After much toing & froing, our starboard engine problem was finally diagnosed, (we hope). Bill thought it was the heat exchanger. Mechanic took it apart & apparently ‘fixed’ it, but nothing changed & engine continued to lose coolant – so a new heat exchanger will soon be winging its way over! The good news is that catamarans have 2 engines – so once this conclusion had been reached & after Bill dropped off the water maker motor for some badly needed TLC, we headed back to beautiful Moorea.
The idea was to stay for a couple of days & return to collect the water maker a few days later, as we rely on this for our source of water. So whilst waiting for parts, (it seems that ‘waiting for parts’ is a well-known nautical term for ‘something on the boat is stuffed again’), we enjoyed some beautiful days in Vaiare anchorage. I really like this anchorage, although whilst it is protected from the swell by the reef, it can get quite windy as the prevailing winds are from the E/SE. When it is calm however, the anchorage is just spectacular. You can watch eagle rays & reef sharks saunter by the boat as well as enjoy snorkeling on the nearby reef which is like being in an aquarium with multiple varieties of fish creating a kaleidoscope of colour. The scenery is imposing as the anchorage is overlooked by Moorea’s high peaks & pinnacles covered with lush vegetation. All in all, a good spot.
So very appropriate that we should celebrate Bill’s birthday there! Like me, he has stopped counting, but I can say that now we are both finding that we are eligible for some ‘seniors’ discounts!
I managed to tame my oven, (it doesn’t have a temperature gauge, so a bit of guess work is involved), and produced a very acceptable chocolate cake as well as find a few little presents. Presents are tricky here unless you like pearls & Bill isn’t really in that market. Nor a pareu for that matter. Though we did have one stroke of luck to find a secondhand stand-up paddleboard for sale. It was clearly meant to be, as it was available in Moorea marina which was right adjacent to the anchorage & we were literally able to pick it up on the morning of Bill’s birthday. Nothing like toys for boys to make them happy!
(Bill’s note) Yes very happy. Deb looked after me very well and Vaiare is such a beautiful spot to chill and enjoy the day. The serendipity of finding a great paddleboard for sale a few hundred metres away as a real bonus. We had been looking to get one anyway and this was a very good price. Chocky cake was a highlight too of course. Deb’s grandma’s recipe is a cracker.
So now back in the airport anchorage in Tahiti and Bill is off collecting the watermaker engine from a workshop in Papeete. (Bill’s note) Motor back in and running so much better than we have ever seen it. Now we have a very quiet and productive watermaker which is so important here where there are very few opportunities to get water from shore.
We’ve restocked & will head off again tomorrow to continue our cruising adventures.