taporo Archives - The Adventures of Sugar Shack

Beauty is all around us as we spend Christmas in the Gambiers! We celebrate a few days before Christmas in a small bay on the West side of Taravai called Onemea. We are all by ourselves and have an unobstructed view of the sunset. Once inside the bay you are surrounded by reefs on three sides which provide excellent snorkeling. Matt flew the drone and captured these beautiful photos.

Onemea on the West Side of Taravai

A beautiful rainbow over the hillside.

Matt gets the drone out and captures a really pretty photo of Sugar Shack with the sun and puffy cloud.

Onemea bay, Taravai

Cookie Baking Day

Our family used to do a cookie baking day where all the ladies gathered together to bake dozens and dozens of cookies. When I moved to Texas, I continued the tradition by inviting my girlfriends and their daughters over for baking and decorating. It was a great way to get out of decorating the cookies and getting sharing the cookies. I love to bake but decorating does not bring me much joy. Last year, I invited several gals from other boats and we decorated them together…but this year I was all on my own. I made the dough for two recipes (gingerbread and sugar cookies) one day and then put them in fridge. The next day I baked 288 gingerbread cookies (with red hots) and 130 sugar cookies (stars, hearts, sea horse, bells, and a mermaid).

The next day I made 75 white mice (or Mexican wedding cookies) and 75 chocolate candy cane cookies with white chocolate drizzle and peppermint topper. Then I made frosting for the sugar cookies and decorated the bells, hearts, sea horses, and mermaids. Whew!

Christmas in Gambiers is a day of Sharing

Part of the joy of baking is being able to share the cookies with others. So, Christmas in the Gambiers came on Christmas Eve. Each boat in the anchorage (6 of them) received a cookie care package and 5 different local families did too. What fun!

Christmas Eve Activities

There are only 8 boats in the entire archipelago right now which is amazing, albeit shocking! One of the boats is a family of 4 with a teacher from the UK. They invited everyone onshore to do caroling. They even had song sheets. I must say we sounded terrible! But it was great fun.

After caroling, we headed to St. Michael cathedral for evening service. We were not sure how they would handle service with the pandemic restrictions, but it went off really well. Everyone wore their masks, no hugging or kissing (which is huge for French and Polynesian people), and we all tried to sit with at least 2 people space between us. It was crowded and hot though. I can only imagine what it is like when they are literally full to capacity with people body to body.

The church was decorated so beautiful with natural plants and flowers. A beautiful nativity highlighted at the entrance and of course the beautiful stations in each of the corners.

St. Michael’s Church

The alter was decorated with live trees and fresh flowers. Everything worked in harmony to accentuate the stunning alter covered in natural pearl shells. Truly beautiful.

Christmas in Gambiers at St. Michael’s Church

After service, I went back to Stefan and Manu’s place to enjoy a tasty dinner. Stefan had been cooking since noon and man oh man did he cook for an army! I thought there would be more people but it was just he and his wife, their two young kids and Matt and I. I am not sure where he thinks we can put all this food!

Stefan literally prepared a feast with lamb, lobster, oysters, potato casserole, and many many side dishes.

As we were headed back to the boat, we heard the Taporo coming in – yeah! The supply ship has arrived.

Christmas in Gambiers – The Supply Ship

I have written about the supply ship on many blogs. If you might recall, I always say it is like Christmas. And wouldn’t you know it – they actually arrive on Christmas day this time! It is so amazing to see all the locals congregate on the dock waiting for their packages and presents. We saw new bicycles, TVs, outboards, fresh food and produce, fuel, propane and oh so much more. Everyone was happy and excited to get their holiday on!

Everyone checks in at the little “hut” where you order and pay for your goods (upper left corner photo). We had wanted to buy 25kilos of flour and 4 cases of beer, but they were out 🙁 So sad for us.

Several boats needed fuel, so we loaned out our jerry cans and gave hand – because that is just what you do.

Stefan and Manu invited us back to their house for lunch (Christmas eve left overs) – who would say “no” to more lobster? We stumbled back to the boat after being overly fed and rested for awhile before going over to “Auntie” a new cruising friend that we met. Eve on “Auntie” invited other cruisers over for Christmas happy hour which was lovely and just a perfect way to end this beautiful Christmas celebration.

Although I miss my family tremendously, Christmas in Gambiers showered us with love and happiness (both from the locals and other cruisers). Life is good and truly blessed.

Events from this blog post occurred around 12 December, 2020. Our blog posts run 8 weeks behind our adventures.

The Gambiers are very remote and only receive a supply ship once every 3-4 weeks. Over the holidays it becomes even more infrequent. The main village of Rikitea located on Mangareva received a supply ship in late November, then one in January and then the one we caught at the end of February. The ship in January had no gasoline so the entire archipelago was out of “sans plumb.” We were lucky in that the Nuku Hao supply ship was scheduled to arrive within a week after we arrived (the February ship). Great timing for us!

It is a big deal when the ship comes as the locals receive packages, supplies, parts, cars, scooters, building materials, and pretty much anything that is needed from Tahiti. The magasins (markets) get all of their fresh produce and goods to stock their shelves. So, the island life stops as we know it to greet the ships.

Nuku Hao Supply Ship #1

At 0600, the first of two ships arrived. You can see it coming down the channel (behind the sailboat), during sunrise.

Arrival of the Supply Ship

The supply ship lowers two pangas to use as “bow thrusters” and help guide them to the dock. It is amazing to me that they lower these pangas, with people inside them while underway.

Pangas are used as bow thrusters

The pangas use their wooden bow with minimal protection to “ram” the supply ship and move her into place. The ships captain cannot see the pangas from his perch, so the drivers of the pangas have to have a lot of faith in their own skills – to not get squished.

Pangas expertly maneuvering the hsip

Organized Chaos

We went to shore around 10:00 to witness the activity first hand. The supply ship had been docked for about 3 hours and the dock was bustling with movement. They have two cranes that lift and lower the containers from the ship to the dock.

Containers, containers, everywhere

Then forklifts move the containers and boxes away from the boat to make room for more. Dozens and dozens of containers were unloaded. Usually they have one fork lift on either end (one goes backwards while the other forward). Really amazing.

Moving the containers on shore

The island is fueled by propane (kitchens) and they were very low on supply in the islands. So, lots and lots and lots of propane bottles were delivered. Locals bring their empty bottles in exchange for full ones.

Anything and everything is delivered

Propane bottles – restocking the island

The gasoline and diesel are delivered in 200-liter barrels. The locals bring their empty barrels in exchange for full ones. As an outsider, we can purchase one 200-liter barrel of diesel but not gasoline. Gasoline has to be pre-ordered or purchased directly from the local magasins (for about $50 per 5 gallons). Locals can purchase an open container (lower photo) have it filled and shipped to them. They meet with the foreman, provide payment and paperwork, and he tells them which numbered box is theirs.

Fuel and Personal Carts

I witnessed some funny things while on the dock. I am sure most of it would never be allowed in the States. A local purchased a 200-liter drum of fuel. He backed his hatchback to the dock and had a forklift deposit the heavy barrel into the back. What??? The bottom photo are the locals waiting for individual packages to be unpacked.

200-liter barrel to go?

The fork lifts drive right inside the containers to remove pallets of beverages, food, and supplies. Of course, we found the pallets of Hinano (local beer).

Hmmmm…beer by the pallet

I went around to the bow of the supply ship to see the damage caused by the pangas. I was surprised the metal ship had so many dents from the wooden pangas. But both the pangas and the supply ship had obvious damage.

Changing of the Guards / Ships

Damage by the bow thrusters?

The Nuku Hao supply ship finished unloading and repacking the ship around 1800. By 1900 it left the dock and was out of the channel. By 2100 the Taporo Supply Ship was pulling into the harbor. What a lucky day! Both supply ships arrived. The Taporo carries more of the fresh produce and frozen goods. It was raining when she arrived so we did not go to the dock to witness this madness. We did however, go ashore several hours later to raid the magasins for fresh produce.

Taporo Supply Ship

The Taporo brought all of the jet fuel for the airport

Jet Fuel

Although two ships came to deliver supplies, we realized that they still did not bring certain items like cabbage which is normally a staple. Odd. We will have to find a local who grows them. Because we are in the Gambiers, very fertile islands, the search will continue for fresh produce.

The Adventures of Sugar Shack

– Sailing Aboard a Catana 471

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