Now I will write the days in the right order instead of backwards....much easier for me I think!
Day 118
Monday 1st of September 2008, from Ua-Pou, Marquesas towards Tuamoto Islands
Another day that is very windy...and it do not seem to get better. We sleep a lot when we do not steer. In the evening we dec ide to take in all of the rollergenua...and we still do 5 knots. We do not want to arrive in Ahe when it is dark thats why we have to slow down a bit. And the nights gets very wet...mostly water from the ocean splashing up on deck.
When my watch starts Berndt is completely soaked.....and I sit half an hour dry then 2-300 litres of water just drop down on me...and I am soaked the rest of my watch.
And Pontus do not suceed to keep dry either.
Day 119
Thuesday 2nd of September 2008, anchored outside the village of Tenukupara, atoll Ahe, Tuamoto Islands
At half past 9 we start to enter the pass of the atoll Ahe...and it is lots of current...we almost make no speed forward...Pontus steers and use the engine very hard....so when we finally get through the oil pressure is very bad. So we turn off the engine and sail towards an anchorage we have decided to go to. Still lots of wind and we finally made it all the way down south after tacking between coralheads and lots of bouys.
Pontus is very worried about the engine and the boys start working on it as soon as we where anchored. After lots of talking they decide that the engine will work again after some new oil and filters.
A guy comes out to our boat and want to trade some black pearls. We give him some bottles and we get some pearls. We also get invited to a dinner at his house tomorrow evening.
We watched a movie an ate popcorn in the evening.
Day 120
Wednesday 3rd of September 2008, anchored outside the village of Tenukupara, atoll Ahe, Tuamoto Islands
Today we will rest. We slept to late and sat very long with the breakfast.
We decide to paddle ashore and take a walk. We walk along the beach on the winward side....BIG waves and still very strong winds....we are glad we are anchored in a calm spot.
After a couple of hours we get back to the boat and the boys want to windsurf and I want to snorkle so we do that for some hours and we end up a bit far from the boat and had to paddle against the wind all the way back.
Pontus tries to find the guy who invited us for dinner but we can´t find him so we never got to that dinner. Pontus made some dinner instead. Talked to late and went to bed.
Day 121
Thursday 4th of September 2008, anchored outside the village of Tenukupara, atoll Ahe, Tuamoto Islands Woke up at 7. Made some bread for breakfast.
The boys worked with the engine half the day and I cleaned and put everything in order to sail again. Tomorrow we start sailing towards Papeete, Tahiti.
We all snorkled on the reef near the boat and I saw a small shark. Pontus windsurfed for a while also. He found some shells he thinks will have som pearls in and Berndt found a gun....a plastic toygun.
Then back to work with the engine. A big ship comes in to the dock with things for the island and Pontus and berndt buys some oil from them...a very thick oil.
We decided that I should plan the trip towards Tonga to see if there is harbours we can sail into in case of no engine. We do not trust the engine now. They talked to Goran on St Vincent and he wants them to check the oilpump. They do and they find it Ok...it do not seem to leak water from there. It seems that the engine runs ok till it gets warm then the oilpressure sinks. So we plan our trip to Papeete so we just need the engine for half an hour when going through the pass. And in Papeete we have to try to find filters and oil that suits the engine.
Write some loggbook in the evening while the boys worked with the engine.
Day 122
Friday 5th of September 2008, from Ahe towards Papeete, Tahiti
We got up and fixed the last before we started the engine to take up the anchor and then just motor out from the little lagoon we were anchored in.
And then up with the sail and sailed towards the passage out of the atoll. Halfway we got stucked in some of the boys. So we have to take down the sails and then Pontus jumps in the water, cuts the lines and up and up with the sails again....it took 3-4 minutes and we where off again
We starts the engine near the passage and go back and forth before we decide to go through. We passed the passage in 4 knots current going with us...we do not have any problems at all so we turn the engine off as soon as we are through...the oilpressure is low again......takes just a minute to pass this time instead of half an hour going in.....
We sailed along the atoll Ahe and then southwest towards Papeete. Nice weather and not to big waves.
Pontus sits 18-22, Berndt 22-02 and I 02-06. In the night the wind gets worse and the waves got big.ANd we aslo get some rain on us.
Day 123
Saturday 6th of September 2008, towards Papeete, Tahiti
The wind gets worse and the waves get bigger. It rains sometimes and we get wet. We sleep when we do not steer.
Day 124
Sunday 7th of September 2008, Papeete, Tahiti
When the sun rised we saw Tahiti. The waves where still BIG and the wind was strong. I sleep while the boys steer towards the island for a coupla of hours. They have to go slalom between some floating palmtrees and lumber.
We get close to the passage in the surrounding reef and call Harbour Control on the VHF and get permission to get inte the harbour and tie up to a dock.
Pontus can´t start the engine at the first attempt so we get really nervous again...but then he uses all the batteries....we think the oil is so thick that the startengine doesn´t manage to start the engine....and the engine starts. The passage goes with no problem...hardly no current at all. We motor all the way in to dock.
There is watertaps on the dock so we can´t resist to take a shower almost at once.
We take a walk in town and find a McDonalds almost at once....half an hour later we continue the walk around town.
Stops at a pub to drink beer and then back tothe boat. Early evening.
Day 125
Monday 8th of September 2008, Papeete, Tahiti
I spent the day on board cleaning while the boys wen´t out to find motoroil, oil filters, propane gas hose, a dinghy, where to fill up propane and some other things.
Yesterday we realized that the stove is leaking gas and that we need to fix imediately...thats why we needed a new hose...later this day we realized that the hose wasn´t leaking but the connection....
At 7 in the evening we went for a pizza...very expensive...almost 100 US for three pizzas....
Then we took a taxi to the airport to meet Jonna and Hasse. We brought the computersto do some internet while waiting. We bought some flower necklaces to hang on them when they arrived almost half an hour to early. So nice to see them!
A taxi back to the boat and we spent a couple of hours up on deck tralking and drinking some beers.
Day 126
Thuesday 9th of September 2008, Papeete, Tahiti
Jonna and I went to buy coffee...the stove is not working yet...breakfast.
Then work: Pontus, Jonna and I went to fill up two bootles of propane. Berndt and Hasse went to find the connection to the stove.
We bought a new propane bootle...they couldn´t fill up ours. We left one bottle at the station it was to rusty anyway.
We stopped at a marinestore to look at a new dinghy....so expensive...more than 3000US for the smallest dinghy and no hard bottom. Pontus talked to a guy who said he might know someone who had a used dinghy.
Berndt and Hasse came along and we stopped for a beer. They had found a connection to the stove
Jonna and Hasse had to go to New Zeeland Air to cancel their airtickets from Tahiti. Hasse made dinner; tuna with curry and rice. Spicy and very good.
Lots of talk in the cockpit till we all got tired and went to bed.
Day 127
Wednesday 10th of September 2008, Papeete, Tahit
Today we all worked hard again. Pontus and Berndt focused on the engine while Jonna, Hasse and I went to shop some vegetables and fresh food. We also checked out from Tahiti.
We took a bus to Carrefour and bought the food.
Pontus and Berndt managed to get the oil pressure perfect again. We also went to the marinestore in the afternoon to look att a used dinghy.....that was no fun at all. The guy had a 5 m long rubberdingy with no handles and just rubber in the bottom and he wanted 1500 US...so we didn´t want to do any deal with him...he got a bit dissappointed but of course we didn´t care about that. Then we walked to look at a new aluminumdinghy...but the store was closed and the dinghy cost to much anyway...
We had plans on leaving the harbour today but it got a bit to late so we will leave early tomorrow morning a bit south of Papeete on an anchorage next to a marina where we might be able to fix the freezer and also find a used dinghy.
Hasse made dinner; BBQ entrecote with vegetables....deliscious...so far we haven´t had any leftovers when Hasse has made dinner!
Day 128
Thursday 11th of September 2008, Papeete, Tahiti
We got up early this morning...Hasse always wakes up early before 6 o´clock and today we wanted to start early all of us.
We motored all the way...about 2-3 nm south to the anchorage. And the oilpressure was steady all the way...it feels great!
We anchored at 16-17 m depth ....but the wind is not much and there is no swell behind the reef. And we can see the bottom; very clear water!
We ate breakfast; tasted good after a couple of hours being awake.
Hasse finally got his first swim in the ocean and he was happy!
Pontus, Berndt and I paddle to the marina to see if we could find the man who fix freezers and an used dinghy. We met one guy and he was the freezer man and he also knew about a used dinghy! So we decided that he will work with the freezer tomorrow. We walked to the dinghydock to look at the dinghy. And then we phoned the owner and told him we were interested in his dinghy. The dinghy is ok and the price is ok approx 150 US...perfect size and handles on so we can take it up easy..... it probably leaks but we are used to that as long as it holds the air one way ashore we can always pump it up.
Jonna was writing and Hasse reading when we came back to the boat. Pontus, I and Hasse went snorkeling on the reef not far out from us. Nice swimming!
Pontus fixed the windsurfingmast that broke last time he used it, Berndt slept for a while. I wrote some on the loggbook....it is time to upload again....
Day 129
Friday 12th of September 2008, Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands Hasse and Berndt started early with breakfast and woke the rest of the crew up....so Jonna and I had an early breakfast as well. I took the kajak and left the boys ashore; they were going in to town again to change some things and buy som fresh vegetables and bread. Pontus was preparing emails on the computer while Jonna and I did some crosswords and sudoku. Around 1 pm we started the engine and took the boat to the dock. We had made an appointment with the freezer guy so he came on board and had fix the freezer 1,5 hour later. Hasse and Berndt came back from town.
Pontus was sent up in the mizzen mast to put up the new propellers Jonna and Hasse brought with them.
Suddenly Sam from "Metal Guru" came and said hallo...he had seen our big swedish flag and remembered we had one in Colon in Panama where we met him the first time. We also had managed to buy the dinghy at the same time; the owner came and we gave him 10 000 fr (130 US) instead of 25 000 fr...that what was on the sign.
Nice price for a nice dinghy!
Sam followed us out on the boat while we anchored next to "Metal Guru". Hasse made another splendid dinner....thank you Pia for letting us have Hasse on board for a while!
Pontus and Sam went out while the old folks sat in the cockpit talking for a couple of hours.
Day 130
Saturday 13th of September 2008, towards Bay Dopunohu, Moorea, Society Islands
While I took the kajak to update the website and pay the freezer guy the rest of the crew prepared the boat for leaving and sail to next island Moorea.
Paying was no problem....uploading the website failed.
We motored the channel back up to Papeete and took the same passage through the reef we used coming in. We tried to sail but the wind was dying so we had to use the engine....not good but actuallay it seemed to be ok ...the oilpressure stayed steady.
Crossing took the whole afternoon. We didnt anchor until it was dark so we had to go through the passage in darkness. But it was a easy passage and almost no current.
Day 131
Sunday 14th of September 2008, Bay Dopunohu, Moorea, Society Islands
We all woke up early ...except Jonna and Berndt who sat talking to late yesterday.
Nice view to wake up to!
I took the kajak and paddle for an hour before breakfast into the bay of Opunohu.
Hasse and i decided to take a walk so we paddle ashore and went walking...for 4 hours...not planned but it happen we found another way back which was a bit longer than we thought...But it was a wonderful walk! We saw pineappleplantages and found chillipepper.
When we came back Jonna had cleaned the dinghycover and Pontus and Berndt had repaired some holes in the dinghy. So it is getting close to take a trip with the dinghy....
The lady on the boat anchored next to us came swimming and yelled "Elena" .... it was ...I have totally forgotten her name...sorry...anyway it was the boat I was line handler on in Panama Canal.
We also found out that we had WiFi on the boat...perfect...everyone checked their mail and the computer was occupied all night! I tried to update the website but it did not work...
Day 132
Monday 15th of September 2008, Bay Dopunohu, Moorea, Society Islands
Today four of us will rent bicycles and cycle 60 km around the island...the fifth will stay on board relaxing....
We had to take the kajak....a couple of trips....to get all ashore...
Hasse and I had seen a place to rent bicycles not far from the boat. We had a very nice trip. We started about 10 and were back at 18....
we stopped for beers,
a swim,
food, snacks,
update the website at a cafe with WiFi and
pump up my tire......almost back we had to pump every kilometre....
We sat in the cockpit in the evening..... very satisfied and very tired!
Day 133
Thuesday 16th of September 2008, towards Huahine Nui, Society Islands
Today we will start sailing to Huahine, almost 90 nm nort west of Moorea. We will start in the afternoon, sail through the night and anchor tomorrow morning inside the reef of Huahine Nui.
In the morning Hasse, Pontus and I decided to snorkle for an hour or two. We took the dinghy further south and anchored next to a reef....very nice snorkeling!
The corals were whole and very colorful, lots of fishes. The boys saw a morena and a manta...I missed that totally!
We had to fill up some gas in the engine...put it was to jumpy so we had to take of the outboard when filling up.
Back at the boat we ate lunch and then around 3 we took up the anchor and started the sail towards Huahine. Jonna and Hasse put seasick plaster...but probably to late Jonna got seasick and spent the whole time in the cockpit.
Pontus steered 18-22, Helena and Jonna 22-02, Berndt and Hasse 02-06.
Day 134
Wednesday 17th of September 2008, Huahine Nui, Society Islands We anchored around 10 in the morning just south of the Avapehi passage.
Pontus and I was not sleepy so he went ashore while I was scrubbing the outside of the boat....there is rust rinning on the sides that needs to be cleaned once in a while. After a while Berndt woke up and Pontus came and scraped the bottom of the boat....the bottompaint is not very good any more so we need to clean her once a week.....otherwise she will have long green hair on the bottom....
Berndt wanted a haircut..I have promised him that for a while if he bought a comb....we bought one when we cycled around the island. So I cut his hair and Jonna cut mine.
Then Jonna and I paddle for a while and then spent some time with sudoku and crosswords while the boys took the dinghy to the town of the island, Fare, and bought some groceries Hasse needed.
Day 135
Thursday 18th of September 2008, Huahine Nui, Society Islands In the morning a fisherman came by and sold us some lobsters.
We started the engine and moved a bit south along the island... not as far as we wanted....the damn oilpressure started to sink so we anchored in a very windy spot....but the freezer will like it....the windgenerator works constantly....
We went ashore to take a walk and try to find some fruits to pick....nice walk but no fruits...
Nice dinner with lobsters and moussaka.
Day 136
Friday 19th of September 2008, Huahine Nui, Society Islands Still very windy although it has calmed down a bit.
We all went for snorkeling just next to the boat and it was very nice snorkeling.
Afterwards we were all very cold and needed to cover up with blanketts
Hasse opened up some raviolicans for lunch and did something secret to make it taste delicious. The boys spent a couple of hours with the generator to see if they could get it started and load up our camerbatteries, phones and computers...and of course they managed.
Day 137
Saturday 20th of September 2008, towards Raiatea, Society Islands Today we will sail over to next island; Raiatea about 15 nm. We motored up to the passage and had a fantastic sail across to the island...we actually sailed through the most southern passage on the windward side of the island.
We are getting more and more selfconfidence about us and the boat and what we actually can do without the engine....
Hasse start to get a bit disapointed at Pontus who cant give him a fish......not today either.
We anchored in a bay after trying a couple of places....in the middle of the bay on a shelf...all bays are so deep so it is hard to find good anchoring. It was a bit windy but the anchor was in a good spot.
Taih-chicken for dinner and Jonna and I managed to empty a bag-in-box wine.....
Day 138
Sunday 21st of September 2008, Raiatea, Society Islands We woke up early...Jonna didnt want to get up at all so she spent the morning in bed while the rest of us ate breakfast, took up the anchor and sailed a bit north. A wonderful sail with so blue water.
We spent a couple of hours in the afternoon at a small island with sandy beaches....and Jonna was back in business.
We sailed a bit further north and then stopped for the night. Pontus and I went paddling the kajak while the rest were resting....it is a very tiring life we are living right now!
Hasse and Jonna has now get used to teh life on board....even though Hasse still hits every thing. He is a bit taller then the rest of us....So I had to cover up corners and so to make the corners less sharp.
Jonna has been forced to totally change her habits of sleep.....and now even Jonna starts to yawn at 8 in the evening as the rest of us....and get up at 6 or 7 in the morning.
Day 139
Monday 22nd of September 2008, Tahaa, Society Islands
Today we took up the anchor without help from the engine and just took out the genua and sailed quiet out of the bay...very nice sailing!
We passed pearlfarms on our way..they have built small houses out on the reefs on the water...looks a bit funny.
We sailed up to the second largest city in French Polynesia....Uturoa....4 500 habitants....we anchored and the boys went ashore while I was writing on the computer and Jonna reading a book. It was a bit to windy to leave the boat at this spot.
We met "Metal Guru" again; they will leave the boat here and go back to England to work for half a year or so.
The boys were back in a couple of hours and wanted to leave at once.....they were a bit disappointed with the town and had just found some of the things they wanted.
So we started the engine and took up the anchors (we had two) and then sailed further north up to next island Tahaa. These two islands has the same reef around them so its easy sailing even though we had to tack because of the wind blowing along the island against us.
Tahaa has still not much hotels and no airport so it is a bit more difficult for tourists to come there. We sailed in to a narrow bay called Haamene...and in the bottom of the bay the village Haamene....
Jonna, Hasse and Pontus decided to get ashore while Berndt and I stayed on board. It is a bit windy spot but the bottom is mud and good holding. They were back in half an hour just before darkness. It seems like it is going to be a market on Wednesday. Thers is also a vanilla farm in the neighbourhood and a nice trail to walk...so we decided to stay here two nights.
Day 140
Thuesday 23rd of September 2008, Tahaa, Society Islands
Today it is time to move our bodies again...and when we do that we usually do it very much.......we will take a long walk over the ridge and to the north side of Tahaa to the maintown Patio...about 7 kilometres...and back. And hopefully we will find lots of fruits. And I will bring my computer so we can check our emails...there is a post office there and ther we often find internet.
When we get ashore the first I see is a post office with internet....so I will carry extraweight without needing it....because we are to lazy to go back to the boat with the computer.
It takes over an hour to get on top of the ridge...and then it is downhill and we find lots of fruits all the way; avocados, pineapples, chillies, carambole, bananas, limes...so we have even more load to carry and we start to think of maybee we can take a boat back.....When we finally arrive to the town (small village) there is no boat going back and maybe we can find a taxi for 100 US to drive us back....
So after a beer we decide we have to take our bodies over the ridge without help....but after a while we got a ride with a pickup ....but just up to the ridge then we decide to get off.
The road is very bad and even if our driver insists on taking us all the way down we decide to walk.....Jonna is a bit disappointed about that decision but she managed to walk all the way to the dinghy as we other.
But then we all collapse....
Day 141
Wednesday 24th of September 2008, Tahaa, Society Islands
After breakfast we all went ashore to see what was happening in the villge on the market. It was an artists exhibition. When we came ashore they were have speaches to open up the exhibition. Berndt and I went to a cafe to start up our computers. I wanted to upload the website...I have gotten so many emails I want to answer...but then we have all others who also wants to check and send emails and my time at the computer only get me time to upload. So excuse me for not answering emails...I will sooner or later.
We looked at all the things they sold at the exhibition...everything was made of shells
Day 142
Thursday 25th of September 2008, Tahaa, Society Islands
After brakfast Jonna said "That was a whale"...and I said no it cant be it must be a dolphin...but it was actually a 5-6 m long humpback whale....Bernd said he had heard blowing sounds during the night but thought it was waves...strange that it is a whale inside the reef...
A bit cloudy weather today but it didnt stop us from snorkeling. B ut the reef was not much to see and we started to freeze so we didnt snorkle much.
I dived down to check the anchor and then we could take them up without the engine and also not getting stucked in the corals. So we rolled out the genua and sailed quiet and slowly towards our next anchorage just outside a luxuary hotel with bungalows on the water. There was a diveshop thnere we wanted to check out to see if there was any diving.....but it was closed so we took us back to the boat just in time before a rainweather.
We asked aboutr the whales at the hotel and they said there is three of them and they always come inside the reef with their babies and they know their way out.
Day 143
Friday 26th of September 2008, Tahaa, Society Islands
Berndt managed to get internet on his computer so he sent some emails; he has to check some things about his tickets from Tonga. I also got contact with the internet and sent some emails home.
We took up the anchor and decided to try to sail to Bora Bora...there was not supposed to be wind according to the weather forecast but we decided to try anyway because it was windy here anyway. But when we got oputside the reef the wind stopped and we decided that with hardly no wind it will take forever to cross and I do not want to enter Bora Bora in the night.
So we got back inside the reef and anchor and decided to start early tomorrow instead. Pontus checked the anchor and saw a big morena; so Hasse and I decided to snorkle as well before dark. The morena was really big.
Day 145
Saturday 27th of September 2008, towards Bora Bora, Society Islands
Berndt and Pontus woke up early and took up the anchors and then we started the crossing over to Bora Bora; about 20 nm west of Tahaa.
At first no wind but it picked up around 9 oclock and we had a wonderful crossing with lots of sun....which made us all red even though we use sunblockers. The most disappointed person was Hasse....we didnt get any fish.....
We made a quick stop at the pier in Vaitape, the maintown on the island to buy some fresh food. Then we motored over to an anchorage next to a motu (island).
Hasse and I went for a swim and snorkeling around the boat.
Jonna made a very good sundowner just in time.
Dag 146
Sunday 28th of September 2008, Bora Bora, Society Islands
Today we decided to rent bicycles and bike around the island, 30 km. Pontus followed us also so we left the boat on the anchorage unattented.
We had a nice day and no troubles with the bicycles . We stopped at several places where we bought sodas and beers.
Bora Bora has lots of motus around the main island and there is lots of hotels with bungalows standing out in the sea. And it seems like its almost only honeymooners visiting these hotels.
At 4 in the afternoon we were back on the boat and everything was in order. Hasse, Berndt, Pontus and I decided to snorkle on the reef. we wanted to see reefsharks and mantas; we saw mantas, a turtle and a wonderful big coral garden with lots of reef fishes. But no sharks.
Jonna made us another sundowner drink and I helped Hasse with dinner. We made tortillas with meat, salsa and guacamola.
Day 146
Monday 29th of September 2008, mot Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Today we decided to leave Bora Bora and the French Polynesia and head for the Cook Island. We will sail almost 500 nm to an atoll Aitutaki where we will stay a day or two. Aitutaki is about 140 nm north of the main island Rarotonga.
Before we left the island we went in to the pier and threw the garbage, went to the gas station to get rid of all bad engine oil. I went for the internetcafe to upload the website and Hasse went to buy some more fresh food.
At 1 in the afternoon we sat sail for Aitutaki and had lunch on the way out through the passage. We started with good wind and made 4 knots...but in the evening the wind vaished and we had to take down the main sail to stop the banging noise.
Pontus sat alone on his watch 18-22. Berndt and Jonna 22-02 and Hasse and I between 02-06.
Day 147
Thuesday 30th of September 2008, mot Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Lat S 17.05.9 Long W153.18.6 Time 13.00, 89 nm
The night was ok...but not much wind and no speed...
Everyone except Jonna had good sleep.....but she will probably sleep much better tonight.
When the sun came up we got some more wind and put the main up again. But the rest of the day was very calm and we didnt sail more then 2-3 knots. At 4 the wind picked up again and we made around 5 knots. We had all sails up and kept it up all night.
The sun shined all day but today Berndt made a prefect sunroof so we could sit in the shadow and steer, read and do sudoku.
In the night we took the sunroof down; we couldnt see the stars we were steering towards.
