Society Islands Tahiti to Bora Bora

We had a wonderful time in the Society Islands. The islands are stunning. They are a mix between the Marquesas with tall lush volcanic mountains and the Tuamotus with lovely coral reefs and turquoise water. Add plenty of blue sky, four of our closest friends from Perth, and you have the ingredients for an amazing 11 days.

After another windless passage from the Tuamotus to Papeete (Tahiti), we arrived with barely enough fuel to spare. We were fortunate to get a berth at Marina Taina where we got to work doing boat chores before Bec, Andrew, Jono and Mornay joined us. The French supermarket, Carefour was just down the road so provisioning was made easy with vacuum packed NZ beef, yummy French produce as well as local fruit and veg. Gas on the other hand was not so easy to locate. After carrying our empty gas bottles all around the Papeete industrial area, we finally got to the gas depot to find out that they were on strike. Fortunately we found a service station that provided us with a small camping gas bottle. That with our other spare, saw us through until Bora Bora.

Our guests arrived amongst much anticipation and excitement. It was wonderful having them on board and the first night was all about catching up and maybe having a few drinks on the side…ok, ok, maybe more than a few. The following morning we got organised to sail to Moorea. Everyone was a bit slow not to mention going through all the goodies that Mornay and Bec bought us from Oz…it was better than Christmas. The trip to Moorea was fairly uneventful with the exception of poor Andrew going a pale shade of green. We had a lure out in the hope of catching fish for supper. Bec was very diligent holding onto the line waiting for a strike. It was not until a couple of hours into the trip as we were bringing out lunch did Bec ask if anyone wanted to take over holding the line. Oops…we forgot to tell her that there was no need to hold it like a conventual line…but she was having fun.

We finally arrived at Moorea, through the pass to Baie d’Opunohu. The scenery was absolutely amazing. We anchored in the bay with only one other boat…gorgeous. The crew went for a walk into town, while we chilled on the boat and enjoyed the vista. The following day we moved to the bay entrance where we anchored in 5 meters of turquoise water. The snorkling was amazing. Jono, Mornay and Kim took the dingy about 100 meters from the boat and were amazed at just how good the coral and fish variety were. We ended up staying an extra day as the weather was perfect and there was a lot to explore.

The following day we set sail early for Tahaa which is about 25nm from Bora Bora. We had good wind although the seas where about 3m. Bec finally caught a fish, a nice silver jacket tuna. We arrived early morning and anchored for a short time near the pass so to catch up on some sleep before we made out way to Baie Apu. We were fortunate to pick up a mooring line. Onshore we visited the pearl farm and had a very nice lunch at the yacht club. Mornay bought a lovely black pearl while Si bought three broce pearls.
The next day found us motoring to Bora Bora. We all had big expectations as it is known as one of the world’ most beautiful islands…it did not disappoint. We spent time at different anchorages around the island. The first was close to the southern reef. Jono, Mornay, Si and Kim took the dingy about 200 meters to a popular snorkelling spot . When we arrived there was a tourist boat feeding the fish. We jumped in and were immediately surrounded by fish of all different types and colours. The fellow from the tourist boat gave Si some fish in which to feed them. Needless to say, he was swarmed. It was great to watch but was happy to leave the feeding to him.

We spent another night moored outside Bloody Mary’s. It is a famous restaurant that has a very comprehensive list of visiting celebs. It is done in the style of a beach cabana. You leave your shoes at the door and walk through lovely white sand. There was also an abundance of honey moon couples. Felt a bit sorry if they were looking for a romantic night out….with the six of us near by, it was not going to happen.

Our favourite anchorage spot was further south in the lovely Matira Bay. It was a bit tricky gettin in but well worth it. We had our favourite hamburger place on our door step along with lovely white sand…and you guessed it, turquoise water. Andrew and Bec escaped a couple of nights to a lovely resort where they had hot showers and a loo that you could put toilet paper down. We had a sundower with them and consumed a fair number of Margarita’s. It definitely made for an interesting walk back to collect the dingy.

As all good things come to an end, the time flashed by and before we knew it we were waving (crying) goodbye to our dear friends. We stayed on in Bora Bora for three additional nights. Two of those were anchored behind Toopua where we spent time with Geoff, Merel and James from Miss Molly. We also had to say goodbye to them after 6 months of friendship and support. They had been with us since FKG Days (St Martin) and were waiting for the boss to take Miss Molly for a few weeks while they fly home to visit family in the UK and Netherlands.

Tuamotu Archipelago

The passage to the Tuamatu’s was fairly uneventful. Once again, we ran out of wind after the first day and had to motor for the remaining three. If we had of left two days earlier, we would have had too much wind…seems to be a reoccurring theme.

The Tuamatu’s are a group of 78 coral atolls that generally enclose a lagoon. The pass into the atolls are to be navigated with care as they are relatively narrow and have strong currents running depending on the time (high and low tide). Best time to attempt the passes is during slack water, though we never quiet sure when this was, so we went with the flow…literally.

The first atoll that we visited was Kauehi. Once we successfully navigated the pass, we motored for 8nm until we reached the anchorage. The atoll was like a big lake. As we approached the village you could see this vivid band of turquoise. As we got closer, you could see that it was the shallow water that fringed the white sand. Coconut trees swaying in the gentle breeze…paradise!!! We spent four gorgeous days chilling out and enjoying the crystal clear water. We met a number of new cruisers including Judith and Soenke from Hippopotamus, Dirk and Heidi from Latina and Jeremy and Danni from Thulani. We spent a number of nights enjoying their company. We snorkelled on the outer reef which had great coral but the number of fish and variety was a bit disappointing. The village was very small with a few houses scattered around a church and general store. Even the road was made of compacted coral…very cool.

The next island we visited was Fakarava. This atoll is much larger in size and in population. We met up with the same four boats from Kauehi (also Diana Felicia). Thulani started an early morning ritual, a dingy trip to the bakery and delivering a fresh baguette to each yacht before the occupants awoke. The following day it was the next yachts turn for the baguette run so we all had fresh bread for breakfast. The bakery was closed on Sunday and it was our turn to supply the baguettes. So we decided to bake a loaf of bread for everybody. Si must have started at about 4.30am and we were finally finished by 10am. Everyone was amazed that he actually did it…me included.

One the first day we hired some bikes and rode 10km to a pearl farm. It was lunch time when we arrived and the farm was closed so we peddled back 2km to the Mai Tai resort for lunch. After a lovely meal and a few glasses of wine, the ride back to the pearl farm into the wind didn’t seem like such a great idea after all. We had a quick tour of the farm and bought some black pearls to make into pendants and ear rings. It was a great day but our legs definitely felt it afterwards.

Unfortunately the wind picked up during our stay and Si didn’t do any organised dive trips due to poor visibility. He did a dive with Judith and Soenke around a coral reef which I snorkelled around. Heaps and heaps of really cool fish. It was like swimming in an aquarium. Si was fairly impressed though visibility was not great but at least it didn’t cost anything.

On the Saturday night, eleven of us went to a local restaurant for our steak fix. We had caught a yellow fin tuna so anything other than fish was looking good. After the meal we had everyone come back to Woodsia for drinks. Thankfully our cockpit is big and fit everyone comfortably. It was great to meet some new friends and it really made the Tuamatu’s special.

Leaving for Papaeete, we were delayed for a day due to strong winds. We have four friends from Perth Andrew & Bec and Jonathan & Mornay, joining us on the 9th Aug for some fun filled days in the Society Islands…can’t wait to see them!!

Marquesas - Niku Hiva

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, Sailing Yacht Woodsia arrived in the mysterious land of Marquesas. The people spoke a strange tongue but they all looked like Kiwis. It is a tropical island with tall volcanic mountains that jut sharply into the deep deep sea (1,185m high and 40 - 100m deep). It was warm and the hills were lush and green, a magnet to clouds that had never seen land (it rained a lot).

Anyway, fairy tale stories aside on our arrival at the island of Niku Hiva, we were welcomed into the harbour by other yachts blowing their horns and just in time for the Bastile day long weekend. The locals don’t actually celebrate Bastille day but have their own indigenous celebrations in July that just happens to coincide. We were treated to several nights of local food, dancing and boxed French wine at the community hall (shed). We caught up with Steve, Di & Paul from “Independent Freedom” , Geoff and Merel (Miss Molly) and other cruisers for a couple of fun nights had by all. Kim was taken by the buffed guys dancing in grass skirts and nearly jumped over board when the following day they sped past the boat in their outrigger canoes.

We were told of an ancient ceremony site that was a couple of hours hike from the village. The layout was ideal for an episode of Survivor tribal council, doted around were stone tikis that looked like aliens and a huge Banyan tree that must have been over 200 years old. Our walk was made easy thanks to a local who gave us a lift there. Thankfully it was the uphill route.

Following the usual provisioning of fresh food & taking on fuel we moved to a very sheltered bay on the NE of the island inhabited by a small village. No rolly swell…yay!!! The houses were close to the golden sandy beach with a backdrop of a volcanic mountain. We spent several wonderful days with Geoff & Merel, cooking up a storm in the galley and simply catching up. We hiked to a large rugged, exposed bay on the east coast whilst enjoying the breath taking view. A few days later we moved to a neighbouring village for some fresh supplies. We visited the local store which had no fruit & veg. Thankfully Merel can speak French so we had a local escort us to a friendly neighbours back yard. They supplied us with ample mangos, bananas and the exotic fruit pamplemousse. The pamplemousse is sweet and juicy and resembles an oversized grape fruit. Eating it demands plenty of slurping noises as the small internal pockets/sacks explode in your mouth. Very tasty!! Geoff also fixed our lure so that we no longer have a visible trace. The lure proved to be a success when we picked up anchore one morning to pop around to another bay. Half a mile out, we caught a medium size dorado…the drought has finally broken!!!

We didn’t stay in the Marquesas as long as we had scheduled or explore the other island as the turquoise waters of the Archipel Des Tuamotu beckoned. Not to mention that it rains a lot and swimming is limited to jumping in then swimming back quickly to the boat. Sharks are fairly common and Si saw a 2 metre shark swim happily past the boat….

Galapagos to Marquesas - 3200nm

Close your eyes and imagine for three weeks you and one other (recommend that it is someone you get along with rather than someone you fantasise about), are confined to your lounge room, kitchen and bathroom, now divide that space into one third. With the exception of email, you have no contact with the outside world, no television, no newspapers and no internet. You are only able to prepare meals with food that you currently have available to you and the alcohol has been confiscated. By the way you are unable to use the microwave, bread maker, freezer, food processor or toaster. To top it off, at any one time, one of you has to be awake. Having fun yet????

Well strangely enough, we are. I think that we have both gone a bit crazy (some may argue a bit crazier) but the passage to the Marquesas has been a fairly enjoyable one though relatively uneventful. We left the Galapagos in 20 knot wind. We decided to follow Bob McDavitt’s (South Pacific weather guru) recommendation and head SW to 4 degrees South, 96 degrees West and then ‘straight’ to Marquesas. The first 5 / 6 days we were off and

Very tastyrunning. We had a nice broad reach run averaging 7.5kts to 8kts. We figured that at this speed we would make the passage in 18 to 19 days. Once we hit the go straight mark, things got a bit tricky. We figured we would pole out the head sail, goose wing the main and sit back and enjoy champagne sailing. Unfortunately, not everything went to plan. We struggled the remainder of the trip to find enough wind to fill the sails. So much for constant SE Trade Winds. With the exception of a 36hr period, we had to set the sails at least 3 to 4 times each day. At night the wind often dropped down to no wind and there is nothing worse than flapping sails when you only have three hours of precious sleep.

During the 36hr period mentioned above we had some lovely 18 to 20 knot winds and were averaging between 8 and 9kts. When we hit over 11kts the hull started to hum! I was getting a bit concerned thinking is this like having speed wobbles on a bicycle? but Si was loving it. Unfortunately the wind abated and it was back to motor

We ate well - lunch was the highlight of the daysailing. Apart from little wind, the days have been glorious albeit a bit cool after leaving the Galapagos. For the first 6 days we wore socks and jackets on watch. One day I wore jeans and by 4pm you needed a light pull over. Very strange considering we were so close to the equator. As we left the Galapagos behind, it started to warm up and Si adopted his customary passage attire….a hat and a smile. We have had a number of tropical squalls go around us and have been very fortunate not to have been in their path.

The fishing started off well with a dorado and a tuna blessing the dinner table. At one stage, we had fish jumping onto the lines with a couple that got away. Since about the half way mark, our luck turned and we have not had a bite. Si’s favourite lure is a red and white fish with a built in flashing red light. I think there is more chance of scaring them off but he is adamant that it will catch something. For the first week, we had a fair number of squid landing on the boat. So Si would

First sighting of terra firma - very excitedcollect them, clean them and cook them up. Very tasty but not sure if it was worth the effort.

Early in the third week we came across the path of two other yachts inconsecutive days. It was nice to feel that you weren’t alone. . Sailing yacht Kokoda called on the VHF radio and said ‘hello”, they then passed a few miles away as they headed to Hiva Oa. PlanB came up within 20 meters of us and we both took some great photos of them and vice versa. We are looking forward to catching up with them in Niku Hiva.

We have not seen much in the way of marine life with two unconfirmed whale sightings and only two dolphin pods. There was a large thing just under the water surface that looked to be heading our way. Si was just about the turn on the engine and we lost sight of it. Si also saw something that looked like a dolphin on steroids jump out of the water. It could possibly have been a pilot whale. Yesterday, we saw the strangest dolphins. They were short and stumpy with a smallish tail and a pink under belly.

Happy to have made itUnlike normal dolphins, they did not play at the bow of the boat instead they were surfing and jumping out of the waves. They were very fast and entertaining but only hung around for about 10 minutes.

Tomorrow, after 22 days at sea, we will finally make landfall at Niku Hiva. As you may imagine, both of us are very proud of our achievement but are so looking forward to a glass of wine/beer and restaurant food. Any thing that we don’t have to cook/prepare ourselves. We are meeting up with Geoff and Merel from Miss Molly and are planning a 3000 nm party to celebrate. Miss Molly is now only a day behind us and will have spent only 16 days at sea…just goes to show what you can do with a 66 footer (Oyster). Unfortunately Cadans was delayed yet again and only departed the Galapagos a few days ago so can’t quite make it in time for the celebrations. .