home. We were doing pretty good, the faithful, keen (if slightly hungover) crew were doing their best to distribute the weight correctly by moving sides as we spun through the wind. After a couple of turns, we were looking almost professional, 'the best tack I've seen - in the last three days', was one comment, 'the best crew we've had this trip', another. Then, disaster, our (rather worn out) headsail ripped and we witnessed what real crewing is all about. Within fifteen seconds of it happening, the two guys had dropped and stowed the headsail - a task that took 10 of us almost a couple of minutes to do - impressive. So unfortunately, instead of sailing majestically back into Shute harbour, we had to motor sail the wounded Hammer back home. The after trip party was a little more subdued than last night's affair. A shame to have to say goodbye, but a chance to meet up at least for one more time before heading our seperate ways.

To tomorrow