2-2018 Fun in Bora Bora

Greetings All,         2-2018   Fun in Bora Bora                                     21 May 2018

When last we wrote we were happily snorkelling the Coral Gardens in Tahaa in company with friends Rob and Sue on ‘Athanor’ and looking forward to a relaxing month or so ahead. However the best made plans etc.

WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS HAPPENING

We sailed back to Raiatea for provisioning and then headed for beautiful Bora Bora. We intended showing Rob and Sue around the island but as it happened we were there for one day when Andrew discovered a leak in the fuel injector system. This needed to be fixed before we could contemplate heading west across the Pacific. We left Rob and Sue at Bora Bora and returned to Raiatea with the hope of either getting the problem fixed there or flying the injector pump back to Tahiti for repair. We arrived in Raiatea on the Tuesday which was a public holiday, so nothing happening that day, then we discovered that Thursday was another public holiday. The weekend was looming and the only recommended mechanic was booked out for a week. We decided that flying the Injector pump to Tahiti could hold us up, so we sailed overnight back to Tahiti arriving Thursday morning. As it was a public holiday we spent the day catching up with many cruising friends and meeting others that we had only spoken to on the radio net. We had a good night with Martin and Ellen on ‘Acapella’ in the Taina marina, Papeete. People came and went and at one time we had twelve happy souls in the cockpit.

Aboard Acapella, Martin, Clare, Andrew and Lili from Liward

Diesel injector pump with a rag directing the leak to a container

WHAT IN FACT HAPPENED

Friday morning Andrew organised with Dieselec (the injector pump specialists) in Tahiti to work on our pump first thing Monday morning. We spent the rest of the day making trips back and forth to the supermarket, spending a fortune and provisioning the boat for the season ahead. We have been advised that there are slim pickings between here and Fiji. On Sunday we moved the boat some five miles to the Papeete City Marina which is in walking distance of Dieselec. True to their word, first thing Monday morning, Dieselec fixed the leak by replacing four O rings and Andrew reinstalled the pump on Eye Candy that afternoon. It sounds like a simple job but the critical issue is not to get any dirt or foreign matter in the pump. Dieslec have a special ‘clean room’ for this sort of work.

In the meantime our Aussie friends Liam and Annie on ‘Gone with the Wind’ had flown from Fakarava to Tahiti as Annie had a very nasty tropical skin infection and was hospitalized and subsequently operated on. Liam spent some time with us on Eye Candy in City Marina and we were very pleased to see him and help in any way we could. Andrew had a less serious one of these infections last year. At the time we were heading to the Tuamotus but returned to the Marquesas for medical treatment; apparently a very common problem in the tropics.

LET’S TRY HEADING WEST AGAIN

We set off Tuesday morning and sailed to the island of Morea to spend the night with Martin and Ellen before heading back to Bora Bora. Then disaster struck ‘Acapella’, their steering chain broke and their bottom rudder bearing is stiff. So they are now hauling out in Tahiti for repairs. This will take some time as a new bearing has to be sourced from Denmark. So if there is any truth in the saying that things happen in threes, lets hope we have seen the end of it. We had a very pleasant overnight sail back to Bora Bora arriving around midday Thursday. A nine day turn around is pretty well a record when considering the distance travelled, two public holidays, a weekend and working on Island Time.

IT WORKED

So now we are happily anchored on the S/E corner of Bora Bora with Rob and Sue on ‘Athanor’ enjoying wonderful sunny days and perfect conditions. We are swimming with harmless black tip sharks, stingrays and eagle rays. We have also done the drift snorkel at the end of the island every day. It is so relaxing letting the current carry us across the colourful coral and seeing all the beautiful tropical fish busy darting about. Some are big and others are so tiny you wonder how they survive in the ocean and the current. It seems that every time we do this snorkel we see new things. It’s a wonderful experience.

A squadron of Eagle rays

SO WHAT’S NEXT

We will stay here a few more days enjoying life and then head up to the township and think seriously about checking out and leaving this beautiful location. There are many boats in front of us heading for Tonga and beyond. We are in touch with them on the radio net and getting advice and insight on future destinations. We are looking forward to moving on.

The next post will be along the way westwards and may not have photos until we can get onto the internet.

Love Candy xx

1-2018 French Polynesia

Greetings All,                             1-2018 French Polynesia                   3^rd May 2018

ANOTHER NEW START

So here we are back in French Polynesia ready for another season of sailing. The weather is perfect, bright sunny days, balmy nights and 29.6 degrees sea water. Swimming is almost like taking a bath. Most of the tropical rain has gone but occasionally we get a deluge, just to keep us on our toes. The heavy downpours come quickly, mostly in short bursts and saturates everything. We even have to drain the mainsail bag before we reopen hatches or we are likely, when the boat rolls, to end up with a bucket load of water on the dinning table. So it’s a case of ‘stay awake’.

WE’RE GETTING GOOD AT THIS

Upon our return we found Eye Candy in good condition. The inside of the boat was perfect and the de humidifier did a good job at keeping any mould at bay. We also had a Yacht Services business checking on our batteries, and for any unwanted infestations. The deck was stained and grubby and the outside ropes were black. Fortunately we used the boat yards pressure house and cleaned this up in no time. So after painting the bottom, polishing the hull, deck and re establishing Eye Candy we launched in early April.

Anchorage on West side of Huahine

LAP IT UP

After the launch we sailed 20 miles east to Huahine and enjoyed a well earned rest in the peace and quiet. It was bliss sleeping with a gentle sea breeze flowing over us. Especially after weeks of working in a hot, dusty and very noisy boat yard. We enjoyed some walks, swimming, snorkeling and relaxing breaks on shore, having morning coffee in the shade listening to the water lapping the shore and looking out to a vast expanse of aqua sparkling water.

Avea Bay, Huahine

Coffee at the Resort Restaurant, Avea Bay, Huahine

CATCH UP

We sailed back to Raiatea to catch up with some of our cruising friends returning to their boats for the season. It was back to the boat yard but this time it was much cooler as we could anchor off.

We had dinner out with Tom and Sylvia from Cinnabar and Rob and Sue from Athanor. The girls sat at one end of the table and boys at the other. Everyone was happy and clearly we had our own conversations and catching up to do.

Sue, Clare and Sylvia

Pizza with Tom and Rob and Andrew

WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU RATHER BE

We are now on the island of Tahaa enjoying more peaceful walks and perfect anchoring conditions in very calm bays within the reef.  Rob and Sue are with us and together we have snorkelled the Coral Garden. This is a lovely shallow spot between two atolls with a gentle current running through. It is a great drift snorkel with many colourful fish and lovely coral. Probably one of the best places to snorkel around here. The water is so warm you can hardly feel it on your skin. We sat in the shallows under the shade of a tree and chatted about the snorkel until our skin wrinkled up. It is easy to take these experiences for granted, but they are truly magnificent and something we will always remember.

Fish and coral in the Coral Garden 

Coral Garden at Tahaa with Bora Bora in the background

SO WHAT’S NEXT

So tomorrow we will have to tear ourselves away from this paradise and go to Raiatea for shopping. We are running out of fresh food. Just think if we didn’t have to eat we could stay here for ever; what a pity.

We have to leave French Polynesia by the end of May so we will provision the boat over the remaining weeks and plan out trip west. We have booked to leave the boat in Fiji by the end of the season.

So until next time stay safe and our love to all.

Candy xx