It's dark now, the tropical sunset dropping like a weight over the day. No evening here. We relish the beginning of some cooler temperatures but still can't live below decks until the interior has had time to dump some thermal energy. The poor fan is just pushing around hot air. Luckily, we can access the web from the cockpit and stay cooler.

We completed some important chores this morning. We paid our bill at this lovely marina: not cheap. I got 10 gallons of diesel as "just in case" fuel. With our chainplate leaks, the compartment under our berth had a few liters of water in it, soaking our second and larger jib. I fished it out and set it to dry yesterday and it made progress today. Several other items in that bin also got wet and received the full sun treatment today. The poor mattress that got soaked for the same reason (leaking chainplates) is much drier and I now have hopes that it will make a full recovery by our return. Most of the small pillows have dried as much as they will. Saltwater is hygroscopic and absorbs moisture continuously. Items wet with salt water never really dry. The only solution is to rinse the salt off, which we've tried to do, but soaking some items is not prudent.

Our friends on Moonbeam, the Island Packet 47, had loaned us two large fenders to help with the seas making into the marina earlier. While we were in the marina office, we heard them call for help to leave the marina, and we had to rush out, run to the boat, untie the fenders, and run down the dock to throw them aboard as they pulled away. We're both so glad that we heard them or we'd be guilty of inadvertent theft, especially after their very kind loan.

One thing about the place. There is a population of "third sons" who are third sons of families with no daughters. They're raised as females since the inheritance is taken by the first two sons. Yikes! There are also guys whom we might call transvestites, and others who just like dressing like women. They're common in service industries and society does not look askance at them so they're "out" as we would say. It's just interesting.

We completed our tasks on the boat then took the bus into town. It was hot and slow but much less expensive. We bought, wrote, and mailed some post cards, and bought some beautiful stamps for them. Our French is improving, slightly, and we can navigate around town. We wrote the cards while have this exquisite little lunch in a sidewalk cafe, a French as one could get. We completed a few other tasks and enjoyed some sights, and then took a bus ride back to the marina. It was Papeete rush hour and the ride took over an hour. Jeez. Again, we stopped at Carrefour, the huge supermarket, and bought some "flip flops" for Conni, some Hinano beer, a local brew, wine, baguettes, and more pain chocolat. Pain chocolat and iced coffee is our morning ritual now.

We leave tomorrow morning for Raiatea. It's 150 nm so it'll take us an overnight sail. Conditions look very good with east winds to 20 kts. Couldn't ask for more. We'll be moored out rather than in a slip and that's less convenient than being at a slip and dock for task like flaking sails for storage, but there's no room. We got the water maker pickled yesterday, so that task is done. Conni has sorted food, some to return home, some to be given away, and some to stay aboard. Batteries must come out of all electronics since batteries explode in the heat. decks are cleared, roach/ant poison must be spread liberally. Every cabinet door must be left open and every cushion must get some air. Solar panels are removed and stored below. Lots of work and we've got to be done by leaving time.

I don't know that we'll have internet access or the time to use it when we get to Raiatea, so our next post might be from California.