Unfortunately, the circumstances have changed somewhat dramatically with our sailing trip. About three weeks ago Larry had a resumption of the atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeats) that were supposedly cured by an operation three years ago. So, after much soul searching, internet time, and discussion with various medical doctors, we have decided to put our trip on hold for a year. This is, of course, all easier said than done when your home is a small sailboat at 17 degrees south latitude in Tahiti, French Polynesia. Our schedule is to put the boat in a local marina, fly back to Vancouver August 13, and meet with the surgeon on August 16. The decision will then be made whether to proceed with a second operation for this problem.
Pending a successful resolution to the health problem, the next issue is getting back to Tahiti. We will apply for a six-month visa while in Vancouver, and if approved, we will fly back to the boat around November. If we aren't able to get the long-term visa, then we will have to stay out of Tahiti until February, 2011, as we will only get the regular 3-month visa, and hurricane season there lasts from November through April.
We wish this was a continuation of the journey with more pictures of the South Pacific and ultimately New Zealand. But hopefully it's only a brief interruption. We will stay in touch as things progress.
Pending a successful resolution to the health problem, the next issue is getting back to Tahiti. We will apply for a six-month visa while in Vancouver, and if approved, we will fly back to the boat around November. If we aren't able to get the long-term visa, then we will have to stay out of Tahiti until February, 2011, as we will only get the regular 3-month visa, and hurricane season there lasts from November through April.
We wish this was a continuation of the journey with more pictures of the South Pacific and ultimately New Zealand. But hopefully it's only a brief interruption. We will stay in touch as things progress.