07/05/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Today I rented a car and toured the island covering a total of about 50 miles. The vegetation is very lush and the terrain mountainous. I did not stop at the ubiquitous pearl farm. The weather is forecast to improve so I may be leaving for Tahiti tomorrow morning.
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07/04/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Last night the wind blew very hard in the anchorage, up to 30 knots, which means I did not sleep very sound. This is actually a good thing. If Sand Dollar is going to drag her anchor I don't want to sleep through it. The 35 lb. CQR anchor is down 90 ft. with a 3/1 scope (anchor line-to-depth ratio) and is holding just fine on a mud bottom. Today I rented a car and brought some provisions to the boat. Tomorrow I will tour the island while waiting for the weather to improve. All else is well onboard. I'm sorry the Kiwis lost their attempt at the cup.
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07/03/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Most of the morning was spent removing the failed alternator and installing the back-up. Most of this was pretty straight forward except for the frozen nut on the mount which had to be changed to fit the new alternator. However, over the last ten years I have become very familiar with frozen nuts (that's why I'm now in the tropics!). A combination of penetrating oil, vice grips, and a cold chisel and sledge hammer did the trick. The back-up unit is new original equipment but puts out only half the current as the old, heavy duty one so I will have to have it rebuilt or replaced in Papeete. Fortunately, the sun was out most of the day so the solar panels brought the batteries back up.
It's a good thing I did not leave for Tahiti today as the boats I talked to on the radio this afternoon reported 25-30 knots of wind from the east which is the direction I want to go. They were having a sleigh ride going west, but for me it would have been punishing. I may be here for awhile yet.
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07/02/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Battery power is now limited because of a failed alternator and lack of adequate sunshine for the solar panels. Subsequent log entries will be brief or sporadic until normal battery charge can be achieved.
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07/01/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
This afternoon I took the dinghy through a small channel which separates the two islands of Huahine. To my surprise I discovered a Princess Lines cruise ship anchored near a small village. It was there just for the day on the way to the Cook Islands. The lady who ran the restaurant where I had lunch said the ships visit only 3-4 times a year and the passengers don't spend any money in the village but just tie up the toilets.
When I got back to Sand Dollar I radioed the ship to ask about the sea conditions. The officer said the swell was 15 ft. from the southwest with a 5 second period. I am hoping to leave in a day or two for Tahiti.
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06/30/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Today I decided to move the boat to the village of Fare at the north end of Huahine so that I could shop and have internet access. Because so much surf is washing over the perimeter reef, there is quite a lot of current in the lagoon as the water tries to drain out the passes. The anchorage near Fare, I discovered, has 4.5 knots of current which I consider excessive for a good night's sleep. As an alternative I turned around and headed back in the direction I had come but stopped at a very protected bay called Port Bourayne. There is no current here, the wind is calm and it is very scenic with only a few houses along the shore. There is a road nearby so tomorrow I can hitch a ride to town and take care of the shopping.
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