Arue Bay, Yacht Club de Tahiti 19/8-4/9 2016

Time 1 day 22 h 57 min., NM 246,3, SOG 4.4 kn avg,. 7.6 kn max., TWA 222, TWS 13.4 kn avg. 22.8 kn max.

At 10:30 17/8 2016 we sail out of the pass at Fakarava north with coarse set to Tahiti. We sat main and jib and kept them up all the way. That should be the last time sailing with the old sails. We had the wind from aft so good sailing. SSB net, making youtube movie on Nurse Sharks and baking bred were there time with. Maria suffer from to bad wounds on the left leg and right wrist but hoped that there were a good pharmacy in Arue.

Friday the 19/8 at 9:30, after passing point Venus, we dropped anchor in the beautiful Arue Bay. The holding was not good so we sailed closer to land and after to trial advised by Rodger in Ednbal, we were safe for anchor.

We were advised by Richard on BigFish to contact a diesel motor specialist (Richard Iehl) in Arue but could not reach him by sat-phone or mobile. Lars took the dingy to shore and on Carrefour got a local telephone sim card. It was then Friday afternoon and not possible to reach anybody by phone.

Next day we went to the very large Carrefour, 7 minutes away from the harbour, and got some nice bred and cheese. Our anchor does not hold very good so when talking to the harbour we got allowed to stay for four nights. It was fantastic to be in the little charming harbour and not be worrying about electricity and water, that was included in very reasonable harbour fee.

Monday 22/8 at 8 o’clock Lars got contact with Richard and he came 17:30 to here about our problems with the Yanmar motor and the Westerbeke. Also he took the three diesel injectors to Westerbeke with him for repair. It was a very good birthday present! Before that I was treated with a nice breakfast and birthday present from Lars. Also nice late breakfast, cheese burger, on the harbour café.

Next day the oil cooler to Yanmar was disassembled. The day after, 24/8, we took a bus to Papeete and there getting a new cover for the Yamaha motor (thanks to Christi and Tasha) and a look around on the nice little town. We had a visit by Andreas from Mellifera in the evening. He had gotten a crew to NZ and was happy for that.

Richard came bye on the morning 25/8 and told us that the oil cooler should bee repaired and also the diesel injector to Westerbeke.

26/8 Andreas came by and got the NZ maps on a stick and so did Jeff from Mezzaluna the next day. Also start on Eosin-Coper cure on my wounds after Lars had been to the Arue Pharmacy. I started a penicillin cure the 29/8 after advice from Songhui. Katie and Jeff came by for coffee and nice too get too now them a little better.

Monday the 29/8 we had to leave the harbour because a catamaran from Papeete had reserved the mooring in advance. We had no motor capacity so we got dragged out by the harbour. It was not nice to be out there, knowing that if Alexandra were dragging by the anchor, we could not do anything. Nice to know, though, that the boats around us like Mezzaluna, EyeCandy and Maluhia would help us if necessary and so they did later on. We dared to go in and have a nice Pot-Luck dinner with the other sailors at the café (Monday closed) in the evening.

30/8 Lars mounted the three diesel injectors to Westerbeke that have been repaired but the generator did not start. Lars got dinner from street kitchen. No compression in some of the three cylinders says Richard the 31/8. We are dragging against the reef. Next day a lot of wind on the anchorage. Lars set me of on land so I could go and get some food on Carrefour because he did not want to leave Alexandra. Instead we got nice companies, from neighbour sailors, to a sundowner with newly bought cold beer!

13:00 2/9 Richard and Renee came with the oil-cooler and mounted it. Now the Yanmar motor runs!!! The next day there were still a lot of wind on the anchorage and after David and Kim had checked that our place is empty we sailed into the harbour and there were Andrew, David and Jeff to take the lines. We stayed there until Sunday afternoon when we could sail to Papeete Marina after Lars had mounted four repaired (thanks Hans) diesel injector to the Yanmar motor. Now the motor run and with much lesser dark smoke. On the short tour to Papeete we saw a whale sticking up several times!