Calm has returned to the Katinka, the engine is running again and the on-board mechanic is taking a break this week. Time to have a look around again. The Robert Wan Pearl Museum is located on the Avenue du Commandant Destremau in Papeete. Robert Wan, also known as Wan Fui Yin, was born in Papeete in 1934. His father emigrated from Guangdong to Tahiti as a Hakka. In 1973, he and his brothers bought into the pearl market in French Polynesia and became the richest man in the region. He is also known as the Pearl Emperor. In 1998, the pearl market collapsed, causing major upheaval, including at a political level. Former president Gaston Flosse and Wan were charged with corruption, but were finally acquitted in 2017. The museum shows how pearls are created and how their quality is determined.
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| Pearl Diver Pearl Museum, Papeete |
The history of pearl cultivation in French Polynesia is also described. Beautiful pieces can be admired in a large sales area, and can also be purchased if you have the necessary change. Another area of the museum is reserved for celebrities and shows famous people who have adorned themselves with Polynesian pearls or still do. Among other things, you can also see the Belgian royal crown, which is not lacking in pearls. In the salesroom, there are pieces that are worth far more than US$ 100,000 and where the price in Polynesian francs is in the double-digit million range. The difference in quality is striking. I have never seen such beautiful pearls. The pearls offered for sale by the pearl vendors in Papeete or in the Gambiers are generally of a much lower quality. Of course, we have never asked for the best quality, which we cannot judge ourselves and certainly cannot afford. So it's all the nicer to be able to take a look at these gems in peace and quiet. Admission is free, by the way.
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| Pearl shells Pearl Museum, Papeete |
While the Nica prepares to leave for Tonga and the Maria Noa makes a detour to Moorea, it's our turn to be silly again. After five years, it's time to buy a new boat. After all, you don't get any younger and we are living in very cramped conditions on our Katinka.
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| The crews of the Nica, Maria Noa and Katinka at the Pearl Museum, Papeete |
We find a Lagoon 421 opposite us, which is not actually for sale. The boat was advertised in July and we just wanted to take a look at the yacht for the sake of interest. As we stood in front of the boat, we struck up a conversation with the owner. I asked him if he wanted to sell the boat and he said no. He had just bought the boat, but had no idea about sailing. So we were too late. Nevertheless, I listened to his story and was still very surprised at how you can buy a boat without ever having been on the water before. I gave him our card and said, more as a joke, that if he didn't fancy it any more, he could get in touch. At the end of August, the time had come. He got in touch and asked if he was still interested. Basically, it was still there and so we negotiated until it came to a handshake. Now we have two boats. Which doesn't make the whole thing any easier. But well, nobody said that life is easy. It starts with the insurance. One doesn't have time, the other doesn't insure and the third is at a trade fair. This only happens in Germany's service desert. Next, as expected, selling our Katinka turns out to be difficult. After all, it's a classic boat and we're looking for an enthusiast. It's hard to find something like this on the market these days. We get a lot of likes on our advertisements and everyone thinks the boat looks great, but nobody wants to sail it, let alone spend money on it. So I'm planning to immortalize myself in the history books for our Trans Ocean club and sail non-stop, single-handed, from Tahiti to New Zealand. That should earn me the TO medal, especially as it can get pretty rough just before the typhoon season. Joking aside, the 2200 or so nautical miles will be pretty tough, so good preparation is very important. If everything goes well, I'll be back in Papeete shortly before Christmas and our old Katinka will be waiting in New Zealand until we join her next year. That's the plan. We'll see how we implement it. So I'll get to grips with the New Zealand clearance procedure a little earlier, which, God knows, isn't easy. We still need a hull cleaning and some forms have to be filled out and sent to New Zealand in advance. But as mentioned above, nobody said it would be easy. So let's get on with it. With this in mind, fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.
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