When you imagine Tahiti, what do you see? A paradise-like island where people are kind and wear flowers on their heads, the sun is shining, the food is fresh and tastes lovely, happy honeymooners sipping on their cocktails in their overwater bungalows next to the sea which is turquoise blue with a background of beautiful green mountains?
Picture: Tahiti from Moorea
Something like that. Yes.
It’s breathtakingly beautiful. Full stop.
What makes a huge difference is the fact that we have been sailing from one paradise to another paradise for a couple of months now and it takes away the magic a little bit.
I know that it can sound a bit ungrateful, but just bear with me and let me explain.
Polynesia spreads across the South Pacific Ocean for thousands of nautical miles and to sail around the world you need to sail around them to get gradually to Tonga, Fiji and then Australia.
Most of the islands have no boatyards or marina facilities which makes any repair work, provisioning, refuelling, charging the batteries on shore power, doing laundry or filling up the water tank incredibly difficult or impossible…which is fine.
We had a pretty good understanding about what is waiting for us here and we were prepared as much as possible.
When you arrive at the first island, you do wonder if it’s still the Earth and pinch yourself to check if you are here.
You go to the next one in a week or so and it’s still beautiful but problems start to come up which require your attention (check out the job list we had at the Marquises in my previous blog HERE.
Then at the third island you start to book marina berths, mechanics, sailmakers in the next port (Tahiti) to sort out major problems while you still amazed of the places where you are at the moment, although you run out fresh food, frozen meat and alcohol and there is no facility to top up.
Yes, you can fish, and we did, but it means you are eating fish for three or four days (depending on the size).
Picture: Laura (and Nevil) caught a Mahi Mahi
And then you arrive in Tahiti which is as beautiful as all the previous islands, but you just want to get into port and get things done.
Picture: Tahiti (under the clouds) from Misty
Like my Dad said it the other day. If you have been in Kiskunfélegyháza, you have seen most of Hungary’s lowland.
-//-
Once in port, certain things become much more convenient, such as taking a shower as you don’t need to worry about the water usage, hopping into a bar to get a nice pint of beer or access to electricity and everything which needs electricity. It’s great but you also get exposed to loads of not so nice things. Ports and marinas nowadays are safe and clean but for some reason we always get sick or injured.
Picture: waiting for the doctor the examine my ear
I had six different vaccinations before I left London, but they don’t defend against the common cold or bursting an eardrum scuba diving. Our immune system is weaker compared with those of tourists who are coming here just for a few weeks, and we catch everything! Diarrhoea is frequent. Too many details? I know, but it’s the truth.
Despite all the difficulties we did manage to go for a day trip around Tahiti which was just amazing. Let the pictures talk for themselves.
Picture: bumpy road ahead during the tour
Picture: no bridge necessary
Picture: hello tourist
Picture: crying mountains after heavy rain
Picture: waterfalls
After a day off we had to get back to work and get ready for leave as soon as possible. Big city life is not for sailors.
One of my main responsibilities on Misty is ensuring we have enough fresh, dry and frozen food for the longer passages. It was time in Tahiti to go for a big shopping trip. The aim was to have enough food and alcohol for two months, basically until Fiji for four people.
The whole process consists of six keys steps:
Check what we still have on board.
Make a shopping list.
Do the shopping with Helen (ideally early in the morning before the rush hour)
Get the goods back to the boat (organise transport)
Store everything in a place where everyone can find it.
Update inventory
Picture: team moral low for storing the goods away for good reason. Laura had temperature and it was 35 degrees when I took this photo
It’s a two day job really, because of unexpected additional tasks.
For example, while storing the shopping away I have discovered that half of our dry pasta stock had been infested by small black bugs. They chew through the original packaging and start to eat up the pasta in one of the bilges.
Should have double bagged them in plastic bags.
Lesson learned.
So, this little discovery delayed the storing task by a few hours as we had to clean and disinfect the compartment, check all the other food around and come up with a new place for the food I was going to store there. Don’t forget, it’s 35 degrees below deck with no air movement so your sweat is dripping down on you nonstop.
Pleasant. Not!
It’s not the worst though. I have heard from other boats about cockroaches feasting on food and rats eating up the tubing system of the boat.
Misty is all right with her little black bugs.
In general the boat is in a good shape. Her jib was fixed by a sailmaker, we got a mobile generator for the watermaker in case we have low batteries and also, great news, we have new fans!
Her fuel and water belly are full and ready to sail out from Tahiti as soon as I get the clearance from the hospital.
-//-
I received many lovely messages from so many of you about my previous blog which turned out to be a bit of sad article. Thank you!
Happy to report that I have found a kitten who helped me to recharge a little bit before my next hospital appointment on Tuesday.
Picture: me with a tropical kitten
Quitting is not a bad thing.
At least I could delay the completion of my top bucket list item (sailing around the world) and have more time to prepare for the new idea of travelling to space.
As Phil said in one of his comment on my latest blog, the amount of time and resource I have already invested in creating a moment I am in now, should NOT define NOR predict what I am doing next.
I will enjoy the next twelve months whatever it takes, hopefully most likely on a boat sailing around the world but if not, well…
I can spend another decade working, saving money and try it again. It would be in 2033 and I would be 46 years old then.
Still one of the youngest person in the fleet of the World ARC sailors.
Ah, yes. Tahiti is nice! You should come here in case you are planning your honeymoon!
Picture: View
Another wonderful and thoughtful post … of course, we totally get it! My flour went bad and I saw tiny bugs … double bagging essential. I’ve also got sticky pads in my food cupboards to capture any bugs along with bay leaves and cloves. You can only do what you can do! Enjoy enjoy 😉