Haapiti and back on the boards

We motored back to Tahiti and said farewell to Finbar on Friday night. There were no marina berths to be had, so we anchored in amongst the floating shanty town to the south of the airport. Yachts everywhere in all sorts of levels of disrepair, it looked like a graveyard of boats and dreams; adventuring sailors down on their luck who had got this far across the Pacific, only to be trapped by Covid, equipment failure, and/or a lack of funds. 

On Saturday we headed back to Cooks Bay which had a much better vibe. Then on Sunday, back around to Haapiti to see what the waves were doing. The conditions were a lot easier to deal with than last time we were here.  

The waves were small but the long weekend party vibe in the water was big. Surfers of all stripes and levels of ability were out. Despite the relatively crowded waves,  friendliness was the main emotion on the water. You gotta love French Polynesia. 

This morning I thought I'd chance the ribs and get out there after a slow yoga session on the back deck. All went well until I caught an outside set; which put me in amongst the learners sitting further in. I bailed out prematurely seeking to avoid a dongle, but ended up in one nonetheless; suspect broken toes and a fin chop in the new board were the result. I retired to the fore deck to ice my toes and feel sorry for myself while the board dried out.

After some R.I.C.E. and ibrophen I thought I'd chance it again on the small board. 5 weeks in and still unused; so I waxed it up and motored out.  

The board showed more promise than its rider; but it was good to get out nonetheless. As the sun set, Marco made ready to see what he could catch after dinner.  

Its good to be at Haapiti.