We had several visits to the boat over the year. We were not ready to move aboard immediately with a bunch of things to sort out at home first; not least of which was Deb retiring in June. March 2024 is when we will have shut up shop in Sydney and started calling the boat home. There was also a list of things we wanted to do on the boat beforehand to prep it both technically as well as making it feel more like our home.
May 2023 – what have we bought?
So my first visit was in May for 4 weeks to basically find out what we had purchased and develop a plan to make the boat truly ours. The original plan had been to sail the boat to Raiatea, have her hauled at CNI and attend to a couple of items that had emerged in the survey. Then sail her back and leave her in Papeete marina again before flying home. Within a few days of being there it became clear that that was a fairly heroic idea. Not the sailing to and fro, but the tight timeline to get it done. It assumed that sailing back from Raiatea would not be delayed by weather (given the prevailing winds it would be a 24hr bash to windward on a good day) and then getting a spot back in the marina (given the uncertainty around that process).
So that was canned, and I spent the 4 weeks going through the boat from bow to stern, cleaning, logging ideas for repairs and upgrades and doing a full inventory. Getting to know your boat in every detail is one of the secrets to sleeping well at anchor and having confidence in your boat at sea. The main task was to have the standing rigging replaced which had done a lot of miles and was out of date. This included all the stays, the diamonds, new profurl furler and new, larger chainplates. We did this with our last boat and whilst it is a bog expense, it is well worth it in our minds. Again, I now know exactly what is holding up our mast and have confidence that it is all in top condition. The insurers were happy too.
Another key milestone was to complete the change of registration to Australia, home port Sydney and christen her with a new name. No longer Ribl an Dour – a Breton term meaning edge of the water (I think), she was now named Mowzel Cat. The significance of which we talk about in the boat section here.
With no other distractions it was a very busy few weeks, but very rewarding. I also learnt a lot about Papeete and where to find help and parts etc when needed. It was so good to be back living on a boat again too. Then I headed home with a long list of bits to buy in Aus, lots of photos for Deb to see and a shorter list of tasks that our friends at Sail Tahiti will manage for us. These included an improved bimini and dramatically improved 12V wiring, battery connections and monitoring equipment.
July and August 2023 – Deb’s first visit
A big deal. To date it had all been me seeing the boat and visiting Tahiti. Now the big reveal for Deb. She no longer had to take my word for how good the boat was and just as importantly she could start adding her ideas to make it much more like “our” boat. So of course, the list of to do’s was easily keeping pace with our capacity to get jobs done! Nonetheless, by the time we left again in mid August she was a very different boat and beginning to really feel like ours. Inside we sorted out the living areas, the galley and the cabins. Outside she got a new trampoline and her new name on the stern quarters.
On this visit we also hosted our good friends Tony and Karen. They had missed out on joining us during our previous cruising days and were sure not to do so again. This also ensured that the trip was not all boat work. We were there to have some fun, get out of the marina and go sailing. It was also a bit of a shake down for us, finding out how all the systems worked and learning what we didn’t know about sailing a catamaran. We had a glorious few weeks pottering around staying first in Point Venus (a very easy first anchorage on the north of Tahiti) before heading to Moorea. That was a boisterous sail, to say the least, with the wind accelerating between the two islands. Over the next couple of weeks we spent time in most of the well-known anchorages around the island. Vai’are north and south, Cooks Bay, Opunohu Bay and our favourite, Haapiti. Moorea is stunning. Everywhere you look are picture perfect views, the lagoons are spectacular and the anchorages are excellent. Ashore the people are wonderful. Tony and Karen are keen divers and snorkelers so much time was spent on our below the water. It was great to be able to share a very special place with them. (Photos here.)
November 2023 – finish prep’ing the boat
One last trip to Tahiti with 4 suitcases full of stuff for the boat and 2 T-shirts! Deb and I spent time going through our list as well as taking the opportunity to enjoy some of Tahiti by land. The main project was a haulout to service the sail drives, redo an old repair on a mini keel and a fresh antifoul. 5 days in the yard, pushing hard to make sure we didn’t have to spend a weekend there too. All the folk at the yard were great and got the jobs done in time. Very happy to be back in the water on the Friday with the last of the major works completed on the boat. Along with an upgrade of the solar panels and a new anchor chain we think we are pretty much ready to go. (Haulout photos here.)
We had come to know an Australian family posted to Tahiti. It was a real pleasure to spend time with Justin, Ali and the boys. Shared dinners, snorkeling trips and hikes were a lovely break from boat jobs.
We also hired a car for a week to explore the island, especially the west coast and Tahiti Iti which are more remote and very beautiful. Much wetter than the east, but very dramatic with spectacular waterfalls and misty valleys in the high lands.
Finally, we had to prepare the boat to leave until we return in March. Well situated in Papeete Marina and looked after by Sail Tahiti she is in a good place. However, it is cyclone season and though rare it is not unheard of to get a serious blow there. So we removed all the sails, the bimini, tripled the dock lines and cleared everything else off deck, signed off with the insurers. Removing the main was a task, they are not small sails and Justin was a great help there. Now she sits bare and well looked after awaiting our return.
The next chapter will be much more cruising and far less boat doing. We will be moving aboard full time and getting out of Papeete. The first season will be low key, pottering around the nearby anchorages exploring the Society Islands. Family and friends will be joining us at various times which will be great. After that we may get as far as the Tuamotus, but that will be towards the end of the season when we head north and east before spending the next wet season either in the Marquesas or Gambiers. Exciting times. Now, we just have to pack up the house, rent it out, sell the cars …….