SAD MEMORIES

THE LAST PICTURE

Late Joy in the green singlet with her baby Ruta facing Rosemary. 

 

By BIG PAT in PORT MORESBY

It is the picture that jiggles one's imagination. The serenity of the Pacific, the beauty of the islands, the deep blue sea, the soothing breeze in their faces.

The innocence of those lovely smiles. They bear into your eyes, into your heart and massage your soul. 

They all look comfortable. There is laughter and happy smiles. An air of happiness, anticipation of a fun filled day inspired by a journey of sea adventure.

You can see late Joy, holding her baby Ruta. Days later her mangled body was the first to be found.

A young mother with 3 kids. The future generations of Gizo lost in one big wave.

The last good bye. 

How heart breaking and tearful it is to look into their happy smiling faces and know they are no more?

This tragedy is made more profoundly sad when you realize the majority of passengers were women with children.

You think of your own mother, your sisters, your own daughters. What does a mother do when in times of trouble? She will always protect her young.

Just thinking of these mothers and their children makes me shed tears.

I remember a time when crossing from an island back to the mainland on a log with 7 friends. I was just 7 years old. (Search The Lord's Prayer on my blog).

It was Christmas of 1973. No-one noticed me missing. It was only my mother who started searching for me. My mother!

Mothers are super special and my heart goes out to the mothers of Gizo.

The three young ones lost.

In hindsight, one might be troubled enough to ask, where were the men on this fine new year's day. Where were they?

What about the hypothesis of the mid ocean transfers? What if the original skipper and mechanic Steven had stayed on the 75 horsepower and steered the boat? 

Would his experience have saved the mothers and children, his wife Rosemary and daughter Tekavitta included?

As we now know, the double 40 horse power boat was originally carrying the mothers and children when they left Gizo. 

However they changed boats mid ocean when the two 40 horse power engines failed in the middle of the ocean. 

Had they stayed on the same boat would they be still alive now?

I think the simple answer is we do not know.

Although the Solomon Islands meteorology bureau had been issuing strong weather condition warnings, January 1 seemed to have dawned a pretty sunny fine day.

The sea was calm and the sun was out. A perfect day for sailing, boating, canoeing and fishing.

A perfect day for the long open sea journey the family had planned to undertake from Gizo to Shortlands in the Western Isles of Solomon Islands 🇸🇧. 

You know we Pacific Islanders love the sea. We become so used to it. Our lives are entwined in its calmness and rolling ways.

Skippers old and new can tell what is coming from a speck of cloud in the distance. They can judge by the behavior of the waves. 

Old captains always run for cover and head home at the sight of white crested waves.

From the reports of survivors on the other boat, we can deduce that our wonderful families were swamped by a massive sudden change of weather.

Banana boats are not made for heavy rains, strong winds, huge waves and inclement weather.

Its being a sad long week now and our thoughts are with the families affected by this tragedy.

I never knew you Joy. It is sad that I came to know you and your children in such a sad and tragic way.

I will campaign endlessly for governments of the Pacific to make it compulsory for all small boats to carry life jackets at all times and skippers to carry handheld gps.

And the small boat manufacturers must change the design to make their boats  unsinkable, and complete with epirb beacon.

That photo - A post card perfect shot - will bring sad memories in the years to come.

Our tears will flow on every New Year's Day.