end of 24 day passage Whangarei NZ to Tahiti, 2500 miles sailed
Papeete, Tahiti
17 32.3S
149 34.3W
After three weeks at sea on this passage from Whangarei NZ to Tahiti we only had 325 miles left to go. So far, we had been successful at trying to sail the direct, NE, route even though conventional wisdom had indicated headwinds might be likely. Once we crossed latitude 20S that's what we got. Unfortunately, the gribs showed no change for about a week and what was worse, if we didn't get in by around Thursday noon (this was Monday), we were in for much stronger winds right through the weekend. After a squally, rough, close-hauled sail to windward, in winds gusting to 37 knots, we were down to the last 120 miles with twenty-four hours left in our window before the stronger winds arrived. We were determined to beat the coming winds. So, on went the motor for the very first time since leaving the marina in NZ and we were off like horses heading for the barn door, directly to windward. It was a rough ride with a lot of water over the bow, but, our trusty 75HP Yanmar was very capable of pushing us along at 5 knots/2200 rpm. Moorea, the closest island to Tahiti was our first sight of land and what a sight it was with those incredibly jagged volcanic peaks.
We passed to the north of Moorea and once in its lee, the seas calmed and the sun came out. All was good until we started across the top of the channel between Moorea and Tahiti. We got blasted with 30 knot winds again and the rough seas meant we were pounding our way across the last ten miles. It was only for a short time though and once we were in the lee of Tahiti, all was forgotten. We entered the pass through the reef about an hour after slack water. There was still quite a bit of turbulence about and some slight overfalls, but, for our first reef entrance it went very smoothly. There were berths available at the Papeete City Marina and we pulled into one on the end of a pontoon with wide-open sea and sunset views across to Moorea, a stunning location and a good start. We're within steps of everything the city has to offer. Papeete (pop. 200,000) has about 80% of the entire French Polynesian population. We'll be visiting other islands and quieter places soon, but, for now, the city lights and bustle are welcome. There is a lot of traffic noise and there have been reports of thefts in this marina, but, so far, so good and we're happy to be here tied to the dock for a while.
Between numerous trips, on foot and by local bus, to various government offices and the airport to try and complete our entry clearance, which has been very tedious but should soon be done, we've had time to experience a little of the life here. It's actually not just marketing hype, many of the women here do really wear fresh flowers tucked behind an ear. One middle-aged lady sitting at a bus stop was wearing a beautiful, red, floral crown and even the post office clerk was wearing an intricately woven, fresh, floral necklace. The city reminds us very much of Kuah, in Malaysia, the difference here being that there are many very smart-looking shops that you might see in France in-between the older, more run-down tropical versions. We've been enjoying too much fresh bread and pastries. It seems everybody is carrying one or more baguettes. A man on a scooter had a bag of ten or so riding sidesaddle with him. They must be subsidized somehow because they only cost the equivalent of about 75 cents, for a very long, crusty, tasty, loaf. Within a few minutes walk is Vaiete Square, where every night, the roulottes (food trucks) gather. There are about fifteen of them set up along the waterfront with their outdoor woks and barbecues. Reasonably-priced and great variety makes it hard to choose! So far, we have enjoyed Thai and French-style steak frites. Many more things to look forward to seeing, eating and doing in the days to come!
----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com
Steak Frite: potato or meat?
ReplyDelete