As I write this blog, I am staring out of the saloon window at the vista of aquamarine water in lagoon with breaking waves on the reef edge & the backdrop of the peaks of Tahiti shrouded in mist across the channel. We are anchored in the southern anchorage of Vai’are off the stunning island of Moorea.
We have finally made it!
Packed up & rented out the house, sold many possessions, had multiple farewells with our good friends, emotional goodbyes & last snatched hugs with our (adult) children. Not an easy road to say the least, but a necessary step in disentangling ourselves from our Sydney life & transitioning to our new home onboard Mowzel Cat.
We arrived in Papeete. Tahiti about 10days ago & since then we have been frantically preparing the boat. Awning reattached, sails back on, (with thanks for Justin’s help – the mainsail weighs a ton), engine oil change, new starter battery, Starlink fitted, fridge & freezer full AND a replacement stove fitted. Thanks to my lovely husband for that – he sourced a second-hand stove from another boat in Tahiti whilst back in Australia and it is now installed with all the appropriate wooden surrounds. It has transformed the galley & most importantly, Bill will not have to suffer my constant whinging about the old one which was an exercise in thermodynamic experimentation every time I used it.
Provisioning in Tahiti was not without its own challenges. Most things are imported so probably about 30-40% more expensive than in Sydney. I stopped looking at the cost to stop the impact on my life expectancy. Not only that, but every Carrefour supermarket also seemed to stock some different items, so it wasn’t as simple as one stop fits all. Without wishing to micromanage myself with the process, I did go on a reconnaissance trip without Bill to the nearest large store & drew up a shopping list aisle by aisle. Saved a whole heap of time when we actually did the shopping & most importantly, maintained Bill’s patience during the whole affair.
The markets in Papeete were also a great source of fresh produce & fish. By far the most economical protein in French Polynesia is tuna. You can buy a big hunk of sashimi grade tuna for about $12 which provides a number of delicious meals including sashimi/sushi, tuna steaks coated in sesame seeds seared in the pan, nicoise salad, ceviche, tuna tartare & even the local specialty, poisson cru, (tuna marinated in lime juice mixed with coconut milk). Much yumminess.
Yesterday before we left, we went to the weekly farmer’s market which is a real treat for stocking up on seasonal produce. So our nets are now full of pineapples & pamplemousses, greens & salad in the fridge, a truckload of ginger which will hopefully last together with enough bananas to sink a ship, (well hopefully not).
So here we are… at the beginning of our big adventure. So many things to see & places to visit in French Polynesia, although in the first instance, our plans are fairly modest & include a bit of time to rest & recuperate from the travails of the last few weeks!
We will keep you posted….