jeudi 3 juin 2021

210514-21 MANGAREVA (GAMBIER) à AMANU (TUAMUTU)

 Well... I feel sorry as internet irregular connexion and intensity of this last polynesian experience will delay the blog to undetermined date. But I keep taking photos n ll fill it later...

  At the moment covid situation ask us to pay a 5000 euros fees  quatorzaine charge in New Zealand if we want to see our son Jim in Auckland.

   We ll stay in french Polynesian for the moment. Hurricane season start in a few month... let's hope this covid ll stop asap to destroy our way of life... Yann


Rikitea anchorage, deep as usual, facing disatrous Jojo internet...
.. 

...and very crowded this covid year !

Officials always helpfull...


...even if have to give  us a "covid PV"


Expensives shops, but almost free vegetables n fruits... 

...including famous juicy local Grapefruits: Everywhere n delicious...



...Only problem is to carry all these fresh kg on board...


...Without help of Scott who is leaving ALCYONE here...

In Gambier, there is a church on each island of the archipel...in MANGAREVA...

...as in TARAVAI, the island closed to the west pass... 



...Where Hervé, the emblematic local is at work... 





...with help of a kind of "holly charter" from TARAVAI.

..
This is the very popular traditionnal sunday party of Hervé...



...and this not difficult to understand why... 

... Hervé just open the door to Tuamutu...

-
...a there is al lot of wind behind the door...



No pass in TUREIA... but 2 days later ALCYONE is inside our favorite polynesian atoll...

...where for the 3rd time in 25 years we meet Bertrand, this time on board of his cat "ELISE"...








mercredi 2 juin 2021

210503-13: P VALLARTA->GAMBIER Part 3 "The rush southward"

 2 degres latitude North...we have some light South wind...this wind should switch sooner or later to south east; the challenge is to stay as closed as possible from this wind to gain some degrees eastward...If a Maramu arrive, (strong local wind from SE), it will be much more confortable !

Welcome to south Pacific !

First gift: a yellow tail..even Scott (vegetarian) ll eat it !

Sometimes, wind switch enough to use the Code 0...but not for long...we stay east of the direct road

...a bad discovery: this last watermelon is dead from inside...

the wind is light, but we must stay on the closed reach until 2 degres North

...even with 100% of the mainsail...

Scott, charging batteries, after 4th may equator crossing celebration (Captain Morgan)... 

Everyday we gain 3 degrees to RIKITEA..219m/24h on 7th may 

...reason is a Maramu is forecasted soon...  


...That why most of the cruisers leaving Mexico sail to MARQUISES and not GAMBIER !

...The party start with gust to 30k then stabilize around 25k 


ALCYONE sail with 2nd reef with a bit of jib...

the windvane is at 105 port; not too bad...


inside, cooking is becomes a real challenge...

...protecting the gas and blocking the pans is compulsory...


...as anybody can understand regarding these side waves...

In these conditions, challenge is to keep a reasonable speed around 8 k to limit the waves-shocks...

...but its sometimes impossible...

...200m per 24h during last week is the result...

...from a challenge, sleeping becomes natural...



3 times a wave like this one fill the cockpit with seawater... 

...but , tks to the cat conception, all is out shortly...

After 3 days (n nights), wind ease and shift slowly...

...but the race is not finished...

...as we had to install the Code 0 again on last night to avoid the coming calms...

...on 23 may, GAMBIER is on sight...


...and after 21 days and 3350 miles on the water,

a carefull arrival through the easy west pass...

...ALCYONE arrive in the RIKITEA anchorage...