EMERGENCY IN PARADISE August 11th 2021

COVID has run away with our freedoms and unrelated health matters have caused a major re evaluation of our sailing plans.

Wandering about beautiful French Polynesia for over a year waiting for the end of the cyclone period, (May) we had gone to Papeete to do a few maintenance jobs and prepare to haul out before setting off westward to complete our circumnavigation.

Having a quiet coffee aboard Taipan in the Papeete Marina when David suddenly declared that his left arm was behaving strangely. Good friends, Grahame and Janakie from "Leela" were aboard and we immediately called the ambulance and they helped walk David to the marina gate. Rapid response by Fire Brigade in the first instance, then Ambulance shortly afterwards, meant that David was in the Tahoe Hospital in Tahiti in about 20 minuets and straight into Emergency where they performed many tests and scans and administered drugs. David had suffered a stroke!!! The event was caused by a shower of tiny particles coming loose from plaque in his right Carotid Artery. He was admitted to the Neurology Ward and to cut a long story short spent the next 9 days undergoing treatment and preparing for Medical Evacuation to Australia.

New Zealand Air Ambulance

The Australian Government in the early chaos of the pandemic outbreak closed Australian Borders and forbad Australians from leaving the country. At the same time they prohibited Australian Travel Insurance Companies from renewing, or writing new policies for Australians. Our Travel Insurance Company could not renew our travel insurance so in desperation we took out a little Evacuation and Rescue policy with a company called GEOS for a mere $125 each.

Goodbye Morea

With the Pandemic raging the Evacuation process was protracted. The Australian government had to give permission for us to return and Air Ambulances had to get international permits to enter etc. The whole debacle took 7 days of negotiation to arrange our repatriation to Perth. At A$10,000 a day in the hospital with no medical cover it was altogether a very stressful process I never want to relive. Geos only cover the Repatriation.

On the 28th of March at 700am we were collected by a team from New Zealand Air Ambulance, and aboard a nice little Beechcraft Nexis we were flown to Brisbane, with refueling stops at Nui and Nauru, New Caledonia. There were 2 pilots and an emergency nurse aboard and we touched down at Brisbane at about 4pm after a 9 hour flight in beautiful weather. The whole team were outstanding, caring and fed us amazing food!!!

Customs and Immigration processed inbound clearances and we boarded the Life Flite Ambulance, a Challenger 605: all leather and mirrors apart from the 2 intensive care stretchers. There were 2 pilots, a doctor and an emergency nurse taking care of things. Food was great too! It was the ex-prime ministers plane and let me tell you they don't slum it!! We touched down in Perth at 6pm, Perth time and I was chauffeured off the Hotel quarantine and David was transported by Ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital Quarantine. I don't know what it all cost but we were very grateful to the whole team at GEOS for getting us home. I am never flying cattle class again!!

Queensland Coast. Australia!!

We were extremely lucky to be right in Tahiti. The biggest hospital in the Pacific outside New Zealand right on the doorstep. A highly skilled team of cardiologists and neurologists from France meant David was in very good hands very quickly. Had we been in a remote island anchorage the outcome could have been much different.

Since arriving back we have done the bloody quarantine without catching Covid in the hotel! Corinne and Michael, our illustrious Panama to Galapagos crew, among others were instrumental in making sure we didn't die of starvation in the hotel. David has, after multiple consultations had an Enterectomy. That is, they open the carotid and scrape out the crap and close it all up. Good as new... Well nearly.

After being homeless and imposing on numerous friends and rellies for nearly 2 months we moved back into our farm house in Albany. It took a month or so to catch our breath at this point.

Taipan on the hardstand at Boatworks

Meanwhile back in Tahiti, Taipan was in the capable hands of Paul Stratfold an Australian delivery skipper. Grahame and Janakie spent days previously putting Taipan back together as David had just completed an entirely new Lifepo4 battery installation. There were still some unfinished issues to be tidied up. Between them they returned Taipan to working condition for Paul to take over. Paul agreed to return Taipan to Australia for us and was hoping to come with at least one other crew person. After protracted and frustrating liaison with the Australian Immigration it became apparent that he was going to have to go it alone. The intransigent authorities refused to let his Australian crew leave the  country again to return to Tahiti to his work. If he entered he would be forced to remain. So Paul came from Tahiti to Brisbane, 3500nm, 25 days, alone and was put into 14 days quarantine on arrival!! Taipan had to be anchored in Southport uninsured. There are no facilities for arriving yachts. The marinas are unable to accommodate unless you arrange for a deep clean of the boat and a local delivery skipper to move it to a marina. There are not even any moorings for the quarantine anchorage!!! Paul has since moved Taipan to Boatworks and she's on the hard awaiting our arrival. Covid permitting.

Knocked out a few ceilings walls and a fire place

Life goes on on the farm while we wait for the East Coast to get its sh## together so we can fly to Queensland, pick up Taipan, perform maintenance and set sail for WA. That's on the other side of Australia for the foreigners out there. Australian border rules are going to make it very tricky. Sailing down the east coast to Bass Strait in one hit may be the only option. 860nm south from Southport Queensland to avoid New South Wales which is a Covid disaster area right now and may be closed  till Xmas or longer. To cross the Great Australian Bight we need to be positioned in Bass Strait or South Australia by mid Janurary. Then the Easterly winds will be steady for the run west. The shortest distance is about 480m but that relies on being able to enter South Australia and work west along the coast. The distance doubles if that's not possible. Bloody COVID!!

Raptor. The stump grinder

Goodbye stumps.

Meanwhile on the farm we've knocked out a lot of tree stumps, knocked the gardens back into shape and knocked a few walls and ceilings out of shape. As we speak there are 2 electricians in the roof and a builder fixing stuff and installing a dropped ceiling in the kitchen. Between us we have removed a big old brick chimney and all the interior wall finishes of 3 rooms. The gyprock will be replaced with big loads of insulation behind it. Its been a very cold and wet winter in Albany. The work has been exhausting causing us both to fall into bed knackered each evening. Its a good test of David's strength and recovery.

Roughly the proposed route.

I will update on progress sooner next time.

Farewell beautiful Huahine. FP