We woke up to city sounds for the first time in a long time, actual traffic noise and jet planes and the crosswalk signals on the waterfront road. We checked out the marina internet at the lounge, then went looking for French pastries and coffee - which we found. Croissants and plain chocolat at Dreams of Lucie cafe.

No wifi at the cafe, so we went back to the marina lounge to indulge in pretty fast internet, checked the weather forecast, and sent the email requesting permission from the port authority to leave on Saturday.

he Then I set to work on the “must do” boat repair projects, taking advantage of the calm waters of the marina. First, I tightened the steering cables - the new steering chain and cable I installed in March was beginning to stretch, making the wheel wobble noticeably. Robin finds the wobbly steering wheel unsettling. Fixing it is one of those locker-dive-head-down-under-the-lazarette-feet-in-the-air jobs that is best done on a cool day in still water. The wheel is much less wobbly now. Then I fixed the wind vane clamping mechanism (this involved drilling a hole through a stainless hex bolt and breaking three bits in the process). Then I fixed the electric connection to the propellor powered electric generator - it had broken again, on a different place. Then I cut off the bobbled and kinked stretch of anchor rhode and made a new eye splice to reconnect it.

Then it was already four in the afternoon, and we ran off to the marine chandlers before it closed. They were sold out of winch handles, but had a galvanized anchor swivel for about $20.

As we walked back to the waterfront, we saw the Three Brasseures brew pub and looked for the crew of Saga, a Danish boat we had last seen in Fatu Hiva. They had told us about half price beer from four to six. So we joined Palle, Magnus, and Edith at a table and swapped sailing tales, and talked a little about global politics. Their plan is to leave the boat in the Tuamotus for cyclone season, and return next April for more South Pacific cruising, then eventually return to Europe via the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

I asked Palle if he was worried about pirates, he said no, his boat was not worth stealing, and he had heard that if you check in with the “maritime ships” transiting the Red Sea, they will watch out for you.

We returned to the boat for dinner, and hear beautiful music drifting across the harbor - it sounded live, polynesian, and had beautiful harmonies. Eventually we were drawn to see who was singing.

So we walked off the dock towards the music, bumping into the crew of StarDate along the way, staring down at the lighted artificial coral reefs suspended by the bulkhead, They sailed from Rangiroa Monday, a day before we left. YouTube sensation Captain Nat was losing his crew - Celine was returning to Canada, and Michael was returning to Australia. But Nat had new crew arriving, and planned to spend several weeks fixing his boat in Papeete.

We found the musicians at the restaurant called Retro. It was just a trio, a mandolin, a ukulele and a singer, but they harmonized so well they could have been a chorus. We stayed for some drinks and music, danced to a few bars, then returned to our sailing home in earshot of a Thursday night in the big city.