A Week Ablard S/V Sabado: 11/03/2024 – 11/10/2024

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Last Sunday, we spent the day cleaning the boat and preparing for an overnight sail to Moorea, beginning our journey East in anticipation of cyclone season. Not surprisingly, the weather window we’d been counting on vanished! Monday greeted us with unforecasted high winds, rain, and rough seas. We decided to wait it out, cozy up, and work on our computers instead.

By Wednesday, the weather had calmed enough for us to set out. Typically, the trade winds blow from the East, so we chose a day with no wind so we could easily motor the short distance between Bora Bora and Moorea. Conditions were as expected: hot and still. Since we had filled our fuel tanks and jerry jugs with diesel in preparation for our last-minute trip to New Zealand that ultimately fell through, we didn’t even bother to raise the sails. We listened to our podcasts, kicked back, and enjoyed the ride. 

A few hours in, Ray heard a strange, high-pitched whine from our starboard engine. He immediately shut it down, switched to our port engine, and climbed into the compartment to investigate. 

Sure enough, he found water in our sail drive. We carry spare seals on board but will have to haul out to change them. This is a common failure, but it is annoying and expensive to fix. Ray pumped out and refilled it while I researched boat yards in Tahiti. We found one that looked promising and sent them an email. Squalls surrounded us as daylight faded. It was a bouncy, wet night. We motored into the darkness, periodically illuminated by flashes of lightning. It was uncomfortable but manageable. We kept watch/slept in three-hour shifts. 

By dawn, we could make out the outline of Moorea through the storm clouds. 

It began to rain as we entered the pass. We wove through the anchorage before dropping our hook in Cook’s Bay, changing into dry clothes, and lying down for a much-needed nap. We slept and watched TV the rest of the day. Around 6pm, I saw the familiar floating orange flowers streaming through the anchorage. I’m not sure why this happens, but it’s become characteristic of this spot. 

The air was still, and the shore was silent. I used to believe the flowers shook loose from the breeze… every day around dusk… even when there was no wind? Or maybe a local ceremony sends them out to sea… a very quiet ceremony that happens behind a tree, which is why we’ve never seen it? It remains a mystery—comment your theories! For what it’s worth, I think they are hibiscus. 

Friday afternoon, I stopped by the grocery store. It was surprisingly well stocked with produce: I got some pears, cilantro, spinach, and fresh eggs. I ran into our dear friend Jen, and we made plans to hang out later that day. We chilled a bottle of rosé and brought it over to their boat that afternoon, chatting and soaking up the sunshine while periodically cooling off in the water. This is what cruising is all about! 

The four of us ventured out on their boat on Saturday morning for a fishing/whale-watching excursion. We exited the pass, put our lines out, and trolled around. It was overcast and almost chilly. We shared coffee and scanned the horizon for whale tails or spouts. We saw one pretty quickly and named him Walter. He surfaced twice but seemed to be moving steadily in one direction- he was on a mission and did not want to play. So, we continued. A couple of hours later, just as we were about to end our trip, we saw a whale tail slapping the water repeatedly. At first, it was exciting, but then we grew a bit concerned because it didn’t stop. I have over a minute of video footage of it slapping its tail over and over again. The boys reeled in the fishing lines in case other whales came to witness the commotion or we decided to get in the water with them. 

We have since learned that Humpback whales slap their tails on the water for a few reasons—like communicating with other whales or marking their territory. It can also be part of their feeding strategy, helping to scare fish into tighter schools, making them easier to hunt. Once the splashing ceased, we remained in place for a while, expecting the whale to surface again, but it did not. It started raining, so we decided to head back into the anchorage. A pod of spinner dolphins appeared in the middle of the pass, flipping and twirling about. They approached the boat and hung out with us for a while before returning to sea. Seeing dolphins never gets old; these small, feisty guys are my favorite! 

Bryan and Jen re-anchored their boat, and we sat around chatting, waiting for the rain to stop before we dinghied back to Sabado. Ray and I popped open a bottle of wine with lunch (because why not?) and settled in for the afternoon. It rained intermittently, so we traded off between listening to music in the saloon together and chilling in the cockpit. There is nothing we love more than simply spending time together. After a few glasses of wine, Ray decided to give himself a haircut off the sugar scoop.

Our friends Natichka and Brandon, currently en route from Panama to the BVI to run charters on their beautiful 50ft catamaran, got into some gnarly weather and called us shortly after that. We looked up their location and chatted about what we’d do in their current conditions. We spent the rest of the afternoon tracking their progress to ensure they were safe. As sailors, we have to stick together! We really clicked with these two when we shared a dock in Panama, so the moment we understood they could be in trouble, we dropped everything to help. A second opinion can be so comforting in times of trouble. They are safe and sound as we post this, still on course. 

We heard back from the boatyard, and they can’t haul us out for another two weeks. We plan to spend that time hanging out in Moorea, arranging alternative accommodation, and preparing to complete a few other jobs while we’re on the hard. 

I hope you had a great week. ❤️