21 May, Papeete Tahiti

Sorry for the delay in posting this!

Papeete, Tahiti
We arrived in Papeete on the morning of Monday May 17. We were able to spot Tahiti from about 30 miles away and a very welcome sight it was. We left Rangiroa on Sunday morning after spending yet another restless and rolly night at the lagoon in Avatoru. The wind was still blowing quite strongly from the south and despite this none of us wanted to stay yet another night in Rangiroa. As soon as we got out of the lee of Rangiroa and Tikehau we got into Force 6-7 winds and corresponding seas on a close reach. The trip was quite bumpy and wet antil the wind and seas moderated somewhat in the evening. Although uncomfortable it was a fast sail and there was Tahiti in the morning to welcome us.
We tied up at the Mouillage des Yachts right in the middle of Papeete. Surprisingly, there was plenty of space and we did a little wander around town and the ubiquitous check-in. Although not very large, Papeete seemed like a major metropolis after what we have been used to for the past two months and I think I'm ready for it.
We went out for dinner on both nights and explored the old market and the numerous parks and sights of Papeete. Ron planned to leave on Tuesday but his flight was canceled, which was just as well because the fresh water pump pressure switch decided to give up just after he left. As always, Ron knew exactly what the problem was and we went off on a parts safari and were able to find a replacement and a spare for the offending switch. All is now well with the fresh water system.
In the harbor while we were there were a collection of Wakas which are Polynesian, twin hulled sailing canoes with crews from all over over the south pacific including New Zealand. These are built of modern materials but try to keep as close to the originals as possible.
I took lots of photos but unfortunately, the internet is so poor I can't send them.
We took off for a quiet anchorage 8 miles west of Papeete at Taina where it's much quieter and cleaner with a fantastic view of Moorea. Ron did finally get away on his flight to LA last night and by now he will be safely home. I will certainly miss his cheerful personality and also his outstanding mechanical ability and I hope that he will be able to join us again soon, perhaps in New Zealand.
Larry left a few hours ago to meet his girlfriend who is flying in tonight.
Right now it's raining and I'm getting started on a massive clean up and will try to get every thing shipshape for the next leg of this journey.