We have spent the last two weeks moored at the downtown Quay. We have met sailors from around the world and have learned many new and exciting things about where to go and what to see. This has changed our plans once again and after we leave French Polynesia we will head to Samoa then Tonga and on to New Zealand for the Summer season in the Southern Hemisphere. While in New Zealand we will rent/buy a vehicle and tour the country. We will also be doing a lot of boat repairs and maintenance. If we can find a buyer we may sell the boat in New Zealand. If not we will head up to Vanauatu, New Caledonia, and on to Australia where we will tour the country and then sell the boat before returning to the North West. Once home we plan on buying a motor home and touring the U.S. and Canada. The older we get the more we realize that the boating life requires younger harder bodies which we haven't seen in some years. Indeed we often feel our age. Our day begins with an organ recital, my aching back, my sore shoulder, etc. For now we plan on sailing the rest of French Polynesia visiting all the major island between here and Bora Bora where we plan on spending our last month in a marina with shore power and the Air Conditioning on. We both lost considerable weight on the three week crossing but with the daily consumption of baguettes and eating at the local "drive thru" we are in the process of replacing those pounds in short order. We love Papeete, but have been here for two weeks and spent a month's worth of the cruising kitty so it is time to move on. We will be getting our duty free liquor delivered in the morning as well as the duty free fuel and heading on to Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea and Bora Bora. We had signed up to go to the Latitude 38 Rendezvous to Moorea last week and attended the opening party at the Mayor's Mansion on Friday On Saturday the fleet sailed from here to Moorea for a BBQ and on Sunday a "Home Cooked" meal and local sports activities, outrigger racing, tug of war, husking coconuts, etc. When we checked the weather forecast for Sat. we found that the winds were going to be in the high 20's and low 30's which meant as high as the 40's in the pass with heavy rain. We decided not to go to the anchorage that can hold about 50 boats with swinging room where the plan was to anchor 70 boats. Everyone was up all night until the winds died down at 5 AM. We on the other hand had a pleasant night in Papeete and took the ferry to Moorea where we rented a car and went to the party. When the heavy rain started on Sunday afternoon we packed it in and drove around the island to find our ferry had been canceled. We managed to catch the last car ferry back. My battery is almost dead so we will post this and be back in a week or so. Marie and Don on S/V Freezing Rain

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[s][t] Freezing Rain UpdatePapeete, Tahiti[a] Don Irvin[b]  We have spent the last two weeks moored at the downtown Quay. We have met sailors from around the world and have learned many new and exciting things about where to go and what to see. This has changed our plans once again and after we leave French Polynesia we will head to Samoa then Tonga and on to New Zealand for the Summer season in the Southern Hemisphere. While in New Zealand we will rent/buy a vehicle and tour the country. We will also be doing a lot of boat repairs and maintenance. If we can find a buyer we may sell the boat in New Zealand. If not we will head up to Vanauatu, New Caledonia, and on to Australia where we will tour the country and then sell the boat before returning to the North West. Once home we plan on buying a motor home and touring the U.S. and Canada. The older we get the more we realize that the boating life requires younger harder bodies which we haven't seen in some years. Indeed we often feel our age. Our day begins with an organ recital, my aching back, my sore shoulder, etc.  For now we plan on sailing the rest of French Polynesia visiting all the major island between here and Bora Bora where we plan on spending our last month in a marina with shore power and the Air Conditioning on.  We both lost considerable weight on the three week crossing but with the daily consumption of baguettes and eating at the local "drive thru" we are in the process of replacing those pounds in short order.  We love Papeete, but have been here for two weeks and spent a month's worth of the cruising kitty so it is time to move on. We will be getting our duty free liquor delivered in the morning as well as the duty free fuel and heading on to Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea and Bora Bora.  We had signed up to go to the Latitude 38 Rendezvous to Moorea last week and attended the opening party at the Mayor's Mansion on Friday  On Saturday the fleet sailed from here to Moorea for a BBQ and on Sunday a "Home Cooked" meal and local sports activities, outrigger racing, tug of war, husking coconuts, etc. When we checked the weather forecast for Sat. we found that the winds were going to be in the high 20's and low 30's which meant as high as the 40's in the pass with heavy rain. We decided not to go to the anchorage that can hold about 50 boats with swinging room where the plan was to anchor 70 boats. Everyone was up all night until the winds died down at 5 AM. We on the other hand had a pleasant night in Papeete and took the ferry to Moorea where we rented a car and went to the party. When the heavy rain started on Sunday afternoon we packed it in and drove around the island to find our ferry had been canceled. We managed to catch the last car ferry back.  My battery is almost dead so we will post this and be back in a week or so. Marie and Don on S/V Freezing Rain

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