Around the Island

We rented cars and went touring around the island of Raiatea. All in all, it was interesting to get a glimpse of the terrain and the beautiful flora, but it certainly wasn't a show-stopper for any of us. A huge marae (ancient
religious and ceremonial site) was the highlight, with excellent interpretive signs, and a great beach for a lunch stop.

The folks are staying at the Sunset Beach Hotel - with modest bungalows set amid a beautiful coconut plantations. It's close to the marina, so we walk over each afternoon for cocktails and dinner. I believe my Dad's words were that he's happier than "a pig in s**t".

To top it off, we've been fortunate to buy fresh tuna from fisherman on the side of the road, so we've certainly been eating well. And Dave and Nola raved about their first sashimi experience!

New Arrivals

Our parents arrived today. And, we're in the marina, our first since Mexico,
a year ago. Their hotel is a 10 minute walk down the road, on a beautiful
coconut plantation overlooking the lagoon. They will be here for two weeks,
and we're looking forward to exploring the islands with them!

Almost Ready to Splash!

I can hear Mark now..."finally, a picture"!! We unpacked our big bags today,
and found our camera battery charger. So here is a pic of John installing
our shiny prop and new zinc. You may notice some un-painted areas of the
hull!

We're busily working away in the yard, getting Renova set to splash. We're
hoping for Monday. We almost finished painting the bottom today. We ran out
of paint with only the rudder and a small portion of the hull to do. If we
are able to find the paint locally, we'll finish it off before we launch
tomorrow. Another boat in the yard told us they just paid $500 per gallon of
bottom paint. Yikes. If that is the cost, we'll simply have to dive more
often and scrub the bottom.

The remainder of our jobs are getting ticked off the list, and we're looking
forward to being in the water again. We've reserved a spot at the marina
nearby for next week. Wahoo...unlimited laundry!! Watch out -- here I come.

All is well on board. It is a good thing we have our parents arriving next
week, it enables us to work towards a deadline! We would likely take twice
as long otherwise. The heat is unbearable at times. Don't get me wrong...i'm
not complaining. I prefer this to the snow on the ground when we left home
earlier this week. By the way - how is the weather back home?

Have heard spotty news about the earthquake and effects (we have limited
internet usage these days). We did hear that there may be a danger of
nuclear fallout reaching BC?! Yikes. Please keep us informed of the latest
news.

(Labels: Raiatea, French Polynesia, maintenance)