30 May 2021 | Sawmill Point Marina, Wilmington NC, USA
24 May 2021 | Wilmington Marine Center, USA
23 February 2021 | Cape Fear Yachts
20 December 2020 | Cape Fear Yachts
11 December 2020 | Cape Fear Yachts
09 September 2020 | Wilmington Port, USA
09 September 2020 | Wilmington Port, USA
05 February 2017 | Pte Miri Miri, Raiatea, French Polynesia
05 February 2017 | Raiatea Lagoon, French Polynesia
05 February 2017 | South end of Raiatea
01 February 2017 | Baie Vaiaeho, Raiatea, French Polynesia
01 February 2017 | Baie Vaiaeho, Raiatea, French Polynesia
31 January 2017 | West Side of Raiatea
31 January 2017 | West Side of Raiatea, French Polynesia
31 January 2017 | West side of Raiatea
30 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
30 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
28 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
27 January 2017 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
customs in FP
05 February 2017 | Pte Miri Miri, Raiatea, French Polynesia
Bill
Well, we received a call on Saturday that there would be a birthday party on Sunday. Great! The only problem was that we were at the south end of the island and the party was at the north end. And there was no wind.
I am a sailor. We live on a sailboat. We sail, we only motor if we have to... Well, this is one of Isobel's friends... all the cool kids would be there... parents were invited... they do have a nice house right on the water...
So, we motored north completing a circumnavigation of Raiatea...
Everyone wears flip flops in polynesia. And eveyone takes them off when they go inside. At school, the kids take them off before going in the classroom... Stores you can wear them, barefeet are allowed. Offices... you take them off and leave them at the door...
A view from on high
13 January 2017 | Mt Tapioi, Raiatea, French Polynesia
Bill, Photo Credit Lara
Lara hiked to the top of Tapioi with Te Ara. Here is the view looking North West with Bora Bora in the background and the central lagoon.
Marina Apooiti is to the left of the airport and Uturoa is the the right of the airport.
You can see that there are two passes through the central reef. A deep wide one that passes the little house that is threatened by seal level rise, and once closer in that is for small boats and dinghies. The small one is the one we take when we go to town in the dinghy.
Tahaa is the island across the central lagoon with Apu Bay showing clearly.
Climate Change up close
04 January 2017 | Raiatea Central Reef, French Polynesia
Bill, Photo Credit Lara
Well, if this were you weekend home, I think you wouldn't deny that there has been some sea level rise...
This is probably the most dramatic thing that we have seen related to climate change. We want to investigate more closely, it looks like they are trying to add material to raise the floor a bit...
Marinas and the Rainy Season
13 December 2016 | Marina Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
Bill
Marina Apooiti. The most beautiful marina in the world. We really think so. This is the view from the edge of the Quai, 20 feet from our cockpit. The view is the same from the cockpit, there are just some pesky palms in the way. Bathrooms are clean, water is free, it is quiet and surrounded by beauty.
The Rainy Season… well, it can rain for days at a time, yet there are also stretches of a week at a time with beautiful weather. The sun is incredibly intense now as we approach the Winter Solstice, when the sun is as far south as it goes (about 23 degrees south). We are at almost 17 degrees south, so the sun is effectively directly overhead. Anything left in the sun becomes hot or melts. Going out in the middle of the day is deadly unless you have on sun screen, hat, etc. Mostly, our favorite times of the day are morning and evening.
US to Tahiti Travel
05 December 2016 | Over the Pacific Ocean
16-12-05IMG_7903
We traveled home for a few weeks. It was very nice to see family and friends. it was also nice to luxuriate in the glow of american culture and amenities.
As Isobel say, “We live in paradise.” Yet, as my friend from SV Salsa says, “Just when you think you have found paradise, you realize there is some little thing that takes to shine off. For us, French Polynesia is really wonderful… until you wan to travel to see people in the USA. Normally, the trip takes about 24 hours plus the Air Tahiti flight from Raiatea to Tahiti.
Our return flight took 60 hours!! The plane in Atlanta had a mechanical issue (no complaint from us on fixing it!)… and it did have us land in LA ah hour after the flight to Tahiti took off… There is only one flight a day… so we spent a day in LA. By the time we were on the Air Tahiti Nui flight, which departs at 10:20 pm… we were wiped out!
Haviiki Nui Va'a Final leg
04 November 2016 | Tahaa, French POlynesia
Bill, Photo Lara
This leg is 57 kilometers. They started in Patio Tahaa... we see them here after about 6 K. Officials keep us away from the fray... while the helicopters beam live footage to the rest of the world.
Many people followed the rest of the way
The Home Team
02 November 2016 | Apooiti, Raiatea, French Polynesia
Bill, Photo Lara
When we returned to Apooiti, here was the boat from the town team. This guy was in charge of getting it ready for the next day when the women would race...
The relief team
02 November 2016 | Uturoa, Raiatea, French Polynesia
Bill, Photo Lara
It looks like they have just hopped in a Lotus just off the race track...
The finish!
02 November 2016
We couldn't get a good photo of the finish. These guys had been paddling in the ocean since 6 am. It's 11:30. As soon as they cross the line... well, as soon as thier bow crosses the line, they slump over on their paddles... With 8 knots of boat speed, their sleek boats glide quickly out of the way. Often they flop out of their boats and are retrieved by their team boat. Relief paddlers take the boat to shore...
Havaiiki Nui Va'a 2016
02 November 2016 | Uturoa, Raiatea French Polynesia
Bill, Photo Lara
We were planning on sailing to Tahaa to see them pass us during the final leg. So we went to Uturoa to provision for a few days out... Champion Market had the race playing on a TV in the store... When we were done with our shopping, we dumped our groceries in the dinghy and raced to the Quai to see them come by... then jumped in the dinghy to follow the mehem!