The journey back to Brahminy 2015.
Passport, credit card……check. This is the usual checklist
for a holiday.
When you are embarking on a 7 month sailing adventure
this is what your checklist looks like: Satelite phone, charts, epirb, gas fitting,
roller furler bearing, through hull fitting, sail needles, wet weather gear……..
check!
The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of hectic
conversations in a language involving wrapping up two full time jobs,
completing a deck extension, and ordering mechanical, electrical navigation and
communication equipment for our yacht. Not to mention an awesome last weekend
in Broome with a deck christening / goodbye do, followed by a couple of nights
in Freo saying farewell to family and friends and stocking up on more boat supplies………. Phew!
Arriving in Tahiti after flying overnight (which left us
slightly sleepless and looking forward to a nights sleep in a fluffy hotel bed),
we came to our first hurdle of this epic adventure: She was 5ft tall, 3ft wide,
with a gun on her hip, and an attitude to boot. She was the cranky customs
officer that wouldn’t let us into Tahiti because we didn’t have a return
ticket…… She didn’t care that we were leaving by private yacht and we had all
the paperwork to prove it.
There were 3 options for us; A) Take the next flight back to NZ, B) Pay a fine
of $10 000 per person, or C) purchase a return ticket for departure in 3 months’
time. We chose option C and chucked a fully refundable $1500 onto my
recently-increased-limit credit card. Success! We were in the country!!
To say that I was exhausted after the last couple of months
was an understatement. Once we arrived at out room, I slept for 20 hours….
Straight. In the meantime, Dan figured out where the chandleries, docks and local markets were located and started stocking up on more supplies!
2 days later, we were stocked up with food, antifoul paint
and 145 metres of new line aboard a stinky old service boat headed to Apataki
where our beloved Brahminy was sitting patiently awaiting our return.
Our 6 day journey from Broome to Apataki was almost over…..
we were just a tad excited!
Our transport to Apataki, the Cobia 3: Our cabin smelled of wee and we forgot bedding :(
100 kg of our luggage, plus paint tins, new line and the sand up paddle board!
When we arrived, Pappy picked us up from the dock and we stayed at his home overnight before he ferried us over to the boat yard. His family run the boatyard - and have been very warm & welcoming.
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| Arriving in Apataki!! |
