Heading for Vanuatu

Time to move on. We have had a good but wet stay in Suva and leave today for Vanuatu. It is a pity that we have so little time left as it is already the 9th of October. The weather ahead for the next few days is varied with heavy showers and light winds. The grib files change by the day so who knows what we will get. It's just less than 600 miles to Port Vila and we are hoping to get there by Friday. There are still so many places to go to but we have to cut them out of our schedule as we stay longer somewhere else. We have booked into the marina at Mooloolaba from the first of December and will more than likely leave Bunderberg around the 20th November and head down via Tin Can Bay where we spend some time before the trip down to Mooloolaba. We are still planning to arrive around the 7th November in Bunderberg. So that's the basic plan and we will fill in the details as we go.

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Arrived... Suva; Fiji

Suva Fiji
After a slow day with the wind on the nose it finally relented and moved back to the south. We had a very calm night with enough wind to keep up four knots which is all we needed to arrive here in the morning. All night we had the glow of Suva on the bow. There are extensive reefs around Suva and approaching as it got light was just perfect. We took a few fixes to check the accuracy of the charts and were happy with following our electronic charts in. It always seems far more difficult when looking at the approach on the charts, but once you get there it always seems a lot easier than one presumed. We anchored near the Royal Suva Yacht Club and cleared in with the port captain who told us to contact the yacht club to complete customs etc. We called them on the radio and they said we could check in and pay or wait until tomorrow ... so here we are relaxing and sleeping our day away.
The harbour inside was filthy with tons of oil on the surface as well as general rubbish. There goes our nice clean hull. The harbour is filled with deep sea fishing boats rafted together. These are all long line fishing boats that are stripping the pacific of its pelagic fish. The other thing one notices is that they all have Chinese flags off the stern. All around the pacific the Chinese are taking over putting some money into the country for basic development and then collect all the fishing grants etc and clean out their natural resources. Since arriving we have seen a few of the boats rafted near us dumping their rubbish over the side. It's no wonder that the harbour looks as it does.
On a lighter note while Colin was on watch a bird crashed on deck. Shining a light in its direction he found a rather dazed Bird of Paradise with its squid lying on the deck and it stumbling around a little stunned. It did not have much room to take off so flapped around helplessly. Fortunately it flapped down the side past the cockpit where Colin got hold of it. After trying to calm it he was going to launch it, when it latched onto his finger with amazing power for such a small bird. The beak is serrated to grip squid which are extremely slippery from the surface of the water. It took a while for Colin to pry its beak open and launch it skywards in the dark where it found its wings and got going.
So tomorrow we sign in and will head into town to explore. From the water the town has many new and modern looking buildings. Apparently the shops are also well stocked. There are a few things that we need so hopefully they will be available here. Our last shop was in Tahiti almost two months ago.

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Light winds good eating

Colin and Sandy Cruising with Papillon
On route to Suva; Fiji
00h37 UTC 23 September
Course: 280°
Distance covered last 24hrs until 23h00 GMT: 97nm
Distance to Suva: 89 nm
Position 18°19' S 179°56' E
All's well on board.

So who told the wind that we were way ahead of schedule and who computed the last weather grib files? Since entering the Lau group of islands the seas have been flat and life on board is levelling out. The wind has slowly died and at times we were down to a meagre 1.8kn of boat speed. Not that this is a problem as we have plenty of time. The grib files that we got yesterday reported that we would continue along on our way with 10kn of wind from the SE slowly turning to the east. Lovely! This morning the wind was 6-8kn but was now blowing from the SW and slowly squeezing us northward on a beat as it tracks to the west. So we are beating to Suva in light winds and the sea is still calm.
We caught a big Mahi Mahi yesterday afternoon and released it as it was over 4ft and far too big for us to keep. It took the lure and then started an amazing aerial display that we have not seen from a Mahi Mahi before. As the winds were light we turned the boat until all the sails backed so that the boat stopped while we fought the fish. If we had a freezer it would have filled that. We only keep big fish if we are going into port or an anchorage where we can share it out.
We have passed some beautiful islands that on the charts look absolutely fantastic with good places to anchor. We no sooner pass the one island and the next rises up over the horizon to great you. As slow as we are going it looks like a Sunday arrival in Suva.... so I guess its cough up and pay. If the wind had stayed with us all the way we would have had a very quick passage. So instead the books are being read and food made and being calm ... sleeping. It takes a few days before one gets used to three hours on watch the three to sleep, but it is nice if you can sleep when it's your three hours off.
Well it's time to finish this as its time to cook or bake something.....hmmm cake!! And we have been making water so the engine has been on and the fridge will be cold, so some jelly will be good... maybe with the still weather some chocolate moose might go down even better.
Till next time

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On passage to Fiji

Colin and Sandy Cruising with Papillon
On route to Suva; Fiji
23h00 UTC 22 September
Course: 259°
Distance covered last 24hrs until 22h00 GMT: 159nm
Distance to Suva: 189 nm
Position 18°30' S 178°24' W
All's well on board.

After a busy morning sorting out our clearance and getting the boat ready we finally left Neiafu at around two. The winds have been good with some rain. Today we reached the Southern Lau group of islands that belong to Fiji. We are in the Oneata passage which is around four miles wide. We arrived here as it was getting light so that we were able to get some bearings and see how well the charts lined up with the reefs and islands. The passage is around 15nm long and with the winds being rather variable we are making between three and six knots it should take around 4-5 hours. We are way ahead of our schedule and will arrive in Suva on Sunday morning. This is a problem as we will pay-a-plenty for arriving after hours. So we will have to see what to do to slow down. Otherwise alls well on board and the boat is doing fine.

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Setting sail for Fiji

It's time to move again and after a wonderful stay in Vava'U in Tonga we say goodbye to many of our friends that turn off here to head south to New Zealand. Some of these boats we have been with since the Canary Islands and many more from the Caribbean. There are however many boats that we have met in the Pacific that are headed to Australia and many of them are doing the rally to Bunderberg so we will see them in ports as we head on west. We still have two thousand miles to go and the road gets a little tricky as there are tons of islands and reefs in the course ahead. Most times when we set off we have open ocean and can really relax as long as the weather stays good. The first that we get to is the Southern Lau group of islands that belong to Fiji after about 200nm. There is a pass that we will go through that lies almost in a straight line between here and Suva. After that we have a few islands to go around on route. Unfortunately we cannot stop in the Lau group as you need a permit and need to first sign in at Suva or Savu Savu. These islands are beautiful and the people still live traditional lives in their small island communities.
So if the weather is good we will sign out tomorrow and should take 4-5 days to get to Suva. It's been raining the last few days and we are hoping that the weather will improve. The winds look like they will be light so we will see how it goes. Well that's it for now we will update as we go along.

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Cruising; Vava'U; Tonga

Since arriving here a week ago we have cruised to different anchorages that are not very far apart with lovely clear water and tons of small fish. The bigger ones like the tuna/bonito are all over the place but not interested in the lures we have to offer. One large fish cleaned us out and stripped the reel... it might have been a "GT" -giant trevally - as it was over some deeper reef. There are tons islands that stand to 150 to 250 feet, mostly steep sided with a slight undercut section around the tidal zone and many with their own little beach. The islands are all well wooded with small cleared areas where there is a house or so. Generally there are very few people on the smaller islands. Around the islands are beautiful reefs that are very colourful.
One island has a large cave called Swallows Cave. You can swim in or take the dinghy in. The inside has some stalactites, small swallow nests hanging precariously to the ceiling and deep blue water full of fish below. Sadly it is also covered in graffiti dating back to the whaling ship days and all the way to the fluorescent spray can scrawling. There is another cave that we have not been into as you have to dive down 2m across 3-4m then up into the cave. It is far from a suitable anchorage so one needs to go as a group and do it in relay so that someone stays on board.
There are many anchorages still to explore and fishing to be done, but we will go back into town- Neiafu on Tues/Wed next week to meet up with our friends that arrive next week. Until arriving here we have not met many Aussie and Kiwi cruisers, now every bay has plenty as this is the cruising area for boats that leave from Australia and NZ. The last bay there were five Kiwi boats and one charter boat with folk from Christchurch. This is really a wonderful cruising area.

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The people of Nieiafu; Vava'U; Tonga

Captain Cook called it the "Friendly Isle" and nothing has changed since. The Tongans have always been a kingdom and as such were never colonised by any country. They have retained their cultural ways and unlike other islands that have followed the ways and copied or tried to copy the colonial ruler's way of life. The people here are fantastic. Go into the market that and you are not given the hard sell to buy anything... "Hello... would you like some bananas?" "No Thank you" "Well are you having a nice day?" Where are you from? And off they go having a conversation with you as if you have known them for ages. Then on to the next stall and there would be some more jovial chatting which could include a few more surrounding stalls.
Life is simple here ... be friendly and have respect for others and that's all it takes. There is still an element of trusting others that we in our modern ways have all but thrown out of the window. There is a giving nature... if I have I will share. This is hard ... to be on the receiving end of this. It is not a monetary rich place and yet the people give you things even though you could have bought it instead. We bought some bone carvings and pearls and got extra things added in and then bananas pawpaw's and lemons as a gift on top of that. We have not lived in a culture where people are so keen to share and cannot reciprocate such generosity. Yes these people are rich, very rich. Rich in joy, love, life and spirit. Long may their riches be preserved!

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Arriving in Tonga

It was a long last night with the sea rough and the wind strong. We ran down to the Vava'U group at six knots with just a little jib up. Around four in the morning we were five miles off and we approached the islands using the radar. As we came around to the west of the island the seas started to calm down and after four days the boat became still. We slowed down and waited for na little light of dawn at 6:30 before entering into the passage between the islands. On our way in we were met by a pod of humpback whales so we motored around with them for a while. What a great experience. There were about 8 adults and a calf. One very large one came right up to our stern. They then move off out towards the sea and us in to the bays. Half a mile further, we came to another pod and switch the motor off and drifted along watching them. Finally we got going again and headed up the bays to Nieiafu where we tied alongside to clear customs and immigration. This took a while but everyone was so friendly and helpful that if seemed effortless. Once cleared - three hours later - we took up a buoy off the town happy to be in some still anchorage at the end of the trip. It took us ten days and we covered just on 1300nm.

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Reaching in to Tonga

Colin and Sandy Cruising with Papillon
On route to Neiafu; Vava'u; Tonga
23h00 UTC 24 August
Course: 244°
Distance covered last 24hrs until 22h00 GMT: 160 nm
Distance to Neiafu: 88 nm
Position 18°19' S 172°34' W
All's well on board.

Winds the same... seas the same, maybe a little higher. We took the main down last night and sailed on a small jib but still got to over 10knots. Our average speed for the night was 6.82 knots. We have moved out of the cabin into the saloon onto the floor in the passage. This area has the least movement and at least we can get some sleep. It is very comfortable.
Well tomorrow is Thursday the 25 Aug and we arrive in Nieafu in the morning. We may have to heave too for a while until it is light to enter. But due to lack of interest and keenness we decided to only get there on Friday. Jokes aside tomorrow does not exist as Tonga takes it time as UTC+13 so we affectively cross the date line earlier than 180°. So tomorrow is Friday the 26th.
Lucky we were not a day later as we would not have been able to sign in until Monday and you cannot leave the boat until you have cleared customs and immigration.
So one night of bouncing and tomorrow we can rest.

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Bouncing around.. two days to go

Colin and Sandy Cruising with Papillon
On route to Neiafu; Vava'u; Tonga
23h00 UTC 23 August
Course: 244°
Distance covered last 24hrs until 22h00 GMT: 168 nm
Distance to Neiafu: 267nm
Position 17°34' S 169°42' W
All's well on board.

Well it's a rocking and a rolling all over the ocean at the moment. The seas are 3-4m with a short chop attacking on all fronts but the starboard beam. It is amazing that, in still water, you dive below the boat to clean the bottom and as you sink in the silence you have this massive keel just hanging there. It is still, four and a half tons of lead hanging on the bottom. The boat does not move. When you walk around on deck it is a very still platform. In contrast we are being tipped up all over the place by the waves. They roll us to over 35° on one side and back again to the other in a matter of seconds. Then a wave will hit the stern and the boat slews around causing the self steering into its defiant mood as it swings the helm over to turn the boat back. Unfortunately the night before we had one of the lines on the self steering untie itself and we landed up doing an uncontrolled gybe in 25-30knots. Fortunately not much damage and Colin had just ducked back down into the cockpit from resetting the steering lines. Well the autohelm self steering that was steering the Aries spat the dummy as it tried in vain to get us back on course. Colin disconnected the autohelm and put the wind blade on so that the Aries could sail us on the winds direction. We have fixed the autohelm ... one of the drive belts had come off.
Sleep is really a problem at the moment and we are both fairly tired. Your body gets hammered as you are never still and always needing to hang on. When it is still, you can read a book etc, but at the moment even that does not work. One moment the book is on your nose the next heading off for a tour of the cockpit with you arm attached and your eyeballs stretching to try stay on the line you were reading. So you sit...three hour on three off.
The other evening as the clouds drew the curtains on a fair sunset it looked as though it would rain a lot during the night. Sitting in the cockpit later you could see the stars slowly appearing to keep you company. The moon arrived later... not much left but enough to send all but the brightest stars into hiding. All the contrasts are simply fantastic as one goes from one stage to the next.
We have two more days to Tonga and should arrive some time on Thursday morning. At our current rate of progress(ave:6.8knots) we will need to slow down a little tomorrow night so that we can arrive in daylight to navigate our way in. The winds are expected to remain the same so I guess that the seas will not change much. That's it for now... time to go hang in the cockpit for a few hours

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On route to Tonga - winds up

Colin and Sandy Cruising with Papillon
On route to Tonga
23h00 UTC 21 August
Course: 244°
Distance covered last 24hrs until 22h00 GMT: 117 nm
Distance to Tonga: 551nm
Position 16°25' S 164°40' W
All's well on board.

Yesterday we had a very slow day as the winds stayed below 10kn. We were doing between 2.8 and 5 knots for most of the day. The sea was fairly flat so it was a good relaxing day. This morning the winds arrived at around 8am and have picked up through the day. We have a good 15-20 knots and are sailing at 6-8 knots. The sea is very lumpy with swells from all directions. These will build as we head down towards Tonga as there have been some big fronts passing through there. The wind should settle to the SE and later in the week to easterly, so hopefully the sea will settle as well. Sleeping now becomes a bit more difficult as the boat is bouncing all over. The evenings have been cool but during the day it gets very hot. With the rougher weather the ports are closed so it gets very warm down below. Otherwise all's going fine.

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On route to Tonga - light winds

Colin and Sandy Cruising with Papillon
On route to Tonga
23h00 UTC 19 August
Course: 254°
Distance covered last 24hrs until 22h00 GMT: 142 nm
Distance to Tonga: 790nm
Position 15°48' S 160°40' W
All's well on board.

A follow up on Riri that went onto the reef at Palmerston Island (Cook Islands): the island is a small atoll in the middle of nowhere. Yachties use it to break the journey and only if the weather is suitable. It is too deep to anchor off the reef and there is no pass to get a yacht into the atoll. The Islander have put out buoys and the families of each buoy look after you when you arrive and help you ashore etc. They also have large feasts where all the yachts get invited. Riri was moored to one of these buoys when it broke free and Riri and the mooring went up onto the reef at three in the morning. Frank and gail have salvaged what they can with the help of other cruisers and the islanders. There are a few yachts still to pass there and some there already that will assist them and take them on to Tonga.
We are well north of them, in fact between them and Suverow, the other island that yachties stop at for a break. We are trying to follow the wind that for the last day has been allusive. We have motored for almost twenty hours on still seas that have a lazy 1-2m swell running. The swells have a long period so there is not too much movement on the boat. Yesterday just before sunset we saw a shoal of tuna ahead of us. Colin jumped up and got two lines in. The smaller rod got hit first and the line broke almost on the strike. The other lure had a few chasers but no strike. Colin retrieved the line and change lures that had an immediate effect. The rachet on the reel broke and caused an overwind and the fish snapped the line. After a quick reset we were into the tuna again... result... tuna for the next few days.
We motored through the night and this morning the breeze filled in and we are under sail again. It's been light but it is slowly building and we are now up to 5-6 knots boat speed. This should hold for the next day maybe a little lighter tomorrow before it builds over the next few days. We are slowly heading south again so that when the blow arrives over the weekend from the SE we will be far enough south to keep the wind aft of the beam. The gribs say 25Kn+ so we should have some fun and some waves to go with it. So for now we will enjoy the lovely sailing we are having.

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On route to Tonga

Colin and Sandy Cruising with Papillon
On route to Tonga
23h00 UTC 17 August
Course: 269°
Distance covered last 24hrs until 22h00 GMT: 140 nm
Distance to Tonga: 1038nm
Position 15°26' S 156°48' W
All's well on board.

The winds so far have been good. We have had some rain but so far all is going well. We are slowly getting back into passage mode. We hope to get to Tonga by next week Tuesday. We are keeping to a northerly course to stay in the wind and avoid some of the disturbed weather further south. Thursday we will head south as strong winds are due to come through from the SE over the weekend and we do not want to then be too far north.
We received some sad news on the radio schedule this morning. Our very good friends on the yacht Riri went onto the reef at Palmerston Island(Cook Islands) at 03h00 and the boat has been lost. Frank and Gail are fortunately okay. There are other yachts there at the moment and they are trying to salvage what they can from the yacht. At this stage we have no more info.

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Bora Bora to Tonga

After a wonderful week in Bora Bora the wind has returned and it is time to move on. We have really enjoyed our stay in Bora Bora. We were in a very pretty anchorage in crystal clear water on the west side of the island. From here we used the dinghy to tour around. We have a long haul ahead with light winds predicted so we will head north first to where the winds should be a little more consistant.
It is 1300nm to Tonga and so we should be there in 12-15 days. We will do the usual updates as we go.

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Raiatea

On Sunday morning 24/7 we left for Raiatea. It was an overnight passage of 130nm. The wind in the shadow of Tahiti was very light, but once clear of it we had a good broad reach all the way to Raiatea. We entered through the reef on the west side. The island is beautiful and we are enjoying all the bays. The village is small but has good shops and a lovely fresh produce market. Our wind generator has packed up so it is in for repairs. So for now we will take a look around some more bays until it is sorted out. We hope to leave here and get to Bora Bora by the weekend. Some time next week we will leave for Tonga.

Tahiti

Tahiti wascovered with the clouds as we arrive early in the morning. The east side of the island is windy and wet and fortunately the town and marina are on the other side. This is the trade wind side.
Tahiti has been fun and as it was their time for celebrations so there was a lot to see. The island itself is a busy place compared to all the other little islands that we have been to. The anchorage was also busy and deep which meant that you had all your chain out with lots of boats very close to you. One evening a wind came up and many boats had problems with their holding. We fortunately held fast as there is nothing worse than trying to anchor in a very crowded deep anchorage in the dark. The sun sets in the west over the island of Moorea that always formed a lovely backdrop to the anchorage.

The town had shops were you could find anything you wanted but all very expensive. Near the marina we have a lovely large supermarket that made getting foodstuffs easy and downtown there is a super fresh produce market. All around the streets there are stalls as well as shops that are selling pearls. I guess that out on the smaller islands is the place to get them as there are not as many tourists to inflate the prices.

Most of the women dress beautifully and they all love their hats with real flowers on or else just the flowers on their heads. The flowers are often made up ready to purchase along the roads or in the markets and the scents are absolutely beautiful. The flowers around the market for wearing and as bouquets are so colourful.
All over in the streets  you find groups playing local and traditional music so there is always a good buzz around town.

We took a bus and travelled south of the marina as far as it would go to see some of the island. We went with the folk from Gabber and Promise and had a wonderful day stopping at the cultural museum on the way back. We had lunch on the beach at a little restaurant where we sat watching the surfers try their luck. At the pass that we go through they have boats that take the surfers out there and ride the big waves.... not much room for error as the coral is never too far from the front of the wave. The idea is to surf the wave and follow the break till it ends at the pass were the water gets deep again ... this is fine as long as you do not fall off. In August they have one of the world large wave competitions here.

On Bastille day we went to the Polynesian games held on the grounds of the museum were they have stone lifting... up to 160kg. The time starts as soon as the competitor lifts the stone clear of the ground and stops once he has the stone on his shoulder and has his left arm outstretched ... in the 100kg division the time winning time was 2.44sec.

The other section that we enjoyed was the throwing of spears/javelins at a coconut at the top of a flagpole. Each competitor has 10 spears and they have a set time for all of them to throw their spears at the same time. They do this a few times and then see who got the most spears into the coconut. There would be over twenty spears in the coconut at the end of each section. At the end they had a team section won by a local team. Many of the teams come in from the surrounding islands. All the participants in all of the events dress in tradition dress and the activities are interspersed with Tahitian dances.
Well time to let the hair down and its weekend so many head for the shallows of the reef where floating restaurants, bars etc. park up and the locals arrive in boats and bits to swim and party. It is shallow so people just stand in the water thats waste deep. some play games like volleball. its just one big party.

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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On route to Papeete

Colin and Sandy Cruising with Papillon
23h00 UTC 08 July
Course: 240°
Distance covered last 24hrs until 18h00 GMT: 135 nm
Distance to Tahiti: 108nm
Position 16°55' S 147°51' W
All's well on board.

Well the rain cleared mid morning after a large squall that got us thinking that we would wait another day. We are pleased that we opted to go as the rain and squalls have stayed away so far. The pass was a little tricky as the tide was going out into a fairly rough sea. As we got towards the outside of the pass the waves were very steep and close together with some breaking standing waves. Fortunately our friend had just gone through and radioed us to say it was very rough but not for too long and once they were out the sea settled down. So in we plunged.... The first wave over left us with waterfalls inside as two hatches were still on their breather openings. Fortunately one was the heads but the other was above the chart table. Luckily most of that water landed on the floor. We could not rush down to close them as the boat was being tossed around with waves coming straight in over the bow. Well we were soon through that and the rest of the trip so far has been good sailing. The 3m seas on the grib files seem to be a large swell now coming in from the SE that is about 50m crest to crest. They roll us a little but they are fine. We are a little ahead of our schedule but will keep pushing on as the wind is supposed to get lighter overnight. We should get in to Papeete early tomorrow morning.

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Fakaravai to Papeete; Taihiti

Today we are off to Papeete. The weather is not the best as it is rainy with strong winds. Over the weekend the wind dies off so we cannot leave later unless we wish to motor most of the way. We will leave today about midday and looks like a bumpy sail as the sea is running at 3m. Tomorrow the winds improve and the rain is supposed to go(but not the swell) and the next day it all becomes very light as we get down to Papeete. We should arrive sometime in the morning. This will be a repeat of the trip from Marquesas to here sea and weather wise. There are a few boats leaving today and others tomorrow so there will be plenty boats arriving in Papeete over the weekend. We will do a usual position report tomorrow otherwise when we get to Papeete. Trip: 240nm

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Fakaravai; Taumotus

We have been a few days in Fakarava and at the moment the weather is foul. It is raining with strong winds. We are well protected as far as the wind goes as we are behind the island. What is interesting is the swell that we are getting from the SW. This is due to a storm to the south west of here and most probably something that is lurking around New Zealand or just past there. As these seas are very large they come over the reef into the atoll and affect us on the inside. This atoll is massive. Maybe I could just add in here how they form and what causes them to be as they are. Once there was a volcano here with a reef growing around it. Over the ions the volcano slowly subsides due to the ocean floor subsiding. This happens so slowly that the coral can keep pace and keeps growing for the surface. Eventually the volcano disappears under the surface and only the coral is left, leaving a very flat atoll. As the seas really hammer the atoll from the south west most of the atolls have little to no land to form islands on that side. Most of the land is on the north and east sides and this is where you normally find the town/villages. So with nothing to stop the big seas crashing in over the southern sides, the swells although small, still make it all the way up here 21-25 miles to the NW corner. The passes are also of interest. When the volcano was still above the surface it would have had rivers that would have flowed off it into the ocean. At these points the coral would not have grown and so the passes were formed. Also with the seas coming in over the reef on the SW corner putting tons of extra water into the atoll a very strong current develops through the pass making it difficult to get into the atoll. So with high seas/swells from the SW and rain and strong winds 25-30kn from the SE we are staying put. The wind should die down by Thursday and we will head on down to Papeete on Tahiti. We have spent a lot of time just walking around the village and along the seaward side of the atoll. The land area from lagoon to the sea is between 300m and 500m wide and it only rises a few meters above sea level. The ground is loose coral with some hard rocky areas and not much sand. The island has a good covering of palm trees and the locals process the coconuts for the copra. The copra is apparently subsidised to give the people a form of income, but even this does not seem to cover the costs of all the toil to get to copra to the point where it is dry. The gardens are sparse and many people seem to grow their plants in pots. We did come across one person with a small market garden. There are two problems with growing anything here. The poor soil and the lack of water. We were lucky to find some low coconut palms again as we walked around and got these opened up to drink. The green ones are sweet but the yellow ones have a lovely fizz to them. They really are lovely cooled, but then the trees don't grow on ice. Something that has surprised us on most of our travels so far is the lack of beaches. One always sees tropical islands advertised as white sandy beaches and palms where you can sit and relax and drink your coconut and read a book and laze around.... sadly not, there are very few beaches and that goes for the Caribbean as well. The atolls are rough coral reefs on the outside with very little in a way of a beach on the inside. Even in the Marquesas the beaches are stony heads of a bay and anything outside the bay is cliff and rock territory with usually large swells and waves to go with it. The shops here are so expensive that we have avoided them since our first shopping expedition. US$8 for a 2ltr coke and the cheese... Oh well we can get some more in Tahiti. Part of the problem is that the islanders do not pay any personal tax. Very nice... However they have a consumer's tax like GST/VAT. Now that's a great idea, but it does make things expensive for us. But the good side is that everyone pays there share according to what they spend. The people again are very friendly and they all great you and smile as they go by. There is not much else here so I guess I will end off here for now. Till next time...

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