Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia

18 April 2013

Many apologies for the gap in the blog, but I have not been the best, suffering greatly from the prolonged heat that my body does not appear to like. And it has frazzled my brain as well I think.

Clipart from DJ Art.

We had just over a week at Hiva Oa, but were only able to go ashore for about 8 hours in all that time as the sea was too rough for our dinghy to land. I will fill you in as we go. We had the usual boat jobs to do, and with help from our next door neighbour Dave was able to get the fuel and water we needed. As appears usual, we have developed another problem, this time with the stern gland seal which will need fixing. So as I need fixing too, we are off to Tahiti where the boat will go to the boatyard and I will go to some air conditioning and the hospital.

We left Hiva Oa on Sunday, so today is our fourth day at sea and this morning we are where we planned to be which is passing the atoll of Manihi.

We expect to be at Papeete around late afternoon Saturday as we have no wind and are motoring.

Present position 14 deg 28min S and 145 deg 4min W

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HIVA OA: We are HERE!

4 April 2013

After 22 days at sea and 3000 miles from Galapagos we have arrived yesterday afternoon. We saw 2 ships in this time, and a yacht once we were 4 hours from Hiva Oa.

This is a lovely place at first glance, very tiny anchorage with almost no room for us, with steep sides all round and lush vegetation and what look to be really big and pleasing houses amongst the trees. The landing area at the side of the anchorage is well built and well maintained. More when we go exploring later today.

'Dave?'
'Yes Jen.'
'What about our scrabble game?'
'What do you mean?'
'Well, we are going to be there soon.'
'Jen, have to have the scrabble!!'
So the doddery duo sit out in the cockpit while the autopilot steers them ever toward their destination.
The tension mounts - who is going to get the big letters today and the triple word score? Much deliberation goes on and thankfully the wind dies a bit so that the game can continue.
'Hey Dave?'
'Yes Jen?'

'We are getting a bit close.'
'Got to finish.'
So the game goes on until 4 miles to go. Very satisfactory.

[Ed.: Who won??!] 

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NEARLY THERE

2 April 2013

The doddery duo are feet up in the cockpit (you need feet up to stop fall off your seat) pondering the great nothingness of the unceasing rise and fall of the waves of the Pacific Ocean and life in general.

'Hey Jen?'
'Yes, Dave?'
'We had better get some things done soon you know.'
''Cos we are getting to Hiva Oa soon?'
'Yup.'
' Well, we could do some gardening.'
'You mean get rid of the things growing on the back of the boat at the water line?'
'Well, I know they are pretty, all that lovely green frondy stuff and those cockle things poking out of their shells. I am sure I have seen those cockle things for sale to eat, you know. And then there is the rockery around them.'
'It does look a bit naff, I guess. Maybe we could lean over and scrape them off and then we would look a bit more professional.'
'We could, Dave. Let's think about it, it is a bit hot at present.'

So maybe the garden will be sorted - maybe not!

The duo need to find a shop that sells mugs of the drinking variety as Dave has had a smashing time of it lately. Problem is he reckons his tea only tastes good in a fine china mug - and these all fall over and run around the galley as they are too top heavy to stay on the non-slip mats. So he has had to resort to Jen's coffee mugs of a more substantial and balanced design. So the hunt will be on for the perfect tea drinking device.

'Hey Dave?'
'Yes, Jen?'
'Concern has been expressed we might miss these teeny tiny bits of land in the middle of the largest ocean in the world.'
'Oh dear, they must not know we have a map.'
'I know Dave, and if they could see the beautiful colouring in I did they would not be worried.'
'But they will be perplexed as to what you have coloured in.'
'The charts, silly. The ones that we have are all greyscale and it was hard to tell the land from the sea among all the squiggles. So now they are all marked up in the traditional way. Mind you these islands are a bit on the weeny side, but the trusty GPS seems to be getting us there.'
'Well, Jen, we should know by tomorrow afternoon.' 

170 miles to go....

Hiva Oa, a speck in the Pacific Ocean....

HAPPY EASTER

1 April 2013 

To us Catholics Easter is the biggest celebration of the year. And so it was with some disappointment that we realized that we would be at sea for this time, despite our best planning. We have all the appropriate books to follow the services and some music to set the scene, but the there was Easter Sunday - the Big Dinner. 

Not to be daunted we bought the only pieces of chicken we could find in Galapagos, and some potatoes. The chicken was lovingly boxed and with some careful stowage put next to the evaporator in the top of the fridge in hope that it would stay frozen. This meant daily cosseting, as, with the bumpy passage we are having and the need to get things out of the fridge, it kept trying to escape from its perch. The potatoes were eked out, keeping the right number to have at Easter. 

So Easter Sunday came, the great celebration of the Resurrection, and we took out our treasures and Dave cooked a wonderful roast chicken (2 legs ) and perfect crispy roast potatoes (despite finding one of his treasures was no good - we still had plenty)and baby carrots and peas courtesy of Morrison's supermarket. Peaches to follow. Burp!!

We are getting closer and will soon have to pull out the approach charts - about 300 miles as I write this, or 2 days, sort of depending if we can keep our average up. I am looking forward to not falling over at every move - the last couple of days have been especially rolly.

The Resurrection