07/23/2007, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Today was spent mostly on various boat projects such as rewiring one of the solar panels which had some wire corrosion, recalibrating the autopilot after its brain was scrambled by the jury-rigged alternator regulator, and cleaning and lubricating the anchor winch. After a few more projects tomorrow, Sand Dollar will be ready for the 580 mile passage to Penrhyn Island on Wednesday.
My Seattle friends Jeff and Kathy on "Bold Spirit" came over for a sundowner and then we enjoyed a fine dinner at the Yacht Club, probably my last restaurant meal until Pago Pago 4-6 weeks from now.
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07/22/2007, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
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Don sent me a DVD of pictures and a couple videos which I'll be adding the next few days - a slow process. I've added a video of his Pacific Crossing in the Photo Gallery. Go to "Pacific Crossing" and download the movie - be prepared to get sea sick!
Jim
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The congenial proprietor of the yacht club, Rapa, put on a very nice barbecue for the 15 sailboats anchored in the bay nearby. This was my first opportunity to eat breadfruit which I found to be much like potato and quite agreeable, especially when accompanied by a savory sauce or even catsup. The breadfruit, about the size of a coconut, is cooked whole over hot coals and and then broken in two so that the pulp can be removed and eaten. We also dined on grilled beef, sausage, chicken and one of my favorites, poisson cru which is fresh raw fish marinated in lime juice and coconut milk.
After dinner a former Japanese fighter pilot named Aki from the boat "Liberty" grabbed a guitar and began singing old country and western songs in his broken English. It was hilarious and we could not stop laughing. Needless to say, a good time was had by all.
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07/21/2007, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Today I rented a bicycle in order to get some well-needed exercise and explore some of the terra firma. The route was lovely and every few miles there was a luxury hotel with thatched bungalows over the water but no structures higher than one story. There must be a building code that restricts construction height and this certainly adds to the charm of the place. After pedaling halfway around the island I returned along the same route so that I could have lunch at the famous Bloody Mary's Restaurant. There is a board out front with a list of about 100 famous people who have eaten there. I did not recognize more that one third of the names so I guess I am out of touch with reality. This is not all bad. Unfortunately, I discovered they are closed for lunch on Saturdays so I returned to the boat for a cold beer and tuna fish sandwich.
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07/20/2007, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
It is not really a yacht club, but a restaurant with about a dozen mooring buoys out front in the anchorage. They go for $25 per day with unlimited trips to the water hose to fill up jerry cans. Not exactly a bargain. After dropping off my laundry and having a very nice lunch at the restaurant I was told to help myself to the water which seems to be in short supply on Bora Bora. I am quite happy and secure at my present anchoring site for which there is no charge and I am receiving a good wifi signal for the first time in French Polynesia. I have even had a chance to look at this blog to see that it really works. Maybe I will have time to respond to some of the comments generated over the past several months.
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07/19/2007, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Bora Bora is truly as spectacular as any island I have yet seen anywhere. Sand Dollar is anchored within view of the picturesque and famous Mt. Otemanu which adorns the covers of many tourist brochures distributed by luxury hotels where guests pay $750 per night for an over-the-water bungalow with no better view than mine. The island is decidedly touristy with the usual t-shirt shops, cruise ships, and sightseeing buses, but there are no high rise hotels and it is not crowded and noisy like Papeete. This place is worth a stay for at least a few days and maybe longer.
Members of the Ocean Cruising Club, a mostly European group, held a beach barbecue tonight to which I was invited and was most grateful for. Boats representing England, Norway, Holland, Canada, Australia, and Japan were in attendance and there was one other American boat along with mine. It was a potluck affair with a million dollar view. Some of the cruisers I had already known while most were new acquaintances. All were very friendly with a wealth of information gathered from many years of sailing around the globe.
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07/19/2007, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Sand Dollar arrived at Bora Bora this afternoon at 5 PM, covering the 155 miles from Papeete in 30 hours. The passage was uneventful except for several rain squalls. The high winds experienced last night, 22- 28 knots, subsided to a more manageable 15 knots for the rest of the trip.
When I arrived at the anchorage my friend Dirk of the Dutch boat "Jade" came be to invite me to a potluck barbecue tomorrow evening on a small island nearby. Great, no dishes to do! I am going to sleep most of tomorrow.
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