[password] pilot25041
[position] 17 53.9s 149 57.1w
[status] Monday 10th June ....... still in Tahiti, and the ladies have arrived!

So Thursday evening/night was the airport runs and crew change time ........ Andrew departing Lyn & Zuni arriving ......... midnight was the time we needed to leave the boat to get Andrew there in time for check in ........ fortunately Barry received a text from Lyn at 9pm local time as he was going to bed, saying that Zuni & her were delayed ........ which prompted Andrew to look at his phone to see his 2am departure was delayed until 5.30am ....... so in short we 'managed' the delay in bed and not at the airport.

So we collected Lyn & Zuni, including a suitcase full of boat spares, got back from to the boat for 6am ..... despite the morning rush hour, quick sleep and Barry then took Zuni back to the airport for her island hopping flight to Paul & P'zazz, Barry & Steven then changed the perished pipes on the engines and spent the afternoon fettling the water maker, which is also now working!

Early to bed, Barry was then up at 4.30am to collect Ruth ........ no airport delays this time and also no 'rush hour' to contend with as it was Saturday! In the afternoon we went out to Venus Point ...... where Captain Cook was sent to view the Venus transition of the sun! Steven fixed the autopilot and washing machine and as it was Lyn's birthday on Friday we had booked a table at the La Belvedere restaurant (where Lyn had celebrated her birthday in 1981!) for the evening! Finding the restaurant was something of a challenge 2000ft up the mountain and the final 5km on a single track winding mountain track ...... but we got there and then had an absolutely fabulous meal!

Sunday we had a lazy start, Barry & Ruth went and extended the car hire to make the alternator and gas bottle run easier, then on to Carrefour for a major boat restock! In the afternoon we then went to the Polynesian Island museum which was extremely interesting!

Monday ..... well Barry was extremely grateful that we had the hire car ..... as buying a new alternator (the NZ one is officially lost and the courier company are picking up the bill with the supplier) and getting the double pulley changed over was a similar "exercise" to the previous alternator travails of last week! However, the new alternator is now fitted and working ...... so all the major 'boat jobs to do' are now resolved. We have taken our wine sommelier (Ruth) to the duty free shop and identified what we would like to purchase before we eventually 'launch' from French Polynesia in mid August.

We are leaving tomorrow for Moorea (circa 25nm away) for a few days and after that our destination is very much weather dependent.

Best Regards

Barry

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