Hi Ho You All, We rented a truck in Atuona for shopping, touring and picking Robbie up at the airport on Sunday. The main town is about a half hour hike from the harbor to the stores so we needed the truck for shopping , picking up diesel and going out to dinner . Atuona is the main town on Hiva Oa. The harbor is a mess right now because there is an on going dredging and pier construction project. There is a new haul out facility that wasn't there last time we were there in 2015. They have a big hydraulic trailer and a tractor that pulls them up a concrete launch ramp. Lots of big cats and some mono hulls stuck back in a little valley. The shopping is really good with a couple of big air conditioned Stores. So we picked up Robbie and did a couple of hours tour to the south of town and up behind Atuona in the heights. Had a good night sleep and headed out for Tahuata about 1000, Tow hour sail and we were back at Hamamoenoa bay for lunch and a swim. The Swim turned into a water line scrub by the three guys while Nancy jazzed up the poison cru from the night before for lunch. It was a little windy in the bay so we headed down the coast to Hapatoni for the night. Out friends on the boat Otter were still in the same spot,but they were headed for Atuona to haul out in the new facility. They are leaving their boat on the hard for three months and going home to Belgium. This new haul out and storage gives everyone another option for leaving your boat out of water and safe from the storms north and south. It was up anchor and motoring to the windline at 0630. Finally found the trades at 0900 and we are now sipping along at 7.5 k with 13 k of wind and a broad reach, very nice sailing. We should arrive at Ua-pou about 1600 ready to start cruising the west side on Wed. We will be at Uapou until Saturday and then will sail to Nuku Hive where Clay Hutchinson will rejoin the boat for the trip home in a couple of weeks. Nancy flies home from Nuku Hiva on Oct 13 and we will pull out two days later for a fast trip home to Kaneohe. D Nottage