16:38.17S 151:29.22W

After obtaining the latest weather forecast for the following days, the wind was going down to nothing for the next days. So instead of starting the journey being becalmed we decided to spend some time on the east side of Tahaa. On our way we crossed Jean Claude on “Nokanhui” (see Moorea) and he decided to turn around and follow us to the anchorage to catch up with us. We were the two only yachts in the bay! After a very peaceful night (no more wind howling and rain), he left this morning and we went ashore to visit the village of Haamene.

On our first visit to Tahaa at the beginning of the month, we were tracking down Patrick, a French sailor we had met in the Azores three years ago (see blog Horta, photos in front of Cafe Sport). Patrick had bought a 6m Pogo called “Pooino” in Benodet (France) and was on his way to the Caribbean (in hurricane season) to take this little racing boat to French Polynesia. We had lost his address and never found out if he had arrived safely. We were able to find his house in Hurapiti Bay but he was away. His neighbours Antonina and Marc welcomed us with Polynesian warmth and tried to get in touch with him. He was skippering a boat in the Tuamotus, so we left Tahaa without being able to see him in person but with a beautiful woven baskets filled with fruits and vanilla pods from Antonina’s garden:

                                                .         Je

Today our paths crossed in the little village of Haamene!

What a reunion! Over a class of beer we were able to catch up and share a few adventure stories and will continue later... we were not meant to leave French Polynesia yet! Pa