Tahiti and Moorea.....time out for work and play...

Well, we've been in the Tahiti/Moorea groove for a few weeks now, enjoying the time out that this south pacific pit stop offers.  Many repairs were overdue, such as the rigging we noted in Nuku Hiva.  At that time, we reported that we had seen only a couple of strands broken out of a swaged connection at the top of one shroud, a lower on the starboard side.

2 broken shrouds

Well, when Adam went up the mast to take it down, and into the rigging shop for a new one, he found that the shroud in question had now broken all but about 3 strands (out of 20), and it's neighbor, also a starboard lower had just 4 remaining.....yikes, that was WAY closer than we had known to a major problem.  Happily we were able to order new shrouds (we replaced the broken two, and the matching pair on the port side as well) from New Zealand, and we cut them to size and just installed them yesterday.  We will replace the rest of the rigging when we reach New Zealand in November.

Another interesting problem was nipped in the bud....one morning while charging the batteries with the generator (running the genset far too much these days, as we watch our expensive P.O.S. Lifeline batteries give up the ghost after just 18 months....and Lifeline won't answer any emails.....grrrrrrrr.......  I digress......) we noticed the smell of burning electrical insulation....a very distinctive, very scary smell.  Fire aboard a boat is a really bad thing.  Really B-A-D!!!!  We finally found the culprit, a plug that had apparently gotten a bit of corrosion, raising the resistance to the burning point.  Easy to fix with a hardwire bypass of the plug, but could have been a real disaster.  Another bullet dodged, but a pretty close call on this one.

Okeee doke, 'nuff of the repairs.  Lots of smaller (but oh-so-expensive in Tahiti) bits have been repaired as well.  New main halyard, and all 3 reef lines, all now Dyneema, should last a while.  And as promised, on to the fun stuff...

Friends Rich and Laura came down to Moorea from Seattle for a visit.  We brought Bravo across the 10 mile channel from Tahiti, and anchored in beautiful Oponohu Bay, near to their hotel.  Had a lot of fun exploring the island together on our rented scooters.  Excellent hiking and decent snorkels on the reef.  Nice.

View from top of pass, looking down on Oponohu Bay on left and Cooks Bay on the right.

Adam starts up a Moorea chapter of the Hells Angels on his 50cc weedeater

Heading home

Picasso triggerfish

Cindi at a Polynesian dance lesson.....it's a fact, Polynesian hips ARE connected differently!!!

 

Went snorkeling with a gaggle (herd? school? mess?) of big stingrays in the Moorea lagoon.  Quite amazing, really, as these bad boys are used to being fed, and are all over us to get some goodies.  We had saved flying fish in our freezer to use for fishing bait, but we broke them out to feed the rays, they loved it, "climbing" nearly out of the water on our shoulders to grab the fish with mouths like Hoover vacuums.  A bit weird to be standing in 4' of water with monster stingrays acting like little puppies, while reef sharks swim all through the frenzy.  Very cool, all in all!!!

Nicole from Bella Star makes a new friend

Every year Latitude 38 magazine, based in S.F. sponsors a rendevous in Moorea of "puddle jump" boats.  Since we were already here, we decided to motor around the corner into Cooks Bay to join in the festivities.  A terrific opportunity to catch up with other boats we've met along the cruising highway, as well as a great slate of activities, including the all-Polynesia ukelele contest (winning band gets tickets to San Diego to compete in the international uke competion.....in SAN DIEGO?????......)

Winning team with their tickets to San Diego

Outrigger canoe races were the main event on the last day of the rendevous.  Adam and Cindi were both on 6 person teams made up of 4 gringos and 2 studly Polynesian rowers.  Adam's team, the Lei Men made it to the semi finals.....you know what they say about "old age and treachery.....!!!

Race starter took her job seriously!!!

Lei Men on the left, Adam in red shirt.

Grabbing victory on the outside!!!

This guy was no beginner!!!

This guy was!!!

The "Lei Men" in fine form after a stunning come from behind victory in the first heat

Off goes Cindi's team, the "Flying Huahine's"

A few last minute instructions from the head of the race committee.....

"And they're off....."

All in all, a great day, with the races, Tahitian dancing (w/ instructions), fire walking, I mean it had all the bases covered!!!

We're now back in Tahiti, many boat projects scratched of the list, and ready to head west to the Leeward Islands.....Bora Bora here we come!!!