[password] pilot25041
[position] 16 41.5s 151 32.2w
[status] Tuesday ..... and we are now in Tahaa ........ the 'vanilla' island, where apparently they produce 80% of all the vanilla produced in French Polynesia! So on Friday we made it back to Bora Bora just after dark and anchored off the yacht club again. On Saturday Allan went ashore to the yacht club and made good use of the internet, throughout the morning there were a number of races being held in the bay for the locals in their canoes, from 4man boats to 6man boats, all closely chased by a posse of supporters in motor boats or on jet skis! Around lunch time we had to make a move for Raiatea, as Mitch was due to fly in on Sunday late pm, we had another encounter with the 'local canoes' as we made our exit through the channel, as they were using the channel marker as a turning point. Once outside and around the SE end of the reef, we fully realised how fortunate our decision to leave Maupiti the previous day had been ...... 15-20kts and a short sharp chop, both on the
nose, together with the long lazy SW swell, it was a long and noisy afternoon motoring across to Raiatea, but we entered their reef and then anchored on the NW end of the island ready to get to the town quay the following morning.
A rather noisy night followed, not helped when the wind increased and pulled us back to the full scope of the anchor causing us to have a mooring buoy banging against the port hull at stupid o'clock in the morning, Ruth waking Barry who was not impressed with her "worries" about the banging noise!

As it was now Sunday morning and the shops closed at 11.30, we had breakfast and motored around past the airport, coming alongside the town quay about 10.45, the crews from a couple of other boats took our lines and then informed us that it was free to stay there and there was 'free' village wifi available ...... a double success, the supermarket was also just the other side of the quay and was open until 12.00, so a quick foray ashore and we found everything we needed, fresh bread, fruit and veg etc etc! A relaxing afternoon, Barry & Ruth went walkabout for a few hours, Lyn met a local guy on the quay who told of where she could find a local doctor to look at her leg which she had previously injured! Some other "kiwis" popped across to chat just as it was getting dark ...... Ross & Jo Blackman (who are sailing their yacht back to NZ from Italy) were off to the airport to collect a new crew member and they offered to bring Mitch back with them! Just after 18.30 Mitch duly
arrived, so we had a couple of 'cold' ones and some 'red', to celebrate!

Monday ..... Ruth and Barry decided to walk up the local hill .......... 2hours later this venture was abandoned due to the heat, humidity and steepness of the concrete road. Lyn spent most of the day in and out of the doctors, but the leg injury has been suitably addressed, which is a great relief to all! A few more cold ones and red accompanied dinner, as did the local "youth" dancers who were rehearsing on the town square about 100m from where we were alongside. Their practice lasted for a solid 2hrs and we all had chance to go across and watch, a very impressive display and credit to them all!

Tuesday ....... the weather forecast was for little or no wind ......... constant 26kts and heavy rain showers every 30mins is not our idea of 'little' wind and our plans to go down the east side of Raiatea into this wind to Marae Taputapuatea a heritage site was not the best option. So we have sailed up to the west side of Tahaa and are sat in a nice quiet bay, not too far from the coral gardens, where hopefully tomorrow we can snorkel and explore.

Apart from that ....... another day "cruising", in the beauty of the FP islands, we wish all our readers the very best until the next instalment of our adventure!

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