Last Post with Photos for a While... I think...

(The photos are loading in random places, the internet is terrible and I don't have time to fool around with this... so sorry!)

As fate would have it, the weather just is not cooperating.
ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH CONDITIONS.
and then
GALE WARNING – EXPECT 35 KNOTS PLUS...

 in other words...
SEA CONDITIONS CRAPPY TO CRAPPIER,
ROCKY AND  ROLLY...
SNOTTY-SO-LEAVE-ONLY-IF-YOU-HAVE-A-BUCKET-TIED-AROUND-YOUR-NECK!

In the spirit of French Polynesia (and out of total boredom during rainy days)

 

James and Josh - sv Carpe Diem

Nina - sv Mojombo

Captain Gary of sv Mojombo in search of manta rays -  with son, Zeke, and Josh of sv Carpe Diem

Sadie - sv Carpe Diem

Breadfruit

Sis and Bro - Nina and Zeke

So we're still in Bora Bora – weather is bawling and scrawling in “The Dangerous Middle” and we want to sit tight until it looks like things simmer down a bit. No point going out to get beat up when we can just wait it out.

Good news is that Jim found a used Raymarine C80 chartplotter/radar/bla-blah-blah on Ebay and we bought it. We're having it shipped to American Samoa. I will be so happy to have all our electronics back! I know they are just a crutch... but what a convenient crutch they are! The radar allows us to see squalls in the middle of the night and we can prepare for those. We have a back-up chartplotter that we're using on Jim's Android, but I like the one that is BIG and right in front of my face when I'm at the helm. Call me picky.

It has rained the last several days so I brought out the sewing machine and began redecorating. Our canvas curtains were stained and ugly. So I washed them by hand real well and then after they dried I put some loud and cheerful Polynesian fabric on them. Then our old throw pillows looked so ugly that I ran out and got some more material and made throw pillow covers. It cost all of $30 for the fabric and I have a considerable amount left. (The mola design on the yellow pillow is a gift from the kids a couple years ago in La Paz. I finally got around to doing something with it and I jut love the way it turned out!) Fabrics here are more expensive than Mexico, but the prints are gorgeous! My decorating is a little loud... but how it brightens up the boat! I think I'll throw in a little purple...

The pareos (or sarongs) they sell here range from $20 - $35. The designs are exquisite, though. Carolyne went into the fabric shop and found a remnant in red with large blue tropical flowers on it. It cost $8.50 and I hemmed the edges, leaving the selvages natural. She wrapped it around her twiggy body and it looks perfect! We went back tot he fabric shop a few days later when she was wearing it and the old lady noticed her right away and commented on her skirt... knowing that the material came from her shop. The owner of the shop was so pleased!

I have been trying recipes with breadfruit. I'm no good at it, I must confess. The riper the fruit, the sweeter it is. It has a banana quality to it. Yet the smell, not offensive at all, bugs me. I don't like it. I have eaten breadfruit prepared fro me by a Marquesan lady and I like it. My way sucks.

Carolyne has made friends with a lovely pair of Tasmanians... Zeke and Nina on sv Mojombo. They are really cute teenagers and Carolyne goes to the pool with them daily and they play games together. A few days ago she accompanied them to the other side of the island with their parents and they swam with the manta rays. (I had wanted to do that!) Carolyne said that the rays were HUGE (the size of garage doors!) and that they were feeding on the plankton, so the visibility was obscured and they were feeding deep. So not as cool as the sting ray experience we had in Moorea. No one got any photos.

Captain Crankypants doesn't really like to play games and yesterday with the rainy weather I insisted that he indulge Carolyne and me in a friendly game of Balderdash with the entire family of sv Mojombo. It was a great way to spend the afternoon with exceptional people, homemade scones with cream and apricot preserves, and Carolyne's no-bake cocoa and oat cookies.
And the captain found... he actually enjoyed himself!

Looks like the weather may be dissipating and we may head out today... I am waiting for the “go ahead” from the captain.