Moorea 14. 07.2016

Hotel Bali Hai on island .of Moorea.

tatoos and BIG in the Polynesian Islands.

Mural on gable in Papeete

We escaped Tahiti last week and was overtaken by a canoe race. We anchored up in Cook's Bay after two nights in lagoons .inside the reef where we snockled and saw many lovelyn colourful fish .

pineapples sold along the road!

We are cycling round the island.

Rain in Papeete, TAHITI

IT ALSO RAINS ON TAHITI!

Miss Tahiti!

Miss Tahiti

Sunday 5^th June 2016

Yesterday I had my Picture taken with Miss Tahiti. How? Why? Well, we went to Hotel International here on Tahiti see a Polynesian dance performance. We ran into a very smart private due to which you needed tickets. The Due had something to do with the coming Miss Tahiti competition. The beauty queens were lined up for a photo shoot and out came my smart-phone for a shot. Someone asked if I wanted my picture taken………….and why not??

It was quite amazing. The dance will have to wait. I still have to pinch my arm!!

Tahiti

Marina Papeete, TAHITI. Thursday 8. June 2016 .

It is after sunset and I am sitting in the cockpit eating my way through a bunch of lychees. They are yummy! Around the anchorage out- rigger canoes are training for a race. We had a swim when we came back from town.

We arrived to Taine anchorage on Tahiti Monday 30th May from Rangiroa in the Tuamotoes after two and a half days sailing. We buddy-boated with Alan on s/v Arica, a single-hander from Ireland in his Sirius 38. We had a good passage and I had the light from the moon in third quarter in my 0.00 to 05.00 watches. We spoke to Alan several times on the passage and he was fine. The wind increased as we approached Tahiti and we reefed in the main. We anchored in 15 m of water inside the reef in calm seas amongst another hundred boats, some at anchor and others on moorings. The Marinas dinghy dock being 150 m away.

Tuesday 7th June.

We had a horrible night. We went to bed as normal, early at 19.00. David had suffered a stomach upset and been in bed all day, and I was tired. I had been with Alan in a hired car round the island. The weather was bad with wind and rain. The trip was nothing special. David didn’t miss much!

At 19.30 I heard my smart-phone sound hungry and I got up. I felt a lot of movement and checked our position on the shore. It was dark, but I saw to my horror that we seemed to be dragging. The wind had increased to 18 to 20 knots. I quickly got David up. The voltage was low as been cloudy and wet all day and no solar power has got into the batteries. We couldn’t start the engine! Or the generator! We quickly let out more chain, but the chain got stock in the hole to the chain locker and couldn’t move. We dragged about 50 m passing two boats on the way. Then we stopped just 20 m before reaching a third boat. It was dark and very windy! The second anchor was employed. We had stopped moving. All the boats were bobbing up and down around us in the dark night. At midnight it seemed as if we had dragged a little so another 5 m went out of the second chain. David stayed on anchor watch in the cockpit till 4.00. The wind was still strong at 15-20 knots but we seemed to be stable. I got up at daybreak. We were bobbing up and down only 15 m in front of an old rusty steel hulk, which had a barking dog on board and a lot of clutter. The lee-shore was quite near and so was another coral reef. I did not like it.

We had breakfast and David went ashore in some errand. The wind was still strong and the forecast was worse. The big waves hammered on the big reef ½ Mile away. It looked spectacular and the noise was incredible. This was the big reef surrounding the island of Tahiti. David stopped on his way back at s/v Enchantres of Aberdeen and told David and Susan that we were moving to Marina Papeete. They kindly offered to help with the anchors for which we were grateful.

The experience of pulling up the two anchors was to me another nightmare. I was on the helm and engine. It was still a force 4-5 from S to SE. The two Davids and ladies (Sabine from s/v Chevaldy was also helping) were on the foredeck sorting the anchors. I had never worked the engine in a tight situation with other boats. The chain for no. 1 anchor was employing the windlass so no. 2. anchor chain had cranked up using the winch on the mast  and pulling like tug of war by hand and man/woman power.

I was in the cockpit, terrified of not being able to hold the boat into the wind. A couple of times we were quite near to other boats. It was not an easy job as the chains had got twisted. Eventually they cleared and we were free. What a relief!

We motored in the buoyed channel inside the big reef past the airport runway. Rounding a corner of the island we were out of the wind and it felt as if we were in a different world, sunny and balmy.

We are now happily moored in a slip in Marina Papeete. The town is buzzing with life and all along the pontoon we meet friends we have made earlier in our venture from Panama through the Marquesas, and Tuamotos to here……Tahiti.

Taiohae, Nuku Hiva.

We arrived yesterday morning to this old crater of a bay with 3/4 of the sides of the crater as high hills and the last quater open to the sea on the island of Nuku Hiva makes a secure and the most important anchorage in all of the Marquesas Islands.
Our arrival was a bit dramatic as  we had no engine.. It wouldn't start the night before when we were about to anchor at the island of Pou Au . We sailed over- night the 20 NM with very reduced sails and arrived at day break at the entrance to the bay of Taiohae.
To our great fortune Australian s/v Haven with Kerry and Bruce was en route. As we hauled them, they were already wondering what we were about since moving so slowly at that early hour of the morning. They came along and kindly towed us to a safe anchorage in th bay amongst  30 other yachts.

Hiva Oa

We arrived 9.April to Fatu Hiva the most SE of the Marquesas Islands after 35days and 4000 NM at sea. It was good to be on terra -firma.
Now after a few days we moved to  Hiva Oa to check in and send Hans Christian on his way home .
This lovely brother of mine flew out to our rescue as David got a whiplash in the Perlos Islands and we were able to continue to the South Pacific.

Starting the Puddle Jump!

We ar anchored at the island of Contadora, Islas las Perlos, and we have been here for two weeks since David tumbled and whiplashed his neck.  Today my brother Hans Christian arrived and he is coming with us to the Marquesas Islands.David s neck and back have been hurting but improving all the time. Hans hr. is really good news! He was stuck in New york as his documentation for further travel was his word only. The authorities would not let him board the plane, and since it was midnight here at the time we did not know any of the drama till the next morning when  realizingthat our good Panamanian friends, Janice and Woddey had gone in wane to the airport. A lot of tension and writing of documentation later He got on theplane the following night.Again our good friends collected him and showed him Panama before handing him overto other bood friends Nancy and John who fed and watered him, gave him a bed for the night  and got him to the Contadora ferry next morning. Tomorrow, 3rd of March we light the anchor and startthe 4000 Miles towards The South Pacific and the Marquesas Islands.

Ferry terminal on Isla Contadora.

Gittewaiting for the ferry from Panama.

Hans Christian in the panga reaching the shore.

Three happy sailors! David, Gitte and Hans Christian.