Wed, August 13
Wendy told us that the pearls get more expensive in the islands we're heading toward, so Casey and I went to Papeete to do our final pearl shopping. We then went to the Wan pearl museum, where we saw the largest pearls we'd ever seen. We stopped by the grocery store to buy some hamburger meat because the Carrefour store closer to our anchorage didn't have any left.

While we were gone, the guys fixed some stuff on Adventure (extended the anchor chain, repaired the salt-water washdown tap, and replaced some light bulbs in our navigation panel). They managed to drop our electric screwdriver and vice grips into the ocean, so we need to buy new ones tomorrow before we leave for Moorea.

Our sail repair was still not complete, so Sean and I went back into Papeete to API Yacht to talk to Christophe to find out what was really going on. He'd told us our sails would be done last Friday, then for sure on Monday, then this morning, and then this evening. When we got to API, they were still working on our sail. We waited until they were done and then checked out their work. I was disappointed that one of the tears that had a temporary patch had not been fixed. Christophe said that they didn't have time to fix it if we wanted the sail tomorrow morning. Rather than being held hostage by more undelivered promises, we told him to deliver our sail as-is, first thing in the morning.

Thu, August 14
It was my 46th birthday today, but there was no time for celebration. We had a busy day scheduled so we could get out of Tahiti. Sean and Stan went to the dock to pick up our sails at 7am and then dropped them off on Adventure's deck. I went with them to Papeete to add Stan to our crew list and check out of Tahiti with the port captain. Then to Ace hardware to buy a new electric drill and vice grips to replace the ones that had fallen into the ocean. Unfortunately, all the drills were 220 volt and wouldn't work on our boat. We then walked to the bank to get some of Stan's traveler's checks cashed (this was a rip-off because the bank charged 500cfp (about $7) just to cash $200 worth of traveler's checks. I recommend using an ATM card to get cash when you travel. We've always been able to use our ATM card to get cash when we've needed it and the fee has never been more than $2 per transaction.

We hurried to Le Truck, returned to Adventure, packed up the dinghy and outboard motor, and pulled anchor. We motored to the fuel dock and started filling up. Sean said there was a problem...the fuel wouldn't going into the tank very fast. We'd had this problem before, when our vent line was clogged with salt. Sean tried to clean it out, but the line is difficult to reach and is screened inside the tube that exits the side of the boat. An hour later, the gas station attendant said he had to close for lunch. We stopped filling the tanks and were about 40 gallons short of being completely full (we hold 175 gallons). With our duty-free fuel certificate, we paid $6.23 per gallon (regular price is about $10 per gallon). We stayed at the fuel dock to put our repaired main sail on, which took about one and a half hours. We filled our water tanks too (we hold 90 gallons and have a 20-gallon per hour water maker).

Finally, we set off for Moorea. We went out the lower pass because it would save us about 4 miles. The seas were big and confused, with cross-swells starting about half way between Tahiti and Moorea. We put up the jib in 20-25 knots of wind, but Sean didn't want to put up the main. Our autopilot didn't work because something had bumped against it and broke a piece loose. Sean said it was an easy fix, but he wanted to wait until we got anchored to do it. So we had to hand steer. Stan and I did a little, but Sean took over when the wind picked up. I was sea sick, as were the girls. We were all glad it was only a 4-hour trip.

In Moorea's Cook's Bay, there is an anchorage with good internet access just inside the reef where the seas are smooth, but there is no protection from the easterly wind. So we went through the 450-foot wide pass in the reef and then inside the bay, where the wind was dampened. We dropped anchor and I pulled back on it to set it, but it pulled free. We have a Rocna anchor, which has an innovative design. It looks like a spade anchor with a roll bar across the top of it. It has been designed to set within the length of the anchor (about two or three feet). It's done a great job so far, so we must have dropped on a big rock or something. We pulled in the anchor; I repositioned Adventure, and then dropped the anchor again. It set like a charm this time...

We were all so tired that we didn't launch the dinghy. I cooked chicken, onions, bell peppers, and rice with cream of mushroom soup and we just relaxed for the evening. The girls were a bit anxious because we were hoping a few of our friends would be here and we couldn't see their boats in the anchorage and they didn't answer our hails on the radio. Rhythm was anchored next to us and they have a 16-year-old son, Daniel, on board. They invited us to go hiking with them in the morning.

Free Spirit called us and said they were in the outer anchorage. Paul told us they had to do a rescue the day prior, when someone on shore started yelling to them on their boat. They thought they were just saying "hello," but soon realized they were pointing to Kairos, which had been anchored in front of Free Spirit. It was now behind Free Spirit and was dragging anchor at about 2 knots. Paul and another cruiser motored to Kairos, whose captain and crew were on shore, and secured her anchor. Paul said that Kairos had moved to the next bay down from us and was then going back to Tahiti to drop their visiting friends off at the airport. The girls were bummed because they wanted to hang out with the kids on Kairos.

The landscape on Moorea is dramatic, with palm and acacia trees and huge cliffs in the foreground standing out against sharp mountain peaks in the background. The 3-dimentional effect of layer upon layer is stunning.

Fri, August 15
Everyone left at 8am for the hike. I stayed onboard to work on some projects and to relax by myself, a rare treat for me. I fixed my reading lamp, which was missing several screws. Normally, this would be a quick repair, but I had to sort through a lot of screws to find ones small enough to fit the lamp. I reorganized our storage closet and found about 10 rolls of toilet paper we'd bought at Costco in the USA almost two years ago. It's hard to store an entire case of TP on a sailboat. I don't know what I was thinking when I did that...as if other countries wouldn't have toilet paper we could buy... I glued four plastic frosting containers I'd saved along the way to a plastic cutting board. We'll use this as a cup holder on the table while we're under way so our cups won't tip over. We've actually tipped over more cups while at anchor by bumping them, so maybe we'll use it all the time. I got out my sewing machine and mended a small stack of torn clothes that had been collecting. In between projects, I read a book and ate breakfast.

Captain and crew got back to Adventure from their 10-mile hike and were hungry for lunch. They said the views were wonderful and Stan took lots of photos with his new digital camera. They followed the road to the top of one of the hills, where everyone else was also going. A cruise ship is anchored in the bay down from us, so the passengers must have been the ones driving up the hill in rented cars and ATVs. Sean decided we should also rent a car so we can tour the island. Everyone on the hike wanted a baguette to eat, but were disappointed to find that the stores were closed for a holiday today.

Ann and Paul motored in from the reef anchorage and reanchored Free Spirit in the bay near us. Ike, Becky, and Daniel from Rhythm and Paul and Ann came over for dinner. I made roast beef, carrots, potatoes, onion, green beans, gravy, herb bread, and a chocolate cake. Daniel is taking a photography course via email, so I'm excited to see some of his photos and to get some photography tips from him. Paul and Ann brought a book for me with balloons tied on the top for my birthday. My family tried to count the dinner and cake I'd made as my birthday celebration, but I wouldn't agree. I don't think the person having the birthday is supposed to do all the work...

Sat, August 16
We got up late, took showers, and then went to shore to rent a car. All the cars were rented from the Avis stand we went to, but they had a driver bring one from their office in the next village over. We paid $104 for a four-hour rental. This was just enough time to go to the factory where they make juice and liquor from local fruits. We went into the tasting room and a lady set out a bunch of shot glasses and poured what looked like pineapple juice into them. Tara, Casey, and I each grabbed one and raised it to our lips. The lady said, "Alcohol. Rum." Tara and Casey put theirs down, but I went for it and took a sip. It didn't taste very good. I asked if we could taste some fruit juice instead. She said that only the children could. I understood now...they wanted to sell the alcohol and the fruit juice factory was just a sham to draw unsuspecting tourists. Sean and I tasted a few other spirits and the lady told us how much alcohol was in each as if that's how you should choose which to buy. She poured a coconut milk-based drink and proudly said, "Twenty five percent alcohol!" We clearly did not fit into their target market...I bought a liter of pineapple juice.

Next along the road was the outlook everyone had hiked to the day prior. We drove up a steep, narrow, paved road with many switch-backs. At the top was a beautiful view of two bays, one of which we are anchored in. The girls complained about sore legs and hips from the hike the day before. Sean and Stan did the macho thing and suffered in silence.

Back in the car, we hurried to the Tiki Village, that's set up like a native village with people handcrafting jewelry, palm-frond hats, tattoos, wood carving, etc. We ate lunch in the restaurant there and watched a Polynesian dance show. At the end of the show, a man and a woman showed the audience about a hundred different ways to tie a pareo (aka sarong) while the 5-member band played a tribal tune with ukuleles and drums. Casey and I wanted to go in the canoe to the near-by pearl/oyster bed, but everyone else wanted to go back to the boat.

We stopped at several magazines (stores) on the way back to buy baguettes, but we were only able to find one, single baguette left. We got back to drop the car off just as our four hours passed. It was a quick trip, but we were satisfied that we'd gotten to see enough.

Sean and Stan went to explore the reef after dropping us girls off at Adventure. Paul called and invited us over for aperitifs, but only Sean and I ended up going over. Stan and the girls watched a movie instead.

Sun, August 17
Today was departure day for going to Huahine, but we weren't leaving until 4pm. The girls wanted to buy pareos from a lady who was hand-painting them in the village by the anchorage. They each picked one out and the lady showed them how to tie it in a couple of different ways. We paid 2200cfp (about $25) for each.

After lunch, we all loaded into the dinghy to go snorkeling, but the wind had picked up and was gusting hard. I decided to stay on board to keep an anchor watch, while the rest went to pick up Ann and Paul to go with them. The girls said the snorkeling was good, but Casey complained that she was getting tired of snorkeling and seeing the same beautiful scenery on all the islands. I guess you can get too much of a good thing...

While they were gone, I showered, packed the boat for our passage, made some chicken fried rice, and emptied our 3 water jugs into our tanks. When the snorkelers returned, Sean and Stan went to the dock to get some more water, but it was getting late so we left with our water tanks down about 30 gallons.

Our friends on Sleipnir left at 3pm, Free Spirit left at 3:30pm, and we left at 4:30pm, all headed for Huahine. We kept in radio contact and had a race to see who got to the anchorage first. We sailed on a broad reach in about 8-12 knots of wind. We'd been sailing with just a small portion of our main for so long (we had been triple-reefed because our sail was blown out in several spots) and it was great to see our main up with just a single reef. We've learned that it's best to single-reef our main for over-night sailing in case we're hit by a squall. The sail looks well-worn, but the repairs look good.

Mon, August 18
We overtook Free Spirit at 3am. Paul called on the VHF to congratulate us for pulling ahead. We were out of radio range to harass Sleipnir. In the morning, we were about 12 miles from the anchorage and Paul called on the radio. He said that he wanted to gets some photos of Adventure with her sails up, but his camera didn't have a very good lens on it so we'd have to slow down a bit and wait for them to get a bit closer. I told him that I recognized the trick he was trying to pull on us to make us slow down so he could catch up. He swore that that was not his intention, and that it was really so he could take some photos, but we refused to slow down...just in case.

About 5 miles away from the anchorage, Paul called and said we didn't have to worry about what we were having for dinner tonight because they'd just caught a large fish. He didn't know what kind of fish it was, but he said it was the shape of a tuna, but he didn't think it was actually a tuna. He took photos so we can look in our fish book tonight to identify it. He'd caught one just like it before, and a shark had eaten the tail end of it before he could pull it in.

We got to the anchorage about an hour after Sleipnir did and Free Spirit came in an hour or two later. The anchorage was crowded and we motored around looking for a spot that was far enough away from the channel entrance, other boats, and coral heads, yet was shallow enough to anchor in. I pulled up to the front of the anchorage, near the dock, but it was still 60 feet deep. As I circled, another boat called us and said that the sea floor was littered with old lines and chain. Another boat had anchored there and had a difficult time getting their anchor up. Sean wanted me to anchor on the other side of the channel, away from the village and beach, but I had not explored the middle of the anchorage, closest to the beach. I didn't know why the other boats were staying away from this area, but there were what I call "front-row seats" available there. As I approached, the sea floor came up fast and we saw scattered coral heads safely below our keel. But we were still in 25 feet of water, with a sandy bottom. We were a little closer to one of the boats than we normally would be, but we are more conservative in our anchoring distances than most cruisers and we knew the people on the boat we were close to. I began to back up and Sean dropped the anchor. A woman and her daughter kayaked near Adventure as we anchored. We had a beautiful spot.

Even though I pulled back hard on our anchor to get a good set, Sean jumped in and dove on it to make sure it was secure. Casey, Sean, and I swam to Rhythm to say hello and make sure they didn't feel uncomfortable with our distance away from them. Casey and I swam to shore, where we met the woman and her daughter. Amy and Emma (age 14) were from Southern California and had come here for vacation for the past five years. The house they rented was on the beach right next to Adventure. They invited us over for a drink and to check out the house. We met Michael, Amy's husband. They were excited to hear about some of our sailing adventures and asked if we could get together for dinner.

I told them that we already had dinner plans to eat the bonita that Paul caught, but if they wanted to have a few boat-loads of people come over that evening, we could all bring some food and Paul could use the brand new gas BBQ that was sitting on the huge patio that overlooked our anchorage. I called Paul on the VHF and he and Ann were all for it. Wolfgang and Eva on Sleipnir also joined us and we invited our friends on Rhythm, but they already had plans on another boat for the evening. With veggie salad, baguettes, chips and homemade salsa, brownies, wine, lemonade, beer, and soda and excellent fish kabobs, we had a wonderful feast and only ate about half the fish. With a table large enough to seat us all on the patio, the house was perfect for such a gathering.

Tue, August 19
Amy and Emma wanted to go snorkeling with us and give us a tour of the village. This was perfect, because Sean and Stan were going to do some repairs on Adventure and needed us to be away from the boat all day. We dinghied to the beach house. We'd normally pull the dinghy up on the beach, but Sean had taken the wheels off. I looked around and found a mooring ball close to the beach, tied to it, and then backed the dinghy to the beach. We jumped out and threw a stern anchor into the sand. This way, the dinghy was still floating in the water, but we could get out in calf-deep water and not get our clothes wet.

We picked up Amy and Emma and dinghied the short distance to the village dock. They took us around, introducing us to a few locals that they'd gotten to know over the past five years. We had lunch and walked to the gendarmerie so I could check us in. We went by the grocery store, which I think was the second-largest in French Polynesia, and bought a few items. I asked the lady in the fruit stand outside the grocery store if she could get a full stock of green bananas for me. She said she'd bring them the next day.

Back at the beach house, we pulled the kayaks into the water and paddled/snorkeled around. We saw an octopus that wasn't shy and held his ground as we checked him out. I was able to swim back to shore to get our water-proof camera, swim back to the octopus, and then take a bunch of photos. A flounder swam by and flopped down on the ocean floor near the octopus. With its camouflaged sand color, the most noticeable thing about it was its two eyes, both protruding from one side of its flat body. It was really only noticeable when it swam a few feet away before plopping down again on the sandy bottom.

We met Chris, the owner of a 65-foot wooden racing sailboat that had just come into the anchorage. They'd done the race from Los Angeles to Tahiti and had won against three other boats. They did the trip in 14 days. Later, we hung out at the beach house for a few hours and Chris came by and sat on the patio with us to tell us about his boat and racing. He said that every added pound on his boat slowed them by one minute in this race. His crew thought he was crazy to bring a several-hundred pound generator until their engine died a couple of days from the start. For lightness, he has only a 20 gallon water tank and heavily depends on his water maker. He said he won this race by just five hours, or 300 pounds.

The girls stayed with Emma to watch a movie while I returned to Adventure to prepare dinner for everyone. Sean and Stan had fixed our clogged fuel vent problem, re-glued my cup holder we'd glued twice before, and flushed the water maker. Later, Michael, Amy, and Emma came over to Adventure for a taco dinner.