Rapa to Raivavae, Les Australes 3 May 2011, 1:00 a.m. Tahiti Time 24S39 146W40

Our visit to Rapa was beautiful but short. After resting up, cleaning up, attempting a few minor repairs and a few minor hikes, we left Sunday early afternoon, ever willing to jump into an attractive weather window. Two boats we met there had been anchored at Rapa for over 2 weeks, their stays extended by a lack of good weather windows for northbound departures. We would have liked to stay a couple more days, but not a couple more weeks. As we found this season last year, the Australes do experience their own version of the southern hemisphere’s autumn. We’re not officially in the tropics yet.

This is a short two=day hop for us. We should be arriving in ten hours. Today’s excitement – four mahimahi caught. The fridge is working overtime keeping them cool. We will not arrive at Raivavae empty handed.

I still owe you Frank’s Rapa lobster tale. It is an epic tale involving the hubris of youth, and a clash of cultures. We were warmly welcomed in Rapa, probably because they could not quite place where they’d seen his face before. We’d like to return one day, so I may take his side of the story offline – especially if I let him tell it.

xoxomo