Tahiti, French Polynesia 17S46 149W26
There was a whole crossing with no note from me. We had a new stowaway onboard, so there were distractions (and a shortened watch). Frank’s brother David decided to join us at the last minute, he flew from Tahiti to Tubuai Monday afternoon, and we hoped on the screaming Maraamu (southeast wind) first thing Tuesday morning, arriving here early yesterday. The wind never went under 20 knots, and we skidded thru at a steady eight knots, so the Mahi Mahi had trouble catching up to our lures. My disappointed sister-in-law came to collect our stowaway anyway – even without a fish bribe.
Maraamu is Tahitian for devouring Mara. Apparently there is a point nearby named after an ancient Tahitian hero “Mara.” Winds coming from southeast whip that point hard. It can be calm just on the other side, but howling when you come around that point. One of the many difficulties in learning tahitian is the variation on words from island to island (or even valley to valley). Many things are named after local landmarks or events. In earlier times, the people on Bora Bora probably did not call those winds Maraamu, since their island doesn’t have that same point. Although these days most islanders use that name – their own form of globalization.
So yesterday we arrived with the Maraamu “Comme un pet sur une toile ciree” as Frank says (like a fart on a waxed canvas). It then shifted to the Matainania (sp? wind from above), a calmer version of the east winds we call the trades. Like our north being up, Tahitians call anything from the east “up” It’s pretty logical, after all, the sun rises in the east, the moon rises in the east, their favorite wind rises from the east. In fact how did we ever land on north being up. Nothing comes up in the north. So if you’re ever in Tahiti and a local tells you he’s headed “up” to visit family, or something is “up” the street, you can assume that he means east of wherever you are. A factoid you may never need, but you never know.
Tody we’re off to give my mother-in-law’s washing machine an Olympic workout.
xoxomo