Parade Yellow

Polynesian's from many islands came to Tahiti to march in the Autonomy Day Parade.
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Flags and Banners

To help celebrate Fete, we hoisted every flag and banner we had on board. All fluttering in the SE Trades, and with those of our neighbors, it was a glorious sight.
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Le Truck

To beat Tahiti's expensive restraunt prices, we often ate at Le Truck's, a waterfront gathering place with a great selection of trucks converted into meals on wheels. Each evening they would arrive and set up shop. Meals were tasty and cheap by Papeete standards.
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Neon Tahiti

Tahiti has a seedy side, and here the night life is in full swing, with drinking and music, but crime is more prevalent here too. Bashings, muggings, and other scary stuff occured while were were in this town, and we ventured here only rarely.
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Canoe Racing

The start! In Papeete Harbor the racers are off, paddling for the first prize and glory for thier village, island or racing club.
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Behind The Scenes

Behind the scenes, canoe racing competitors and spectators waited for their heats to begin.
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Canoes on Beach

Part of the Fete was a major canoe racing regatta. Dozens of beautifully crafted, but definately high tech, carbon fiber and titanium, racing canoes were on racks on the beach waiting for the racing to begin.
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Pacific Island Produce

First stop was the Papeete Market, and we found a basket full of south seas fruits and vegitables.
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Papeete Quay

Each year 200-400 cruising yachts cross the Pacific, and most of them stop in Papeete, so the quay can get crowded, but we found a spot, right in the middle, surrounded by the pedestrians and traffic noise typical of a city.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold-click to enlarge

Papeete

Papeete, Tahiti. Quite a change from the remote and undeveloped Marquesas Islands and Tuomotus, we were so awe struck at finding a city in the Pacific, we almost ran aground just looking at it during our approach.
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Tahitian Girl, Autonomy Day Parade-1998

Tahitian girl in the Autonomy Day parade, part of Fete, July 15, 1998
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold-click to enlarge

Timeless Tuomotu Scene

Paddling a canoe must come natually to Polynesians, and, despite use of all the latest technology, and a sports bottle of water on the afterdeck, this is a timeless scene.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

White Hot Tuomotu Sunshine

Under the white hot sun of the Toumotus, motorscooters go good with swimsuits, for a common mode of transportation.
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Rangiroa Surf

On Rangiroa, we walked across the narrow, windswept motu and gazed out over the coral beach, past the surf, onto the blue Pacific ocean, and we wondered who might be sailing out there, over the horizon.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Tradewinds over theCemetary

Steady Tradewind breeze blows cocoanut palms but it is still hot work mowing the lawn at the cemetary on Rangiroa, in the Tuomotus
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Anchored in the lagoon

Inside Rangiroa's 40 mile wide lagoon, we felt like we were still in the open ocean.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Dangerous Iles, the Tuomotus

The low Tuomotus (Dangerous Islands) are hard to see until you are very close, in this photo, less than 3 miles.
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Daniel's Bay

Daniels Bay, the Marquesas
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Teenagers in Paradise

Teenager's in paradise.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Anchored off the wharf in Ua Pou, in the Marquesas, we found ourselves in the middle of life in a small town. Kids, adults, & teenagers, like these two girls, would wander down on the wharf near our boat and studiously ignore us as they discussed...well, whatever teenage girls discuss.

Ua Pou

We finally caught a glimpse of the spires of Ua Pou after several days of waiting for the rain clouds to clear away.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Seattle Star

Doug and Jill, friends of ours from Seattle, aboard their Morgan yacht Seattle Star, met us on Ua Pou
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Kids on the Wharf

Polynesian kids on the wharf
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Ua Pou Coast

Typical of the mist shrouded islands of French Polynesia, Ua Pou's rough coastline looks forbidding to our approach.
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City Center, Atuona

City Center, Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
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School Sports in Polynesia

Polynesian canoe racers practice in the Marquesas, with coaches along side in speedboats. This is not the third world.
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Paul Gauguin

A sweaty climb up a steep hillside brings you to the moss covered stone which marks the grave of Paul Gauguin, the painter who left his wife and family in France to paint in the South Pacific, often nude Polynesian women and young girls.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Hiva Oa

This chalett is not Swiss, it is on Hiva Oa Island, in the Marquesas, French Polynesia
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Gloomy Atuona

Dark streets of Atuona with overhanging jungle follage, heavy, rain filled clouds, and a damp roadway; this is Atuona
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Atuona Harbor

Atuona-Hiva Oa-Marquesas. Cruising yachts anchored in the tight harbor. No room here for us, we had to anchor in the open roadstead.
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French Tricolor

We're in France now!
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Hiva Oa

Landfall in the Marguesas after 3000 miles
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Pole on the headstay: nice day at sea

Great day at sea, reaching towards the South Pacific
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

April 23, 1998-Judy Crossing the Line

Relaxing on the line. Judy enjoys a cool glass of wine as we cross the equator.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Steering, for the fun of it

Sometimes I just have to take the helm
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Carl & Joanne Bergan

Carl & Joanne, in Acapulco
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Wings, at Club de Yate, Acapulco

Loaded and stowed, Wings is ready for the Pacific Ocean crossing ahead
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Acapulco Hotel

Before the glitz and glamor of the 90's, Acapulco was filled with this kind of charm. There is still plenty of it.
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Acapulco Old Town

In Acapulco, all taxicabs are blue and white Volkswagen Beetles.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Cinepolis

A quiet day in the mall in Acapulco. We came here to see Titanic, and had a choice of 9 movies!
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3 Hermanos

In Acapulco's old town, away from the tourist strip.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Banana

Acapulco is a tourist town, and what does every tourist do in Acapulco? They ride on one of these, towed at high speed in the rough ocean waters, bouncing kids and adults off in all directions. Sounds like fun, huh?
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Huatalco, Mexico

Huatalco. As far south as we got in North America. From here we returned North to Acapulco to prepare for the Pacific crossing.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Joanne Erickson

Joann came down to Acapulco and we took a trip to Huatalco.
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Acapulco Market

We wandered in this market in Acapulco until we got totally lost. Finally we found our way out onto a street, and caught a taxi back to the boat, whew!
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

The historic port of Acapulco, where the Spanish Manila Galleons set out across the Pacific for a couple of hundred years before the English and other countries eventually got into the act and started to steal the gold from them.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

John Kelly

John Kelly, another Seattle sailor in Mexico, and Fred, onboard Imagine in Zihuatenejo
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Imagine

Tom and Pam took the Zihuatenjo crowd snorkeling on their great Farr 55 Imagine
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Zihuatenejo-Soccer

Kids everywhere in Mexico play soccer
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Z-town

Zihuatenejo, Mexico. A delightful small town in Mexico, and a favorite of cruisers.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold

Shopping

The back alleys of Manzanillo offered an alternative to Las Hadas for shoppers.
wingssail-Fredrick Roswold