06/27/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Today has seen total cloud cover which is very unusual for French Polynesia this time of year. There is a low pressure system far to the south which is causing heavy seas and and a change in wind direction locally. The wind shift would make it easier for me to sail back to Tahiti, which is my plan, but I am not anxious to deal with 8-12 ft seas. I will wait for tomorrow's weather forecast before making a move. In the mean time I am busy with boat projects which never end.
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Comments [1]
06/26/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
The quality of meals onboard Sand Dollar will return to their previous state now that Bob and Dana have left for Seattle. They were excellent company, culinary experts, and got their sea legs in short order. A 34 ft boat does, however, get small for a crew of three after a week and I think they enjoyed their land accommodations the past five days. I would be happy to have them back onboard anytime in the future.
All else is well onboard. Two gals from Friday Harbor, Washington came into the anchorage today on a Baltic 47, a large and fast boat. I had met them in Tahiti 10 days ago and will probably see them again in the northern Cook Islands.
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06/25/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Nothing new and exciting going on today, just snorkeling and working on boat projects. The guest crew is now land based and they are enjoying doing not much of anything and doing it well. The weather is fine and the wind seems to have calmed down from last evening and this morning.
Radio transmission of these reports has has been unreliable lately, possibly because Sand Dollar is located too close to mountains which interfere with radio signals. It also could be due to solar activity. Nevertheless, the daily logs will continue but may be tardy.
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06/24/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
The wind has been gusting to 30 knots on and off all day accompanied by occasional rain showers and a couple of short-lived torrential downpours. The salt has been washed off the boat and the laundry hanging on the rail has been well rinsed. It has been a good day for reading and working in the cabin on miscellaneous boat projects. I did find time when the sun came out to do a little swimming and snorkeling. The sea bed near the anchorage is loaded with small sea cucumbers but not much else. It seems out of balance, but what do I know. I am hoping the wind dies down so I can try casting a fly to the bluefin trevally I saw near the boat while I was snorkeling.
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06/23/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
This afternoon the crew and I moved the boat 8 miles to the south end of Huahine Island to Avea Bay. This is a very quiet anchorage which offers protection from the prevailing trade winds. The barrier reef is about 2 miles offshore and there is a great deal of shallow water inside of the reef which is said to offer very good snorkeling. This island continues to amaze us with its natural beauty, dense vegetation, friendly inhabitants, and scarcity of tourists.
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06/22/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Huahine is known among sailors as the nicest of the Society Islands there being only a few hotels and not many tourists. The market is very well stocked and the local Hinano beer was on sale for only $54 per case, marked down from $70. The island is very fertile and locally grown produce is available including excellent melons. The people are friendly and helpful.
Last evening we enjoyed an excellent dinner of Mahi Mahi at an oceanfront restaurant and watched as some local children performed native dances. Bob and Dana are staying ashore for a couple more days while I am working on boat projects and trying to get wifi internet access onboard.
The wind has been mostly calm with occasional gusts to 30 knots, especially at night. It is all due to the heating and cooling of the mountains and valleys of the island. A couple of boats were dragging their anchors last night so they moved this morning to find a better holding. Sand Dollar seems to be securely hooked to the bottom so I am sleeping well.
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