The Journey Begins

The theory of seven-year cycles, first mentioned in the 20th century by philosopher Rudolf Steiner, suggests we live our lives through ten cycles, each lasting seven years, from the moment we are born until 70 and beyond. During these cycles, we face challenges, learn profound lessons, sharpen our physical and emotional instincts, and experience spiritual growth. It doesn’t mention doing the same thing over every seven years, facing the same challenges, getting frustrated by the same idiosyncrasies and learning the same thing over again.

So here we are, boat number three, Woodsia, Aura and now Felis. Our ‘new to us’ 45-foot catamaran is fresh out of the Moorings fleet. We are currently sitting in the beautiful Avea Bay, Huahine, French Polynesia. Crystal clear turquoise water surrounded by cliffs covered in all varieties of trees, including towering mango trees and coconut palms. Meanwhile, Simon is in the guest head (bathroom), clearing the toilet pipes in preparation for our first guests.

I now know the first few weeks will be the most challenging and frustrating. Felis didn’t disappoint, but I can say there is light at the end of what seems like a very murky grey tunnel. The lure of cruising is a very different lifestyle, full of boat jobs in exotic places, coming up with new and exciting meals with limited provisions, up and down all night checking anchorages and moorings, exploring beautiful locations, and meeting new, like-minded people. The pros and cons are fairly even, but if you love adventure, it's hard to say no to cruising, as you never have the same experience twice.

The two months before joining Felis seemed all consuming. Once we received the survey report and agreed to proceed with the sale, time seemed to evaporate. Insurance quotes, registering with AMSA (Australian ship registration), flights, and the purchase of all the ‘stuff’ you know you need and unlikely to locate on a small island with an approximate population of 12,000.

The end-of-year sales were a big bonus, with most homewares heavily discounted. The delivery of items from Australia Post and Amazon seemed endless. Every week, it felt like another trip to Target to buy a new suitcase. Each suitcase had its contents carefully scrutinised, prioritised, packed (repacked) and weighed, coming in at 23 kg. Not a gram over or under. We eventually reached our six-bag limit, five suitcases and a Weber BBQ, totalling exactly 138 kg. I had nightmares for weeks about how we would manage to get all six pieces from Brisbane to Raiatea. As with all well-laid plans, it was not the bags that caused the most stress.

With our luggage in tow, we had the good sense to arrive at the airport early. We had our minivan booked at 5.15 am and arrived at the airport 2.5 hours before our flight. We had bought several items we had completed a tax refund. We rolled out luggage (no trolleys) to customs on the ground floor. Presented our receipts and proceeded to play ‘stuff’ bingo as the customs officer called out each item from a very long list. ‘Heat gun, drill bits, PFD’s, pots, twine, pillows…’, both of us searching the open suitcases, trying to find the individual items we had beautifully packed. I am going to put it down to the custom’s officer not having been sufficiently caffeinated. Normally, you would expect to display a few of the larger items, but not every tool, homeware and safety item. After stuffing all the ‘stuff’ back into the suitcases, apologising profusely to the long line of people watching the show as they panicked about missing their flights, we managed to check in and wave our bags farewell.

After a three-hour delay in Auckland, we arrived in Papeete and were greatly relieved to have all six pieces of luggage. We were even more relieved to find transport to get them up the hill to our accommodation and, four hours later, down again to the domestic airport. We checked in our four bags for the flight to Raiatea and dropped off two bags as cargo. Relaxing slightly, we ordered coffee and croissants to celebrate our success. Then there was the security screening at the domestic terminal as we entered the departure hall. We had breezed through security in both Australia and New Zealand, carrying all our batteries, duty-free, two laptops, an iPad, and everything else that didn’t fit into the luggage. Our bags were thoroughly searched and sent through the X-ray machine multiple times. We were both relieved when we were finally free to go through. Then our flight was delayed, and we were told we had to leave the departure hall. We left apprehensively, but surely they wouldn’t screen us with the same level of rigour. Wrong, the next time it was even worse. They even took our duty-free alcohol (which was still sealed in a plastic bag) to ensure it had not been tampered with. Thirty minutes later, we were escorted onto a full plane, with everyone patiently waiting for us.

We arrived in Raiatea and picked up our rental car for the final leg to the marina. Who would have thought that a Suzuki Swift would fit five suitcases? The whole terminal was as impressed as I was as Simon kept coming back for another suitcase. Since it was only a short drive from the airport to the marina, we arrived in no time, and I got to see our new home for the first time. After 24 hours in transit, it was a fabulous feeling to arrive finally.

Now the real fun can begin.