Resort boat

    Our resort has a fairly new power boat used for diving, snorkeling and island trips. The hull was made from local hardwood with bamboo out riggers, Polynesian style. The design makes for a very stable , seaworthy ride which was reasonably dry in the sometimes rough seas. 

  The boats reliability did not instill confidence nor did its safety features . The one photo shows the captains back while he's underneath the floor tinkering with the motor which wouldn't start. ( we were at a very remote diving  spot 8-10 miles from hotel ).  

  We went out on the boat 4 times, it broke down 3 . The first time the radiator leaked, that was a 3 hour repair. The second time the engine  got stuck in full throttle allowing the motor to scream. The owner had a look of panic on his face ( not reassuring ) and told us to quickly get off

the boat onto the beach. That repair took one hour . The last event involved a dead battery. ( they fortunately carried a spare ).

  The boat had no radio, no navigation lights for night time running, and no life jackets. The  boat had an orange life preserver ring on each side. Close inspection revealed they were securely lashed on with rope . The only way they could be quickly released would be with a knife. They were for looks only.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when I stepped off the boat for the last time.