Ted's Log Stardate May 25, 2008

MESSAGE 8, MARINA TAINA, TAHITI MAY 25


HI All,


AFTER THREE DAYS AND NIGHTS AT THE MARINA IN DOWNTOWN PAPEETE, WE MOVED CAPRICE ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH TO HERE. THE RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED TAINA MARINE IS MUCH QUIETER, HAS LESS SURGE THAN THE ONE IN PAPEETE AND IS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF A LARGE MALL WHICH HAS A WALMART TYPE STORE--GREAT FOR PROVISIONING. THE PAPEETE MARINA IS OK, JUST A LOT OF CITY NOISE DAY AND NIGHT. HOWEVER IT IS CONVENIENT TO THE CITY HIGHLITES. IT IS ABOUT A 20-30 MINUTE BUS RIDE TO PAPETE FROM HERE.


WHILE IN PAPEETE, TOM PERKINS’ FAMOUS YACHT THE “MALTESE FALCON” ARRIVED AND DOCKED NEAR US. TOM PERKINS IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL VENTURE CAPITALIST WHO MADE MILLIONS BACKING SILICON VALLEY BASED COMPANIES SUCH AS GENETIC, GOOGLE, AND NETSCAPE. HE WAS NOVELIST DANIELLE STEEL’S FIFTH HUSBAND AND WAS CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER IN FRANCE FOLLOWING A BOATING ACCIDENT.


THE MALTESE FALCON IS A 130 MILLION DOLLAR STATE OF THE ART 3 MASTED, SQUARE RIGGED CLIPPER YACHT. AT 289 FEET LONG AND 42 FEET WIDE, IT IS THE LARGEST PRIVATELY OWNED SAILING VESSEL IN THE WORLD. EACH OF THE FREE STANDING 192- FOOT HIGH MASTS HAVE 5 SAILS AND CAN ROTATE 180 DEGREES. THE NAVAGATION STATION LOOKS LIKE A STAR WARS SET. IN FACT THIS YACHT COULD HAVE BEEN DARTH VADER’S SPACE SHIP. QUITE A SIGHT!


A LITTLE ABOUT PAPEETE AND TAHITI.. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, PAT AND I SAILED HERE IN 2002 WITH BOB AND RENEE MILLER ON THEIR BOAT “WANDERING STAR”. OUTSIDE OF THE NEW MARINAS, NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED. PAPEETE IS A TYPICAL EUPOPEAN
SEA-SIDE CITY: HEAVY TRAFFIC, NOISY, EXPENSIVE RESTAURANTS, SIDE WALK CAFES, BARS, SHOPS CATERING TO TOURISTS, AND ORNATE CATHEDRALS. IT IS A GREAT, BUT VERY EXPENSIVE PLACE TO REPROVISION, GET FUEL, BOAT PARTS, DO LAUNDRY ETC. EXAMPLES OF EXPENSIVE: $10.00 FOR ONE WASH IN A LAUNDROMAT AND $5 MORE TO DRY, $25.00 FOR A CASE OF COKE (SMALL CANS), $50.00 FOR A CASE OF LOCAL BEER, AND $5.00 FOR A SMALL PACKAGE OF PRETZELS. FUEL, MEAT, FISH AND SOME VEGGIES ARE MORE REASONABLE.


TAHITI IS THE LARGEST AND MOST POPULATED ISLAND IN FRENCH POLNESIA. IT IS SHAPED LIKE THE FIGURE 8 AS A RESULT OF TWO AJACENT VOLCANOES. THE LARGEST PART OF THE FIGURE IS KNOW AS TAHITI NUI, AND THE OTHER, TAHITI ITI. IT IS PART OF THE SOCIETY ISLANDS WHICH ALSO CONTAINS THE ISLANDS OF MOOREA, RAIATEA, AND BORA BORA IT WAS “DISCOVERED” BY ENGLISHMAN SAMUEL WALLIS IN 1767. THE NEXT YEAR FRENCH NAVIGATOR ANTOINE de BOUGAINVILLE NAMED IT “NEW CYTHERA”. A YEAR LATER CAPTIAN COOK TOOK POSSESSION OF THE SOCIETY ISLANDS FOR ENGLAND. TAHITI WAS THE SITE OF CAPTAIN BLY’S BREADFRUIT EXPEDITION WHICH LED TO THE FAMOUS “HMS BOUNTY” MUTINY. IN THE 19TH CENTURY FRANCE TOOK POSSESSION OF ALL THE SUROUNDING ISLAND GROUPS, INCLUDING THE TUAMOTUS, MARQUESAS’, THE GAMBIERS, THE AUSTRALS AS WELL AS ALL THE SOCIETY ISLANDS. IN 1958 THE FRENCH NAMED THE ISLAND GROUP “FRENCH POLYNESIA”.
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WE WILL BE LEAVING HERE IN A DAY OR SO AND VISITING THE OTHER SOCITY ISLANDS STARTING WITH MOOREA. LET THE FUN BEGIN! TILL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE


TED

Ted's Log Stardate May 22, 2008

MESSAGE 7, MAY 22, PAPEETE, TAHITI


HELLO FROM TAHITI,


WE ARRIVED HERE TUESDAY MORNING AFTER A 3 DAY SAIL NORTH FROM TUBUAI. WE LEFT THERE SATURDAY AT 1030 HOURS. WHILE RAISING THE SAIL ON OUR FIRST ATTEMPT TO LEAVE, THE STEERING MECHANISM JAMMED. WE WERE ABLE TO LIMP BACK TO THE ANCHORAGE AND AFTER AN HOUR, DAN AND TOM FOUND AND FIXED THE PROBLEM--A CABLE HAD JUMP A PULLEY. WE HAULED THE ANCHOR AGAIN, RAISED SAILS AND HEADED NORTH.


FOR MOST OF THE FRIST TWO DAYS WE HAD 20 PLUS WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST (GOOD), HOWEVER WE ALSO HAD VERY ROUGH SEAS AND PASSED THROUGH ONE SQUALL AFTER ANOTHER (NOT GOOD).


THE FIRST NIGHT (ACTUALLY 0300 THE NEXT MORNING) WE WERE HIT WITH A SQUALL WITH WINDS IN THE 30 PLUS RANGE AND WITH SOME DIFFICULTY THE FOUR OF US WERE ABLE TO PUT A THIRD REEF IN THE MAINSAIL (REDUCED SAIL AREA). THE NEXT NIGHT WE HAD WINDS NEAR 40 KNOTS, AND A SUDDEN GUST CAUSED THE SAIL TO JIBE (WIND PASSING FROM ONE SIDE OF THE SAIL TO THE OTHER). BECAUSE WE HAD A PREVENTER ON ( A LINE HOLDING THE BOOM TO THE LEEWARD SIDE OF THE BOAT), THE BOAT WAS TURNED INTO THE WIND AND ESSENTIALLY PUTTING THE BOAT IN A HEAVE-TO SITUATION (STALLED). AGAIN ALL HANDS ON DECK TO GET THE PROBLEM SORTED OUT. WITH THE SQUALLS AND ROUGH SEAS THE FIRST 48 HOURS WAS LIKE A MR TOADS WILD RIDE.


THE THIRD DAY THE WINDS QUIETED DOWN CONSIDERABLY WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS IN THE 8-10 KNOT RANGE. WE HAD A GREAT DAY, NO SQUALLS AND CLEAR SKIES. DURING THE NIGHT WE LOST MOST OF OUR WIND AND WE MOTOR-SAILED THE REMAINDER OF OUR PASSAGE OVER FLAT SEAS. WE ARRIVE ALONG THE TAHITIAN COASTLINE DURING A BEAUTIFULL SUNRISE.


WE CELEBRATED OUR ARRIVAL WITH BLOODY MARYS AND SNACKS ON THE SAILING VESSEL “PEREGRINE”. WE HAD CONNECTED WITH THEM IN TUBUIA AND THE TWO OF US BUDDY-BOATED DURING OUR SAIL HERE. DAN, CAROL AND TOM HAD MET MIKE AND TRACEY, OWNERS OF PEREGRINE IN NEW ZEALAND. WE WERE IN E-MAIL AND RADIO CONTACT WITH THEM DURING OUR PASSAGE FROM OPUA.


WE ARE NOW MED-MOORED (STERN TO THE SLIP) TO A BRAND NEW DOCK IN DOWNTOWN PAPEETE. WHILE HERE WE WILL CLEAN-UP, FIX PROBLEMS, DO MAINTENCE PROJECTS ON THE BOAT, DO LAUNDRY ETC., KICK BACK AND ENJOY THE FRUITS OF PARADISE.


WILL WRITE MORE ON PAPEETE, AND TAHITI IN MY NEXT RAMBLING.


TILL THEN, TAKE CARE


TED