Plans change… all the
time!
Before our guests Griet and Wim disappeared into “their”
hull and bunk on Saturday night, about a week ago, we told them they could
sleep in, and promised them a nice Sunday brunch and relaxing afternoon. We
would drop them off onshore, since Mark and I needed to do some work, and have
an easy day. The weather to go west did not look very promising, but we still hoped
to sail to Taha’a from Huahine the following day.
After a steamy and mosquito ridden night in Fare’s anchorage
– the boats lay into the current instead of the wind here – Mark and I woke up
and turned on our computers as usual. When
checking the weather forecast, things had changed again. Monday didn’t look
feasible at all anymore to reach Taha’a, or even Raiatea, in the WNW winds. Our
only chance to get there with Griet and Wim was to leave … right away! We
turned into “action” mode, ignoring all the other work and plans at hand, and
readied Irie for another 25 mile trip. “I think we are leaving,” I heard Wim
call to Griet, when he emerged from downstairs. Preparations from Mark and me, a
quick breakfast and then: all hands on deck! Within half an hour of reading the
change in weather, we lifted Irie’s anchor and steered towards the pass to
leave Huahine.
Our goal was to reach the east coast of Taha’a – we still
had to figure out what to do and where to go from there, since we didn’t have
the time to check any cruising guides or charts – but from the moment we
entered the unprotected waters, our plotted course was impossible to maintain. Irie
sailed as close to the (light) wind as possible, in hopes of at least reaching
Raiatea, the island south of Taha’a, but in the same protected lagoon. Griet
and Wim didn’t feel too well on this upwind haul and I frantically read about
all the possible anchorages and mooring options in Raiatea. This time, I had
shaken my bottle of seasickness drops before taking some and I felt fine!
Uturoa in Raiatea
Skimming through the “Societies Compendium” cruising guide,
none of the anchorages on Raiatea’s east and north coast sounded attractive or
appealing, and people warned against staying at the town dock, so we hadn’t
decided on our final destination yet when approaching the island. The last
hour, Mark hand steered, so we could make Raiatea’s most northern pass to get
into the protective lagoon. No squalls had hit us, but the sky was very grey,
so a reef anchorage was out of the question. We poked Irie’s bows into the
public basin of Uturoa, the capital of Raiatea, and decided to tie up on the
town dock, rest for a night and regroup.
Irie rarely spends time on a dock (because of possible
damage while docking, noise, safety issues, rats, lack of wind, incessant heat,
and mosquitoes), but this one is not too bad, and free! It is so easy to just
hop off and run errands, especially with a Champion supermarket in view… And,
during a rainy period, being on the dock gives some options of things to do,
like grocery and souvenir shopping, which is what we did over the coming days.
Griet and Wim climbed Mount Tapioi and were rewarded by a beautiful view once
the clouds cleared. We had dinner at a roulette, cooked some nice meals, and caught up on a few
work-related issues. An outside shower “with a view” was located nearby, and we
picked up free WiFi with our
Wirie.
Taha’a coral garden
After lunch, we filled the dinghy with snorkel gear and
headed to the most beautiful “over the water” bungalow resort we have seen
since being here. Between its grounds and the motu to the north lays an
exquisite natural aquarium rarely stumbled upon… Some of the best coral and the
tamest, most colorful fish live here. The area has a little channel in the
middle where the current offers you a ride through, while floating. The whole
experience feels like a weightless amusement park ride. All you have to do is
walk a path (sand, rocks and sharp coral) to the north side of the motu, don
your mask and jump in! The current swooshes you through the coral garden, and,
without flippers to slow your speed, you barely stand a chance to pause and
take pictures of the many healthy creatures along the way!
Another rainy day followed. Griet and Wim managed to get a
ride to the coral garden again with our friend Giorgio and his guest Véronique,
while we focused on other things. In the afternoon, we all set out by dinghy
and tried to explore some of the other motus. The overwhelming clouds of attacking
mosquitoes on shore made us change our minds, however, so we – once again –
ended up in the coral garden! The choice between buzzing and stinging
mosquitoes or fluttering fishes of all sizes and colors is easily made...
 |
| Irie on the dock, seen from the cruise ship terminal |
 |
| Mount Tapioi with the Champion grocery store in front |
 |
| Another delicious and healthy meal on Irie - all inside because of the rain! |
 |
| Skyline - with Mount Tapioi - of Uturoa on a sunny morning |
 |
| Sunset from western Taha'a with Bora Bora in the distance, between the motus |
 |
| Pizza dinner on Irie with Giorgio, Veronique, Wim and Griet |
 |
| Bora Bora in between the motus |
 |
| Irie and Hoa Motu near the coral garden in Taha'a |
 |
| Conclusion of a beautiful day - margaritas! |
 |
| Griet did yet another fantastic job of being Irie's dishwasher - we will miss her! :-) |
 |
| Beautiful resort with over-the-water-bungalows in Taha'a |
 |
| After a painful, barefoot walk over pointy coral, it is time for our first visit to the coral garden! |
 |
| Mask and flippers on and there we go, into the current! |
 |
| Griet and abundant Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish |
 |
| Gorgeous sea anemones |
 |
| Schools of fish |
 |
| And colorful coral and anemones |
 |
| Mark spotted a big cowry shell... I wish it were empty! |
 |
| Pacific double-saddle butterflyfish |
 |
| Another massive and pretty sea anemone |
 |
| And its mouth |
 |
| Funny looking bird wrasse |
 |
| Picasso triggerfish |
 |
| Guineafowl puffer on healthy coral |
The wind totally dropped for almost a week. The days on the
dock became intolerable with the heat and the mosquitoes. On Sunday, we woke
early and finally climbed Mount Tapioi ourselves to enjoy the expansive view
over the lagoon and the surrounding Leeward islands. Even on the way back down,
we dripped with sweat from the sun and the humidity. 
The following day, we
moved to motu Aito across the channel to anchor in 6 feet of clear water and
sandy bottom. The (unmarked) entrance to this beautiful anchorage is a bit
tricky, but doable with a shallow draft boat and in good light. The lagoon is
super flat and the anticipated breeze is holding off for a few more days, but
Mark and I are very happy to be back at anchor and to be surrounded by peace,
blue skies and a tropical environment of breaking reefs, a little islands, and
azure waters with black tip reef sharks, puffer fish and stingrays! 
