Perfect weather for a Birthday

Sunset looking at Moorea, Birthday eve
Birthday morning, surfboard awaits!

Well, at long last we have found the paradise we have sailed over 4000 nautical miles for!! Today broke blue and calmer, yay!! It's sunny, 29 degrees and a light 5 to 8 knot breeze....just perfect. Perfect for a Birthday, yep Geoff, Fur, Furry, the Snake has turned 52 today!! So Happy Birthday's all round.

In fact the day is so lovely, that Geoff is pulling out his surfboard, waxing it up and going to paddle out to the pass just south of us, where dudes are already surfing. This is all thanks to our dear friend Ben who FedEx'd the surfboard (and a secret stash of Nescafe instant Latte's) to us here. Thanks Benny, your a legend!

Not to say that Geoff's day has been all roses. Our engine battery died just a few days out from Monterey and we have been using the house batteries to start the engine. Not Good. Since being here we have sussed out the new battery options and Geoff after his special Birthday brekkie of Bacon and eggs served on toasted Baguette....went off and bought the new battery. Ouch an expensive thing even at a service station, 23900 cpf or $330 Aud. He then spent the next hour struggling to get the old battery out of a particularly tight fitting compartment, then quickly installed the new one, ran the engine and disposed of the old one...all by 11.30am. Time enough for a cool dip in the beautiful blue waters for a surf...or a paddle (if it's still too big)

The swell was so big over the last few days that not only was it busting over the reef and making 200 yachts very uncomfortable, but it wasn't surf-able. Maybe it was at the world famous Teahupoo a few miles further south on this coast, but only the big guns of surfing can handle that! So hopefully after a relaxed rest of his day, we will go over our friends boat 'Mr John' for Birthday sundowner's. Who we last saw in Cyprus 13 years ago and ran into just at Nuku Hiva! Small world in the curising community. Then maybe we will go off to the little Italian Cafe on the waters edge here at the Marina for a nice Pizza? hmmm sounds like a good day. I may even be able to whip up a chocolate cake while Geoff is off surfing?????