The Van Diemen

0800 Position 17-23S 150-02W. Underway headed for Huahine

On an earlier trip to Tahiti some other cruisers told me about duty free liquor from Kim Fa, a Chinese store in Papeete. Liquor is about half price there when it is duty free, and it can be obtained that way if it is purchased after clearing out of the country. I've never been there myself, but the boys were intrigued by the story and headed over to Kim Fa first thing yesterday morning to check it out. Renee did some more vegetable shopping, and after everybody returned we departed Papeete Marina and headed around to Marina Taina to the gas dock.

Van Diemen holds seven hundred gallons of diesel in five separate tanks. Filling them all is a slow and tedious process and it hadn't been done since we departed Newport two and a half months ago. It took over an hour, but we got her topped up and then moved across the channel to another dock where we could fill water. While we were moving Mark and Blossom Logan came by in their dinghy. They are anchored off of Marina Taina until Kana arrives Saturday night.

Shortly after we finished filling water the delivery truck from Kim Fa arrived. The boys really went wild there. Cases of beer, rum, wine, and coffee were loaded aboard. We got it all stowed and cast off for Moorea.

There wasn't a breath of wind on the crossing to Moorea, and it was hot. Van Diemen dropped the hook in Oponohu Bay on Moorea at 5PM and everybody went for a swim.

The crew has been working diligently for some time now on the ultimate rum and juice cocktail. Last night we believe that we stumbled onto the perfect recipe, which includes fresh passion fruit, and decided to call it "The Van Diemen" in honor of this epic voyage and all our hard work. We will likely be enjoying more Van Diemens tonight.

This morning at 630AM the mighty Van Diemen got underway for Huahine. We are still motor sailing as I write this, but the wind should fill in once we get out of Tahiti's lee. The forecast today calls for fourteen knots right on the quarter, ideal conditions.

This ninety plus mile passage is one of my favorites. It is always down hill, and the destination is the Leeward Society Islands, four of the most beautiful islands on the planet. On my little boats it has always been an overnight trip because we were so slow, but Van Diemen can easily make the crossing in daylight hours, a much more enjoyable experience.

----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com