October 30: Back in Papeʻete to Prepare for Departure
We awoke at 3 am and left Moorea at 3:30 am to conduct night training. We spent most of the day doing intensive sail training – tacking, jibing, steering, life aboard Hikianalia, etc. As we approached Papeete, Faafaite sailed out to meet us and we did a small ballet, tacking around each other repeatedly in a mutual-admiration photo opportunity. Their crew pool has been such wonderful hosts!
Hikianalia and Faafaite in Matavai Bay, Tahiti, October 25, 2012. From Pacific Voyagers facebook.
We will have dinner tonight to farewell “Admiral” Magnus Danbolt who flies back to New Zealand tomorrow. As we debriefed to review our three-day sail, Magnus and Pwo Navigators Tua Pittman and ‘Onohi Paishon offered our crew very inspiring and insightful thoughts regarding the relationship of Hikianalia to Hōkūle’a and the current fleet of double- hulled Polynesian cones she has inspired, to Mau Piailug and the community he taught and enable to develop and our role in honoring those proud heritages in our voyage home and all future voyages. We have truly dedicated ourselves to upholding our kuleana in that regard.
Tua Pittman (Rarotongan Pwo Navigator) and ‘Onohi Paishon (Hikianalia crew member and Hawaiian Pwo Navigator) at the steering paddle of Hikianalia.
We will reprovision Hikianalia with fresh produce and needed supplies and clear customs and immigration tomorrow for our planned departure for Hawai’i on Thursday, November 1st.
Sail Data
- time: 2012-10-31 04:00 UTC/GMT (16:00 HST Oct 30)
- position: 17 degrees 32.4 minutes S 149 degrees 34.2 minutes W, at anchor in Papeete harbor
- weather: absolutely perfect
- vessel and crew condition: all ok
