Sand Dollar will depart Fakarava Atoll tomorrow morning during slack current at the south pass. There is not much wind forecast but I am hoping to make the 240 mile passage to Tahiti in two days and arrive in Papeete during daylight on Tuesday, the 12th.

This evening I had the pleasure of being a guest at a fish barbecue hosted by a local family who have a small pension in the village. The food was very traditional and delicious. The other guests included the crew from another boat and two French couples who live in Tahiti. One of the Frenchmen had been the personal bodyguard for Presidents Mitterand and Chirac. We enjoyed a most interesting evening but my French is not getting much better. Maybe I will pick up a few more words in Tahiti.