17-2016 Haulout and Farewell

Hi from Clare,                                                               Saturday 26^th November 2016

So we were due to haulout at 8am and at 7.30am the heavens opened and down came the rain; not a good start. Fortunately that was pretty well the end of it and we have enjoyed sunny weather whilst packing up the boat. The haulout went well and the bottom of the boat is in very good condition considering Eye Candy has been in the water for twenty two months. Andrew's constant cleaning has paid off.

Half an hour before haulout

In the slings

Cleaning the bottom

GIN AND TONIC

We have been busy storing sails, the outboard, safety equipment and all halyards below and the dinghy on the deck. We have scrubbed the canvas bimini, dodger, link sheets, cockpit shades and the dinghy. Andrew has pickled the water maker and flushed the outboard and main engine. I have wiped the interior of the boat with vinegar, washed curtains, bedding and sorted the lockers. Some people think that the cruising life is all about Gin and Tonic and so here are some of our G&T photos for this haulout.

Sorting the food

Canvas packed away

Linen press in plastic

The Raiatea Carenage, where we are leaving Eye Candy for the cyclone season, is well protected by mountains. The boat yard is fairly small and certainly doesn't have many facilities. The bathroom which is shared by the staff and the cruisers has one toilet, one shower, no washing machines but two wash basins. Now it pays to have a sense of humour. The bathroom come laundry is very basic and I had a few loads of hard washing, sheets, towels, bedding and clothes. One basin appears to be plumbed, but the larger basin just has a hole in the wall for the wash water to spill outside. So rather than make a big mess outside I lugged my 20 litre bucket to the plumbed basin and emptied the soapy water down the pipe and all over the bathroom floor. Big mistake the pipe wasn't connected; silly me. From then on all wash water went out the hole in the wall.

The ablutions block

LOOKING AFTER OUR BABY

We have employed a Yacht Maintenance Service to look after Eye Candy in our absence. They will check the batteries, power output from the solar panels, check for any water leaks during the wet season and clean away any mould. The boat will be opening up for airing and we have a dehumidifier installed; what more can we do?

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

The Yacht Maintenance Service told us that the birds and bees are just waiting for us to leave so they can move in. We have watched the Minor birds pooping on all the boats and trying to make their nest in the end of the booms. This possie along with any other sizeable hole has to be plugged up. All small holes have to be covered or the bees will move in. So Andrew has been busy plugging. Eye Candy is sitting on a steel cradle and Andrew has tied her down onto the cradle. All the ropes leading back to the deck of the boat have plastic bottles attached to stop the rats coming on board. We also dropped the chain out of the locker and flaked it onto a suspended rod so it is not sitting inside a wet locker for months.

Holes plugged

Chain stored and boat tied down 

TIME OUT

We did manage to have a night out with our Austrian friends Martina and Florian on Esperanza and their friends. There is a Snack Shop a short distance from the boat yard

which sells delicious food for very reasonable prices. Just what you need when working hard. It was terrific to have a night off from cooking and sharing a few laughs with friends.

A well earned break

SO WHAT NEXT

Tomorrow we take our aching bodies and put them on the plane. We spend one night in air conditioned comfort at the Tahiti Airport Hotel which will be very nice after dripping perspiration for days. The hotel has Wifi and so we will post this our final Blog for 2016.

Merry Christmas to all, have fun and stay safe.

Love Candy xx

13-2016 Bora Bora and Raiatea

Hi from Clare,                                                             Monday 21^st November 2016

BACK TO CIVILISATION

All good things must come to an end and so it was with some sadness we left the beautiful and peaceful south east corner of Bora Bora. We had spent two wonderful weeks here enjoying the perfect water and beaches in company with our friends on four other boats. We managed to store our sarongs and dress appropriately for town shopping and dinner at Bloody Mary's before heading down to the finish line for the International Outrigger Canoe Race.

Beach scene on the motu nearby our anchorage

Bloody Mary'd dock

A THRILLING RACE

The three day race went from Huahine to Raiatea, then Raiatea to Tahaa and back to Raiatea and then the final day was Raiatea to Bora Bora. The six man canoes paddled between 40-50 kilometres each day and averaged around 7 knots. We saw the finish of the first race on the big screen TV at Bloody Mary's Restaurant and as the winners crossed the finish line they were fairly pumping. We thought we must have been watching the start of the race; what a terrific physical performance.

Here they come!

Finish line sights - look for the canoes guys!

And the drummers drummed

We couldn't take Eye Candy around to the finish line in Bora Bora as the water is too shallow and so we anchored with a number of other yachts in deeper water on the corner before the home stretch. What a spectacle with all the additional support and spectator power boats, helicopters and film crews. It was an avalanche of colour, noise and excitement barrelling towards us. The wake made by the numerous power boats had me running down below to ensure everything was secure. I wondered if the participants in the canoes wished they would all go away. The otherwise flat water within the lagoon was as turbulent as any choppy sea. We took the dinghy around to the finish line to see some of the celebrations. I believe there were around eighty canoes in the race and each one crossed the finish line to the triumphant beat of Polynesian drums. French Navy Officials, the Mayor and other dignitaries were present to acknowledge the achievement of the winners and indeed all the participants of this great event. We didn't stay for the party, instead we up anchored while we still had daylight and went around to the other side of the island. We enjoyed a sundowner and didn't spill a drop as we watched from afar the waters churn with the departure of the many spectator boats.

SEPARATE WAYS

We spent the next few days with our friends on 'Plastik Plankton', 'French Curve', 'Flying Cloud' and 'Esperanza' enjoying our last good snorkelling for the season in warm crystal clear water. Playtime was just about over as we all went our separate ways to whatever destination we had planned for the cyclone season. We arrived back in Raiatea on 8^th November and after checking that everything was on track for haulout on 24^th we decided to circumnavigate the island of Raiatea. We may as well have some pleasure while we scrub, clean and sort for the next two weeks.

OUR LAST ADVENTURE

The island of Raiatea is also very beautiful with mountainous peaks, winding inland waterways, waterfalls, lush tropical forests and some sandy beaches. We met an Aussie couple Liesl and Rob on their yacht 'Vivacia' and shared drinks and dinner with them. They asked how long we had been on our boat and when we answered 11 years their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. They had bought their boat in San Francisco two and a half months ago. I remember when we were new at it, the concept of someone being long term on a boat was amazing. I used to think “What can you possible do on a boat for that long, you must be bored stiff” However the time has passed quickly and we both still love being on the boat meeting new people and going to new places. We don't even mind the work of packing up and we have now learned to start early and mix it up with some playtime.

We took a trip in the dinghy up a river. It is shaded by large coconut palms, banana plants, breadfruit, mango and other native fruit trees. Creepers festoon off all the trees and the houses are well hidden in amongst the tropical growth. We passed a few farmers paddling canoes along the river, certainly a different lifestyle, it was like stepping back in time.

Up the river

With a paddle

There is a house in there, can you spot it?

A SACRED PLACE

We lured Tom and Silvia on 'Cinnabar' away from their packing up to visit Marae Taputapuatea which is the “father” of all the other sacred sites in Polynesia. It dates back to the 17^th century when ceremonies including human sacrifice and the immolation of children was conducted to appease the God of War. The site is very well preserved and beautifully restored including the cultivation of the traditional sacred trees. It is in a gorgeous location on the water's edge facing the Teavamoa Pass. For me, it is always a bit daunting standing on these alters contemplating what took place here in the 17^th century.

The sacred Banyan tree

One of the many Marae on the site

The bay we spent the last few days in has the added attraction of a small deserted island close by with two large mango trees laden with fruit. We have been across twice and collected enough mangoes to last us until we come home; how good is that?

SO WHAT'S NEXT

This time next week we will be winging our way home; what a lovely thought. We are eager to see everyone, especially the grandchildren with the new addition of Sarah (Andrew's daughter) and Brad's son Oscar Joseph.

Until then we still have the haulout, but everything is on track.

Love Candy xx