It is Monday and we've been sailing pretty much north for the last two days. Saturday night the winds picked up to about 25 kts from the ESE...it was pretty wild, as the wind switched direction in about 5 seconds from northerly to southerly. We've been surfing along at a good pace, roughly about 9 kts since then, in a direct line for the island of Rurutu. It is the northern most of the Austral Islands, and puts us in a good line for Tahiti. We should pass Rurutu tonight and are currently about 360 miles for Tahiti. Our current position is 24 degrees 45 minutes S, 151 degrees, 43 minutes W. We are expecting to reach the island of Tahiti sometime on Wednesday, and will head for a place called Tautira. Tautira is the traditional second home for Hokule'a crews, as its families have hosted and adopted us for many years. Rainui, on our crew, is from there, so he is very excited to go home. The plan after that is to go around the island to Matavai Bay in the district of Mahina, where we will be welcomed officially with a ceremony. We should be spending the night there, on the beach. We will then have to move to Pape'ete, to the main wharf where Faafaite's home is and where Hikianalia will prepare to make the voyage home to Hawai'i. There is a lot of work to be done to clean the va'a after the trip, and we will see how long that will take.
It is nice to be in warmer air; one of the first clues we had as to changing climate was the fact that the butter that had survived being out for weeks now was a puddle in the bowl. The ironic part is that the higher winds create higher waves and we get splashed more often, so the deck is pretty wet. Therefore, we're still wearing foul weather gear in order to keep dry. As we close in, we have taken stock of our fresh water supplies, and have enough extra that we're now allowed fresh water showers. It felt nice to have one this morning, although the water is still, shall we say, brisk? I was hoping to have smooth, sunny sailing to get more of a tan, but I think just my face, hands and maybe feet, will benefit.
I am looking forward to getting to Tahiti, although my camera suffered a big splash and is currently out of order. I am hoping that a day of drying out will restore it in time for our arrival. My brand new sunglasses cracked a few days ago, and I have no idea how. I had still been wearing them, but yesterday, I pulled them out of the pocket of my jacket, and they were shattered. I seem to be a hurricane these days.
We are practicing some of the songs that we will have to sing as a part of the welcomng ceremonies. When I first started sailing, I didn't like the protocol part of arrivals and departures, but as I experience more, I understand the importance of the ritual. It is often more for the people on land than those who have been at sea. To be out on the open ocean is to be free of the restraints of land. In a way, as we are out here, we are tapu in a way. We always say, "what happens on the wa'a stays on the wa'a", and it is certainly true. The experience is vast, and people react differently to it. Some are completely different people on the water than they are on land. You can tell the long time voyagers, because they have reconciled themselves; they are the same, land and sea. My guess is that the sea personality takes precedence.
It is another beautiful day at sea, rockin' and rollin' along. We are finishing strong, as Kalepa says, and our Tahitian flag is up!
Ms. Fuller
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