Yesterday we moved the boat from Papeete to the anchorage at Maeva Beach. Its really two or three anchorages spread across a couple of miles of coast inside the lagoon. We had intended to fuel up yesterday and then move down the coast to the Southern and Eastern part of the island, but it was not to be. First we needed to get the dinghy up on deck before going outside the lagoon (you cannot travel around the island completely within the lagoon). Once we anchored we realized how exhausted we were - we woke up at 5:30am. Then we noticed the water maker was leaking and I wanted to take care of that first. Finally, we realized that the pass South of us would not be safe as the swell outside the lagoon was quite large and breaking across the pass. The guidebooks all warn that this particular pass should not be used in these conditions. That means going all the way back to Papeete past the airport and out the main pass there.

I managed to disassemble the watermaker pump and reseal the fittings which were leaking - just needed some fresh Teflon tape and it stopped leaking. However, now I have noticed 2 other leaks from other fittings. Neither are anything serious, just a drip - unlike the leak yesterday which was a gusher and halved our water output capacity. These drips will wait till I have more energy and patience. We ran the unit all day and have 2 out of 3 tanks full now. I will have to reseat all of the fittings which are dripping sometime soon. My next big job coming up soon, however, is installing the new generator end, which - Neptune willing - will arrive early this week. Another reason to stay put. Lots to do on the boat all best done while near to a major port.

We are also enjoying being in the Maeva Beach area. First, we are just grateful to be out of the city with all the pollution (air, water, noise). We are anchored inside the reef (which surrounds most of Tahiti) between the reef and the Marina Tiana, which is itself just South of the Maeva Beach Hotel. The hotel provides a free dinghy dock and from there it is a short walk the road where the bus (Le Truck) is caught heading into town (Papeete).

This morning we left the boat around 10am in the dinghy, caught the bus on the road and were in Papeete around 11am. Unfortunately, part of our goal was frustrated when we found the Papeete Marche closed already (apparently open only in the early morning on Sundays). Instead we went to a Chinese restaurant which was dark and cold with air conditioning - what a treat! We had been looking for a Dim Sum place but there appear to be none in Papeete. After lunch we walked to the supermarket downtown but found it closed, then we took the bus back to the Maeva Beach Hotel and went swimming in their pool!

Kate stopped in the lobby restroom with Jonah to change into bathing suits and I went down to the pool bar and picked up a couple of drinks (of the soft variety) and grabbed some chairs and an umbrella at the far end of the pool. By the time Kate arrived we just set back and went to work pretending to be hotel guests. It was our first swim in a pool since March before we left Puerto Vallarta. I have really come to appreciate the soothing feeling of a swimming pool in the tropics when you live on a boat and swim in salt water every day. Nothing gives you that relaxing feeling of coolness, gets all that salt off - it just feels great! So we hung at the pool for a couple of hours then packed up and went home. Its turning into a decent day!