We have lived with our decision to stay in FP for about a week and it just gets more comfortable. We find more reasons to stay here and fewer to go. So we are still very happy with that decision. As we start to implement the plan to stay we are realising that we really do need to start this now. It will take a couple of months to get through our list, by which time we will be heading into the cyclone season and need to be able to sail east.

Here are some of the ‘big ticket’ items we need to get done.

Replace the standing rigging (the wires that hold up the mast): This is generally regarded as having a working life of 10-12 years, and ours is now over 10 years old. We know directly six boats that have had failed rigging this year – many with rigging age well below those numbers. There are lots of variables. Metal boats tend to get longer life because there is less flex and associated stress from the hull. However, ocean sailing results in lots of stress cycles, due to the constant rolling from side to side. Simply sitting at anchor and rocking in the swell for days on end can be hard on a rig too. There are good riggers here in Tahiti and the costs seem comparable with New Zealand. We have now been surveyed, and will place an order today and should have new rigging by the end of September.

New sails: We still have our original sails – also over 10 years old. We have looked after them well, but the time has come. Our Genoa is a bit stretched and losing performance. The frequency of patching and re-stitching on the main is increasing. Our new sails will, we hope, come from France from a company who make a lot of sails for OVNIs so they know our pattern. Hopefully this gives us a fighting chance of them fitting first time. It takes about three to four weeks to make them; shipping them here will be another story. One decision left – horizontal cut Dacron or Tri-Radial Hydranet? Mmm…

New spray hood: This is the cover at the front of the cockpit that forms part of our shelter. It is made of canvas and clear plastic for the windows. The canvas gets really destroyed by the sun and looses its waterproof-ness. The plastic windows become opaque. You can keep it going with wax treatments for a while. The photo shows the rain coming through the hood and the plotter under an umbrella before we relaxed it. (Who says you can't use an umbrella on a boat.) The stitching is constantly destroyed by UV, and Kate is regularly re-stitching it. A new one will come from the original manufacturer in France – again, they have the exact pattern so hopefully it will fit first time.

Autopilot ram: This may be a tale of woes. This week we removed the hydraulic ram for servicing. It had a small hydraulic leak and we wanted to change the seals, having all the parts needed in hand. Not major, but better to fix it now before it gets worse. However, we discovered that the last company who worked on it (FKG in St Maarten – who are approved agents for L&S autopilots) had rebuilt it incorrectly, so that it cannot now be dismantled for service (as confirmed with the approved L&S agents in Tahiti): and FKG have washed their hands of the issue. The outcome may be a whole new autopilot hydraulic ram – we are trying to talk to the manufacturers in France to see what we can do. We would not use FKG in St Maarten again if we had a choice. They are not cheap and they left us with another problem like this that we only discovered after sailing away. The longer we sail, the more we realise that we are better off doing things ourselves if we possibly can.

Renewing the top rudder bearing: the steering gets worked pretty hard on these trips, and the rudder bearings get worn. We can replace this one whilst still in the water (famous last words) once the bearing reaches us: another item coming from France.

As you can tell, logistics is going to be key. What can possibly go wrong?

As we work through these and a myriad of other smaller items we are also sorting out extended travel insurance and the post-Brexit temporary residency process. The challenge with all this is finding time, as we seem to have a pretty hectic social life in Papeete Marina.