POST

Monday July 30, 2007

Off early to Bora Bora, the day is crystal bright, blue sky with puffy white clouds and gentile breezes. We first sail inside the reef to Tahaa an island just north of here to check out a bay where we will anchor in a couple of days to do a vanilla tour we learned about yesterday. You can buy fresh vanilla in all most stores in Polynesia. The aromas of the vanilla linger near where it is sold in the markets. It is farmed on many of the islands.

 

The bay is very deep and narrow enough to limit where Bella Donna can anchor. In 90 feet of water we have to put out so much chain that the arc of our swing is huge. The one mono hull sailboat at the head of the bay must be gone when we return; even then we may have to do a stern line to a buoy near shore to limit our swing. Being big has its disadvantages.

 

We sail out of the bay into the reef cut that releases Bella Donna into the Peaceful Pacific Ocean. We raise the Code zero spinnaker and the Genoa in a downwind wing on wing configuration. With 9-12 knots of wind behind us we do 6 to 7 knots with the engines off. The soft gliding of Bella Donna’s hull over Pacific water is like meditation. Only when the wind dies does the brain kick in and the engines are started so we can make it to Bora Bora in reasonable time.

 

Bora Bora has a striking profile that you would instantly recognize as familiar. Something you remember seeing in a movie, advertising or just in pictures. The center of the island rises up almost 3,000 feet into 2 peaks one with sheer straight up walls on more than one side. It has never been climbed as rope securing spikes just come right out of the lava rock. Some have been on top by helicopter. There is a hike you can take to the other peak. The barrier reef goes a long way out. Once inside the lagoon water is flat like a huge salt water lake. The shoreline is dotted with resorts that by now look very similar with their separate guest bungalows with thatched roofs. We do a sail by to get a mental image of the place. From Bloody Mary’s on one end of the lagoon to the airport on Motu Mute at the other. The perimeter road around the central island is only 19 miles making a bicycle ride a very feasible way to see the complete island.

 

We anchor for the night near a sandy beach Motu, islet, and go for a snorkel and swim. The lagoon water is so salty no noodle is required; the human body floats on its own without the aid of flotation. Even Bella Donna is floating higher out of the water. The water is refreshing with pockets of cooler then warmer water drifting by. The water is very clear you can just see the bottom in 30 feet of water. We see some of the same fish that we have in our salt water aquarium at home.

 

At dinner we ate some of the Wahoo we caught on the passage from Galapagos to Marquesas grilled on skewers with onions and squash, yum.  Following dinner with the underwater lights lighting up Bella Donna’s stern we decide to have a water polo game. We are having so much fun tossing the water polo ball around in the water John and Linda from Mad Hatter jump overboard and join in; having fun is very contagious. Before we are exhausted we all go back to Bella Donna for a nightcap.

 

Mad Hatter has been cruising near us since Panama. John is a doctor, a general practitioner. He and Linda live in Vancouver, Canada, and he works 6 months during the winter treating the Eskimos in remote parts of Canada. The other 6 months the two of them cruise around in their sailboat. They will haul Mad Hatter out of the water soon in Raiatea, leave it on the hard until they return next April-May to continue their journey.

 

God Bless Bella Donna.

 

POST

Sunday July 29, 2007
This morning we are going to hike to 3 waterfalls. The guide book says it is next to the
Pension Kaoha Nui. A pension is how the guide book describes a place you stay overnight.
It may be like a bed and breakfast or a hostel where you sleep either in private room or a
dorm like room with others. You may have your own bathroom or share with others. In any
case it is less formal than a resort or hotel and is often on the South Pacific Islands in
the home of a local Polynesian.

The walk starts out on a one lane dirt road going down the right side of Kaoha Nui. We
probably could have driven the car further down this road as it turns out there is ample
space to park on the roadside as far as a quarter to half a mile. The road passes through
cultivated fields and past horses tied by the side that spooked by our non Polynesian
look. The guide book is not very descriptive; it says the walk is 2 kilometers, but is
that one way or roundtrip and exactly where is the start and finish measured from? We walk
at least one and a half miles in the one direction which is over 2 kilometers. We see some
very small water falls and cross the stream once on slippery rocks, but we never see the
large swimming pond at the bottom a waterfall that is described as a leisurely hike much
less the rock climb scramble where we would have to hold onto ropes. We need to return and
start our car tour of the island so we turn around. Later today I see a picture of the
waterfall with the swimming hole beneath it. Obviously we missed it; what is pictured is
ideal looking.

The car ride begins by retracing the route to Moorings Marina on the other side of town
which is also the west side of the island. The town of Utuora is the second largest city
in all of French Polynesia behind Papeete. Today is Sunday and even though there is a
cruise ship at the town dock the streets are empty, no shops except some grocery stores
and gas stations are open and they will be closed by noon. Unlike other days there are no
cars on the streets. The closest thing to compare is maybe Christmas morning in a busy US
city. As we drive through I can see the attendant in his Shell Oil uniform filling a
customer's gas tank and cleaning the wind shields; there is no self service at the gas
station. It is like a flashback to the 1950's in the US.

We drop off one of the rent cars off at Moorings Marina for John to use when they move the
Bella Donna around to this area. We check out the charter boat marina. There are several
42 foot catamarans either returning or leaving on bare boat charters. The luggage is
stacked up on the dock at the stern of boats read to be taken aboard or to the Moorings
Hotel. We listen for what language is spoken and hear familiar American English. It turns
out the 4 couples, in their late 20's or early 30's, they are returning from a 2 week
bareboat charter. Some are from San Francisco and some are from Oklahoma. We exchange trip
highlights and comparisons. They give us some wonderful things to do while in Tahaa and
Bora Bora. They chartered 3 times in the BVI and we compare Soggy Dollar, Willie Tee,
Bitter End, Anegada and Foxy's to the experience here. They like the beauty and exotic
nature of this place and it has been a once in a lifetime experience, but they like the
easy shallow anchorages and fast access to the next island and party in the BVI. We refer
this as the spring break attitude. I think we are travelers and don't need the spring
break scene any more. Note these kids are living in BC times, before children.

The drive around the island is OK, but you can do with a much shorter trip pretty much the
same thing. The entire coast of the island is residential and all the houses are the same
simple design. It is Sunday and church plays a major role here. You can see men dressed in
dark suits and women in their flower ringed straw hats and Sunday dress. Some are walking
and some are even riding bicycles. There are churches spread all around the island with
more being built.

We finish our tour at a seaside French restaurant in the Moorings Marina which also
includes the French Sunsail Charter company. Hinano beer and salads are great.

God Bless Bella Donna.

POST

Saturday July 28, 2007

As we were eating dinner in the cockpit last night we could hear Polynesian drums coming from the direction of the fire station lawn on shore. The music is the same as what is on the drum music CD we play sometimes at parties in Hawaii to light the torches which also sounds like music played at a Luau. With the binoculars we could barely make out dancers in grass skirts doing what looks like Hawaiian Hula, but I have never heard the word Hula or Luau used to describe French Polynesian dancers and an event. By the time we investigate, we find that is a local group practicing or learning. After the experienced dancers have demonstrated young children from 6 to 18 are out dancing their little hearts out. They are surprisingly good and seem to know what to do. The locals on Raiatea are very traditional and live out a lot of their Polynesian cultural heritage.

 

Tired of reading the guide book, we are ready for what Raiatea has to offer. We go to the Vini Lodge above the Stardust Marina to check out car rentals. It turns out we have to get to the airport to rent a car; we will need 2 cars as there are 7 of us. We also find out the wind is blowing so hard, there are only 2 bays on the whole island where you can hide from it and we are in one of them. We decide to move Bella Donna to the other bay as it is closer to the airport and we can take the dinghy within walking distance to the airport. Off we go.

 

Getting 2 cars back to Bella Donna takes all day, well at least until 4 PM. The wind is blowing 20-30 knots and some gusts probably hit close to 40 knots. On the VHF radio a caller is trying to reach another boat to tell him his dinghy has been flipped upside down by the wind. Bella Donna’s dinghy is heavy and powerful with its 90 horsepower outboard; we have to tack back and forth to go into the wind and one gust feels like it is going to flip us over. Like John always says the wind was blowing like stink. Bach aboard Bella Donna the wind is just a little more than a gentile breeze; sheltered bays are nice.

 

We decide we need to get everyone off the Bella Donna to stretch their legs; it has been days for some of us; we are getting Bella Donna cabin fever. We decide a dinner in town tonight after a sundowner drink at the Club House Bar at the Moorings Dock on the other side of town; the guide book recommends it highly for the sundowner, but not necessarily as a place to have dinner.

 

On the way through town we stop to fill up our dinghy’s 10 gallon gas can. We find out the grocery store will not be open tomorrow so we cross the street and shop at Champions. We arrive at the Club House just before sunset and have drinks. We review the restaurants in the guide book. We decide on an area in town near the cruise ship dock where several good restaurants. Only when we are standing in front of them all do we realize the information in the guide book is dated and some things have changed. We sort out the availability and decide on the Sea Horse which is now Chinese food. The smells from the restaurant are delightful; we are not disappointed.

 

God Bless Bella Donna.

 

post

Friday July 27, 2007
The wind blew and it rained all night, but the morning is bright and sunny. The wind is
just a gentle breeze. Pleasant smells are drifting to us from shore; smells that blend all
the activity going on in the village – breakfast, laundry, gardening trimmings and the
ever present coconut-palm leaf are burning. This village is the largest and maybe the only
one on the island.

We explored down island yesterday with the dinghy and saw what looked like some ideal
beautiful anchorages. A small, about 40 passengers, cruise ship was anchored near a
secluded beach and some of the guests were set up on the beach with umbrellas. There were
just a few other catamarans anchored near by. The only problem was the wind was blowing 16
knots with occasional gusts to 30 knots which would make swimming unpleasant as you would
be cold and always swimming back in the windy current. Picture your best memory from a
movie about the south pacific and this would be better.

Since the wind is not blowing here yet we lift anchor and head for the ideal spot.
However, when we arrive the wind is blowing even harder than yesterday. The few spots
where the wind is less are not safe to anchor Bella Donna. The lagoon water goes from
60-100 feet to just a few feet very abruptly; you can see the sharp change from dark blue
water to light blue where beneath there must be a cliff. We need to put out so much anchor
chain that our swing would endanger the hull to coral. We return to our original anchorage
for lunch. The wind is not blowing here so since the wind is blowing from the opposite
side of the island the contour of the volcanic peaks must be blocking us from the
katabatic winds that build up pressure against peaks and then spill over at higher speeds.
During lunch we decide to make a run for Raiatea, the next island some 25 miles away.

The wind is blowing 16 knots allowing us to sail at 9 to 10 knots with just 2/3 of the
Genoa deployed and John slows down by cutting the engine rpm to 1000 from 1500 to improve
the comfort of the passage. We make the passage in a little over 2 hours. The cut through
the reef is an experience. First just at the cut an ocean wave sweeps us like a surf board
into the smooth water of the lagoon. Just inside the coral reef we pass between two sandy
white motus, islands, that look like just beaches covered with palm trees. We sail into
Faaroa Bay which is sheltered from the wind.

Raiatea was known in ancient times as Havaii. This island was one of the first that man
lived on in the Pacific when they sailed canoes from Micronesia. From this bay Polynesians
launched canoes to settle New Zealand and Hawaii. A charter base for Sunsail, Stardust
Marina, is located in this bay. The water is not very clear but still blue and clean as
the only navigable river in French Polynesia flows into the headwaters of this long island
penetrating bay. The first adventure is boys into the dinghy to navigate the river. In our
first approach we run aground, the second attempt runs aground and John gets out walking
the channel and sinks knee deep into the mud. Just then a local motors out of the river.
Well we have tried all the wrong approaches so we follow upstream in the wake left by the
local boat; it's easy and we are able to pick up John on the way. Once in the river the
water deepens considerably. The river reminds you of the jungle ride in Disneyland. We
pass little homemade wooden docks with surf boards and pirogues on racks. Obviously locals
store their toys down this river where they are both accessible and safe. We continue well
beyond the 1 mile the guide books talk about and turn around so we can get out of the
river and to Bella Donna while it is still light. In one spot where the jungle covers the
river we throw a line over a branch and hang against the out flowing current while a rain
shower passes over. We stay dry and with the engine off the birds are very loud. Mixed in
with the wild jungle birds is the cackle hens and crowing of roosters from shore. The rain
stops and we are on our way. The trip down stream is fast and we make it back to Bella
Donna with light to spare.

God Bless Bella Donna.

POST

Thursday July 26, 2007

Our overnight passage to Huahine starts with too little wind to raise the sails. Bella Donna does 6 to 7 knots with the engines set a low RPM because we are in no hurry. We do not want to arrive before at 8 AM in the morning so that the angle of the sun will allow us to see our best line to thread carefully through the opening in the coral reef. Don and I take the first watch from 6 till 9 PM. About 7 the wind starts to come up, gradually it builds to a solid 8 to 9 knots apparent. We raise the Genoa and immediately speed up to 7 to 8 knots, about a 1 knot add. Later the wind builds to 14 knots and then drops down.

 

After the watch it is awfully quiet as I enter the salon; everyone is in bed at 9 PM. Pacific Ocean swells are large and tilt the salon floor in a corkscrew motion in sort of 3 dimensional wobble. With nothing to hold on to as you walk across, you need to constantly adjust. This is a radical change to the calm lagoon we were anchored in just a few hours ago. We have finished dinner and I feel a pang of sea sickness. I must hurry, prepare for bed and get to a horizontal position before this feeling goes any further. Donna is already in bed with the lights off. It turns out she has similar feelings. The transition from lagoon to ocean is just hard to get immediately as comfortable as we did on the 5,000 mile passage. This passage is only 90 miles.

 

Just before first light I wake up as the engines slow down. I smell a fresh pot of coffee brewing. In the salon I look over the bow and see the lights of Huahine. We are slowing so reef entrance can take place after 8 AM. With a cup of coffee in hand I climb to the fly bridge to join John, Deborah and Ant for the excitement of arrival. New locations will always peak the interest of a traveler. Soon the sun rises as we cruise the coast of Huahine, another beautiful French Polynesian Island. This island has tall trees growing in the tropical forests that cover the volcanic slopes.

 

At exactly 8 AM we make our turn to approach the reef. At the entrance there are large well formed waves. A couple of surfer dudes are pipelining in the waves which are a long way from shore. Later one named Tom recognizes us from Dick Vento’s New Years Eve Party on Saint Thomas in 2005-2006. He and his wife are traveling around the world flying from one destination to the next. They just live a simple life taking advantage of local life and staying away from the tourist places, a true traveler. He says paddling out to the wave this morning was exhausting. He is going to buy a kayak and just anchor it near the reef while he surfs.

 

Huahine was sort of discovered by backpackers in the 1980’s. It remained a primitive island until a very popular resort known as Bali Hoi was built at the east end of town. The owners had disagreements that closed the resort and it never reopened. One or two other resorts have been built, but the locals will not allow anymore development; they wish their island to be simple and primitive. The town dock is right next to a snack shack that is where the cruisers at anchor like us meet for a seaside sundowner or a burger and beer. John says the town is very different from the islands already visited; it reminds him of the Caribbean, especially Union Island in the Grenadines. The one main shoreline street can be walked in less that 5 minutes; that is all there is to it. It is very colorful and informal. I could see backpackers walking and shopping in this town. We stop into an Air Tahiti office and buy tickets to return to Papeete for when we leave. I don’t want to waste a day traveling to return the Bella Donna against the wind and sea swells; we can make better use of the time seeing more of French Polynesia.

 

God Bless Bella Donna.

 

POST

Wednesday July 25, 2007

It is our last day on Moorea. We jump in the dinghy and take a quick ride to Cook’s Bay via the small channel marked with markers through the huge coral reef. The biggest village development is on Cook’s Bay. We find a way to tie the dinghy up and go ashore. Walking on the blacktop road the bright sun makes it hot. Donna and Nancy find relief in an air conditioned pearl jewelry store again and again without making a purchase. John and Ant go to the local outdoor café for a cup of cappuccino and a pastry. I hang out under a shade tree and read outside the jewelry stores in case my credit card is requested.

 

Going back to Bella Donna we have the confidence to venture across the reef picking our own path. It is high noon and the dangerous boomers are very visible. Ant sits on the bow pointing them out. That’s it we have traversed the reef and are in the lagoon surrounding the Sheraton Resort. This has cut some distance off the marked path, but by the time we get to Bella Donna we did not save any time.

 

It’s time to swim with the sharks and sting rays. This time the dinghy goes the opposite direction following the marked path through the reef. Just like the other day, there are a lot of people already visiting with them. We wedge our boat right in the middle where someone else must have just vacated. We have our usual Wahoo and the sting rays seem to smell it through the plastic bags we have it in or they remember the people willing to part with Wahoo from our visit a few days ago. Either way we are pushed and shoved by string rays and we haven’t even opened the bags yet. The feeding goes on for a while. I was bitten only ounce by an over anxious ray, but the ray’s teeth are not real sharp; it did not even scratch my skin. I gave a young Polynesian woman with her 4 year old daughter a piece of Wahoo. Rays surrounded them and the little girl went from interested and wanting to touch to go away and leave us alone. A Polynesian man in the group tells a story of how the sting rays started coming to play with people. He says that wild sting rays are usually too scared of people and don’t come close much. A few years ago he found a ray with a spear through his body. He removed the spear and feed the ray until he was healthy enough to swim off and get his own food. He noticed the ray would come back often for human touch and something to eat. The ray started bringing friends with him; more people started coming and now it is what you see.

 

We must hurry back to Bella Donna; it is almost sundown. No it is not for a sundowner; I can tell what you are thinking. It is because we must leave Moorea and head for Huahine. We have stayed here so long Moorea is like a familiar home now, but we are travelers and we must move on.

 

We leave the stillness of the crystal clear lagoon just after sunset into the big dark rolling Pacific Ocean. Scary isn’t it.

 

God Bless Bella Donna.

 

POST

Tuesday July 24, 2007

Good morning Moorea. The temperature is a 74° F today and we are ready for adventure. We consider going east to Cook’s Bay where the most village shops and restaurants are located or going east where we swam with rays and sharks. Donna remembers the pearl jewelry store next to the café in the village nearby. We load in the dinghy and enter the narrow shallow channel through the reef. We spot a sea turtle and several of the rays we befriended the other day. We pass the first resort where there is more activity than I have ever seen at any resort. There are people out on the porches and docks of nearly every thatched roof guest house. People are swimming, snorkeling and canoeing everywhere. The beaches are full of families, kids building sand castles and mothers sun bathing. Unlike the fancier resorts elsewhere on the island the families seem to outnumber the couples, those that look like newlyweds.

 

Soon we pass the spot where we swam with sharks and rays. There are two tour boats that have unloaded a fairly large number of tourists in snorkel gear into the chest deep water. We slow down and come as close as we safely can to take a look. We pass into the circling sharks near where the tourists are handling the rays. Maybe we will come tomorrow; the rays are getting too much attention and may not be that interested in us later.

 

We exit the water at one of the resorts and check the menu for lunch later after we shop in the village. Shopping for pearls is made easier for the non-shopping guys because the shop provides coke zero, water and beer free to customers. They tell us there is a sister shop in the USA. All the signage is in English, not French. I think we are the targeted market. Donna and Nancy shop. Nancy buys a pearl, but Donna does not find anything that motivates her to buy. Pearls are just not her thing; she prefers diamonds.

 

We return to the resort beach bar for a lunch. The restaurant is very French; most of the patrons are French families on vacation. However, each menu item is explained in English for the those that do not understand French.

 

Back on Bella Donna we have time for a quick swim and then John and Susan from Silkie come over for a sundowner and dinner. They have been here almost 2 weeks waiting on a new battery. They got word today that US customs is holding it up for some reason. They need it in order to continue. We asked when they started their circumnavigation and they answered they had a false start in 2005; they got as far as the Panama Canal before turning around and going back to Florida because they “found they had only half a boat”. We were confused as to what they meant by half a boat. We thought it was missing some equipment or something. It turns out they found long cruising was very uncomfortable on a mono hull. They sold their boat in Florida and bought a catamaran. They found they are much happier and left in 2006 for the Panama Canal again.

 

God Bless Bella Donna.

 

POST

Monday July 23, 2007

John takes off early with passports to add new crew to Bella Donna’s immigration roster and check us out of Tahiti-Moorea waters. John is always so prepared for interfacing with local authorities. In a couple of days we will leave the windward French Polynesian Islands and go to the French Polynesian Leeward Islands. France is like the US; they have foreign flagged vessels check out and in between local controlled areas.

 

The rest of us are going shopping in Papeete and will meet up with John later at the market. There are so many of us we almost fill an awaiting Le Truck. We lower all the sliding windows the let the morning air in as well as see better because the windows are dirty. A couple of locals join, squeeze in and we are rolling. At the market we immediately run into John. He was so prepared the official was relaxed and friendly giving Bella Donna a papers that allows her to move around more easily for the rest of the time we are in French Polynesia. John is so stoked he buys a second pair of surfer jams. With those and his tank top Hinano tee-shirt he is getting way into the Polynesian lifestyle.

 

Remember I scouted the market the first day I was in Papeete. I was thinking of Donna the whole time knowing how much she loves to shop. I even bought a book on how to buy pearls even though I know she is not wild about them. Much to my surprise she is not that interested in shopping for anything, that’s a first. Her mind is on jumping off the back of Bella Donna in Moorea into the warm clear clean multi blue colored lagoon ocean water.

 

The funny thing is I am the one looking for pearls. I want the manly looking simple 3 pearl necklace I saw the famous tri athlete wearing the other day. Donna does crank up her shopping skills and she quickly finds the best in the market. The market sells lots of stuff, food, clothing, souvenirs, flowers, but pearls are everywhere. They come in many different levels of quality based on color, size, shape, clarity and probably many other things. They come plain, polished or carved in necklaces, bracelets, rings, ear rings, ankle bracelets, pins, household accessories and many other things. The most often associated purchased item by a Tahiti visitor is a pearl something.

 

We have another close call when we pass a fine jewelry store that deals exclusively in pearl jewelry known as the Pearl Market. You are greeted by a doorman then workers in white ankle length robes, like a doctors, and escorted into the first floor. There are 3 floors in all; the higher the floor the higher the price. I wait outside and talk to the doorman who is a native Tahitian named Mat. He says the weather, like today, is great in winter which is May through October, but in summer it rains off and on most days; it is hot and humid sometimes reaching 100°F. Mat says he goes to the USA in southern summer and has visited Nevada (Los Vegas), Utah and Texas. After almost an hour I am sure Donna is purchasing something. When Donna, Nancy and Don finally come out nothing is purchased; they just looked. On the third floor they speak of a pearl necklace that costs $10,000.

 

We must get back to Bella Donna and depart for Moorea. First we stop at out favorite sidewalk café and have a Cappuccino.

 

The trip to Moorea goes quickly, 3 hours, and Donna is immediately in the water for her swim exercise which turns into tossing the water polo ball around. About 20 minutes before sunset we get out of the water for our sundowner and sit on deck to watch the sunset, hoping for a green flash. We are not disappointed; just as the sun’s fire dips beneath the horizon the slightly hazy sky above it turns a pale green. Instead of the flash lasting just a split second the green glow allows even those who have looked away to look back and see it.

 

God Bless Bella Donna.

 

POST

Sunday July 22, 2007

Sunday is a slow quiet day in French Polynesia. Many shops are closed, even the grocery store, Carrefour, closes at noon. Even while open in the morning the liquor areas are taped off like a crime scene. The emphasis of the day is sharply focused on church and family. The coast and parks are full. The weather is as good as it can get, low humidity and warm sun with a cool breeze.

 

Life on board Bella Donna starts surprisingly early given the late night last night. We drink several cups of coffee and catch up on news from home. Deborah, John and Ant go to Carrefour for a few needed groceries. We spend a lazy day on Bella Donna; everyone goes to a comfortable spot and reads a book. Mid afternoon I go to the gym and workout for a couple of hours. The best part of a hard workout is when you stop and lay on the stern deck and relax every muscle. Deborah puts on the new CD she bought and I decide to relax listen, drink a big glass of water and take in the view of Tahiti and Moorea. The music is by Jehro who sings beautiful uplifting songs with a voice that sounds something like Rod Stewart. The only thing I need to do is shower before sunset so I can have one sundowner in traditional style before dinner and a movie.

 

God Bless Bella Donna.

 

POST

Saturday July 21, 2007

Looks like another nice day. Early morning and I am out in the cockpit with my first cup of coffee. The air conditioning in the salon gets cold at night and the warmth of being outside feels good. I can hear a baby crying on a blue mono hull sailboat in the distance. There are several boats with kids in the neighborhood. It is surprising how many families cruise with all their kids.

 

The morning has turned out ideal; the sky is clear, blue and sunny. The beach is full of playing children and sun bathing adults, both local and from cruisers in the anchorage. The temperature is cooler than previous days. We could stay here for a very long time and be perfectly happy; like John says you feel like putting down a sand screw as a more permanent mooring and set up a home. Donna takes a final swim after lunch and we raise the anchor for our short passage to Papeete.

 

We will motor all the way as the passage is into the wind and sea. The exit from Opunohu Bay is flat and smooth. Our turn east greats us with head winds and a confused sea; still, it is not too bad. As we near the north east end of Moorea we are greeted with black clouds and light rain. As we make our way between Moorea and Tahiti the conditions worsen; the bad weather is moving in the direction of Opunohu Bay. The peaks of Moorea will block the wet windy weather for a while, but I think the ideal conditions in Opunohu Bay are about to change.

 

Sailing under a black cloud usually means increased winds and rougher sea conditions. Our experience is no exception. Bella Donna is being tossed into a cork screw motion that makes standing and walking almost impossible. In the cockpit I realize I must go below; my bladder is full. Maybe if I walk real slow and anticipate the almost predictable next cork screw motion Bella Donna will make. This works medium good for about 2 steps; then Bella Donna moves in directions that I do not anticipate. Suddenly I make unwanted contacts with tables, chairs, walls and door jams. It is a short trip; shortly we are entering the flat water behind the reef. The airport is busy this afternoon; we have to hold at each end of the runway so our mast is not an aviation hazard. The anchorage is almost full; we try on several gaps for size; one finally fits Bella Donna.

 

We have dinner and hang out until it is time to pick up Don and Nancy, 10:45 PM. The airport is very busy, matching the runway hold earlier today. There is a Polynesian band with dances waiting to perform. There are very long lines for flights to France and Japan.

Soon Don and Nancy walk out of customs and immigration. We visit for too long, well after midnight. The bed looks pretty good.

 

God Bless Bella Donna.

 

Friday July 20, 2007
Today is the best day yet. It started clear as a bell which means the intense sun will be hot, but the sky is cloudless, the ocean is dark blue and the lagoon waters are various shades of light blue; it a postcard. We have to take the "rent a wreck" bicycles back today; our rental fee is more than the bikes are worth. We also have to return the rental car at the Sheraton resort. Tomorrow we sail to Papeete in order to collect Don and Nancy from the airport; we are looking forward to seeing them.

After breakfast, John and Deborah take Ant and me to shore to start the 1 hour ride to the bike rental shop. All of us get in the dinghy with 2 mountain bikes. Once ashore Ant and I jump onto the bikes and pull out onto the road. Oh my God, the pain in my bum, British for rear end, almost paralyzes me; the riding we did day before yesterday has bruised my bum. I noticed yesterday just sitting with a noodle between my legs in the water sent pain signals to my brain. How am I going to ride for an hour? Every time the road even gets rough it hurts, and the chug holes send shock waves from my bum to my brain. Several times I have the strong urge to pull over and remove my bum from the bike. We don't stop and soon the bike rental shop is on the right. It appears to be a pension for the young backpacking French.

John picks us up and we go with him to put gas in the rent car and return it to the Sheraton Resort. We have driven the car about 100 miles. It takes 13.5 liters to fill the tank and costs $20 US; that comes out to around $5 per gallon.

The big event for this afternoon is taking a dinghy ride dodging all the reefs and coral heads, boomers, to a special spot in the lagoon where we can swim with rays and sharks. To make the event even more exciting we sacrifice a bag of our Galapagos to Marquesas Wahoo from the freezer. We cut the fish into bite sized chunks for the adventure. The place is the one scouted the other day by John and Ant. There are 3 resorts surrounding the spot near an island where you can swim ashore for refreshments on the beach or under some trees.

It only takes 10 minutes and we are in shallow water with a sandy bottom. We throw the anchor out and jump over the side into chest deep water that is so clean and clear it looks like a swimming pool and not the ocean. As soon as the rays see us they come up to the boat to go shopping. They expect something to eat and start pushing and shoving like sport's fans refusing to line up to get the star's autograph. They overlap each other and press their bodies against yours with their mouths open gumming your body, begging for food. When the rays loose interest we bring out the Wahoo. Suddenly the crush of the crowd becomes frenzy and it is hard to keep standing among the swirling mass of rays. The smell of the raw fresh fish drifts beyond the mass of rays and radiates out into the lagoon beyond the crowd. Now there are large numbers of large reef sharks circling the crowd swimming around and around in ever tighter circles. We decide to not continue the Wahoo feeding while the scene is out of control. Other boats arrive and the rays start to window shop the new arrivals. When there are only a few shoppers left we reintroduce the Wahoo. Instant success, business returns to a buying frenzy. We repeat the cycle until we are sold out of Wahoo. We close shop and head for a resort on shore.

We have a choice a drink at the resort bar or take a walk into town to a French café where the choices are greater. Town wins hands down, but we do miss the view; however, nothing can compare to our ray-shark experience.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Thursday July 19, 2007
Moorea is starting to feel like at least a vacation home. Bella Donna has moved into the neighborhood; we are surrounded by our swimming pool. We have a 360 degree view that changes out of every window as Bella Donna swings around her anchor guided by the winds and currents. Friends come and go to other anchorages on a daily basis. They have been neighbors before and may be neighbors again in anchorages in our future. The VHF radio is always on channel 16. Familiar voices call each other and switch to a different channel to talk. Alternatively neighbors show up in their dinghies and hang off our stern to visit. Neighbors are visiting with and helping neighbors; someone always needs something and someone is always giving what someone needs. Yesterday a man's wife was very sick and needed to see a doctor. Neighbors helped her to get ashore and to a doctor. It turns out she probably has appendicitis and ended up in the emergency room in Papeete. Another neighbor has a sick child that needs a doctor as well, again neighbors help. Nathan from Nakatcha drops by to say goodbye they are leaving for Huahine and Bora Bora. His navigation computer has failed and he needs help with maps and navigation for Huahine. John and Susan from Silky stop by just to visit.

Today we drive around the island with Donna. We start with a dinghy ride to the Sheraton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa over the flat lagoon water to rent a car. The only problem is the lagoon is shallow within 200 yards of shore and there are coral heads everywhere. Ant does an expert job of getting us to the resort's dinghy dock. As you walk off the large dinghy dock you notice the resort has a great beach which fronts the swimming pool, bars, shops, office and restaurants, all Polynesian open structures with thatched roofs. The resort guest rooms are standalone thatched roof bungalows on stilts over the water. We think of all the resorts on the island, this is the best one. The Sofitel is a close second between the ferry dock and the Jack Nicolas golf course near the airport. This lagoon offers views of sunrise, views of Big Tahiti and the peaks of Moorea will block the heat of the afternoon sun that sometimes occurs. The only official off road view point on the island is above this resort. On the other hand, Opunohu Bay and coast on the other end of the island's north coast is the most left natural stretch on Moorea. The local Polynesians have refused all development of it. Here you get to experience the natural beauty of the island the way Captain James Cook experienced it in 1769. The sunsets over the ocean are breathtaking; you at least have a chance to witness the rare, some claim a sundowner illusion, green flash. I think the world class cruising yachts at anchor, like Bella Donna, in the bay, offers a great view from the resort.

Remember in a previous blog I mentioned Moorea is triangular shaped. This true but because the corners are soft and very rounded, Moorea is also heart shaped. I think the island's shape has a lot to do with its laid back loving attitude. The French attitude here is definitely overcome with Polynesian warmth and love. I think many of the resort guests are newlyweds who realize this.

Donna loves her little Moorea adventure. We stop at Maria's Mexican Food for lunch; we are now looking forward to exercising in the beautiful lagoon water. John and Deborah drop off Donna and me at the beach across from where Bella Donna is anchored. We sit on the beach under a very large mature tree with twisted branches and trunk that provides big shade from the hot sun. The breeze is cool and immediately I feel like a nap; however, Ant shows up in the dinghy and off we go to put on swim suits. Donna and I exercise together in the water on the shady side of Bella Donna. The current is just strong enough that you can not just float as you would end up far from Bella Donna in minutes, so you get continuous exercise just managing to stay in the shade of Bella Donna. We have one of our dinghy bumpers on the end of a ski rope off the stern for those that forget. After an hour or more Donna and I sit together on the sun pad with a glass of wine and watch the sunset; it sure is good to have her here. We are in bed by 8:30.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Wednesday July 18, 2007
The wind blew all night, but we shut our hatches because of occasional rain showers. The first one occurred while I was in deep concentration writing yesterday's blog while lying in bed. I felt little cold prickly things that I at first ignored, but when the water droplets appeared on my laptop screen I knew I had to rise up and close the hatches.

This morning the wind was blowing about 5 to 10 knots. The forecast for today is 30 KM/H, which is around 20 knots per hour like yesterday. John looks asleep in the cockpit, but says good morning as I make a pass by him to the galley to make coffee. In the distance we spot a French navy ship hovering off the coast outside the reef. Farther out there is a large white ship coming right at us; could that be a cruise ship? I settle into a cockpit chair with coffee and my binoculars. I look over the other boats in the anchorage. Several people are sleeping in the cockpit of other yachts. On the boat anchored behind us, the owners are a young couple that Deborah says are full of life and really enjoying their circumnavigation. The husband sold his IT business and his wife has taken time off; she is a colon surgeon. They have another young couple visiting them.

I notice that John and Susan on Silky are looking in the direction of the white ship. As I turn my binoculars in its direction I recognize the Princess Cruise line logo on the stack. The name of the ship is Tahitian Princess. They invade our little bay and drop anchor behind us. This stop can't be for shopping; it must be either to play with water toys or to go ashore to the tiki resort nearby for a beach party.

John, Ant and Deborah take our dinghy to look for mountain bike rentals. Deborah will bring the dinghy back and the guys will ride back on two bikes. This takes all morning; the bike shop is 6 or 7 miles away by dinghy and the ride back, at least 10 miles by road, takes almost 2 hours. One of the bikes has a flat tire on the way back. They have to return to the bike shop for a fix.

After lunch John takes Ant and I, with the bikes loaded in the Dinghy, to shore. Donna is going to get in the water and exercise, something she really looks forward to doing following her back surgery. We decide to ride towards where the cruise ship is landing people, the same direction we walked the other day. I am not surprised one of the bikes had a flat tire. There are many other things wrong with the abused rentals that are poorly maintained. One thing is the bike has 21 gears of which only 6 or 7 actually work. The breaks function less than medium good. Even so, we fly down the road with the wind blowing in our hair, what a thrill.

It seems the cruise ship people are coming ashore to take tours; there are some Moorea Adventure vans taking them to destinations on the island. The beach party must really be a pool party on the cruise ship. We could ride forever except our bottoms are already sore from the tiny hard bike seats. After an hour we stop and turn around; we almost reach the surfer area we saw the other day in the rental car; a 10 to 12 mile ride will be 20 to 24 by the time we get back to Bella Donna.

It's a good thing we turned around when we did; the body is suddenly telling me something. The wind is against us so while the wind may be blowing through our hair the bike is in a lower gear and slower on the way back.

Donna just finished her exercise and we all settle in for early dinner and retire early to bed.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Tuesday July 17, 2007
What a difference, we have blue sky and sunshine. We make plans to go to the fuel dock to fuel up and to the French market, Carrefour, to buy last minute items we may not be able to find on Moorea. There is quite a selection at Carrefour and such a limited selection in the little village markets on Moorea. One item is Chardonnay wine and a little more red would also be nice. We will try to shop and hope the Bella Donna will be allowed to stay on the fuel dock until we return. Donna, Deborah and I walk the quarter mile to the market.

In the wine area Donna went for the Chardonnay and I went for the red. I say red because I do not understand how to buy French wine and the confusion of grape and region confuses me. The wine section is 97% French; selecting a red for me is like selecting a slot machine to play in Vegas. I decide to buy one bottle of a number of reds and keep track of what I like so I can buy more next week when we return. I think the Chardonnay selection is very similar. The wine prices do get your attention. After buying some really good wine in Panama and Galapagos for $5 a bottle, we are looking at $15 to $50 per bottle. The one US wine they have is Woodbridge at $27 per bottle and Australian Rosemont at $30 a bottle.

Another thing we buy a lot of is bread. Deborah already bought many extraordinary cheeses here yesterday. The produce looks good; we accumulate 8 to 10 sacks of fruits and vegetables. Deborah is making Poisson Cruz for dinner so we buy some sushi grade tuna. These and a few other things fill the grocery cart and we check out. We have to use our own bags to bag the groceries. Deborah has her reusable Carrefour bags she acquired in France during the building of Bella Donna. This is a way of life in France; they do not do paper or plastic; you bring your own grocery bags.

Carrefour is nice enough to allow cruisers to take shopping carts back to the marina; however, our cart is heavily loaded, has wheels that want to turn into the street and the slop of the walkway is in the same direction. For a quarter of a mile, I struggle behind and Deborah struggles in front to prevent our groceries from causing a traffic accident. We have been shopping for almost 2 hours and Bella Donna is still at the fuel dock. We load groceries and depart about 11:10 AM for Moorea.

Harbor control has us wait for a plane to land so we can pass in front of the east end of the runway. Bella Donna's mast is too high to allow safe landing over us. The same thing happens at the west end of the runway except this time planes are taking off. Next we have to dodge the ferries as the come and go between Papeete and Moorea. Some of the ferries are slow and some have very powerful jet thrusters and are very fast. The slowest ferry is faster than we are.

Once into open ocean water, outside the reef, the wind and the waves increase. The wind is on our starboard stern quarter. We raise our Genoa on starboard tack, surf the following sea and make good time to Moorea. It is 12 noon and we will anchor in our now familiar bay in about 2 hours. Before reaching Moorea the true wind reaches 20 knots and the seas start to build beyond white caps. Donna remarks that the conditions remind her of our passage in the Mediterranean from Majorca to Palma. She is right; it does feel similar, but the Mediterranean passage was into the wind. Today we are running with the wind. I would hate to be going into the wind and sea today.

We drop anchor and say hello to all our friends, other cruisers we have been seeing since Galapagos. Among the many are Silky and Nacatcha. John and Ant dive the anchor to inspect the hold and then play water polo. Donna does some swim exercise; I workout in Bella Donna's gym. Deborah does some email and starts dinner. Bella Donna is a happy boat.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Sunday July 15, 2007
It is another beautiful day in paradise. The morning is cool enough to pull cover over you up until sunrise. At you lay huddled in your bed you can hear the roosters signaling the new day. It seems the island enjoys a large number of loose chickens, most of them roosters. Once the sun is up the temperature rises quickly. I hope it doesn't rise as much as yesterday. Tonight Donna arrives at 6:30 PM so we have to make the two to three hour crossing to Papeete, Big Tahiti. If it is as hot as yesterday the air conditioner will surely be on for Donna.

After a quick breakfast John drops Ant and I off for a hike into the interior of the island. Ant has already worked out once this morning; he took a long swim in the lagoon before breakfast. The sky is cloudless and dark blue. We walk on the perimeter road to where the bay ends. This is where a left turn takes you to the interior. It is a lot further to the left turn than I thought it would be, at least a mile. I don't know how far Belvedere, the trailhead to Lookout Point, is but I am pretty sure we will have to turn around before we get there; we started at 10 AM and we should be where John can pick us up by noon, giving us 2 hours to walk; it is now 10:30. We will eat lunch and then start the crossing.

We pass several very similar looking cows. I am gifted with the ability to make a sound that sounds like a cow. As I make the sound the cattle turn and look at us. One starts pawing the ground with his hind leg. It is then that I notice all the cattle have horns. All the cows are male, bulls, and I don't know what I said, but they do not seem to be pleased. We move on. Next we pass a herd of horses; there are babies among the herd. One pony sees us and heads straight for us. The mother gets between us as if to say don't go near those strangers; stay here with me.

At 11:25 we turn around far short of Belvedere and head back. By 1:20 we have had lunch and break anchor and head for Papeete. There is no sailing; there is no wind. The good news is the sea is glassy flat and we are able to motor over 9 knots.

Arriving at the airport we have half an hour an hour before Donna's flight arrives. John and I decide to split a croissant with coffee. Suddenly I realize I have been here before. Of course, it was the long layover on the trip home in June. We spent several hours here, long enough for two small meals and several cups of coffee. I remember the difficulty I had getting a cup of coffee. You have to by a token at the cash register; the coffee is obtained from a vending machine with instructions in French. There are three sizes of cups and saucers. Do you know how many people you would have to watch make coffee before you know enough to try and make the cup of coffee you want? I bought three cups of coffee before getting one I really liked.

At a few minutes past 7 PM Donna comes beaming through the immigration and customs door. It must have been a good flight she looks great. I can't tell you how happy I am that she made the trip. As we get into a taxi her first impression of Tahiti is – Hawaiians speaking French. We repeat the short trip to Bella Donna much like the one I took over a week ago. Donna finally meets Ant; she has not been on Bella Donna since early February, so everyone has a lot of catching up to do.

The next day it is cloudy, little if any sun and it rains. You can't even see the islands, just dull grey ocean water. We stay in doors at anchor and enjoy a day resting, reading and catching up with each other. When you see all the green on the islands you know there must be some days like today. It is the dry season so it will not rain forever.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Saturday July 14, 2007
Today is Bastille Day. The shore is lined with Polynesians families celebrating the holiday. The sound of children at play is like the sounds of a flock of wild birds; the sweetest sound you will ever hear. The local life does not include much drinking of alcoholic beverages, in fact there are none visible. I think most of the alcohol consumed on the island is by tourists. I miss my grandchildren.

Today it is a little hot for the first time. The thing that makes us a little uncomfortable is almost no wind and no clouds; the sun drives the heat right into you. Like in Hawaii you are only comfortable in the shade not moving with a fan blowing on you while sipping a cold drink where the ice melts fast so drink fast. Today is a work day; we are not really celebrating Bastille Day; we are not French. Everyone is violating the recipe for keeping cool. Deborah spent the morning completely dismantling the salon couch in preparation to run an audio cable that will allow DVD movies to play over the surround sound system instead of the inadequate speakers on the screen itself. John and Ant have taken our trash to shore in search of a trash bin. When they do not return for a couple of hours, Deborah tries to raise Bella Donna mobile on the VHF. It turns out both John and Ant are exploring a dinghy channel through the coral reef that leads to a lagoon paradise that is shared by 3 resorts. They return with unbelievable stories of great snorkeling with large numbers of manna rays and well fed, safe, sharks. Water toys are available for rent. There is an island with a bar on it. We will come back and explore some more with Donna next week.

All work is done. The heat of the day is at its peak. We are not following the recipe for keeping cool; this dictates jumping off the boat into the water. The water feels like ice water; we did not realize how hot we were. Soon the angle of the penetrating sun lowers in the sky as does the temperature. We can get out of the water and shower. Just as we finish our showers Clive arrives with his boat's owner, Mariacristina Rapisardi, and her husband Giovanni to see Bella Donna. The Rapisardis are from Italy where Mariacristina is a very successful international patent lawyer. She is also an accomplished climber. She prefers rock climbing, but her last trip was up the west coast of Greenland in her Oyster 72 to climb icebergs. The first woman to do this, she won this years Tilman Medal for her ascents of Tommelfinger and several other new and difficult climbs of a high technical standard including remote North-East Baffin.

We are invited over to Mariacristina's yacht, Billy Budd, for dinner. The meal was fantastic; a special treat is the chunks of Parmesan cheese Maricristina brought with her from Italy.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Friday July 13, 2007
In Tahitian the word for thank you is maruru (marooroo) and goodbye is nana (nahnah). In Hawaiian you say mohalo for thank you and aloha for both goodbye and hello.

The great adventure begins. Oh, it's Friday the 13th you say. This place is paradise; we consider ourselves protected from any bad luck by the fact that we are here. The sky is blue, the sun is bright and the Polynesian breeze is warm, but not too warm. The guide books say Moorea is the most beautiful French Polynesian Island. They say you must slow your roll to open up and accept the gentile pleasures this island has to offer. We have sufficiently slowed our roll from big city pressure and speed of Papeete. Now it is time to drive the perimeter and into the center of the island to see how people live here. John took his bike ashore last week and rode the 37 miles in 2 hours and 15 minutes. He was focused on the opportunity to exercise, but he could not ignore the beauty of the island as he worked his way around. Based on John's local knowledge we take off.

The coast is made up of little villages, resorts and homes. The entire island is shaped like an equilateral triangle. The base with two large bays faces north and the two sides face south east and south west. The entire base is the tourist strip. We are anchored in the west bay, Opunohu the site of Cook's landing, and the east bay, Cook's Bay, in which Captain James Cook never landed. At the head of each bay a road leads toward the center of the island which is also the crater of the ancient volcano which formed the island millions of years ago. The road from Cook's Bay passes by the Agricultural College. The views from the cradled valley are of the jagged peaks once part of the wall of the volcano. The two roads meet at a common Y where they allow you to drive from one bay to the other. The third road at the Y leads to a dead end near the center of the island where there is a trailhead; the trail leads to Lookout Point. At the end of this trail you can see both bays and Mt. Rotui, which separates the bays. Seventeen mile away is Papeete on Big Tahiti; Moorea is also known as Little Tahiti.

Moorea is kind of suburbia to Papeete. Locals live on Moorea, but drive to work in Papeete using the rapid regular ferry service. The ferry terminal is on the east side of the island in Vaiare Bay. Some locals leave their car parked on the road and walk or ride Le Truck to work once in Papeete. Others live so close they just walk to the ferry; Moorea does not have regular Le Truck service; there is just not enough demand for it.

Also north of the ferry terminal is the airport. There are flights to Papeete that last only a few minutes, but are not practical on a daily basis. I think they are used mostly by tourists who are making a connection with flights to and from Papeete.

Around the airport is an 18 hole Jack Nicolas designed golf course. Nearby is a Sofetel Resort that is the most perfect outstanding thing I have ever seen. Like the Sheraton Resort near Bella Donna, each guest room is a separate stilted thatched roof structure built right in the lagoon with deck and steps leading down to crystal clear water. There is a huge, long, white sandy beach with thatched sun shade. There are kite boards and Hobe Cat sailboats for rent. There are several little thatched structures where food and drinks are being served. A huge pool is provided in the middle of whatever Polynesian structures are land rather than lagoon based. Just say WOW!

We do a little grocery shopping at Champion as all stores in French Polynesia will be closed Saturday and Sunday for Bastille Day. Donna is coming in Sunday.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Thursday July 12, 2007
John, Deborah and I went ashore this morning in Moorea. We spent all day wandering the road that traces the shoreline around the island. The island is not heavily populated with locals and the part we explored today is mostly for tourists. The other side of the island is where most of the locals live or they commute to their job on Moorea by ferry from Papeete. I still want to rent a bike and ride around the island, but that will have to wait for another day.

Leaving Bella Donna we have to pick our way through the coral to find a way to get to the shore. The water surface is flat and smooth; the ring of reefs around the island makes the water very calm; there will be no acrobatic landing required today. About 200 yards down we find a nice channel through the coral into shore. I was expecting a wet landing, meaning I would have to get out of the dinghy and walk to shore; however, it turns out we can just step right out of dinghy onto a big rock on shore. The nice blacktop road is just feet from the shoreline with just an occasional car or truck using it. The vegetation lining the road is neatly groomed; it looks like Mustique, like a garden. About a quarter of a mile down the road is a very nice Sheraton Hotel made up of individual thatched roof cottages over the water. Doted on the quarter mile stretch of shoreline are one to two acre very nice private residences that reflect the pride the local people have for their home. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of mature coconut palms. Walking under some of them seems to be living dangerously as a heavy coconut to the head must be fatal. About half way we come to a kid's camp. The 8 to 12 year old children are swimming and learning to sail Hobe Cats. There are many identical tents for sleeping and picnic tables for meals; the wash hanging on close lines tells us it is not just a day camp.

The road goes through several small tourist villages. Each village offers shopping, restaurants and bars for tourists. We decide to take a taxi to the biggest tourist village a few miles away. After walking and shopping, we have lunch at a small village restaurant. John and Deborah have the beget sandwich and I the Poisson Cru.

Tomorrow we rent a car for adventure.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Wednesday July 11, 2007
I had to lay low today. The doctor put me on antibiotics. It's incredible to get prompt medical care from Dr. Jay in Reno some 6600 miles away. Here I sit on Bella Donna on my way from Papeete to Moorea. The main sail is up and the Genoa is out. We only have 5 to 6 knots of wind to start; however, the wind builds to 18 knots as the passage and the day wear on. The cell phone works and Donna transmits a message from Dr. Jay to start taking antibiotics. I wait a few hours hoping that I feel better, but when I feel worse, I take the first pill. I want to go swimming, but I decide to stay in bed and rest instead.

John, Deborah and Ant are going swimming. The water is warm and the wind blows. The water is so clear you can see our anchor 50 feet below. A very athletic fellow speeds through the anchorage kite boarding between the yachts at anchor. His kite looks just like the one we flew at Lake Almador on our camping trip last week; the same shape as the kite we taught Lauren to fly. His kite comes within feet of anchored yacht masts. His board comes close to hulls at an amazing speed. Suddenly he gets huge air as the 18 knot breeze takes him and his board out of the water. All I can say is wow, impressive. I guess he knows what he is doing.

There is a constant cloud over the 3 highest points on Moorea. Comparing Moorea to the Hawaiian Islands they are both aging volcanic has bens. Moorea is a lush green with abundant palm trees on the flat shoreline that quickly rises up as pointed peaks that look like witch's teeth covered in green velvet. The Hawaiian Island Moorea most resembles is Kauai. Both are old, green, have sharp features and are used often by Hollywood film makers. Mutiny on the Bounty was filmed in the bay we are anchored in. There are two bays on this the north end of the island. Captain Cook is said to have used this Bay during his visits even though the bay to the east was given his name.

There is a 35 mile parameter road that circumnavigates the island with very light traffic on it. Tomorrow's quest is to find a rental bike and see the island followed by a snorkel.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Tuesday July 10, 2007
Polynesian females who wear a flower behind their left ear are committed or married to one man. Those with a flower behind their right ear are available to any interested man. Those with a flower behind both ears are committed or married, but are making themselves available. Those with no flower behind either ear do not want attention. These rules make Polynesian life so simple.

Last night's walk is along a busy two lane highway at rush hour. We left our dinghy and made our way about 1 mile south. The sun is setting over the island of Moorea, which is our destination tomorrow. Moorea is about 15 miles west of Tahiti.

The Polynesian men are real serious about their outrigger canoeing and are catching their after work exercise paddling one man, two man and up to six or more man long outrigger canoes. Some of the outrigger canoes are sloop rigged with mainsail and head sail. There are several "canoe clubs" sprinkled along the water's edge; there is no beach; the land just ends and drops into calm flat crystal clear blue salt water. We notice no yachts are anchored here; maybe yachts are prohibited to allow canoe racing; then we see a man whose canoe has capsized stand up, lift his canoe over his head and dump the water out. When finished the Tahitians place their canoes upside down on racks on the shore, on their car or on their truck; then they sit in groups near the water looking like Hawaiians but talking like Frenchmen. Tahiti is French Polynesia and Hawaii is American Polynesia. Just like some of the Hawaiians resist the culture of mainlanders; the Tahitians resist the culture of the French. Just like in Hawaii there are Tahitian names and words used everywhere. The words look Hawaiian but the spoken Tahitian language and the spoken Hawaiian language while both Polynesian are very different. The tight control the French have over names and words in Paris is non existent here. I can remember when Donna and I were in Paris in the 1970s the French had just invented several new French words to displace foreign words like supermarket and software package.

Just when we reach a point to turn around and return to the marina we bump into Clive, a long time friend of John and Deborah; he is taking his evening jog. Arriving at the marina we decide to have a sundowner even though it is now completely dark; it is six thirty; remember summer days are not long near the equator and besides we are in the southern hemisphere and it is winter here. Clive walks up and joins us at the outdoor bar. The drink menu is in English and contains many familiar names like Manhattan and Tequila Sunrise, very San Francisco. Suddenly it feels like the cable car turn around near Fisherman's Warf. We return to Bella Donna and do dinner, movie and sleep, not exactly in that order for some of us including guess who.

Today we went to town, Papeete, in le truck, the local bus which costs 130 local French Polynesian dollars. It really is a truck with a low ceiling, squat and watch your head, passenger box positioned on the cargo bed. When I left a month ago the conversion to US dollar was 100 French Polynesian dollars for one US dollar. Now it is 75 French Polynesian dollars to one American dollar making it much more expensive and harder to compute prices. The cost of a bus ride to shop in town has gone from $1.30 to $1.74. We shopped all day in Papeete. You could buy anything, pearls, clothes, books, scuba gear, outrigger canoes, zodiacs, kayaks, food, souvenirs, espresso (but no American coffee) and art. I saw some chunks of tuna that looked like sides of red beef they were so big. You could buy anything, but you paid more than realize; therefore, like my rental car you are always looking for the "cheap thrill".

We arrived back on Bell Donna too late for sunset, but there is always time for a sundowner. Clive, Liala and Monica joined us for dinner. They are off in Billy Bud a big mono hull Oyster with their owner to Bora Bora, Chile, Antarctica and then to Brazil. John and Deborah may not have the chance to share a relaxing evening with them for a year or more. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening with them.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Monday July 9, 2007
Last night we had dinner on board and watched a movie, GOAL! The Dream Begins, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Some of us were so tired we did not think we could make it through a movie, but we did. Everyone was in bed by 8:30 PM. The sun sets early here, around 6:30 PM. With the day so long at home in Reno where the sun sets after 9 PM, you start to think of it as early fall in Reno. I awoke briefly only once during the night to hear the wind blowing through Bella Donna's rigging. The sound would build like the sound of a large cruise ship about to run us down. As the sun came up I got up and started the first pot of coffee. The wind is blowing 20 knots; the sky is a cloudless blue. The temperature and humidity are near perfect. Even though the wind is blowing strongly Bella Donna is perfectly still just hanging on a much taught anchor line. The sun is so bright so the shallow water nearing the reef is clearly a lighter blue than where we and the other boats are anchored.

The day may have started lazily, but soon everyone was busy. First John and Susan from Silky arrived to visit with us. Both looked very fit, healthy and relaxed. The last time I saw the two of them was in Galapagos and all of us were nervous and a little stressed out before the 3,000 mile passage to Marquesas. It was apparent that they were determined to get weight off of their catamaran. They gave John a bucket of nuts and bolts; always good to have handy I guess. They wanted to know if we were interested in taking a symmetrical spinnaker off their hands. It was basically a 2 ounce fabric and sized for a 55 foot catamaran which Silky is. We decided that we would take the sail and use it to at least test our ideas about the size of a new spinnaker we should get in New Zealand during the southern summer. We could then consider passing it on to someone else who has a need for it. This is what cruisers do, they barter and trade things. During a long around the world cruise you find much you no longer want and need. Then there are things you need and want. Right now John and Susan are getting rid of things, something John, Deborah and Ant did on Bella Donna before I arrived. They unloaded hundreds of kilos of "stuff" that we no longer used. We are making room for toys. Yes toys for enjoying the water when we are at anchor.

Just as John and Susan left, Mark the WIFI man arrived. He set my computer up on the internet for high speed internet and voice over IP, VOIP. Now as long as we are in the French Polynesian Islands we can surf the internet for a fair price. Mark is a young Frenchman who speaks beautiful English even mastering western humor. He and his wife have a baby and another one on the way. His internet business is thriving and should support a good life for his family. He spends long hours supporting his users.

We are going ashore to walk and see things. I will let you know tomorrow what we see.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Sunday July 08, 2007
I arrived in Tahiti about 10:45 PM last night. The airport was full of Air Tahiti Planes. This is the only Hawaiian Airplane that lands here and it comes only one day a week, on Saturday night. We disembarked, like in Kona, using gangway steps into a balmy night air to bright moonlight and Tahitian girls smelling of tropical flowers offering a small sweet smelling flower to each person arriving. Already this is more than I have ever experienced in Hawaii. More girls dressed in island dress show us the way to customs and immigration. This is where the long line begins. It takes an hour to show passport, get luggage and explain why all the marine gear and equipment in my luggage should not be taxed. In the end I must have looked honest and I was allowed to go.

Exiting customs I was greeted by John's smiling face. He looks really good. His hair has grown out, he looks relaxed and fit. He puts a lay around my neck made of flowers that smell like the young girls that greeted me as I got off the plane. Bella Donna is at anchor a short van ride from the airport. We exit the cab in a Marina, load our dinghy and head into the calm anchorage outside the marina. There in the distance is Bella Donna all lit up. The anchorage is flat; the ocean swell is blocked by the reef that circles the island. Occasionally I can see the surf breaking on the reef in the moonlight.

Bella Donna has never looked better. As we approach she shines like a new penny, not showing her age and experience. I am proud to be the owner of such a beautiful and comfortable yacht. John, Deborah, Ant and I do catch up talk until one contagious yawn keeps running between us. It's after 1 AM and is 4 AM in Reno; I have been up 24 hours and it is time to sleep. John and Ant decide to change water maker filters. John wants to make water; I think he should wait until tomorrow, he has done enough today I am sure. I go straight to bed without unpacking. The last thing I hear is the footsteps of John and Ant on deck changing water maker filters.

The morning is crystal clear, the temperature is great and the morning sun makes the morning coffee perfect on deck. The ocean swell breaking in frothy waves on the reef circles the nice flat anchorage. The water is so clear; it is a mirror image of the deep blue sky. Soon everyone is up and we resume the catch up conversation started late the night before, but this time without the yawning. We unpack all the goodies I packed from Reno. First the Shutterfly album that Darrin and Tammy made of their trip on Bella Donna in the Grenadines was opened and enjoyed by John and Deborah. There are one dozen Mr. Clean erasers, a large supply of Crystal Light powdered drink, green stuff health drink, chair foot pads to protect the salon floor, 2 spare GPS antennas so we won't have to become good with the sextant, new blender base blades, diesel engine tube fittings, charts, books and new movies.

It is Sunday and the market closes at noon so we decide to go ashore to take a little walk and show me the French market. On the way we visit several other yachts in the anchorage so that I can begin to meet the many new cruising friends that have made their way here just like us. Each yacht has a story that is unique, but also reflecting the common passage experiences. At last we are tying the dinghy at the same spot we boarded the night before. I noticed how clean and clear the water in the marina is. I have never seen marina water so clean. The French are doing a good job, a better job than I noticed in France.

John and Deborah say that once inside the market, Carrefour (meaning crossroads in French), they are in Caen, France, where they lived during the Bella Donna build. All the products are the same and arranged in the same place. Deborah takes delight in showing me the bakery, the hundreds of cheeses, the meats including the seafood section. Like a Wall Mart in the US in addition to food there are cloths, dishes, sports equipment as well as many other things. The alcohol beverage section is closed off; no alcohol is sold on Sunday.

Back on Bella Donna we eat a salad for lunch, punctuated by fresh bread, goat blue cheese, pate and lemon flavored olive oil – yum! It starts to rain and it looks like a day at Wimbledon of late; i.e. rain. We each settle into afternoon projects. Deborah installing feet on chart table chairs while arranging for a techie to come aboard to install fast internet on Bella Donna. That is right, while in French Polynesia we can surf the internet. John and Ant are drilling holes in nuts and bolts on hatch cover door hinges so a cotter pin can be inserted to prevent the nut unwinding and falling into the bilge, which is happening all too regularly. I am writing this blog.

God Bless Bella Donna.

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Saturday July 07, 2007
It is the magic date of 7/7/7 and I am on my way back to the Bella Donna. I am sitting in the Continental Airlines President's Club in Honolulu waiting on a Hawaiian Airlines Flight to Papeete, Tahiti. There is a 4 hour layover, so I may have time to finish this post.

My one month stay at home was filled till it ran over. People talk about the glass that is half full versus the glass half empty. My experience is he glass runs over. There are several places I would love to be at the same time. Life does not support being in two or more places at the same time. Being with my grandchildren was a glass more than full. Being with Donna was more than a full glass. Then there were Kari, Colin, Kevin and Jenna. Then there is Bill, Debbie, Garret, Aunt Doris and Mema. Several glasses run over. We do so many things together. In short I lost control of my life in a perpetual state of happy events.

I have to get to Sacramento for the first leg flight to Honolulu on route to Tahiti. Yesterday it is well over 100 in Reno when Don drops me off at the airport to rent a car to drive to Sacramento. The line is long as there is a volleyball tournament in Reno this weekend. At the counter I select the cheapest car to Sacramento, $64, and with taxes, $85. The Hertz representative warns me that the cheapest car is slow going over the Sierras to Sacramento. For a few more dollars I could get a 6 cylinder instead of a 4 cylinder. She did say that the 4 cylinder uses less gas. Being a thrifty minded person, I decide to go with the 4 cylinder. She says I could probably get to Sacramento on ¼ tank of gas, but I should still fill it up before turning it as the price to fill at Hertz in Sacramento would be almost $7 per gallon. As it turns out, I fill the tank and it only took 4.1 gallons at $3 per gallon for well over 100 miles.

As I approached the car in the rental parking area I noticed it is very small, but adequate for the task. The color is fire engine red and everything is painted with very little chrome showing; even the door handles are painted the fire engine red. It does not have power windows, only cranks. Each door has to be individually locked and unlocked; there are no power locks. Suddenly I am back in the 1960s when only the expensive luxury cars had push button door locks and power windows. Next I noticed how close the driver's seat is to the ground. This coupled with the neat sounds generated by the 4 cylinder engine gave me the impression of a powerful sports car as I depart the airport. The car is so small the feel and sounds of the struggling 4 cylinder gives the experience of a luxury sports car breaking the speed limit. It is only then you realize that the aggressive speed you are experiencing is barely able to keep up with traffic; you realize the cars limitations. Nonetheless, the experience is a cheap thrill.

Today I awoke at precisely 4:27 AM when the alarm was set to go off at 4:30 AM. About 90% of the time I wake up just minutes before the time I have set an alarm to go off. I guess my subconscious mind is always awake and it knows how startled my conscious mind becomes when awakened by an alarm.

The ride to Incline took 20 minutes and I merged with highway 80 in Truckee 40 minutes after turning on 481. I think this route is faster, in good conditions, than going through Reno.

Arrival in Sacramento presents me with good news and bad news. In Sacramento I got a rare positive experience. Upon turning in my rental car a Hertz employee says leave my luggage in the car and he will take me to the terminal, good news. I get to Hawaiian Airlines and since I am going to Tahiti, an international destination, there is only one person that can check me in. I am in line behind a dozen people in one group traveling to Tahiti as well, bad news. It takes an hour to check in; it's a good thing I am early.

Well, I will document the leg to Tahiti tomorrow.

God Bless Bella Donna.