A rough start

With a 12-hour time difference and a body that still thinks it was Tuesday yesterday, it takes time to get into the rhythm. The first night I woke up at 00:30 – wide awake and ready for... well, absolutely nothing. But it gave me the opportunity to stand and stare admiringly at the twinkling starry sky above the Tahina marina.

All long-distance sailors know that there are two things that are certain: 1) Everything breaks. 2) Everything takes twice as long as planned. I had set aside a week for some maintenance. Now it's been two weeks and I'm still working. The generator didn't start, right after a major engine overhaul. Thanks for that!

We had a local guy who was supposed to check the boat regularly. He had apparently tried to start the generator, failed, and informed the mechanic – but not me ! And the mechanic? Of course, he hadn't done anything. Welcome to French Polynesia!

The generator is needed for the watermaker to work, and since we were going to wash the boat down, we docked to get water. When I checked the engine compartment there was almost a liter of green coolant on the floor. Not a good sign, to say the least. The mechanic finally arrived and now both the generator and the starboard engine are painted like a cat.

Next chapter: The boat is going ashore for a long-awaited coat of antifouling. Tuesday morning at 05:30, I press the start button for the port engine. Nothing. Zero reaction. Just darkness and silence. Fortunately, the old trick with a screwdriver on the starter motor worked and the engine started with a small shower of sparks. The starter switch is clearly broken. It's great to be a boat owner!

With a magnificent sunrise over Tahiti,

We had a nice sail to the shipyard and the boat is now safely on land.