Papeete; Tahiti

We have arrived in Papeete and have anchored up near the Taina marina just south of the main city. The last night was a good one as the wind stayed fairly constant and the rain squalls never showed up. We finally anchored around 12 o clock and had some lunch. The anchorage is very full with around two hundred boats around us. The water is deep so we have all our chain out to hold us in place. It is very calm though with almost no wind. Later we went ashore to go to the shop and say hello to some other yachts around us that we know. We changed outboard engines on the dinghy and we can get the dink to plane now with two of us in it so are able to get around quicker and go longer distances without it taking all day. So here we are planning along towards the dinghy dock and suddenly run aground on a coral reef. What a dreadful noise of fibreglass running up on the coral and then the engine kicking up and moaning at being out of the water. We cut the engine and Colin got out onto the coral to see what our lot was. Push it back was about all we could do. Sandy had to get out and stand on the coral and we pushed the boat back. As it got to the end of the coral and the boat dropped back the coral that Colin was on gave way and he took an unwanted swim. Once back in the boat we navigated away from the coral and returned to the yacht to get dry clothes and patch up Colin's shins where they had been cut on the coral that did not give way. A little later we tried again and made it to the dinghy dock successfully. The coral wraps almost all the way around the dock with one tiny float on the one corner of it that we did not even see from the direction that we first approached. There must be many a dinghy that has made friends with that reef. When we hauled the dinghy out last night all seemed okay on the bottom, just a few more scratches and the motor is fine. The shop was great... a big supermarket with everything!!!! Wow.... but expensive and our few things came to $100 but nothing as expensive as all the little islands that we have just been through. Colin got himself a large T-steak about an inch thick. Fresh beef... the first time since Panama. So we will stay here a few days and enjoy the French cheeses and other FRESH fruit and veg before we head off again and tackle some more of the tins on board.... beans , something and beans and something else with beans and more .... beans.

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