Although it is very warm during the day, the southern autumn nights can get “cold”.

“Cold”means not cold like central European or Japanese autumn nights but only that cold that blanket cover is not enough as a blanket.

Last night, around midnight, I woke up because I felt very cold. That cold, that I took my European summer blanket out of its vacuum pack to cover my body. It felt so good!

But a few hours later I woke up again. This time, because I felt hot. What’s the right cover for the autumn nights in the Gambiers?

Already yesterday I used breadfruit in my lentil stew and it tasted good als although a little bit sweet. I expect that adding a bit more vinegar will improve the taste.

This morning I baked raw about 5 mm thick slices of breadfruit like potatoes in a frying pan. They fried very well, got outside crispy and inside they became nicely soft. At the end I added some corned beef and 2 scrambled eggs. I still had some olives so I placed them beside the fried food an had a delicious breakfast.

For dinner I cooked a bit bigger junks of breadfruit in a pressure cooker for about the same time as I would cook potatoes. The cooked junks were soft but still hard enough to slice then like potatoes for a potato salad. I made dressing of garlic, a quarter of an onion, olive oil, vinegar, and pepper. Mixed all and put it in the fridge for about an hour. It tasted again pretty good. Also here a bit more vinegar could reduce the lightly sweet taste.

Now I have 3 ways to prepare breadfruits as a substitute to potatoes, and I hope to find local recipes with breadfruit as the basis.

It was past 2300 when I stopped working last night.

After bringing the empty gas bottle to the “Yacht Service” called tiny little company of a friendly French couple who came to the Gambiers 2 years ago and still live on their catamaran. They offer WiFi, coffee, and a few other homemade drinks and are a gathering point of sailors to exchange information etc.

On next Monday he will refill my bottle and will let me know when he passes MaRe on the way back to his boat, which is my neighbor boat to the north.

Yesterday, for the first time the internet was shortly good enough for a voice call. Not taking care of the time in Tokyo I called my OBM at 0400 her time. No further comment.

As I saw another dinghy dock I asked at the yacht service across the street and learned it belongs to the shop across the street. A bought some food, asked if i can use it, and got permission. Depending on where I need to go, this dinghy dock or much better.

Next I had look for breadfruits and shaddocks and was lucky. I asked a man I met on the street and got 3 breadfruits and 5 shaddocks. Additionally he offered my bananas when I come next time. Now I know where he lives.

On the way back I saw at a tiny little shop that they are selling limes from a local production. There price was a bit on the hefty side but I tool the chance. It’s a good vitamin source.

On the way back I got from Paul a bit silicon to fine seal 4 hatches. A trick I learned from Paul who sails with Caroline on SV Giebsteau for 17 years already.

Back on MaRe i washed the breadfruits, shaddocks, and limes and plastic backs carefully in seawater to avoid that I get insects and board.

With breadfruit I changed plans for my dinner. Instead of putting a normal potato into the planned lentil stew I prepared breadfruit. It turned pretty well. Breadfruits are a bit softer and taste slightly different from a normal potato but goes well in lentil stew.

Next i changed the keyboard is my spare PC and the work. Today I need to synchronize all data something i want to do today.

At the end, yesterday was a very successful day and I was content when I went to bed last midnight.

…this morning we had again for about 30 min very heavy rain and gusts up to 30 KN.

Since then the wind went down gradually. Currently we only have 2 – 3 KN of wind. Rain is only very light. Grey clouds are hanging deep, looking ready to spit out more rain any time.

And here it is again. After having written the last sentence, I looked over to Akuena Island and saw the rain coming over. As quick as it came, as quick it was gone.

Although weak, the wind is changing directions very frequently, thus MaRe offers me changing view to neighbor boats N of MaRe and to Mangareva Island W of MaRe’s position.

Now I need to go back to my work.

According to the weather forecast of the last days we should have gotten 25 KN winds already during the day. Directions NNE to N. NNE is not nice because for that direction there is no land protection.

Instead of winds we got plenty of rain. All day long.

Luckily I could do some boat work today and it also was possible to continue writing on a German narration, which is pending since very long.

Later the day, when it got dark, all the wind we wanted to have during some days of our long sail came at once. I’m pretty sure the monkey with the tin tool kept them for a long time and suddenly released them at once.

The related depression is still west of us and down at 30 deg S, moving eastward with about 5 KN. With moving towards E, the wind should turn towards NNW and to NW. With such winds we should be protected by the ridge of Mangareva Island.

So far I saw gusts of up to 29 KN. Almost a mid 7 Bft wind.

From now it’s almost a live report.

I heard the voice of Ralf at VHF CH 69 talking to Paul of SV Giebateau. The monohull between MaRe and SY Katinka drifted and this caused SY Katinka of Gaby & Ralf drifting back 20 m. But then Katinka’s anchor held again.

The monohull circles around under engine. It seems she has a problem with her anchor.

Someone had the good idea that the monohull should go to the pier for the night. A few sailors, from boats with crew on board, took their dinghies to help the monohull reaching the pier.

Fortunately the wind went down below 10 KN. Rain still continues.

Just talked to Ralf. SY Katinka is safe, at least for the night**. But he needs to dive and check his hull tomorrow. He said the chain of the monohull got under his hulls and had contact with them. The only thing, which can be done now is keeping fingers crossed that there is no damage.

As for the monohull I hope she is safe at the pier.

There is nothing, which can be done right now. I filled my cup with more tea and took some cookies.

Let’s hope the wind stays as low (5 – 7 KN) for the rest of the night and turn a bit more to E or W from the current S direction.

Right now it’s only 2005 here in the Gambiers. I’ll we be in bed tonight ready to jump out immediately of something happens.

When sailing in the Southern and Northern Pacific one always needs to take off the whirlwinds.

As I’m now in the Pacific, I need take care of the cyclones, which have a high probability from December till March. During this time one needs to be with his boat in the Gambiers or Marquesas in the eastern Pacific or in New Zealand in the western Pacific.

The original plan was to sail until the end of June, beginning of July to Tahiti and then continue without too long stops to NZ for the the next cyclone season. The distance is again only 4500 NM but I want to see and experience the islands starting from the Tuamotus, via Society Islands, Cook Islands, Soamoa and Tonga to NZ. (The Fijis I will most likely visit on my way from NZ to Japan.) I don’t want to rush. Thus I see scrubbed this plan.

Going to Hawaii was also once considered, but returning to the South Pacific Island would require to sail through the periode of tropical storms south or Hawaii. Not that attractive.

Thus the plan developed to stay here in the Gambiers until shortly after the next supply boat arrives. Until then can see these islands here extensively.

Then heading out to the Marquesas to spent the cyclone season there. A very safe location also based on statements by fellow sailors who sailed the southern Pacific intensively.

The Marquesas as such are said to be very beautiful. Beside reading about these group of originally volcanic islands, I learned about them from fellow sailors I met Panama, and who decided to go direct to the Marquesas.

I’ll spent the time there sailing with my OBM, friends, and single handed. Unfortunately my kids and grandkids want have the time to come on board again.

The sail to the Marquesas will be about 900 NM. With a good weather window, the passage should be done in 10 – 14 days. All depends on the wind we get. With a nice and constant SE – E winds with no calm in between it will be even faster. However, experience shows that calms always can pop up. So I’m considering the above mentioned duration.

To identify a good weather window I looking intensively into into the weather forecast which I down load daily.

I’ll do this sail with Japanese sailing friend Shigeo. With him I’m discussing now the details.

Yesterday morning, when I looked towards the commercial wharft of Rikitea, I saw the red supply boat at the small just sufficient long pier.

I dinghied to land to experience the activities and people. It was a pretty active and busy crowd getting things out of containers on to trucks and into cars to carried them away. Sometimes even scooters were used.

I also understand now how and where I can get diesel. I need to buy a 200 l drum and then jerry can it by dinghy. About 5 – 6 runs will be required. On board, I have to pump it into the tank. Need to start early in morning.

Already in the next days, I need to change money because diesel must be paid cash.

Already in the early afternoon the supply boat left again.

That’s the way the inhabitated islands of the Gambiers are supplied with things for daily life.

These days, there is only sunshine and no wind in the bay in front of Rikitea, a part of the huge lagoon of the Gambiers.

Right now dusk started, the sun is already a while down behind the mountain ridge of Mangareva Island. Temperatures are also down. I’m wearing a T-shirt.

The sea it’s almost fully glassy and MaRe turns slowly in windflaws from changing directions.

Tranquility. Peaceful atmosphere.

New boats came, others left. Some of them do inter islands cruises, which I also want to do. Akamaru Island is on my list of interest and another visit to Taravai.

On Monday the supply boat is schedule to arrive at Rikitea. It will be an interesting experience.

Need to take care to get onions, potatoes and propane gas which comes from Tahiti. I also need to replenish some other foodstuff.

I’m also busy these days with all kinds of small boat work and writing emails; fortunately I have the satellite connection.

On Monday we returned from Taravai island to the anchorage in front of Rikitea.

On Monday, all day long we had quite strong winds and lots of rain. Caroline & Paul braved the weather and came over to Katinka. After talking for quite a while lighting and thunder came pretty close to our anchorage. So they return to their boat SV Giebsteau for doing some things to prevent a lighting stroke damaging electronics. The nightmare of every sailor.

Then Zai Zai took off to return to Rikitea. It was raining too much to get out of the cosy cabin to follow them. A while later when the rain stopped and the wind was not strong anymore. David & Anne did some work at their anchor. We thought they will leave as well. It triggered us to return to Rikitea.

All was fine until the anchor was just out of the water!

The wind increased pretty much and heavy rain started. Ralf took course through the gap in the reef steering with WPTs , buoys marking the not straight at all pass through the reef. I stood at the bow to do additional eyeball navigation. Then we were through the pass.

In the meantime the wind increased a lot. We had gusts of almost 40 KN. This is more than 7 Bft. Waves were rolling on from the side making it a really rocking ride. Ralf needed to be very concentrated at the helm.

We inched against winds from almost straight on our nose, towards E to get the land protection from Mangareva. Once we went around the corner to go in N direction of the main entry channel, the wind was so “kind” to turn again against our nose.

After about 2 hours we went through the pass of the reef in front of Rikitea and came into very quite waters of the anchorage. Mangareva is a perfect protection against winds from SW to NW.

The anchor fell and we felt relieved.

Ralf dinghied me over to MaRe; I was home again from an incredible pleasant weekend at Taravai island where I could experience incredible Polynesian hospitality.

Yesterday noon I left on board of SY Katinka Mangareva to sail with Gabby & Ralf about 6 NM to the island of Taravai; an island with only 6 people living there.

From the Dutch sailors Caroline & Paul, who were in the Gambiers for the first time 13 years ago, told us that the local couple Valerie & Herve organizing a barbeque on almost all Sundays. (Everyone has to bring the own food.)

Ralf got from Caroline & Paul the crucial WPTs and an explanation about a few buoys indicating the narrow passage through the corals.

Upon arrival Paul took his tender and adviced on a good spot to anchor. This was very helpful.

At 1500 we went at land to meet Valerie & Herve. The welcome we received was overwhelming. Hospitality, that was to be seen, is in their nature. Their, about 10 year old son also came out to say hello.

Then they walked us through their garden. A Garden Eden. What ever to you can imagine it grows there. The ground, mostly covered by a low growing green plant – not looking like grass – and also the other areas well cleaned an maintained.

Fresh meat comes from a pig they raise in their garden, from wild goats in the forest and from plenty of fishes in the reefs.

After the walk through their garden and around the church going back to the times of the French missionary Lavalle, they put avocado cubes, bread, pamplemouse, and coconut water on the table and we had interesting conversations

There home consist of 2 small buildings. Doors almost exactly opposite to each other. The bigger building was the main living building. It contained the kitchen, a large dining table, and a living room. Kitchen has a freezer and fridge. Living is equipped with flat screen TV.

Freezer, fridge, TV – where is the energy coming from? Solar. Solar hot water and the bigger portion photovoltaic. 2 huge battery blocks with AGM batteries. The power is used in 24 V for illumination and for all other devices 220 V. They pay for about 10 – 15 years a monthly fee and at the end it is their own equipment.

They don’t have:
– Many people to talk to
– A supermarket or convenience store around every corner
– A single restaurant where they can go to.
– A movie theatre
– A theater
– A concert hall
– A golf course, tennis ground, ears deafening fitness centers, etc.
– A school and university for their son (he currently stays during the week at the school in Mangareva, for higher education he needs to go to Tahiti. Staying and flight cost financed by the government)
– Polluted air from the exhaust gases of the many cars
– Permanent noise pollution from traffic and all kind of machinery
– Neighbors living on top of them or under them and left and right at a distance of the thickness of the walls
– 9 to 5 working stress
– Limitation on they annual vacations
…..

I can understand Herve & Valerie that they prefer the simple life at their little islands, their Garden of Eden.