31 July 2011

We first heard about Eric when Gruffalo asked us to look out for him to apologise for not being able to take him on their boat. Hiva Oa is a tiny place so it didn't take long before we had met him and passed on the message. Eric is a zoologist and so Lochy is in animal heaven talking at him. He is also English but with a French mother, so has been an excellent go between for the English and French speaking boats! ("Eric, what's the French for propeller?!") As he was unable to find a boat to take him onto Tahiti in time for his flight, we offered to take him to Tahuata for a few days with us. When he turned up with 6 baguettes, he was already in my good books, us not having made into town in time to buy any for the past 3 days!! But when he said he was a search and rescue diver and offered to look for our propeller, we jumped at the chance! A French boat has a compressor on board and lent us the air, Goody lent us the equipment and within 30 minutes Eric emerged triumphantly with the black propeller that he had found half sunk in the black mud below. Mark didn't actually kiss him, but I think he was close!!
So with a new propeller (and a spare one on the way) and a boat full of clean laundry - I took all the laundry ashore and blitzed everything - we headed off to Tahuata. About 90 minutes away. Then it was onto the beach with Alchemist, and a lovely evening with a fire, a leg of lamb, some of Lochy's lemon cake, and some wine. I wrapped some dough I had made around some sticks and we toasted them in the fire - delicious! A perfect day.