Today, Tjaša and Dennis left. They need to reach home and Tahiti earlier than I can be there because I have to wait for the supply boat to get diesel. The arrival of the supply boat can be assumed, but it’s not guaranteed, to be in 2 – 3 weeks.

Another chapter of my looong sail is closed; memories remain.
The next chapter is open

My long time Japanese sailing friend Shigeo will sail with me again. He’ll come on board here in the Gambiers. Routing and sailing schedule will be determined starting next week.

It could be that I can’t post narrations in the next days. Please don’t worry if this happens.

The whole world based already most of our daily life on the internet assuming it is always available and at high speed.

We experienced yesterday again how difficult it is to get access to the internet with just low speed but stable connection.

We have 4 WiFi spots we theoretically can use.

There is the yacht service, were for a drink and/or tip we can hook onto their WiFi but the owners are gone for a few days.

Then there is an eatery with a shop. Their hub doesn’t work since 3 days. It seems they need to restart the router but there is nobody who knows that.

Then there is another eatery. Their WiFi signal is so weak that one needs to order a meal for 10 USD to be allowed to sit at a table where a mobile phone can log in. It worked yesterday every few minutes for a few minutes. A few Signal and Threema messages could be exchanged and Dennis luckily received an important email but not more.

There is also a shop. We bought some cookies but the lady in the shop didn’t know the password.

Finally there is the post office. It’s a vini-network hotspot. To use it for one hour one has to pay 4.80 USD, which would be fine. However, this network didn’t work yesterday as well.

Thus, at a place just before the end of the world there is no reliable internet.

The only new system, which works with rather speedy data transmission is Starlinks, and which surprisingly covers Polynesia. But which other parts of our looong sail are covered is not yet know.

So like most boats, we depend on our Iridium connection. Slow but pretty reliable.

Yesterday after returning to MaRe I was simply to tired to write this narration.

What happened?

We went hiking with the destination of the top of Mt Auorotini, the highest peak in the Gambiers.

The Gambier Islands are remains of huge volcano , which blew his cap in very ancient times. All the islands here are parts of the caldera. Thus these “mountains” are parts of the caldera; steep and on top only 2 – 3 m wide.

First we just followed the road leading to the other side of the island. On this part of our hike, we saw already wild coffee, small chili peppers, and all kinds of fruits growing on this island. Then we went on the trail.

At a trail intersection we split. Dennis, who was up there a few days ago, went with Gaby and Tjasa in direction to Mt Motoko, with the intention not to make it up to the top but to wait for Ralf and me at the next trail intersection.

Then Ralf and I took off. The ascent was steep. Partially we needed to use the installed ropes to ascent through steeper parts of the trail. At higher points we already had magnificent views.

The best views we had when we reached the top. At the top, the ridge is something like 2 – 3 m wide with very steep drop offs on birth sides.

The views down to the bay east of Mangareva attracted me first. Down there I could identify MaRe among the other boats.

A few boats have left, because the kids on board are going to the local school and have currently a week of vacations. We watched from top the catamaran “Zai Zai” going through the narrow passage of the pretty big coral bank at the east side of Mangareva.

We also saw 2 boats anchoring in front of Akamaru Island. A place where we also consider to go. It is said that there are only 8 people living on that island. One of them we met at Rikitea’s post office.

And then we looked at the entrance channel into the huge lagoon. The channel were we both had 5 – 6 Bft winds onto the nose of our boats.

Also the view over to Mt Motoko was brilliant. The sunlight on its northern side let it beam greenish, a great contrast to the blue of the Pacific ocean waters.

And then we needed to descent. Shortly after the top we decided to use the other way down. It was so steep that we had to use the the installed ropes for as long as they were available. From my feeling I would say that for the the first 100 m of altitude difference this was the only way to go down. At one point the rope had chaffed and only 1/3 was left. I was feeling better when i reached the next section with knot in between.

Then we reached the trail intersection where the others wanted to wait, but nobody was to be seen. So we decided to walk towards Mt Motoko to see if there is another trail intersection.

During that walk we crossed an ancient place for worshipping before a French missionary came and brutally forced the population to build churches all over. It is said that during his reign he decimated the population from around 2000 to 500. All in the name of his own God.

At the next intersection we meet Dennis. He waited there for us. Gaby and Tjaša went back the way they came.

Together with Dennis we walked down the rest of the mountain back to Rikitea. On the way we had great view on the very steep side of Mt Auorotini, an almost vertical wall.

A great hike, with magnificent views being worth the effort to go up the the very top of Mt Auorotini.

Bread baking was my first activity yesterday.

After breakfast Tjaša started cleaning the first fridge thoroughly.

Dennis and I started cleaning the hull, especially the part above the waterline. I don’t know why there are so many brown-green-yellow precipitation. I never had that. I also never sailed such a long distance of 4500 NM in the Pacific Ocean. A big junk had been removed but more needs to be done.

Tjaša took a break earlier and went swimming to the beach. Dennis and continued until about 1600.

Next week had some fruits, shaddock, papayas and a bar of chocolate, coffee and tea

All slowed down.

Then we were invited to Gaby & Ralf for a drink Rum punch.

At the end we had a late dinner.

As Tjaša found some little insects on the outer side of the flour bags bought in Panama, and she was afraid that they are inside invisible, we through the last about 12 – 15 kg flour over board.

Now we only have grains, and my Salzburger grain mill.

Yesterday’s Palatschinke was made already from whole grain freshly ground spelt.

This morning I used the last spelt grains and wheat grains to grind for flour for fresh bread. Curious how the bread will turn out. As the the dough needs time for autolyze, we went at land.

Dennis will walk up the Mt Motoko, Tjaša wants to communicate with family and friends and look around at the island, and I have to do since errands.

While waiting on front of the Centre Medical, a man who was there with his wife and daughter, he started talking to me first in French but his English is so much better then my French, we ended up talking English. He offered me to come to his house and he will give me yams (in French “igname”) and some other fruits and vegetables.

The Centre Medical is a place where people meet and exchange the lasted news about anything. It’s a place for social gathering. Families are coming with their kids. Bottles are prepared for smaller kids. Unfortunately just milk powder and water. Where is the traditional local food for kids? Milk powder and water is convenient for the mother and the commercial for milk powder says that it is healthy. What a world of deceiving.

At the first eatery I went to for lunch, the internet connection was down. Fortunately, there were 3 telecom company men having lunch there as well and one fixed it. Thus I had for a while internet.

At this place I met a Dutch couple you can 17 years ago the first time to the Gambiers. Since then they are sailing. Hope to meet them again to learn more from them.

Later on back on the boat I did a boat job. An improvement of the hanging mechanism for pulling up the bow part of the tender. It was a lot of sewing work. Stich by stich for about about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.

The evening on board was very pleasant. The temperature very comfortable and almost no wind. Only that much that the boats changed directions they were pointing to.

Talked with Tjasa for a while in the cockpit about her experience today while being at land.

Today it was the first time that during the day, we didn’t have strong winds. The sea surface had small ripples, not more.

The sun was out and the island looked really beautiful. The contrast between the different shades of green was stronger, the color of the houses at the beach were intensive. How we get more sunny days.

I did a lot of boat work. A bunch of smaller things needed to be done. It’s time for me to relax.

Tjaša and Dennis had also a relaxed day. Swimming and reading were their activities.

Although we arrived by boat a few days ago, only today I got the feeling that I’m arriving in Gambier.

All the days after we dropped the anchor in the bay in front of Mangareva island I was busy with finding out the most important things, getting contacts, and communicating from the few (4) spots with WiFi with family and friends.

Today I started before noon with the same procedure. However, at noon I left the place and started walking in northern direction along the coast line. This is the only street which leaves Rikitea towards north and along the coast.

It was a windy day with deep hanging clouds not giving the sun the smallest chance to peak through. But the lush green of the wilderness at mountain side of the street was perfectly to be seen and felt.

While I walked along, a man came from a piece of land, where he cut grass. He started to talk to me and with my remaining 7 words of French, we had a simple conversation. He told me that if I want to have banana, I just can cut them. It was a very friendly offer which I will take for provisioning.

I walked in one direction for an hour and then turned around. It was also the moment when rain came from a northern direction.
I just took cover under a tree for a few minutes. Then the rain was gone and I continued my way back.

I met Dennis and Tjasa, who also decided to take a walk because they were cut out of internet and couldn’t do their internet work.

I when I passed a very open sports hall, I was attracted to look inside.

A grout of kids and youth played soccer. Barefoot on painted concrete. They pretty skillfully handled the ball. Suddenly they looked at each other and came to me to ask if I would like to play with them. I did and we had a good time.

At the agreed time we all met in the little harbor and had a bumpy dinghy ride back to MaRe. However we stopped at the catamaran “Obelix”. Jean-Marc and his wife had returned. First of all we thanked them for the shaddock and the bananas they left at MaRe’s stern before the took off while we were at land.

A “shaddock” is a kind of grapefruit but much bigger and much sweeter. A really refreshing and delicious fruit. It grows here all over the island. We got in the meantime from the very friendly policeman also several of these wonderful fruits.

We agreed to meet at MaRe for a glass of rum and also invited Gaby and Ralf.

Jean-Marc brought not only lemon but also a special mixture for rum. His wife explained the incrediences: 1 kg of sugar (ideally cane sugar), 1 cup of lemon juice, 1 finger of ginger, 1 cup of water. All in a pot for boiling. After cooling down it can be filled in a bottle and can be added to the rum you want to drink. It’s said to be Mangarevian way of drinking rum.

Indeed the mixture Jean-Marc created was delicous!

Yesterday we stayed all day long on board.

Boat cleaning and laundry was the program. After 49 days such cleaning is needed also some smaller repairs and maintenance tasks are needed. All this needs to be done before heading out to Tahiti via the Tuamotus archipelago.

Beside boat work we will also explore more of the island and it’s people. As a basic pattern we will do one day boat work, one day exploring the island.

As a first major land exploring events, we will walk up the Mt Motoko, the peak Tjaša saw as the first land.

Since our arrival I haven’t written much here.

We were busy with inbound clearance and getting an first impression of the settlement at the shore. Also we need to learn what is available and where.

Then we spent yesterday afternoon a few hours on board of Katinka with Gaby and Ralf who arrived safe and sound yesterday. They could drop their hook in the vicinity of MaRe. It was interesting hearing their story and especially the quite different wind & weather conditions they had.

Another reason for not having written much, is the fact that I don’t understand the island yet sufficiently to write about it.

Last but not least, im feeling a bit exhausted after this long sail with responsibility for crew and boat.

For the next days we still have strong winds in the Gambiers and around, blowing from SE. MaRe’s anchor holds and when on board we are gently rocked. Very comfortable feeling when lying in bed.

For today the first big boat cleaning and laundry is on the program.

Due to a bug in the app I’m using to upload narrations, new uploads were delayed.

I will post the not yet uploaded narrations with the normal date in front of the title. Doing so you can see what I wrote on which day.