A front is on its way over us bringing it’s friends the wind, the rain and the fog. Mr Surf had also shown up making our steep cobbly beach look rather scary for launching when the time comes. I can hear the waves crashing down from the tent where I have spent most of the afternoon feeling quite sleepy. The rain is mostly the fine kind of drizzle which you can’t really see but which manages to make everything wet. Black sand is sticking to everything and adds a crunch to our meals no matter how careful we try to be. Not chewing too much seems to be the key.

It’s not crazy hold-ontothe-tent windy – it might be less than forecast – but is too windy for our next 15 mile crossing to Yunaska island so we’re spending a second day on Amukta.

Today’s main worry was finding water to drink. The 10 litre supply we brought from Seguam is dwindling and yesterday we failed to find a good source. I imagine there was once a bubbling brook in the valley here but a lava flow spilled down from the volcano and left a hotch potch of sharp black rocks 30 metres deep and several football pitches wide. Water runs under this porous mound and didn’t appear as a steam anywhere that we could find. Yesterday I walked to a small valley behind our camp and found a 20 metre square pond amongst the broken lava. The water was crystal clear but there was what looked like flaky white paint on some of the rocks around it and a brown muddy ooze rimming the pond. I immediately thought of bird poo and well, poo although Sarah thinks it’s more likely to be some sort of mineral deposit. It is a volcanic Island after all. Either way, I didn’t fancy drinking it.

Next, I clambered over the giant moving jigsaw of rocks to another small beach tucked into the SE corner. No stream, although I did find the foundations of an old trapers cabin which I think dates from the 20s. Dozens of fenders, buoys and floats lie scattered above the cobbles, thrown there with logs during winter storms. On my way back I found a smaller clear pond in the lava about 5 metres across. It looked more appealing than the poo pond but a 20 minute dance back to the tent on sharp ball bearings with a water bag in hand didn’t appeal unless that was our only option.

Meanwhile Sarah had filled up from the poo pond, boiled it and tried a cup of tea. It tasted a bit minerally ( in other words grim) but it wasn’t so bad when we cooked pasta in it. This morning we set up pans to catch rain water from the tent and tried to rig up my hileberg windsack which is a group shelter that can be used as a tarp. Sarah then ventured up a small hill and found a muddy pond. She spent a good couple of hours filtering the water, first using her buff, then a real sponge that she found. Once boiled, it tastes a bit peaty but is nicer than the salty poo pond water. Although perhaps if we renamed it, it wouldn’t seen so bad? It looks like tomorrow will be another rest day with 30 knot gusts predicted but we hope to launch on Tuesday and make it to Yunaska island.

Tomorrow is Sarah’s birthday so we will start the day with chocolate and banana pancakes! yum