Pitufa.at

For a few days we’ve been fretting about a change in the weatherforecast. Instead of the predicted steady easterly trades we saw before setting out, the forecast suddenly showed a strong blow from the NW when we’d be approaching Tahiti. Strong winds on the nose when navigating close to shore in a boat without an engine worried us more than a bit. So we were… Continue reading »

2014
30
Apr

Half the distance done

After a quick start we got into funky weather yesterday. The sailing’s been quite varied, with wind shifts, squalls, rain and lots of work with the sails. We even had the chance to experience a calm period with still standing high waves–real fun being tossed around with flapping sails and without the temptation to just turn on the engine and motor for a few hours,… Continue reading »

2014
28
Apr

Bombs in Paradise

We’ve been lucky with the weather so far and are making good progress. Also fishing was good: we caught a Yellowfin Tuna yesterday, i.e. tuna for breakfast, lunch, supper and for Leeloo of course. Today we passed Mururoa, the atoll where the French did nuclear tests until the 90s. The low lying atoll became visible when it was just a few miles S of us.… Continue reading »

2014
26
Apr

On the way to Tahiti

The weather report changed completely yesterday, so instead of having some more quiet days in Onemea we decided to head out today. Our friends who had agreed to tow us out couldn’t come at such short notice, but the crew of an American catamaran who had just anchored next to us the evening before didn’t hesitate helping us and at 10 o’clock this morning they… Continue reading »

2014
23
Apr

Waiting

We’re still in the little bay Onemea, waiting for the packet from Tahiti to arrive. During the strong easterly wind last week it was quite busy here, as 4 other boats huddled in to seek shelter in our protected bay. There was quite some socialising going on with dinner invitations and even a small beach party, just what we needed to take our minds off… Continue reading »

2014
18
Apr

Change of plans…

During the year we’ve spent here, we saw lots of boats coming in with damages after the passage, had friends waiting here for ages for spare parts, got news from leaving boats who had to limp to Tahiti with broken rudders/masts/etc. We always counted ourselves lucky as Pitufa seemed immune to such mishaps, but now we’ve had bad luck ourselves: on the way to our… Continue reading »

2014
04
Apr

New photo album: Motu Kouaku

2014
01
Apr

Witch’s cauldron

We are enjoying our remote anchorage at the Motu Kouaku even though a weak front passed over us yesterday. There was not much wind nor rain, but the wind direction clocked around, as predicted, a full turn during 24 hours. As our anchorage provides protection only from the South and East, we’ve got quite some chop from the North and then from the West. It… Continue reading »

2014
30
Mar

Motu Kouaku

This mornig we picked up the really last of our things in the house and left Taravai to explore more of the remainig places we have not been to yet here in the Gambiers. One of those places is the Motu Kouaku on the barrier reef in the south-east of the archipelago. The last few days the wind was blowing hard so the swell is… Continue reading »

2014
23
Mar

Pitufos back on Pitufa

After finishing all our planned boat projects (varnishing inside, painting the cockpit, etc.) we’ve moved back to the boat. Running water, a toilet in the bathroom, no bugs in the living room, no rats on the roof – boat life’s pure luxury We’ll miss our little house and the garden though, especially our goatie. We spoiled her quite a bit, feeding her carrots and bananas… Continue reading »

2014
13
Feb

Pics of our little house

2014
13
Feb

New photo gallery: Anchored off the barrier reef

2014
02
Feb

Two buildingsites

Last week has been crazy-busy-exhausting here. We have two building sites going on at the same time: Getting the house into a truly good shape would take lots of time (maybe burning it down and building a new one would be the easiest ), so we decided to get the house in a state well enough to sleep in it (killing spiders, cockroaches, shying away… Continue reading »

2014
22
Jan

On the barrier reef

Initially we wanted to move into our little house today, but when we saw the weather forecast this morning: completely calm, burning hot and sunny. Certainly not the right weather for a sweaty work day ashore, but perfect to spend the day in an unprotected anchorage. Spontaneously we decided to motor to the southwestern corner of the archipelago, where the satellite images promised some sandy… Continue reading »

2014
17
Jan

It’s been a while

Remember how we always raved over the cute, mostly empty village on Taravai? Well, now there’s four inhabited houses on Taravai instead of three. After waving goodbye to Birgit’s Mom on the tiny airport yesterday noon, we sailed to the village anchorage and took inventory of our new little land base for the next few months. To be honest it’s more a hut than a… Continue reading »