Papeete, Tahiti - Garyn and Jessica are now captive in Tahiti.

Latitude:        17 32.407 S

Longitude:  149 34.247 W

We have been moored at the downtown Papeete Quay (kee) since early afternoon of June 8.  Worrall wind is med-moored bow first.  The Quay has what we call fixed slime lines (they are slimey when pulled up).  These lines are picked up from the quay where they are secured on one end at the quay and the other anchored into the fairway. 

When the boat comes bow or stern first into the quay, the bow or stern is tied off on the quay, then the slime lines are picked up on either side of the boat and and walked back to the opposite end lifting the slimy lines out of the water.  When the opposite end is reached, the slime lines are  then pulled taught from the rear where they are secured to sunken anchors,  and cleated off on the boat,  thus creating a three point tie off system, keeping the boat in a fixed position.

June 8 – We arrived, did some general cleanup, contacted our agent, walked around downtown area and ate out at a little pizzaria.  Papeete is a bustling city filled with sites and sounds unfamiliar to sailors who have been at sea.

June 9 – Our agent  arrived early and started the check in procedure for us.  We did more clean up and exploring.  Russ visited the port captain and found the local hardware stores.  Looks like there are some protests going on around government buildings.  Our limited French doesn’t help us comprehend what it going on.

June 10 – Today was a day of exploration of Papeete.  More protesting.  Still not sure what is going on.  The big open air market near the port has fish, produce, pearls and clothing. 

We discover a lot of fabric stores with tropical prints.  I’d like to buy some material to make some pillow covers for the boat and maybe an outdoor shower curtain.  Our shower sump has not been working well, so we have been taking freshwater showers on deck after dark.  This is not so easy to do in downtown Papeete.   Garyn and Jessica get packed up for their trip home on Friday.  They are looking forward to retrieving their pets, getting back to their jobs, and seeing their friends and family.

June 11 – We rented a car for the day to drive around Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti. Garyn and Jess’s plane doesn’t take off until 11:45 p.m. so we have all day.   While there were many places on the map we were unable to find, we did find some lovely waterfalls and short hike on the north eastern side of Tahiti Nui

a very old church in Tahiti Iti being decorated with fresh flowers

and some beautiful grottos on Tahiti Nui’s South western side. 

 

We also checked out Marina Taina where we have made reservations for Worrall Wind during our trip back to the states.

We dropped Garyn and Jessica off at the boat around 5:00 p.m., ran a few errands before parking the car, and returned ourselves to the boat around 7:00 to find Garyn and Jess fretting over rumors they had heard from other cruisers that the airport was shutdown and flights out had been cancelled.  Apparently the protests we had been witnessing were public employees.  In particular, the firefighters out on strike  are the reason the airport has shut down.  Big jets cannot land without the firefighters on hand for emergencies.  Whether planned or coincidental, the strike comes just before several big festivals and events, including a solar eclipse,  in French Polynesia that bring in thousands of tourists from aborad.

We got online to indeed find out if their flight had been cancelled.  It had been.  Since we still had the car, Russ, Garyn, and Jess went out to the airport anyway to see if they could talk with a Hawaiian Airlines representative.  The Hawaiian Air booth was dark, no one was around.  Quantas and Air Tahiti had also cancelled their flights, but were in their booths assisting stranded customers.  Strike 1.

It’s a good thing Garyn and Jess still have Worrall Wind as a home base.   Other crew members had just been dropped off and their boats had sailed on. 

June 12 – Garyn and Jess once again tried to connect with Hawaiian Air only to be referred to the website which had no new information.  No there was no one locally they could speak with.  No, they could not or would not inform them of updates.  It was up to them to keep calling and being put on hold.  Strike 2.

Russ and I went to the open market and walked all around Papeete.  We stopped at the tourist center and discovered the Haiva festival down the quay about a mile.  Haiva is an annual dance festival.  With our neighbors, Herb and Betty on SV Sulla, the six of us went to watch the dancing.  It was terrific.  All of the dancers were female from dance schools around the islands and ranged in age from  5 year olds to 60+ year olds.  Boy can they shake their booties!  The costumes were beautiful and the music hypnotic.

About two thirds of the way through the show, it started to sprinkle then soak everyone in the open-air theater.  Spectators and visitors evacuated the stands looking for cover.  By the time we got back to the boat we were drenched.  It sprinkled and rained throughout the night.  As far as we know, there has been no progress made on the strike.

June 13 – Happy Birthday Abby.  We are thinking of you today.

Once again Jessica tried calling Hawaiian Airlines to find out what was going on and if there was any resolve to the strike.  She also wanted to let them know how unsatisfied she and Garyn were with their lack of customer service (helpfulness) in keeping them informed about strike progress and/or rescheduled flights etc.  At one point after going up two levels in customer service and spending considerable time on hold, the representative conveniently disconnected (hangup).   Strike 3!  Woe to Hawaiian when you’ve got assertive twitterers, yelpers, and bloggers on board.

It is hard to fathom why the airline can’t keep their ticket holders better informed, particularly when Quantas and Air Tahiti seem to be assisting their customers with updates, news, and room reservations.  No one blames the airlines, but airlines are in a better position than the stranded, non-French speaking tourist to assist with alternative arrangements and support.  Apparently the other airlines understand this concept.  Hawaiian isn’t getting it.  Their idea of support is to NOT charge a re-scheduling fee when cancelled flights are rescheduled.  Otherwise, travelers are on their own.

Hopefully, the public employees can get their strike resolved quickly.  It is bad for tourism and for stranded travelers.  In two weeks, we ourselves will be heading home for Abby and Neal’s wedding….on Hawaiian Air.    We certainly hope the situation is resolved by then.  For now, while all might not be well with air transportation to and from Tahiti,

All is well on Worrall Wind