Papillon in dry dock

La Orana!

I write this from the CNI boatyard on the west coast of Raiatea. Directly to the south lies the Carenage boatyard, but like East and West Berlin until the fall of the wall the two communities seem like entirely separate spaces. We think the CNI is considered the poor relation but after 6 days we have no complaints. Our pitch looks out onto the lagoon and the breeze; the facilities are basic but blessed with the water pressure of a geyser; and all the staff have that French charm that we awkward Brits can only marvel at. 

	CNI Workshop
Competing boatyards: CNI (right);Carenage (left	View through the hulls to the bay

We arrived last Wednesday. The entrance is impossibly narrow, and the long channel to the slipway complicated by multiple layers of mooring lines and buoys but skipper navigated through like a pro and before we knew it we were positioned over the hoist with one guy chucking us stern lines, another diving underneath to secure us to the hoist and two more divers removing obstructions on the underside of Papillon with our “tournevis” (screwdriver in French and a new word for me!). It was a very slick operation (apart from me not understanding the meaning of “tournevis” for far too long)! Hauling out was performed at a snail’s pace by an ancient blue tractor with all the staff pitching in loudly in Tahitian with steering instructions. Standing on deck watching operations below was nerve wracking. The boat juddered underneath us and the slipway seemed endless but like all journeys it was over faster than we thought and within 30 minutes we were firmly positioned (almost level!) on blocks, with a ladder to disembark and free of the hoist for a few days at least. It was our first look at Papillon's keel.  No nasty surprises but definitely some work to be done. The decision to haul out had been a good one.

Attaching the hoist	Haul out time
Starboard propellor	Starboard hull

How do I describe life in a Polynesian boatyard? In reality no different from that in a UK boatyard! "Dirty" is the first word that springs to mind. Power showers at the end of each day prove to be a high spot but even they can’t clean all the grit out from beneath our nails, ease the mosquito bites covering our limbs or rid us completely from the dust encrusting our hair roots. Every day we feel grimier and grimier and Papillon is no exception. Layers of dust gather on her decks as each day passes. It’s also very noisy with everyone working frantically from first light with a bewildering array of different power tools to minimise the costs of skilled labour and storage on the hard. There is no time for idle chat or gossip during those precious daylight hours, but once dusk falls huddles form alongside half-finished projects to discuss issues arising over beers and bananas. People chip in freely with information and advice. We feel like outsiders. The new kids on the block. We are made welcome with gifts of yet more bananas but so many seem to know each other from years gone by and most of the chat is in French. Austrian (do they even have a sea border?) Walter next door has been cruising in Polynesia for over 10 years and is able to point out almost everybody in the yard – all with their different areas of expertise to tap into. Advice is tricky though – everybody has their own opinion and what’s right for one boat isn’t necessarily right for another. I find myself wary of giving it and stupidly wary of receiving it in case my disregard of any one-piece causes offence. Skipper navigates the information highway much more effectively absorbing the different opinions and then making his decisions. In this way and as planned Papillon receives new sail drive seals and anodes for both engines, the starboard propellor is filled and primed, oil changes are performed, the gas piping is renewed to higher safety standards and the hull is sanded down and re-antifouled for the year ahead. 

Improved propellor

Antifouling underway

While he is negotiating all these interactions, I tackle the dinghy upgrade. Scrubbing the underside of years of marine growth proves to be the easy part. Repairing the chaps is much longer and laborious made harder by my forgetting to wash out the salt from the canvas until after the event. All those years of pipetting have certainly strengthened my finger muscles but not enough. My joints are screaming by the end. To distract I take myself off into town one day. Annoyingly the velcro and sikaflex I have on board are not fit for purpose. It’s a 10km round trip from CNI to Uturoa and in the baking heat of the day a challenging walk. Oh, for a fold up bike like the real cruisers!! When the Chinese matriarch in Sillioux (pronounced C U!) procures the right velcro and sika I practically hug her on the spot. It is only her imperceptible recoil from my sweaty body that holds me back!! I return in triumph to complete the job and with the chaps firmly secured to the dinghy, the ropes freshly whipped and a canvas bag secured to the transom to hold the bailer and sponge I am proud to announce that Papillon Junior is a credit to her crew!! It’s been an exhausting but satisfying 5 day episode! 

Flowers en route to Uturoa	and more
Fishing boat in the lagoon	Hopefully not required

Between jobs and removing all the grime I distract myself people watching. The children are endlessly fascinating. Long term cruisers sampling the world from such a young age. The boat opposite has two little girls on board, both less than 6 who navigate the steep ladder to their boat with speed and grace that we can only dream of. At the weekend they spend their days in princess dresses “helping “ mum and dad who are sanding the hull, drawing pictures at their little plastic table positioned in the shade of the boat, fishing from the dock with brightly coloured nets, performing dances for anyone interested and generally running wild in the dust. I love watching them. I guess living on a boat full time they don’t have to be continually reminded of the dangers, but they certainly do seem to have a lot of freedom. When Monday comes, they disappear off with another family in their ancient car for several hours. The same happens on Tuesday. The excitement every time they see their friend in the car leads me to think that this has happened before. I suspect they are enrolled in school while they are here. A wonderful life when you are little. I wonder how it will all shake out when they get to be teenagers. 

Finished dinghy

yet more unusual flowers

So, in this way the days pass and the wish list of jobs gradually gets whittled down. We have enjoyed seeing a different part of Raiatea, but we are ready to leave. The lemon chicken and sweet potato fries at the Chinese snack bar along the coast are delicious but not sufficiently attractive to prolong our stay here. Haul-outs are a necessary part of cruising life but in my opinion the shorter the better so tomorrow, all being well, we will pay our bill and return to the lagoon. We are hoping there will be a mooring available as the wind has still not abated. A week ago, when we were there last Christian, my rescued mariner came over with a bottle of thank you wine. He was invited aboard to share it with us. Despite having a dinner engagement elsewhere, he did so and then proceeded to regale us with stories for the next hour or so – a very entertaining guy . Sadly, he won’t be around when we get back. He was leaving the next day to meet up with his wife in Tahiti but maybe his or our mooring will still be free. Fingers crossed. We could do with the peace and quiet for a bit!

Polynesian grapefruit season

Almost ready to launch