A genset is the combination of a diesel engine & generator.

Two days ago, after changing oil and filter, the genset did not start normally. It stopped after about 10 – 20 s with the error code: oil level too low or too high or no oil pressure, defect oil pressure sensor or malfunctioning oil pump.

You can possibly imagine that I was not happy at all. I was simply p….. off and used words, I don’t want to repeat here again. The genset is extremely important for daily live: charging the service batteries if there’s is not enough charging by wind and sun, making freshwater for daily life (cooking and showers), doing laundry with the washing machine, using access energy of the running genset to make hot water for next day’s coffee and tea, and heat the boiler for hit water.

Back to the error. I had this error in the last months a few times. Restarting the genset solved the problem and it was running again without a problem. Still this issue was nagging on my nerves. Why does this suddenly happen and why is a restart the solution? I had no real idea concerning the route cause.

Reading through the various manuals and communicating with Onan specialists in NZ, I got the feeling it must be the oil pressure sensor. Luckily the local Onan service had such a sensor in stock and I got one yesterday. It was not exactly the same but with an additional ground cable I could use it.

This morning I went into the engine room and started removing the sound absorbing enclosure panels to get access to the oil pressure sensor. I first had to open the exhaust system and next to remove a cooling water hose. When I wanted to disconnect and remove the sensor I was very “happy” again. The sensor had imperial screws (USA made) and the engine has metric screw (Japan made).

I already replaced the American made wind converter for a European one (SuperWind. I’m very happy with this.), thus metric system. Should I ever get into the situation that I need a new genset, it will only be one with metric screw. May the USA become great again with their imperial system, I don’t want to have things on board with imperial dimension screws etc.

Today I kept the genset running for almost 2 hours again. We used the energy for making tea and coffee for tomorrow, run the washing machine, and heated the boiler for the luxury of short but hot showers.

Gosh, life in board is so nice – when the genset runs!

A few minutes after 1700, I left the dinghy dock at the
Quai de yachts, at the Boulevard de la Reine Pōmare IV, the dock I use for most errands in Pape’ete.

There was almost no wind, glassy see with a few ripples here and there. In the area of the Passe de Pape’ete there was, as always, the remains of the swell outside the reef to be felt. No other waves.

The sun was already pretty low at the horizon. I needed to pull my cap a bit down that I was not dazzled by the direct sunlight.

The sunlight refections on the flat water surface were still strong painting the surface red and gold but still, a bit away from the sun glitter, the turquoise and blue water color was to be seen.

At one area of the reef just south of the Passe de Pape’ete, the smaller rocks which look always out of the water, appeared black.

Where the reef is a bit deeper, I could recognize an outrigger boat with two people fishing. A few other boats but with motors where also out for fishing. As the sunlight was so low, all what I saw in this direction were the silhouettes. Black, sharp lines in the warmth of the sun glitter.

The dinghy was planning smoothly through the water out of the wake. The motor made its monotone sound.

There where plenty of sports outrigger out on the water. People, mostly men, but also a few women, like this sports. Some of them race occasionally with me and cannot only reach my dinghy’s speed but can hold it for distances around a kilometer.

The ones to my PRT side were perfectly illuminated in the warm sunlight. When they looked over to me and not only straight forward in the direction of their boats, I greet then always with the Polynesian shaka sign. They, no hands free, just greeted back with a movement of their heads and their friendly face expression was emphasized by the warm sunlight.

I passed a 6 person outrigger to STB with the glazing sunlight directly behind the outrigger, the outrigger and the boat moving through the water and the paddling person’s inside appeared like a silhouetted animation. Surprisingly nice.

While coming closer to MaRe the sun appeared more towards behind Mo’orea and turned warmer and warmer.

It was a wonderful dinghy ride were I missed my OBM very much.

Yesterday, we had too much wind to put the tender into the water and use it as a working platform to remove the up-down-lifting mechanism of the hydro generator.

Thus, after another attempt to seal a leak at STB front window and another round of explanations for Sabine, I went on doing PC work.

Also I sent already in May emails to various authorities of Kiribatis to get information about in- and outbound clearance procedures, and reminders in June, I have not gotten any replies yet. As the emails and reminders did not return as undeliverable they have reached the mailbox.

Were they read?
Were they simply ignored?

As such situation keeps me in limbo, which I don’t like. A reply with “f…. off” is what I prefer because it’s a clear message getting me out of limbo.

Thus, I read through all downloaded and online information I could get and send another bunch of emails to authorities I have not approached yet.

Curious what will be in my inbox when I open my PC in an hour or so.

Inside the salon, at the navigation table it’s 24 degC. That’s COLD!

Since the morning the sky is overcast. Deep hanging nimbus clouds are spitting frequently water down on us. Not permanent but on-off.

So, during a cloud spitting break, I was able to mount the maintained furler winch. Check mark. Boat job done. For this boat job I needed Sabine because I I can’t work inside the boat and holding a screw outside the same time.

With the maintenance of the winch I also learned that PTFE, and excellent lubricant for many applications is not good when brass is involved. Precipitations build up on the brass surface of axels. Thus, this time I used classic winch grease again. Maybe next time I’m try a silicon based lubricant. I’ll see.

As the next boat job I need to replace a broken aluminum angle of the hydro-generator. For this I need as well another hands.

Before I got MaRe someone drilled an additional hole into the angle holding the up-down lifting mechanism of the hydro-generator. The hole is not used at all but it’s clearly to be seen that this is the cause of the crack in the angle.

To replace the angle I need to remove the hydro-generator as such, the up-down lifting mechanism. First part we did yesterday. The hydro-generator is taken off.

To remove the other parts the wind waves became too high. I need to put the tender under the place where the mechanisms is mounted to remove all in secured way that nothing can fall into the water.

As it is cold, there was no cold coffee for me in the afternoon but a warm one. A bit later we even had a hot herb tea for internal heating.

Sabine’s weather forecast even says 21 degC in the next days. I can’t believe it because this would be 10 degC lower than what I experienced often here. We are only 10 – 11 deg S of the equator.

So let’s see what will come up.

I sincerely hope we don’t get snow in paradise!

Sabine’s left hand hurted more instead of less a few days after she stepped into a grass covered hole while we walked to the customs office in the harbor area of Pape’ete.

So, yesterday, we needed to find a radiologist. I remembered having seen a big Centre Medical while doing my shopping work in Pape’ete. Quick search in the internet and we found it and the information that there is a radiology department. Calling there was a flop. A tape was running but we couldn’t understand the message.

“Tevai can help us!” was my thought. Thus, I sent him a Signal message, explaining what we need. He came back very quickly with the information that the Centre Medical will be closed until 12. Aug. But he had more for us. He called the Cardella Clinic and found that Sabine doesn’t need an appointment just can go there for an x-ray of her hand.

Tevai, you are just a great friend! Polynesian hospitality and friendship! Thanks again for this help!

We changed plans again.

I stopped maintaining the furler winch, and we dinghied over to Pape’ete to go to the Cardella Clinic.

Sabine got a time slot pretty quickly and after felt 30 min she was came out again with a smiling face. No fractured bone! This was really great news.

We bought 3 kg of honey for provisions. At the market place I know a stall selling coconuts honey from the Tuamotus. It’s a very dark honey and very delicious.

After returning to MaRe I continued giving the furler winch more love.

When I maintained this winch last time I considered PTFE spray as a better lubricant. However, I found after about 6 month that the central cylinder of my Harken winch was very difficult to be removed. After having the winch open, I saw at the outer brass sides of the other two axles of the winch, precipitations, which I could not remove with gasoline but I needed sandpaper. Thus this time I’ll go back to normal winch grease.

Unfortunately it got dark so I stopped after greasing and assembling the winch for mounting it back on today.

A note about my gallery master: Sabine creates great meals. Beside this she became also master of the outboard motor. We’ll become a good team.

But I forgot last night to make dough for bread. This means, I will go up right after having uploaded this narration and start making dough.

Yesterday, we went to Carrefour in Taina for getting the 2nd tender load of provisions.

The tender is the limiting element of what we can buy in one run, but that’s fine.

On the way back to MaRe, I was first afraid we’ll get wet again, but the waves, lower than last time came from west, which means the rolled on to the tender from about 50 – 70 deg PRT.

Outside at reef, the waves were really high. Estimated out of the distance I would say 2 – 3 m. And behind the outer reef these waves were not felt at all. Incredibly how reefs protect islands.

After all groceries were cleaned, papers removed and written the content on each can. We prepared STB bilge 5 for storing all cans. Tomorrow I’ll clean the bottom of the bilge and will put in a rubber sheet on the bilge floor to avoid rust rings growing on the GRP of the bilge bottom.

Today we’ll take a rental car to do a round trip around Tahiti-Nui, the main island but will also go to Tahiti-Iti, the smaller island attached to Tahiti-Nui. On Tahiti-Iti there is a big wave spot were the competitions for the Olympic Games 2024 take place.

I’m curious what we will see and experience all day long.

Change is the only constant element in our lives!

So, today’s big change was the change of plans.

Since the sky was fully overcast, we decided against the trip around Tahiti and opted for our final provisioning shopping instead.

We are now only missing fresh vegetables and fruits. These we will buy immediately before departure.

On board we almost stored all provisions away and made a list about what is where and how much do we have. I’m poised to get a good provisioning system in place.

Sabine found some good tasting sausages made in an Asian style. Pretty good did they go with the last rest of couscous we had for lunch, and the pan fried potatoes and green salad we had for dinner.

Tomorrow is a day on board with storing the rest of the provisions.

Yesterday we went to Pape’ete and got all done we still need to do there.

Among the things a document for tax free refueling, and the confirmation that we need to make outbound clearance of French Polynesia in Bora-Bora.

It’s a strange feeling for me to leave FP. I’m feeling so comfortable here. But, and there is always a but, this comfortable feeling is the signal for departure.

Today we’ll go to Carrefour next to Marina Taina for the next load of provisioning. Now wind is forecasted hope the wind reads the forecast and follows it.

Yesterday, we went to Marina Taina to dock the dinghy there and check out the possibility to do provisioning there.

Maybe we even drop the hook for a day or two outside the Marina for doing provisioning.

The possible anchorage is pretty good but a bit full. It might be difficult to find a spot there. Need to cook this thought in my brain.

Carrefour is the best place to do provisioning. The possibility to use their shopping carts to bring the stuff into the marina to load them in to the dinghy is perfect.

Thus, yesterday we bought the first load of provisions. We also got a good feeling what we can load into the tender.

All was fine until we got out of the marina. 5 Bft winds on the nose. Mostly we had about 30 – 40 cm waves but closer to MaRe the wave height increased to 50 – 60 cm.

As I forgot to put my cap into my backpack, we even had to make a cap-over-board maneuver. Successful!

With almost every second wave on 4 km run we got some spray over. At the end we had quite some water in the dinghy and no dry spot on our bodies. We were simply WET!

After changing clothes we started preparing the groceries for storing. All papers were removed and the content was written on the cans. Some things like rice, pasta, nuts were filled into the 5 l water bottles. These bottles are good for storing groceries and are insect safe.

Today, we have to do errands in Pape’ete and hope the wind doesn’t blow in the afternoon from S. Then we should have a dry run home. We’ll see.

The last 2 days I worked a lot on my Highfield tender.

There was the attempt to attach a permanent fender, (a 25 mm diameter line) around the boat. This turned out not as good as I thought. However, I know now how I need to improve it.

The second work was successful. I attached 2 new lifting eyes at about 40 cm more forward than the original bow side ones.
For this I had to reinforce the very front plate of the bow compartment with a very special shaped 6 mm aluminum plate.
Now the distance between the stern and the new bow lifting eyes is 2 m, and this the same as the distance between the davits. Lifting the tender is easier , and the tender hangs now very nicely at MaRe’s stern.

Sabine took over the work in the kitchen. Very helpful because I gain a lot of time for boat jobs. She also did yesterday a listing of the provisions we still have on board. Tomorrow we will go through it and decide what we need. I like to have provisions for 3 month on board. I don’t know where we can replenish next time.

Fruits and limited vegetables I expect that we can replenish in atolls we will visit. But such food we cannot keep that long. Potatoes, onions, garlic, and cabbage are good for longer times. Also pampelmous (shaddocks), and especially limes can be kept longer. Other local fruits, bananas, mangoes, and papayas don’t last long.

I also worked on the Iridium mail connection for Sabine but the app doesn’t yet log in to her account. Here is some more work needed especially I need some information from PredictWind, which is in charge of support.