Never leave port on a Friday …

We were all ready to go on Wednesday (checked out, provisions done) and happily went to happy hour drinks that evening knowing that all we had left to do the next day was to fuel up… But by the time happy hour drinks were over, the weather had changed completely and the floating dinghy dock …

Checked out and ready to go!

It’s time to say goodbye to Bora Bora and French Polynesia. We love it here and don’t really want to go but El Niño is keeping us (and all other yachties) on our toes and we need to get to New Zealand before hurricane season starts. This morning we went to the Gendarmerie to check …

Bora Bora

It’s still blowing hard! Quite a few boats have set sail for Tonga in the last couple of days but we choose to spend a bit more time in Bora Bora. We have been rushing so much in the last year that we feel we deserve a little break. We also have a couple of …

Stuck in paradise

Here we are: Bora Bora, the pearl of the Pacific. One of these mythical paradise names we always dreamed of sailing to. And we have to admit: it is rather wonderful to be here… Especially as it is blowing a hoolie outside! We are stuck here for at least another week until the weather calms …

Tahaa

Tahaa is famous for its coral gardens so that’s where we go! We have to wait a day for the sun to come out and then we can admire the true colours of the corals and the fishes. It’s absolutely stunning. After a final snorkel on Sunday morning we lift the anchor and sail to …

Huahine, the wild one

This is more like it! After crowded Tahiti and touristy Moorea we enjoy one of the quieter Society Islands very much. Huahine, l’île sauvage, is mountainous and fertile. We arrive under glorious sunshine and the intensity of the turquoise water is stunning. A huge reef surrounds the entire island and there’s a pass on the …

Moorea

It’s hard saying goodbye each time you leave somewhere. The boys made several new friends and are sad to leave Tahiti on Thursday. After filling up with (duty-free!) diesel we cross the ten miles or so to Moorea and flat turquoise water awaits us in the anchorage just outside Cook’s bay. We see several humpback …

Tahiti

Ahhhh… The luxury of being in a marina for a few days: shore power, Wi-Fi, unlimited water on tap, access to all the shops and amenities, being able to go for a run in the morning… We spend the first week in Tahiti anchored near Taine marina. It’s a roley anchorage and after having checked …

Passage from Tuamotus to Tahiti

We are stunned by the sight of so many cars, planes and buildings and immediately notice the noise and smells of a city sailing into Papetee. It’s a stark contrast with the remote Tuamotus where we spent the last month and had such an amazing time. The snorkelling, diving and swimming was spectacular. We got …

Tahanea, Tuamotus

Tahanea is an uninhabited nature reserve and the third atoll we visit in the Tuamotus. After dropping our anchor on Sunday evening we stay for four nights in the same spot. From the four boats that arrived together only two remain: Toucan and us. Perhaps we were too loud for the others? After all we …