Day 127 – 365 Project…Bluebird Bath

By on May 17, 2014 in Misty Moose

Welcome to day 127 of  365 photos…Splish, splash, bluebird taking a bath! The bluebirds have very busy lately feeding their five children. Dad must have felt a need for a quick bath. He spent about five minutes splashing around in the birdbath. I love to watch the birds when they really get into their bath,… Continue Reading

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FPB Passage Notes – It Is Ocean Crossing Time

By on May 17, 2014 in Wind Horse

Passaging season is upon us and the FPB fleet is on the move. While FPB 64-6 Grey Wolf nears the end of a quick 4000 NM hop, FPB 64-3 Iron Lady is on her way from Hawaii to British Columbia. The majority of the rest of the FPB feet is getting ready for or have […]

Moorea: Vaiare

By on May 17, 2014 in Domino
April 29, 2014
Vaiare – Moorea (French Polynesia)

S 17°30.468 – W 149°45 838

4/25 – The weekend is upon us again and our Tahitian family is joining us from Papeete.  how do they get to Moorea?  By ferry, of course.  Ferries run from the Port of Pappete to Moorea’s port of Vaiare several times a day.  The trip lasts 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the ferry) and costs 1,500 CP (about $20) for tourists, but show that you’re a senior and you only get charged 950 CP.  Yes, sometimes I really like to look as old as I am.

Moorea is a beautiful island, even on a chart.  It’s heart-shaped, with 2 big notches to the north (Opunohu and Cook’s Bay.) Vaiare is Moorea’s main harbor and town, 12 NM from Papeete harbor: ferries, shopping and ATM in town.  There is also a marina but you’d be hard-pressed to find a spot.  If you so desire, contact Papeete’s harbormaster.  There are 2 main anchorage areas, on each side of the passe.  We decided to follow the advice of the local yachtie “Ratafia” from Freres de la Cote and anchor north of the pass, close to the PGEM marker.  There are also 3 mooring buoys for smaller yachts, 1st-come, 1st serve.  But I must say that when the Ma’aramu started to gust from the SE on our last night, I was on anchor watch: not for our own anchor, but for the boats on mooring balls that were swinging into us, just a few yards off our bow.  A word on this anchorage: the current can be swift at the WP indicated above, coming from the north, and when the Ma’aramu starts blowing from the SE, you’re in a wind-against-current situation: DOMINO sat cross-current and on top of her anchor… not a comfortable situation for most yachts.
Oh! The color of the water!  Sapphire blue, gin-clear… imagine a bottle of Bombay gin with Lady Di’s sapphire ring at the bottom.  The white-sand bottom is covered with a black weed, the water runs fast and clear with the current, and all this contributes to the most stunning water I’ve ever seen.  Seriously!  I spent hours just sitting there and staring at the measly 5 meters under our hulls… it’s not quantity, it’s quality!
It’s a 10-mn dinghy ride (when the ma’aramu isn’t blowing) from that anchorage to the ferry dock, so JP gathered our little family and we had ourselves a great weekend, never going to shore!  While flocks of “meduses” were invading Moorea’s beaches and the authorities had decided to close all beaches, the reef side was clean. 
It looks like the PGEM (Management Plan for Marine Environment) in Moorea is bearing fruit.  The reef in Vaiare is very healthy, vibrant, with lots of life.  Just take a swim and enjoy, don’t gather the wildlife, no fishing on the reef side.
4/28 – The kids went wild, jumping off the platform for hours, kayaking and swimming… and, yes, doing their homework and practicing their violin.  They’re very much at home on board DOMINO… we’re thinking of putting them to work when it’s time to paint… but again, maybe not!
Tahitian Tifaifai, reversed applique, entirely hand-stitched.
Here: Tiare Crown, in traditional red-and-white
I’m in heaven!
On Monday, I took the early ferry to Papeete to visit the “Salon du Tifaifai.”  But that’s a story for the next blog.  When JP picked me up again in the late afternoon, the Ma’aramu was blowing at 25 knots, he was soaked from the dinghy ride and we had a rather anxious night, exposed as we were to the SE winds.  Time to seek shelter to the north, back to Cook’s Bay!
Till Next time…

dominomarie

Alaska Cruise 2014 Part one- the trip begins

By on May 17, 2014 in Spirit
After a short turnaround at home, checking mail, etc, we headed back to Anacortes, where Spirit was fueled and nearly ready for departure.  After a nice gathering with friends at Skyline (Tucker’s, Lieschner’s,  Alveys and Hislops’s), we headed to Spirit for a much needed night of sleep before rising early to launch our new tender which had been in dry storage.  We installed the new propeller, intended to improve performance, but it actually made the performance worse so we put the original one back on.

After a final trip to Costco and Safeway we met our cruise guests, Ted and Lisa Marx about 7 PM for dinner at the Brown Lantern before retiring for an early departure from Anacortes Marina.

May 15, 2014


Dawn arrived all too early as we prepared to depart Anacortes Marina.  Spirit departed the slip right on schedule at 0600, while Miriam and Ted took the tender out separately to meet outside the breakwater and hook up the tow line.  By 0620 we underway seriously and headed down Guemes Channel to take advantage of the large ebb tide.  Passing through Thatcher Pass we then headed across Blakely Sound and through Pole Pass and then past Stuart Island across Haro Strait to Bedwell Harbor where we cleared Canadian Customs.  That process took only a few minutes by phone since the Customs dock was unmanned.

A short run from Bedwell Harbor brought us to Port Browning where we anchored Spirit in a nearly deserted bay in 25 feet of water.  Patrick and Ted headed ashore to check out the Pub menu and hours before all four of us took a scenic cruise in the new tender through the Pender Canal back to Bedwell Harbor and then around South Pender Island via Haro Strait and back to Port Browning.  Dinner at the pub was good, with an interesting cream of broccoli soup with blue cheese.  Thursday was also fish and chips special night, with good beer battered cod for very reasonable prices.

Cruising the Pender Canal

New Fishing Tender at Port Browning

Spirit at anchor in the deserted bay at Port Browning
Returning to Spirit the four of us played “Mexican Train” until late, then realized that with the large ebb tide in the morning that we needed to have another 0600 departure.

May 16, 2014

We raised the anchor right on schedule at 0600 and decided to try a new route (for us) via Georgeson Passage into the Strait of Georgia.  Georgeson Passage, while a little narrow, has less current then Active Pass, and is 15 nautical miles shorter than going around the east end of Saturna Island.  There were a few violent eddies and whirlpools, but nothing the boat autopilot could not handle.

Exiting into the Strait of Georgia we set a course for Vancouver that would keep us in Canadian Waters until we cleared the northern USA boundary and then cut across the VTS lanes to the correct northbound lane near Sand Head.  The wind and seas had built to 25 knots and 3-5 foot seas on the starboard quarter.  The stabilizers were working hard and we kept hearing a strange banging noise.  Checking the engine room Patrick found the starboard stabilizer top bearing support housing bolts were loose, causing excessive motion and presumably causing the leak in the seal we had noticed.  A few minutes with a large Allen wrench on the capscrews solved that problem and the rest of the trip into Vancouver’s False Creek and Quayside Marina was uneventful, where we arrived at 1225.  We have now covered 85 nautical miles, only about 4000 left to go until we return to Anacortes.

The new tender towed nicely in the seas and arrived behind us in Vancouver with no spray on board, unlike Spirit, which had a lot of salt spray.

The new tender tows just fine!
We re-provisioned with the fresh vegetables we could not bring across the border at both Costco, just a few blocks away, and at Urban Fare, one block from the marina.  After a snack of fresh oysters at “Provence” Bistro at the head of the dock we put on a rack of St. Louis style baby back pork ribs to slow cook for a late dinner.  The sun and warm temperatures made the cockpit the perfect place for dinner, which started with a shrimp and avocado cocktail.  As the skies gradually darkened we finished off the evening with another round of “Mexican Train”.

Enjoying evening dinner in the cockpit with Ted and Lisa Marx

May 16 – Jacksonville, FL

By on May 17, 2014 in The Pearl
Lamb’s Yacht Center

We are at Lamb’s Yacht Center on the Ortega River in Jacksonville. We chose this marina, because it has covered slips…it’s not like being in the sheds at Atlantic Yacht Basin in Great Bridge. These slips are covered by a high concrete roof, which lets in plenty of light and breeze but keeps out the heat of the sun and the rain. It’s the perfect place to do work on a boat, especially teak work….and that is what we’ve been working on the last week and a half. Our first project was getting a maintenance coat of Cetol Gloss on the teak Stan refinished last spring. That meant removing the stainless rub rail trim, taping, sanding, cleaning and then finally applying a coat of gloss. The next project was to redo all the teak that wasn’t done last year. That meant all the old layers of Cetol needed to be removed from the cap rail and port side door. Stan does that by using a heat gun and a wonderful little scrapper he bought last year, both items make the job a lot easier, but still time consuming and hard on the knees. After all the old layers were removed and the decks swept, Stan cleaned the teak with Star Brite Teak Cleaner to remove the mildew and then wiped on Star Brite Teak Brightener. These products really restored the look of our teak and were easy to use. Before we could begin applying Cetol we had to tape, sand and remove dust with Xylene. Today we applied the first of three coats of Cetol, which will be followed by three coats of Cetol Gloss. Five more days and we will be looking great!


We’ve been very busy working on the boat, but we have taken a little time to do fun things too. We went to the beach and farmers market last week and this week we went to dinner with friends. They belong to a Captain’s Club that meets twice a month for dinner. We had a great visit with Barbara and David and enjoyed a nice fish fry and program. The program was presented by a treasure hunter…Amelia Research & Recovery, LLC. He explained the techniques they use and showed us some of the treasures they have recovered. We actually saw their ship working near Fernandina Beach when we came through there last month.

The teak ready for it’s maintenance coat of gloss

Stan removing the old layers of cetol 

The next few pictures show the same spot of the cap rail. This picture shows why it needed a little work.

This is the same spot after the layers of cetol were removed 

This is how it looked after the Star Brite treatment 

And the same spot with its first coat of Cetol 

Another spot on the cap rail that was looking very bad. 

COOK’s Bay (Moorea)

By on May 16, 2014 in Domino



COOK’S BAY
May 1st, 2014
Cook’s Bay – Moorea (French Polynesia)
S 17°30.206 – W 149°49.231

Passe Avaroa – (there is also a smaller passe Irihonu – we’ve seen small charter cats go through it to reach our anchorage.)

Between 2 weekends with our Tahitian family, we had a few days by ourselves, perfect for a bit of R&R in Cook’s Bay (Paopao.)  This deep fjord-like bay is historical, mythic, under the hole in Pierced Mountain and the spire of Mount Mouaputa.  
Although the chart shows PGEM restriction, it also shows an anchorage allowance albeit in 17 meters of water and mud bottom.  We figured we’d restrain our anchorage at the bottom of the bay to 2 days, the PGEM restriction… or is that absolutely NO anchorage at the bottom of the bay?   PGEM rules are definitely not clear!  But since we’d seen half a dozen yachts anchored here all weekend, we decided to chance it.  And it’s beautiful.
This Va’a rider (outrigger canoe) was determined to race across our bow as we were entering the pass!
Breezy, yes it is, with gusts falling from the mountains and ripping through the bay.  We did 360’s for 3 days and it was like being on a panoramic platform.  It rained buckets, a good thing for the boat and our depleted water supply.  In spite of the elements, we just sat in awe of the natural beauty of the site’s geological features.
“Pierced Mountain”
Between two downpours, we managed to dock the dink at the fishing co-op, get fresh bread next to the station, and shop for souvenirs at Te Honu Iti (The Little Turtle,) a very nice souvenir shop next to Chez Roger.
Chez Roger – Just dinghy up for the finest meal in Polynesia
I had been here 11 years ago, riding my bike around Moorea, and had lunch “Chez Roger – Te Honu Iti” (The Little Turtle.)  I had come back for dinner 10 years ago, again on a ’round-Moorea biking trip, and had promised Roger I would be back for lunch, but not by bike: by yacht.  And so it was.  Roger is still here and although he didn’t remember me, he served us a finger-licking, memorable dinner, as only Roger is capable of.  Trained in France in the greatest restaurants, Roger is first and foremost a “saucier.”  He creates sauces you’ll never forget.  I can still taste the swamp crab in lobster sauce I had 10 years ago.  Well, JP treated us to dinner and Roger lived to our expectations.  We shared a carpaccio of red tuna like nowhere else in the world, followed by shrimp-mahi ravioli in crab sauce, then veal sweetbreads in demi-glace sauce and a crispy thin apple tart for dessert.  All that sprinkled with Roger’s sunny meridional accent and his giggles, stories of being a chef on luxury yachts and in California, an epic character to spend an evening with.  So far, the best restaurant in French Polynesia!
Some of the delicate features
Pointe Oroau

S 17.28.857 W 149.48.678

The anchorage at Pte. Oroau

 

After a short trip to Vaiare to spend yet another weekend with Caro, Williams and the kids, we came back to Cook’s Bay, but anchored on the outside, in front of the Moorea Beach Club, right next to the yellow PGEM buoy.  All we had for 3 days was very nasty weather, ma’aramu blowing with gusts at 40 knots, rain, and all we could do was hunker down and read.  Didn’t even snorkel the reef, too much rip.

Moorea Bay Club
The ma’aramu is wearing us out, hauling and growling, and although this anchorage is much better than the one in Vairare (oops, next blog!) we get hammered by the gusts that come over the hills.  But off we go.  Since the Ma’aramu from the south east is generally followed by strong north-west winds, we must change anchorage.  The timing is right for a trip to Tahaa!  Off we go…
S/V HEMISPHERE – Apparently, the largest catamaran in the world, passing Cook’s Bay
Till next time!

dominomarie

JAMBO Powercat

By on May 16, 2014 in Domino

JAMBO in Opunohu (Moorea)JAMBO PowercatMay 1, 2014 – Moorea (French Polynesia)Powercat are coming of age, for sure.  The surprise is that the greatest powercat enthusiasts seem to be, paradoxally, great navigators, sailors who have nothing left to…

Opunohu

By on May 16, 2014 in Domino
Opunohu Bay, Moorea
MOOREA  – Opunohu Bay

Easter Sunday

April 20th, 2014

OPUNOHU Bay – Moorea (French Polynesia)

S 17°29.465 – W 149°51.126

Passe Tareu S17°28.57 – W 149°51.80

The most beautiful bay in all of French Polynesia?  Yes, I think so.  Between the flat top of Mt. Tohivea and the sharp peak of Mt. Muaroa, the deep Opunohu Bay is incredibly scenic and, yes, stunningly beautiful.  But don’t expect to anchor inside the bay.  Moorea has instituted a strict policy of conservation of the lagoon with 9 PGEM zones that the yachtie is advise to respect and observe.

Very active sailing club in Opunohu

PGEM – Plan de Gestion de l’Environement Maritime (Management Plan for the Marine Environment) mandates the following:
             – 5 knots speed limit within 70 meters of the coast

            – Only anchor in sand; grab a mooring whenever possible

            – Formal interdiction to dump black water tanks and any trash in the lagoons

            – Use trash bins on land

            – No touching/handling of the flora and fauna

(more info at http://www.peche.pf)

Exiting Opunohu… we’ll be back!
In MOOREA – NINE PGEM zones limit speed to 5 knots; anchoring 48 hours in the sand and 7 days maximum in controlled zones; no anchoring at the bottom of the bays.  We saw that last rule observed in Opunohu but not in Cook’s Bay, but since there is nobody to enforce the rules…
A word about PWCs– I’ll take the risk of offending our good friend and PWC world-record holder Jeremy Burfoot –and maybe Jeremy can suggest a way to educate riders to the risk they represent — As far as yachties are concerned, PWCs are a major nuisance.  As we’ve experienced for years, and especially in Moorea, Jetskis and other PWCs certainly pay no attention to the rules and the danger they represent when they zoom at full speed within the anchorage area, threatening to run over swimmers!  They circle around the yachts at full throttle, throwing a nasty set of wakes, rocking the yachts at anchor, and I’ve spilled more than one hot coffee while bothered by those nasty buggers.  There should be an etiquette for PWCs!  Jeremy? 

JP, Caro and the kids at the Belvedere – Opunohu left, Cook’s Bay right
Enough complaining… We anchored outside of Opunohu Bay, in the light blue and 3 meters of water, along with a dozen other yachts.  Yes, the ARC is in town, getting ready for the Tahiti Pearl Regatta.  Nice yachts from everywhere, lots of Brits and Kiwis, one token Yankee.
Always ready for fresh fruit.  Moorea = Pineapple island… indeed!

 

With Caro and the kids in her tow, we spent a great weekend doing what there’s to do in Opunohu, since Caro had brought her car by ferry.  Nice!  Climb up the Belvedere, where we could catch a splendid view of both bays: Cook’s and Opunohu; visit the “Lycee Agricole”,” the college of agricultural science that has grown significantly in the last 10 years; visit the ROTUI Juice factory and taste their brews, including the local rum; push to the Beachcomber hotel and see the enslaved dolphins (the kids liked to see them jump for show…); lament over the closing the beautiful Club Med in Mahana Beach (will tdevelopers ever get the 5 landowners to agree to sell their land to develop a new resort?) and shop for fresh fruits on the side of the road.

Time to hoist the Polynesian flag
Swimming?  The reef is fairly healthy.  I’d say it’son the rebound, but not quite there yet.  A few shells: cones, spider conch; some fish: leopard rays and black-tip sharks.  Not much to see, but better than I expected.  It looks like the PGEM system is bearing fruit.  We like!
Powercat JAMBO in Opunohu
In this idyllic spot, we were not the only powercat at anchor.  “JAMBO” was there too and since outsiders must band together, Laurent and JP had a nice visit, showing each-other their yachts: the luxury, hotel-style Sunreef and all its gadgets, and the small Malcolm Tennant design and its Spartan accommodations.  But that’s a story for an another day.
Till then…

dominomarie

Day 126 – 365 Project…Black Scoter Duck

By on May 16, 2014 in Misty Moose

Welcome to day 126 of  365 photos…this Black Scoter duck was swimming along all by his lonesome. He looked as though he didn’t have a care in the world. I beleive this is an adult male but correct me if I am wrong.Camera: Nikon D7100 – Lens: Nikon 80-400mm Focal Length: 400mm – Aperture: f/9.0… Continue Reading

The post Day 126 – 365 Project…Black Scoter Duck appeared first on Moosetique Musing.

25,000 NM & TAHITI

By on May 16, 2014 in Domino
Just iinside Taapuna pass

April 15, 2015 – Marina Taina, Tahiti (French Polynesia)

S 17°34.717 – W 149°37.187

Taapuna Pass: S 17°36 – W 149°37.75

Meteo: VHF16 @0803, 1200, 1803 – AM 740 shortly after 7 AM

Contact: MRCC Papeete – VHF 16 &  SSB 8291 kHz

Tides: solar tides  (high at noon and midnight) 50cm high

HERE WE ARE!

– 4 years, 3 months;
– 31 countries;
– 400 anchor drops;
– 1 trans-Pacific crossing; AND
– 25,000 nautical miles… all this to get from our origin (Asuncion, Paraguay) to our dream destination: Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia.

25,000… and counting

Our goal had been to dock downtown Papeete, at the “Quai des Bateaux” (originally Quai Bir Hakeym) but we were directed to Marina Taina in Punaauia, some 9 miles south of Papeete Harbor, because the downtown dock is being converted into a marina and is out of commission, the “front de mer” on Blvd. Pomare obliterated by palissades (though we’ve heard of yachts overnighting there anyways.)  A coffee at the “Retro” somehow doesn’t feel the same without the view on the docked yachts.
Here is the deal with Marina Taina.  There is no room for boats the size of Domino inside the marina, neither any mooring for large yachts (>50′) on the mooring field.  What was left for us was a small patch of free anchoring between the marina and the moorings south of the Beachcomber Hotel in 15meters of water and a very crowded anchorage, rotting boats included.  Another tricky part of Marina Taina: the unmarked reef that extends north of the dingy dock and that we unhappily hit while dinghying over to the dock… a word of advice: give the dinghy dock a wide berth if you approach from the anchorage area!
Docking at the “Quai des Bateaux” at marina Taina was indeed an option, for $200/night and a hideous surge that generally slaps the yachts into the dock, no thank you.
This said, Marina Taina is great.  The 24-hour gas station-cum-convenience store outside the marina has fresh baguette every morning; Carrefour is a block away and you can take your shopping cart with you (make sure to get a free Carrefour Fidelity card on your 1st trip: more savings to you!); a shipchandler can arrange for most of your pressing needs; and 2 really good restaurants can relieve you from your galley slave duties… for a price, but the food’s great.  A Casa Blanca on Wednesday nights you can be sure to find a member of “Les Freres de la Cote” having a drink and waiting for a visiting brother.  We were invited to join their dinner and oh-what a happy and helpful bunch of yachties they are!  How helpful?  Claude (“s.v Moemiti”)had helped us contact John Deere Panama when he provided us with Inmarsat Internet access the morning we got hit by lightning in San Blas 2 years ago, and we were very glad indeed to reconnect with him in his home harbor of Papeete.
2 brothers… 2 different boats!

Of note: while we were at Taina, we met the most extarordinary boats.  First, “JAMBO,” the Sunreef powercat owned and designed by French great sailor Laurent Bourgon.  Then, “NEODIS,” a Hobie-cat style catamaran owned by Laurent’s younger brother, Yvan, currently doing a solo-around-the-world… yeah, on that little cat: sporty, even if Yvan has a support boat following him!  Best of luck to you, Yvan!

JP & Williams … best friends for 20 years!

Of course, our Tahitian friends Caro and Williams were waiting for us too, letting us use their car as we needed.  How nice!  No need to dinghy in the lagoon for 20 minutes to Papeete; no need to wait for the elusive bus to town (awe… the “trucks” no longer exist;) no need to hail a cab that is sure to charge the tourist double for the fare.  We were free to drive and hit the good spots as we pleased: the haulout facility Technimarine, the ship chandlers in Fare Ute (Papeete harbor) and, not to be missed, the Sunday morning fresh produce market at the Papeete market.

It was a full week of shopping, maintenance planning, visiting with friends and hardly time to breathe before the big Easter weekend that will see us in Moorea, with of course Caro and the kids for an Easter egg chase in Moorea…
Not a great catch… an old barracuda and we were very careful with those teeth!
That was after batteling a 200-lb black marlin for 2 hours.
Tossed the ‘cuda back; lost the Marlin;
At the end of the day? No fish in my freezer

Until then…
dominomarie
Our 31 Countries….
1-Paraguay
7-Trinidad &
       Tobago
13-Antigua
19-Puerto Rico
25-Guatemala
2 -Argentina
8-Grenada
14-Barbuda
20-Bahamas
26-Honduras
3 -Uruguay
9-St Vincent & Grenadines
15-St. Barth- elemy
21-Cuba
27-Panama
4 -Brazil
10-St. Lucia
16- British Virgin Islands
22-Mexico
28-Galapagos
5-French
     Guayana
11-Martinique
17 – U.S.
Virgin Islands
23-U.S.A. Florida to Nantucket
29-Marquesas
6-Suriname
12-Guadeloupe
18-Spanish Virgin Islands
24- Belize
30-Tuamotus
31-Society Is.