The weather has been awful! The wind has been howling over the hills of Huahine for four days. It is blowing constantly and gusty. There is a French boat anchored very close to us (he snuck in when we went on our hike) and of course, he's not on the boat. So we get to watch his boat swing near us and we have to listen to his very noisy wind generator's high pitched scream in the wind. Luckily, our anchor is quite secure (or so we hope) after all these days of heavy wind. The rain also comes in annoying cycles – not enough to collect – just enough to have to close the windows. Between turning on and off the wind generator (too much wind causes it to overheat) and opening and closes the hatches, we are busy!!!
The bad news is that we are boat bound. It is not prudent to leave the boat for any length of time. We did go over to a neighboring boat for sundowners and enjoyed that evening. And yesterday afternoon we had company. Bruce swam over from "Adventure Bound" and Chris rowed over from "Ladybug" and we enjoyed their company over tea and treats.
Otherwise we are simply reading, doing a few projects and doing anchor watch. We had hoped for some Bastille Day celebrations in the town of Fare. We don't even see the outriggers gathering for races – but perhaps later in the day.
Happy Bastille Day
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Hiking Huahine
The weather has been pretty ugly the last few days. There are lots of squalls with big wind and rain on and off. The wind goes from 5 knots to 25 knots in quick bursts but doesn't last very long. Our anchor is holding and we hope it will continue to do so – as well as all the anchors of the boats around us! One local boat is anchored quite close to us and nobody is aboard. This weather is keeping us in Huahine probably longer than we had hoped.
Yesterday morning, with the weather looking more settled (at least temporarily) we headed off to explore the island on foot. We roamed through the village of Fare and then headed towards the village of Maeve where we had hoped to find the large marae(temple). We walked along the perimeter road and went by a huge lake - Lake Fauna Nui. We stopped and saw a stadium and went in it. People were taking down lots of decorations from an event (don't know what). Near the stadium was a silly sight – an outdoor – tiki game arcade. There were three electronic video games sitting under the cover of a tiki hut.
We walked for awhile and then turned back. The rain was picking up and we were wearing out. On the way back we said hello (bonjour) to a man raking his yard (the yards and gardens here are really well maintained and very pretty). We walked past but he called us back. He then told Michael to pick some of the delicious grapefruit (pampleousse) from his tree and gave them to us. He also gave us a lesson in a few Tahitian words. "Yorana" – means hello.
We made it back to the town and picked up a baquette and looked at bananas – but they were all way too ripe. Then back to the boat to keep anchor watch as the rain and wind squalls came through all night long. There was a very pink sky this morning – so that could mean another bad weather day. Pink sky in the morning – sailors take warning.
We've been invited to a neighboring boat for sundowners today – so we'll hope the weather settles.
Bastille Day is in a few days and we're hoping there will be some festivities on Huahine. Many of the islands have major dance competitions and sporting events. We hope we can enjoy some local events here.
Yesterday morning, with the weather looking more settled (at least temporarily) we headed off to explore the island on foot. We roamed through the village of Fare and then headed towards the village of Maeve where we had hoped to find the large marae(temple). We walked along the perimeter road and went by a huge lake - Lake Fauna Nui. We stopped and saw a stadium and went in it. People were taking down lots of decorations from an event (don't know what). Near the stadium was a silly sight – an outdoor – tiki game arcade. There were three electronic video games sitting under the cover of a tiki hut.
We walked for awhile and then turned back. The rain was picking up and we were wearing out. On the way back we said hello (bonjour) to a man raking his yard (the yards and gardens here are really well maintained and very pretty). We walked past but he called us back. He then told Michael to pick some of the delicious grapefruit (pampleousse) from his tree and gave them to us. He also gave us a lesson in a few Tahitian words. "Yorana" – means hello.
We made it back to the town and picked up a baquette and looked at bananas – but they were all way too ripe. Then back to the boat to keep anchor watch as the rain and wind squalls came through all night long. There was a very pink sky this morning – so that could mean another bad weather day. Pink sky in the morning – sailors take warning.
We've been invited to a neighboring boat for sundowners today – so we'll hope the weather settles.
Bastille Day is in a few days and we're hoping there will be some festivities on Huahine. Many of the islands have major dance competitions and sporting events. We hope we can enjoy some local events here.
Monday, July 9, 2012
New Society Island Anchorage
Huahine Nui. We are anchored off Fare, the main town of Huahini,.one of the Society Island group. This is a less "touristy" island and quite laid back with pretty white sand beaches, lots of coral reef and motus. It is a less dramatic island with regards to the landscape, though it is still very hilly and green. There are two islands, Huahine Nui – (the larger island) and Huahine Iti (the smaller one).
We left Papeete on Saturday morning around 0800 and went through the smaller, more treacherous pass closer to where we were moored. (Richard – this was the pass that had the big waves and surfers). We made it through quite easily – it sure looks worse than it was in reality. We had hoped to sail the whole way and kept hoping. We thought at first we were in the lee of the island of Tahiti, than we passed Moorea and thought that was blocking our wind...but the reality was there were very light winds (contrary to the weather predictions). So we motor sailed most of the 100 miles – bummer. We got in around 1100 on Sunday with a little "avoid the squalls" maneuver as we got close to the entrance pass. That was the best wind we had the entire trip. .We found a nice spot amongst the dozen sailboats, closer to the sandy beach in about 20 feet. It is a really good sandy bottom with just a few bommies around. The water is clear and lots of fish are around.
After a quiet day seeing a few friends also at anchor here, we called it an early night after the all night passage. On Monday morning, we went in to check out the village of Fare. It was a bustling place with everyone carrying their fresh baguettes. That is the thing here – starting around 0800 – everyone is seen carrying around the long loaves of fresh, French bread. There were a few nice fresh fruit and veggie stalls and a big grocery store. A few shops selling local goods, clothes and a small souvenir shop or two. The dinghy dock is a well maintained dock and people seem quite friendly. There is supposed to be a good snorkel spot nearby so we'll check that out – and we're having our friends Mike and Karen from Chapter Two over for dinner tonight.
We'll probably be here a few days. There is word that some big weather is coming – and this looks to be an okay place to sit it out. Or we may head down the island inside the reef and find another more remote anchorage.
Huahine, another idyllic island.
We left Papeete on Saturday morning around 0800 and went through the smaller, more treacherous pass closer to where we were moored. (Richard – this was the pass that had the big waves and surfers). We made it through quite easily – it sure looks worse than it was in reality. We had hoped to sail the whole way and kept hoping. We thought at first we were in the lee of the island of Tahiti, than we passed Moorea and thought that was blocking our wind...but the reality was there were very light winds (contrary to the weather predictions). So we motor sailed most of the 100 miles – bummer. We got in around 1100 on Sunday with a little "avoid the squalls" maneuver as we got close to the entrance pass. That was the best wind we had the entire trip. .We found a nice spot amongst the dozen sailboats, closer to the sandy beach in about 20 feet. It is a really good sandy bottom with just a few bommies around. The water is clear and lots of fish are around.
After a quiet day seeing a few friends also at anchor here, we called it an early night after the all night passage. On Monday morning, we went in to check out the village of Fare. It was a bustling place with everyone carrying their fresh baguettes. That is the thing here – starting around 0800 – everyone is seen carrying around the long loaves of fresh, French bread. There were a few nice fresh fruit and veggie stalls and a big grocery store. A few shops selling local goods, clothes and a small souvenir shop or two. The dinghy dock is a well maintained dock and people seem quite friendly. There is supposed to be a good snorkel spot nearby so we'll check that out – and we're having our friends Mike and Karen from Chapter Two over for dinner tonight.
We'll probably be here a few days. There is word that some big weather is coming – and this looks to be an okay place to sit it out. Or we may head down the island inside the reef and find another more remote anchorage.
Huahine, another idyllic island.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Repairs and Errands
Repairs and Errands
We had a successful day yesterday getting lots of little projects completed. First thing in the morning, we met our agent and received our "clearing out of country" papers. The agent was very efficient and between the discount on fuel and all the legwork – it was worth the money. After that was completed, we journeyed into town and the industrial section again (now that we had located everything) and picked up our welded part (it was ready on time!). We also found some 4200 caulk (it was outrageously priced in some chandlers – as much as $40 US for a small tube); - but at this one spot it was more in the $20 range. We also went to the duty free store called Kim Wa. Here you can buy some duty free wines, they get delivered to your boat in a few days and you cannot open them until you are out of the country. You have to provide all kinds of paperwork for the privilege of spending money. We did buy some French wines at really good prices and they will be delivered on Friday.
We had another good walk and came home tired. It didn't feel like the 4th of July!
Today, (Thursday), Michael installed the repaired autopilot part (which meant cleaning out the lazarette yet again). The freezer got defrosted and we'll do some last minute provisioning. The plan is to depart Papeete, Tahiti on Saturday and head to Huahine (an all day and overnight trip). Friday we'll get our wine delivery and have to store it so we don't drink it until we reach the Cooks.
We had a successful day yesterday getting lots of little projects completed. First thing in the morning, we met our agent and received our "clearing out of country" papers. The agent was very efficient and between the discount on fuel and all the legwork – it was worth the money. After that was completed, we journeyed into town and the industrial section again (now that we had located everything) and picked up our welded part (it was ready on time!). We also found some 4200 caulk (it was outrageously priced in some chandlers – as much as $40 US for a small tube); - but at this one spot it was more in the $20 range. We also went to the duty free store called Kim Wa. Here you can buy some duty free wines, they get delivered to your boat in a few days and you cannot open them until you are out of the country. You have to provide all kinds of paperwork for the privilege of spending money. We did buy some French wines at really good prices and they will be delivered on Friday.
We had another good walk and came home tired. It didn't feel like the 4th of July!
Today, (Thursday), Michael installed the repaired autopilot part (which meant cleaning out the lazarette yet again). The freezer got defrosted and we'll do some last minute provisioning. The plan is to depart Papeete, Tahiti on Saturday and head to Huahine (an all day and overnight trip). Friday we'll get our wine delivery and have to store it so we don't drink it until we reach the Cooks.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
The “Not-so-Scenic” Tour
Well it's back to work aboard Astarte now that our excuse to play has gone (that would be Richard). On Sunday we got three loads of laundry washed and hung out aboard Astarte. We're sure the neighboring floating party tiki that had guests on board were "thrilled" with the laundry boat! We also reorganized a bit below taking back the attic (the V-berth) and the garage (the forward head). Starting on Friday it was "Fete de Autonomie" in Tahiti (their sort of Independence Day weekend). All the floating tikii huts and the tiki "barges" were in use and the music was blaring from them and from on shore. Sunday night ended it a lovely fireworks display – and we had front row seats as they were set off from shore right where we are moored.
On Monday, we got up early and went to town in search of a welder to fix a part from the boat. (For you technical types – it's the part that attaches to the quadrant for the autopilot which has some cracks in it as well as a loose screw hole). We had a general idea of where he is – but it was pretty broad. So we got off the bus and walked through town to the other side...it was the industrial section of town. We roamed around and sure enough after going up and down a few streets, we found it! Luckily the welder spoke good English and said he could do the job. It was very expensive so we opted to get a smaller repair done on it. It will be done Wednesday afternoon so we'll trek back there then. We also went to a few other shops for stainless hardware. One shop would tell us to try another and give us directions. It ended up being a lot of walking but we did manage to get a few things we needed. We still can't find "3M 4200" here that is reasonable. One store had a tube for more than $40. Another store had expired 5200 for $39. Ouch.
The bus fares in Tahiti went up on July 1 from 130 CFP (French Polynesian francs) to 200 CFP. That almost created a riot on the bus trip home as the riders were not at all happy with the large increase, The driver tried to explain that they should buy the newly offered round trip ticket as that was only 340 CFP so that would make the increase only 40 more each way rather than the 70 more. But people weren't happy. The bus system seems a bit weird here – because they don't run very late in the day. They seem to stop around 5 or 5:30 pm – so people who work can't get home if they bus into town. The taxi cab union must be big here!
On Monday, we got up early and went to town in search of a welder to fix a part from the boat. (For you technical types – it's the part that attaches to the quadrant for the autopilot which has some cracks in it as well as a loose screw hole). We had a general idea of where he is – but it was pretty broad. So we got off the bus and walked through town to the other side...it was the industrial section of town. We roamed around and sure enough after going up and down a few streets, we found it! Luckily the welder spoke good English and said he could do the job. It was very expensive so we opted to get a smaller repair done on it. It will be done Wednesday afternoon so we'll trek back there then. We also went to a few other shops for stainless hardware. One shop would tell us to try another and give us directions. It ended up being a lot of walking but we did manage to get a few things we needed. We still can't find "3M 4200" here that is reasonable. One store had a tube for more than $40. Another store had expired 5200 for $39. Ouch.
The bus fares in Tahiti went up on July 1 from 130 CFP (French Polynesian francs) to 200 CFP. That almost created a riot on the bus trip home as the riders were not at all happy with the large increase, The driver tried to explain that they should buy the newly offered round trip ticket as that was only 340 CFP so that would make the increase only 40 more each way rather than the 70 more. But people weren't happy. The bus system seems a bit weird here – because they don't run very late in the day. They seem to stop around 5 or 5:30 pm – so people who work can't get home if they bus into town. The taxi cab union must be big here!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
NEW PHOTOS
Check out "Richard's Visit" and "Rallypics"
Plus you can see a picture of "Barbara's paddle team" on the Latitude 38 web page:
http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/LectronicLat.lasso
Plus you can see a picture of "Barbara's paddle team" on the Latitude 38 web page:
http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/LectronicLat.lasso
Parahi Richard, Mauruuru
That's farewell Richard, Thank You in Tahitian. Richard (Soby) is on his way back to the states for some rest! And, you no longer have a guest blogger – you're back having to read Barbara's and Michael's entries. Thank you Richard for posting so many entries!
Our last day together was spent in a rental car circumnavigating Tahiti Nui (the big island). We hit all the scenic and historical sites along the outer perimeter road. We started at the Museum of Tahiti and Its Islands. This was a very interesting spot with lots of great artifacts, old photographs and a good history of the islands culture, religion and everyday lifestyles. It also included a brief but good overview of the geology of the islands, and the diversity of the area's birds, fish, plants and coral. A different part of the museum had a history of the various dance costumes used in the annual competitions – Heiva 'I Tahiti. From there, we made our way along the waterfront road to the Marae Arahurahu. This is a beautiful example of an ancient, traditional Polynesian temple with its multiple tiers, tikis, altar, and leaning stones. It was being decorated on the day we were there for some type of event. They were putting up long colorful banners on bamboo, had tiki torches ready to go and lots of beautiful shell embedded posts. From that impressive site, we continued to the Maraa Grottos. Here we saw three lovely, deep caverns that were sculpted with live ferns and dripping cool water. The gardens were filled with water lilies, pink and red ginger flowers and lots of tropical plants. It was very pretty – and across the street – a magnificent view of a big surf break and the Pacific beyond. After a stop at a well hidden fruit stand, we continued our drive in search of a lunch spot. We were hoping for a roulotte – the food vans, but we settled on a restaurant/snack stop. It was quite tasty and inexpensive (by Tahiti standards). From there we were looking for the Arahoho Blowhole which is supposed to be quite a sight if the tides and swell is right. But for our visit as Richard said, "the blowhole sucked." It was barely a spray. Then we ventured to Point Venus – this is the promontory that marks the Bay of Matavai eastern end. This is the bay favored by early European explorers like Cook and "The Bounty" with Captain Bligh. Point Venus gets its name because this is where Capt. Cook watched the transit of Venus across the face of the sun to calculate the distance between earth and sun (not successfully). This and the Bounty's arrival are both the subject of monuments in the park which also has a lovely old lighthouse.
After this spot we made our way back. Michael did a great job getting us through the many "roundabouts" without incidence. It was a really fun day and we all learned a lot. Back to Astarte we rested up, Richard packed up and we were ready for a VERY early wake up call to get Richard to the airport on time. He definitely didn't want to miss his 0800 flight so we were up and about at 0415. he got checked in and off through security and we hope had a safe and uneventful trip back to Norfolk.
We figured he came to see us for some rest – but we did go non-stop for his visit. We did a walking tour of Papeete. He saw lots of Polynesian cultural activities – dancing and music. We ate where the locals eat at the food vans – the roulottes. He helmed the sailboat Astarte as we raced (though it really wasn't a race) from Tahiti to Moorea. He raced outrigger canoes as part of a six-man team. He watched dancing, singing, music, fruit races, coconut husking, tug of wars. He dinghied at sunset and hiked to one end of the bay of Opunohu Bay; got jostled on the rough roads on a Moorea tour, sampled rum at the distillery at 10 am; saw the agriculture school, shrimp farms, pineapples, mountains, ancient temples and viewpoints on both Moorea and Tahiti. He snorkeled with sharks and stingrays. He even did some snorkeling. He "enjoyed" music from shore and the nearby tiki huts 'til midnight (even disco fever – mirror ball and YMCA!). He experienced the excitement of a hard blowing squall at night with boats dragging anchor. He helped rescue a young local kid from a broken outrigger. In between, we ate well, had a few laughs and enjoyed his company. It started with lost luggage (found the next day) and ended up with an early departure. He probably only wanted to sit on Astarte and enjoy watching the world swim, sail or float by. Instead he got all of the above and a few beautiful sunsets.
Mauruuru Richard – thank you for coming all this way to see us and for spending your time with the crew of Astarte. We really do appreciate it!
Our last day together was spent in a rental car circumnavigating Tahiti Nui (the big island). We hit all the scenic and historical sites along the outer perimeter road. We started at the Museum of Tahiti and Its Islands. This was a very interesting spot with lots of great artifacts, old photographs and a good history of the islands culture, religion and everyday lifestyles. It also included a brief but good overview of the geology of the islands, and the diversity of the area's birds, fish, plants and coral. A different part of the museum had a history of the various dance costumes used in the annual competitions – Heiva 'I Tahiti. From there, we made our way along the waterfront road to the Marae Arahurahu. This is a beautiful example of an ancient, traditional Polynesian temple with its multiple tiers, tikis, altar, and leaning stones. It was being decorated on the day we were there for some type of event. They were putting up long colorful banners on bamboo, had tiki torches ready to go and lots of beautiful shell embedded posts. From that impressive site, we continued to the Maraa Grottos. Here we saw three lovely, deep caverns that were sculpted with live ferns and dripping cool water. The gardens were filled with water lilies, pink and red ginger flowers and lots of tropical plants. It was very pretty – and across the street – a magnificent view of a big surf break and the Pacific beyond. After a stop at a well hidden fruit stand, we continued our drive in search of a lunch spot. We were hoping for a roulotte – the food vans, but we settled on a restaurant/snack stop. It was quite tasty and inexpensive (by Tahiti standards). From there we were looking for the Arahoho Blowhole which is supposed to be quite a sight if the tides and swell is right. But for our visit as Richard said, "the blowhole sucked." It was barely a spray. Then we ventured to Point Venus – this is the promontory that marks the Bay of Matavai eastern end. This is the bay favored by early European explorers like Cook and "The Bounty" with Captain Bligh. Point Venus gets its name because this is where Capt. Cook watched the transit of Venus across the face of the sun to calculate the distance between earth and sun (not successfully). This and the Bounty's arrival are both the subject of monuments in the park which also has a lovely old lighthouse.
After this spot we made our way back. Michael did a great job getting us through the many "roundabouts" without incidence. It was a really fun day and we all learned a lot. Back to Astarte we rested up, Richard packed up and we were ready for a VERY early wake up call to get Richard to the airport on time. He definitely didn't want to miss his 0800 flight so we were up and about at 0415. he got checked in and off through security and we hope had a safe and uneventful trip back to Norfolk.
We figured he came to see us for some rest – but we did go non-stop for his visit. We did a walking tour of Papeete. He saw lots of Polynesian cultural activities – dancing and music. We ate where the locals eat at the food vans – the roulottes. He helmed the sailboat Astarte as we raced (though it really wasn't a race) from Tahiti to Moorea. He raced outrigger canoes as part of a six-man team. He watched dancing, singing, music, fruit races, coconut husking, tug of wars. He dinghied at sunset and hiked to one end of the bay of Opunohu Bay; got jostled on the rough roads on a Moorea tour, sampled rum at the distillery at 10 am; saw the agriculture school, shrimp farms, pineapples, mountains, ancient temples and viewpoints on both Moorea and Tahiti. He snorkeled with sharks and stingrays. He even did some snorkeling. He "enjoyed" music from shore and the nearby tiki huts 'til midnight (even disco fever – mirror ball and YMCA!). He experienced the excitement of a hard blowing squall at night with boats dragging anchor. He helped rescue a young local kid from a broken outrigger. In between, we ate well, had a few laughs and enjoyed his company. It started with lost luggage (found the next day) and ended up with an early departure. He probably only wanted to sit on Astarte and enjoy watching the world swim, sail or float by. Instead he got all of the above and a few beautiful sunsets.
Mauruuru Richard – thank you for coming all this way to see us and for spending your time with the crew of Astarte. We really do appreciate it!
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