Tuamotus to Society Islands, French Polynesia ( Leg 10 )

( November 2022)

On Monday 31^st October, Marc, Javi and Merche came back onboard at 2 pm as there had been a mix up with their accommodation booking meaning they would have been “homeless” for the night. As soon as they had dropped their belongings into their cabins, we all had the forever tedious task of going ashore to do the provisioning as it was a bank holiday on the 1^st. It was probably just as well it was just the 5 of us again – it would have been even more chaotic with 8 of us in the small store!! On returning to Imagination everything was put away in super quick time giving us time to shower and change before going back ashore for dinner.

Federica ( Fede) joined late morning on the 1^st. She had been staying at a place on the other side of the pass which runs a daily boat taxi across to the town. Marc, Javier and Merche had first met her at the airport in Makemo where they got chatting about what adventures lay ahead for them all. She joined another boat as crew which unfortunately didn’t go as planned for her and so she left early. She had kept in touch with Marc over the weeks and they both agreed it would be great if she could join us this month and after chatting to us and emails back and forth to Shawn and Ally, it was agreed she could become part of our crew on this leg. Lori and Kris joined us at 1.30pm having flown into Tahiti and spent the last few days exploring Fakarava. Lori was onboard for the Panama Canal crossing and this time her partner was able to join her. As the shopping had been done, we were able to relax onboard together, getting to know each other.

We were all up at 05.30 the following morning getting Imagination ready for departure with the anchor coming up at 06.10 and as it was almost slack tide the pass was easy to negotiate. When we initially set off we had 13kts of wind which very quickly died to 10-11kts so we put the spinnaker out and also ran an engine to ensure we got to Tikehau in time for the next slack tide. The sail was mostly uneventful, with every “team” taking a shift allowing our new crew to get a feel for catamaran sailing and using the auto pilot. Thankfully our timing was good and we were able to go straight through the pass with 3kts of current helping us in. We noticed that the catamaran that we had seen on the rocks last month was no longer there as we crossed the atoll, heading for Motu Mauu (Tikehau: the catamaran Dream Hiva Oa removed from the reef • TNTV Tahiti Nui Television ). Our anchor went down just before 3pm and an hour later, Lori went off on her SUP with Kris alongside on the Kayak and Marc went snorkelling. The day had become more overcast as time went on as a storm has been heading for Tahiti and our 3 crew returned to Imagination just as lightening started with a prolonged heavy downpour following very quickly behind. The thunder and lightening didn’t last long, but the rain continued on into the night. With all our canopies out, we had a fabulous cosy and fun evening together eating a very tasty pasta dinner with the after dinner entertainment consisting of a conch blowing session which bought with it much hilarity!!

Today ( 3^rd) was a complete washout! The heavy rain continued for the whole day, so we all just relaxed doing our own things and in the afternoon into the evening, a crib tournament commenced, with a change to Poker after dinner.

The 4^th was Javier’s birthday..woop woop. We put up a banner and a couple of balloons when he went to bed last night and he was over the moon when he got up this morning and saw them. The weather was still dodgy, but it didn’t stop him and Marc going for a birthday dive with the Manta Rays under thick grey clouds and in the pouring rain! Several days ago, he had requested that Ally show him how to make the banana and chocolate cake she had taken to the BBQ last month so he could make it today, but… it’s his birthday… so Ally made it for him! While some rested during the afternoon, others played cards with some crew learning how to play new games to take part. Dinner time was great and we sang Happy Birthday to Javi before tucking in to cake.

On the 5^th we had some sunshine around but the water was still choppy caused by the stronger winds that started this morning. Another snorkel with the mantas was enjoyed before we started to pick up the anchor but it very quickly became apparent that the chain was caught around something – the one time we didn’t float the chain as the bottom appeared clear! Shawn manoeuvred Imagination to try and pull it out but successfully so Marc jumped in the water with his snorkel, mask and fins but even with duck diving, he was unable to see what the problem was as the water was so churned up from the bad weather. It was clear Marc would need to put a scuba tank on, which he did in double quick time, enabling him to get down to where the chain was caught and free it a little, before returning to the surface to instruct Shawn on which direction to move in to completely free the chain and avoid getting caught up again. The motor across the atoll to the pass was slow and choppy due to having 22 knots of wind on our nose but we were able to go straight through as it was calm with little current there, rather than anchoring and waiting for slack tide as expected. The overnight sail started well, if a little rough, but overnight it became unpleasant and uncomfortable as we hit bad weather with up to 45kt gusts and persistent, heavy rain…..it was a looong night. The wind did die back a bit as morning broke but the waves remained large and the rain also continued to come through very frequently. We were all very happy when the anchor finally went down after the 31 hours and 40 minutes crossing to Tahiti in the Society Islands. We all had something to eat before retreating to our cabins for a very good nights sleep.

The following morning ( Monday 7^th), the crew went ashore to go for a walk and look around near to where we were anchored (Arue) and Shawn and Ally dinghied the 5 or so kms to the marina in Papeete ( Tahiti’s capital) so that they could go to the Haute Commissionaire to complete the formalities for Shawn’s visa extension ( Carte De Sejour) that were started in Nuku Hiva in August. We got there around 20 minutes before they were due to close at midday and only had a short wait before we were called to a desk. Unfortunately, noone had told us that he needed to buy a 9000CFP stamp to pay for the document, so we had to leave without it (They use stamps to purchase services so that staff don’t have to handle cash and it reduces the risk of theft). We went straight to the Post Office to buy the stamp and then went to look for somewhere to eat. We walked around for a while looking at what was available and came across a place that was extremely popular with the locals so thought that it must be good and we decided to eat there. The name of the place was McDonalds!! We both love a Maccy D’s and hadn’t had one for 5 months so it really was a treat topped off with an ice cream Sundae! Later in the day, we returned to the Arue area to go shopping in Carrefour….another treat. ..a well stocked, modern, air conditioned full sized supermarket! We met up with the rest of the crew here, returning to Imagination together.

On Tuesday 8^th, Federica remained on board while the rest of us hired 2 cars to do an island tour, both doing their own route. Shawn and Ally joined Lori and Kris and they had a very full day of visiting various locations including Teahupoo where the Billabong Surfing Competition is held and is the only known natural wave break in the world that breaks below sea level ( apparently!), Botanical Gardens, 3 waterfalls and Venus Point. In 1769, Captain Cook set up an observatory and fort here, anchoring his ship, Endeavour in Matavai Bay, where he and several others viewed the transit of Venus to expand scientific knowledge and improve navigation. The fort and observatory are no longer there, but there is a lighthouse and various monuments. Tahiti is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia and as such is much more built up, heavily populated and modern. The people here are very friendly and the island has a lovely feel about it….it’s a shame we couldn’t stay a little longer…Ally doesn’t feel she gave Papeete’s shopping opportunities justice!

Wednesday morning (9^th) , Shawn and Ally made repairs to a tear on the headsail that appeared in the strong winds sailing here and then returned to Papeete to collect the Carte De Sejour, which was very quick and easy. Once back, we departed for the day sail across to neighbouring Moorea, a 1.2 million year old volcanic island. The day was variable, with thick cloud cover and some rain around as we approached the island which meant unimpressive photos of the dramatic landscape. The anchorage here is quite pretty, but peaceful despite around 20 other yachts and it’s calm being well protected behind a barrier reef which surrounds the whole island. There is a public beach (Ta’ahiamanu Beach) nearby and some gorgeous scenery around us.

Our first day ( 10th) in Moorea was a busy one. As 7 of us dinghied to an area known as ‘The Stingray Flat’ ( Moorea Swim with Sharks and Rays – Moorea Ocean Adventures (moorea-ocean-adventures.com) , we came across a pod of small dolphins swimming at the entrance to Opanohu Bay, so we stopped and dropped into the water hoping to swim with them, but they disappeared very quickly – I guess the sound of 7 people splashing about put them off! We wound our way to the area we wanted to visit travelling over gorgeously glassy shallow water where we could clearly see the reef and fish below. There were several tour boats at the ‘Flat’ already so we knew we were in the right place so we stopped, secured the dinghys and then stood/swam in waist high crystal clear warm water with huge stingrays and black tipped reef sharks swimming around us. It was a fabulous close encounter which every one of us thoroughly enjoyed. The topography in this area is stunning too, so wherever we looked we either saw sealife, clear turquoise water or dramatic and pretty landscapes.

After an early lunch, the 7 of us then went ashore to do a hike up to the viewpoint at the top of Magic Mountain, paying a very small fee for the privilege as it is on private land. It’s a relatively short hike but is very steep in places, so we certainly got some exercise in and the views from the top were beautiful! Returning to the bottom, some couldn’t help but take some mangoes and limes from the trees along the way – it seems such a shame to leave them on the trees to rot. We all had a fresh coconut drink at the shop at the bottom afterwards and were treated to some small plates of fresh fruit with some samples of locally made jams.

On Friday 11th, Ally stayed on board to catch up on blog/diary writing when everyone else went ashore with most opting to do a caldera hike whilst others went for a less challenging walk. It was a very wet day, but the warm climate makes it bearable, and even very welcome when exercising. The hiking group had a great time together and enjoyed some wonderful scenery.

Fede, Ally and Shawn went hoseriding this afternoon ( 12th) It was yet another overcast, rainy day, but it was great to be on horseback, riding in the Caldera. Ally’s horse she was told, was notoriously lazy and slow and would need constant cajoling to keep up with the group and was placed at the back so as not to hold everyone else up. He did indeed need lots of “encouragement” to keep moving and took every opportunity he could to stop and take mouthfuls of grass, or even better, pineapples as he plodded along, to the point it was becomming a little annoying. He obviously also became fed up with Ally constantly keeping on at him to move as he tried to give a her leg a nip! Thankfully, Fede has much more riding experience and Ally was able to swap horses and Fede was much more capable of keeping Ally’s horse under control and moving!

The 13^th was again rainy and overcast day. The afternoon was a little dryer so Ally and Shawn went for a short walk to a nearby waterfall which when they got there, was only around 6ft high lol. They enjoyed a beer before walking around to Cooks Bay which was named after Captain Cook even though he first anchored in neighbouring Opanohu Bay ( visiting Cooks Bay by land) adjacent to where we are anchored.

The 14th started as a pleasantly sunny day that later became overcast. At 10am, we left for Huahine and had a much calmer and dryer overnight crossing than the previous one, much to everyones relief. We arrived in the rain at 08.45 the following morning and took up one of just a few of the compulsory moorings near Motu Tarohu and we were the only boat there. This island is very lush and fertile and is known as The Garden Island due to it’s coconut plantations, vanilla orchards, banana groves and watermelon fields….it has a very peaceful vibe about it. Despite the persistent rain and cloud cover we all went in the dinghy’s to find a couple of places we were interested in visiting before having lunch. Lori and Kris returned to Imagination while the rest of us ate and then some enjoyed snorkelling in the coral gardens while Ally beachcombed and explored the grounds of the now derelict and deserted Sofitel Hotel site.

The following morning (16th) Lori, Kris, Marc, Javi and Merche went ashore to hire cars/scooters and Fede blew up her lilo and paddled across to the Motu to explore. It was a much nicer day today and so Ally and Shawn went looking for some snorkelling in the pm, finding some tiny pipe fish ( seahorse family). The 17th was any variable day weather wise and so most of the group remained on board and Lori and Kris went ashore again as they had a car for another day.

On the 18^th, we left the mooring at 08.00 for a very wet, but calm motor sail to Ra’iatea, arriving at 18.10. It seems moorings are compulsory here too, but noone seems to be worried about collecting any money for them and they are a fair way away from the island. Ra’iatea is the nautical centre of French Polynesia with many yacht charter companies having bases here and it is believed to be the original birthplace of Polynesia. We all went ashore on the morning of the 19th with Lori, Kris, Ally and Shawn wanting to do a hike up a nearby hill but unfortunately there had been a fatal accident on the route several years ago and as a result, the path was closed by the owner of the land. Everyone met up again and took a stroll along the coast road before Ally and Shawn shopped for some provisions and returned to Imagination, leaving the others having lunch ashore.

Ilot Motuea to the NW of mainland Taha’a, Ra’aitea’s nearby sister island ( they are both within the same barrier reef system) was our destination on the sunny morning of the 20th, with Bora Bora as a backdrop. We enjoyed the company of dolphins for 10 minutes or so as we travelled up the West coast which is without fail, always a treat. Once on anchor, we snorkelled on the coral gardens where there were masses of coral, anemones and reef fish (but also a very strong current) and then went ashore and wandered around a motu where we decided would be a good place for a BBQ. We were all blown away by the fact that Bora Bora was “just over there”!

The 21^st was BBQ day. This was something we’d all been looking forward to all month, but with the miserable weather and then location, we had to keep putting off. We went ashore late morning and set up for a BBQ lunch. It was a lovely afternoon together as we relaxed, built a fire, ate, drank and played boules/patonque.

Today (22nd) we went ashore on mainland Taha’a where everyone rented vehicles except Shawn and Ally who went for a 11km walk along the coast taking in some gorgeous scenery and ending in a beautiful little floating bar for a couple of artisan beers before heading back to Imagination. The bar, Fare Miti, had navigated around the Leeward Islands of the Society Islands for almost 20 years before being turned into a bar with the current owners, a young couple from the island, buying it just a short time ago. It is affiliated with a rum distillery and brewery across the road.

We sailed across to Bora Bora surrounded by thick, black, rain-laden clouds on the 23rd, but managed to miss any downpours during the 5 ½ hour motor sail. Despite the rain clouds, we had very little wind, not even enough to use the spinaker and when it did improve to the point we could pull up a sail, it was in the wrong direction for us to fly the spinnaker. The weather improved as we got closer to Bora Bora and we were all mesmerised by the land mass as we got nearer. It’s one of those places that you hear so much about, but don’t believe you’ll actually get to see it for real. It is gorgeous here inside the barrier reef that surrounds the central peaks.

On the 24^th, we all got up and were still awestruck at where we were. Fede opted for a Lagoon Tour today as she flies out tomorrow so the rest of us headed for the beach. Not long after we had all settled in our chosen spot some thick black clouds came over and bought lots of heavy rain. Kris put up a shelter which he and Ally sat under along with a dog who decided to stay dry with us, using Ally to shield against any stray raindrops! Shawn and Marc sat it out in the water, while Javi, Merche and Lori took shelter under building roofs. It did eventually clear and we went for lunch in 2 groups so we could leave our belongings on the beach, but the clouds soon returned and so we headed back to Imagination, but not before Shawn had managed to thrash Javi and Marc at boules!

As ever, the 25^th is cleaning and crew departure day. The first to leave was Fede, then Lori and Kris followed by Marc, Javi and Merche. As always, Imagination seemed way too quiet and we felt a little sad that our evening “Blob” tournaments ( a fabulous, easy and fun card game) with accompanying rum drinks had come to an end, as well as the fun and friendship.

Shawn and Ally were going to spend the day on the water on the 26th looking for manta cleaning stations and exploring the lagoon on the other side of Bora Bora but we had the opportunity to spend an extra day with Marc, Javi and Merche who used our smaller dinghy and joined us on our adventure. We had a marvellous day together. We didn’t find any mantas, but we did find a stingray and black tipped reef shark area and a beautiful reef to snorkel on which was absolutely teaming with colourful and inquisitive reef fish, we messed around in the crystal clear shallows having photos taken with Bora Bora behind us and we enjoyed a great lunch together. The scenery was absolutely mind blowing – no photo can ever do it justice!

We wanted to see how far we could get on a hike to the top of Bora Bora today (27th). We were going to be joined by Lori and Kris, but they changed their minds having hired a car and explored yesterday. It’s probably just as well they did, because after an hour or so it became evident that it was impossible to get to any hikes we had downloaded as they all crossed through private property with roads being gated off and warning signs up etc, so we gave up, did a little bit of shopping, heard some tuneful singing from a church ( it was Sunday!) and returned to Imagination to relax for the rest of the day.

This morning (28th), we left Bora Bora for a great spinnaker sail across to Maupiti. With just the 2 of us on board, we did a couple of loads of laundry along the way. The very narrow pass into Maupiti, which is like a mini Bora Bora with it’s high peaks on the central island and surrounding barrier reef, is notoriously difficult to get through if the conditions aren’t quite right, but today was a good day. We lined up the red and white markers in the channel and started in, lining up the next markers as we went through so as to avoid the shallow waters either side. We motored across to the little town, Pauma, and dropped anchor in a gorgeous spot. The spinnaker was packed away, the second load of laundry hung out and we then relaxed with a coffee while catching up on “internet stuff”.

Tuesday afternoon (29th) we went ashore for a walk. Ally had read in a document created by other cruisers, that the central island could be circumnavigated on foot in an hour. We tied the dinghy up in the tiny harbour and set off. The weather over the last few days has been gorgeous, a welcome relief from the mostly overcast skies of the past few weeks, and today was no exception, although that’s not necessarily a good thing when wanting to take some excercise. It was hot on land with no breeze so it wasn’t too long before we stopped at a tiny store at the side of the road for a cold Fanta to help us on our way. It’s quite a pretty place and the residents here seem happy in their quiet life. We chatted as we walked, enjoying the scenery and taking photos as we went. After an hour had passed, it was evident that this walk was going to take a bit longer than we thought! Eventually the concrete road ended with a sign that read ” no through road”. At that point, we thought that we would have to turn around and go back the way we had come, but Shawn went ahead along the dirt road and told me to follow. we came across another sign “Privee”. It was land that had been cleared for building nd it edged up against the beach. We took a look at Ally’s phone and saw that we could get back to the road by walking along the beach for 10 minutes which meant trespassing for just a minute or two to get down to the shoreline.

Island walk pics

Wednesday ( 30th) we headed off to the pass in the dinghy to try and find a manta cleaning station. There was a local tour boat in the vacinity, but the water was very murky and we didn’t see any signs of mantas so we went into the pass to see if it would be worth snorkelling there, but again the water was murky and the reef didn’t seem that good. Instead, we motored to the north of the atoll to locate some coral gardens. We found them and really enjoyed a lovely snorkel in very clear water for around 40 minutes. There was a strong current coming in across the barrier reef which meant the water was a little cooler than in the lagoon. We returned to Imagination for lunch and spent an hour or so laying in the beautiful warmth of the sun on the trampolines. Considering it’s the end of November, there are very few signs that the festive season is upon us and Ally’s kinda missing the reggae versions of Christmas carols played in the stores in the West Indies! Our time here in French Polyneisa is coming to an end and we are soon to set sail to the next part of our adventure and so will be without internet for a while. In the meantime, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas 🙂