Yesterday John spent the entire morning tightening the motor mount bolts and realigning the engine after discovering that one bolt had worked it's way loose under a small drip of oil/grease. That was a major job requiring removing the entire contents on top of and underneath the quarter berth, plus lots of contortions in small spaces. Once he finished that unexpected project I could begin cleaning the boat in preparation for happy hour that evening on Nakia.
When John and the divers returned from their mid-afternoon expedition we all got cleaned up to pay a visit to the pension, Motu Aito Paradise, run by Manihi and his wife, Tila. Wow, Paradise is right! This is a charming, intimate pension with artistic details, nice bathroom fixtures, and a warm, welcoming feel from its owners. It's a sharp contrast to the larger, slightly run down operation at Tetamanu Village located at the pass, where we felt our CFPs were more welcome than our company.
A fourth American boat, Infini, with Mike and Sue aboard, just arrived this morning. They have been in company with Soggy Paws and Visions of Johanna coming up through the Gambiers and we are looking forward to meeting them in person. They will be sailing to Hawaii with Soggy Paws for cyclone season later in the year so we'll be exchanging information with them before we part ways.
Linda
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