June 2

Wallis is wonderful. We have met some wonderful people, getting our French loosened up again, and we even thought that we might stay a good long while. Not one other cruising boat here. Perfect. We've been SUP'ing twice with a friend we met. His name is Yves, and he teaches at one of the local schools. He is leaving friday for a number of places, Berlin being one, and we gave him advice on where to stay, etc. He, in turn has taken us around the island, introduced us to people, joined us for dinner on the boat. Heaps of fun.

We had planned that we would travel from here to Hawaii, but our delayed departure, really has resulted in us missing the window of opportunity (ha ha! you thought I was going to say "weather window" didn't you Tristan?) The sources all predict that the hurricane season will be a higher intensity than normal, so it is only prudent to make other plans. So, we did. We thought that we would just work our way east and maybe keep the boat in Raiatea over the winter and leave from there to Hawaii next year. But, that would be a long difficult, if at all possible, trip, and then what? When we get to Hawaii, we want to continue on to the Pacific Northwest. So, why not leave from Wallis, bound for Majuro, Marshall Islands, rest up and then head off to Seattle/Vancouver by way of over the Pacific High. A much longer trip, to be sure, but a fairly pleasant one with the prevailing wind and current. Ok, set. That is the plan.

We did last grocery shopping and checked out of Wallis today for departure tomorrow morning. Got the dinghy up, uninflated and stowed down below, and went to check oil in the trusty Volvo D2-55. A problem was found. The mounting bolts for the fuel filter have failed. One is sheared off in the block, and the other was just hanging there. I tried to snug it, and it is stripped. I believe this is the result of over-tightening by a mechanic last year. Anyway, I did a minimal repair with JB Weld in the stripped hole, and supported the assembly with heavy nylon ties. It would probably hold to Majuro, but what then? In Fiji, at Vuda there are qualified mechanics that can do this right. Setting out on a 1500 mile passage to be followed by a 3000 mile passage demands that we do it right.

Thus, We are going back to Vuda Marina. We are very disappointed and not happy about it. On the other hand, we are happy that we can get help fairly close by - only 450 miles! So Bula Vinaka! Fiji it is. But first, we will probably stay here a month and enjoy being French. It is a very special place, and we are happy here. After repairs in Fiji, we will probably go up to Majuro in the fall, and leave for the Pacific Northwest early next season. At least these are our thoughts tonight. They may still change.

Be Excellent to One Another, Rod and Elisabeth, "Your Rock and Roll Argonauts"