The anchor is down

The plan worked, the windlass got fitted and at last we are at anchor in a tropical paradise watching the sun set over Bora Bora. We have some super-posh neighbours to share the view with!

Another silvery silver wedding anniversary present!

Sally looks pleased with yet another silver wedding anniversary present! We now have nearly all the parts needed to make Shimshal seaworthy and we hope to depart for more distant horizons tomorrow - yippee!

Out with the old but not yet in with the new

After a coupe of days of tinkering by a diesel mechanic and a professional clean of the injector, we finally poked a camera through the top of the cylinder head of our generator to examine the piston. Not good! Rust everywhere meaning that our 20 year old Fischer Panda had finally bitten the dust.

As soon as we had taken the decision to scrap it,  plenty of Polynesian descended to wrestle it, ever-so-gently, from its mounts in the work room and drop it into the dinghy. Shimshal is now 88kg lighter and we have arranged to pick up a 21kg, four stroke petrol replacement in Airutaki in a few weeks time.

Farewell Fischer Panda - not the best bit of kit on the boat but 20 years isn’t too bad for, what most regard as, a heap of junk!

Calling in help from friends

Even on a tiny island fringed with coral in the South Pacific there are OCC members willing to lend a hand, help solve problems and fly in with boat spares

It’s 10 days since we returned to our boat, Shimshal, on the tiny Pacific island of Raiatea and, during that time, we have discovered a daunting list of gear failures. 

Today was a turning point in our struggle to get Shimshal ocean ready. Ernie Godshalk, OCC Port Officer for Boston, was first to answer our distress call from dry land. When we discovered our headsail furler was jammed he sourced a replacement from Rhode Island and somehow found room for it in his luggage to fly with it to Tahiti and then to sail with it to within a mile of our dock. The ceremonial handover of the critical part took place soon after sunset on board his palatial chartered catamaran. We took our French friends, Yves and Barbara along to the spare part hand over as they too are OCC members who have been coming to the assistance of Shimshal for several years. 

It was in Moorhead City in 2022 that Barbara used a retired sail batten to unblock the outlet of our full holding tank whilst Shimshal was hard aground on a mud bank. A veterinarian by trade it was second nature for her to administer a  vigorous boat enema regardless of the consequences! Today Barbara performed delicate surgery within the claustrophobic conditions of our anchor locker. Once she had prepared the patient, Yves went in to supply the required muscle. After only a few expletives he emerged sweating and triumphant. The defunct windlass had been removed - a task that I had struggled with for 2 days! What’s more, the replacement is already in a Customs warehouse in Papeete! Two big steps forward today and we are ever so grateful for the camaraderie, resourcefulness and skills of our friends in the OCC. Fair winds and many thanks to Ernie, Anne, Barbara and Yves.

Silver Wedding

What better way to celebrate a 25th anniversary can there be? A meal with a dozen cruising friends on a South Pacific Island and a trip to a chandlery to buy the ‘silvery’ commemorative gift- a jumbo-sized stainless shackle! And Sally even looks pleased with her present!

Moorea

We’ve taken the ferry from Tahiti to Moorea to celebrate a significant anniversary and enjoy a few days on this holiday island before the hard graft of making Shimshal ocean ready begins. Our R&R began with a sweaty slither up to the 3 Coconuts Col. A magnificent walk which involved staggering over innumerable slimy and contorted roots writhing along the path threatening to twist ankle or cause a trip at every turn. When the gradient increased and the roots retreated a helpful soul had provided a knotted rope to prevent a rapid bum-slide into the precipitous jungle below.

Voyages of Shimshal 1, Hamble to Ponta del Garda where she was sold in 2002

Shimshal 2’s voyages, Henan to Raiatea

Traighuaine BBQ’s and kayaking

Easter 2025 at the Pinfold