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April 23, 2023

Moorea

Moorea is another member of the Society Islands of French Polynesia and lies about 10 miles northwest of Tahiti. While we were waiting for the last item of boat work to be accomplished (fashioning a bracket for our new Starlink antenna), we decided to leave Tahiti for a respite in the nearby Moorea. Moorea is a popular honeymoon destination, and it is reputed to be one of the most photographed of the Polynesian islands. As we left Papeete (the capital of Tahiti) and approached the Taapuna Pass, we were accompanied by a couple of boogie boarding hitchhikers who were making their way to the surf. After traversing the pass, we easily made the short passage and dropped our anchor in Cook’s Bay, a beautiful and well-protected anchorage.

We were happy to be joined shortly thereafter by Matilda and Mistral of Portsmouth, two fellow rally boats. We have not seen them since Panama! We explored the local village and enjoyed a fantastic dinner at a local waterside bistro. At night, the restaurant illuminates the shallows, and the friendly neighborhood shark and ray population circulate in seeming performance for the diners.

We noticed that Moorea is a regular cruise ship destination. This limited our ability to take an island tour or rent a car, as nearly everything was booked. We were successful in making a reservation for an ATV tour. Yesterday, after a brief introduction, Yong and I saddled up on a two-seater and followed our guide through the mountains and valleys of the island. In addition to ancient ruins, we saw pineapples, fruits of all varieties, and, of course, coconuts. The trip was a blast and the views were breathtaking. Tomorrow, we head back to Tahiti for a few days.

April 2, 2023

Touring Tahiti

Plus: Corrigendum

First things first. I must issue a corrigendum for the previous blog. If you read the last entry, you will recall that Yong had an unintentional swim while we were re-docking the boat. This part is completely accurate. However, in my haste to tell the story, I incorrectly reported the mechanism of injury. I thought that Yong was trying to pull on a line with too much tension and she was dragged overboard. After debriefing, I learned that actual explanation was quite the opposite and much more amusing. It turns out that in preparation for pulling in the dockline, Yong leaned backwards with all of her might in anticipation of a great deal of tension in the line. Instead, the line was completely slack, and she tumbled aft into the drink. Details matter, and I don’t want to be accused of purveying fake news. At most marinas we have visited, you would not want to go for a swim, as the water is murky and often quite dirty. In contrast, the water here is a crystal-clear blue. Coral grows in abundance and the fish life is quite beautiful.

There is a strange phenomenon in Tahiti that we have observed. It is noisy, smelly, and slow-moving. We have not encountered it in the last six months or so. It is called “traffic.” There are vehicles with two- and four-wheels everywhere. We decided to contribute to the congestion by renting a car. We drove around the entire island and made a stop in the village of Teahupo’o (pronounced “cho-poo”) near the southern extreme of Tahiti. Every surfing fan will recognize the name, as it is the location of one of the most famous surf spots in the world. When the conditions are good, the break at Teahupo’o creates nearly perfect tubes or barrels. The wave is quite powerful and the underlying reef is shallow, resulting in potentially dangerous wipeouts. The English translation of Teahupo’o is “pile of skulls.” Today, the surf is mellow.

I am heading back to the USA for a few days tomorrow for personal business. Yong will stay in Tahiti with the doggies. We are getting anxious to move on. Like a shark, we feel the need to keep moving. Every place we visit seems better than the last. We still have a lot to see!

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