We left KIA and met in the way back the only boat of this trip: A tahitian flag catamaran Pahi "AORAI"

These Wharram designs are inspired from Polynesia , and are magic: so simple, so smart they really offer the cheapest cat ticket for real adventure to their skippers; On board many times, you ll meet very interesting personnalities. Yves belong to them: Son of the writer of  "La grande bordée", (history of Goelette EUROPE during the sixties), he is traveling from Moorea his home with his son Tama Nui. He likes to be out of the beaten track. that why we met "AORAI" in the middle of nowhere in Nadidamu anchorage, on the west coast of Vanua Balevu.

We saw them in Savu Savu 3 weeks before and went spearfishing together out of the reef; it was impossible to miss this Pahi with her outboards engines and a real "pirogue polynesienne" as a the dinghy...Yves explained that he had to endure a late cylone offshore last may, without anysail, without any control, just waiting in one hull. n impossibility to cross to the other one.. but the cat came out !

In fact this time , the mast has broken during a jibe on the south cost of Vanua Balevu and Yves try to repair with local fisher: an heavy custom made ladder etc, we helped a bit but had to leave very quick to bring back Jim to his plane...Later on,  the cat continue his eastward trip n could repair the mast with an american living in the nort coat : AORAI went upstream a river not far from Labasa and could put the repaired wooden mast back in place  with help of a tree wich was overshading this river...These Pahis are really a passport for adventure !

Today (as I fill this blog's chapter one year after) Yves and Tama Nui just arrived in Moorea ; they  head back directly against the strong prevailing tradewind  from Vanuatu, through Fiji, Futuna, Samoa, Aitutaki and Raiatea ; all in less than 3 months including the stops; a superb adventure when you know that heading is really not the strong point of a Pahi !

Leaving Kia with good speed in flat water along the stakes... only with good light

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With pression, the last old teflon balls from jib sheet double carrier broke and escape the case

We repaired waiting for new teflon balls... strong enough the up wind precision is over...

The only boat we met on this north coast of  VB: AORAI, tahitian flag, 100% tahitian crew

Fijian solidarity to build,  lift the custom made but crazzy heavy ladder to operate the mast top

All the necessary to live a rustic adventure on bord of a AORAI... sometimes even more !