Date                Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 April 2014

We had managed to order a replacement gearbox oil cooler last week and it was shipped from Annapolis, USA on Monday.  Deliveries to Nuku Hiva are a logistic challenge but we really could not leave until we have the full use of our engine.  The package tracked from Annapolis to Los Angeles.  From there it quickly made its way to Auckland New Zealand where it appeared to get stuck awaiting clearance; clearance of we know not what or why.  Thursday came with the tracking still saying the parcel was in Auckland.  At this stage son, Andrew, preformed wonders taking on the persona of the company in Annapolis to speak to all sorts of people in the FedEx supply chain.  Lo and behold on Thursday afternoon the parcel, having crossed the International Date Line twice, magically appeared in Papeete, Tahiti, still some 1,000 miles away but at least in the correct country.  At this stage Laurent, of Polynesian Yacht Services, the agent used by the World ARC Rally was able to take control and cleared the package on Friday putting it on the Saturday flight to Nuku Hiva where it arrived on Saturday morning and was picked up on our behalf by Kevin of Yacht Services, another excellent and helpful guy.

The oil cooler was fitted, the gearbox flushed again with petrol and refilled with clean oil and yet another filter on the afternoon of Saturday.  That involved some three to four hours of very hot and sweaty work but by 1900 we were all fitted and ready to go.

And what else did we do in Nuku Hiva.  We rolled about in the anchorage which was open to the swell and generally uncomfortable.  We had a very exciting refuel, stern to the commercial dock at which time the wind decided to gust to 30 knots and the rain hissed down; fortunately groups of boats were helping each other so we had many hands to assist us.  There was an excellent BYO BBQ put on by the “Snack Bar” on the quay. There was the Rally Rendezvous Party with an amazing display of Island dancing.

The town had a magnificent cathedral with fine examples of local carving.

The lectern was particularly fine.

Along the side of the bay was a collection of Tikis brought from various sites around the island.