What a day or two! I get so tired that I just haven't been able to write when I get back to the Pension. I feel like I should, but I fall asleep before I can finish it.

Three Days Ago: Conni and I had decided on our plan. I hope that our lift pump will have arrived by the time I’m ready to return to Papeete to fly home, but we’ve done all that we can. We started our arrangements for her flying home and my overnight passage back to Raiatea. We enjoyed a final meal together in Papeete, at our favorite little restaurant in the lagoon-side park. As we were sitting, it began to rain and then began to pour. I ran back to the boat to close hatches and managed to keep the boat reasonably dry, but not I.

Two Days Ago: On Saturday morning, we arose early with much to do. I had several last minute projects for the boat in preparation for the passage to Raiatea, and Conni had to pack all of her personal gear as well as all the boat gear that we were returning home. Some was older broken gear but some was brand new but failed out of the package. I lifted the dinghy to the dock to clean the astounding amount of green growth from the waterline. Oh, yeah, our two nice roll-up hoses on reels were damaged, unknown to us, when they were exposed to the chemical bath in a seat locker. What a mess! I finally got the dinghy stowed and the boat prepared for the overnight passage. Conni did take two blue boxes full of gear and I know that it was a difficulty handling them, along with her other gear.

We each worked hard and by 1030, we were ready to say temporary goodbye and I’d sail away. Conni helped me cast off and the wind cooperated and pushed Wings’ bow away from the dock. The engine, thankfully, performed up to its old self. We each shed tears as I pulled away. I motored out of the pass, sharing it with Aramiti 2, of course, and headed her into the wind. I quickly hoisted the main and got ready to sail.

The wind was lovely! With a double-reefed main and jib, I was zipping along at 7 knots with a comfortable ride. I zipped past Moorea making great time. By 1800 hours, though, the wind died and I was forced to motor until 2000, when I was able to shut down the engine and continue to sail. The wind shifted to the East, and going WNW was a bit difficult. I made more northing than westing and by the next morning, had to sail almost SW to gain my westing.

Night sails in good weather are hard to imagine and difficult to equal. The soft air of the tropics kept me cool, and the night sky was ablaze with the stars of the Southern Hemisphere: the Southern Cross, for example. Most of the constellations in the Southern Hemisphere are unknown to most Americans, and were unknown to Europeans until Magellan’s historic round-the-world voyage in 1519, the first person ever to do such a thing. Of course, he did not survive the trip, but his legacy did, and during the trip he observed two small satellite galaxies that follow our own: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The LMC is enormous and is visible in the constellation, Dorado.

Staying awake that night was easy up to midnight, looking at stars, watching for other craft, and reading. I saw several of the large cruise ships, discernible by their “cities of light” appearance, but in the early morning (0200-0600), it was difficult to stay awake. I started alternating 15 minute naps and watches and that got me through the difficulty.

As morning came and went, the sailing was more difficult since I needed more westing and the wind was from the east. I know that it sounds easy, but going dead downwind, the jib (sail in the front of the boat) is blanketed by the main, causing it to fill and collapse loudly. It’s unnerving and bad for the sail. I finally put the boat on a deep reach and gybed West and North.

About 3 miles from the Passe Teavapiti, the wind just ceased, so I fired up the engine and motored into the pass. My trip was almost over!

I motored through all of the now-familiar landscape, and admired the great natural beauty of Raiatea. It has high mountains, a broad lagoon, and in Uturoa, the second largest city in French Polynesia. Both the Moorings and SunSail have their French Polynesian fleet here. There are many services available, too: sailmakers, grocery stores, one of the few licensed marine fuel centers in which one can purchase duty-free fuel, and many more.

i had hoped to tie up in the small slip used to haul boats: I would not have to splash the dinghy and I would be ready to go the next morning. Alas, there was another vessel there, so I picked up a mooring and prepared the boat for the night. Raihau, the manager of Pension Tiare Nui, fetched me at 5 and I just hit the hay I was so tired.d

I arose this morning and drove to the yard where I greeted my now-good friends at the Carenage. Shoot, this is three years here! I feel like it’s old home week. Wings was first in line to get pulled, and I jumped in the dinghy and paddled out to the boat. The combination of an unsuspected current and high winds caused me some stress and effort to even reach the boat, but I was soon aboard and, with engine on, slipped the mooring.

A motorized barge had been docked near the entrance to the little lift slip, and I lost some fenders as the high winds made it difficult to keep on course, but there was no hull damage.

Naturally, as soon as the lift process began, the rain and wind squalls also began. We were all drenched in minutes, but the launch continued. By 1030, Wings was in a cradle and ready for storage.

I’m staying at the Pension for five days, then I must move. The Pension has air conditioning and that’s most welcome after a hot day. In ten days, I leave Raiatea with my gear and fly to Tahiti, then on to LA and home. Conni’s found a direct flight from LA to Anchorage, so it’ll be a quick flight home.