Apataki Carenage 15:33.429S 146:14.503W
Pacific Bliss
Colin Price
Sat 26 Nov 2011 17:31
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Apataki
Carenage
It will be nice to meet friends from
our Gambier adventures, who are leaving there boat here to return to France for
the 'ski season', what a marvellous life...... The yard is quiet,
actually whilst sailing up to the moto we're starting to be convinced we've got
it wrong. With only 4 other boats visible, all in various states of disrepair,
we thought the idea of a yard in the Tuamaotos might just be one huge Polynesian
joke. It should be a quick in-out job for us, a week at the most!
We've been dreading the haul-out, loads of jobs to do
and yards are pretty dirty, hot, mosquito infested hell holes. Until now
we've let (Ed. paid for!) someone else do the work, but following a normal
pattern, having been at sea for over 2 years we need to opt for a more cost
effective option of DIY. Apataki is relatively new yard, in fact we're
only the 65th boat to be hauled. It's run by a Polynesian/Chinese
family. Now that pearls are no longer economically viable Alfred Lau and
family have been truely ingenious and built a yard that cruisers can only dream
of.
 Dick Wittington was disappointed to
find the streets of London where not paved with gold, but here in a remote atoll
in Polynisia the concrete ramp for hauling out the boats is studded with pearls
inscribing the name of the yard - Apataki Carenage.
 The Carenage from the water. Ramp and yard on the right
and family buildings on the left. 
Our first landfall at 'the carenage'   Wow -what a place.
I had been erring on the side of
pesimism/realism about the haulout. Colin whilst outwardly telling us how
wonderful it's going to be has also been secretly dreading it. So with some
nervousness we reach this extremely remote moto ready to get our hands and
everything else dirty. The nerve racking haul goes smoothly on a hydraulic
trailer pulled by an old Ford 655 digger.
     Our eyes have become
slowly adjusted to Polynesian Architecture if they're not kit homes then it's
just a simple wooden frame with painted ply nailed to it, the windows
crude square holes with a shutter styled hinged from the top of the frame held
open with a piece of 2x2 only hauled shut when the rain comes, which is darn
well did far too frequently whilst we were on the hard.
    High tea on a
rainy aftrernoon with cucumber sandwiches and Victoria sponge Alfred at work and relaxing   Daph
and Veries s/v Aquamante arrive after a harrowing time in the Marquesas,
We've been expecting them to catch up for a year and a half, and with so many
disarsterous boat stories and then being at the centre of the Murder on
the Marquesas it's great to see them again and incredibly they're
still smiling. Vries tries kite
surfing, and then mending kites It is unexpected to find a yard in
the Tuamotos is because the availablity of water is a problem in these remote
places, rain water is usually the only option. Running a yard full of
boats needing cleaned and rubbed down just wouldn't be able to survive on this
catch. The Lau family have managed to extract water from deep
underground with the aid of an enormous old, lister engine and generator.
The the coral filters the salt out. Whilst we're not drinking it, its
perfect for everything else.
 Lister engine,
made in England about 60 years ago and still going strong A
quick dip at the end of the day 
So it's now week number 3 or maybe 4
and we're still suspended in mid air, having discovered a failing propellor,
thus we are waiting for a part from Volvo in the UK. Then horrible
weather, we've not been able to do the job we originally came to do, which was
to paint the bottom and polish the sides. However the 'silver lining' has
meant other stuff has got done. The jobs I've been asking colin to have
done whilst in places that have skilled and cheap labour have finally been
done, by yours truely. As a result I feel a tremendous sence of
satisfaction, pride and a love of 'power tools', I can safely say this
trip really has changed me. We both feel a wonderful sense of achievment
infact. DIY the boat, stuff niether of us could have imagined doing but
after 2 years at sea or more importantly being here is wonderful Apataki
Caranage. Colin not only has learnt to antifoul, polishing, fiberglassing,change
rudder bearings but he's also learnt how to gel-coat and I've tackled all
the loathsome varnish so now the wood work looks like new, and the rusty
old fridge baskets are now gleaming white after a weeks work of sanding and
acid baths. It's magic as we now will enjoy the ever increasing beauty and
good order of the boat rather than waiting until we sell her one
day..
Doing jobs we never meant to get
to
   The new hub
once fitted looking sparkelly and new, a thing of beauty in Colins
eyeObviously we had no intention of
being in the attol this weekend (week 6) less still being suspended. It
has been a well anticipated weekend with fleets of french boats returning to
celebrate Bithdays on mass, 3 folk and Pauline our patrons wife .
There's been talk for weeks about the 3 day fete with expectations of lobster
and other delicious fayre, Top of the bill is Pig cooked in a Tahitian
oven (under the ground). But ,of course, said pig needs to be
caught. Having listened to arrangements over the VHF about where and
when the pig hunt would be conducted, by Saturday morning it seems time has run
out. In almost Monty Python style, we watch Alfred armed with air rifle
marching past the stern of our boat followed by a trail of folk and a wheel
barrow. Two pops of the rifle later and Alfred return along his tracks now
with an open gun. Moments later the trail of folk and a wheel barrow
followed him back up to the house, the only difference being the barrow
looked decidedly heavier, and sadly for us our waste disposal unit is no
more. Not so much of a pig hunt more like pig-in-pen
assasination.
 Halloween was a
major practice for the birthday party The party finally arrived, with much
home made polynesian music and dancing, it was terribly hard work for Alfred and
we felt the pressure he was under. I turned into full time pudding chef,
which in it's self was tiring. But all went well and fun was had.
But I think we were all relieved when life at the Caranage went back to a normal
pace which lasted about a week until 'Suri' rocked up.
Here are some gneral shots of the
long foretold birthday party for Pauline, Arnaud and three others, for which the
fatted pig was killed.
            Poisson Cru
amongst many other goodiesTables full of people
    Lemon meringue
pie The children had a mixed time. With parent ignoring there flock the kids are mostly left to fend for themselves after school. Sadly for Cosmo there aren't any boys around. Sadly for Zinnia there is one particular French girl who demonstrate great hostility towards Z and we witness the most hideous example of bullying even in a remote attoll on a small Moto this sort of hideaous behaviour happens. Thankfully after 10 days the boat carrying the devil's spawn get popped back into the water and sails off, hopefully never to be seen again. I later discovered that the hideous 10yr old girls favorite film selection included 'Lolita', odd, but perhaps explains a little! Cosmo however after suffering many attacks of boredom and a bit of bullying too get given a life skill of fishing from grandpa, 'Papi'. He's hooked and every evening a 4pm he manages to catch the family supper. The bait is red hermit crabs which he never seems to have less than a bucket full, having been told all the secret places to catch them - thus proving that children can earn there keep at an early age. His other major experience came from Alfred and a very large ford digger. He got his first driving lesson, not a ride as we had expected but a driving lesson and other than a few dismantled piles of wood and a well bashed palm tree it was an incredible thing to allow an over energetic 6 year old loose with.     Going fishing
for the afternoon with hermit crabs as bait   School !?!?!?
  Pearls for the
girlsViews around the Carenage
         Alfred polishing oyster nache shells   Finally painting
'the blackness' as Cosmo as called it, he's been desparate to get his bottom
into one of these suits since the moment Colin bought them.  and then....
Going back into the water
 Major DIY jobs are being done on boats, Jupes build (swimming platforms), fridges built and sanding ('poncer' in French - je pense, tu pense, il pense) of everything. My first heart felt French sentence is formed, "Je deteste Le Ponseurs". Colin finds this all rather funny thinking about all these dudes poncing about all day. Philip on his new 'jupe'
  Arnaud and Coco
 s/v
OdesyeeBy 5.30pm each day everyone has washed and
showered. The wash is accomplished after a swim then a scrub down and hair
wash on the haulout ramp, followed by another swim to rid yourself of the
soap. Then off to the large bucket sitting under the boat to splash
yourself down with the aid of an old ice cream box. It's very public and
very basic but after 4 weeks it's de-rigeur. By 6pm everyone is marching up the
road to have a well earned 'Apero' (Apperatif). This can sometime turn
into dinner, but with all things 'Apataki Caranage', you just never know.
We've stopped making plans now and just go with the flow.
Papi
Alfreds father, Assam or Papi as very one calls him is a wonderful source of pak choy, eggs, tomatoes and if your really lucky a cucumber. He is the most wonderful peaceful old fellow. He spends his days collecting coconuts in his two wheel chinese styled barrow, splitting them and laying them out to dry in his copra shed, watching and listening to the activities of this 70yr old was some how incredibly calming. Papi has that wonderful gentle ora around him, a man of God who has found complete peace with the world.  Assam preparing
copra  The children returned to the boat at 5pm one evening
insisting I come and see the biggest black tip you've ever seen. After
some resistance I went along with them to find not a black tip but an enormous
nurse Shark laying inches from the shore line outside Papi's hut,
motionless. After an alarmed screach to Colin then he also
rather alarmed calling Alfred we learn that dear old nursey nursey
has been coming each day to the bottom of Papy's beach where he feeds her by
hand for the past 9 years. The children got to do this. Remarkable to be
hand feeding the big teethed beast, but she's so gentle she just sucks the
fish from your hand never baring one of her pearlies. Whilst this process
is in action the other children are able to stroke and pet her,
incredible. But the boat kids just think it another normal event bit
like stroking a dog.
I feel an immense sense of satisfaction about our time
here firstly I've done things I never thought I could do, or is that,
wanted to do! But cooking for the French started in gambier, and it was
nerve racking now it just fantastic. With more than one french boat
wanting to be our 'Ramora' and other folk at pains to find a British
persons food delicious, I rather like that pain they feel.
Today should have been our departure from Apataki, and we're not expecting to return so leaving is totally long drawn out for Colin, just a bit more time chewing the cud with Alfred, I feel it could go on for years, if I don't drag him away 'toot sweet'.  Family
LauSpearfishing
With no shops and little else but eggs and a quickly deminishing store cupboard dinner needs to be found each night. So when Cosmo is unlucky with his rod the boys go off to deeper water. Cosmo was given his first spear fishing lesson and when a gaggle of chaps went hunting, it was cosmo who came back with the largest fish. He's still a little young to go lobstering but Colin and the other guys had yet another go, again no luck they really need to listen to the chap who knows. Alfreds son refused the offer of the trek over the reef, but went off the following night, returning with 10, it's all to do with falling tides and moon. Cosmo's Best
bits
Veron because she was nice and soft and cuddly Kani the other dog because she never bites and was very cuddly Driving the Big digger Spear fishing under the rocks The sailing catamaran 'Pacific Glisse', Arnaut made for
Cosmo
  Wizard Cosmo,
the terror of the yard, on his new 'Beastbolt' flying
broomstickColin's bests
Bits
Alfred the Great Sandrine (renamed sundream)and Philippe our new remoras from s/v'Orphee' Arnout and Coco (our very young dudey friends) Very 'Nickel Chrome' "Appero" (apperatif) at 6pm each evening, the early days where the best when everything was relaxed and very jolly with no pending parties to organise Watching an 'Australian Bruce' recoil sharply when being kissed french/Polynesian style by Alfred Living on a coral island Collecting hermit crabs with the kids then catching the fish and eating them an hour later for supper The extra ordinarily beautiful view from the back of the boat, given your in a boat yard. Zinzan's best bits Veron, the worlds most maluable poodle he'd do pretty much anything you wanted when you wanted it, play, cuddle, snooze on your lap, jump up and down. We're all keen to have one of them. The girls from 'Orphee',Moana and Thais Being on land Playing Ghost Adding a new tune to her Ipod 'cache cachee' by a Polynesian Rap Band Visiting a super yacht for the first ever time it been 2 and a bit years on the wish list. Steake frite Octopus for super curtousy of Arnaud the octopus hunter. She even suggested marriage if it meant eating the 8 legged beast everyday.... Watching ladies and girls select pearls. My best bits More than one french boat offering to be Pacific Bliss's Ramora (ramora being the sucker fish that feeds off a sharks back)) and watching them painfully come to terms with the fact that the English can in fact cook. Making yet more great friends 90% French, it's an unusual thing in the cruising world so it feel somehow like an achievement. Watching Colin and Alfreds friendship blossom. Seeing Cosmo's love of Fishing ignite and his bravery when it comes to Bernard hermit, Crabs All of us improving our French language Long lunches with Dalph and Vries Stories from Eva and Tapio new friends from Finland.
When asking to her to marry him, he asked if she would sail round the
world with him?
Eva said yes on both counts, but only once around the world. Its taken them
36 years to get this far. Tapio gets the prize for being a sly old
dog.
DIY and Power tools. Achieving so much, ourselves.  On the front of Horrible Histories book it
reads, "I'm not Alfred the Great, I'm Alfred the blooming marvellous" well he's
alive and living in Apataki Caranage.
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