Captain and Mrs. Coconut visit CINNABAR

Ahhhh...back in the tropics!

Our friends Rob and Nancy from SHINDIG were able to squeeze a visit to French Polynesia into their super busy schedule. I'm pretty sure they welcomed a break from all their home improvement tasks. They got to do a bit of work aboard SHINDIG for a few days and then they boarded Cinnabar (loaded with swag for us of course) for a week and a half of sailing, snorkeling, and basic R&R. 

Just a few highlights:

Our first night at anchor we traveled to a small anchorage we had heard about near one of the eastern passes out of Raiatea. We slowly picked our way through a pearl farm, Rob on the bow looking for buoys under the water, and wedged CINNABAR into a tiny space tucked next to a motu out of the wind. There was no room to swing so Rob paddled to shore on his SUP with a long line which he tied to a tree. We dropped our anchor, backed down, and winched in the shore line until CINNABAR was secure. The boys thought this was all great fun but I admit to being a bit nervous about the set-up. Luckily the weather cooperated and we enjoyed a calm evening.

Check out the line stretched out behind the stern. An anchoring first for CINNABAR.

The next day we reversed the procedure, sailed out the pass and headed for Huahine. It was a brisk and sporty day and we made record time with a reefed mainsail and jib. The entire trip from pass to pass was about 3.5 hours. Not bad for 26 miles. 

Captain Coco at the helm. Very sporty weather!

While in Huahine we spent a lot of time in the water. 

Ready to snorkel in Fare, Huahine.

The swell was up and Tom and Rob had a great day of surfing, Tom on his board and Rob on his SUP. Other activities included an island tour for Rob and Nancy, and Nancy got invited to a musical recital performed by four girls from the two kid boats in the anchorage. Being a musician herself, Nancy also performed as a guest.

During the end of their trip we managed to arrange one or two happy hours with some other fellow cruisers.

Reconnecting with Mike and Shelley on AVATAR.

They ended their trip with a stay at the Raiatea Lodge and treated us to a gourmet meal. Wow! 




Thanks Nancy and Rob for all your generosity! (And the Don Julio that we are saving for our arrival in New Zealand in November.) Your visit felt way too short and we'd love to see you aboard CINNABAR again. 



P.S. We can't wait to see your new house.