Category: 2010 Blog

Dear F&F,

In brief, the diving here is fantastic. But GETTING to the dive sites is a
bit rough. Inside the reef/lagoon where we are anchored, it is nice and
calm; very few local boats zooming around. In Bora Bora, there was always a
local or other cruiser zooming through the mooring area, their wake rocking
us around. Here there are just 6 of us, nicely spread out. And if we
understood correctly, the group of 4 German charter boats will be sailing to
Raiatea tomorrow.

Ronald, the current owner of Maupiti Dive Center and Lionel the new guy
taking over the operation in 1 week, both came in the small dive boat to
pick us up. No other clients, which is nice for us. Apparently he can take 4
divers, including him, but just 3 or 4 total is ideal as far as we are
concerned. We noticed yesterday there was no bimini for shade, so I wore my
seawater hat & cheap sunglasses for some sun protection.

Heading out the pass was rougher than when we came in yesterday. The swell
was larger and choppy so the power boat rose up then slammed down every
wave. Not comfy. We braced ourselves as best as we could and hung on. The
ride to the first site was rough, but thankfully only 15 minutes. That’s
pretty far in this 18 foot runabout. I was happy to backroll in to get down
below the chaos on the surface. All was calm, all was bright …

Wow: we though Bora Bora had great visibility. But here we could see for
miles and miles (sing)…Ok maybe not miles, but really clear, beautiful
water. AND pristine coral reefs. What an improvement from the other islands
in French Polynesia! When we asked Ronald later why the reef looks so great
here compared to Moorea and the other islands, he told us that he personally
exterminates (with a special process I’ll describe later) hundreds of the
Crown of Thorns starfish that are coral eaters. An infestation will decimate
a reef. He focused on the area of his 6-8 designated dive sites. His efforts
have really paid off. Moorea has been completely decimated, same for Tahaa,
Raiatea & Bora Bora was pretty bad too.

Ronald does no shark baiting, so any sightings are completely natural, and
consequently more rare, since there is nothing to attract sharks to divers.
We enjoyed our \”Shark Week\” with Gilles in Bora Bora very much. (PLEASE SEE
OUR VIDEO GALLERY….”FINS OF BORA BORA”). But Ronald\’s philosophy is good. We
saw two small white tip reef sharks, only about 30 inches long. Scott is
(trying) to take photos of smaller fish. Close up underwater photography is
much more challenging than wide angle. Just when he frames the shot, the
uncooperative critter swims away. Free of a camera, I admire the scenery,
smiling as I blow bubbles. Lionel led us into a cave that had 5 lion fish
hanging upside down as they like to do. Sort of bat-like. We saw a few eels,
one coral-banded shrimp and the usual assortment of tropical fish. The
variety of texture, shape and size of the coral is a canvas of beauty. The
swimming creatures bring the pretty picture to life. Fantastic! Hopefully
when we post the still underwater photos, you’ll get a feel for the
beautiful expanse of Maupiti’s hard corals.

The second site was just as lovely as the first. A bit further pounding ride
in the dive boat, along the motu where the airport runway is located. It was
a fairly short surface interval since none of us wanted to hang out in the
bouncing boat. We were greeted with a school of silvery barracuda with
black stripes. We had to keep an eye on our depth gauges because of the
short surface interval. We didn\’t readily notice the depth because of the
water clarity, there was a lot of light and visibility even at 80 feet.
Ronald guided us up to the shallower part of the reef so we could extend our
allowed bottom time, without needing a lengthy decompression stop;
beautiful. We got so enchanted looking at everything and swimming along that
an hour passed by quickly.

Voila! Off to a great start for Maupiti Diving. Ronald said the weather
forecast is for stronger wind & bigger waves Tuesday, so we will go again
tomorrow, while it is still \”calm\”. Ha! He says he won\’t take divers out if
it is too rough. There is a manta cleaning station in the pass, he will take
us there when conditions are right (incoming tide). It is nice that we are
not on any fixed schedule, so can just relax & enjoy.

Cindy & Scott

Dear F&F,

Always a bit anxious the night before heading to a new place, I woke up more
than an hour before my 5:15 a.m. alarm. At 5:30 a.m. it was raining and
still too dark to see due to cloud cover, so we lingered in a bed a bit
longer. We cast off the morning with just a drizzle & enough daylight to see
by 6:15 a.m. I had taken a Bonine early and strapped on the trusty A.W.Z.
(Annoying Wrist Zapper). Good thing because outside the reef of Bora Bora
the swell was abeam (hitting the boat sideways), 4-6 feet high. The wind was
from the south, NOT what was predicted & NOT the recommended direction for
going into the pass at Maupiti. But it is only a 28 mile trip and we decided
to just go and see how the entry looked. Willing to turn around and head
back to Bora Bora if we were closed out.

Since the ride was not that comfy, I took a 2nd bonine at 8 am which helped..
If I did any close focus activities like frying eggs or washing the dishes I
felt marginal. But as long as stayed outside and looked out toward the
island I was ok. The clouds & rain were intermittent. We had good
information on how to approach the pass and what to look for. The buoys and
navigation markers were accurate and really helped. My surfer dude husband
waited until after a set and then full throttle on in. No problem! It was
not as narrow as some passes we’ve entered and no breaking surf in the
opening, so it was A-Ok. Once we were through the “crux” we could relax and
enjoy the ride.

Maupiti is like a mini Bora Bora. A high island, surrounded by motus (small
outlying islands) and fringing reef. As we were motoring in the well marked
channel to the anchoring area, the owner of Maupiti Dive Center, Ronald who
we\’d talked to by phone & email came zooming up. He had one client , a guy
from Arizona of all places, and was heading out for a dive. We told him we
wanted to dive the next day. He agreed to pick us up at 8:30 a.m.

We anchored in the sandy lagoon between town & a motu. We get some
protection from the prevailing wind & sea anchored behind the motu. We can
see one pension there has two very tall wind generators to provide some
power.

After lunch and a nap, we woke up to see 4 more catamarans and 1 monohull
anchored near us!

Jerome & Natalie (s/v Na Maka) with their 3 boys arrived later and anchored
by the motu just left of the pass entry.

The group of 4 charter boats are on vacation from Germany. We stopped in our
dinghy to say hello. The group organizer has been here before and gave us a
tip of where to land the dinghy.

A water taxi boat for the airport, which is on a motu, was docked. We asked
the Maupiti man if we could tie our dinghy under his line, which is standard
procedure. He said no and directed us to paddle over to a very shallow area
(had to raise the engine to not drag bottom) and tie to the balcony railing
of a small building. We didn’t argue and did as instructed. Later when we
returned, we got a good laugh that the cleat left with the water taxi! It
was not screwed permanently into the dock for everyone’s use. It was his
portable cleat which he took with him when he left.

We got to the post office after closing time, but the very nice just French
post mistress (Dominique) stayed to sell us WiFi access cards. So we still
have connectivity! Scott had tried Winlink which wasn\’t very good, so if the
WiFi works we will get faster connections. He got out on Sailmail ok. The
postal worker explained to us that Monday is a holiday, so we were lucky to
catch her for the WiFi card today, otherwise not possible to purchase until
Tuesday. She also kindly gave us a ride to Ronald’s house. He is in the
process of selling the dive center to another French couple who are already
there staying with them at their rental house. We all chatted, had a cup of
coffee. We asked about the sites. They are proud that they do not do
zoo-type shark feeding. All encounters are natural. The owners to be, Lionel
(Lee-o-nel) and Crystal (Crees-tal), are very nice and their English is good
enough. It is just a coincidence of timing that we will have the opportunity
to dive with both of these dive guides in the transition of the sale of the
dive center.

It was a pretty long walk back from their house to town. Lots of kids on
bicycles and adults on mopeds. There were a more spontaneous friendly
greetings than we\’ve experienced on other French Polynesian islands. There
are about 6 pensions (bed & breakfast), no resorts or tourist development.
I think the local people are very proud of Maupiti and happy to have
visitors. The four other German boats had their dinghies tied up by ours
when we got back. We all walked to the market. Just a scouting visit, I
don\’t really need anything yet. Scott bought some postcards. Some of his ham
radio buddies have requested a postcard from where he is. It\’s called a QSL
card, proof that someone spoke to you on the radio from your stated
location.

Can’t wait to get in the water tomorrow!
Cindy & Scott

Dear F&F,

VINCENT & CLARK\’S \”Ship\’s Log\”

Two weeks ago, we were on a different planet. At least, it felt like it on
the other side of the world, where the oceans are pacific and the Southern
Cross visible amongst funnily shaped constellations. We sailed away in every
possible way. From our urban Parisian society to the Society Islands. We
traded the roll of our daily routine for another kind of roll, and the
fishing for jobs for the job of the fish, which basically means swimming
nonchalantly and colorfully warm waters. We owe the discovery of French
Polynesia to the conjunction of a dream, a promise and an opportunity. The
dream has come true. It is our dear friends, Cindy & Scott, who made it a
lifetime project and an adventure for two to sail around the world onboard
their 51-foot catamaran named “Beach House”. The promise was ours to them,
made exactly 6 years ago during the maiden voyage of “Beach House” on May
20, 2004 in Sete, that we would meet them someday, somehow, somewhere and
share their dream. The opportunity was this year. Clark & I found our selves
stranded away, unanchored in the troubled waters of unemployment, but clung
to the buoyant feeling that those times of change are actually likely to
open new perspectives and rise new suns. The contemplation of the sun\’s
course, from golden rise to golden set, was actually spectacular; and
although we have certainly missed some great TV shows, as Calvin and Hobbes
would certainly agree, we have bathed in this very appreciation of slowness,
wordlessness and natural harmony every single day of our week on the boat
from April 26 to May 4.

Today, we feel lucky and so thankful to our Hosts for the dream vacation
they offered us. And, from time to time, our bodies bequeath us the gentle
memory of the swell. Living on a boat is about inhabiting space in both
literal and figurative senses: making it a perfectly arranged habitat, where
everything has its designated, practical and to-be-remembered place for the
sake of comfort and, in the same time, making it a Home. We moved in to
Cindy and Scott\’s boat for a week. We shared their home and intimate space,
floating between two infinites. And we very rapidly felt like home, in the
most natural way. It is an understatement to say that we felt warmly
welcomed, as we were allocated the left floater, The Guest Room (now rated 5
sea stars) with queen size bed and both natural and artificial breezing.
Cindy and Scott simply put us at ease.

An evidence quickly strokes our minds. We were on vacation for a week
(although officially doing research for job opportunities abroad as stated
to the French administration). But Scott and Cindy were not. Living on a
boat is their daily way of life since 2007 with no scheduled ending. That is
quite a bold decision to make. And as we have observed during our stay, it
is all about fixing things and it is a lot of work. Whether at anchor or
sailing in full sail between islands, maneuvering and maintaining a
high-tech boat like Beach House represents considerable and constant
efforts. I must shamefully concede that my contribution was mostly
observation and very little participation, whereas Clark did contribute with
a lot of winching and hoisting (ya! I know my sailing vocabulary!) and he
enjoyed it. Well, it was not quite an ordinary week for Cindy & Scott since
our presence on the catamaran carried its own distraction and conveyed more
occasions for visiting the islands, drinking cocktails and chitchatting.
Last time we had seen C&S was at our California wedding at the Del Coronado
Hotel in July 2008, almost 2 years ago. What a great time! So many things to
catch up on!

Don\’t count on me to give you any technical details on the boat. I know she
(how weird is the English language to designate a ship like a girl!) is a
catamaran and 51-foot long. I know she is both motor and wind propelled and
so very high tech that she can calculate the sea depth automatically and GPS
position herself on the inner and outer screens. I also know she pitches in
the most exquisite way when another boat passes by. But most important, I
know you can enjoy the deep sea wind when standing aft during a crossing
between islands or gaze at the south hemisphere stars and a bright milky way
when laying on her roof. These are actually parts of the boat where you can
find intimacy and solitude, as surprising as it sounds. We never felt
confined or restricted. On the contrary, the immensities of the sky and the
sea surrounded us all the time and allowed our minds to wander and evade.
And especially when anchored, we could dive any time we wanted into the 28
C° (84 Fahrenheit) waters. I spent hours contemplating the silver surface of
the ocean, the celestial moods, the solar dance and read four spellbinding
books during our stay on the boat: (Sad Tropics by Claude de levi-Strauss;
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Clear Room, an essay on photography
by Roland Barthes and The Desert by Pierre Loti).

This is my very definition of a vacation. It is about letting go, changing
minds, breaking habits, moving slowly, enjoying good things, evading &
dreaming, spending time with good friends. Guess what a typical day was?

5:00 a.m. Imagine waking up at before the sun. First dip in the tropical
waters. Opportunities for a photographers eye when the early morning light
dresses up the lazy clouds in dazzling colors.

6:00 a.m. First breakfast of eggs or tropical fruits and flax seeds with
coffee with vanilla flavor (from the vanilla farm on Huahine Island).

8:00 a.m. Busy bees occupations for our hosts, while I read or dive from the
boat. Boat maneuvers to find the perfect anchor in a charming bay.

10:00 a.m. Second breakfast of fruity oatmeal. Then scuba diving including
conversation with lemon sharks for the bold versus snorkeling and close
encounters with angels, butterflies, trumpets, anemones, surgeons, parrots,
triggers and other strangely named sea critters for the beautiful (have you
not noticed my tan?). Or tour of the island onboard an air conditioned
rental car.

12:20 Lunch on the island including pina colada cocktails and an unplanned
bump into Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn! Several gorgeous points of views
over the bays, the lagoons and the island vegetation and as many photo ops.

2:00 p.m. Siesta. Reading.

4:00 p.m. Swim or snorkel or dive.

5:00 p.m. Cocktail hour. Perfectly cooled white wine (Blanc de Blanc JP
Chenet).

6:00 p.m. Night is here. Creative dinner in bowls by Cindy. The art of
making a master dish with almost nothing. Explosion of taste (like in the
movie Ratatouille!

7:00 p.m. Herb tea and dark chocolate.8:00 p.m. Star gazing on the rooftop,
singing \”Some Enchanted Evening\” from South Pacific. How appropriate!

8:30 p.m. Nighty night and sweet dream in constant swell. What a day I had
today? Quoting Barbra Streisand\” Just gorgeous! Dites qu avez-vous vu?
asks the French poet Charles Baudelaire in my favorite poem? \”Le Voyage\”
which translates \”What did you see?\” We saw lush that run on dramatic rocks
of ageless basalt, and the trees of bread, and their tasty fruits fall in
sounder shock. We saw diving birds like the frigate flocks. And a school of
fish with their puffy heads. The infinite sky, the infinite sea Mirror
their faces, vast and versatile, While at aft we stare, or at stern we glee..

Scott is hands on the helm and here comes Cindy, with her perfect mood and
her sunny smile. The divers have talked to the lemon sharks, eighty feet
below, where the light is rare but the coral sparks. I keep myself in
shallow waters, surprising angels, named after a lark. We have seen islands,
their wild side unlaced. We have seen lagoons, turquoise green or blue.
Nothing was too loose or nothing to waste. All quality time with vanilla
taste. To The Boat Boy and his Admiral too, we say, Merci mille fois, that
we translate in sweet Polynesian tongue: Mauruuru!

From the boat, you get the best possible perspective on Huahine, Raiatea,
Tahaa and Bora Bora, the four leeward islands of the Society Archipel we
discovered during our Voyage. These luxuriant islands with terrific volcanic
rocks rising over the magnificent shades of blue are simply spectacular. One
of the most memorable moments was to get to Bora Bora sailing full sail
across the Pacific. From a distance of 50 kilometers we could already
glimpse the fade silhouette of its famous peaks, before they disappeared
under the heavy sky. The closer we got, the more of the island body was
revealed, laid across the horizon after a vastness of dark twinkling waters..
And suddenly we could distinguish a stain of luminescent blue forming a
perfect pool at the feet of the island. It was getting bigger and bigger. It
was iridescent and somehow magical as the colors dont mix, delineating
radical frontiers of intensity and beauty. As if to extend the pleasure, we
circled the island to find the only entrance to the lagoon through the coral
barrier, leaving the red buoy portside. Then the dolphins appeared from
nowhere, answering my secret call and they welcomed us and they let us in.
Nana Bora Bora. Hello Gorgeous. Welcome to paradise. Thank you again, Cindy
& Scott, for this amazing sailing experience that took us to the most
beautiful lagoon in the world. A part of us remains on Beach House. We wish
you a safe trip on your continuous exploration of new seas and new shores.
And we make you another promise: We will meet again in Australia.

Love from Paris, Clark & Vincent

Dear F&F,

VINCENT & CLARK\’S \”Ship\’s Log\”

Two weeks ago, we were on a different planet. At least, it felt like it on
the other side of the world, where the oceans are pacific and the Southern
Cross visible amongst funnily shaped constellations. We sailed away in every
possible way. From our urban Parisian society to the Society Islands. We
traded the roll of our daily routine for another kind of roll, and the
fishing for jobs for the job of the fish, which basically means swimming
nonchalantly and colorfully warm waters. We owe the discovery of French
Polynesia to the conjunction of a dream, a promise and an opportunity. The
dream has come true. It is our dear friends, Cindy & Scott, who made it a
lifetime project and an adventure for two to sail around the world onboard
their 51-foot catamaran named “Beach House”. The promise was ours to them,
made exactly 6 years ago during the maiden voyage of “Beach House” on May
20, 2004 in Sete, that we would meet them someday, somehow, somewhere and
share their dream. The opportunity was this year. Clark & I found our selves
stranded away, unanchored in the troubled waters of unemployment, but clung
to the buoyant feeling that those times of change are actually likely to
open new perspectives and rise new suns. The contemplation of the sun\’s
course, from golden rise to golden set, was actually spectacular; and
although we have certainly missed some great TV shows, as Calvin and Hobbes
would certainly agree, we have bathed in this very appreciation of slowness,
wordlessness and natural harmony every single day of our week on the boat
from April 26 to May 4.

Today, we feel lucky and so thankful to our Hosts for the dream vacation
they offered us. And, from time to time, our bodies bequeath us the gentle
memory of the swell. Living on a boat is about inhabiting space in both
literal and figurative senses: making it a perfectly arranged habitat, where
everything has its designated, practical and to-be-remembered place for the
sake of comfort and, in the same time, making it a Home. We moved in to
Cindy and Scott\’s boat for a week. We shared their home and intimate space,
floating between two infinites. And we very rapidly felt like home, in the
most natural way. It is an understatement to say that we felt warmly
welcomed, as we were allocated the left floater, The Guest Room (now rated 5
sea stars) with queen size bed and both natural and artificial breezing.
Cindy and Scott simply put us at ease.

An evidence quickly strokes our minds. We were on vacation for a week
(although officially doing research for job opportunities abroad as stated
to the French administration). But Scott and Cindy were not. Living on a
boat is their daily way of life since 2007 with no scheduled ending. That is
quite a bold decision to make. And as we have observed during our stay, it
is all about fixing things and it is a lot of work. Whether at anchor or
sailing in full sail between islands, maneuvering and maintaining a
high-tech boat like Beach House represents considerable and constant
efforts. I must shamefully concede that my contribution was mostly
observation and very little participation, whereas Clark did contribute with
a lot of winching and hoisting (ya! I know my sailing vocabulary!) and he
enjoyed it. Well, it was not quite an ordinary week for Cindy & Scott since
our presence on the catamaran carried its own distraction and conveyed more
occasions for visiting the islands, drinking cocktails and chitchatting.
Last time we had seen C&S was at our California wedding at the Del Coronado
Hotel in July 2008, almost 2 years ago. What a great time! So many things to
catch up on!

Don\’t count on me to give you any technical details on the boat. I know she
(how weird is the English language to designate a ship like a girl!) is a
catamaran and 51-foot long. I know she is both motor and wind propelled and
so very high tech that she can calculate the sea depth automatically and GPS
position herself on the inner and outer screens. I also know she pitches in
the most exquisite way when another boat passes by. But most important, I
know you can enjoy the deep sea wind when standing aft during a crossing
between islands or gaze at the south hemisphere stars and a bright milky way
when laying on her roof. These are actually parts of the boat where you can
find intimacy and solitude, as surprising as it sounds. We never felt
confined or restricted. On the contrary, the immensities of the sky and the
sea surrounded us all the time and allowed our minds to wander and evade.
And especially when anchored, we could dive any time we wanted into the 28
C° (84 Fahrenheit) waters. I spent hours contemplating the silver surface of
the ocean, the celestial moods, the solar dance and read four spellbinding
books during our stay on the boat: (Sad Tropics by Claude de levi-Strauss;
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Clear Room, an essay on photography
by Roland Barthes and The Desert by Pierre Loti).

This is my very definition of a vacation. It is about letting go, changing
minds, breaking habits, moving slowly, enjoying good things, evading &
dreaming, spending time with good friends. Guess what a typical day was?

5:00 a.m. Imagine waking up at before the sun. First dip in the tropical
waters. Opportunities for a photographers eye when the early morning light
dresses up the lazy clouds in dazzling colors.

6:00 a.m. First breakfast of eggs or tropical fruits and flax seeds with
coffee with vanilla flavor (from the vanilla farm on Huahine Island).

8:00 a.m. Busy bees occupations for our hosts, while I read or dive from the
boat. Boat maneuvers to find the perfect anchor in a charming bay.

10:00 a.m. Second breakfast of fruity oatmeal. Then scuba diving including
conversation with lemon sharks for the bold versus snorkeling and close
encounters with angels, butterflies, trumpets, anemones, surgeons, parrots,
triggers and other strangely named sea critters for the beautiful (have you
not noticed my tan?). Or tour of the island onboard an air conditioned
rental car.

12:20 Lunch on the island including pina colada cocktails and an unplanned
bump into Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn! Several gorgeous points of views
over the bays, the lagoons and the island vegetation and as many photo ops.

2:00 p.m. Siesta. Reading.

4:00 p.m. Swim or snorkel or dive.

5:00 p.m. Cocktail hour. Perfectly cooled white wine (Blanc de Blanc JP
Chenet).

6:00 p.m. Night is here. Creative dinner in bowls by Cindy. The art of
making a master dish with almost nothing. Explosion of taste (like in the
movie Ratatouille!

7:00 p.m. Herb tea and dark chocolate.8:00 p.m. Star gazing on the rooftop,
singing \”Some Enchanted Evening\” from South Pacific. How appropriate!

8:30 p.m. Nighty night and sweet dream in constant swell. What a day I had
today? Quoting Barbra Streisand\” Just gorgeous! Dites qu avez-vous vu?
asks the French poet Charles Baudelaire in my favorite poem? \”Le Voyage\”
which translates \”What did you see?\” We saw lush that run on dramatic rocks
of ageless basalt, and the trees of bread, and their tasty fruits fall in
sounder shock. We saw diving birds like the frigate flocks. And a school of
fish with their puffy heads. The infinite sky, the infinite sea Mirror
their faces, vast and versatile, While at aft we stare, or at stern we glee..

Scott is hands on the helm and here comes Cindy, with her perfect mood and
her sunny smile. The divers have talked to the lemon sharks, eighty feet
below, where the light is rare but the coral sparks. I keep myself in
shallow waters, surprising angels, named after a lark. We have seen islands,
their wild side unlaced. We have seen lagoons, turquoise green or blue.
Nothing was too loose or nothing to waste. All quality time with vanilla
taste. To The Boat Boy and his Admiral too, we say, Merci mille fois, that
we translate in sweet Polynesian tongue: Mauruuru!

From the boat, you get the best possible perspective on Huahine, Raiatea,
Tahaa and Bora Bora, the four leeward islands of the Society Archipel we
discovered during our Voyage. These luxuriant islands with terrific volcanic
rocks rising over the magnificent shades of blue are simply spectacular. One
of the most memorable moments was to get to Bora Bora sailing full sail
across the Pacific. From a distance of 50 kilometers we could already
glimpse the fade silhouette of its famous peaks, before they disappeared
under the heavy sky. The closer we got, the more of the island body was
revealed, laid across the horizon after a vastness of dark twinkling waters..
And suddenly we could distinguish a stain of luminescent blue forming a
perfect pool at the feet of the island. It was getting bigger and bigger. It
was iridescent and somehow magical as the colors dont mix, delineating
radical frontiers of intensity and beauty. As if to extend the pleasure, we
circled the island to find the only entrance to the lagoon through the coral
barrier, leaving the red buoy portside. Then the dolphins appeared from
nowhere, answering my secret call and they welcomed us and they let us in.
Nana Bora Bora. Hello Gorgeous. Welcome to paradise. Thank you again, Cindy
& Scott, for this amazing sailing experience that took us to the most
beautiful lagoon in the world. A part of us remains on Beach House. We wish
you a safe trip on your continuous exploration of new seas and new shores.
And we make you another promise: We will meet again in Australia.

Love from Paris, Clark & Vincent

Dear F&F,

MAY 8th-18th

May 8th – Saturday Keep on Diving

The two other couples today were fun. An American woman with her Polish
immigrant husband, now living in Seattle. She looked like and had the
mannerisms of a younger Meryl Streep, it was amazing! She said she is told
that all the time. She works as a voice actress: reading audio books, doing
commercials, etc. The other couple were from Guanajuato, Mexico which was
one of our off-boat trips that we really loved. We went with the dive boat
to the resort motu where they are based, so I had one last chance to give
C&V hugs & kisses. Clark was talking to the Italian honeymooners & she
reluctantly wrote down our website, teasing that she hates us. It was very
funny. It has really been a boost to view our life not only through the eyes
of C&V, but these other divers, vacationers, honeymooners. At the moment I
feel very light & able to laugh at everything. Even as our refrigerator is
still misbehaving… We may need to have a new evaporator shipped to Tahiti
then here. Scott believes that is the solution. Meanwhile there is much good
diving to do and the toilet project awaits. Scott is editing his underwater
video footage as I write.

It continues to be bloody hot, but I am acclimatizing. Yesterday I felt cold
during the second half of dive #1, the entire surface interval & all of dive
#2. Today I switched from my 3 mm to my 6 mm wetsuit, put on my cuter mask
and headband instead of the dorky beanie to be a better dive model. I was
toasty warm on both dives. Of course I am now still toasty warm, whereas
yesterday the hypothermia kept me cool all afternoon. I kept thinking, Ahh
it\’s finally cooler, but when I looked at the thermometer it was 91 outside..
It was just me. Today it\’s overcast, raining off and on and I feel hot at
87. C\’est la vie.

Tonight is a BBQ for the 13 boats moored at the Bora Bora Yacht Club. (Which
sounds way more grand than it is: just an open air bar.) I will take a 3
bean salad.

May 9th Work & May 10th Dive

After 5 hours yesterday, my Bulldog got our toilet working again! For now
anyway. I talked him out of an elaborate refrigeration repair that I was not
convinced was possible, would really work and might keep us stuck here or
send us back to Tahiti for weeks. I told him I was willing to live without a
fridge if it died. And even though that would add to the \”camping\” aspect of
boating, I will have the option of converting the unit in the guest cabin to
a fridge when we\’ve eaten up the food that is currently frozen. I think
Scott was relieved to not have to tackle that big job in the field. In New
Zealand we will have much better resources to parts & technical support. We
are really out here on our own now. I was so proud of him for fixing the
toilet. It was multiple problems, not just one easy fix, which is why we
didn\’t have success before C&V arrived. It is much more civilized to just
flush the toilet and not have to wrangle with it.

We did two dives with Gilles this morning. The two Italian guys were in our
group plus a solo Japanese gal. Another 5 went with dive master Patrick (See
Bora Bora UNDERWATER Gallery for photos of Patrick’s “motorcycle accident”).
The gang that went with Patrick are here filming the reality TV show
Bachelor. They were all in their early 30s. We definitely felt the age gap
with this young, hip group. They were nice, but so different from us. The
diving was not as spectacular as some other days, but still enjoyable.

After lunch and a short nap, we rallied to dive under the boat. The
propellers and all parts underneath really grow algae fast with the 85
degree water. We both worked 1 1/2 hours and did a good job. William & Jubee
(nickname for Julie) invited us onboard s/v Fuerte for happy hour. We all
hit it off well. Sadly, they will be leaving here soon back to Raiatea where
they will pick up a honeymoon couple for charter.

Tomorrow is work day: we must get under our bed to clean out the fuel tank
gauge that has algae growing on it. Scott will continue the wax job. I need
to do a lot of interior cleaning. We are watching the weather day by day. We
are not in a rush to leave, but could jump on to the next island whenever
there is a good forecast for the trip. We have pre-paid for 3 more days of
diving with Gilles\’s company, so with the alternate day work/play program it
will probably be another week, which is fine.

It continues to be bloody hot. Even submerged for over 3 hours today it
feels very toasty inside the boat. As soon as I sign off I am rushing down
to our cabin to enjoy the little air conditioning unit for an hour while we
run the generator to charge the batteries and make water.

May 11th

Scott is bravely waxing the boat section by section. It is a 4 step process..
First he uses rubbing compound in a slurry to get the oxidation off the
hull, then washes it off. After it dries, he applies the wax by hand, lets
it dry and the hardest part is buffing it out by hand. Too difficult at a
mooring to use a machine and we don’t have a good one anyway. This
afternoon we attacked the fuel tank under our bed. The digital gauge gave a
warning message that we have bad fuel in the starboard tank. Sure enough,
algae is growing in the diesel. We took out, cleaned & dried the sensor.
Then began the messy process of siphoning the fuel from the tank into 5
gallon jugs through a filter. I forgot to open the air vent in one tank so
it overflowed causing about a quart of diesel to go spewing all over our
bedroom floor and me! Yikes. We persevered siphoning about 40 gallons and
are letting the 8 x 5 gallon jugs sit overnight for any water/algae/crud to
settle overnight. Early tomorrow we we will re-filter the fuel and put it
back in our tanks. We re-installed the gauge & it seems accurate, but we
won\’t really know until we next top off. We still have to attend to the
leaky generator oil hose which seems to have multiple pin holes in it. Why?
We’re not sure, but Scott is going to have a new set of hoses and fittings
shipped from Wisconsin to our next island, Maupiti and replace the whole
thing their. The fun never ends. Well the work never ends. The key is to
just take time for fun regardless.

I got in a midday snorkel: saw an assortment of beautifully colored clams
and a really large eel. It helps to cool off so much, even 15 minutes in the
water. Tomorrow is diving – thank goodness we scheduled every other day to
play.

More boats have arrived. The ARC Around the World Rally is passing through.
They started in Europe or the Caribbean. So far about 5 German boats have
pulled in. Some seem to have a hoity toity attitude. They\’ll be on their way
soon enough. They are heading around the world in 18 months. Seems absurd to
me, constantly on the move but to each their own.

May 13th

There are now about 15 other boats at the Bora Bora Yacht Club, plus another
20+ around the nearby motus. Many are participating in the Tahiti Pearl
Regatta sailboat race.

We dinghied to town to get fuel in 8 x 5 gallon jugs. We are hoping some
fresh fuel will help dilute and fight the algae growth in the diesel. We
have fuel additive plus lots of filters so should be ok. Scott also waxed
more of the hulls while I cleaned our interior fans, which is a tedious
job.

The generator oil hose leak continues. Scott was on Skype with the tech
support guys trying to figure out why this hose failure is occurring. Same
hose that is in the engine rooms, no problem. I got my exercise wiping down
the oil spill from under the boat where it drains out. Multiple swimming
trips from the stern with paper towel sprayed with Simple Green to wipe off
the oil slick.

Our primary fridge is sadly not keeping up with the heat. Likely bad
evaporator. The two freezers are working like champs. I am prepared for more
\”camping\” in that department at any moment.

While in town, we also went to the market. Not much that needs refrigeration
but other basics. Tonight I cooked a pack of chicken thighs with rice &
broccoli. It is crazy hot again over 90. We got in a snorkel before sunset.
After sunset we had hard rain & wind, just for variety. Scott frequently
helps out the Pacific Seafarers ham radio network, acting as relay which is
an important job and fun for him. All the net controllers have become quite
friendly and appreciate his assistance.

May 16th – HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

We must be having fun, because the past 17 years have flown by! Nothing
beats celebrating with a couple of great dives.

The first dive was at a sweet spot with a lot of pretty fish & clams. The
clams come in such an array of colors & patterns. I am mesmerized by them.
Scott took some video, but I hope he’ll have a chance to get some close up
still shots. A couple of eagle rays swam in the distance. Very fun. We only
had one other American guy with us today. A honeymooner who\’s wife doesn\’t
dive.

Today was (possibly) our last day diving with Gilles. We\’ve had 7 days,
spread out every other day which has worked out great. We went for the 4th
time to a site that usually has lemon sharks. They are 7-10 feet long, very
girthy, have beady little eyes & nasty looking teeth. Everything you\’d
expect a shark to look like. Gilles brought a fish head and hid it under a
part of the reef. Enough scent to make the sharks circle the area. Scott got
some great video. I even grabbed the camera so he could swim with them for a
change. We kind of get desensitized when swimming with sharks, but sometimes
they\’ll swim right up to your face and you realize \”this thing is wild &
could bite my face off!\” Thankfully, hopefully, they can discern that we do
not smell like food. It was totally awesome. Four big beasts for about an
hour, up close & personal.

The weather is blustery, not good for making the passage to our next
destination: Maupiti. We will just watch the conditions day by day. It has a
narrow, shallow reef & if there are big waves it is too tricky. We may be
able to dive 1 or 2 nearby sites here on our own, or go again with Gilles if
we get too stir crazy. Not that we don\’t have plenty to do… Scott has a
pile of photos and video to edit, which is very time consuming. I helped him
with shot selection last night. And the every present repairs and
maintenance. We have issues with the generator oil hose leaking. The
refrigerator cooling ability is marginal and our main potty once again won\’t
flush #2. But none of that is a catastrophe. We hope to get the special
generator hoses shipped out tomorrow. I can live without a fridge if I have
to. And we can poop in the potty on port.

A bunch of the boats with the Round the World Rally sailed off to Suwarrow
today, a Cook Island. It will take them 2-3 days. One American boat is still
here. A radiologist, wife and grown son from Maine. Apparently she is not
happy about the fast pace of the rally. I can console her with my sad tale
of being stuck in Tahiti for 7 months.

Today is 2 weeks that we are in Bora Bora. This island has a great
combination of tourist amenities, comfortable mooring, so far the best
diving of all the French Polynesian islands (Maupiti & Mopelia could yet top
it), and is a gorgeous setting. We have already been in email contact with
the dive guy in Maupiti. He thinks the weather may be good enough to cross
there on Thursday. We need to fuel up and I\’d like another shot at the
market for produce. May do that tomorrow. It is still hot: 93 today, but
spending a couple of hours submerged helps a lot.

May 17th – Fuel & Food

We had pretty strong winds this morning from the south. It is an
uncomfortable direction making the boat lie sideways to the swell. I felt
seasick on the mooring. Didn\’t get the Annoying Wrist Zapper & Bonine quite
quick enough so they weren\’t as helpful.

Scott ordered replacement generator oil hoses. Why they are leaking when
normally they should work 20 years is a mystery. Amsoil will ship to Mike,
who will ship to Papeete through an agent who will expedite them through
customs and ship to us in Maupiti. It is always a concern that all goes
smoothly, but we are likely not to head over there until Thursday and if the
diving is as good there as here we will stay at least 2 weeks.

After lunch the wind seemed down so we dashed up to the fuel dock. We left
our dinghy tied to reserve our mooring because we like that one. Good thing
too because another wave of boats doing the 18 months around the world rally
showed up this afternoon. It was more windy up by the fuel dock, we smacked
into the pier causing minor cosmetic damage. The boat was really jagging up
& down badly. The fuel station is closed from noon-1:30 p.m. We arrived at
1:05. I knew it would take Scott and the fuel dock guy some time to fuel up
both tanks plus the extra cans, so used the opportunity to jump off, walk
the 10 minutes to the grocery store dragging my cart & bags. No eggs or
lettuce. Got apples, grapes, cheese, wine, turkey & salami slices & most
everything else I wanted. Just because I could, I bought a Dove chocolate
ice cream bar as a treat and ate it as I walked back.

My timing was good. I knew we\’d need to shove off as soon as the fueling was
done so the next boat could tie up. There is only space for one at a time.
Casting off was kind of scary. I was at the helm but did not feel I had good
control over our house in the wind, so called for Scott to take over. I hate
it when I freak out in challenging circumstances, but Scott was very sweet
afterwards, reassuring me that it was a tricky situation and that I should
not be embarrassed. Tying the boat back up to the mooring and getting the
dinghy off was another trick, but we did it after a few go arounds.

I avoided reading/writing until now & am testing out the Phenergan (seasick
med) with coffee (to prevent drowsiness) seasick cure. I waited 45 minutes
for it to take full effect & am happy to report that I feel pretty darn
good. Granted, there is not as much sideways swell. But still, I am glad to
have options. The weather should be calming down over the next couple of
days. We want to work on photos and write new Ships Logs, so I really hope
not to feel seasick. If the conditions on the mooring are crappy, we can
always take our laptops to the beach bar.

I would normally go for a snorkel but last night my right ear was bugging me
plus I had a sore throat. I did an extra vinegar/peroxide rinse of my ears &
took Zicam. Ears seem ok now but it\’s probably best to keep my head dry for
a couple of days. Darn.

May 18th – Media Day

Scott is editing and posting photos and I have been writing these Ships Logs
all day. It is sunny with little breeze. The good news is that it is
comfortable on the mooring & I am not seasick. The bad news is that it is
hot and hard for me to concentrate for a long time. Scott is more driven for
these projects than I am. I’d rather be diving!

Cindy & Scott…..Off to Maupiti Soon!

Dear F&F,

May 3rd Monday – Sail to Bora Bora

The conditions were just right. After we motored safely out of the reef pass
at Tahaa, we hoisted the sails & enjoyed the 4 hour trip. Scott kept Clark &
I on our feet, with 3 downwind tacks (safer & more controlled than gybes).
It was hot & sticky but a lovely ride. I couldn’t resist playing “Bali Hai”
from the South Pacific soundtrack as we approached. You would think one
tropical island looks like another after a while, but there is something
special about Bora Bora. Clark described it as King Kong mountain. It was
easy & convenient to pick up a mooring at the Bora Bora Yacht Club. Their
restaurant, docks & pension were damaged during hurricane Oli, which only
came within 160 miles. American Jessica & local Teiva are running the bar,
renting moorings & trying to get back on their feet. We end up staying over
2 weeks.

May 4th Tuesday – Pearl Beach Resort

We dinghied into shore/town, I bought a few provisions but our fridge is
marginal, not cooling fast enough. Didn’t do major shopping, more scouting.
There looks to be more available than when we were here in November. One
market changed ownership & everyone we asked which of the two was better
said the Super-U. I could not really tell much difference. We reserved a
rental car for tomorrow.

In the afternoon we loaded the dinghy and shuttled Clark & Vincent to their
hotel. It is a 15 minute ride to the islet, called a motu. Just about all of
the nice resorts are located on a motu, not the main island. The property is
as lovely as anticipated. The over water bungalows are picturesque, but I
think they made the right choice with the beach bungalow, which is larger,
you can walk out along the sand & it is closer to the pool.

We had tried calling friend Wilfred Vincent who is assistant manager of the
property at Tikehau & learned he was on vacation. He had been here in Bora
Bora! We missed him by just one day – darn!

We swam in the pool, took photos on the beach & enjoyed being tourists for
the afternoon. They will meet us onshore to tour the island by car tomorrow,
so our farewell was not too sad yet.

We got somewhat wet on the return ride due to the prevailing wind. Moored
near us, we stopped by a 66 foot Oyster, monohull moored near us. Boat name
\”Fuerte\”, Home port \”London\”. We were delighted to meet Jubee & William who
are British. The owner, not currently onboard, is American who lives in
Rancho Santa Fe, California. William was a wealth of knowledge (&
equipment!) for our struggling fridge. Later that evening, they stopped at
“Beach House”. I fed her curry & red wine while he & Scott pondered our poor
fridge. William didn’t care for curry, so declined, but I sent them home
with a really good chocolate bar in appreciation. She & I talked easily.
They have worked as captain & crew for hire on boats for 9 years, yikes! I
am always in awe of those that work that way. They could not possibly get
paid enough for all the work.

It was a very nice connection & they will be here for the next couple of
weeks, and we plan to stay awhile too. We want really calm weather to move
on to Maupiti & it has been blowing really hard. Good for keeping it cooler..
Good for sailing. Good for keeping the bugs away. But not good for getting
into the tricky pass of Maupiti. We are in no particular rush. Plus C&V are
at their hotel until Saturday. We plan to go with the dive company through
their hotel Thursday to learn some of the sites.

May 5th – Wednesday Drive Around Bora Bora

Scott made a tech support Skype call to our Marina del Rey fridge & air
conditioning buddy Alan Rosner. They decided we needed to empty the fridge,
take it offline & vacuum the lines while we had the use of s/v Fuerte’s
equipment. I threw out some food and took what I wanted to keep to the open
air bar at the Bora Bora Yacht Club, where we are moored. They have a big
refrigerator that is accessible 24/7 (to keep beer, etc) so I just put my
bags of stuff in there. Very handy.

The Avis person picked us up on the street on time & took us to the rental
car office. Clark & Vincent took the shore boat from their resort to the
main island, then caught the bus to the office where we all rendezvoused.
This is the smallest island & sadly the most overbuilt & not very nice to
drive around. But we came, so we saw it. We joked that ever since Goldie &
Kurt stopped coming here the place has gone to heck! There are many
dilapidated properties, trash piles, abandoned construction sites amidst the
scenic lagoon & dramatic green mountain. Clark thought the mountain profile
looked out of King Kong, we all agreed. The highlight was stopping a lot to
take photos, looking past its shortcomings & finding the beauty where we
could. We ate lunch at a forgettable place. It was recommended as good for
cheeseburgers, but I am not sure that it was the correct place. We consoled
ourselves down the road with ice cream, creme brulee (not as good as Raiatea
Lodge) & coconut cake at \”Bloody Marys\” named from the movie “South
Pacific”. There was a list of all the famous people that have eaten there
(including photos of Kurt & Goldie). It was a perfectly touristy tiki hut
with sand for the floor. Many of the locals are jaded/resentful of tourists
so the service and attitude was not great, but we had fun anyway.

Vincent is such a delight. I wish I had an exact recording of the
description he gave of how much ice cream pleases him. Something like:
\”Anticipating the moment when I will taste it, I am happy. Then in the
moment, eating it; is wonderful. Then afterwards, remembering the taste
gives me more pleasure.\” I don\’t think I will ever eat ice cream again in a
blasé way. Overall, with our guests we have eaten a lot more quantity &
sweets, but we\’re on vacation too!

We parted ways on the street where C&V could catch the bus back to their
resort shuttle boat, while Scott & I headed to the market & to return the
car. We will see Clark in the morning for diving. The dive boat agreed to
pick us & our gear up on “Beach House”. But we may not see Vincent again.
They had secretly purchased a gift for me. A set of coasters with different
lovely pictures of Bora Bora: flower, island, palm trees. Very sweet. I
wanted to cry, sob into Vincent\’s arms actually. They have been such rays of
sunshine. Not that Scott & I haven\’t had fun on our own. We have, can &
will. But because I love my friends deeply and it will be awhile until I see
them again, parting feels wrenching. They are still at their hotel until
Saturday night, so maybe we will go there for dinner. I managed to keep all
this internal drama under wraps & say goodbye with grace.

At the market I hesitated to buy much that needed refrigeration, although
Scott has confidence that this treatment will be the solution. I left the
lettuce, cheese, etc at the yacht club fridge with my other perishables. We
opened the boat, we always have to close it up for potential rain & it gets
very hot in the salon. Scott started the job of vacuuming the fridge lines
with the borrowed equipment from William. We have been running the generator
for 4 hours. He is watching a Sci-Fi TV series, while I am writing. I
snorkeled before sunset. Near the shore I saw an octopus, several colorful
clams & when I swam back to the boat I saw a long wahoo, maybe 3 feet, we
kind of scared each other. Good sushi… Got a load of laundry done. The
washer is also spazzing out. Always something.

We plan to get up earlier than usual to get all our dive gear together.
We\’ll use the company tanks, which are aluminum, not steel. I\’ll have to
wear more weight, but that is ok. Just need to remember to make up a belt.

May 6th – Thursday Diving with Blue Nui

The best sites outside the reef are not easy for us to get to on our own.
Too deep and rough to anchor the big boat. And too far away to go by dinghy..
So we will splurge and pay for a few days of diving. It is very convenient
that they pick us & our gear up (we used their tanks, but brought everything
else) where “Beach House” is moored & zoomed out to the sites in about 20
minutes. It was a bumpy high speed ride, but worth it.

We had two great dives with instructor Gilles, associate divemaster Fred who
took underwater video footage, two Italian guests & Clark. All in the group
were comfortable underwater so it was a nice experience. The visibility was
great! It is such a treat to have clear water. Plenty of sharks followed us,
ever hoping to get fed. Scott enjoyed himself, even without his camera,
although he will surely bring it tomorrow. I must be finally acclimatizing
somewhat to the hot weather. I actually felt a bit cool at the end of the
second dive and the water is still 85 degrees!

We were back onboard our boat just after noon. After rinsing our gear &
taking showers, we zoomed to shore to get some of our food out of the yacht
club fridge. I made the ever popular tuna salad, always satisfying.

Clark & Vincent called and invited us to join them at one of the main island
restaurants, Kaina Hut Bistro. I was thrilled to see them again. Besides,
with our fridge offline, cooking is not that convenient. Scott has done two
rounds of repairs. It is a bit of a waiting game right now to see if the
temperature goes down enough and stays down. Stay tuned.

The restaurant had a lovely ambience and good seafood. Tomorrow night we
will dinghy to their resort for a Polynesian dinner & show. The fun with
friends continues!

May 7th – Friday Diving & Dinner Show

Today was the last day of diving for Clark. Tomorrow they catch the 6 pm
flight to Papeete then just before midnight the red eye to LA. Of course we
took advantage of the opportunity to offload some stuff we don\’t need/want
here right now. They will ship it to Redondo, where Mike will hold it for
us. Mostly books & DVDs. Clark finished the book \”My Life in France\” by
Julia Child & passed it on to me – I am very excited to read it.

The diving in Bora Bora is very good. Clear water with lots of sharks and
large variety of fish. It is so easy to go with the company instead of
schlepping on our own in the dinghy. Plus all the other divers have been fun
and even the new divers seem relaxed, so it makes it very enjoyable. Scott
is always in heaven when he gets to shoot photos or video. And I am the
happiest when underwater, so we are both good. It turns out we had two
pre-paid days leftover from diving with Marc at Blue Nui in Manihi, so today
we started a new package. We\’ll probably go 5 more days, 2 dives each
morning . Terrific!

Owner/instructor Gilles & I played some underwater today. It reminded me of
diving with Terry Kennedy in the Sea of Cortez. There is nothing like
fooling around to make your skills improve. Maybe Scott will post a \”deleted
scenes\” video on the website. Clark purchased their photographer’s DVD. Fred
is super nice & fun too. Scott is learning some techniques by watching him
shoot. We watched the DVD of May 6th diving. After watching Fred do it,
Scott grabbed the tail of a particularly tolerant lemon shark, they’ve named
Blanchette for the white mark on her tail. That was definitely the video’s
highlight – oy veh!

We went to a site that sometimes has manta rays. We divers didn\’t see any,
but it was still an OK dive. The wife of a honeymoon couple snorkeled for
the first time ever & she saw a manta! We were jealous, but so happy for
her. They are Italian & she was adorably enthusiastic telling the story.

We dinghied to C&V\’s motu resort in our bathing suits. We knew it would be a
wet ride with the waves & wind. We took our dinner clothes in a dry bag,
changed in the bathroom. The guys were gorgeous in pareos with white shirts
and a plumeria blossom behind the ear. The food was crazy expensive for the
buffet ($90 each not including wine!), but it was our last night together &
there was a live music & Tahitian dance performance afterwards. Scott is not
a big fish eater, mostly it was seafood. He didn\’t starve with a slice of
beef, roasted pork & some fruit. I bravely tried an oyster since C&V raved
how great they were. It really was fine with a splash of vinegar. Yeah, it\’s
a texture thing… I loved the tuna sashimi & put the vanilla sauce on four
different beautiful little desserts.

Great tiki hut ambience, local music & a traditional dance performance. The
dancers grabbed tourists to join on stage. Scott & I managed to grab the
cameras and let C&V shake their booties while we captured the moment on
film. Man, they are good dancers & did not look at all goofy, like most of
the other non-Polynesians. Plus wearing their pareos, they totally fit in.
What a nice finale!

We had one more round of hugs & kisses under the stars as they helped us
cast off the dinghy. At the end of a seder we say: Next year in Jerusalem.
With them we keep saying: Two years until Australia! I would gladly have
them sooner, anywhere, but that seems the most likely place. Thank you our
Paris friends, for bringing so much sunshine to French Polynesia.

Cindy & Scott

Dear F&F,

Clark & Vincent Visit….Part 1

April 27 – May 3, 2010

In 2003-2004 we enjoyed visiting friends Clark & Vincent in Paris during our
trips to France while our boat was under construction. After “Beach House”
splashed, they came to Southern French City of Sete for her maiden sail &
helped us unpack & stow the container of stuff we’d sent from Los Angeles..
We started talking then about where they should join us for a tropical
vacation. French Polynesia was decided as the perfect place to have them
aboard.

Every visitor to “Beach House” acts as our import agent. Our usual “ship to”
angel, Mike Lonnes in Redondo Beach, received some stuff. Then Clark &
Vincent’s friend Ken in Westwood kindly collected the last minute orders
plus everything that Mike had. My sister Alberta sent a welcome bag of
books, DVDs & notes of encouragement.

Their flight from Paris to L.A. was delayed due to the ash from Iceland’s
volcano shutting down Europe’s airports. Thankfully none of us were on a
tight schedule. By trimming their L.A. visit from three days to one and
skipping Moorea, they were able to still package together a combination one
week boat plus four days resort excursion. I had warned Clark that the time
would fly by, and it did.

Scott & I arrived in Huahine two days ahead of our guests. We really love
the beauty of Huahine & were happy for the opportunity to revisit the
islands we had seen briefly in November during the Hawaki Nui Va’a Outrigger
canoe race.

April 27th they took the island hopper plane from Tahiti to Huahine. At
first told that there was no taxi, they got a ride from the airport to the
dinghy dock at the expected rendezvous time. They brought only 2 large & 1
small suitcases, which included snorkeling gear & all our stuff. It was so
great to see their smiling faces at last! They got into the swing of
tropical feelings (including the heat) right away.

I gave them the live aboard orientation because everything from opening a
window, cupboard or the refrigerator requires special care & is different
from a house. Using & flushing the toilet is very “special” these days, as
our primary vacuflush unit is only managing liquid. We all pooped on port.
No paper down the toilet, use the trash can. We had a good chuckle about the
double meaning of “poo bell”: a poubelle is the French word for trash can.

Scott launched in right away installing the new charge controller they
brought. The gizmo that transfers our solar power into battery power. Alas,
the new unit had the same trouble as the old! He had to Skype & the
technician who helped him troubleshoot. Turns out it was a corroded fuse! We
didn\’t need the new unit…but now we have a spare – c\’est la vie. Why they
didn\’t have us go through this step before, who knows. We realize it is hard
to give thorough technical support over the phone.

Our guests wasted no time getting in the water. They jumped in at every
opportunity & were good examples of how to have fun aboard “Beach House”.
There is always some repair or maintenance to do & we can become slaves of
our life instead of enjoying it, if we don’t make sure to take time to have
fun.

Walking around the small town, they oohed & aahed at everything: tropical
flowers, lush green foliage; beautiful native people weaving palm fronds. It
is a joy to be with them with their fresh & genuine enjoyment of this
experience. We reserved a car for the next day. Scott needs some time to
catch up on some projects, so the 3 of us will take the delightful drive
around the island.

At the market we made a good haul. The fridge is maintaining & we will get
it checked Friday or Saturday in Raiatea. After we got the dinghy unloaded,
I stowed the groceries, Clark napped and Vincent read one of the many books
he brought. Their first night dinner was a hit: Szechuan eggplant & shrimp
over brown rice. Nicely enhanced by two bottles of Blanc de Blanc.

Scott showed Clark geography on our chart plotter – where we are, where we
plan to go. Clark showed us a star program on his I-Phone, very cool. We all
stretched out on the top of the bimini & enjoyed the moon & stars. We turned
on the underwater lights, but no fish came to eat my shrimp shells. Vincent
took a moonlight swim. Scott joined C&V in their nightly routine of a cup of
chamomile tea. We all share a fondness for really good dark chocolate. A
good first day.

April 28th – Wednesday Drive Around Huahine

We got lucky to see visit the black pearl farm that was closed when Scott &
I had visited previously. A driver took us a short ride in his small power
boat to the work space & boutique built on stilts over the water. The owner
explained the process of seeding the cultured pearls and Clark used the
opportunity to buy a pair of earrings & pendant that his friend had
requested he purchase. Mostly I think they look like ball bearings, but
these were especially lovely and I am sure she’ll be happy.

We stopped many times to enjoy the views and take photos. Three guys on
bicycles nearly kept up with us. We had a leisurely lunch at Chez Tara,
savoring the mahi mahi with vanilla sauce. We happily got in our air
conditioned rental car & were grateful not to be sweating it out on
bicycles.

When we reached the vanilla farm, we were nearing the hour the car was due
to be returned. Having taken this interesting tour with Scott before, I did
not want them to miss out. The proprietor was limping and more eager to sell
us vanilla beans than lead a tour. As we wandered a bit toward the
net-covered plants, one of the workers asked if he could help us. We decided
the opportunity to gain local knowledge was more important than a late
return fee. Francois was a colorful character. He described the importance
of hand pollinating each flower which then produced one vanilla bean. He
pointed out the other crops: grapefruit, oranges, avocados & gave us some
fresh picked limes.

Poor Scott had not had a moment to do any of the things he’s hoped. He
discovered a leaky oil hose on the generator. We emailed friend Jerry Woods
& got a quick reply that there is a good mechanic in Raiatea. We did not
have a firm schedule, but it now seemed prudent to scurry to Raiatea before
the weekend.

April 29th – Thursday Raiatea

There was not enough wind to sail, so we motored the 4 hours from Huahine to
Raiatea. Vincent is a better crew than me – able to read underway! That is
one thing that tilts me toward seasickness in even mild conditions. It was
hot and although I was under the shade of the bimini the whole trip, I got
sunburned in my bikini top. Drats! I need to remember the strength of the
reflection of the sun off the white boat & ocean.

We have to hand it to Raiatean efficiency. We tied up to the fuel dock and
took on some diesel. Shockingly quick arrival of both the generator &
refrigerator mechanics had us and our capable translators scurrying. The
refrigerator technician did not want to mess with or really have the right
equipment, so we are hoping it is functioning well enough for now. Mostly
praying it hangs in there.

The generator mechanic had the leaking section of oil hose cut out and refit
in an hour. Fantastic. C,V & I walked to the market where I got some fresh
produce, more wine & chocolate: the basic food groups. I also scored a
cooked chicken which is always a welcome find.

April 30th -May 1st Scuba Diving Raiatea & Tahaa

We anchored at a sweet spot between two motus. It was a recommended dive
site in the guide books. Clark had not been diving in five years but was
like a fish riding a bicycle. He did great, not at all an A.S.P. (Air
Sucking Pig – disparaging term for an inexperienced or nervous diver that
quickly breathes down their tank, making for a short dive.)

The current was fairly strong and the visibility was only mediocre. But
there was a lot to see. Grey reef & black tip sharks, eels, the usual array
of tropical fish and the not so common pipe fish. Vincent enjoyed swimming &
snorkeling. He discovered that fish prefer to eat chicken scraps over
vegetables – so much for the food chain!

May 2nd Sunday – Drive Around Raiatea

All four of us went on the excursion to drive around Raiatea. It was
similar, but different to Huahine. There is a Japanese word for this: madoki
(similar, but different). Plenty of lush tropical scenery, lovely views of
the lagoon. Not as many interesting places to stop. About 1:00 p.m. we were
getting hungry and seeking a nice lunch spot. Many places on Sunday are
closed. We stopped at a Chinese run “greasy spoon” which did not pass
Vincent’s or Scott’s sniff test, so moved on.

The Raiatea Lodge shined as a mirage of comfort & luxury. A small hotel
owned by an Australian couple. Now after 1:30 pm, we were initially turned
away due to the late hour. Clark threw himself on the mercy of the waitress
and chef, who succumbed to his charm. We were told to order quickly if we
wanted to eat. While pondering the menu, Scott observed that the only other
party at the open air restaurant included Kurt Russell & Goldie Hawn. What a
hoot! A lovely setting, plus bonus celebrity citing. Small world story:
Scott had taken flight ground school with Kurt 20+ years ago & was curious
if he ever got his pilot’s license (Scott opted out after soloing). That
was excuse enough to go say hello & yes, Kurt did become a pilot. And no,
Goldie still looks fabulous out of makeup. They were friendly but we did not
fawn over them, each enjoyed our meal.

I asked the owner, who had warmed up to us by now, if we could go for a
swim. We had brought our suits in hopes of finding a nice beach along the
road. He kindly suggested we enjoy our dessert in the pool. When dining with
Vincent one is certain to have ice cream for dessert and he and Scott urged
me to spring for the crème brulee even though I was much too full from the
already ample meal. We were really living the high life now.

Cheeky Moment: We will never again listen to the Simon & Garfunkle song “The
Boxer” as it is written. Vincent strolls up with a stack of towels singing:
“I am just a “pool” boy, but my story’s seldom told”. We burst out in
giggles and haven’t stopped singing it that way ever since.

We got to see a room. It is a lovely inn that we would recommend to anyone
traveling to Raiatea. Goldie & Kurt said they used to vacation in Bora Bora
3x/year, but now prefer this island.

Next…Part 2,

Cindy & Scott