Wind River in Tahiti

Here is the latest news from Wind River. Tahiti is a high island; we first saw it from over 70 miles away. It, like the other islands in the Society chain, is surrounded by a coral reef which is broken in a few places through which a boat can enter. Inside is a lagoon of very clear water with depths from zero to sixty or more feet. We anchor inside and hear the surf breaking on the reef. When transiting one of these passes in the reef you typically see blue waves as high as five feet near by on either side crashing over the reef.

We are anchored with perhaps 80 other boats here. We dinghy to shore most days and take Le Truck to town, or walk to the local shopping mall where a large grocery store carries anything one might want – a far cry from Mexico and the outer Pacific islands. Many U.S. brands are here, as well as French imports. Prices are high, but not as bad as we expected. Baguettes, rice and other staples are price-controlled and cheap (45 cents for a fresh baguette). There are European cheeses, sausages and fois gras; frozen duck, crème fraiche and butter from Normandy; and New Zealand beef and lamb.

Yesterday we returned here to Papeete after nearly a week anchored at Port Phaeton, which is on the SW side of the island at the isthmus. The pass through the reef there was a little more tricky with a big reef just inside nearly blocking the way. Dayle sailed with us to Port Phaeton where she boarded a bus back to Papeete to join another boat soon heading west.

There were a few boats there. We met an agreeable couple from British Columbia who had sailed there from the Gambier Islands, having sailed there from Chile. The fellow soloed that in 40 days. He seems to be about my age. They had sailed down the west coast to Chile then around the Horn and back, spending two years in Chile. We hope to meet them again.

Before leaving Papeete for Port Phaeton we attended an evening program consisting of Tahitian dancing performances by students from various schools. This was part of the large program for the celebration of a month-long Tahitian festival that includes Bastille day. We also took a hike with Brian and Susan from Gembrit, a boat we first met in Puerto Vallarta, to yet another waterfall.

A couple of weeks ago there was a story rippling through the anchorage here about an American catamaran that had struck a reef west of Bora Bora in the night. The people aboard including two children got off and were rescued, but the boat was a total loss. In the course of things the man’s leg was cut by the mast as it fell. The bleeding was stopped by a tourniquet, which no one loosened later. As a result the leg had to be amputated. No one seems to know why the boat was at that reef.

Now for something completely different. On many occasions here in French Polynesia we have noticed native men who are openly very effeminate. Often they are waiters in restaurants, frequently wearing skirts and flowers. There seems to be no stigma associated with this. We have come to learn that they are known as ‘mahu’. Susan from Gembrit suggested that, in the past, first born males were sacrificed, so mothers, to avoid this for their sons, raised them to pass as girls. They were accepted by the community then and the acceptance carried over to modern times.

This coming week Susan’s son Dan is flying here to join us for a few weeks. Also, we are looking forward to receiving our new windlass and oars soon. After receiving those we will head for Moorea, about 12 miles away, and points west. From our anchorage here at Papeete we watch a different and usually spectacular sunset over Moorea each evening. In a way it will be hard to leave.

Kit and Susan