Visitor aboard

 

La Orana!

Well it’s been quite a fortnight since I last updated the blog.  Duncan arrived for his “holiday of a lifetime” 2 weeks ago.  His mule bags were unpacked with much delight and the following day we set off in high spirits and gentle breezes for Bora Bora.  Our progress under sail was slow but it did give us the chance to try out our newly fashioned tuna line off the back of the boat (thankyou Maintenance Rob!).  No joy this time I’m afraid but it certainly looked the part.  

Boys reunited

Testing out the tuna line

Bora Bora was busier than before - full of “party” boats and much revelry but we moved onto quieter anchorages and had a great time showing Duncan around.  The high spot was probably a walk/scramble up Mata Pupu.  This is the furthest you are allowed to climb up Otemanu (the highest peak on the island)  and has spectacular views over the East and West of Bora Bora.  The rope sections across the steepest descents were particularly interesting after all the rain we had had overnight but it was definitely worth the effort, and apart from a bit of surface mud we returned to the dinghy unscathed!  More walking was done later on  to check out some of the canons left by the Americans after the war but most of the rest of the time was spent was snorkelling.  

Top of Mata Pupu	The Bora Bora lagoon
Otemanu in the clouds	Abandoned cannons

Duncan is much more of a Go Pro expert than us and managed to get the camera working underwater which was fun.  It turns out that Eagle Rays are very fast swimmers and a little camera shy but by pushing our visitor out of the dinghy with the camera every time we had a sighting, we finally got a video of sorts!  As you will see wildlife photography is harder than it looks on “Blue Planet”!   

Our plan after Bora Bora was to go onto Maupiti but sadly the weather wasn’t favourable.  The Maupiti pass is very narrow and cannot be attempted in southerly winds or if the swell is more than 1.5m.  Unfortunately, we had stronger winds than expected from the southeast and a swell of 1.8m rising to 2.4m over the next few days so like all good boat plans they had to be changed and we headed back to Raiatea.  Our return journey revealed yet more issues with the alternator and since we were also booked in to upgrade our solar panels before leaving for Tahiti we decided to head back early into the marina.  It was a little disappointing, but in hindsight good for us as Duncan’s extra muscle was invaluable.  Richard (alternator man) has been the design coordinator of this project but at 71 years of age seems to prefer directing operations from the side-lines shall we say!  The first day we all worked from dawn till dusk drilling, screwing and lifting the heavy panels into place. I was completely done in.  It was incredibly hard work.  3 days later the panels are now fully functional and charging our batteries much more effectively than the old ones so skipper is happy. 

Old panels removed	New panels arrive unconventionally
Can this day get any worse?	Almost dark and still at it

To distract us from solar panels and alternator woes Duncan and I escaped for two days and hired electric bikes. What a fantastic invention they are! I am now a complete convert.  Perhaps the Scottish Government could be encouraged to issue everyone over 60 an e bike rental in lieu of a bus pass!! The benefits to health, our environment and, if we made them ourselves, the economy would be huge!!  But I will get off my soap box and return to matters Polynesian! The first day we cycled around the 80km east loop of Raiatea taking in the beautiful Botanical gardens, a tiny family run Pearl farm, and a walk to a small summit with fantastic views over the island.  All this plus an amazing birthday lunch in the very fancy Opua Beach Hotel made for a memorable day . 

Botanical garden	Happy cyclists
Wet boat trip out to the pearl farm	Lunch at the Opua Beach Hotel

The second ride was more chilled. We put the bikes on one of the little ferries to Tahaa and cycled the entire island.  It is much quieter and very beautiful.  The steeply rising interior road is lined with sugar cane, bread fruit trees, palms and a myriad of different flowering bushes and shrub.  So much colour to enjoy with the green peaks of the mountains a continuous presence above the treeline.  It is no wonder Tahaa is called the  “Green Island” .  

Palms at the summit	Flowers everywhere

Tahaa is best known for its Vanilla plantations, mulched with rotted down coconut shells that are commonly seen drying on platforms around the coast.  More recently it has begun to develop a  very successful Rum Industry.  We were treated to a great tour of one on the west side where the lagoon is slightly deeper and more suitable for transportation.   The challenges of running a business so far away from anywhere were really brought home when the guide told us the second hand still they had managed to buy from New Zealand had taken a year to arrive on the boat!  How can you run a successful business not knowing when the hardware might arrive? It’s a good thing Polynesian people are so laid back! Rum is drunk neat here, as an appetiser – perhaps not my taste but  after 3 tots we certainly seemed to have more spring in our step!  With such a long coastline most houses in Tahaa boast a small fishing boat outside hoisted above the lagoon in a sling - nets and floats strewn over nearby bushes and trees to dry.  “House” is perhaps an exaggeration,  many are more shack-like, walled and roofed with corrugated iron sheeting,  often with material blinds in lieu of glass and raised up from the dirt on breeze block “stilts”.  Indeed, more money seems to have been spent on the elaborate graves in front of the houses than the houses themselves.  There are very few cemeteries in the Leeward Islands, so Granny and Grandpa are often buried in the garden.  It takes a bit of getting used to and is  probably another reason, along with the exorbitant cost of land, why houses aren’t sold here very often!  Protecting each estate from I’m not sure what, is usually a pack of dogs.  They bark as you cycle by but are otherwise not particularly enthused about their job and lie sleeping in the shade!  The only other noise disturbing the peace is the  mobile grocery van creeping along at a snail’s pace announcing its presence with a tooting horn.  Otherwise, all is quiet: children’s bowed heads over school books, adults resting underneath trees chatting in small groups,  plants creeping over rusting vehicles abandoned at the side of the road and only the odd car overtaking us every few minutes. It’s a beautiful island for cycling, chatting and generally catching up.

Back at the marina after our mini break the work was almost complete.  Boat work is never finished of course but we were at least safe to move on.  Provisions were stocked, water tanks topped up and after a week of labour we were off again.  Duncan took the helm, and we sailed north to a beautiful anchorage by the pass on the east side of Tahaa - Passe Toahotu.  This was our second attempt at anchoring and proved to be a big improvement on the first.  Wrapping one’s chain around a coral head is a big worry here.  To avoid this headache the chain is buoyed to raise it above the seabed as it is released.  It can be a bit of a fankle, but this time all went well: no coral heads were engaged, a quick snorkel revealed the anchor chain lying first on pristine sand and then floating gently above the one coral head we could see.  It was a good job.  We could relax.  Skipper cooked a delicious (mainly spinach) risotto and we were treated to one of the most beautiful sunsets yet. Next stop Huanine and then Tahiti.  The voyage has begun.

First mate relaxes doing yoga

Skipper relaxing asleep!