Xavier was very charming and invited us to visit his island which was truly amazing.

We arrived at the boat house, tied up the dinghy and took the boardwalk over

the coral reef to his island.

Xavier runs a mail sail station to help transmit e-mails from yachts via SSB (long range radio) and so first we visited his station

accompanied by Christian Fletcher, his pet spaniel named from the book ‘ Mutiny on the Bounty’.

The sail mail station is all powered by a huge bank of batteries and a huge revolving solar panel.

Note from the sign – we are now closer to Sydney that we are to Panama !

This is the house under construction consisting of two hexaganol buildings, one is the living area and the other the kitchen all built

On stilts to survive any flooding when it is cyclone season.

The picnic area down by the beach and the view from the island.

Xavier has also built his own church.

We were all very envious !

Xaviers wife is still working as a barrister in Tahiti and flies into Manihi to spend her weekends on the island.

It was a privilege to meet Xavier and see his way of life in retirement, after being Commander in chief of the French forces

In the whole Pacific – I expect he deserves a rest.