After weeks, literally, at sea among the great rollers of the massive Pacific Plain, we dropped anchor inside Point Venus, Tahiti. The 1:00am set was the climax of an evening speed run, 11.5 knots from Fakarava to Tahiti, full moon rising, emotions running high on Sea Child. As we neared Tahiti, we knew change was in the air, a crew change and a direction change. Sea Child had covered over 5000 miles from Panama, we witnessed pure beauty in the flat calm, we rode bikes on white coral atolls of the Tuamotus. Our pomploumousse from Fatu Hiva was ripe, our laundry bags full. Arriving in Tahiti, beautiful paradise, was a bittersweet moment. We cherished our morning hotcakes and bacon, coffee and skim session. And then we moved toward Papeete and Taina Marina.
Debby had to fly out, after her wondrous crossing of the Pacific. With her, we were treated to good conversation, great food, wonderful companionship with our fun crew member. She read every book we had on board, watched every DVD, stood every watch, made every pot of coffee. Saying farewell is never easy, and to see Debby off was one of the hardest things we had done on Sea Child.
Yet with every change, comes something new and exciting, and in our case, the arrival of Sandro D'Onofrio from Italy was an exciting change. He was on the original Sea Child test run, back in the Caribbean, when we test sailed from Trinidad to Grenada and St. Vincent. His arrival meant we were heading not only west, but also south, to the islands of Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taaa and Bora Bora. On Thursday, we head to New Zealand, by way of Rarotonga. Our time in French Polynesia is winding down, and our preparations for the sail south are gearing up.
But first, we must acknowledge the pure beauty of French Polynesia. Moorea, with its vistas and snorkeling, inside the reefs and along the shoreline. The first huts above the water at the Hilton resort, then the Sofitel resort looking east to Tahiti. The views reminded us of Maui, the west side of Lahaina, so eery in their similarities. From Moorea we sailed overnight to Huahine, a true hidden beauty, the east end by far the most fantastic snorkeling we have found yet on this Great Adventure. Carter was able to skim behind the dinghy, making great photography with his tricks and speed across the water. We explored the coastline and motus, loosing ourselves in the turquoise blues of the lagoon. We snorkeled massive coral heads that kept going all across the channel, and swam in currents that appeared from over the reefs end. We visited the Te Tiare Resort in west Huahine, and smiled at Sandro doing the Tamure dance with the beautiful Tahitian dancers who pulled him out the audience. And we sailed away, heading east to Raiatea & Taaa, the two islands who share the same giant lagoon, racing the dinghy across from one island to the other in a challenge of strenght, to hold on in the waves the grew by the currents from the reef. Across we went, in search of gasoline, and had the workout of our lives, just hanging on as we jumped over the waves. Then it was the farewell again, of Taaa, where Richard, the bar owner at the Yacht Club asked us why we were leaving so soon? We just got there? Yet sailing to the other islands has become a mission for us, to see as much as we can in such a short period of time.
And Bora Bora, with a pod of dolphins guiding us to the channel in the reef, and a single, mountain giant looming above the island, surrounded by pristine motus. It's an eery feeling, being this far into French Polynesia, knowing that we are preparing to leave and head down to the cooler climate of New Zealand. For now, we enjoy today, we enjoy the views around us, the flavored rums, the vanilla, the friendly Tahitian natives, and try not to think so much about the future. We are living our Great Adventure now; and what a great adventure it truly is.
Bora Bora Yacht Club, Bora Bora, French Polynesia
16 degrees 29.48' South 151 degrees 45.62' West
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