Our time in Huahine was wonderfully relaxing. The last stressful incident we had there was on May 14, the day Steve’s wife, Margo arrived after 30 hours of travel from Florida. The Captain and Steve were ferrying Margo to Amandla when the dinghy engine gave out and a strong current began to pull the dinghy seaward. The Captain and Steve tried without luck to paddle the dinghy back to Amandla. Thank goodness, they were able to grab onto a nearby port hand mark before drifting out to sea. From there, the Captain was able to restart the engine.
After that incident, Huahine was completely chill. Especially once we sailed to another anchorage far from the barely operational town WiFi. When I ceased to have any expectation of being able to Tweet, Pin, LinkIn, Stumble, Instagram, Google +, Blog, Tumbl, Surf, MessageMike, or lose another game of Words with Friends to Eugene, I had no choice but to be still and enjoy nature.
We lifted anchor again on May 18 to sail to Tahaa and felt the stress slowly creep back in. We have found much truth in the saying ‘World Cruising means being able to fix your boat in many exotic locations’. Our latest casualties are the primary autopilot and computer. On May 19th, we did a day trip to Raiatea to meet with a local electrician to determine whether he is able to fix the autopilot. As for the computer, we are doing a rebuild and praying.
At least I have pictures to remember our lovely time in Huahine and a Captain who is an excellent trouble shooter and mechanic in his own rite. **
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** List of items repaired by the Captain while underway [outside the US] since I joined Amandla in 2013 – engine muffler, engine reverse, water maker, instruments (wind, GPS, depth, SOG, COG, Echo Pilot), secondary autopilot, bilge pump, traveler, deck light, navigation lights, vang, roller furling system, head and main sail halyards, patches to dodger, bimini, dinghy, and sails, electric winches, dinghy engine, mast leak, freezer pump, holding tank, and rudder casing.
***Updated 18 June 2014*** Our friend Margo recently captured her impressions of our time together in Huahine. It was great to relive our time together through her words and photos. You can read her post here
Lovely pictures! Feeling your pain on repairs!
Thank you Janice :-). Things are looking up for the Autopilot. The electrician thinks it can be fixed. Will know for sure when we return to Raiatea on June 16. The computer rebuild was successful so we are almost shipshape again.
Never a dull moment! Glad things are looking up, and glad you’re back posting…
Thank you Karen! Do you and Mick fancy a visit to the South Pacific? You are welcome to stay aboard! I think you would enjoy photographing this place!
Hey Captain and Queenie, so glad Mary mentioned your website, cuz i have been emailing the open ocean address and not hearing from you guys. Great pictures! Nice to be along on part of the trip right here from the Isle of Big. Leave for Europe on Friday….so excited. Will email from Montisi. Got an iphone, so hoping to instagram on the trip. Downloaded viber, so can talk and text, etc. abroad. Gonna miss Amy while over there, but we are in contact. Think of you guys often. Susi
Ia Orana Susi!!!! We miss you and want you to come visit as soon as you are back from Europe! Can’t wait to see your Europe photos on Instagram. Lots of love – Queenie
[…] the end of April, we set sail to return to French Polynesia in the Southern Hemisphere, visiting Huahine and Taha’a in the autumn, and welcoming the warm winter in Bora […]