CHASING SQUALLS. THERE AND BACK TO SEE HOW FAR IT IS. November 28th 2020

 

Beautiful Avea Bay Huahine. Drone photo by Jocke PerssonFurusten

We're back in Papeete Marina after a 900nm round trip to nowhere! It'd have been OK if it had at least been a successful fishing trip but we didn’t have a single bite. Squalls, of which there were many, were our only source of wind so rather than avoid them we were chasing them. The night squalls were unpredictable as we couldn’t see them without the radar which had decided to go AWOL in spite of having reported for duty prior to departure!. So the trip was main up…furlers out... furlers in..furlers reefed...main reefed…motor on… motor off. Repeat….repeat for 8 days

Trip to nowhere.

Leaving beautiful Tahaa on the 6th of November bound for Australia was a risk we decided to take in order to make it home to WA this year. The cyclone season had commenced, although it's very unlikely a system would develop this early. We planned to make a straight run for Southport on the southern Queensland coast. 3200nm. All our ducks were in a row. We had clearance to arrive in Oz and Quarantine Exemption permission. The new Mainsail and halyard were installed and ready to go sailing. Extra fuel jerrys were filled to get us into the wind, which was possibly as long as 4 days away. 

The first 4 days were predicted to be very light and it fulfilled that prophecy, but we watched in dismay as weather systems develop ahead of us with the potential wind dying and continuing to die ahead of us for the forthcoming fortnight. (The extent of forecasting.) There was a Tropical Depression forecast to develop just at the extreme of the forecast and unless we could make 140nm a day our weather router advised we would be caught in it. With the lack of wind, we couldn’t guarantee 140nm a day motoring for 12 days so 400 miles out we decided to turn around and head back to Raiatea. The only wind we saw on the trip was that night with an unpleasant 20+ over the deck on the nose whipping up a short steep sea in the inevitable counter current. The rest of the return trip was slow and rolly to begin, but settled as we approached Raiatea south pass on Friday the 13th! After a 24hour rest, we decided to head onto Papeete overnight.

The Staysail furler had detached during that first night we turned back and we needed some welding done. In order to get to the tang, we needed to disable the windlass, which meant anchoring was risky. Papeete marina had pens available so on Sunday the 15th we tied up and plugged in the airconditioning!!!

A month previously we had to abort our departure to Oz. When we hauled the anchor, the windlass stopped with the anchor just 4 meters from the deck. So we re-anchored to repair the solenoid failure. When David was packing the main away the aft edge of the sail came away in his hand! We also noticed a wire coming adrift on a forward lower!! Things happen in 3s!  The sail had done 36,000nm and had been on the boat since South Africa 7 years previously. It showed no signs of wear so we were quite dismayed. In hindsight, we did get a very good run out of that sail and it was good to the death. No repairs or money spent on it.  The forward lowers, 7 years old. Not so happy. The windlass solenoid was just 2 years old. Not happy. 

A new sail was ordered from North Sails in South Africa, who built our old and we had it aboard in 3 weeks. An excellent outcome. The shrouds were replaced with new ones made up by Fenua Rigging in Tahiti and flown into Fare, Huahine. While we waited for the new Main we wiled away time in Avea Bay with lots of swimming and snorkelling. "Sea Rose",  Brian and Sue, very old friends from way back in Thailand, caught us there and after a week or so we moved on with them to circumnavigate Tahaa and Raiatea The new sail was shipped over to Huahine from Tahiti and we went back to pick that up and fit it.

Highlights of the circumnavigation of Tahaa and Raiatea were BBQs on deserted Motus, snorkelling the Coral Garden, Rum Distillery, Taputapuatea Mare: a World Heritage site, and a wonderful day upriver at the Botanic Gardens and fruit farm. Excellent company and lots of interesting experiences to fill the days.

Covid numbers increased as tourists and French workers were permitted to re-enter French Polynesia back in May. As I write French Polynesia has the most active cases per head of population in the world. Tahiti is the worst island, closely followed by the remainder of the Society Islands. Extreme vigilance by ourselves and most yachties means that socializing has been quite limited. Our cockpit is not big enough to allow the required social distancing so our friends list as shrunk considerably. 

Taputapuatea The cradle of Ma'ohi civilization Link to more info 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taputapuatea_marae

Some of the beautiful heliconia  and  ginger at the Botanic Gardens
More about Heliconia

We now plan to wait out cyclone season and have another go at it next year. Not such an onerous undertaking. Plans going forward as to our whereabouts are sketchy. Cyclone season here is predicted to be mild with a well developed la Nina. Possibly we will head east again to the Marquesas via the Tuamotos …. or we may just go and hang out in Avea Bay. If you get curious you can always check our map or tracker 

Tuatau anchorage at the south end of Raiatea.

Taipans Anchorages

Taipans Tracker

Meanwhile, we await the completion of a few repairs whilst enjoying some air-conditioning and a little very careful retail therapy and social interactions with a couple of other boats. 

Best wishes to everyone for a jolly ol' festive season wherever you may be. Be safe.

Raiatea Southern End

Andre and his family farm a little further inland and opposite the Botanic Gardens. He welcomes visitors and sells fruits and vegetables in season, as well as providing an interesting free tour.

Cruising Guide by Dream Yacht Charters for Raiatea, Bora Bora, Tahaa, Huahine.