More Society Islands and Disaster
CARANGO AMEL 54 #035
PETER and VICKY FORBES
Mon 16 May 2016 05:04
We satiated our appetite for Tahiti and Morea and sailed ever onwards to Huahine, Radiate and Borabora the leeward section of the Society Islands. Huahine was great fun - we cycled round the Island with friends.  There were one or two fairly savage hills on the circuit and in this heat they were a challenge but good for the somewhat underused yachtie leg muscles.Next stop - Borabora, despite our fears of over commercialised Americanised hotels and resorts, was quite wonderful and one of the nicest islands we have visited. Almost completely unspoilt - the reef around the island with its own islands [Motus] seems much wider than the norm we now know and is quite far off the island - the hotels are all on the Motus and so the main island is relatively untouched. Great Borabora yacht club and restaurant - we also had to call in for cocktails and dinner at the famous “Bloody Mary’s” down at the South tip of the island - great fun and a fine dinner - like anything out here horrendously expensive!  The Bora mountain. The Hotel grass huts on the Motus at the outer reef.We sadly left Borabora, could have spent a lot ore time there, and backtracked to swim the “Coral Garden” in Tahaa the top half of Raiatea. The drift snorkel dive was spectacular with beautiful live coral and quite a sizeable Octopus, brilliantly changing colour as it moved to resemble its background coral colour. After a rather stormy night East of Raiatea we attended the skippers briefing and anchored for our final night in the Society Islands - tomorrow morning we will sail to the deserted island of Suwarrow where New Zealander Tom Neale spent six years totally alone living his dream solitary island life. As we were about to exit the ‘pass’ through the reef at Raiatea the main engine failed - hailing our friends on fellow yacht ‘Into the Blue’ crewed by the Hilton family they turned and towed us back to safety. We are eternally grateful to them and to the joint quick action to save us from the reef. The problem analysed later that day is a very tough one - a broken cam belt which has sheared its housing in the engine casing. We wait final judgement from Volvo who will visit in two days time [why do these things always happen on a Saturday before a bank holiday Monday?]. My own analysis is not hopeful - I feel we may be delayed up to a month awaiting parts and repairs! This is a remote place. We have notified all the next 6 months crews of this issue. Peter Forbes 0044 7836 209730 Carango Sailing Ketch Amel 54 #035 Travelling West in the Pacific Ocean |