Tahiti Baby!!

It is an amazing feeling, I sailed across half an ocean to get here! A more amazing feat is we arrived in one piece, without any breakages after having had the worst passage to date (the memory of the pleasant passage to the Tuamoto’s has very much faded!!) We hit numerous squalls, Bobby insists they were squalls but in my opinion they were storms! We sailed in & out of bad weather throughout the passage. As dawn broke on my watch the daylight was quickly replaced by blackness. Best comment of the day goes to the Captain: “Let me know when the wind gets above 25 knots” I informed him that we were already at 32 knots & increasing!
We hated every second of that passage. It was the first time I had thoughts of being sick, trying to cook in the galley during bad weather will do that to you! I dream of salted crisps (chips, for you yanks reading this!) I have no idea why but I crave the salt when we are at sea & unfortunately my supply of Pringles has long since disappeared!
We made it through the pass, into the protected waters of Tahiti Sailing Club & pulled up on a mooring ball. Even Bobby, who hates to pay for moorings, when anchorages are free, was keen to make use of the clubs facilities after the rough conditions. The lure of HOT fresh water showers were too much for either of us to pass up on! My first hot shower since leaving England in January! 5 months of salt water baths & cold water showers in the cockpit with a pesticide sprayer – not such a soft southerner after all!!
I took the longest shower in history & then stood wide eyed & dazed in the aisles of the French supermarket, so many cheeses, fresh meats, fruit & veg, it was as if we have just been transported to France. I haven’t seen a supermarket like this since leaving home!
A good nights sleep (with blankets – yes its that cold here) followed by a day of looking out for our friends, sailing in a day or so behind us. We were lucky. We escaped the worst of the bad weather. They reported 50 knot winds, broken stays, shrouds & engine probs. Comradeship in cruising is similar to the relationship with colleagues in the police. We look out for each other & no one relaxes until the last man/boat is safe. The enemy is the environment & weather. Its pretty emotional watching everyone help each other, assisting the sailing boats in through the pass with directions & heading out there in dinghy’s to show the safest route. You are wrecked after a 3 day/2 night passage & in terrible conditions you don’t get any sleep, to come into the port out of the storm & see friendly faces means the world. Fellow Brits on s/v Seari couldn’t make it in before nightfall & heaved to until daylight. It was unsettling feeling not having everyone securely anchored but they arrived safely the next day.