[password] pilot25041
[position] 27 61.48s 144 33.1w
[status] Rapa - another day in the remote wilderness, and today we found out how wild it can be ........ from before sunrise the boat was being battered by 30+kt winds and shearing around on our anchor, white caps covered the whole bay and heavy rain showers came bursting through. After some early debate we raised our anchor and tried to find a more sheltered location, settling on an area that provided a little more protection, but the wind shearing down the steep rock faces, still made Surreal II dance around the 80m of chain we had deployed!

After breakfast we discussed our church visit and decided that with white caps everywhere and waves breaking right over the pontoon where we go ashore, that maybe Surreal was the best place to be! Andrew set about swopping out another 6v battery that has given up the ghost, so we now have a decent half house bank again!

After a good discussion with James from Enertec and between the frequent ran squalls we then dismantled the water maker membrane high pressure tube, nothing obvious was found so we reassembled, waited for a weather window before reinstalling and testing....... unfortunately the high salinity and undrinkable water persists, so this will now have to wait until Papeete to be fixed!

As our sojourn ashore has been postponed for the day, its a Sunday roast chicken for dinner again! The weather gribs do not look good for a departure from here before later in the week. The weather is a lot colder down here than Raivavae, in fact we've even had to get the 'duvets' back out to get cosy at night!

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