Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and.... South Shields

Sitting here in paradise on a little atoll called Maupih'aa - around 150miles to the west of Bora Bora. Its raining and a bit grey - this seems like a good day to catch up with the blog. 

Its been a hefty, busy month or so since we left the gloriousness of the Tuamotus, but luckily, things are now settling down  into a little life of swimming, snorkeling, climbing a hill, walking on a beach, drinking some lager, doing some sailing, doing some boat jobs..... 

French Polynesia has been a steep learning curve in terms of sailing/navigating/avoiding smashing the boat up on the reefs and passes etc -we're feeling lucky that we are leaving here unscathed. 

Our 3 months here is now up, we've checked out, and just waiting for a good weather window to head West.

Where that West will be, we are still not sure, but there is a provisional plan to be in Australia by around early September. That old quip is so true - "cruisers plans are written in sand at low water" - so really, we could be anywhere from Fiji, Tonga, the Cook Islands, New Zealand. Who knows?

After leaving the unbelievable beauty but quite stressful Atoll of Toau in the Tuamotos (Bommies, coral reefs, floating the chain, getting through the pass, avoiding being eaten by those sharks) we had a two night passage to get to Tahiti. 

It now felt like a long time since we had done a night passage, and I wasn't really looking forward to potentially being awake all night  - but basically, no choice if you want to sail your house around the world at 5mph. 

The wind was a bit fluky -  on and off, coming from this way, then that way. It was one of those passages where we had all the sails up one minute, then none, then we had the engine on because the wind died altogether, then we started getting the sails out again, and just as we got one of the sails up, the wind would die. It went on....

Neither of us could sleep, even on our sleep break which quite often happens on the first night- its annoying! 

On the second night, however, once everything had settled down, Crawford had one of his unconscious attacks where he just sleeps for England. He does this every now and again, and it can be quite unnerving. 

The first time I saw this weird side of him, we were crossing the Bay of Biscay - one of our first long passages.

I needed to wake him up for something, and he was resistant/unconscious/basically ignoring me. 

There are various, not very kind "medical" techniques we use on people when they are in A+E - (mostly drunk students in freshers week) - are they drunk/unconscious/dead? 

One of these techniques is called a "sternal rub" and it involves using your knuckles quite firmly to "rub" a person's sternum - basically applying a painful stimulus to assess their level of consciousness. 

Anyway, that night on Biscay, luckily, he responded to a gentle sternal rub (that sounds v.rude - sorry) - he looked at me with a glazed expression and said "Have we slipped anchor and gone to sea?" 

We were in the middle of the bay of effing Biscay!! It was funny but thank god he recovered quickly. 

Normally, when the wind whips up, or a storm is brewing, I don't have to wake him up  - he just knows. He will just suddenly appear on deck. 

This must be a skippers thing. I definitely don't have this innate ability to recognize inclement weather approaching. 

So that second night between the Tuamotus and Tahiti (can't believe I just said that) a squall was starting to build up. I kept thinking "he'll be up any minute now" as I was putting things away and reducing the sail. 

Normally me cranking in the sail wakes him up and he shoots out of bed, to leap up on deck and bring the sail in by hand (at this point he is usually completely naked except for a life jacket - not a good look.

For health and safety reasons, I won't add this as a photo. Although it never ceases to amuse me. 

Anyway, that night, the storm passed, the boat was steady and the skipper slept on! Around 5 hours later, he woke up with a big smile saying "eeeh, I've had the best sleep" Apparently he heard nothing of any storm - excellent! 

On to Tahiti - and the anchoring situation on this island isnt great.

For the size of the island, I have never seen so many cruising boats - I guess the land mass to sea ratio is quite small compared to everywhere else we have been.

The total land mass of French Polynesia is only 1600 square miles, which consists of 118 islands and atolls scattered across the nautical area the size of western Europe. So, a lot of sea compared to land! 

We had been warned about the crowded anchorages and Marinas in Tahiti, and if we could have avoided it, we probably would have, but it is also the best place to pick up boat parts - we were planning to pick up the hugely anticipated solar panels from here, so... no choice but find somewhere to park. 

When we arrive somewhere new, finding a place to anchor is basically like driving round a town and looking for parking signs on your Satnav.

We look at an online chart called Navionics which has an anchor sign in suitable or recommended bays (we used to look at paper charts in the olden days but that has kind of ended now.... )

There is also an App called Navily, and a website called www.noonsite.com we use which will describe the anchorage - eg is it a sandy/rocky or a mud bottom? what's the swell like?  is there somewhere to tie up the dinghy? any reports of theft? is there a beach bar nearby? (important obviously)

So Crawford usually looks at Navionics or a chart, and I usually read the reviews which, like any reviews, can be useful or not-but with all that, a decision is then made. 

We normally have a little "discussion" because I always want to anchor as close to the beach as possible (we are in an Ovni with a retractable keel after all, and I love swimming to the beach ) whereas he doesn't want to be too close to the beach in case the wind changes in the middle of the night and we end up actually on the beach.

Using knowledge of the weather that day and the forecasted weather, we will choose a suitable bay. Then we go, and see if there is space - unfortunately there is no sign on the outside of the anchorage saying "spaces" - the chosen method is to just drive around, looking nonchalant, avoiding eye contact. 

Other boat owners already anchored start sitting up, pricking up their radar, checking out where you are planning to anchor, in case you decide to anchor on their chain or get too close to them. 

So that evening, in Tahiti, there were a couple of anchorages on the North coast, but they were absolutely packed full with cruising boats. It was looking impossible. 

We eventually managed to find somewhere to anchor- although miles from town, and the beach, it was safe, secure and settled. 

A nice quiet anchorage, a beautiful sunset approaching, and a very smug cold arrival beer later we were surprised to hear some puffing/panting/grunting/noises very close to us. 

We looked at each other with big eyes, thinking "WTAF", peered nervously over the side of the boat and came face to face with some Polynesian rowers. 

There were loads of them - we were in the canoe/outrigger training area, and they were using our boat as a racing mark (so canoeing out from shore, going round our boat, then back again) 

Hmm, suddenly, not quite so smug, suddenly we're feeling slightly exposed and a little bit awkward. 

Everywhere we looked, we could see these outrigger canoes - like a normal canoe, but with a float, or a secondary hull on the side - apparently this provides stability and keeps the boats steady. 

At first light until last light every day, the rowers were out - all ages, men/women/kids -  zooming along - covering miles and miles. We even got overtaken by an outrigger on our boat. That was quite embarrassing. 

Polynesians have a long, long seafaring history - apparently using outrigger boats to make their way across thousands of sea miles from SE Asia, throughout the Pacific, to Madagascar, and as far south as New Zealand. The outriggers were used, not just for travel, but also for fishing, and now it's a huge national sport. 

I guess In the same way, a non UK person might be surprised at arriving in the middle of Sunderland on a home match day, I was surprised to suddenly be surrounded by these canoes.  Rowing is not just a tradition, its almost a religion, a complete way of life. 

On some of the smaller islands we visited, the houses were really quite basic - almost like a wooden hut - but there would often be an immaculate shiny outrigger or two in the garden. 

We were massively excited about arriving into Tahiti - Tahiti!!

Its always weird arriving somewhere new on a sailing boat - there is definitely not the same tourist welcome we would be getting at the airport. Sometimes it all feels a bit - I don't know, disappointing/Deflating/not sure? 

In our safe anchorage, we were a long dinghy ride from the main town of Tahiti - Papeete (yes I know, it doesn't roll off the tongue).

For the next three days, it was really windy, really wet, really miserable and the sea was too big to take the dinghy out.

So for three days, there we were, looking out of our boat at the island of Tahiti, playing cards and watching breaking bad on Netflix. The absolute glamour of sailing! 

By Monday, we were chomping at the bit to get off the boat, and although it was still wet, the wind and sea state had settled. So we braved the dinghy ride into town. 

Crawford was desperate to get to the solar panel shop (our faithful solar panels, which provide most of our energy, and after six years of use, had broken - 2 days after leaving Mexico)

Juggling the power demands on the boat has been a bit of a challenge. If there is no wind to make power via the wind generator, and if we're not underway we can't use the water generator, so in that situation we have been having to fire up the petrol generator - making ourselves very unpopular in some of these beautifully quiet, peaceful atolls.

Its not really what you want to hear when you're sitting on your boat having a sundowner - next doors generator, or at worse, our engine, whizzing away! It is a massive intrusion, nobody likes it - but we had no choice. 

So back to that Monday - our first trip into Tahiti main town. I had visions of seeing locals with flowery shirts, lots of Hawaiian style music, women with flowers in their hair etc....

Hmm, it wasn't really the case. It was wet, it was grey. We got lost looking for the shops  - we were both wearing flip flops, and they were doing that thing where, when you "flip" all the puddle water goes up the back of your legs. 

Then, because it was raining, all the mosquitoes were out, and we were getting nibbled to death. 

All the shops were still shut so we tried to find a coffee venue. Nowhere was open - so - to get out of the rain on the tropical island of Tahiti, we went to.... 

MacDonald's - Unbelievable - this was the only place open in town! 

There were all these actual chickens squawking around on the pavements throughout the town, and, a huge gaggle of them clucking around outside MacDonald's.
I was worried for them, but then remembered there is probably not that much actual chicken in a Macchicken burger.  

Anyway, when needs must, what else can you do?  Except have a MacDonald's breakfast and people watch. Delicious! As always! The place was packed out with families and everyone seemed really happy - unlike the wet, itchy, hungry tourists in the corner (us) 

We then set out looking for Chandleries, Stainless steel nut and bolt shops (joyful tourist experiences like that) and, of course, the solar panels!

By now it was mid morning, and the shops were still closed. I was starting to think maybe their opening times are a bit like the 3 hour lunch break on Fakarava Atoll - until I practiced my best schoolgirl French to ask a lovely Polynesian lady what the situ was with the closed shops. 

In perfect English (not sure what gave it away) she told me it was a public holiday. Nobody working, nobody at school, nothing open, etc etc. Jesus, Mary and Joseph!! 

So now we were at that stage where it was all quite ridiculously hilarious. It was also lunchtime, it was still p***sing down, so we couldn't get in the dinghy,  and we happened upon a nice looking bar/restaurant that was actually open. 

Hanini draught lager in a nice big glass - !

OMG - we were so happy - the beer was good, the waiter and waitresses were absolutely lovely (we now know - most locals in FP are absolutely gorgeous, sunny, happy people)  the music was great, the beers just kept coming, we happened to order some steak/frites with more beer, followed by big ice creams, and it went on........

We were a bit nervous about getting the bill, having heard how expensive Tahiti is, so we braved ourselves up with one final beer or a Fiona Whitworth ABF and asked for l'addition.

We paid on a card and it converted to around £90 for everything. Not too bad at all! After Mexico that is obviously expensive, but really quite good for everything we ate and drank.

We were so chuffed, we almost had an absolute ABF but luckily remembered we had to get back to the boat. It's never good navigating the dinghy in a strange place when you've had too many beers. Believe me, we have tested that one out, and all sorts of bad things have happened. 

By then, the sun was out, and the rain had stopped, we were quite pissed - what a great day! 

Next day, we did the same again, except without the MacDonald's breakfast and boozy lunch. We found the marine shops, picked up the panels, and got all our stuff. 

We had originally planned to bring the big boat into the Marina in town so we could do all our shopping, then fit the panels in a more settled place. Unfortunately the Marina was still full so this wasn't an option. 

Getting four big solar panels with lots of bags of other stuff, and us, on a small dinghy was an interesting sight - I was desperately hoping we wouldn't be spotted by anyone we knew. 

Mind you, anyone who knows us, probably wouldn't have been surprised by the sight. 

It was a bit like when you go to the Greek Islands, and an everyday occurrence is seeing a family of four with a suitcase each, and a chicken, on a moped. That was us. 

Amazingly, the panels made it safely back to the boat and Action Man Sneddon had them up and installed in no time. 

Woohoo, back on full power!

Interestingly, and reassuringly, the solar panels, were incredibly cheap on Tahiti - cheaper than we had paid in the Canary Islands five years ago. 

A lot of things are expensive in Tahiti - it being an island in the middle of nowhere. But there is no VAT on solar panels, in order to try to encourage people to use the abundance of sunshine available here to power their homes. 

This was a different story to the one I had heard in Spain a few years ago, where, if locals want to use solar panels to top up their energy, the panels are expensive, installation is expensive, and the government expect the person to still pay full energy bills - even if that energy is the sun. What is wrong with people? Hopefully this situation has changed now.

Papeete is quite industrial with lots of boat fixing/ building and the marina was busy with ARC boats being fixed after being raced over from Panama.....those boy racers! 

For a smallish island, I have never seen so much traffic. We got the bus around the island, which sat for long periods in traffic jams.

That sounds bad- but in reality, the buses are air conditioned, there is beautiful Tahitian music being played loudly, and actually, not an unpleasant experience. This is in direct contrast to the buses in Mexico, which (although also not an unpleasant experience)  are most definitely not air conditioned, there are sometimes holes in the floor with a direct view of the road beneath, there is loud Mexican music, ( sometimes a full on Mariachi band will get on - like situation normal - play and sing loudly a song or two, send the cap round, then leave ) The drivers will often have their mobile phones attached to the windscreen with the latest Netflix film on. Yes, the bus driver is watching a film on Netflix. Either that, or scrolling through his/or her music channel and singing loudly. 

Having said all of that, it sounds bad, but somehow, we always travelled on buses, and bizarrely, never felt unsafe in Mexico. Maybe it was the Tequila? 

Some more photos of Tahiti.....

One of the walks we did on Tahiti was the incredible Fautaua waterfall  - apparently Tahiti's tallest waterfall at 443ft. We met up with the very lovely Jess and Parker from Noason who were also keen to do the hike. 

Luckily, since we started this malarkey, we have managed to do loads of walking, climbing up hills etc, so we were able to keep up with the young folk (only just) 

When we got to the top of the waterfall, there were two small freshwater pools, a natural rock slide, a rock jump, and a beautiful view to look down over the falls. 

This is where the generational difference became evident - After around 32 seconds, Jess had her bikini on - she was getting  in that water, 

I said to Parker "Are you getting in?" He would never be so unkind as to say "are you stupid?" but the look was there. 

Next thing..........

Eventually, after around half an hour of us watching all the youngsters dive in, slide in, jump from a huge rock etc, we realized  nobody had died. I slowly got in - it was amazing. Gorgeously cool water, and lots of fun. I did omit the rock slide and the waterfall jump however!

It was around this time I discovered I was going to have to go back to the UK to do some GP work - just to keep my revalidation/registration requirements all in check. 

Crawford wasn't keen to come back to the UK, and its always tricky finding somewhere he can stay, on his own, on the boat. Somewhere near ish an airport for me, and somewhere if he has to move the boat on his own, he can.

Having said all this, early in his sailing career, he read that well known book "single handed sailing with your wife" so he is quite good at single handing. 

I don't really like leaving him on his own on the boat in case anything goes wrong - while I was away, the anchor dragged and he had to move the boat twice. Oh dear! 

So -for me-  Portsmouth, Southampton, and Winchester to do some car shifts and clinics, catch up with my friends at work, remember how to be a doctor and get all my forms/documents signed ready for my revalidation this year. 

After living on a boat for the last five years, I couldn't bear the idea of booking into a hotel and being cocooned up, so instead, I rented a camper van - it was so cool! An ex London Taxicab called BigBen that has been converted into a camper. I loved it. If anyone needs to experience it - here's the company. An ex London cabbie who now converts and rents out cabs instead of driving around London. (https://www.camplify.co.uk/rv/campervan-rental-surrey-big-ben/18367)

The UK was glorious - as always! I had signed up to do night shifts, so I was still on Pacific time - finding night shift easy, the weather was glorious, perfect for a campervan, and life was good.

I flew up to Newcastle on fathers day to see my mum and dad - they didn't know I was back, so when I knocked on their lounge window, I think they got a shock. 

So that was fun ! My mum and dad, and both sisters were at the house, along with Ian, and I got to meet this gorgeous new addition to their family - Daisy. She is soooo cute.

It was great to catch up with a few friends and managed to see all the kids, as well as Jake, Hannah and their expanding families - very exciting times!  

It was, however, time to get back to being a boat wife - so back to the airport and 24 hours later back on Nauplios... 

Sailing tips -

We anchored off Venus point on the North of the island of Tahiti - it was a good safe anchorage, but a long way from the town. Buses did however go in every 30 minutes or so, and there is a Super U close by. Easy to park the dinghy on the beach, tied to a tree. It felt safe. 

We also anchored in the bay near a hotel called Hotel by Pearl Regents - this was good, but deep (we anchored in 10m) and this is where Crawford dragged when it got windy. 

From the Galley 

Its not always easy to get food on the Atolls, and on the bigger islands, the food is expensive.  We were really glad we had stocked up so well in Mexico. 

Skip this if you've read this elsewhere, but essentially, Margie (Stolsig) and myself made a big order of mason jars, when we were in San Carlos - the idea being that we prepare for a period of having no fresh food (like in Alaska) by canning and sterilizing food which we then stow on the boat and eat as required. (It should last up to two years) 

Obviously this Mason Jar administration involved many meetings to discuss the finer points -  Sonny, (Of Margie and Sonny SV Hoptoad) wasn't really interested in Mason jars but kept us really well fed, and made the very best Margaritas in Mexico. 

The Mason jar discussion obviously later (after Sonny's legendary Margaritas) included them taking their table down and using the galley as a dance floor!!! Hooray, I love Mason jars. Thankyou Margie and Sonny ❤

Anyway, the actual jars have been great - I had about 36 jars with just basically, meat and fish in. We looked at a few youtube videos on how to can meat and after a while, like with anything, it became easy.

Basically, squeeze as much meat as you can get into a mason jar (raw) you can add whatever flavorings you like but I didn't add anything, surround it with water, put the lid on, then boil it in the pressure cooker for around two hours. That is a fair amount of gas and a lot of hissing of the pressure cooker. We were in the Marina in Guaymas while Crawford was replacing the rigging and I was in the galley with a pressure cooker permanently on duty. 

Joe and Michelle of SV Soul rebel - if you are reading this - sorry about all the hissing, and thanks for the tips Michelle, and lovely dinners in Guaymas. You will be here next year, I suspect with a boat full of Mason Jars. 

Anyway, the good news is, we still have loads of meat, nobody has been ill (🤞) yet and now we can buy fresh vegetables again, my life is very easy in the Galley. 

We also had a big bag of dried potatoes and so while I've been in the UK eating fish and chips, KFC, etc etc, my husband has happily been eating canned mince and tatties! The meat, when it is reheated is actually delicious! 

The food here, is all fish - sushi, sashimi, raw fish, lightly cooked tuna etc - the pacific influence. The local specialty is a fish cooked in coconut milk with sticky rice and other nice things. From the French influence is the steak/frites thing. It is really very easy to get excellent food here. 

There is fresh bread/baguettes and all the French Cheese you can ask for. It is quite expensive however, and we have been told we cant take any meat or tinned fish into Australia so we are just trying to eat up everything we have on the boat now. 

Walking down the road, we have been able to pick from the trees - mangoes, bananas, passion fruit, papaya, avocado, bread fruits etc. 

Crawford got his machete out the other day on Moorea, to chop down a couple of bananas and a local guy stopped his van, and shouted really loudly and frighteningly at us - it sounded something like "no" but we couldn't work it out. 

So he popped the machete away and we went to the supermarket to buy some bananas. 😊