Departing Bora Bora

The time has arrived for me to sail home. The weather is looking good for a nice start. I will be singlehanded on this leg. I hope to do at least as well as the sail down arriving after 22 days. I'll should have some helpful current this time but the winds could be different so it is hard to predict exactly how long it will take. I am hoping for something around 20 days. I think the boat is more ready than ever. I have resolved all of the issues so I expect little in the way of problems. I am also hopeful that the ham radio will allow me to send email and update this blog as I did on the way down. It should work fine. I am looking forward to the sail although I am aware it is a long sail. I am ready to be home even now so I'm sure I will be very excited to arrive as I get close. Each day I will be a little closer so taht will feel good. I've enjoyed French Polynesia. There are some things I will miss but some things won't. I will be happy to be home.

East Lagoon

I am back to the BBYC after a couple days in the east lagoon area. It was very interesting on that side. You have to sail in very shallow water which was pretty cool. I cruised for miles in water only 10 feet deep. The anchorages were only 8' deep. That is quite a change from the 90' I've had to do. The water was very clear and at night the moon made it look like a giant swimming pool. I explored by kayak along the beaches and little inlets. The weather stayed perfect for me. Now I am getting ready for my long sail back to Hawaii. As I complete my final preparations I will look for a good weather forecast to depart on. As the highs pass by to the south it reinforces the trade winds, a bit stronger than I want. So I wait for that high to pass for the winds to back off to a more comfortable 10-15 knots and 6' seas. The boat is in good shape for the passage. I will need fuel, water and fresh provisions. Then I will be ready.

Bora Bora

I am still anchored at the BBYC. It has been a windy week so I have just stayed put. I have been working on the boat getting it ready for the long sail home. Also I have been ashore on my bike. That has worked well for me to explore or take a shopping trip to town. This is a beautiful island with the central mountains and reef motus. It is actually rather quiet though, much more like Kaneohe than Waikiki for sure. The town of Vaitape is small and only provides basic services. Otherwise houses surround the whole island along the shoreline and the interior is undeveloped. There are many luxury resorts however. There are a huge number of dogs, both as pets or just wild. They are everywhere you look. There must be more dogs than people. They tend to bark all night. Also there as many chickens. So they do their thing most anytime but especially at night. Another feature I noticed is the people are always cleaning up there yards are burning the waste. So most days has the smell of smoke in the air from somewhere. Anyway this is a beautiful place and will be heading out tomorrow to the east side of the island within the lagoon to explore some of the motus. There's great beaches and coral reefs there. It should be nice.

Bora Bora

I am anchored at the Bora Bora Yacht Club after a pleasant sail yesterday in 18 knot east wind. I had a quick tour of this island earlier on this trip but now I will see it more throughly and slowly. The weather is near perfect right now. I hope that continues. There is lots of places to see around this small island. I should have many things to report after awhile. It is interesting to see all the other boats as they pass through this crossroads of the Pacific. Many people I saw or met have moved on to the west. I am looking forward to getting on to the passage home. However heading into the North Pacific scares me somewhat with the potential for tropical storms this time of year, as Flossie is doing now. I spend time running "what if" scenarios as if I was involved with it. Essential what strategy to use to stay out of its way. The season for storms doesn't end till November however I am hopeful the frequency will diminish after mid September. Most of the storms that do form off Mexico stay in the East Pacific but some do cross into the Central Pacific which would affect me. Using the weaather reports and then avoidance is the key. Anyway Bora Bora will be my home for awhile.
Ron

Tahaa

I spent several days along Tahaa's west coast. I anchored on a pretty motu that also has a luxury resort. It is actually composed of several small islands which I kayaked around. That was really nice. Where I was anchored there was alot of coral heads which made snorkling interesting but the anchoring a challenge. I did find a good spot free from coral heads that worked out well for me. From the anchorage the view of Bora Bora was great, especially at sunset. I came back to Raiatea to get my propane tank filled. After much frustration it was determined they cannot fill my tank because they don't have the type of hose connector required. I have another full tank that will have to last me till I get home. I will be heading for Bora Bora in a few days. After a couple weeks there I plan to head for home. The weather has been very good and is forcasted to stay nice for awhile. I'll get enjoy Bora Bora for the second time since I've been here.

South Raiatea

I am back at Taravana after a 4 days in south part of the island. I stopped at four anchorages, including a fiord type bay with a tropical stream I paddled up. Then I anchored at a perfect tropical motu with long sand beaches and coral gardens for snorkling. It was a very scenic trip inside the lagoon. I was doing some repair projects along the way. I was able to repair my radar which had malfunctioned on the voyage earlier. I opened up the antenna on the mast and reconnected the electrical plug. I really didn't think that would help but amazingly it did. It is now working fine. That will be a relief on the sail home. I was finally able to get into town at Uturoa when I managed to find room at the dock. So I was able to pick up fresh vegetables,fruit and most important, BEER! So now I am planning a trip along the west side of Tahaa. After that I head back to Bora Bora for the remainder of my trip.