Fakarava, South Pass to Papeete, Tahiti. 240 Nautical Miles
I dreamed we were following a crazed Australian through the reef into Papeete and found there was no path through the reef. The dream was so vivid, it was almost a hallucination.
Ann was on watch as we were nearing Papeete. It was still blowing about 20 gusting to 25 and I finally found some sleep after 50 some hours. Fortunately I was able to get five hours or so during this period as we were closing with Tahiti. But, the dream was so real, I had to get up and look at the GPS (for the umpteenth time) to make sure there really was no reef until just before the island. Wow. Sleep deprivation and a little anxiety from the bumpy ride and squally weather. Crazy what too much coffee can do to your sleep patterns!
Right now we’re tied onto the quay in downtown Papeete. It’s a med-moor type of thing where our stern is tied to a mooring and the bow tied to a floating dock. Actually a “backwards” med tie, but the same principle. To get off the boat, we have to go out over the bowsprit, wait for the boat to surge forward a bit and then one foot steps off onto the dock followed by the other when we’re sure it’s OK to let go of the headstay. A very tricky
maneuver and one that when anyone does it along the quay, everyone watches to see if they “make it” or fall into the water!
My “welcome” to the mooring was a jammed mooring line around the back of the rudder. The first line handed to us from folks on the dock was the “wrong” one and we had to let it go in order to get the right one.
Unfortunately, this jammed the wrong one into the top of the rudder. I noticed the problem (fortunately as it would have been a very BIG problem had we started the engine and sucked the whole thing into the prop).
We tried boat hooks, but no go. Nothing to do but put on dive gear and over the side. It only took a quick move to get it all untied, but not fun to have to dive on the boat in a commercial port. I very quickly washed down with a convenient hose of fresh water on the quay.
So, what was it like getting here:
0300 on the first night out: I’m watching a perfect night sky. Shooting stars are streaking across the sky. The Southern Cross is outlined against the Milky Way. I’m listing to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young on the iPod (to keep awake). These are familiar songs I’ve heard a hundred times before over the decades, but have such new meaning sitting under the stars on a passage like this, just two days out of Papeete. Papeete for goodness sake!!! There’s a tremendous comfort in the lilting melodies and the perfectly blended harmonies of their voices. “When you see the Southern Cross for the
first time, you understand now why you came this way…”
0430 Our course right now is a little south of west. Our wake is leaving a faint outline against the black night sea, tracing our journey directly back toward the barely glowing but increasing lightening of the early morning sky that promises a new day.
The only problem with this picture is the new day ended up bringing squall after squall after squall.
Day two of our passage was not much fun, hence the lack of sleep (and overall crankiness of the skipper). We got nothing but bumpy seas, windy gusts and at one point a wave breaking into the cockpit and soaking everything (including above mentioned skipper).
OK, but we’re in paradise, so who cares. We’re in Tahiti! For now that means we’re med-moored in the heart of the city with people and cars only 30 yards away. Oh well, it’s kind of fun, for now. Day after tomorrow we move out to Moorea on a group trip for some fun (probably 30 or more boats who have done this passage
this year). That lasts through Sunday, then we’ll come back to Papeete and explore the area a bit more before moving on to Bora Bora and parts west.
Please stay with us to hear and see more. I’m hoping to upload pictures of the last month or so, next week. Stay tuned…
