Voyageur - Log day 90 - Afloat again
11 May 2010
Two days following David's accident I took down the dressing and did not like the look of it at all. The top third of the toe was white with no circulation. Just to be on the safe side I thought a second opinion would not go amiss so we took a taxi to the local hospital in Uturoa where we were dealt with quickly and efficiently. Although he will lose a lot of the skin tissue there was nothing more to do than what I had already done so that was a reassurance. It is going to be a long haul however. Fingers and toes are notoriously difficult to heal. Trouble is we are now reduced to one and half crew for the regatta! Being in a white sails only class it is just as well. Voyageur's launch was delayed another day, so for our fourth and hopefully our final night "on the hard" we once more braved dinner this time at the Raiatea Lodge but this time we will keep our feet well clear of the yard entrance gate.
What a fantastic meal, lamb shanks cooked to perfection followed by the best crème brulee we can ever remember. The hotel was half full which compared to many other establishments seemed pretty good. At Nearby Apooiti Marina where Sunsail and Moorings have their base the pontoons were almost full of their charter boats many looking very lightly used with the restaurant, patronised by World Arc crews only. The huge downturn in tourism throughout French Polynesia is very plain to see. The launch went without a hitch Voyageur being eased back in with meticulous care. I said a silent prayer and wished her luck for the second half of her voyage as the keel broke the surface of the water.
We immediately set off to join the others on the town quay at Uturoa, A lady, Liza, Ariane and Tucanon already there with many more other rally boats still to arrive. After days of little or no wind we are now in for some bad weather. Matthieu on Noeluna has been good enough to forward his weather information to us (he has a personal weather forecaster). Sure enough the heavens opened in the biggest tropical downpour we have yet to experience on this trip. Uturoa is an excellent place to do our last provisioning before we depart for the Cook Islands and beyond in a week's time. It is also our last chance to buy French cheeses and wine until we reach French Reunion and Mauritius so our fridge is simply bursting at the seams.
Susan Mackay
Previous
|
Next