Good things take time

The weather in Papeete has changed again. Gone are the days of woolen socks. It has become warmer again. Even the blanket is no longer needed at night. It remains to be seen whether this is just a temporary high and it will cool down again. I think we're through the worst of it and it's getting warmer by the day again.

Evening atmosphere with a view of Moorea, Tahiti

After I activated the Yanmar service last week to order my spare parts, I assumed that everything would take its course. Especially as Florian had sent me the prices from the list I had compiled by e-mail and asked for confirmation. But in French Polynesia, the clocks tick a little differently. This week I received another email that the Yanmar service is placing a large order in Japan this week and the question arises as to whether I want to hold on to my order. I blame the language barrier and chide myself for being too lazy at school and not learning French. Of course, I want to keep the order and of course I would rather have the parts today than tomorrow. I practice patience and only confirm the order for the spare parts. Good things take time.

At work, Tahiti

In the meantime, I continue to work on the engine. The first thing I tackle is the fresh water cooler. To get to the heat exchanger, which consists of a tube bundle, the two covers have to be unscrewed. Four screws, one of which breaks off. Once again, I am really impressed. Even after relieving the strain, the thread cannot be removed. This is going to be a difficult nut to crack. I'll probably have to take the radiator to the workshop. I give the tube bundle a thorough cleaning in vinegar water and clean the sealing surfaces of the remains of the destroyed seals, which are stubbornly stuck to the covers and the housing. Next up is the air cooler. The limescale deposits on the pipe connections are difficult to remove and it takes quite a while to get them clean. Even brake cleaner reaches its limits here. The remains of the gasket on the cylinder head are also difficult to remove and it takes a lot of patience to get the surfaces clean again. Either way, the surfaces have to be clean in order to be able to measure the flatness. Next, I tackle the turbocharger. There's a lot of cleaning to do here too and the wheels run perfectly again afterwards. The fresh water pump is still missing, which I still have to deal with, but I'll postpone that until next week.

Carnival in Papeete, Tahiti

Apart from work, there are also other things we do in Tahiti. We visit the Taina Marina again and get talking to the owner of a 57' Lagoon. We spontaneously take a look at the boat, which is for sale. But even the teak deck made such a bad impression that unfortunately it was carried through the whole boat. The purchase price was relatively low for this size of boat, but the investments that apparently need to be made are in the region of €100,000. And that's not counting the ones we didn't see, which is probably quite a lot.

Carnival in Papeete, Tahiti

In the evening, we take part in the Polynesian carnival. The road on the Papeete waterfront had already been cordoned off the day before and various floats were lined up. Each region, on Tahiti and Moorea, has come up with a theme. Stands and stages are set up at various points and the floats are presented from a stage. Behind each float is a costumed dance group. A video screen is installed opposite our boat, but we plunge right into it to get a better view of the atmosphere. The music is terrible. Loud and hip-hop-like. Every now and then the music changes, everyone stops and dances on the spot with a practiced choreography. Colorful feathers, LED lights at the edges, dance through the night. After two hours, the round is over, but not the event. They set off again for a second round, which takes place between the traffic circle at Papeete Marina and Place Vai'ete. At 10 p.m., the event is over and people slowly make their way home. 

Carnival in Papeete, Tahiti

We can hear the stages being dismantled well into the night and the road is open to traffic again the next morning. Only the occasional fallen feather decoration can be seen on the roadside, evidence of last night's carnival in Papeete. It's always nice to see the joie de vivre that such events radiate. We are thrilled and happy that it spreads to us. With this in mind, I wish you always fair winds and keep a  stiff upper lip.