Suwarrow to Vava'U, Tonga

Suworrow to Tonga

Position 13* 14.9' S 163* 6.5' W

0900: Anchor is up and we are leaving Suwarrow under partly cloudy skies. There were no surprises with the anchor though we did have to zigzag around a couple of bombies.

0922: Going through the pass during slack waters

0930: Raised the main with a single reef and curled out the Genoa 2/3 rds out.

Course is 300* 

Winds SE. Abaft beam reach

Speed 7.8 knots

Seas: 6 feet

We are basically traveling around the atoll to the other side where we will alter course and hopefully get rid of some of this roll once we get off the lee shore. We are still having intermittent problems with the starter which means occasionally having to lift the cover off the motor and tap the thing. We have a replacement starter but it will require some adjustments in the wiring in order to install. We are hoping that the marina in Tonga will have someone to help us with that. Apparently there is a pretty good yard there run by a couple of guys from New Zealand. The shaft also needs some attention and requires more packing - little difficult to do underway. We are seeing a little water in the bilge especially in the high following seas but we are able to stay well ahead of it with the bilge pump.

1050: Gibed to alter course to 240*

Speed: 6 knots

Winds: SE at 20 knots

Seas: 4-6 feet

Running with enough wind on the aft quarter to keep the gib full. C'est bon!

9.2 knots as we race down a wave! yippee!

Monday 08-Aug-2016 

Noon Position: 13* 14.9' S 163* 17.3' W

Speed: 6.5 knots

Winds: E at 20 knots

Seas: 6 feet

Distance to Go: 691 nm

The sea conditions remained quite brisk throughout the day. My nerves were a bit on edge as I looked aft and saw 10 foot waves breaking behind us. The occasional rail to rail roll did not help either. But I figured out what works for me - it is not the motion - it is the apprehension. So I stopped looking aft and I was fine. The same thing happens to me on a roller coaster. That first climb to the top pits me in a panic mode and I want to climb out of the car. So I just close my eyes.

Confidence can easily handle these sea conditions so I just have to have confidence in her. And David sat with me until I reached some sort of comfort zone before he went to lay down. After that I was even able to handle a couple of light squalls without waking him. And a few " slappers" to keep me awake! Occasionally we get a larger than average swell and we drop into a valley and get slapped! The wave is about to crest just as it slams against the hull, throwing spray all over the boat. This one doused the cockpit and me as it hit us on the port aft part of the hull. At least the water is warm!

Earlier dinner of premade Indian Butter Chicken. David is doing his check-in on the net. We are at 50/50 cloud cover and the moon is at 42% and directly above me. David heard from Serita and Red Thread and they are having to motor as their winds have died off. They are to the south of us. And Kinabalu is NW of us and is experiencing 40% wind shifts, squalls and confused seas. So we are quite content to be in between at 4.2 knots with just the occasional light squall.

0700: David is just about ready to climb into bed (actually was in bed) when I experienced a wind shift. This made me look back at the wind vane to see what it was doing. The line that I am pointing to controls the rudder on the wind vane. The wind shift had moved it such that the part that is often hidden in the column was exposed. It was a good thing that I looked back as it was in that moment that I noticed the line had been frayed down to the core.

So I called David up. Sun was still up and the most recent squall passed us on the port side. Seas were relatively calm. Lots of things working in our favor! I took over hand steering and David hung over the aft end and replaced the line! Within 20 minutes we were back in business. Monitor was reset and David was back in bed! Sometimes you just get lucky. The story would have been quite different if this would have broken at night during one of those squalls.

Way to Go Captain Dave! And as the Captain said: Way to go Betty-Ann for catching this! What a team!

So I stayed on my watch until midnight. The moon was at 30% for my watch and set just after midnight. So David did not have the moon but the stars were out in all of their glory and he had an uneventful night.

1000: David did get up to start the motor in order to charge the batteries. We were flashing low and he needed to do the tap tap thing on the starter to get the motor to turn over. Took a few more taps this time. Might as well hit the bilge pump while we are both up. Then we sat together in the moonlight Dan enjoyed the night for a half hour or so. Then he is back to bed. He is lucky that he can immediately go back to sleep.

David was generous with his watch so I did not get up til 0700. He was too tired for breakfast so immediately crashed until noon. Then I made a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and cheese on toast - my homemade bread - ( wouldn't Mom be impressed) and coffee for the Captain. Then I needed to crash. I may have had a long break during the night but the conditions did not allow for very long periods of uninterrupted sleep.

Tuesday 09-Aug-2016

Noon Position: 14* 17.7' S 165* 22'W

Course: 240* T

Speed 4.5 knots

Intermittent squalls with 95% cloud cover for most of the day

Total distance travelled in 26 hours: 150 mm

Distance Travelled in 24 hours: 140 nm - one of our best days yet.

Thoughts on these long passages: I do not mind going for days without seeing the sight of land. I do not mind being out here alone with no boats in sight. I don't even mind the night watches. What I do mind is the constant feeling of being tired! I am one of those 8 hour a night girls and have never acquired the back for power napping! Hopefully the seas will quiet down and we can both get into a better sleep pattern. We make every attempt to give each other

A 6 hour break at the helm but that does not mean that you sleep for 6 hours!

But we are making good time and even the rolling has not been as bad as the last crossing. And speaking of time - technically we do not pass the International Date line until we reach 180* longitude which is somewhere closer to Fiji. But Tonga is financially connected to New Zealand and has opted to adopt an artificial Date Line so they are working on the same day of the week. So when we arrive in Tonga on Sunday it will actually be Monday! In Tonga the saying is: Tonga - the land where tomorrow begins!

Wednesday 10-Aug-2016

David actually had to wake me up 0600 as I was dreaming that I was making coffee. I guess I could smell David making the coffee! 

David went to bed and then wanted me to wake him at 0730 to check in with the net. All is good with the fleet. Serita had two whales follow them for about a half hour during the night! We understand that whales have been sighted as we get close to Tonga. Hopefully we will be lucky and see one!

Winds have slacked off a bit and we are down to just over 3 knots. We may not break any records today but the seas are calm and we are enjoying the rest.

I spent the next couple of hours entering my journal into the iPad. So hopefully I will have the main part of these blogs completed and ready for publishing by the time we get into wifi country again.

Noon Position: 15* 13'S 166* 59'W

Speed: 3.5 to 7 knots

Winds SE at 12 knots

Seas: 4-5 feet

Total Distance Travelled in 24 Hours: 105 miles 

Distance to Go: 446 nm

1228: David is up and we put out the Genoa. This increased our speed to 5 knots at a Course of 242T. We are right on target!

1700: we are 70 nm SSE from the uninhabited island of Rose Rock in American Samoa. It is mostly cloudy and our speed has increased to 5.5-6 knots.

Winds SE at 15 knots.

We are on a beam reach with a single reefed main and the Genoa is 2/3 out. This is a most comfortable point of sail for Confidence and we are all smiling!

I took the watch until 0100 letting David sleep until he woke up naturally.  I spent most of the night reading.Then I went to bed and had a really good sleep until 0600.

Both of us had really good watches with the Monitor doing most of the work. Fingers crossed but so far this has been an excellent crossing. David got the weather fax and it looks like there is more of this weather up ahead. With weather like this one could sail all the way to New Zealand! 

The winds did pick up a little during the night so David furled in the Genoa to about 1/3. We are still maintaining 4.5 to 5 knots on a beam reach. Very little cloud cover. 

0415: we passed the halfway mark!

Thursday 11-Aug-2016

Noon Position: 16*15.4' S 169* 06.7'W

Course: 242* T

Speed: 5.5 knots 

Winds: SSE 15 knots

Seas: 5 feet

Total Distance Travelled in 24 hours: another 138 nm 

Distance to Go: 309 nm 

0600: Another perfect night of sailing on the big blue sea. We are pleased when we manage 120 nm a day. We are averaging a distance just shy of 140 nm and just under 6 knots. Fantastic!

0730: Sun is up

At this rate we will have to slow the boat down, meaning reduce sail, in order to time our arrival at VaVa'U for the morning. As usual, we do not attempt arrivals in new ports or anchorages in the dark.

BA scramble for breakfast. Seas are staying relatively calm so I decided to make the preparations for chicken fajitas. If things shake up as the day progresses then all I have to do is start of the frying pan!

David furled in the Genoa to slow us down but we are still managing 5 knots! 

We also got word of a SSB raid station out of New Zealand that provides a more comprehensive weather forecast for this region.

8592 Zulu

Friday 12-Aug-2016 

Position: 17* 14' S. 171* 26' W

Course: 242 T 

Speed: 6 knots

Winds: SE 18-20 knots

Seas: ESE 6 meters

Total Distance Covered in 24 Hours: 145 nm

Distance to Go: 164 nm to the entrance with another 20 nm to the anchorage.

We have had such a wonderful crossing that I do not have too many stories to fill up these pages. I guess that is good news for us but does not make for very interesting writing or reading.

Saturday 13-Aug-2016

Noon Position: 17* 58' S. 173* 14' W

Genoa is furled in. Stay sail out at 50%.

Mainly sunny.  Speed: 3 knots

Winds: SE 15 knots

As the day progressed so did the cloud cover. Just as David was getting ready to sign on to the net and I was putting on the finishing touches for dinner, three squalls appeared on the horizon, heading our way.

I turned off the burners on the stove and we went on deck to prepare for a hit. We furled in the stay sail and put a second reef in the main. Rain gear is out and on.

The first squall passed behind us. The second and their squall passed ahead us and we continued on down the alley. So we got lucky again. Rain gear off and dinner is back on.

Thanks Paul!

We did not manage to miss all the squalls in the night. Only one had a little wind in it, doubling my speed. And we did get more rain through the night. I was very grateful for my Helly Hansen jacket that my brother gave me as it kept me dry.

0600: David woke me to bring down the main and start the motor for our entrance into the harbor. We had to run back and forth at the entrance till it lightened up again. Sun was up a little after seven and we headed in.

We have arrived at VaVa'U, Tonga.

Surorrow

Suwarrow, Northern Cook Islands

The Suwarrow Atoll can be located at 13* 14.9' S. 163* 6.6' W

This Atoll was established as a national park in 1978 - an island paradise 500 nm away from anywhere. This island is an important breeding habitat for the Cook Islands and the Pacific Region. It used to be called Suvarov after a Russian ship that discovered it.

The main objective of the park is to maintain these breeding grounds and the Atoll in general in its most natural state. In 2013 a rat eradication program went into effect and preliminary observations in 2014 show success. The project will continue until 2017 and for this reason some restrictions s have been made for visiting boats.

For 6 months of the year - June 1st to Nov 1 st - Suworrow has two park rangers in residence: Harry and his son Pae. Otherwise the island is uninhabited and no unauthorized landing is allowed. The park board has built them a rustic house on stilts with a few outbuildings. They are dropped off in June with provisions for the six months and will not be picked up in til November.

Their main responsibilities include the completion of the government documents for our entry into the Cook Islands. Even though this is not an official port of entry it suffices their requirements for visitation to this Atoll. We are allowed to stay for a maximum of two weeks.  The park rangers are also responsible for ensuring that all visitors follow the rules. There is no dumping or burning of garbage anywhere on the Atoll. This reduces the invasion of pests. Until the rat eradication project is over,  Visitors are not allowed to go ashore on any of the motus except Anchor Island (where the Rangers live). There is no dumping of organic waste into the lagoon as this attracts the unfriendly sharks who endanger the local fish population. No fishing is allowed inside the lagoon but you are allowed to troll at the entrance.

It is not difficult to maintain these rules in order to appreciate this pristine environment that we are given the privilege to visit!

There are many variables that determine whether our experiences in a particular area were positive. Weather, water, anchorage, provisioning, fellow boaters, inhabitants and modern conveniences (wifi, laundry). One week on the Atoll of Suwarrow has received our highest ratings to date! The fact that we had no wifi or means of provisioning only added to the experience of really being on an uninhabited island paradise.

Harry and Pae were excellent hosts and through their vigilance and the governance the park board have managed to maintain this atoll in its most natural state. They joined us for a beach potluck to celebrate my 61 st. 

And they are providing stories of the area and traditional Maori  songs on their guitars. Harry's guitar was actually given to him by one of the band members from Motley Crew. To show just how remote these guys are - a few of the strings had broken so Harry restrung the guitar with fishing line! And the sound was fantastic. They come from a family of musicians so believe me there was nothing amateurish about their music!!! Our friend Dave would have absolutely loved it.

The potluck was great! Fresh tuna courtesy of Red Thread done in a Moroncan spice. Skewers of fresh Wahoo courtesy of Sereta. Neil and Richard had also been out the night before spearing lobster so Jude made up a lobster, butter and garlic spread that she put on balimis. I made Thai chicken because my  fisherman had not been successful up to this point. Carol made lentils. Fresh carrots, pickled green beans and fried rice made up the rest. I made Giradelli  chocolate brownies. Scott made a spice cake. And to top it off - Jessie made me a birthday cake complete with decorations. 

I was adorned with a tiara and sash. A finishing touch - Richard opened up a bottle of Crown Royal - a gift he had received from a fellow Canadian and I am embarrassed to say that we all polished off before the night was done. But that was 11 people so really it was not that bad!  What a glorious birthday celebration! David topped it off with a pinky ring, adorned with Marqesian etching and a black pearl. I have celebrated some pretty spectacular birthdays ( my 50 th being me of them) but this me was right up there!

Our week was spent walking around Anchor Island,

 snorkeling Perfect Reef ( aptly named) and other reefs in the lagoon, swimming to and from shore and sharing stories and time with our neighbors - a group of people who were instrumental in giving this stop our highest rating. Richard, Jude and Katya on Serita from Australia. Gary and Marita on Miss Catana from Tasmania, Brian and Carol on Prince Diamond from Toronto, Jessie and Neil on Red Thread from Seattle and Scott on Morning Light from San Diego. And of course, Harry and Pae.

David went fishing with Gary a couple of times and we had fresh fish for dinner! You can tell by the smile on David's face that they were successful.

L

Rainbow runner was one of the nicest fish we had ever eaten 

- Harry says it is his favorite. No pictures as another rule of the park - you must clean the fish outside of the lagoon so as not to attract the grey sharks! As it was, they had a trevali on the line but it went under a piece of coral and within seconds 6 sharks were there to claim dinner before the guys had a hope f bribing it in. And just the smell of blood around the dinghy was enough to attract 6 more black tipped sharks around our boat - but at least these are the friendly sharks.

There are hermit crabs in abundance on the islands. This one was missing his home. 

And gigantic coconut crabs! Pae found this one and brought him to the party - but only for a photo op. You can eat them but Harry and Pae kind of treat them as pets! 

I have been to some pretty spectacular places during this adventure but none match the peace and tranquility of Suwarrow. It is no wonder that when Tom Neale came here in the early seventies that he made it is home. Maybe you have read his book "an Island to Oneself." I have not  read it but plan on getting a copy as soon as I can.

David went to shore on Saturday and completed our clearance papers. We were going to leave on Sunday but then Sunday came and we put it off til Monday. This is a very difficult hot place to leave!

Harry and David

David and Pae

This was just about one of the best weeks in my life!

Bora Bora to Suworrow

Bora Bora to Suwarrow, Northern Cook Islands

Tuesday, 26-Jul-2016

Up early to perform the last few tasks before we get underway. I got the ribs cooking in the pressure cooker - added an open jar of Chow Chow that I found at the back of the fridge along with the end bottles of various things. One never knows what the finished product will end up being. Added an onion and a sliced orange  and a cup of raw rice and canned chestnuts.

Waffles and papaya/pineapple yoghurt on the side for breakfast. Galley is cleaned up, final deck wash, securing of dinghy on deck, jack lines ( safety lines) secured and showers.

Then we sat down to enjoy an instant Frappacino - not bad- and a slice of home made banana bread. We had a little more discussion about our destination  and still decided that it was too soon to make a commitment.

1140: We released the line from the mooring buoy and immediately put up the main with a single reef. The final lines were secured on the dinghy - cannot be done til the anchor or dock lines have been brought on board.

1212: Our position is 16* 31' S 151* 40' W. We are coming through the pass and Bora Bora is behind us.

 Speed: 5.9 knots on an outgoing tide

Winds: SE 6-8 knots

Seas: calm in the pass

Course: 295*

What can I say! Bora Bora was wonderful. I really was expecting something a lot more commercialized and am happy to report that it is not. The resorts are keeping in the flavor of the Polynesian ambiance, with thatched roofed cottages on docks that spread over the water. 

Now we never did go into any of the resorts but the grounds did look natural - no 40 story hotels. There definitely were a lot of pearl shops and many restaurants but most were low key. One big hit is the trucks - like the Canadian chip wagons but with a much varied menu and reasonable prices. And lots of places to anchor away from the villages with crystal clear water, sand bottom and reefs for snorkeling. 

French Polynesia on the whole? My only regret is that we did not make arrangements before we left Canada to have our visitor's visa extended from 3 months to 6 months. And unfortunately you have to do this from your home country. We definitely experienced the flavor of FP with basically a month in the Marquesas, a month in the Tuomotos and a month in the Societies (Tahiti) but we could have easily spent more time here. Who knows - maybe we will return one day and just bare boat charter.

1224: The Genoa is set at 90% and the Monitor Wind Vane is set.

1240: The motor is off. Speed is 4 knots and slowly increased through the day.

Course 280* T

This would be the last time we touch the helm or the sheets til nightfall when we reefed down for the night passage. This means furling in the Genoa to about 40% with the one reef in the main.

The night stayed steady and I was able to let David sleep til midnight. He did get a position report into the mmsn Pacific Seafarers net so family and friends could follow our progress.

Midnight Position: 16* 21' S 152* 46' W

Speed 6.2 knots

Winds SE at 15 knots

Starry Night

Though my soul may set in darkness

It will rise in perfect light.

I have loved the stars too fondly

To be fearful of the night.

Sarah Williams "the Old Astronomer to his Pupil"

Made the decision to go to the Northern Cook Islands and the atoll of Suwarrow. Destination is just under 700 nm. Think of sailing from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay!

Our first 24 hours out were pretty good. Hardest thing is trying to get a sleep pattern going. The lee cloth was set up on the port side settee to make sleeping more comfortable - this helped a bit. The seas were a bit rolly but the winds were steady. We had a few very short rain sprinkles but no squalls so we were not complaining. 

Wednesday, 27-Jul-2016 

Noon Position: 16* 11' S 153* 47.5' W

SOG 5.0 knots

Seas: 2 foot chop

Swell: 5 feet at 10 seconds

Distance travelled in 24 hours: 119 nam

Another good day of sailing. We had furled in the Genoa during the night and put in another reef on the main. As I have mentioned before

we try to sail conservatively at night so we are prepared for any unexpected squalls. But as the day progressed so did the winds so we never did increase our sail coverage. We managed 6-7 knots with a double reefed main for the rest of the crossing!

Confidence was basically sailing herself so I decided to continue working on a project that I had started a couple of years ago. I have some beautiful Australian wool on board and had already completed the sleeves and 2/3 of the back of a sweater. Unfortunately, or fortunately - which ever way you look at it - I was carrying a few extra pounds when I started it. So the sweater was going to be extra large. I held up the back piece and could wrap it around 2/3 of my body - maybe just a tad too big. The sleeves are okay but I had to take apart the entire back and start all over! Guess I'll try for a medium-large! Weather in New Zealand is a lot like Victoria so maybe I will have it done by the time we get there.

We had to shorten our watches as the sun went down and night descended. I was reaching my comfort zone as she settled into 7.5-8 knots running with the wind behind us! The skies did look a bit threatening for a while but nothing materialized and by midnight the stars were out in full glory.

Conditions at 0150

Seas: 6 feet

Speed: 5-7 knots

Course: 275*

Winds: SE 10-15 knots

Moon is up at 30% dimming the brilliance of the stars but providing a soft glow to the night.

The rolling is not as evident in the cockpit but it is playing havoc down below. We have things rattling and banging around that we never heard before. We are constantly trying to stuff shirts and towels and pillows into cupboards and drawers trying to minimize the noise. I climb back into the bunk and then I hear click, click, click! It is enough to drive you crazy! It is almost manageable and I am just about to fall asleep when we take another wave literally slapping us on the starboard side of the boat and I am awake again! I may have to revert to taking a Gravol - no upset stomach but it does make you a bit drowsy.

Thursday, 28-Jul-2016

Noon Position: 15* 31.6' S 155* 59.2' W

SOG: 6.2 knots with double reefed main

Mostly cloudy

Seas: 6 feet

Winds: Easterly 15-20 knots

Course: 280*

Total Distance Travelled in 24 hours: 132.8 nm 

Managed another decent night averaging a little over 5 knots. Due diligence is required on the helm to assist the Monitor in maintaining our course. I did an accidental gibe (sail came over to the other side) when I went down below to go to the bathroom. But the preventer stopped the boom from coming across - it puts a bit of pressure on the sail and can increase your chances of a tear so you really do not want to be doing that. But I did manage to bring her back without disturbing the Captain. Our course range for steering the boat is very short with the wind coming behind us.

I managed to cover the watch to 1100 and then David took it to 0500. Then I got to see the sun rise.

 I was hoping to let David sleep for as long as he needed but the guy has a built in alarm and was up at 0700 for the radio net. We heard from Al on Nauti Nauti who is trying to stay ahead of the low that is supposed to hit by Sunday. We are too far away from Tongo to beat this low so we made the decision to go to Surorrow.  Raratongo in the Southern Cook Islands was also an option but the anchorage would be too exposed for the weather that was coming in. So off to the Northern Cook Islands it is!

Friday 29-Jul-2016

Noon Position:

14* 56.8' S 159* 46' W

Mostly sunny

Seas: 3 feet. Swells: 10-12 feet!

Winds: NE 10-15 knots

Course: 300*. We had to jibe to get ourselves back on course.

Total distance Travelled in 24 hours: 110 nm

Still have the rolling seas!

David got on to the Pacific Marine net so they could post our position and everyone could see the little boat move! All is well on board. 

Not much change in conditions for the next 24 hours. Seas are making it a bit of a challenge to prepare anything down below. I sure am glad that I had some prepared meals in the freezer. The penne pasta with Italian sausage hit the spot. And I always have plenty of crackers and cheese!

Saturday 30-Jul-2016 

Noon Position:

Sunday 31-Jul-2016

Noon Position:  13* 57' S 161* 17'W

Speed: 6.5 knots Course 272* T

Seas: 2 feet with a 9 meter swell! ( that is why it is a bit uncomfortable)

Winds: E 22 knots

Distance Travelled in 24 hours: 105 knots

Distance to Go: 114 knots 

Conditions still remained constant throughout the day and night. Once the sunset it did look like we were going to get hit with a serious squall. I was at the helm so I got myself prepared - my orange Helly Hansen rain jacket from Paul to keep me dry, my Admiral hat from Paul to keep the rain off my glasses Gortex pants courtesy of BC Ferries and my sailing gloves to give me extra grip on the wheel.

Well we got a few gusts - maybe 25 knots - but no rain. The system was moving us at a faster rate than we were moving. In no time the stars were out and Confidence and I sailed through a starlit night averaging 5 knots.

0948: we sighted 7 Island, one of the motus on the Atoll of Suworrow. Coffee is made. BA scramble is on the menu once we have the anchor set.

1100: entering the pass and getting a close up view of a true island paradise!

Noon: Anchor is set and a call has been put into the ranger station on Suworrow. Within 20 minutes Harry and his son Pae were on board getting us cleared. Five documents later, $50 dollar park fee and a $20 administration fee and we were free to go ashore.

But first we have to clean up the boat and have that breakfast!

Bora Bora

Tahaa to Bora Bora

 0930 and we are off the mooring ball.

1020 and we are through Paipai Pass. Seas are calm. Winds are WSW at 5 knots. So it will be a motoring day over to Bora Bora.

1400 Entering Ta Ava Nu Pass. I never thought that I would ever go to Bora Bora let alone sail here. Everything they tell you about this place is absolutely true. There really are no words to describe the color of the water, the country side, the people. I hope the pictures help. 

.

The shades of turquoise water to deep blue and its string of white sandy islets is evident the moment you enter the pass. And then touring above you are the lush greens of Mt. Otemanu (the taller one) and Mt. Pahia. The lagoon itself is 3 times the area of the land mass.

Though nothing could ever take the place of sailing into Bora Bora, as did Captain Cook in 1769' I would think that flying here would also be quite a thrill. The airport is actually on Motu Mute. So you land on a small strip of land with reef and water on either side. Seeing the shades of turquoise and the reef from the air must be spectacular. Then you get in a water taxi ( which is free) and they take you to the Vaitape Village. Some of the big name resorts have their own launch of course. This one from the Four Season's was particularly nice.

So our time here was spent on a mooring ball close to town and then out at anchorages closer to the reef. We got lucky at the Yacht club - not really a marina but they do have mooring balls. $20 for the first night and then $10 from then on up to $50 for the week. They have wifi and laundry and a pool. But where we got lucky was with the owner. We still had no working outboard so we had asked him if there was a mechanic in town or a place to buy a new one. Well he was selling a 2 year old Suzuki 2.5 for a friend. It had hardly been used so things were a bit gummed up. Taivia had just got it back from the mechanic following a complete service. We went over to the mechanic and asked his opinion and he said it was like new. So Taivia let us use it for a couple of days. Everything looked good so we bought it and not at an outrageous price.

We attended another Heiva - this one night was a show put on by the winners of the nine entries for Bora Bora completions.

We rented a car for a morning and drove around the island - 32 km. 

Stopped for a lovely lunch and a swim at a most spectacular beach.

Time was split on the mooring ball and out on the sandbar. Swimming was great. Crystal clear water. 

Shared a birthday dinner at the Marina restaurant with Judy and Bob And some other fellow cruisers. 

Confidence anchored beneath Mt. Otemanu

More turquoise water!

David securing our dinghy. 

BA enjoying the water! Yes it really is this color!

On Sunday we will get our zarpe from the gendarme ( exit papers from the police) and then we will head to Tonga. We may do a direct run or stop in the Cook Islands - weather dependent. Which means no blog entries for at least two weeks.

The adventure continues!