We're OUTTA here!
01 August 2021 | Pension Tiare Nui
William Ennis | Lovely but hot and humid
After a long session of working in the heat, we will finally splash the boat tomorrow, Monday. We've requested to go into the water in the afternoon and will stay in the slip overnight to check things out, and leave for Huahine on Tuesday. As I've said, we'll stay there for a few days, then if all is right and weather holds, we'll head to Apataki in the Tuamotus, about a 3-day sail to the east. We're very excited to finally be moving and onto the water.
We've made a lot of improvements on Wings, and have a few details to complete before the crossing, but all in all, we feel prepared. Conni worked on a new shower system using our pressure water, so we're also looking forward to a bit better personal hygiene.
Of course, we still don't have a wind instrument, and the autopilot probably won't work, but those are details and neither is crucial. That's not to say that we'd do without if we had a choice!
We'll depart the Carenage and motor to Uturoa for diesel fuel and gasoline for our main engine, outboard, and generator, then mosey across the lagoon to Taha'a or stay on this side and motor to Faaroa Bay on Raiatea. We're unsure of that. After a shakedown and some last minute chores, we'll sail to Huahine for a few days, then head to Apataki.
Crossing can be tiring with only two aboard, but we're old hands at this point and have a good system. We use a 5-4-3 watch schedule, with each of us with a 5-hour watch during the day, four-hour watches in the evening, and 3-hour watches in early morning. Shoot, I can hardly stay awake, so a 3-hour watch seems fine to me.
This will the last blog or photo set (I posted a page tonight) for several days, at least. If we get the SSB fired up, we'll try a blog, but that is dependent on equipment functioning as it's supposed to.
Wish us luck.