Happy Birthday Brad

July 2, 2010

Uponohu Bay, Moorea, French Polynesia

This turned out to be a great place to celebrate.  We found another birthday boy, Pierre who is captain, dad, etc. on Victoria, and many other reasons besides the usual Canada to have a big beach celebration.  So, we organized a potluck and bonfire on the beach. 

It was still very windy (yet balmy as our friends visiting from Seattle pointed out) which is why we are in Moorea instead of Papeete, but that didn’t stop a good portion of the anchorage from coming ashore to help us celebrate!  There were outstanding dishes contributed as well as the standard birthday cakes.  We had to convince some of our drunk French friends that the American tradition is that you cannot have cake until you have sung “Happy Birthday” to the birthday folk.

We were lucky to have among those attending an astronomer who took some time and gave us the low down on the upcoming total eclipse on July 11th.  We will be in Papeete and if we choose to go 40 miles to the south we will be in the path of the total eclipse.  We will watch the weather and decide if we make the voyage.  Brad and I both remember the total eclipse that we observed in 1979 and would love to give the boys the same opportunity.

Brad also received some birthday greetings over the SSB radio and email.  All in all, I think it was a successful birthday celebration as evidenced by our slow movements this morning.  After checking weather, we will decide if we will head back to Tahiti today or tomorrow morning.