Shifting Winds of Fate
27 July 2010 | Baie Haamene, Tahaa
July 26
Slip at Uturoa Marina, which was to be available for a week, became unavailable when owners returned early. This was a good thing. Ummmm, OK?! Decided to reinstall trany, if only temporarily, for moving boat in 20 knot winds to discover shifter cable that appeared to work, didn't. Hmmmmm. Several hours of experiencing paradise from inside the port lazarette culminated in a late day solution that may get boat and crew to New Zealand (or possibly Pago Pago where a new cable might be bought or shipped). An hour of adjustment was necessary this morning and may be again tomorrow, but on the whole, Anthemland has returned to insouciance.
Carefree motor/sail this afternoon from Careenage to a deep bay on southeast Tahaa is prelude to a possible hike, tomorrow, cross island from Baie Haamene (Ha ah MAY nay) to Baie Hurepiti (Hoo ray PEE tee - by the way, there is no sound in English that duplicates the French 'U') past a vanilla plantation which will suffice for previously mentioned tour that costs 5500 CFP or upwards of $60. Tahaa grows 70% of French Polynesia's vanilla or about .35% of world production. Valuable brain cells have just been squandered.
Jack