Laundry day
Mark and Kurt tested the increasing surf while Andy and I headed for shore with the laundry. We used the "grape stomper" impeller in our washing machine and soon had clean clothes to hang around the boat. This is such an attractive sight.
We had a leisurely breakfast of french toast which when made from the local baguettes is a special treat. Remind me to make some when I get home.
Since the "big" surf does not arrive until Friday, Mark and especially Kurt want to remain here until at least Saturday. Huahine is reputed to have some of the best surfing in Polynesia so Andy and I are content to "hang out" until then. I write my blog, try unsuccessfully to post it, read and play cards when I am not cooking - another thing I enjoy. When the water is clear, I also love snorkeling and when we are at a new island I am also interested to hike on forest trails if they are available.
High cirrus clouds are overhead today. This is the sign of an approaching weather front.
At "four fingers" we were invited to have cocktails on board Kagou (a flightless bird from the Solomon Islands). This is an aluminum hull French boat with Guy and his son Pascal on board. Guy is in his early 60's and they own a chain of grocery stores near La Mans, France. Guy has been sailing for years and this is his fourth boat. Pascal is here for two weeks. Guy speaks almost no English although he understands quite a bit. Pascal's English is excellent. Guy smiles a lot and speaks in an animated fashion while Pascal translates. The conversations are quite delightful.
Also visiting were Pierre and Catherine from Tea (a word that means arrow in Marquisian). They are from Lausanne, Switzerland and Pierre had a business that sold machine parts. They have been 5 years at sea and are circumnavigating. After some conversation Pierre indicated that he had done business with SICPA and knew the Amon family. Like me, he had been to dinner at Maurice's home. That is two degrees of separation - a small world indeed.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Day 84 Bicycles
Around the island
Mark and Kurt hit the surf early but not before dropping Andy and I off at the shore where we rented bicycles for another circumnavigation of the island. Our hike had missed the spots wherever we hitchhiked and we were intrigued with this lush, beautiful and peaceful island.
On the North shore there is a paved road that we had followed before and closer to the ocean is a dirt road just perfect for our mountain bikes. On the North side of the island there is no protective coral reef so the waves come directly to the beach. Since most of the wave action comes from the South, these waves are relatively mild. At one point, we noted that we were the only people to be seen for the length of the beach.
A little further South the dirt road ends into the property of a closed Sofitel luxury hotel with beach front and stilted over-the-water bungalows. An Italian couple was just walking up from the water and told us about an area for snorkeling that is protected by a reef and contains large numbers of fish in crystal clear water. Unfortunately we did not have our snorkel gear but we walked over to check it out in case we had an opportunity to return.
The rest of the route went past the pearl farm and the blue-eyed eels before climbing several large hills. Unfortunately it was now mid-day and the tropical sun was reminding us of what kind of people venture out in these conditions. Being neither mad dogs nor Englishmen, we suffered from the heat as we climbed the hills.
We arrived back in the town of Fare before 2 and quickly sought refuge from the heat with lunch and a beer.
While we were gone, Mark and Kurt had revived the "Bitter End" on the beach near town. By "four fingers" we had the contents of 5 cruisers plus a few local people gathered by the barbecue. The range of foods was really amazing with steaks, tuna, pasta salads, vegetable salads, baked potatoes and cole slaw. Mark manned the grill with the help of 10-year old Sebastian who was in heaven getting instruction from Mark about how to properly grill the meal.
The local people generously provided the grill and the beach space in front of the rowing club. Rowing here means a six-man outrigger canoe which is the center of annual competitions throughout Polynesia. Here is the Society Islands only a few of the rowers match the body style of the Marquisian rowers who are all "cut" like huge body builders. I still remember the friendly Marquisian who "helped" us straighten the shaft of our stern anchor by bending it back by hand.
Mark and Kurt hit the surf early but not before dropping Andy and I off at the shore where we rented bicycles for another circumnavigation of the island. Our hike had missed the spots wherever we hitchhiked and we were intrigued with this lush, beautiful and peaceful island.
On the North shore there is a paved road that we had followed before and closer to the ocean is a dirt road just perfect for our mountain bikes. On the North side of the island there is no protective coral reef so the waves come directly to the beach. Since most of the wave action comes from the South, these waves are relatively mild. At one point, we noted that we were the only people to be seen for the length of the beach.
A little further South the dirt road ends into the property of a closed Sofitel luxury hotel with beach front and stilted over-the-water bungalows. An Italian couple was just walking up from the water and told us about an area for snorkeling that is protected by a reef and contains large numbers of fish in crystal clear water. Unfortunately we did not have our snorkel gear but we walked over to check it out in case we had an opportunity to return.
The rest of the route went past the pearl farm and the blue-eyed eels before climbing several large hills. Unfortunately it was now mid-day and the tropical sun was reminding us of what kind of people venture out in these conditions. Being neither mad dogs nor Englishmen, we suffered from the heat as we climbed the hills.
We arrived back in the town of Fare before 2 and quickly sought refuge from the heat with lunch and a beer.
While we were gone, Mark and Kurt had revived the "Bitter End" on the beach near town. By "four fingers" we had the contents of 5 cruisers plus a few local people gathered by the barbecue. The range of foods was really amazing with steaks, tuna, pasta salads, vegetable salads, baked potatoes and cole slaw. Mark manned the grill with the help of 10-year old Sebastian who was in heaven getting instruction from Mark about how to properly grill the meal.
The local people generously provided the grill and the beach space in front of the rowing club. Rowing here means a six-man outrigger canoe which is the center of annual competitions throughout Polynesia. Here is the Society Islands only a few of the rowers match the body style of the Marquisian rowers who are all "cut" like huge body builders. I still remember the friendly Marquisian who "helped" us straighten the shaft of our stern anchor by bending it back by hand.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Day 83 Domestic violence
Lagoon
Kurt was not up to surfing this morning so Mark and Andy were on deck at 6:30 while I was fixing breakfast. Suddenly, they heard screaming from shore and through the binoculars they could see a man beating up a woman on the beach. In true form, Mark decided that something should be done so he and Andy jumped into the dinghy and headed for the beach. Before they reached the shore, the man heard them coming, picked up the woman and tried to help her away.
Andy and Mark beached the dinghy and followed the couple. By their account they intercepted them and the woman ran away as they held the man back and delivered a pointed lecture that went something like "no hit woman!" Of course the outcome could be that she got a worse beating when the man got home but at least he probably had to change his pants before doing much else.
The stores were open and we needed provisions so much of the morning was spent retrieving supplies in the dinghy. The size of the stores in most of the islands matches the size of the island. This one was a giant for such a small island and we were pleased to be able to find things that we needed. Of course some things that we are used to from home are just not available in Polynesia in any of the islands or any of the stores. The best example is the barbecue lighter which looks like a long butane cigarette lighter. No one has ever heard of such a thing even in the Carrefour hypermarket in Tahiti. Somehow we expect that one will magically appear on one of the islands but so far no joy.
Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with Peter, the volunteer on top-to-top. I was telling him how surprised I was that every boat on the crossing has had some sort of problem with broken gear. The yachties attribute it to the 24X7 usage or the harsh and corrosive environment but Peter had another theory. His premise was that the volume of boats built by any one manufacturer is so low that there is no feedback loop to improve quality. He made the interesting analogy to cars where millions are produced every year and the manufacturers have much more opportunity to improve quality. In fact, with the success of Japanese cars, every auto manufacturer must make his products ever more reliable or they go out of business.
I tried this theory on Mark who initially gave the standard yachty response but when I asked him if Yamaha had challenged the traditional manufacturers when they entered the marine diesel engine business he had to admit that they had brought a new standard of reliability previously unknown in the industry. Not long after that, the other manufacturers who stayed in the business had to improve their reliability to match Yamaha.
Kurt was not up to surfing this morning so Mark and Andy were on deck at 6:30 while I was fixing breakfast. Suddenly, they heard screaming from shore and through the binoculars they could see a man beating up a woman on the beach. In true form, Mark decided that something should be done so he and Andy jumped into the dinghy and headed for the beach. Before they reached the shore, the man heard them coming, picked up the woman and tried to help her away.
Andy and Mark beached the dinghy and followed the couple. By their account they intercepted them and the woman ran away as they held the man back and delivered a pointed lecture that went something like "no hit woman!" Of course the outcome could be that she got a worse beating when the man got home but at least he probably had to change his pants before doing much else.
The stores were open and we needed provisions so much of the morning was spent retrieving supplies in the dinghy. The size of the stores in most of the islands matches the size of the island. This one was a giant for such a small island and we were pleased to be able to find things that we needed. Of course some things that we are used to from home are just not available in Polynesia in any of the islands or any of the stores. The best example is the barbecue lighter which looks like a long butane cigarette lighter. No one has ever heard of such a thing even in the Carrefour hypermarket in Tahiti. Somehow we expect that one will magically appear on one of the islands but so far no joy.
Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with Peter, the volunteer on top-to-top. I was telling him how surprised I was that every boat on the crossing has had some sort of problem with broken gear. The yachties attribute it to the 24X7 usage or the harsh and corrosive environment but Peter had another theory. His premise was that the volume of boats built by any one manufacturer is so low that there is no feedback loop to improve quality. He made the interesting analogy to cars where millions are produced every year and the manufacturers have much more opportunity to improve quality. In fact, with the success of Japanese cars, every auto manufacturer must make his products ever more reliable or they go out of business.
I tried this theory on Mark who initially gave the standard yachty response but when I asked him if Yamaha had challenged the traditional manufacturers when they entered the marine diesel engine business he had to admit that they had brought a new standard of reliability previously unknown in the industry. Not long after that, the other manufacturers who stayed in the business had to improve their reliability to match Yamaha.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Day 82 Island tour
Hike
Kurt and Mark took to the surf while Andy and I joined the top-to-top group for a walk around the island. Of course this was too big an undertaking for the children - even when they were being carried - so Darius and Sabine did not mind hitchhiking. It is amazing how easy it is to get a ride - even for 5 adults - when you are carrying children.
One of the primary vehicles in all of French Polynesia is the short bed pick-up truck. They are everywhere. Giving a ride to hitchhikers is pretty easy as they just jump into the bed in the back. Every ride we got was given very graciously and in one case, the man got out of the truck to open the door for Sabine and the baby. We have heard other yachties say that the people in Huahine are very open, friendly and generous and that certainly seemed to be the case as we circled the island.
Darius wanted to hike on a forest trail so at one point we left the road to explore a forest path. After a short while it was obvious that this path had not been used in a long time and it would take several men with machetes to go very far.
We saw several sights mentioned in the Lonely Planet including the famous Huahine "blue-eyed eels". These are a protected fresh water eel that has grown very large because they are fed by the local people. As we were looking at several dozen two to three foot long creatures in a fresh water stream a tour bus pulled up with passengers from the cruise ship in the harbor. The guide stepped down to the stream and opened a can of sardines which she proceeded to feed to the eels. The six-inch diameter fish swarm around her and open their mouths like baby birds while she drops in a sardine. It is a pretty bizarre sight.
Another sight was the pearl farm and store which is reached by a short boat ride. It provided the normal description of seeding the oysters with tissue from the oyster's mantle and a sphere of fresh water muscle shell from Mississippi. The shop also sold pottery from Robert Owen the owner who it turned out is from Los Gatos, California. Yes it is a small world.
The remaining sights were the "maere" or ceremonial platforms used by the ancient polynesians. Huahine has more than any other island in the region as it was the center of religious life centuries ago. The LP (Lonely Planet) says that every maere from the Marquises to the Cooks to Hawaii has a stone from the major site in Huahine. We only got a brief look as the kids were getting tired but it made a nice introduction to the island.
Kurt and Mark took to the surf while Andy and I joined the top-to-top group for a walk around the island. Of course this was too big an undertaking for the children - even when they were being carried - so Darius and Sabine did not mind hitchhiking. It is amazing how easy it is to get a ride - even for 5 adults - when you are carrying children.
One of the primary vehicles in all of French Polynesia is the short bed pick-up truck. They are everywhere. Giving a ride to hitchhikers is pretty easy as they just jump into the bed in the back. Every ride we got was given very graciously and in one case, the man got out of the truck to open the door for Sabine and the baby. We have heard other yachties say that the people in Huahine are very open, friendly and generous and that certainly seemed to be the case as we circled the island.
Darius wanted to hike on a forest trail so at one point we left the road to explore a forest path. After a short while it was obvious that this path had not been used in a long time and it would take several men with machetes to go very far.
We saw several sights mentioned in the Lonely Planet including the famous Huahine "blue-eyed eels". These are a protected fresh water eel that has grown very large because they are fed by the local people. As we were looking at several dozen two to three foot long creatures in a fresh water stream a tour bus pulled up with passengers from the cruise ship in the harbor. The guide stepped down to the stream and opened a can of sardines which she proceeded to feed to the eels. The six-inch diameter fish swarm around her and open their mouths like baby birds while she drops in a sardine. It is a pretty bizarre sight.
Another sight was the pearl farm and store which is reached by a short boat ride. It provided the normal description of seeding the oysters with tissue from the oyster's mantle and a sphere of fresh water muscle shell from Mississippi. The shop also sold pottery from Robert Owen the owner who it turned out is from Los Gatos, California. Yes it is a small world.
The remaining sights were the "maere" or ceremonial platforms used by the ancient polynesians. Huahine has more than any other island in the region as it was the center of religious life centuries ago. The LP (Lonely Planet) says that every maere from the Marquises to the Cooks to Hawaii has a stone from the major site in Huahine. We only got a brief look as the kids were getting tired but it made a nice introduction to the island.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Day 81 Huahine
Avamoa pass to Fare
By 3 AM, the wind had picked up so Mark and Andy turned off the engine and put up the mainsail. We completed the last half of the trip under sail power and anchored near the village of Fare. Everything is closed on Sunday in French Polynesia and this is a holiday weekend so they appear to be doubly closed.
Unfortunately, surfing was curtailed because the South swell that was expected had not yet arrived.
Next to our anchorage was an aluminum sailboat with the words www.toptotop.org painted on the side. We went over and introduced ourselves and found a Swiss couple with two children, a girl three years old and a boy of seven months. The couple are traveling on behalf of a not-for-profit foundation and a club. Their overall purpose is to increase the awareness of solutions to global warming - mainly to school children around the world. Coupled with that is their goal of climbing the tallest mountains everywhere they go and using volunteers to clean up the landscape. Darius was a climbing guide and ski instructor before this so he and his wife Sabine seem to have a lot of experience climbing. One of his clients gave them the boat to use as long as they wish and they have gotten many sponsors and gifts of boating equipment along the way. Another boundary they have is to try to use human or renewable energy everywhere. Their boat has 15 high-tech solar panels and two wind generators and can generate 1.2 Kw - enough for several boats.
They started their trip in Switzerland in 2002 by riding bicycles to the Mediterranean where they picked up the boat. From there they sailed to North Africa and then crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean. They transited through the Panama canal and attempted to sail South to Cape Horn. Off the coast of Chile they struck a submerged container and damaged the rudder so that they had only the sails for steerage for two weeks until they reached Valpariso. While the boat was being repaired, they bicycled to the highest mountain in the Andes which Darius scaled. Sabine was 5 months pregnant so she did not make the climb.
The club provides volunteers for portions of the trip. Peter was on board when we met them but would soon be replaced by Ann Marie. Everyone seems very dedicated to the mission and they were anxious to visit schools in Huahine to spread their message.
Their kids seem totally at home on the boat and the three year old is also comfortable in the ocean. Certainly an interesting way to grow up.
By 3 AM, the wind had picked up so Mark and Andy turned off the engine and put up the mainsail. We completed the last half of the trip under sail power and anchored near the village of Fare. Everything is closed on Sunday in French Polynesia and this is a holiday weekend so they appear to be doubly closed.
Unfortunately, surfing was curtailed because the South swell that was expected had not yet arrived.
Next to our anchorage was an aluminum sailboat with the words www.toptotop.org painted on the side. We went over and introduced ourselves and found a Swiss couple with two children, a girl three years old and a boy of seven months. The couple are traveling on behalf of a not-for-profit foundation and a club. Their overall purpose is to increase the awareness of solutions to global warming - mainly to school children around the world. Coupled with that is their goal of climbing the tallest mountains everywhere they go and using volunteers to clean up the landscape. Darius was a climbing guide and ski instructor before this so he and his wife Sabine seem to have a lot of experience climbing. One of his clients gave them the boat to use as long as they wish and they have gotten many sponsors and gifts of boating equipment along the way. Another boundary they have is to try to use human or renewable energy everywhere. Their boat has 15 high-tech solar panels and two wind generators and can generate 1.2 Kw - enough for several boats.
They started their trip in Switzerland in 2002 by riding bicycles to the Mediterranean where they picked up the boat. From there they sailed to North Africa and then crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean. They transited through the Panama canal and attempted to sail South to Cape Horn. Off the coast of Chile they struck a submerged container and damaged the rudder so that they had only the sails for steerage for two weeks until they reached Valpariso. While the boat was being repaired, they bicycled to the highest mountain in the Andes which Darius scaled. Sabine was 5 months pregnant so she did not make the climb.
The club provides volunteers for portions of the trip. Peter was on board when we met them but would soon be replaced by Ann Marie. Everyone seems very dedicated to the mission and they were anxious to visit schools in Huahine to spread their message.
Their kids seem totally at home on the boat and the three year old is also comfortable in the ocean. Certainly an interesting way to grow up.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Day 80 Departing Mo'orea
Dolphin escort
We did the normal surfing and snorkeling as we had done on the other mornings in this anchorage and finished the water tour by cleaning the bottom of the boat at the water line. It is amazing how quickly the plant and animal life takes up residence even on those parts of the boat that are coated with anti-fouling paint. It also takes a while to scrub the perimeter of a 45 foot long boat but finally we were ready to pack up for the next passage. Our next destination is the island of Huahine (said like who-a-hee-nay).
By late afternoon we weighed anchor, headed out of the pass and turned North for the 90 mile trip. There was absolutely no wind and the water was very calm except for the long swells. As we motored past the reef, three groups of dolphins swam over to say hello. Earlier in the day we had noted a tour boat labeled "dolphin and whale watch" so I expect that these dolphins may get fed periodically by passing boats. They accompanied us for a while as we watched from the bow and then as suddenly as they had arrived, they disappeared into the depths.
Motor power is a necessary evil. We make progress when their is no wind but the noise and smell are much less pleasant than the ambiance of sailing.
During my watch from 6 to 9 PM, the moon was half full and the calm water was almost as bright as day. Later on when I came on deck at 2:30 AM, the moon had set and the stars filled the sky with the Southern Cross on one side and the Big Dipper pointing the way to the North Star on the other. At this latitude, the North Star is below the horizon but the pointer stars in the dipper give away its location.
We did the normal surfing and snorkeling as we had done on the other mornings in this anchorage and finished the water tour by cleaning the bottom of the boat at the water line. It is amazing how quickly the plant and animal life takes up residence even on those parts of the boat that are coated with anti-fouling paint. It also takes a while to scrub the perimeter of a 45 foot long boat but finally we were ready to pack up for the next passage. Our next destination is the island of Huahine (said like who-a-hee-nay).
By late afternoon we weighed anchor, headed out of the pass and turned North for the 90 mile trip. There was absolutely no wind and the water was very calm except for the long swells. As we motored past the reef, three groups of dolphins swam over to say hello. Earlier in the day we had noted a tour boat labeled "dolphin and whale watch" so I expect that these dolphins may get fed periodically by passing boats. They accompanied us for a while as we watched from the bow and then as suddenly as they had arrived, they disappeared into the depths.
Motor power is a necessary evil. We make progress when their is no wind but the noise and smell are much less pleasant than the ambiance of sailing.
During my watch from 6 to 9 PM, the moon was half full and the calm water was almost as bright as day. Later on when I came on deck at 2:30 AM, the moon had set and the stars filled the sky with the Southern Cross on one side and the Big Dipper pointing the way to the North Star on the other. At this latitude, the North Star is below the horizon but the pointer stars in the dipper give away its location.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Day 79 Hitchhiking
Andy and I were awakened by Mark's call from the dinghy. While he and Kurt were surfing, the anchor line parted and the dinghy drifted onto the reef. Mark had recovered it and bailed out all the water but needed help to search for the anchor. We donned our snorkel gear, piled into the dinghy, headed for the reef and were in the water minutes after we had woken up. After a bit of a search, Andy found the anchor and we picked up Kurt and headed for the boat.
On the way back, we passed over a sandy bottomed area that had dozens of manta rays sitting on the bottom. They were several feet in diameter and quite impressive.
After our adventure, we decided that a pizza for lunch would be just the right thing. When we were here a week ago we enjoyed the pizza at a restaurant in Cook's Bay so we split up and attempted to hitchhike. Andy and Kurt went counter clockwise while Mark and I went clockwise around the island. We did not realize that the pizza place was a good 40 minute drive.
After three rides with long waits in between, Mark and I finally arrived to find that Andy and Kurt had already finished their pizzas. Our last ride was with Emmanual who worked for a place that sold black pearls. Andy had been interested in buying a pearl so we arranged to have our pizzas delivered to the pearl shop and all piled into Emmanual's car.
This scene could easily have won some sort of a prize in a "funniest video" competition. Five men falling out of a tiny car in front of a rather upscale jewelry shop to which two pizzas were delivered several minutes later. Mark and I ate the pizzas, Andy did not buy anything and Kurt arranged with a friend from the pizza shop for a ride back to our boat. I think "the day we went for pizza" will be memorable for the rest of the trip.
On the way back, we passed over a sandy bottomed area that had dozens of manta rays sitting on the bottom. They were several feet in diameter and quite impressive.
After our adventure, we decided that a pizza for lunch would be just the right thing. When we were here a week ago we enjoyed the pizza at a restaurant in Cook's Bay so we split up and attempted to hitchhike. Andy and Kurt went counter clockwise while Mark and I went clockwise around the island. We did not realize that the pizza place was a good 40 minute drive.
After three rides with long waits in between, Mark and I finally arrived to find that Andy and Kurt had already finished their pizzas. Our last ride was with Emmanual who worked for a place that sold black pearls. Andy had been interested in buying a pearl so we arranged to have our pizzas delivered to the pearl shop and all piled into Emmanual's car.
This scene could easily have won some sort of a prize in a "funniest video" competition. Five men falling out of a tiny car in front of a rather upscale jewelry shop to which two pizzas were delivered several minutes later. Mark and I ate the pizzas, Andy did not buy anything and Kurt arranged with a friend from the pizza shop for a ride back to our boat. I think "the day we went for pizza" will be memorable for the rest of the trip.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Day 78 Surfing
Need I say that Kurt and Mark made the dawn pilgrimage to the surf? It should be S.O.P. (Standard Operating Practice) by now.
Today I was seduced by the ocean. When each of us went to see the doctors about our staph infections, they all advised staying out of the water until the wounds healed. The others have all healed pretty well so Kurt and Mark are surfing and Andy is snorkeling while I am looking over the edge of the boat into crystal clear water filled with fish and other interesting sights. I remembered that as a child when we went to the ocean, any wound I had healed very quickly after liberal amounts of soaking in salt water. Of course that water was cold and probably clean. I also remember swimming in St. Maarten with some cuts and having them heal quickly in the warmer ocean water. Maybe these were rationalizations but I just could not resist any longer so today, I donned my snorkel gear and went for a long swim. As I expected, the water was so clear it was like air and wherever there was a coral head there was an abundance of fish of every color. I enjoyed every minute of being in the water and realized that I had gotten a bit out of shape from all the sitting around. If nothing else, more swimming will be good for me aerobically.
When I came out of the water, the four open sores I have looked raw but after I doused them in Betadine (an iodine solution) they dried out a bit and although they did not look instantly better, they certainly did not look worse. If nothing else, my psyche was better.
Mark and Kurt met a New Zealand couple who were staying at one of the surf camps and invited them to share dinner with us on the boat. They live very close to where Mark and Molly will live and may be very helpful at some point in the future.
Today I was seduced by the ocean. When each of us went to see the doctors about our staph infections, they all advised staying out of the water until the wounds healed. The others have all healed pretty well so Kurt and Mark are surfing and Andy is snorkeling while I am looking over the edge of the boat into crystal clear water filled with fish and other interesting sights. I remembered that as a child when we went to the ocean, any wound I had healed very quickly after liberal amounts of soaking in salt water. Of course that water was cold and probably clean. I also remember swimming in St. Maarten with some cuts and having them heal quickly in the warmer ocean water. Maybe these were rationalizations but I just could not resist any longer so today, I donned my snorkel gear and went for a long swim. As I expected, the water was so clear it was like air and wherever there was a coral head there was an abundance of fish of every color. I enjoyed every minute of being in the water and realized that I had gotten a bit out of shape from all the sitting around. If nothing else, more swimming will be good for me aerobically.
When I came out of the water, the four open sores I have looked raw but after I doused them in Betadine (an iodine solution) they dried out a bit and although they did not look instantly better, they certainly did not look worse. If nothing else, my psyche was better.
Mark and Kurt met a New Zealand couple who were staying at one of the surf camps and invited them to share dinner with us on the boat. They live very close to where Mark and Molly will live and may be very helpful at some point in the future.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Day 77 Moving to Mo'orea
Big surf
It is nine o'clock at night and I am sitting on the deck listening to the surf pound Mo'orea's South reef and wondering if the coral can resist the 12 to 18 foot waves. My guess is that they thrive and the reef grows larger even under this onslaught.
Everyone else has gone to bed and I sit alone in the dark writing by the light of my headlamp. One difference between a marina and an anchorage is the hour of bedtime.
This morning we cleaned up from last night's pot luck supper and completed the final arrangements for our departure from Tahiti. Mark got all the papers signed and payed the bill to Polynesia Yacht Services while we did a final clean and stow. We departed Marina Taina at 10 AM and several of our friends turned up to wish us well.
The 5 mile trip to Mo'orea reminded me of days long ago when we would go out onto Long Island Sound in our 12 foot boat and ride the ocean swells. This time it was on a bigger scale. The boat is 45 feet and the swells are 10 to 15 feet high. The similarity is that these swells have a 12 to 15 second period meaning from one peak to the next takes 12 to 15 seconds so the ride is quite comfortable - unlike the short period swells that knocked us about near the equator.
Instead of going back to the North side of the island where Cook's and Opunohu bays are, we entered the reef at Matauvau pass and anchored in front of the surf camps by Haapiti village. The large swells we had ridden in the crossing were magnified when they hit the reef and became double and triple overhead in height. (If I understand surfing lingo correctly, this means they were two to three times as high as a person.) By what ever measure, they were huge and entering the reef was quite a treat as the swells ushered us in. As we passed the waves breaking over the reef, it was easy to get a scale as several surfers were in the water at the time. Almost as impressive as the size of these waves was the sound they make when they hit the reef.
As soon as we were anchored, Kurt and Mark took their boards in the dinghy to try out the surf. They came back awed and excited about the next few days we would spend near such a playground.
It is nine o'clock at night and I am sitting on the deck listening to the surf pound Mo'orea's South reef and wondering if the coral can resist the 12 to 18 foot waves. My guess is that they thrive and the reef grows larger even under this onslaught.
Everyone else has gone to bed and I sit alone in the dark writing by the light of my headlamp. One difference between a marina and an anchorage is the hour of bedtime.
This morning we cleaned up from last night's pot luck supper and completed the final arrangements for our departure from Tahiti. Mark got all the papers signed and payed the bill to Polynesia Yacht Services while we did a final clean and stow. We departed Marina Taina at 10 AM and several of our friends turned up to wish us well.
The 5 mile trip to Mo'orea reminded me of days long ago when we would go out onto Long Island Sound in our 12 foot boat and ride the ocean swells. This time it was on a bigger scale. The boat is 45 feet and the swells are 10 to 15 feet high. The similarity is that these swells have a 12 to 15 second period meaning from one peak to the next takes 12 to 15 seconds so the ride is quite comfortable - unlike the short period swells that knocked us about near the equator.
Instead of going back to the North side of the island where Cook's and Opunohu bays are, we entered the reef at Matauvau pass and anchored in front of the surf camps by Haapiti village. The large swells we had ridden in the crossing were magnified when they hit the reef and became double and triple overhead in height. (If I understand surfing lingo correctly, this means they were two to three times as high as a person.) By what ever measure, they were huge and entering the reef was quite a treat as the swells ushered us in. As we passed the waves breaking over the reef, it was easy to get a scale as several surfers were in the water at the time. Almost as impressive as the size of these waves was the sound they make when they hit the reef.
As soon as we were anchored, Kurt and Mark took their boards in the dinghy to try out the surf. They came back awed and excited about the next few days we would spend near such a playground.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Day 76 Just like day 75
More surfing, photos, etc
It goes without saying that Mark and Kurt started the day before sunrise at the surf break.
Of course, I spent most of the day finishing my photos and was satisfied that I got all of the pictures taken to date edited, labeled, PC sized and loaded onto a CD that will be mailed to Tim from San Diego within the next couple of days. Also included is the text version of the blog up to May 11. With his new job, he may not have time to load it all up but hopefully he can post a few of the pictures so you can see what I have tried to describe. I will continue working to post the rest when I can get another Internet connection.
We finished everything on the boat repair list and only await the sail to be complete.
New people arrive at the Marina every day replacing those who leave. It is interesting to see folks who we met at another island or another anchorage and have not seen for several weeks. "Did you go diving in Rangiroa? What did you see? Did you visit a pearl farm in Manihi? Did you buy any pearls? Do you know what happened to Ray and Peggy? We have not heard from them in weeks." These are the conversations that take place every day.
We celebrated our last night in Tahiti by opening the Bitter End when the sun was four fingers from the horizon and finished a little later than usual when the last yachties left around midnight. This may be the last marina we visit until we reach New Zealand and it was fun to re-visit the marina culture. I can see why some people choose to live on a boat at a marina even if they never take it out to sail. It is a friendly, open, hospitable and welcoming culture.
It goes without saying that Mark and Kurt started the day before sunrise at the surf break.
Of course, I spent most of the day finishing my photos and was satisfied that I got all of the pictures taken to date edited, labeled, PC sized and loaded onto a CD that will be mailed to Tim from San Diego within the next couple of days. Also included is the text version of the blog up to May 11. With his new job, he may not have time to load it all up but hopefully he can post a few of the pictures so you can see what I have tried to describe. I will continue working to post the rest when I can get another Internet connection.
We finished everything on the boat repair list and only await the sail to be complete.
New people arrive at the Marina every day replacing those who leave. It is interesting to see folks who we met at another island or another anchorage and have not seen for several weeks. "Did you go diving in Rangiroa? What did you see? Did you visit a pearl farm in Manihi? Did you buy any pearls? Do you know what happened to Ray and Peggy? We have not heard from them in weeks." These are the conversations that take place every day.
We celebrated our last night in Tahiti by opening the Bitter End when the sun was four fingers from the horizon and finished a little later than usual when the last yachties left around midnight. This may be the last marina we visit until we reach New Zealand and it was fun to re-visit the marina culture. I can see why some people choose to live on a boat at a marina even if they never take it out to sail. It is a friendly, open, hospitable and welcoming culture.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Day 75 More musings
And more photos edited
Kurt and Mark surfed as usual although the wave is not as large as they would like. There is supposed to be a swell coming in by Wednesday although the Southern parts of the islands will get the best part of it.
Today was day three of working with photographs. I still am unable to get the blog working but I am making progress on getting photos edited, labeled and put into folders.
Some additional thoughts on cruising.
Apart from weather restrictions, we are able to go to any island at any time so long as the water is deep enough. We meet people at the hotels who have come as far as we have and except for one day excursions arranged by the hotels, most of them do not see the sights of the island they are on. Not only that, they do not see other islands - particularly those that do not have an airport. Polynesia covers an area larger than all of Europe yet there is less than 80,000 square miles of land and it is divided into thousands of islands. There are innumerable opportunities for surfing, diving, snorkeling, beaching, hiking, fishing, meeting local people or just relaxing that can only be reached by boat.
Of course one needs the luxuries of time, a boat and probably a companion or crew but the reward is many times greater than can be achieved in the resort hotel. Perhaps the way to begin such an adventure is to charter a boat from Moorings or the like and start from Raiatea or Tonga for at least of week of adventure. I know I will likely do something like this when this trip is over.
Kurt and Mark surfed as usual although the wave is not as large as they would like. There is supposed to be a swell coming in by Wednesday although the Southern parts of the islands will get the best part of it.
Today was day three of working with photographs. I still am unable to get the blog working but I am making progress on getting photos edited, labeled and put into folders.
Some additional thoughts on cruising.
Apart from weather restrictions, we are able to go to any island at any time so long as the water is deep enough. We meet people at the hotels who have come as far as we have and except for one day excursions arranged by the hotels, most of them do not see the sights of the island they are on. Not only that, they do not see other islands - particularly those that do not have an airport. Polynesia covers an area larger than all of Europe yet there is less than 80,000 square miles of land and it is divided into thousands of islands. There are innumerable opportunities for surfing, diving, snorkeling, beaching, hiking, fishing, meeting local people or just relaxing that can only be reached by boat.
Of course one needs the luxuries of time, a boat and probably a companion or crew but the reward is many times greater than can be achieved in the resort hotel. Perhaps the way to begin such an adventure is to charter a boat from Moorings or the like and start from Raiatea or Tonga for at least of week of adventure. I know I will likely do something like this when this trip is over.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Day 74 Marina Taina
Familiar surroundings
There are a lot of ways to travel and see the world. I have been car camping and stayed in public campsites; travelled by plane to stay in hotels from moderate to luxury; trekked and camped with adventure travel groups and now stayed in marinas with other boaters - most of them on sailboats. (About the only thing I have not done is travel on a cruise ship, although Club Med was reputed to be similar).
After a few days in Tahiti's Marina Taina, it is easy to see some of the same characteristics as the marina in Puerto Vallarta.
Unlike the hotel experience, the marina is like belonging to a club. Everyone is very open and friendly and instantly willing to share ideas and experiences. You may own a catamaran and be from Florida or a racing sloop from Italy but you all share some of the same history if you have been cruising for long. Some are experienced and some are just starting out but they all are willing to help with the problem of the moment. (Like the time Dave Kelly came over and helped us fix the rudder post leak). In fact, it is interesting to see how different everyone is and yet how similar. I am sure that if I met most of these people at the pool of a resort hotel, we would not have the same bond or the same conversations.
Unlike the U.S. car campers, the international cruising crowd are all pretty worldly and sophisticated. If they were able to afford this level of toys, they have also usually achieved something in their lives. They also share an adventurous spirit and an amazing self reliance in the face of difficulty. The idea of losing your engine or part of your sail and still carrying on when there are thousands of miles of ocean to cross takes a certain toughness that most holiday travelers never have to summon.
One might not expect the French port of Papeete to be much like the Mexican port of Puerto Vallarta and perhaps it is not but for the Puddle Jumpers there is a lot the same. Many of the boats at Marina Taina are owned by local Tahitian people but they are mostly abandoned during the week and many look like they have not been visited in a long time. The boats that are being lived in are all cruisers and since there is only one direction to travel at this time of year (going with the Southeast trade winds is the only practical direction) everyone has come from East of here and is going West. They all started from somewhere between Seattle and Ecuador and they are all following the Polynesian island chain. Some are from Eastern U.S. or from Europe and came through the Panama Canal but for this part of the trip, they all shared similar experiences of a long first crossing from the Americas to Polynesia and they have all stopped at many of the same islands to get here. Ninety nine percent are doing this for the first time and have learned a lot along the way.
There are a lot of ways to travel and see the world. I have been car camping and stayed in public campsites; travelled by plane to stay in hotels from moderate to luxury; trekked and camped with adventure travel groups and now stayed in marinas with other boaters - most of them on sailboats. (About the only thing I have not done is travel on a cruise ship, although Club Med was reputed to be similar).
After a few days in Tahiti's Marina Taina, it is easy to see some of the same characteristics as the marina in Puerto Vallarta.
Unlike the hotel experience, the marina is like belonging to a club. Everyone is very open and friendly and instantly willing to share ideas and experiences. You may own a catamaran and be from Florida or a racing sloop from Italy but you all share some of the same history if you have been cruising for long. Some are experienced and some are just starting out but they all are willing to help with the problem of the moment. (Like the time Dave Kelly came over and helped us fix the rudder post leak). In fact, it is interesting to see how different everyone is and yet how similar. I am sure that if I met most of these people at the pool of a resort hotel, we would not have the same bond or the same conversations.
Unlike the U.S. car campers, the international cruising crowd are all pretty worldly and sophisticated. If they were able to afford this level of toys, they have also usually achieved something in their lives. They also share an adventurous spirit and an amazing self reliance in the face of difficulty. The idea of losing your engine or part of your sail and still carrying on when there are thousands of miles of ocean to cross takes a certain toughness that most holiday travelers never have to summon.
One might not expect the French port of Papeete to be much like the Mexican port of Puerto Vallarta and perhaps it is not but for the Puddle Jumpers there is a lot the same. Many of the boats at Marina Taina are owned by local Tahitian people but they are mostly abandoned during the week and many look like they have not been visited in a long time. The boats that are being lived in are all cruisers and since there is only one direction to travel at this time of year (going with the Southeast trade winds is the only practical direction) everyone has come from East of here and is going West. They all started from somewhere between Seattle and Ecuador and they are all following the Polynesian island chain. Some are from Eastern U.S. or from Europe and came through the Panama Canal but for this part of the trip, they all shared similar experiences of a long first crossing from the Americas to Polynesia and they have all stopped at many of the same islands to get here. Ninety nine percent are doing this for the first time and have learned a lot along the way.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Day 73 Marina life
Getting ready for marina life
The sail would not be repaired and returned until Wednesday so we had the next four days to finish all our chores and for me to finish the pictures and re-publish the blog.
We expected the next four days to be much the same:
Mark and Kurt would take the dinghy out at sunrise or even before, to go surfing on the reef. Each day they would come back with a few injuries from the reef but also with big smiles and an armload of stories about each wave they rode.
We would complete all the little boat repairs and cleanings that needed to be done.
We would meet more fascinating people in the marina and compare stories about places or happenings in our travels.
There would always be people looking for help or offering help for one or another boat problem.
Since Papeete was a half hour away by "Le Truck" and Carrefour was a 20 minute walk we would be able to get any supplies we needed.
And then there were my 1700 photos. Oh lordy!!
At "four fingers" each day it would be time for the Bitter End to open and new yachties showed up for a pot luck dinner. (Four fingers is the time when you hold your hand horizontally at arms length so that your little finger is on the horizon. When the sun sits on your fore finger, it is "four fingers")
There are two parts to cruising - the travel part and the stopping part. We got a large dose of the travel part on the first 25 days of our trip. Until we get to the last crossing to New Zealand, the travel part will be minimal. Many of the islands are only one to two days apart so we will be spending more time stopping than sailing.
There are two kinds of stopping - at anchor and at a marina. Up to now, we have spent our stopping time at anchor where the socializing involves going to shore with people from other boats or all getting together on one boat for a shared dinner. Sometimes there is the shared adventure of a shore excursion like our hikes with the other yachties.
For the next several days, we will be living the marina life for the first time since Puerto Vallarta. Will it be similar?
The sail would not be repaired and returned until Wednesday so we had the next four days to finish all our chores and for me to finish the pictures and re-publish the blog.
We expected the next four days to be much the same:
Mark and Kurt would take the dinghy out at sunrise or even before, to go surfing on the reef. Each day they would come back with a few injuries from the reef but also with big smiles and an armload of stories about each wave they rode.
We would complete all the little boat repairs and cleanings that needed to be done.
We would meet more fascinating people in the marina and compare stories about places or happenings in our travels.
There would always be people looking for help or offering help for one or another boat problem.
Since Papeete was a half hour away by "Le Truck" and Carrefour was a 20 minute walk we would be able to get any supplies we needed.
And then there were my 1700 photos. Oh lordy!!
At "four fingers" each day it would be time for the Bitter End to open and new yachties showed up for a pot luck dinner. (Four fingers is the time when you hold your hand horizontally at arms length so that your little finger is on the horizon. When the sun sits on your fore finger, it is "four fingers")
There are two parts to cruising - the travel part and the stopping part. We got a large dose of the travel part on the first 25 days of our trip. Until we get to the last crossing to New Zealand, the travel part will be minimal. Many of the islands are only one to two days apart so we will be spending more time stopping than sailing.
There are two kinds of stopping - at anchor and at a marina. Up to now, we have spent our stopping time at anchor where the socializing involves going to shore with people from other boats or all getting together on one boat for a shared dinner. Sometimes there is the shared adventure of a shore excursion like our hikes with the other yachties.
For the next several days, we will be living the marina life for the first time since Puerto Vallarta. Will it be similar?
Friday, May 18, 2007
Day 72 More chores
Met Eric from Santa Barbara
Yesterday was a public holiday with all the stores closed so today Mark, Kurt and Andy headed to downtown Papeete in search of some boat parts while I walked to the nearby Carrefour market for supplies.
While the others were gone, I began working on my photographs. I have taken about 1700 pictures so far but had been unable to load any onto the Internet since Mexico. All the pictures are on the new Adobe Lightroom but the most detailed instructions for use are on the Internet so I have been struggling to learn how to use the program properly. With several days at a port and with access to the Internet, it seems a perfect place to get the photos in order and load them onto the blog site.
One problem with the pictures, from a blogging perspective, is that in their original form they are very large. When I had tried to load them, I found the connection did not have enough bandwidth to accept them.
To be complete, I will have to take all 1700 pictures, pick the best ones, edit them (every shot I take from the boat has a crooked horizon that makes it look like the ocean was draining out of the lower side), name them and the folder they go into and transform them to PC screen size. I began my work.
Kurt had met some young people on the dock and learned that the Marina restaurant - the Pink Coconut was the happening place on a Friday night so we decided to have dinner there and check it out. While we were there, Kurt met Eric Reiter from Santa Barbara. Eric's dad had always wanted to sail but his career prevented him from living his dream so he decided to buy a 52 foot sailboat and let his 23 year old son sail the South Seas with his surfing buddies and do the dream for him. What a dad!!
So Lara can tell us... do they have nice dads in Santa Barbara or what?
Actually, there is a lesson here. The trip I am on was discovered by Tim who would probably have done it in a heart beat if it weren't for his responsibilities. So what does he do? He has his dad do the trip for him. Now doesn't that balance out things for Eric's dad?
Yesterday was a public holiday with all the stores closed so today Mark, Kurt and Andy headed to downtown Papeete in search of some boat parts while I walked to the nearby Carrefour market for supplies.
While the others were gone, I began working on my photographs. I have taken about 1700 pictures so far but had been unable to load any onto the Internet since Mexico. All the pictures are on the new Adobe Lightroom but the most detailed instructions for use are on the Internet so I have been struggling to learn how to use the program properly. With several days at a port and with access to the Internet, it seems a perfect place to get the photos in order and load them onto the blog site.
One problem with the pictures, from a blogging perspective, is that in their original form they are very large. When I had tried to load them, I found the connection did not have enough bandwidth to accept them.
To be complete, I will have to take all 1700 pictures, pick the best ones, edit them (every shot I take from the boat has a crooked horizon that makes it look like the ocean was draining out of the lower side), name them and the folder they go into and transform them to PC screen size. I began my work.
Kurt had met some young people on the dock and learned that the Marina restaurant - the Pink Coconut was the happening place on a Friday night so we decided to have dinner there and check it out. While we were there, Kurt met Eric Reiter from Santa Barbara. Eric's dad had always wanted to sail but his career prevented him from living his dream so he decided to buy a 52 foot sailboat and let his 23 year old son sail the South Seas with his surfing buddies and do the dream for him. What a dad!!
So Lara can tell us... do they have nice dads in Santa Barbara or what?
Actually, there is a lesson here. The trip I am on was discovered by Tim who would probably have done it in a heart beat if it weren't for his responsibilities. So what does he do? He has his dad do the trip for him. Now doesn't that balance out things for Eric's dad?
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Day 71 More chores
Surfers are denied
The swells (long waves) we encountered crossing from Mo'orea were now crashing on the reef a half mile from the Marina. Looking at them through the binoculars from the boat made our surfer's mouths water so Kurt and Mark left early with their board in the dingy.
To my surprise, they returned a half hour later having been denied by the force of the waves. These "double overhead" waves (twice as high as a person) were crashing directly onto the dry reef (no water on the reef) so that anyone surfing would be slammed onto the coral. While the wave looked great through the binoculars. it was not rideable.
Without the distraction of the surf the day was spent doing some essential chores. Andy and Kurt removed the mainsail as we had detected a small rip and the sail would need to be sent out to a sail-maker for repair. Mark and Kurt got the generator running for the first time since our first day of sailing in Mexico.
At the end of the pier, there was a building that had been a restaurant. It is currently under renovation and has stacks of tables and chairs piled outside. We asked if we could borrow a few and with our colorful beach umbrella, we set up a dock site that would later get enhanced with a barbecue and get named the "Bitter End". (The nautical term bitter end refers to the end of a rope but seemed appropriate for the end of the dock as well).
Across from us was a 36 foot boat with a woman who was "single handing" back to England. She had started the trip two years before with her husband but he passed away while they were in the Caribbean and she decided to carry on. Quite remarkable.
Several other boats nearby had English speakers (Americans, British, Australian and New Zealand) so by dinner time, we had assembled about 15 "yachties" for a pot luck dinner. For the next few nights, the Bitter End hosted a new array of about the same number of people. This was a fun way to meet new people, compare notes on our crossings and on the places we had seen and to pick up some hints on fishing.
The swells (long waves) we encountered crossing from Mo'orea were now crashing on the reef a half mile from the Marina. Looking at them through the binoculars from the boat made our surfer's mouths water so Kurt and Mark left early with their board in the dingy.
To my surprise, they returned a half hour later having been denied by the force of the waves. These "double overhead" waves (twice as high as a person) were crashing directly onto the dry reef (no water on the reef) so that anyone surfing would be slammed onto the coral. While the wave looked great through the binoculars. it was not rideable.
Without the distraction of the surf the day was spent doing some essential chores. Andy and Kurt removed the mainsail as we had detected a small rip and the sail would need to be sent out to a sail-maker for repair. Mark and Kurt got the generator running for the first time since our first day of sailing in Mexico.
At the end of the pier, there was a building that had been a restaurant. It is currently under renovation and has stacks of tables and chairs piled outside. We asked if we could borrow a few and with our colorful beach umbrella, we set up a dock site that would later get enhanced with a barbecue and get named the "Bitter End". (The nautical term bitter end refers to the end of a rope but seemed appropriate for the end of the dock as well).
Across from us was a 36 foot boat with a woman who was "single handing" back to England. She had started the trip two years before with her husband but he passed away while they were in the Caribbean and she decided to carry on. Quite remarkable.
Several other boats nearby had English speakers (Americans, British, Australian and New Zealand) so by dinner time, we had assembled about 15 "yachties" for a pot luck dinner. For the next few nights, the Bitter End hosted a new array of about the same number of people. This was a fun way to meet new people, compare notes on our crossings and on the places we had seen and to pick up some hints on fishing.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Day 70 Moved to Tahiti
Marina Taina Mediterranean mooring
Mark arrived early in the morning and we "pulled up the hook" (raised the anchor) and headed for the Pearl resort.
Molly and Kendall were waiting on the pier so we loaded them and their luggage for the trip to Tahiti. This time, the swells were much larger than on the previous trip. There was also some wind so we put up the sail, turned off the engine and looked forward to a pleasant sail.
The only thing that marred the experience was that Kendall got seasick in Mark's cabin where she had been watching a movie. This required some cleanup and the quarantine of Mark's sleeping bag until we could get to the laundry.
Our destination was the same Marina Taina where we had docked before. One difference this time was that the side dock location was no longer available so we were offered a "Mediterranean mooring" at the end of pier. A "med moor" is a technique that saves dock space and cost. At each space on the dock, there are two lines that are attached to two moorings that are more than a boat's length from the dock. While backing toward the dock, the crew must pick up both lines and use them to retrieve the moorings before the boat strikes the dock. In addition, the space could be between two other boats that are already "stern to" the dock so a plethora of bumpers are deployed on both sides of the boat. You can imagine how difficult this can be especially if there is any wind or wave.
Our space was at the end of the dock so there was only one boat to our starboard (right) side, however there was also a bit of wind pushing us toward them as we backed down so the last few feet were very tense but the marina staff helped with the dock lines while Mark drove, Andy and Kurt retrieved and tied off the mooring lines and I fended us off from the adjacent boat. Once secure, the stern was tied off so that it was about 3 feet from the dock and the space was bridged with a plank. Boats that are set up for med mooring usually have a small gang plank with railings and wheels on the dock end to absorb the movement of the boat.
We had a nice lunch at the Marina restaurant and a relaxing afternoon together before Mark left to take Molly and Kendall to the airport.
Mark arrived early in the morning and we "pulled up the hook" (raised the anchor) and headed for the Pearl resort.
Molly and Kendall were waiting on the pier so we loaded them and their luggage for the trip to Tahiti. This time, the swells were much larger than on the previous trip. There was also some wind so we put up the sail, turned off the engine and looked forward to a pleasant sail.
The only thing that marred the experience was that Kendall got seasick in Mark's cabin where she had been watching a movie. This required some cleanup and the quarantine of Mark's sleeping bag until we could get to the laundry.
Our destination was the same Marina Taina where we had docked before. One difference this time was that the side dock location was no longer available so we were offered a "Mediterranean mooring" at the end of pier. A "med moor" is a technique that saves dock space and cost. At each space on the dock, there are two lines that are attached to two moorings that are more than a boat's length from the dock. While backing toward the dock, the crew must pick up both lines and use them to retrieve the moorings before the boat strikes the dock. In addition, the space could be between two other boats that are already "stern to" the dock so a plethora of bumpers are deployed on both sides of the boat. You can imagine how difficult this can be especially if there is any wind or wave.
Our space was at the end of the dock so there was only one boat to our starboard (right) side, however there was also a bit of wind pushing us toward them as we backed down so the last few feet were very tense but the marina staff helped with the dock lines while Mark drove, Andy and Kurt retrieved and tied off the mooring lines and I fended us off from the adjacent boat. Once secure, the stern was tied off so that it was about 3 feet from the dock and the space was bridged with a plank. Boats that are set up for med mooring usually have a small gang plank with railings and wheels on the dock end to absorb the movement of the boat.
We had a nice lunch at the Marina restaurant and a relaxing afternoon together before Mark left to take Molly and Kendall to the airport.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Day 69 Three Coconut Palms hike
Great views and sore feet
Kurt got off early for his surf spot so Andy and I decided to do another hike. The Lonely Planet guide talked about a hike that provided a view of both sides of the island. It sounded a bit long and steep but interesting. The trail started from the top of the Belvedere that we had hiked to on Friday the 11th so we hiked to the end of Opunohu Bay and up the hill to the Belvedere parking lot. Of course we had to stop for ice cream and fresh juice before pushing on.
The trail began in the same direction we had followed four days before at the waterfall, it continued uphill and down until it crossed three other streams. Then the trail turned toward the hill and proceeded up through a long series of switchbacks until it crested a ridge from which we could see a higher version of the view from Belvedere plus looking South we could see a beach and cove on the other side of the island. At this point, the trail dead ended at a vertical spire.
The trail itself was well maintained and completely forested and without this, we would not have been able to make the climb under the tropical sun. In fact, on the way down, we heard rain at one point but never felt a drop as the forest canopy provided a complete umbrella.
The forest itself was a mixture of deciduous trees, giant ferns, stands of bamboo, areas of twisted vines and even some pine trees. We heard some wild chickens and saw some very large snails but no other wild life except some birds at the top of the ridge.
The only downside to the hike was that I had decided to wear a pair of sandals that I had not worn for months. To make matters worse, as we got out of the dinghy, some sand got onto the sandals so that they chafed more than usual as I walked. Even though I rinse them out as soon as I realized the problem, the damage had already been done and the further I walked, the worse it got. I had a bandana in my pack so I was able to fashion an emergency sock for my left foot where the abrasion was the worst but by the time we got back to the dinghy, my right foot was bloody and walking was difficult.
The bottom line is that we had a great day of hiking with superb views and a wonderful forest but came out a bit damaged and with a lesson on using the right equipment for each task.
Kurt got off early for his surf spot so Andy and I decided to do another hike. The Lonely Planet guide talked about a hike that provided a view of both sides of the island. It sounded a bit long and steep but interesting. The trail started from the top of the Belvedere that we had hiked to on Friday the 11th so we hiked to the end of Opunohu Bay and up the hill to the Belvedere parking lot. Of course we had to stop for ice cream and fresh juice before pushing on.
The trail began in the same direction we had followed four days before at the waterfall, it continued uphill and down until it crossed three other streams. Then the trail turned toward the hill and proceeded up through a long series of switchbacks until it crested a ridge from which we could see a higher version of the view from Belvedere plus looking South we could see a beach and cove on the other side of the island. At this point, the trail dead ended at a vertical spire.
The trail itself was well maintained and completely forested and without this, we would not have been able to make the climb under the tropical sun. In fact, on the way down, we heard rain at one point but never felt a drop as the forest canopy provided a complete umbrella.
The forest itself was a mixture of deciduous trees, giant ferns, stands of bamboo, areas of twisted vines and even some pine trees. We heard some wild chickens and saw some very large snails but no other wild life except some birds at the top of the ridge.
The only downside to the hike was that I had decided to wear a pair of sandals that I had not worn for months. To make matters worse, as we got out of the dinghy, some sand got onto the sandals so that they chafed more than usual as I walked. Even though I rinse them out as soon as I realized the problem, the damage had already been done and the further I walked, the worse it got. I had a bandana in my pack so I was able to fashion an emergency sock for my left foot where the abrasion was the worst but by the time we got back to the dinghy, my right foot was bloody and walking was difficult.
The bottom line is that we had a great day of hiking with superb views and a wonderful forest but came out a bit damaged and with a lesson on using the right equipment for each task.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Day 68 More Chores
Surfing, doctor, Internet and Photos
Kurt arose early so he could get on his way to surfing. Andy decided to hitchhike to the hospital near the ferry dock so he could get the prescription medication for his late blooming staph wounds.
I took to time to catch up with Internet banking, compose a few e-mails and begin to try to understand why I cannot post my blog even when the Internet signal seems fine. After a lot of research, I finally decided I did not understand how the system works nor could I figure it out without help. My choices are to start over with a new site or somehow get help with the current Apple website. When I was in the U.S. and in Mexico, it was so easy I got lulled into thinking I had found the answer to blogging. I knew it might be difficult when we were at sea but I figured that once we got to a reasonable connection, I would be able to resume where I left off. I should not completely blame the system since I think I was partly the cause. When I started the blog I found it so easy to include photos that I sprinkled each day's installment with views of the day's activities. The pictures came from the Adobe program I used for editing and I did not adjust them to a new size - thinking that the blog software would do that automatically. Although I still do not know for sure, I speculate that iWeb may have been trying to upload the full resolution pictures - a feat not possible with the slow connections I had available.
This gave me the idea that I may have a third option and that is to transform all of the pictures to PC screen resolution since that would be a small file and it also is what blog readers will see. I therefore set out to determine how to put all the pictures into blog viewable form.
Andy came back fairly early as he had found a clinic much closer to the anchorage and there was no wait to see a doctor as there would have been at the hospital. Kurt arrive a bit later so we ate dinner, played some cards and went to bed early again.
From the beginning of this trip, we have spent some time almost every day playing some form of group game. Although dice, dominos and backgammon are occasional pastimes, card dominate. We started with dutch rummy, a game that Mark's grandmother taught him but after I introduced "Oh Hell" it is the game played more commonly than anything else. It accommodates from 3 to 8 people, is easy to learn, requires some skill and can be played for a short time or a long time. I think we may be working our way up to bridge if everyone gets the hang of Oh Hell.
Kurt arose early so he could get on his way to surfing. Andy decided to hitchhike to the hospital near the ferry dock so he could get the prescription medication for his late blooming staph wounds.
I took to time to catch up with Internet banking, compose a few e-mails and begin to try to understand why I cannot post my blog even when the Internet signal seems fine. After a lot of research, I finally decided I did not understand how the system works nor could I figure it out without help. My choices are to start over with a new site or somehow get help with the current Apple website. When I was in the U.S. and in Mexico, it was so easy I got lulled into thinking I had found the answer to blogging. I knew it might be difficult when we were at sea but I figured that once we got to a reasonable connection, I would be able to resume where I left off. I should not completely blame the system since I think I was partly the cause. When I started the blog I found it so easy to include photos that I sprinkled each day's installment with views of the day's activities. The pictures came from the Adobe program I used for editing and I did not adjust them to a new size - thinking that the blog software would do that automatically. Although I still do not know for sure, I speculate that iWeb may have been trying to upload the full resolution pictures - a feat not possible with the slow connections I had available.
This gave me the idea that I may have a third option and that is to transform all of the pictures to PC screen resolution since that would be a small file and it also is what blog readers will see. I therefore set out to determine how to put all the pictures into blog viewable form.
Andy came back fairly early as he had found a clinic much closer to the anchorage and there was no wait to see a doctor as there would have been at the hospital. Kurt arrive a bit later so we ate dinner, played some cards and went to bed early again.
From the beginning of this trip, we have spent some time almost every day playing some form of group game. Although dice, dominos and backgammon are occasional pastimes, card dominate. We started with dutch rummy, a game that Mark's grandmother taught him but after I introduced "Oh Hell" it is the game played more commonly than anything else. It accommodates from 3 to 8 people, is easy to learn, requires some skill and can be played for a short time or a long time. I think we may be working our way up to bridge if everyone gets the hang of Oh Hell.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Day 67 Chores and Surfing
Moving one more time
Mark had rented a car to explore the island with Molly and Kendall. He stopped by the boat to see how everything was going and we had him supervise moving the boat one more time to the Northeast corner of Opunohu Bay where everyone took turns checking their e-mail.
After Mark left, we took Kurt and his surfboard to shore so he could hitchhike to the waves at Hapiti point on the other side of Mo'orea. It might seem that hitchhiking with a surfboard would be difficult but here in one of the surfing capitals of the world it is easier to catch a ride with a board than without one. Go figure.
Once on shore, we discovered a water tap with lots of fresh water. Since we were a bit behind in doing laundry, this made a convenient place to catch up. The process is quite straightforward although somewhat awkward. We take the dirty laundry, soap and a large bucket ashore in the dinghy. The bucket is the wash basin and our feet are the impeller of our washing machine. In a motion much like stomping grapes we agitate the soapy water for exactly the right amount of time. After multiple rinse cycles using the same technique, we load the wet clothes back into the bucket and head for the boat. Boating lines (ropes) are strung for our clothes line and we are back to looking like a gypsy caravan with clothes drying from all sides. It's not a pretty sight.
The rest of the day was spent preparing meals and as usual when we are not in a marina, we turned in not long after dark. This is partly a result of the need to save the batteries so without many lights there is not much to do after dark.
This is the kind of boring stuff that everyone does every day but somehow when it is on a boat sitting in the warm water next to a tropical island, it is really quite pleasant.
Mark had rented a car to explore the island with Molly and Kendall. He stopped by the boat to see how everything was going and we had him supervise moving the boat one more time to the Northeast corner of Opunohu Bay where everyone took turns checking their e-mail.
After Mark left, we took Kurt and his surfboard to shore so he could hitchhike to the waves at Hapiti point on the other side of Mo'orea. It might seem that hitchhiking with a surfboard would be difficult but here in one of the surfing capitals of the world it is easier to catch a ride with a board than without one. Go figure.
Once on shore, we discovered a water tap with lots of fresh water. Since we were a bit behind in doing laundry, this made a convenient place to catch up. The process is quite straightforward although somewhat awkward. We take the dirty laundry, soap and a large bucket ashore in the dinghy. The bucket is the wash basin and our feet are the impeller of our washing machine. In a motion much like stomping grapes we agitate the soapy water for exactly the right amount of time. After multiple rinse cycles using the same technique, we load the wet clothes back into the bucket and head for the boat. Boating lines (ropes) are strung for our clothes line and we are back to looking like a gypsy caravan with clothes drying from all sides. It's not a pretty sight.
The rest of the day was spent preparing meals and as usual when we are not in a marina, we turned in not long after dark. This is partly a result of the need to save the batteries so without many lights there is not much to do after dark.
This is the kind of boring stuff that everyone does every day but somehow when it is on a boat sitting in the warm water next to a tropical island, it is really quite pleasant.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Day 66 Opunohu Bay
Dinghy tour of the bay
While Cook's Bay was a beautiful spot, I had bought time on a wireless Internet service for French Polynesia but it was not available in Cook's Bay. The brochure said it could be picked up in Opunohu Bay (accent on the "no") so we got Mark to return from the Pearl for the morning and direct moving the boat. We read in the Puddle Jump book that there was a perfect anchorage called Robinson's Cove in Opunohu Bay. The Cove was about a mile from the Bay entrance and had two moorings already in place. (A mooring is a permanent anchor made of something very heavy on the bottom that is attached to a float with a chain. If they are available, they can be better than an anchor because the will not move if the weather gets heavy. To use an open mooring requires pulling up some of the chain with the boat hook and tying a line from the boat to the chain.) After we tied onto one of the moorings, Mark headed back to the Pearl Resort and Kurt took his surfboard, put out his thumb and headed for some prime surf spots on the South side of the island.
Since my infections prevented me from going into the water and since I wanted to get the blog working again I plugged in the computer to pick up the Wi-Fi signal but was disappointed that there was nothing.
This gave us an excuse to explore the Bay so I put the computer in a waterproof bag and Andy and I go into the dinghy and headed for the Northwest corner where the cruise ships bring their tenders. We found a very small village with two tiny grocery stores and an octagonal church that is cited in the cruising guide as a landmark. We walked around a bit, got some groceries and an ice cream but found no Wi-Fi signal. At least the baguettes were fresh and the ice cream was refreshingly cold under the tropical sun.
Since there were sailboats at anchor on the Northeast corner of the Bay, we decided to try there on the way back and sure enough, there was a signal. We finally also discovered another grocery store and a few houses on shore although they were the only structures along an otherwise deserted beach.
On the way back to Robinson's cove, we realized why no one uses their dinghy much for exploring. At maximum speed, it took us half the day to cover only a few miles.
While Cook's Bay was a beautiful spot, I had bought time on a wireless Internet service for French Polynesia but it was not available in Cook's Bay. The brochure said it could be picked up in Opunohu Bay (accent on the "no") so we got Mark to return from the Pearl for the morning and direct moving the boat. We read in the Puddle Jump book that there was a perfect anchorage called Robinson's Cove in Opunohu Bay. The Cove was about a mile from the Bay entrance and had two moorings already in place. (A mooring is a permanent anchor made of something very heavy on the bottom that is attached to a float with a chain. If they are available, they can be better than an anchor because the will not move if the weather gets heavy. To use an open mooring requires pulling up some of the chain with the boat hook and tying a line from the boat to the chain.) After we tied onto one of the moorings, Mark headed back to the Pearl Resort and Kurt took his surfboard, put out his thumb and headed for some prime surf spots on the South side of the island.
Since my infections prevented me from going into the water and since I wanted to get the blog working again I plugged in the computer to pick up the Wi-Fi signal but was disappointed that there was nothing.
This gave us an excuse to explore the Bay so I put the computer in a waterproof bag and Andy and I go into the dinghy and headed for the Northwest corner where the cruise ships bring their tenders. We found a very small village with two tiny grocery stores and an octagonal church that is cited in the cruising guide as a landmark. We walked around a bit, got some groceries and an ice cream but found no Wi-Fi signal. At least the baguettes were fresh and the ice cream was refreshingly cold under the tropical sun.
Since there were sailboats at anchor on the Northeast corner of the Bay, we decided to try there on the way back and sure enough, there was a signal. We finally also discovered another grocery store and a few houses on shore although they were the only structures along an otherwise deserted beach.
On the way back to Robinson's cove, we realized why no one uses their dinghy much for exploring. At maximum speed, it took us half the day to cover only a few miles.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Day 65 Another hike
The Belvedere
The Lonely Planet book described a hike to a viewpoint that starts in the next bay over from our anchorage. Kurt was off to surf so Andy and I set out for the trailhead.
We had already walked most of the way when we finally got a ride for the last mile by someone who knew exactly where the trail began. The guidebook said the trails are sometimes hard to find so this ride was good in two aspects - it saved us part of the walk in the heat and we knew we were on the right track.
Mo’orea is shaped like a triangle with one corner pointing South and the other two pointing East and West. The North coast is punctuated by two large bays, Cook's and Opunahu that are separated by a mountain. The hike heads South up another mountain and terminates in a North facing view point that provides a sweeping view of both bays and much of the countryside that surrounds them.
The road up was very steep in places and the hot, humid weather made the going difficult. A food truck serving ice cream offered the perfect respite once we reached the top. Once at the top, we found a forest trail that led to a small waterfall. The foliage is very thick with huge chestnut and acacia trees and smothering vines in some areas. The trail was small but well maintained with steep ups and downs. The waterfall was only 15 to 20 feet tall but was situated in a secluded glen that was quite pretty.
We had begun the hike from Opunohu Bay but our boat was in Cook’s bay so as we started down, we found a branch in the road with a sign pointing to Cook’s Bay. This was a dirt road instead of the paved one to the top and it led through the middle of a pineapple plantation.
A few more miles of perspiration and we reached the dinghy - tired but satisfied we had seen some beautiful sights.
The Lonely Planet book described a hike to a viewpoint that starts in the next bay over from our anchorage. Kurt was off to surf so Andy and I set out for the trailhead.
We had already walked most of the way when we finally got a ride for the last mile by someone who knew exactly where the trail began. The guidebook said the trails are sometimes hard to find so this ride was good in two aspects - it saved us part of the walk in the heat and we knew we were on the right track.
Mo’orea is shaped like a triangle with one corner pointing South and the other two pointing East and West. The North coast is punctuated by two large bays, Cook's and Opunahu that are separated by a mountain. The hike heads South up another mountain and terminates in a North facing view point that provides a sweeping view of both bays and much of the countryside that surrounds them.
The road up was very steep in places and the hot, humid weather made the going difficult. A food truck serving ice cream offered the perfect respite once we reached the top. Once at the top, we found a forest trail that led to a small waterfall. The foliage is very thick with huge chestnut and acacia trees and smothering vines in some areas. The trail was small but well maintained with steep ups and downs. The waterfall was only 15 to 20 feet tall but was situated in a secluded glen that was quite pretty.
We had begun the hike from Opunohu Bay but our boat was in Cook’s bay so as we started down, we found a branch in the road with a sign pointing to Cook’s Bay. This was a dirt road instead of the paved one to the top and it led through the middle of a pineapple plantation.
A few more miles of perspiration and we reached the dinghy - tired but satisfied we had seen some beautiful sights.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Day 64 Another Pearl Resort
Mo'orea
We used the dinghy to visit the Pearl with the intent of hanging out by the pool and using the Internet.
Mark had met another American couple, Tom and Wendy from Bakersfield and Tom was fascinated by our trip. They have a Hobie Cat at home and do annual charters in the Caribbean.
It seems that when people hear about our trip, there are two very opposite reactions with none in between. Either we get the “Oh my god you’re living my dream” or the reaction is: “I could never be on a boat that long”. The “dream” folks all seem to either own a sailboat or to have been around sailboats, particularly Moorings charters - mostly in the Caribbean. The others are not boat people so this experience seems very foreign and they think more about seasickness and the other sailboat deprivations than the benefits and good experiences.
Even some of the “dream” folks do not realize that if you are free to go where you want and you don’t have to pay for fuel to go there, the South Pacific is a garden of delights. Each island is different from the others. Most of them are never reached by cruise ships or by airplanes. Some of them are inhabited by people who have only rarely seen Westerners. Some have anchorages or beaches that could grace the covers of the best travel magazines. Everywhere, the water is crystal clear and warm. Fishing is relatively easy and the deep water fish are all safe to eat. We were catching fish right alongside the Japanese trawlers that bring the fish to Japan for fresh sushi. The difference is that while we were enjoying the sashimi, they were still transporting “fresh” fish to the Japanese markets.
I would never recommend that a non boat person take a trip like this but for those with sailboat experience and the time to spare, this is the trip of a life time.
We used the dinghy to visit the Pearl with the intent of hanging out by the pool and using the Internet.
Mark had met another American couple, Tom and Wendy from Bakersfield and Tom was fascinated by our trip. They have a Hobie Cat at home and do annual charters in the Caribbean.
It seems that when people hear about our trip, there are two very opposite reactions with none in between. Either we get the “Oh my god you’re living my dream” or the reaction is: “I could never be on a boat that long”. The “dream” folks all seem to either own a sailboat or to have been around sailboats, particularly Moorings charters - mostly in the Caribbean. The others are not boat people so this experience seems very foreign and they think more about seasickness and the other sailboat deprivations than the benefits and good experiences.
Even some of the “dream” folks do not realize that if you are free to go where you want and you don’t have to pay for fuel to go there, the South Pacific is a garden of delights. Each island is different from the others. Most of them are never reached by cruise ships or by airplanes. Some of them are inhabited by people who have only rarely seen Westerners. Some have anchorages or beaches that could grace the covers of the best travel magazines. Everywhere, the water is crystal clear and warm. Fishing is relatively easy and the deep water fish are all safe to eat. We were catching fish right alongside the Japanese trawlers that bring the fish to Japan for fresh sushi. The difference is that while we were enjoying the sashimi, they were still transporting “fresh” fish to the Japanese markets.
I would never recommend that a non boat person take a trip like this but for those with sailboat experience and the time to spare, this is the trip of a life time.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Day 63 Mo'orea
A new island
Mark, Molly and Kendall arrived about 9 and boarded for the crossing to Mo’orea. It was nice to see Molly and Kendall again as I had not seen them since their going away party which must have been last August. Molly had recently spent time with Tim, Jordan and William and she remarked at what a sweet little boy William is. (Of course some of us know that anyway)
Mo’orea is only 5 miles from Tahiti and to make it simple we motored across and anchored in Cook’s bay near the Pearl Hotel where they will be staying for the next week.
Mo’orea is, like so many islands in French Polynesia, the remains of an ancient volcano. Basalt towers mark the crater rim and the bays are where the caldera was. Like the rest of the Society Islands and unlike the Marquises, the island is rimmed by a large coral reef that provides protection from ocean swells. The space between the reef and the island is navigable for much of its length and makes an excellent place to anchor.
Cook’s bay was named after the famous English explorer who “discovered” the island in 1769. Of course the people who lived here at the time knew it already existed even before Cook made his discovery.
The anchorage was quiet and the water a beautiful clear green color that reflected the sandy bottom. Unfortunately for me, the doctor indicated I should not swim until my wound healed so all I could do was look.
We used the dinghy to take Mark and family to the Pearl. This resort is like the others with rooms both on land and over the water. There is a beautiful pool and a very expensive restaurant.
Mark, Molly and Kendall arrived about 9 and boarded for the crossing to Mo’orea. It was nice to see Molly and Kendall again as I had not seen them since their going away party which must have been last August. Molly had recently spent time with Tim, Jordan and William and she remarked at what a sweet little boy William is. (Of course some of us know that anyway)
Mo’orea is only 5 miles from Tahiti and to make it simple we motored across and anchored in Cook’s bay near the Pearl Hotel where they will be staying for the next week.
Mo’orea is, like so many islands in French Polynesia, the remains of an ancient volcano. Basalt towers mark the crater rim and the bays are where the caldera was. Like the rest of the Society Islands and unlike the Marquises, the island is rimmed by a large coral reef that provides protection from ocean swells. The space between the reef and the island is navigable for much of its length and makes an excellent place to anchor.
Cook’s bay was named after the famous English explorer who “discovered” the island in 1769. Of course the people who lived here at the time knew it already existed even before Cook made his discovery.
The anchorage was quiet and the water a beautiful clear green color that reflected the sandy bottom. Unfortunately for me, the doctor indicated I should not swim until my wound healed so all I could do was look.
We used the dinghy to take Mark and family to the Pearl. This resort is like the others with rooms both on land and over the water. There is a beautiful pool and a very expensive restaurant.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Day 62 Arrival of the Admiral
Boat cleaning and Birthday celebration
Molly was due to arrive this evening so we worked to make sure Southern Star was shipshape. Cleaning the white upholstery in the main cabin made the most noticeable difference.
Today was also Andy’s birthday so we took a time out to celebrate at the marina restaurant. The shrimp caesar salad was certainly delicious and a welcome treat since we had not been buying perishable lettuce but the $20 charge was only justified by the occasion.
During our cleaning, we unloaded the boat onto the dock and made a formidable pile. As people walked by on their way to and from other boats, they would stop and chat so it made a nice, although temporary diversion. One interesting person we met was the captain of a 70 foot custom Italian sloop that was at the end of the pier. She told us about the last boat she captained which had set a speed record crossing the Atlantic. The Leopard of London is a 90 foot sloop with a 140+ foot mast and a tungsten loaded keel that recorded a maximum speed of 31 knots during the last 11 day Atlantic crossing. When you consider that Southern Star usually has a maximum speed of about 6 knots and can occasionally muster 8 or 9 in the middle of a 30+ knot squall, the speed of Leopard seems amazing. Our 25 day crossing from PV to the Marquises would have taken less than a third of the time if we had been aboard Leopard.
Later in the day we took a brief time out to see what a custom built Italian yacht looks like inside. I would have to say that it looked like the several million dollars that it probably cost. Gorgeous!
In the evening, Mark went to the airport to meet Molly and we were left to watch over Southern Star.
Molly was due to arrive this evening so we worked to make sure Southern Star was shipshape. Cleaning the white upholstery in the main cabin made the most noticeable difference.
Today was also Andy’s birthday so we took a time out to celebrate at the marina restaurant. The shrimp caesar salad was certainly delicious and a welcome treat since we had not been buying perishable lettuce but the $20 charge was only justified by the occasion.
During our cleaning, we unloaded the boat onto the dock and made a formidable pile. As people walked by on their way to and from other boats, they would stop and chat so it made a nice, although temporary diversion. One interesting person we met was the captain of a 70 foot custom Italian sloop that was at the end of the pier. She told us about the last boat she captained which had set a speed record crossing the Atlantic. The Leopard of London is a 90 foot sloop with a 140+ foot mast and a tungsten loaded keel that recorded a maximum speed of 31 knots during the last 11 day Atlantic crossing. When you consider that Southern Star usually has a maximum speed of about 6 knots and can occasionally muster 8 or 9 in the middle of a 30+ knot squall, the speed of Leopard seems amazing. Our 25 day crossing from PV to the Marquises would have taken less than a third of the time if we had been aboard Leopard.
Later in the day we took a brief time out to see what a custom built Italian yacht looks like inside. I would have to say that it looked like the several million dollars that it probably cost. Gorgeous!
In the evening, Mark went to the airport to meet Molly and we were left to watch over Southern Star.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Day 61 Doctor
Tropical staphylococcus
Polynesian Yacht Services (PYS) helped me make an appointment with an English speaking doctor at Clinique Paofai in Papeete to look at the sore on my leg. Since Mark and Kurt had seen a doctor in Nuka Hiva for a similar malady, I pretty much knew what to expect even though I won the prize for the largest infection.
PYS seems to have connections everywhere so I called Taxi Emily and was delighted to meet a 50-something Polynesian woman who had lived in the U.S. for 12 years (Palo Verde, Alabama and Massachusetts) and besides speaking perfect English, she knew every detail of Papeete including Clinique Paofai.
Dr. Bournes was very knowledgeable about tropical staphylococcus - treating several cases a day. He explained that once the infection starts, it becomes systemic and further infections will follow unless treated with a 5 day regimen of penicillin. During that time, the wounds must be cleaned out and covered with an antibiotic cream and then they must dry out - so no going into the gorgeous water for a while (bummer). Apparently my scuba diving in Rangiroa did not do my healing any favor.
Like the hospital at Nuka Hiva, the doctor took 15 minutes but waiting to have the wounds redressed took an hour. The pharmacy took another half hour and I was ready to find a bank since by then I was out of cash. (Doctor $55, medicine $37, cure - priceless).
Traveler’s checks may be valid everywhere but they are certainly not the fastest way to get money. One hour later, I had $200 in CFP.
By then the morning had passed and I found the “Le Truck” stop to take me South to Marina Taina. If there was ever a missed photo opportunity, this was it. On the bleacher bench on my side of Le Truck there were six people. On the other side there were eight. The two men on either side of me were at least twice as wide as I am. This would definitely have made a great picture.
We spent the rest of day boat cleaning and ended the day sharing dinner with Paul and Lee Ellen from Gato Go.
Polynesian Yacht Services (PYS) helped me make an appointment with an English speaking doctor at Clinique Paofai in Papeete to look at the sore on my leg. Since Mark and Kurt had seen a doctor in Nuka Hiva for a similar malady, I pretty much knew what to expect even though I won the prize for the largest infection.
PYS seems to have connections everywhere so I called Taxi Emily and was delighted to meet a 50-something Polynesian woman who had lived in the U.S. for 12 years (Palo Verde, Alabama and Massachusetts) and besides speaking perfect English, she knew every detail of Papeete including Clinique Paofai.
Dr. Bournes was very knowledgeable about tropical staphylococcus - treating several cases a day. He explained that once the infection starts, it becomes systemic and further infections will follow unless treated with a 5 day regimen of penicillin. During that time, the wounds must be cleaned out and covered with an antibiotic cream and then they must dry out - so no going into the gorgeous water for a while (bummer). Apparently my scuba diving in Rangiroa did not do my healing any favor.
Like the hospital at Nuka Hiva, the doctor took 15 minutes but waiting to have the wounds redressed took an hour. The pharmacy took another half hour and I was ready to find a bank since by then I was out of cash. (Doctor $55, medicine $37, cure - priceless).
Traveler’s checks may be valid everywhere but they are certainly not the fastest way to get money. One hour later, I had $200 in CFP.
By then the morning had passed and I found the “Le Truck” stop to take me South to Marina Taina. If there was ever a missed photo opportunity, this was it. On the bleacher bench on my side of Le Truck there were six people. On the other side there were eight. The two men on either side of me were at least twice as wide as I am. This would definitely have made a great picture.
We spent the rest of day boat cleaning and ended the day sharing dinner with Paul and Lee Ellen from Gato Go.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Day 60 Traffic Accident
Mysterious traffic circles
Not far from the marina is a “hyper market” called Carrefour. This is a French chain that took the U.S. supermarket concept and blew it out to a combination market and mall that is now found throughout France.
The Carrefour near the marina contains everything from groceries to pharmacy, bakery, hardware store, beauty shop, restaurants, doctor, electronics store, clothing, cars, gardening, plumbing and anything else that makes up a complete one stop shop.
The Carrefour is about a quarter of a mile from the marina and many people push the cart back but since we had the car until noon it seemed easier to drive over and stock up.
The marina exits onto a one-way road away from the Carrefour so it is necessary to go a half mile south to a roundabout in order to head North toward the market. I entered into the outside lane and put on my signal to indicate I was not going to exit when suddenly the car behind me in the inside lane decided to turn right. The impact was minor and his car was virtually undamaged due to the large rubber bumper. Our little Renault took the hit right at the end of the rear door and sustained quite a dent. The only good thing was that the driver spoke very good English and was very polite. We filled out all the forms and went on our way.
After shopping I went back to turn in the car and, of course, got into a discussion with the Avis agent. He insisted I pay a $550 deductible and I insisted that MasterCard insurance would cover the damage. Later I discovered that he was right. I pay up front and file a claim with MasterCard who reimburses me. The confrontation was not hostile and I knew if I did not agree they would charge my card anyway so now the ball is in my court to collect.
During the discussion I tried to call the number on the back of the card that says “call collect to...” To make a call from a pay phone in Tahiti requires a pre-paid phone card. Even though the electronic answering machine says “we accept collect calls” there is no way to make this happen and the phone card continues to be debited at about $3.00 per minute. It does not take long to eat up an $18 phone card with the time being spent answering electronic prompts and being on hold. At one point I walked over to the Air Tahiti counter and asked how I could call the operator to make a collect call. They told me that the telephone operators do not work on Sunday. While I find this hard to believe, I was not able to find a way to talk to an operator.
I guess the lesson is that for a one day rental, the Avis insurance may be worth it since it avoids the hassle of filing a claim to collect from MasterCard - particularly if you are not going to be home for a few months.
Not far from the marina is a “hyper market” called Carrefour. This is a French chain that took the U.S. supermarket concept and blew it out to a combination market and mall that is now found throughout France.
The Carrefour near the marina contains everything from groceries to pharmacy, bakery, hardware store, beauty shop, restaurants, doctor, electronics store, clothing, cars, gardening, plumbing and anything else that makes up a complete one stop shop.
The Carrefour is about a quarter of a mile from the marina and many people push the cart back but since we had the car until noon it seemed easier to drive over and stock up.
The marina exits onto a one-way road away from the Carrefour so it is necessary to go a half mile south to a roundabout in order to head North toward the market. I entered into the outside lane and put on my signal to indicate I was not going to exit when suddenly the car behind me in the inside lane decided to turn right. The impact was minor and his car was virtually undamaged due to the large rubber bumper. Our little Renault took the hit right at the end of the rear door and sustained quite a dent. The only good thing was that the driver spoke very good English and was very polite. We filled out all the forms and went on our way.
After shopping I went back to turn in the car and, of course, got into a discussion with the Avis agent. He insisted I pay a $550 deductible and I insisted that MasterCard insurance would cover the damage. Later I discovered that he was right. I pay up front and file a claim with MasterCard who reimburses me. The confrontation was not hostile and I knew if I did not agree they would charge my card anyway so now the ball is in my court to collect.
During the discussion I tried to call the number on the back of the card that says “call collect to...” To make a call from a pay phone in Tahiti requires a pre-paid phone card. Even though the electronic answering machine says “we accept collect calls” there is no way to make this happen and the phone card continues to be debited at about $3.00 per minute. It does not take long to eat up an $18 phone card with the time being spent answering electronic prompts and being on hold. At one point I walked over to the Air Tahiti counter and asked how I could call the operator to make a collect call. They told me that the telephone operators do not work on Sunday. While I find this hard to believe, I was not able to find a way to talk to an operator.
I guess the lesson is that for a one day rental, the Avis insurance may be worth it since it avoids the hassle of filing a claim to collect from MasterCard - particularly if you are not going to be home for a few months.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Day 59 Drive around the island
A skyline of green mountains
Although the Yacht club was a reasonable mooring, we needed shore power and water so we moved the boat to the other side of Papeete to a harbor called Marina Taina where we were able to tie up to the dock. Two boats away was the catamaran Gato Go that we had seen in the Marquises. It was nice to say hello again to Paul and Lee Ellen.
One of the most prestigious surfing competitions in the world was being held in Teahupoo (pronounced like Cho Poo) and Kurt wanted to do some spectating so we rented a car and headed South along the road that encircles Tahiti Nui. Tahiti is two islands joined together in a small isthmus. The larger is Tahiti Nui and the smaller is Tahiti Iti. (I get the impression that nui and iti are polynesian for large and small - Duh)
Teahupoo is on Tahiti Iti at the end of the road. Kurt had been there a few years ago and was surprised to see canopies and concession stands lining the road. Obviously, the competition has become more commercial. The best surfers in the world arrive to ride a very unusual wave. Kurt showed us a picture in a surfing magazine that shows how the top of the wave is flat and the same height as the ocean. At the reef, the bottom drops out creating a wave that can be tens of feet high.
On this day, there was no significant wave and no competition - the event having been postponed for lack of wave. The weather reports indicate that the swells should return in four days so the competition is scheduled to restart at that time.
We returned to the road that encircles Tahiti Nui and continued our circumnavigation in a counter clockwise direction. Kurt looked out the right window and described every cove, reef, rock and wave. I looked out the left window at the spectacular canyons, waterfalls and lush vegetation. By combining the video and the audio, I got a complete picture of the island.
Although the Yacht club was a reasonable mooring, we needed shore power and water so we moved the boat to the other side of Papeete to a harbor called Marina Taina where we were able to tie up to the dock. Two boats away was the catamaran Gato Go that we had seen in the Marquises. It was nice to say hello again to Paul and Lee Ellen.
One of the most prestigious surfing competitions in the world was being held in Teahupoo (pronounced like Cho Poo) and Kurt wanted to do some spectating so we rented a car and headed South along the road that encircles Tahiti Nui. Tahiti is two islands joined together in a small isthmus. The larger is Tahiti Nui and the smaller is Tahiti Iti. (I get the impression that nui and iti are polynesian for large and small - Duh)
Teahupoo is on Tahiti Iti at the end of the road. Kurt had been there a few years ago and was surprised to see canopies and concession stands lining the road. Obviously, the competition has become more commercial. The best surfers in the world arrive to ride a very unusual wave. Kurt showed us a picture in a surfing magazine that shows how the top of the wave is flat and the same height as the ocean. At the reef, the bottom drops out creating a wave that can be tens of feet high.
On this day, there was no significant wave and no competition - the event having been postponed for lack of wave. The weather reports indicate that the swells should return in four days so the competition is scheduled to restart at that time.
We returned to the road that encircles Tahiti Nui and continued our circumnavigation in a counter clockwise direction. Kurt looked out the right window and described every cove, reef, rock and wave. I looked out the left window at the spectacular canyons, waterfalls and lush vegetation. By combining the video and the audio, I got a complete picture of the island.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Day 58 Papeete
A French town in the tropics
This was a day of getting settled.
We took Le Truck into Papeete to meet the agent from Polynesia Yacht Services (PYS). Le Truck is pretty much what it sounds like. It is a covered flat bed truck with bench seats that makes a circuit around Papeete. The cost per ride is 130 CFP. CFP is the Currency of French Polynesia and is worth about 12¢ so 130 CFP is about $1.50. Taxi rides are very expensive in Tahiti and an equivalent distance by taxi could cost $30 to $40. Le Truck comes periodically (although we never figured out the frequency) and stops in the middle of town.
Papeete has about 200,000 inhabitants and seems more French than Polynesian. There are a lot of cars, and the pace is much faster than anything we had seen so far.
Large tour boats dock right at the waterfront and when we arrive at the coffee shop where we were to meet, there was a Princess line ship with 2,000 passengers at the dock. This made for busy streets and sidewalks.
At all of the major islands, a formal check in is required at immigration, the police and customs. Before we left Mexico we had contracted with PYS to handle all of the administrative parts of our stay in French Polynesia since they are experts in getting the 90 day visa extension and in securing a release from the $1,000 bond requirement. At this morning’s meeting, we handed over our passports, the boat registration and the form we received when we first checked in at Hiva Oa. The agent takes these to the appropriate government departments and saves us a lot of time and potential problems.
Most tourists arrive by airplane or cruise ship with the expectation of staying less than 30 days and you they have a return ticket so none of these formalities are required.
Some people are turned off by Papeete as it is not the image of a tropical paradise. There are lots of cars and traffic and most of the people are European - not Polynesian. I understand at some times of the year it even has smog.
Others are expecting a laid back city and find what they expect. I think it would be easy to stay here for a while and explore although we will not have time on this trip.
One other aspect of the city is the view of Mo’orea which dominates the view from the harbor. Mo’orea is about 5 miles away and has several spectacular peaks that are usually partially hidden in the clouds.
This was a day of getting settled.
We took Le Truck into Papeete to meet the agent from Polynesia Yacht Services (PYS). Le Truck is pretty much what it sounds like. It is a covered flat bed truck with bench seats that makes a circuit around Papeete. The cost per ride is 130 CFP. CFP is the Currency of French Polynesia and is worth about 12¢ so 130 CFP is about $1.50. Taxi rides are very expensive in Tahiti and an equivalent distance by taxi could cost $30 to $40. Le Truck comes periodically (although we never figured out the frequency) and stops in the middle of town.
Papeete has about 200,000 inhabitants and seems more French than Polynesian. There are a lot of cars, and the pace is much faster than anything we had seen so far.
Large tour boats dock right at the waterfront and when we arrive at the coffee shop where we were to meet, there was a Princess line ship with 2,000 passengers at the dock. This made for busy streets and sidewalks.
At all of the major islands, a formal check in is required at immigration, the police and customs. Before we left Mexico we had contracted with PYS to handle all of the administrative parts of our stay in French Polynesia since they are experts in getting the 90 day visa extension and in securing a release from the $1,000 bond requirement. At this morning’s meeting, we handed over our passports, the boat registration and the form we received when we first checked in at Hiva Oa. The agent takes these to the appropriate government departments and saves us a lot of time and potential problems.
Most tourists arrive by airplane or cruise ship with the expectation of staying less than 30 days and you they have a return ticket so none of these formalities are required.
Some people are turned off by Papeete as it is not the image of a tropical paradise. There are lots of cars and traffic and most of the people are European - not Polynesian. I understand at some times of the year it even has smog.
Others are expecting a laid back city and find what they expect. I think it would be easy to stay here for a while and explore although we will not have time on this trip.
One other aspect of the city is the view of Mo’orea which dominates the view from the harbor. Mo’orea is about 5 miles away and has several spectacular peaks that are usually partially hidden in the clouds.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Day 57 The Society Islands
Tahiti
We are finally in Tahiti after 2 ½ days of beating against the wind and waves. (Note, beating is a sailing term for sailing against the wind). The waves were 4 to 8 feet high with some that occasionally topped that. The wind went above 30 knots (most sailors become uncomfortable above 30) and we took some waves over the bow. Eventually, we had to “fall off the wind” (sail with it instead of against it) even though that is not the direction we wanted to go.
By midnight, the wind changed direction and we were able to make way south to Tahiti.
Our first view of the island was shrouded in fog, clouds and rain. We decided to moor at the Tahiti Yacht Club since Mark has reciprocal rights with the Emeryville Yacht Club and we got one week of free anchorage. Mooring means we have no shore connection to water and electricity so we will eventually have to move in order to clean up for the next passage. At least the Yacht Club had hot showers and a laundry so we and our clothes are clean. Feels good!!!
We were not as well prepared with quick food as we had been in the past and it was too rough to cook so we ended up eating less than the normal complement of meals. Besides that, Andy was seasick so he was not interested in eating. We will try to make up with some shore time once the rain stops. (And this is supposed to be the dry season)
French Polynesia just installed wireless internet for many of the islands so when we were on Nuka Hiva in the Marquises, I bought 5 hours of time with the expectation that I would be able to use it in many of the locations we plan to visit. My expectations were foiled when I found out I have to re-validate the service by telephone for each new location. Right now I am waiting for the re-validation to become effective. So administratively French.
We are finally in Tahiti after 2 ½ days of beating against the wind and waves. (Note, beating is a sailing term for sailing against the wind). The waves were 4 to 8 feet high with some that occasionally topped that. The wind went above 30 knots (most sailors become uncomfortable above 30) and we took some waves over the bow. Eventually, we had to “fall off the wind” (sail with it instead of against it) even though that is not the direction we wanted to go.
By midnight, the wind changed direction and we were able to make way south to Tahiti.
Our first view of the island was shrouded in fog, clouds and rain. We decided to moor at the Tahiti Yacht Club since Mark has reciprocal rights with the Emeryville Yacht Club and we got one week of free anchorage. Mooring means we have no shore connection to water and electricity so we will eventually have to move in order to clean up for the next passage. At least the Yacht Club had hot showers and a laundry so we and our clothes are clean. Feels good!!!
We were not as well prepared with quick food as we had been in the past and it was too rough to cook so we ended up eating less than the normal complement of meals. Besides that, Andy was seasick so he was not interested in eating. We will try to make up with some shore time once the rain stops. (And this is supposed to be the dry season)
French Polynesia just installed wireless internet for many of the islands so when we were on Nuka Hiva in the Marquises, I bought 5 hours of time with the expectation that I would be able to use it in many of the locations we plan to visit. My expectations were foiled when I found out I have to re-validate the service by telephone for each new location. Right now I am waiting for the re-validation to become effective. So administratively French.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Day 56 A stormy day at sea
Making way to Tahiti
Our plan had us in Tahiti today so I could call Jack and wish him happy birthday. The weather is still beating us up so I hope to make the call tomorrow.
It has rained on and off all day. We are making slow progress south against the wind and sea but this feels like a good day to curl up by the fire with the dog and a good book. I guess I have to put up with just the book.
Two days ago during our taxi excursion, we met a woman named Beatrice (don’t know her last name) who is one of the two representatives to the French Assembly from French Polynesia. This is the time of the French national elections and she is visiting her electorate to campaign. She lives in Tahiti but must fly to Paris every month. She made a point of telling us that she flies first class. I guess that can’t be too bad.
One of the issues of the election is the independence of French Polynesia from the French Republic. This was promised in 1977 but has yet to occur. Of course, there are two sides to the issue. Beatrice’s party wants a slow separation to maintain the financial support from France. The more radical elements want rapid separation but do not seem to have a plan for economic independence. How many times have we all heard a similar tale?
We are looking forward to Tahiti tomorrow for boat repairs and a laundry.
As a follow on to yesterday’s complaints, here is a list of wonderful things:
• Sunsets - Even Arizona cannot top this. Every night is a light show that goes on for an hour. Fantastic.
• Creatures - The flying fish, the boobies, the glowing jellyfish and especially the magical dolphins... You can’t get that at home.
• The sea - Watching waves is like looking into a camp fire. You can’t stop. The color is truly spectacular. Even the temperature is right.
• People - We have been delighted by the local people, especially in the Marquises. The other “yachties” are all really neat and here on Southern Star, we have developed our own little family.
• Food - Although we have all lost weight, we have done pretty well in the food department. Each of us is able to whip up an adequate meal when the boat is calm and we are doing a better job of planning foods that do not need cooking for those times when it is too turbulent to safely be around boiling water. It may not be gourmet, but it is nourishing and tasty.
Our plan had us in Tahiti today so I could call Jack and wish him happy birthday. The weather is still beating us up so I hope to make the call tomorrow.
It has rained on and off all day. We are making slow progress south against the wind and sea but this feels like a good day to curl up by the fire with the dog and a good book. I guess I have to put up with just the book.
Two days ago during our taxi excursion, we met a woman named Beatrice (don’t know her last name) who is one of the two representatives to the French Assembly from French Polynesia. This is the time of the French national elections and she is visiting her electorate to campaign. She lives in Tahiti but must fly to Paris every month. She made a point of telling us that she flies first class. I guess that can’t be too bad.
One of the issues of the election is the independence of French Polynesia from the French Republic. This was promised in 1977 but has yet to occur. Of course, there are two sides to the issue. Beatrice’s party wants a slow separation to maintain the financial support from France. The more radical elements want rapid separation but do not seem to have a plan for economic independence. How many times have we all heard a similar tale?
We are looking forward to Tahiti tomorrow for boat repairs and a laundry.
As a follow on to yesterday’s complaints, here is a list of wonderful things:
• Sunsets - Even Arizona cannot top this. Every night is a light show that goes on for an hour. Fantastic.
• Creatures - The flying fish, the boobies, the glowing jellyfish and especially the magical dolphins... You can’t get that at home.
• The sea - Watching waves is like looking into a camp fire. You can’t stop. The color is truly spectacular. Even the temperature is right.
• People - We have been delighted by the local people, especially in the Marquises. The other “yachties” are all really neat and here on Southern Star, we have developed our own little family.
• Food - Although we have all lost weight, we have done pretty well in the food department. Each of us is able to whip up an adequate meal when the boat is calm and we are doing a better job of planning foods that do not need cooking for those times when it is too turbulent to safely be around boiling water. It may not be gourmet, but it is nourishing and tasty.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Day 55 Passage to Tahiti
More sailing without progress
At 6:30 we began preparations for departure by using the dinghy to check out Tiputa pass. Sure enough, it was white water so after breakfast, we headed for Avatoru pass and a relatively calm exit to the sea.
The weather system that is bringing in the south swells brings with it heavier seas, wind and squalls. After passing the north shore of Rangiroa, we turned south toward Tahiti and ran straight into unfavorable winds. For the next 4 hours we tacked back and forth between Rangiroa and Tikihau without making any progress south. It was to late to head back to Rangiroa so we changed direction and sailed west to hide in the lee of the island of Tikihau. By now it was dark and our only choice was to heave to* and wait for the storms to pass.
As they say, “if you are in a hurry to go somewhere, don’t take a sailboat”.
*heave to is a sail configuration where the boat is not really making forward progress but instead is in a stable holding pattern sideways to the wind and waves. This is one way to wait out unfavorable weather.
Thoughts on Cruising - As you can see by the last 3 days, not all of cruising is adventure. In fact there are some other parts that are less than adventurous, for instance:
• Contact - For the last 55 days, I have been mostly out of touch with friends and family. There is an occasional good connection through the Internet and Skype but even then, the bandwidth is so limited that sending photos and attachments has not been possible. I would love to be able to share some of the 1000+ pictures I have taken so far that I am not able to adequately put into words.
• Hygiene - I look forward to a hot shower. The cold water dousings under the pipe at Marquisian anchorages was refreshing but once on board, there is not enough fresh water for a daily shower. I miss that and although the daily sponge bath cleans off the sticky salt water, it is not the same as a hot shower.
• Clean clothes - With limited space on the boat, we have very few clothes with us. With limited fresh water, it is necessary to wear the same things for a few days. We are careful “not to offend” but nonetheless, clean clothes every day would feel nice again.
• Sleep - Watch schedules interrupt everyone’s normal night’s sleep. We tend to nap in the daytime to make up for it so at any one time, there is usually someone sleeping.
• Boat bites and infections - this is self explanatory
• Dampness - Cotton and salt water means forever damp. My bed has been damp for weeks. Sometimes it almost dries out and then there is another storm. Dry would feel nice.
At 6:30 we began preparations for departure by using the dinghy to check out Tiputa pass. Sure enough, it was white water so after breakfast, we headed for Avatoru pass and a relatively calm exit to the sea.
The weather system that is bringing in the south swells brings with it heavier seas, wind and squalls. After passing the north shore of Rangiroa, we turned south toward Tahiti and ran straight into unfavorable winds. For the next 4 hours we tacked back and forth between Rangiroa and Tikihau without making any progress south. It was to late to head back to Rangiroa so we changed direction and sailed west to hide in the lee of the island of Tikihau. By now it was dark and our only choice was to heave to* and wait for the storms to pass.
As they say, “if you are in a hurry to go somewhere, don’t take a sailboat”.
*heave to is a sail configuration where the boat is not really making forward progress but instead is in a stable holding pattern sideways to the wind and waves. This is one way to wait out unfavorable weather.
Thoughts on Cruising - As you can see by the last 3 days, not all of cruising is adventure. In fact there are some other parts that are less than adventurous, for instance:
• Contact - For the last 55 days, I have been mostly out of touch with friends and family. There is an occasional good connection through the Internet and Skype but even then, the bandwidth is so limited that sending photos and attachments has not been possible. I would love to be able to share some of the 1000+ pictures I have taken so far that I am not able to adequately put into words.
• Hygiene - I look forward to a hot shower. The cold water dousings under the pipe at Marquisian anchorages was refreshing but once on board, there is not enough fresh water for a daily shower. I miss that and although the daily sponge bath cleans off the sticky salt water, it is not the same as a hot shower.
• Clean clothes - With limited space on the boat, we have very few clothes with us. With limited fresh water, it is necessary to wear the same things for a few days. We are careful “not to offend” but nonetheless, clean clothes every day would feel nice again.
• Sleep - Watch schedules interrupt everyone’s normal night’s sleep. We tend to nap in the daytime to make up for it so at any one time, there is usually someone sleeping.
• Boat bites and infections - this is self explanatory
• Dampness - Cotton and salt water means forever damp. My bed has been damp for weeks. Sometimes it almost dries out and then there is another storm. Dry would feel nice.
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