port phaeton to punaauia ~ first instincts

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Jenny

July 26, 2013

Once the wind had settled down to less than 20 knots, we departed from the protection of Port Phaeton and did a short day sail to Commune de Punaauia, near Papeete. We bid a temporary farewell to s/v Sueño and s/v Flour Girl who were going to stay behind an extra day, but we sailed out with s/v MacPelican by our side. We would see s/v Sueño in a day or two, and we’d meet up with s/v Flour Girl in Huahine.

It was a Friday, and we needed to get duty free diesel from Marina Taina. Duty free fuel was only sold during the week, so we needed to get there before the weekend began. We were also expecting a package from Wil’s mom. And, since we were headed in that direction, we would be crossing paths with s/v Saliander for the first time since the Galapagos, and we were invited to have dinner with them. We couldn’t wait to see Pete and Rae!

Our plan was to anchor near Marina Taina, get our business done, and then move on to explore another island or two of the Societies. Our time in French Polynesia was running out, and we didn’t have time to see all of the islands. Therefore, once our business and some boat maintenance were done in Tahiti, we would attempt to visit Huahine and Bora Bora before clearing out of French Polynesia.

As we sailed up the west coast of Tahiti, the wind remained at our stern. We followed the curving coastline, and it didn’t matter how many times we altered course, because of the way it was wrapping around the island, the wind stayed behind us. It’s difficult to sail directly downwind with just the regular headsails, but at 15-20 knots, there was too much wind for the spinnaker. The wind was border line too strong for the genaker, but since we were on an almost downwind run, the apparent wind seemed acceptable and we chose the big sail.

Gradually, the wind began to pick up, and since we needed to navigate away from a reef with big breakers, we were having a difficult time keeping the wind off our stern. If we weren’t careful, we would accidentally jibe the genaker and end up with a bunch of unnecessary sail flapping that can be tough on the sail and rigging.

Since our situation was becoming a tad difficult, we started to question whether it was time to furl in the sail and crank up the motors. We couldn’t decide. Should we or shouldn’t we? We watched the wind indicator and the sail, and then finally we decided we should probably furl the sail. Wil had his hands on the furling line, and I was ready at the helm with a hand on the genaker sheet.

Suddenly, the genaker jibed and became backed by the wind. The wind was now closer to 20 knots apparent, and with a backed sail full of wind, it was difficult to roll it in. We needed to luff the sail in order to spill the wind, but because we were heading towards the reef and breaking waves off our starboard side, we couldn’t stay on our current course. Our only option was to send the sail back to its original side, so we’d have more time to let it luff and roll it in. The moment I turned the boat, the sail instantly flew back to the starboard tack, and we heard a tremendous rip. In a split second, we had a huge horizontal tear across the genaker. There was no time for investigation, or it would tear further. We quickly, and mournfully, worked to get the tattered sail furled. Wil’s mind immediately thought about the huge chunk of money that would need to be spent, and I worried about how we were going to get it repaired.

We were kicking ourselves for not having acted sooner. We should have gone with our first instincts to bring in the sail. We shouldn’t have hesitated. We probably shouldn’t have had the big sail out to begin with. We shouldn’t have been sailing too close to the reef. There were a lot of “what we should have dones” that day. The good thing was that we learned from our mistakes. The bad thing . . . we now had what was probably going to be a very expensive sail repair.

Even though we had to motor the rest of the way, the remainder of the trip was beautiful. Eventually, we ended up in the lee of the island with flat, calm waters, and the reef entrance to the Commune de Punaauia area was simple. The trickiest part came once we were inside the reef, and we had to dodge wake boarders, small power boats, kayaks, and canoes. It was obvious we had just entered a high tourist traffic area, and another whole new world.

We were successful at reaching Marina Taina’s fuel dock where we completely filled our diesel tanks, gasoline containers, and water tanks. We even sprayed a bit of water across the decks to rid us of some salt. Once our tanks were full, we found a spot to drop the hook amidst hundreds of other boats. It was a tad overwhelming to be in such a crowd, but at the same time, it was also exciting to see so many boats that we hadn’t seen in awhile. We spent the rest of the evening onboard s/v Saliander enjoying a wonderful lamb roast dinner and catching up with good friends.

a lovely frame of the anchorage near Marina Taina

a 7 meter tear in the genaker

 

return to home page

 

Categories: passages | Tags: , | Leave a comment

port phaeton ~ a separate place

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Jenny

July 17 – 26, 2013

Port Phaeton seems to be in a world all to its own. Located on the south side of the isthmus that joins Tahiti Nui (big Tahiti) and Tahiti Iti (little Tahiti), Port Phaeton is almost completely surrounded by hills. While it was blowing 30 knots with 4 meter waves on the outside, we barely saw a puff of wind inside the anchorage. This little spot is an excellent hurricane hole, and probably the best in all of Tahiti. However, also due to its location, clouds tend to hover over the area, there is more rain, and the temperatures are quite a bit cooler than the rest of Tahiti. We never imagined ourselves bundled up in Tahiti!

Nathalie & Kim trying to keep warm in Port Phaeton

both ends of the rainbow in Port Phaeton

Once we were well rested from the passage, we didn’t waste anytime getting ashore and setting out to find the Carrefour, one of Tahiti’s biggest grocery store chains. It was just a short walk up a gravel road, and then we reached the first major paved road we’d seen in a very long time. Looking across the street, we couldn’t believe our eyes. Among a strip of other stores, sat the Carrefour, and more importantly there was a real, paved parking lot, with cars parked in it. This was real civilization!

Shopping in a Carrefour was actually quite a pleasant and modern experience. When you enter, you must store any backpacks at the customer service counter. Although, I was permitted to keep my pack with me since it contained my iPad, and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving it behind the counter. If you need a shopping cart, you must slip a 100-franc coin into the slot on the handle that locks each cart to each other. The coin remains in the slot until you lock it to the next cart when you’re done shopping.

Carrefour is an excellent quality, large grocery store. There is mostly food, but like a super Target, there are also other sections of home goods, school supplies, electronics, and auto parts. I expected to be completely overwhelmed with choices, but I wasn’t. Maybe it was because we needed so many things, and it was exciting to have it all right there. Also, we were forced to take our time because we were reading everything in French.

The first time we stepped foot inside the Carrefour, we were like kids in a candy store. The best isles were the fresh fruits and vegetables, and the large assortment of meats and cheeses. We were still in the middle of the store when Colin ran up and began tugging at my shirt. He wanted to show us something. He dragged me to . . . get this . . . the produce section! He wanted almost absolutely every fresh fruit and veggie that he saw. Take a kid cruising, and look at what happens!

One thing we were beginning to learn about French Polynesia, and I understand this to be a French thing, is that the stores don’t supply an overabundance of plastic bags. They expect you to bring your own, and if you don’t, then you have to buy bags for 100 francs each. The baguette bags are 200 francs each. Lack of plastic makes for a cleaner environment. People around the world could learn a thing or two from the French! We usually brought our own bags anyway, and after having purchased one baguette bag, we’d re-use it every time.

This particular Carrefour also provided free wifi. Along with s/v Sueño, s/v Flour Girl, and s/v MacPelican, we’d sit at the picnic tables for some hugely craved internet access. While some of us shopped, some of us used internet, and the kids hung together. Our wifi antenna at the top of our mast was also able to pick up the Carrefour signal, so we could continue to browse the internet, make Skype calls, and update the blog from the boat. What luxury!

shopping & free wifi ~ ah, the things we've missed!

wishful dreaming in the Carrefour electronics section

At the top of the gravel road leading to the Carrefour was a BMX dirt track. Whenever we’d stop at the end of the gravel road to wait for some of our group, the kids would take to running the dirt track. We stood there in disbelief as we watched them run up and down the steep and dusty hills. Occasionally, we’d see a kid wipe out in a cloud of dusty, red clay, only to reappear with clothes that needed to be scrubbed with the strongest stain remover and a bristle brush. We’d cheer when it wasn’t our kid, and we’d cringe when it was.

Justine’s 13th birthday was celebrated while we were in Port Phaeton. Kim (s/v Flour Girl) baked the cake which we were able to accompany with ice cream from Carrefour. Sueño, Flour Girl, MacPelican, and Duende all joined us for the celebration. The kids had fun making soft pretzel creations, and Justine received many wonderful gifts.

having fun with pretzel creations

always plenty of kids for a birthday party

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our group of four kid boats took a bus ride to the east side of Tahiti Nui to explore three waterfalls named “Les Trois Cascades”. The bus dropped us off at the bottom of a road which we had to walk up before we reached the park area with the waterfalls. It was a beautiful walk, passing by homes with children playing ball in the street. Once we reached the park, there were trails through the woods to each of the waterfalls. We visited each fall, and enjoyed a picnic lunch by the base of one.

walking to a Port Phaeton bus stop

waiting for the bus

 

our cruising kid group

bamboo forest

trail to one waterfall

one of les cascades

local Tahitian flora

enjoying a good walk

beautiful ferns

beautiful Tahitian flora

unique tree trunks

always fun playing at the waterfalls

our family

Before catching the return bus, we walked down the main road to a popular blow hole. There was a section of road on the mountainside that is no longer used, and probably for good reason. The remains of this road are highly exposed to the waves crashing against the rocky shore. It also appeared to be built on top of an old lava tunnel which provided the access for sea water to make its way into the blow hole. While we weren’t supposed to be out on the road, some of the kids had a blast being blasted by the forces of nature.

Max & Justine waiting for the next wave

and the next wave is . . .

. . . quite a big one!

easy to find beautiful surf breaks in Tahiti

We stayed in Port Phaeton until the winds outside the reef died to less than 25 knots and the seas subsided to less than 3 meters. Our next port of call would be Commune de Punaauia, a day’s sail from Port Phaeton and just around the corner from Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.

return to home page

Categories: cruising kids, travel | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

toau to tahiti

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Jenny

July 15 – 17, 2013

A weather window for our passage from the Tuamotus to theSociety Islands was a difficult one to pick. The winds were either going to be too strong or not enough, and there would be squalls. If we missed our opportunity to depart from Toau, then we would easily have to wait another 7 – 10 days for the next round of Maramu winds to cease. We had to pick the lesser of two evils, but either way we would end up with strong winds for half of the passage and no wind for the other half.

When we sailed out of Toau, we had a 15 knot easterly wind and some sunshine. We were sailing in the lee of the atoll, so it was flat, calm and beautiful. It wasn’t long before we could see an approaching squall from the east. It covered Toau, and eventually us. Soon, the rain was pouring, and we were running downwind at 10 knots (SOG) in a 30 knot wind.

While we were flying along at our 10 knots of speed, a couple of fish decided to hook themselves on the fishing lines. Unfortunately, we were going so fast that when we pulled the lines in, all that remained on the lines were two sets of gills. The mouth and gills had literally ripped right out of the fish! We were surprised that the fish even attempted to bite at those speeds.

As we made our way to the end of Toau’s lee shore, we began noticing the silhouettes of the swell beyond the island. They appeared quite large and mixed up. That’s when we realized that in addition to the normal 2 to 2.5 meter swell, we would be receiving a wrap-around swell from multiple directions. Motion was going to get quite uncomfortable, so the kids and I immediately took some seasickness pills (Bonine). Wil opted not to take anything, and later he wished he had.

Once away from the lee of the shore, seas were mainly on the port beam, but with the mixture of waves coming from other directions, our motion was like being agitated in a huge washing machine. The sky was dark gray, and the sea was dark gray. The only bright color was the white water on the tops of the dark waves. Even though I’d taken medicine, I preferred to stand at the helm in the pouring rain, so I wouldn’t feel queasy. Wil managed to make dinner for us that evening, but being in the galley probably tipped his scale towards feeling queasy and needing to get outside for some fresh air. Gradually, as each hour passed, the nasty sea and weather conditions subsided.

Over the course of the next day, the winds dropped to almost nothing. For about a day we could sail, but then we needed to motor sail. Eventually, we had to drop all sails and motor on a flat and glassy sea. Quite a contrast to the start of our passage!

just put out the fishing line & they will come!

always happy to wake up for a Mahi Mahi

 

 

It was toward the end of my watch in the wee hours of the morning when I could feel Tahiti getting close. If it were daylight, we would have been able to see the outline of the island’s high mountains in the distance, still some 40 miles away. It was good that we had a fair distance to go because it was dark, and we didn’t want to be anywhere near Tahiti’s surrounding reefs until we could see them.

It must have been a combination of sleep deprivation and knowing we were getting closer to land, mixed with the quiet and eerie darkness of the night sky and the glassy water. My mind started playing tricks on me. My ears could hear the pounding of surf in the distance, and my eyes could see a faint white shadow on the dark water in the distance. I checked the chart and the radar, but it was only wide open ocean. I slowed the engine until we were creeping along at 2 knots, and I veered away from what I thought looked and sounded like surf. I couldn’t figure it out. I swear I could hear it, and I swear I could see it. When I couldn’t stand it any longer, and it was getting close enough to Wil’s watch, I woke him from his sleep to verify what I was seeing. He could see the white shadow, but he couldn’t hear the surf. After analyzing the situation, he pointed out that the dull glow of the moon seemed to be causing a hint of a white glow from the clouds onto the water. It was then that I knew I needed to get some sleep!

approaching Tahiti's south coast at first light

The sun began to peek above the horizon, and we caught our first glimpses of Tahiti’s gorgeous, volcanic mountains rising up from the ocean, so green and lush. We were headed for Port Phaeton tucked up on the southern side of the isthmus between the big island and Tahiti-Iti (little Tahiti). Port Phaeton is so protected that it’s commonly used as a hurricane hole. We had heard that compared toPapeete, not only was Port Phaeton less crowded, but it also had good free wifi and convenient shopping. After being so remote for so long (since Panama City), and in dire need of provisions, that sounded like the ideal place for us!

Our goal was to sail close to the southern tip of Tahiti-Iti, so we could fish along the reef. However, as we neared the island we noticed that our speed over the ground had dropped to 2 knots. We had been motoring with one engine at about 5 knots, and now we had 3 knots of current against us. We weren’t going to make much progress at this speed, so we had to veer away from the island until we could round the point and the current diminished.

Once in the lee of Tahiti-Iti, we motored closer to the reef in hopes of catching fish. At the same time we were looking for our first ever glimpse of Teahupoo, a world renowned professional surf spot. We couldn’t believe that we were in a location where the world’s most popular surfers come to compete! Unfortunately, since we were passing by with no wind and glassy seas, we wouldn’t get to see any of the big waves that the pros get to surf. However, at some of the other surf breaks along the way, we got to watch some surfers practicing their tow-in and pick-up techniques.

sailing past the Teahupoo area

Teahupoo waves on a small day

south coast of Tahiti

a unique pinnacle of Tahiti

Sadly to say, amidst all this greatness, came some struggle and turmoil. Living on a sailboat with your spouse and kids for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is not always easy. Yes, we’re seeing some of the most beautiful parts of the world, enjoying the tropics, and having amazing experiences. However, at the same time, there is the continual stress of keeping us and the boat safe, not to mention having all that togetherness. The moment Wil told me how to do something on the autopilot was the moment I exploded and aired everything that had been bothering me for the past several months. Poor guy!

We had much to talk about. Before we started cruising, we each had specific roles that we played in our lives. Wil was part-owner of his company, and he was used to telling his work crew what to do and how to do it. He felt important. I had always been at home with the kids. I was their mom and teacher, and life at home depended on me. I felt important. While we are both still important in our roles onboard a sailboat, there is a lot more crossover in our job responsibilities. If we are not careful, we can inconsiderately step on each others toes. We must realize that while we might do the same task differently, at least we each get the task done. Ultimately, we need to keep the communication wire open between us, and respect the other for who they are as a person.

Once the air was cleared, we had to focus on entering the reef and making it the final stretch to Port Phaeton. Due to the extremely settled conditions, the reef entry was a breeze, and it was quite easy to read the water with respect to shallow water. As we followed the winding channel to the anchorage, Wil began testing different wifi signals. He managed to pick up a strong enough signal to make a quick Facetime call to his mom! We were off to a great start. As always, it was great to drop the hook and catch up on sleep. The next day, we would go explore Port Phaeton and all it had to offer.

a glassy anchorage at Port Phaeton, Tahiti

return to home page

Categories: fishing, living aboard, passages, travel, weather | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

toau ~ cultural experiences

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Jenny

July 9 – 15, 2013

Anse Amyot’s false pass in Toau is a place that became dear to our hearts. In addition to some great snorkeling, the people of this quaint little place are very special.

Valentine and Gaston, along with their families, have lived on the northwest corner of Toau for many years. There are about 10 permanent residents, and each year they receive many visiting cruising boats, as well as other family and friends from nearby islands. Valentine and Gaston open their home and hearts to their visitors, and they enjoy sharing their culture with anyone who is interested.

When we first arrived in Toau, we weren’t sure how long we would be able to stay. Many of our basic provisions were running low, and we needed to get to Tahiti. So that we could stay longer, Valentine and some of our fellow cruisers immediately remedied our situation. The twice-a-month supply ship would be coming, so she had flour and vegetable oil that we could buy from her. Another cruiser had fresh baguettes to hand out. And, our closest buddy boats went through their compartments and brought over plenty of UHT and powdered milk, peanut butter, popcorn, and an assortment of canned veggies. Again, our hearts were warmed by all of the generosity that surrounded us.

Valentine offered to show all of us how she makes coconut bread. We only needed to bring ourselves and a jar of jam. She would show us how to make it, and then we could all enjoy some warm coconut bread with jam. However, on the morning scheduled for bread making, Valentine’s doctor sailed into “town”, and she needed to have her appointment with her doctor.

Valentine’s doctor is a French woman who sails throughout French Polynesia with her husband and their dog. They had been former cruisers, but have remained in French Polynesiato aid people throughout these remote islands. (They are the ones who brought baguettes for everyone!) Valentine has medical issues that need careful monitoring, so the doctor comes to see her on a regular basis. What a way to make house calls!

Once the doctor was ashore, and before her appointment, Valentine wanted to show us their church. We followed her back through the property and came to a tiny one room building about the size of a backyard shed. When she opened the door for us to enter, we could immediately see its inner beauty. The altar was decorated with fresh flowers, and there were 10 plastic patio chairs lined up along the walls. We sat with Valentine while she shared her religion with us. She started by talking about how the world was going to end, and if our names weren’t in the Book of Life, then we would not go to heaven. The looks on our faces stopped her in mid-sentence, and she was surprised to find out that we didn’t know that the world was going to end soon. She had me read a passage from an English Bible, and then she read the same passage from a French Bible. Then, it was time for her appointment with her doctor.

We were very fortunate to be in Toau for the birthday of Valentine and Gaston’s nephew, Jean-Paul. A Polynesian birthday is an occasion to slaughter a pig and have a day-long (and night-long) celebration. Therefore, a feast was planned, and all the cruisers were invited to attend. Not only were we invited to attend, but we were also asked to participate in the preparations. Early in the day, Wil and David (s/v Sueño) went ashore to assist with preparing the slaughtered pig.

In order to kill the pig, the legs were bound, and while one person held the pig’s snout closed, another person slit the pig’s throat. Once the blood was collected and the animal was dead, boiling water was poured over the pig, and its skin was scraped. The pig was then sliced and diced, and all of the meat went into pots to be cooked over a fire. The head and feet were placed on a cooker, and the rest of the pig parts (like the heart, liver, etc) went into a blood sauce to be served with the meal. Who’s ready for dinner!

The rest of us showed up right before the celebration was to begin, and Valentine put us to work collecting flowers for decoration and preparing the tables. We all brought a pot of something to contribute to the meal, and Kim (s/v Flour Girl) baked one of three birthday cakes for the birthday boy. We gave Jean-Paul a gift bag containing a ball cap and a couple of miniature bottles of spirits.

Soon the celebration began and the food was served. There was so much food that I was stuffed before ever trying any of the sauces. Wil ended up with a pig ear on his plate (which he ate), and the kids both tried the blood sauce. They weren’t crazy about it, but I was highly impressed. As people continued to eat throughout the evening, some of the locals began singing along with their guitars and ukeleles. One woman did a Polynesian dance performance. Birthday cake after birthday cake was presented to Jean-Paul. All were having a blast, and spirits were passed freely among the those who were interested. Eventually, we had to bid everyone at the party a good night and get our kids to bed. However, Jean-Paul, along with his family and friends, continued with the birthday celebration until the morning.

Valentine kept her word that she would show us how she makes coconut bread. On the day we were getting ready to depart for Tahiti, she had everyone come ashore who wanted to help. She put the women to work removing old wood, lava stones and ashes from the 55-gallon metal drum that would be used to cook the bread in. (I can’t even describe the amount of roaches and ants we had to stick our hands into while removing the stones and debris!) In order to collect kindling for the fire, and to clean up the yard, she put the kids to work with a couple of rakes and a wheelbarrow collecting dried leaves and sticks. The men were put to work helping Gaston move a large, single-piston generator over to the shed. Once the generator was moved, Gaston and David (s/v Sueño) opened and scraped 5 coconuts (with a machine shredder) for Valentine’s bread. Water from one coconut was added to the meat of the 5 shredded coconuts. Then, they squeezed the coconut milk from the freshly shredded coconut meat using a cheese cloth of sorts. (The remaining coconut scraps are used to feed the pigs.) Using salt water straight from anchorage, the freshly squeezed coconut milk, yeast, and flour, Valentine created the bread dough. The women sat and chatted with Valentine while she worked.

Since we were getting ready to depart for Tahiti by mid to late afternoon, I had to excuse myself early from the breadmaking session. We had lots to do on the boat, and the afternoon was quickly getting away from us. However, Nathalie (s/v Sueño) stayed to watch the remainder of the process. The bread is baked in the metal drum atop coconut husks and lava rocks. Once the coconut bread was baked, Nathalie brought a couple of loaves to us. They were absolutely delicious!

anchored in Anse Amyot, Toau ~ yes, those are kids hanging out on the spreaders of Sueño!

a mast is a good substitute for a tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

return to home page

Categories: cruising kids, travel | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

toau ~ snorkeling video

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Jenny

July 9 – 15, 2013

There was no rest for the wreary. We’d barely arrived in Toau, and tied up to the mooring, when the kids and I went off for a snorkel outside the pass with Sueño, Flour Girl, and MacPelican. Wil had just come off his watch, so he took the morning for a chance to sleep.

During our stay in Toau, we enjoyed lots of snorkeling, and even some diving. Check out our video of snorkeling in the false pass of Anse Amyot, Toau. Listen carefully to the parrot fish as it munches on the coral! We even got to swim with a few sharks, but they somehow escaped being photographed.

Click to watch Anse Amyot, Toau ~ Tuamotus 2013 video.

return to home page

Categories: nature & wildlife, travel | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

decisions in the tuamotus

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Jenny

July 8 – 9, 2013

Deciding when to leave Kauehi, and which atoll would be our next, was a difficult task.

Fakarava was our most desired choice. Snorkeling Fakarava’s south pass was supposed to be spectacular with many sharks swimming along with you. However, we received word that there was a Dengue Fever epidemic in Fakarava, and a couple we know from one boat had contracted it. If we were to put ourselves at a greater risk for exposure to Dengue, and then fall ill, not only would we feel terrible, but we would be rendered useless for weeks until we got better. We weren’t willing to take the risk, especially with having kids onboard.

Apataki was another choice. Steve on s/v Liward was not only a musician, but also an avid surfer. He was looking for a great wave, and he wanted Wil to join him in Apataki for the next swell that would be rolling in. While Wil wanted nothing more than to have a great surf session on a world class wave, the weather was our biggest dictator. Going to Apataki meant timing the tides, so we could exit Kauehi and enter Apataki during a reasonable daytime hour. We also needed lower winds for pass entrances. More strong winds were on the way, and if we went to Apataki, we would get ourselves stuck there for at least two weeks. Being stuck in paradise wasn’t such a bad thing. However, many of our basic food supplies were running low, and we needed to get to Tahiti.

Toau, a small atoll to the north of Fakarava, ended up being our next destination choice. Toau has a “false pass” on its northwest side called Anse Amyot. One doesn’t have to time their entrance or exit with the tides and it’s fairly well protected. The waters in this area are also declared as a national park reserve, so they have an excellent reputation for snorkeling. The only catch was that anchoring wasn’t allowed, and all of the moorings were taken. Regardless, we decided we would head towards Toau anyway. If moorings opened up, then we would stop. If there weren’t any available moorings, we would continue on towards Apataki. We knew s/v MacPelican was in Toau, so they could update us as we got closer.

Once we had our weather window, we set out from Kauehi for an overnight passage to Toau. Our ride out through Kauehi’s pass was loads of fun. The current was most definitely in our favor. We hit 10 knots over the ground and thoroughly enjoyed the “rapids”. It completely reminded us of river rafting! Once out of Kauehi, we set our course for Toau, and settled in for an easy night’s sail.

Before our first night watch, we received confirmation that there would be moorings available when we arrived. We were excited about the good news. By sunrise, we were making our final approach to Toau, and it wasn’t too much longer before we were comfortably on a mooring. The water was gorgeous and we couldn’t wait to explore this little piece of beauty.

return to home page

Categories: travel | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

kauehi ~ picked up after Jesus

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Jenny

July 7 – 8, 2013

It was a Sunday, and the mayor was going to pick us up after Jesus. Just how many people get to say that in their lifetime!

It’s true! After church, the mayor himself was coming to pick us up from the southeast anchorage, and take us to the village for a viewing of his black pearls.

We all prepared for our day trip and dinghied ashore to wait for our ride to town. Even though we still had 24 of us, the numbers had dwindled when it started to rain. We waited in an abandoned and disintegrating building, so we could stay as dry as possible. For about 2 hours, we huddled in that building while the rain poured.

Eventually, the mayor showed up with the flatbed truck, and regardless of rain, we all piled in. Now instead of just being bumped along in the back of a truck and getting whipped by palm fronds, we were wet and being bumped along in the back of a truck while being whipped by wet palm fronds! Fortunately, by that time, it was only a light rain, so it wasn’t all that bad.

our mode of transport

the only road down the Kauehi atoll

part of a local pearl farm

ocean view from the road

pearl farm buoys to keep coconut crabs from getting to coconuts

lots & lots of pearl farm buoys

Since it was already noon, and we had quite a few hungry people in the truck, the mayor phoned ahead to his house to make sure lunch could be served when we got there. Sure enough, when we arrived there was a table prepared with baguette sandwiches, hard boiled kavaka eggs, juice, and coffee.

Kavaka eggs, you ask? They are the eggs from a local type of tern, and yes, they eat them in Kauehi. Most of our group was inquisitive and sampled the eggs. (I know of two people who didn’t eat the eggs; a vegetarian and one picky kid) The kavaka eggs were tasty with a fish flavor. While I’d had enough after eating two eggs, I imagined they would be quite good if they were used in a seafood quiche.

the mayor introducing kavaka eggs

lunch is served

hard boiled kavaka eggs taste like fish

The mayor’s home is also the coconut farm that we’d visited the previous week. Unfortunately, just 3 days ago, one of his employees had severely burned himself while throwing gasoline on a fire. He had thought it was a jug of water, but realized the reality of it too late. The flames whooshed back towards him, burning his bare legs and bare feet. The man was laid up in a bed at the opposite end of the porch where we were eating our lunch.

Since Nathalie (s/v Sueño) speaks French, she learned the story and told the mayor’s family that I was a medical person. Therefore, I was summoned over to have a look at the man’s legs. My heart leapt to my throat as they removed the bandages and I got my first peek at his injuries. His legs were covered in second and third degree burns from his knees down to his toes. The blisters present were enormous (6-8 inches in diameter) and fluid filled to the point of nearly bursting. The third degree areas of skin was charred, blackened, and “melted” to his body.

This man needed a hospital, and not just any hospital. He needed a burn center. They had spoken daily with a doctor on the phone in order to get medical advice, but now 3 days later, they were still waiting for the doctor to arrive from another island. In the meantime, they were able to give him antibiotics and pain medicine. The bandages consisted of large leaves from a local tree placed over the entire burn area with gauze and old Ace bandage wrapped around his legs to hold the leaves in place.

As far I as knew they were doing the best that they could for him. I could only strongly stress that he drink lots of water to keep his body hydrated and flushed, and that he should also keep his legs elevated. Just after I finished speaking with him, he crawled out of bed, and with crutches, hobbled over to a chair to watch TV . . . with his legs down. We immediately got another chair and a pillow for him to prop his legs up. My fingers were crossed that the doctor would arrive sooner rather than later.

On a side note, we used this man’s unfortunate situation to educate the children. I especially made sure that Colin got a good look at what can happen if gasoline and fire come close to each other.

This coconut farm also had at least 2 dozen dogs and puppies running around. At one point, I needed to use a toilet, and had to share the room with 5 dogs. Since shoes aren’t permitted in the house, I was barefoot and had to tip toe around piles of poop to get to the toilet. While I was still in the middle of peeing, the locked door suddenly became unlocked, and a woman with a broom walked in. She totally ignored the fact that I was right there, and proceeded to sweep away the dog poop. By that time, I figured if she didn’t mind, then I didn’t mind. The worst part was when I returned to the porch and saw one of the puppies poop out a tape worm into the yard. We were all suddenly very aware of the unsanitary conditions and hoped none of us had contracted any worms.

After everyone had eaten, the table was cleared of food and dirty dishes. Then, a white table cloth was spread out, and THE suitcase appeared. The mayor unlocked the suitcase, removed the black pearls, and laid them out on the table according to quality and size. Everyone, including the kids, immediately jumped in to have a look and to pick out their favorites.

THE special suitcase holding black pearls

black pearls grouped by quality

so many black pearls to pick from

The mayor had his pearl prices, but he was very willing to deal. He especially had a soft spot for the children, and when he noticed that they’d picked out their own pearls, he brought his prices down significantly. He even had the boys do “a kiss for a pearl”. If the boys gave the mayor’s wife a kiss on the cheek, they could pick out an extra pearl for themselves. Colin bashfully got in line, and when it was his turn, he gave the mayor’s wife a quick peck. It was all very cute!

the mayor and his wife love children!

a kiss for a pearl

 

Eventually, it was time to pile back into the flatbed truck for our return trip to the southeast anchorage. The day had become another memory to last a lifetime.

sunset in southeast Kauehi

return to home page
Categories: travel | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

kauehi ~ lessons learned

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Jenny

July 6, 2013

The winds were only going to be down for one day before picking up for another round of strong wind (southeasterly this time) and rain. We decided that we needed to make the most of our last day of sun.

With a bit of spontaneity, we arranged a day trip to snorkel the pass. We invited anyone in the anchorage who wanted to ride aboard Full Monty and spend the afternoon drift snorkeling in the pass. After a quick check of the tide, and distance calculations to the pass, we told everyone departure was at 1 pm.

It also took some figuring on how to handle the dinghy situation. There were going to be 20 people onboard, so one dinghy would not be enough for shuttling people back and forth from the big boat to the pass. Therefore, we decided to tow two extra dinghies for the trip.

Wil was concerned about losing our good anchor spot to any newcomers that might arrive while we were gone. He really liked that spot because that’s where the fish tended to hang out! Therefore, right before hoisting anchor, he dropped some chain with a plastic bottle tied to it. Now, we would be able to return to our exact position. (Consider this to be some foreshadowing!)

Everyone piled aboard with their snorkel gear and snacks, and we were off. Our guests included crews from Sueño, Flour Girl, Voyageur, Sirius, and Scott Free.

hostess & navigator for the day

Over an hour later, we arrived at the pass. As we approached, we discovered that we were too late, and the tide was already going out. We decided to anchor a safe distance just south of the pass, so anyone who wanted to snorkel near the boat could do so. Then, we donned our snorkel gear and hopped into the dinghies. Maina (s/v Voyageur) stayed with the big boat.

plenty of eyes available to look for coral heads

As we dinghied closer to the pass, we saw that the current flowing out the pass was really too strong even for drifting with the dinghies. Therefore, we dropped swimmers in the water further away from the pass, so they could drift towards the pass and then be picked up. However, the current quickly became even stronger, and trying to keep tabs on almost 19 people became difficult. I had stayed in our dinghy to watch anyone near me, but before I knew it, I had a handful of people hanging onto two lines I was dragging out behind the dinghy. Even though I had the 25 hp engine, it was tricky trying to tow so many people out of the fast moving water. It didn’t take long for everyone to realize we needed to call it quits and return to the big boat.

Upon returning to Full Monty, some of us took a more relaxing snorkel around nearby coral heads. Along with the usual fish, we saw unicorn fish that literally have a single horn shape protruding from their heads. We also saw crown-of-thorns sea stars. The crown-of-thorns, also known as “mother-in-law’s cushion”, are beautiful, but they have poisonous thorns and are damaging to living coral.

Justine and I also heard about a couple of small (3-4 feet) black tip sharks that were swimming around, so we snorkeled over for a look. This was our first experience of swimming with sharks, and we were very happy to notice that they were particularly shy. However, on our return swim, I glanced back to make sure Justine was right behind me, and both sharks were following us. I motioned for Justine to turn around, and I quickly moved next to her. In my mind, if we made ourselves look bigger, we might scare them away. I changed to a vertical position and spread my arms out wide. Sure enough the sharks turned away. We quickly, but calmly, swam a more direct route back to the boat.

Soon it was time to pack everything up and begin our journey back to the southeast anchorage. It was rapidly approaching sunset, and the wind was starting to pick up. With everyone aboard, the extra dinghies tied to the transom, and the anchor up, I throttled forward.

As the boat moved away from our little day anchorage, I glanced back to see the sunset. What I didn’t expect to see was two dinghies floating away towards the pass! I yelled that the dinghies were loose, quickly turned the boat 180 degrees around, and aimed downwind and down current from the dinghies. As I tried to block the dinghies from going any further, we had all hands on deck trying to grab them. After a couple of failed attempts, David (s/v Sueño) dove in and swam for them. Soon, both dinghies were retrieved and more securely tied to the transom.

By the time we got moving again, the sun was below the horizon and rain clouds were moving in. The wind had picked up to about 15-20 knots on the nose, and since we were pulling two dinghies, our forward progress was just 3 knots. Everytime the wind would gust, we risked overturning a dinghy. We finally had to switch the dinghies to the other side of the boat where the wind wasn’t directly on them.

With the sun gone and night upon us, this meant we had to navigate back to the southeastern anchorage without being able to see the many coral heads. Hoping that the Navionics and GPS on the iPad were pretty close to reality, I was able to follow our previous track in reverse. That was all fine and dandy until the track suddenly disappeared! While Wil raced inside to turn on the chartplotter, I frantically searched the Navionics archives for the track. Thank goodness I found it and was able to get the track back again.

It was dark, it was windy, and soon a light rain began to fall. After having been snorkeling, everyone was starting to get chilled. I donned my foul weather gear and continued to man the helm.

trying to warm up after snorkeling

Normally, we don’t drink a drop of alcohol when we’re underway, but the day had been long and we needed to take the edge off. Along with the snack foods, the wine and beer came out. Wil and several of our guests (kids included) were very thoughtful of my position at the helm, and they kept me fed and watered.

Eventually, we could see the mast lights from our anchorage. We followed our track back towards where we had been anchored. As we neared our spot, Wil was able to light up the float with a flashlight. We were so relieved that we’d marked our anchor spot. We could drop anchor and not worry about dropping on or getting tangled in coral heads.

We couldn’t have been more relieved to drop the anchor and turn off the engines that night. I think the people who stayed in the anchorage were relieved to have us back too. Later, we heard that they were concerned about our late return.
While it was a fun day, we learned quite a few important lessons, and fortunately everything turned out okay.
Lessons Learned:
  • When snorkeling a pass with a large number of people (especially children), all swimmers should have their assigned group & dinghy with a main person to keep tabs on everyone in that group.
  • When hours in the day matter or specific tides are needed, and there is a large group for an organized trip, know that transitions take longer, and more time is needed to do anything.
  • No matter how calm things might be, never tow a dinghy (or two!). Conditions can deteriorate on a moments notice.
  • Never count on one method of navigation. Always have a backup, or be prepared to do deadreckoning.
  • Deadreckoning doesn’t help if you’re in the dark and surrounded by coral heads. Don’t get yourself into that situation to begin with.

return to home page

Categories: navigation, safety & health, travel | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

kauehi ~ wild things

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Jenny

July 3 – 5, 2013

The weather during the first part of our stay in Kauehi had been absolutely picture perfect with sunny days, little wind, and a calm anchorage.

Being anchored at the southeast end of the atoll offered great protection during the normal east to southeast trade winds. However, there was a low pressure system coming our way, and over the course of a couple of days, the winds were going to clock through the entire spectrum of directions. We would also receive very squally weather with the system.

Since the atoll is about 12 miles long from northwest to southeast, any strong winds that blew from a northerly direction would cause the waves to build across the lagoon in our direction. We knew the wind change was coming, but we decided to stay in the southeast anchorage on a wait-and-see basis.

I woke early in the morning to the wind howling. Wil was still sound asleep, so I went to check the conditions outside. It was blowing 30 knots, and our anchor chain was stretched straight out. We were in about 15 feet of water and stern to a bunch of large coral heads and the beach right behind the coral. With every gust of wind, we pulled closer the coral. There was only potential for disaster.

I got Wil out of bed, so we could talk about our options. The wind was currently out of the north to northeast. We knew we should really head for the village at the northeast end, but the wind would continue to clock around to the northwest, then we would again be exposed. After much indecision, we finally decided to re-anchor in deeper water further away from the shore. We hauled up the anchor and did just that. In the meantime, while some boats decided to sit tight and weather the storm, there were several boats already making a dash for the village.

Over the next couple of hours, the wave fetch began to increase, and the boats were really starting to yank on their anchors. The wind wasn’t even completely around to the north and northwest yet. Things were going to get a lot worse, so we finally made the decision to move northward. As we were pulling away, s/v Yindee Plus radioed over to ask if we were “tucking tail and running.” No! No! We were just going to find a better place to anchor.

As we headed north toward the village, we were still not feeling right about the northwest exposure of the village anchorage. I was constantly looking for other options, and decided to head slightly out of the way towards a little, lone motu (Motu Toe Toe). As we neared the tiny island, Wil agreed that we should give it a try.

We came in close to scope out the anchoring situation. The island itself offered protection from the north. While we wouldn’t be protected from the northwest wind, there was a shallow reef that extended out from the island providing protection from the northwest wave fetch. We knew we would be fine with the wind, so less wave fetch was the priority. We tucked up behind Motu Toe Toe and sat back to watch the show.

Motu Toe Toe ~ our own little piece of refuge

Suddenly, over the VHF we heard that there was trouble. Yindee Plus had their windlass pull right out of their deck (the bolts had sheared off completely, and it was left hanging only by the electrical cables), and their Rocna anchor was twisted like a piece of scrap metal. The weather was too horrible to trust anchoring with their spare anchor, so they needed to leave Kauehi immediately and sail forTahiti, a two-day sail away! Next, we heard Interlude on the radio. They’d broken their bowsprit. Their bow roller was non-functional, and they were unable to anchor. The Interlude girls would also have to immediately exit forTahiti. Sailing out into squalls with 40 knots of wind was the lesser of two evils for Yindee Plus and Interlude. We all felt badly for them.

The wave fetch in the southeast anchorage had gotten so bad, and when both boats had tried to lift anchor, they found their anchor chains wrapped around coral heads. Every time their bows went up with the waves, there was no give from the chain, and their boats received damage. s/v Liward had waves breaking around them, but they were able to get their anchor up without any damage and head for the north end.

It didn’t take long before all of the other boats that had raced to the village anchorage were now moving out again. A local boat was moving around the corner from the village, and everyone was following him. They all tucked in near the main shore just south of the village. s/v Somerset33 came from the southeast anchorage and tucked in next to us behind our little motu.

looking from our motu, towards the other boats hiding out from the storm

Even though the weather was stormy, and we were over a mile away from the rest of the boats, Steve (s/v Liward) had Colin over for some guitar instruction. Wil took Colin over to Liward, and when they arrived, there was a “School of Rock” sign hanging from their dodger. Colin spent a couple of hours with Steve learning 48 new guitar chords, and a couple of new songs. Many thanks to Steve for all his time spent with Colin! Colin will be forever grateful.

We all hunkered down for the stormy night. As each squall passed, the wind would howl and slightly change direction. We had our AIS anchor watch turned on, and I slept with the iPad next to my pillow. Every time the wind picked up, I’d look at our position on the Navionics app, see that we were still in position, and fall back to sleep.

The next morning brought a new and beautiful calm. After a bit of remaining rain, the clouds parted, and the wind subsided, returning to its prevailing southerly direction. It was safe to return to the southeastern anchorage and resume where we left off in this tropical paradise.

return to home page

Categories: cruising kids, travel, weather | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

kauehi ~ fun times cruiser style

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Jenny

July 1 – 7, 2013

Since there were three Canadian boats in the anchorage (s/v Somerset 33, s/v Interlude IX, and s/v Sueño), I started the morning by wishing them a very happy Canada Day over the VHF. We quickly decided to do a spontaneous potluck lunch on the beach with everyone in the anchorage. Even though Sueño is from Quebec, they still happily participated in the celebration. Somerset and Interlude both came completely decked out in Canadian attire. Cheryl and Karen (s/v Interlude) were extremely patriotic with a Canadian umbrella hat, pins and socks. Even a flag was hung from a tree. It was all great fun.

After the Canada Day potluck, a truck was supposed to show up to take us all to town for a pearl viewing with the mayor. Unfortunately, the truck broke down and we would have to reschedule. We were beginning to think we would never get to see pearls.

We were very fortunate to have s/v Liward in the anchorage with us. Steve loves a good jam session with his guitar, and he never hesitates to get all musicians together for a good time. Steve and Lili were very gracious to host a jam session on their boat, and invited the entire anchorage to listen. I didn’t know that so many people could fit onboard one 48-foot monohull! With amplifiers set up on the stern, Steve, Colin, and Chris (s/v Yindee Plus) played their guitars and sang. Colin thoroughly enjoyed being “on stage”, and we were so proud of him. It was an awesome performance, and everyone had great fun.

return to home page

Categories: cruising kids, travel | Tags: , | Leave a comment