Reconnecting with a local guide opens up tiger shark diving in the Tuamotus
While anchored at Pinnacle, Lauren Landers Sailing ran into someone she had met freediving about six years earlier. He is originally from Moorea and his family has lived in the Tuamotus his whole life, meaning he knows the island extremely well. There are two passes on the island, and rumors of tiger sharks had been circulating. A friend had already spotted one in the first pass the day before they arrived, and the local guide confirmed that the second pass had far more sharks. He invited Lauren out on his boat for a full day: tiger shark encounters, spearfishing, lunch, and diving. Lauren describes herself as absolutely loving tiger sharks, so the invitation was an easy yes.
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Plan after Tahiti: fix the hydrovane, provision fully, then return to Tuamotus
After the vet appointments are sorted, the immediate priority is getting the hydrovane back together. That means sourcing the correct bolts to reassemble it. Once that is done, the plan is to wait for a suitable weather window and then head
Sometimes replacing the whole toilet assembly is faster than chasing seal failures
Lauren's aft head had seals replaced a couple of times and still was not working properly. Rather than continuing to chase individual seal failures, she decided to replace the entire assembly. The result: two out of three heads on the boat
Heavy calcium buildup in hoses can defeat even a new toilet pump
On the master head, Lauren replaced the pump assembly but the toilet still was not working correctly. Her suspicion is that the hose itself has too much calcium buildup inside it, meaning the new pump is fighting against a restricted line.