The End of Society As We Know It

Drone photo of Cooks Bay and our india

The sail back to Mo’orea from Huahine was a tough one as we negotiated the wind and seas.  As the Mara’amu cycles through wind directions clocking from SE to S then dramatically NE to E, timing the changes for departure in favorable wind direction is essential.  It is also a flawed science of predictions generated mathematically on computers for vast areas.  It is difficult to tell what the wind and seas are actually doing from the protected anchorage one is normally in at the start of the journey.  It is still difficult to ascertain the true nature of the current weather until one is at least three miles away from the nearest land mass as it diverts winds and buffers swells.  And so it was that our original voyage to Huahine from Mo’orea on May 23 took 14 Hours and 08 Minutes over a distance of 103.7 NM but our return trip on July 2 from the exact same ports took 19H 37M over a distance of 127.1 NM.  It’s all about wind angles and tacking, if you want to sail.  And it’s all about strategy.  Our strategy is always to aim for arrival in daylight and we generally do everything we can to accomplish that and are not afraid to use an engine or two since we have them!  It is also about comfort.  We are definitely fair weather sailors but don’t always have the choice when schedules are demanding, in which case arriving sooner rather than later is our choice. 

When French Polynesia opened the Iles Du Vent (Windward Islands) of the Societies on May 15th, we jumped at the chance to see Mo’orea and were anchored in Opunohu by evening on the 17th.  Unfortunately, it rained most of the time and we ducked into the deeper bay for inclement weather for a week.  When the Iles Sous-le-Vent opened on the 21st of May, we decided to beat the crowds there and come back for a proper visit to Mo’orea at a later date.  And that is exactly what we did.  We enjoyed the island in better weather, including a glorious day on a scooter in bright sunshine.  Mo’orea has the most spectacular vistas and dramatic topography of all the Societies, in my opinion.  I remember how stunning it was the first time we glimpsed its rugged peaks in the distance rounding the north end of Tahiti on the morning of our first land fall.  Then having it as the backdrop to the ever changing sunsets for all the nights we anchored in Tahiti was such a visual pleasure.  A view to remember always, causing considerable melancholy even now as we plan our departure.  Back in Tahiti, we have spent a productive ten days.  First and foremost, we finally fixed that bothersome issue with the gearbox on the starboard sail drive and now have full reverse on that engine, lost since before the Panama Canal Transit!  We then proceeded with the same fix on the port gear as a preventative measure.  We are fully fueled and provisioned and our SCUBA tanks are full too!  My Carte De Sejour is in process, and we’ve been told that I am in the system so my legal status seems good to go as well!  Thank you French Polynesia!  

There are many places we would stay longer that are so incredible, breathtakingly beautiful and unique in all the world.  Sometimes we have the luxury of staying to the point of readiness to depart but mostly we leave before we are ready.  It’s kind of like leaving the party when you are having the most fun!  Timing weather windows and ports of call for immigration, refueling, provisions and even seasons are all part of a sailors life and if this would be our forever lifestyle, things could really slow down.  Indeed, the Covid Pandemic has really thrown a wrench in our schedule and turned it upside down and back to front but we have done our best to use this opportunity to our advantage.  We certainly cruised through the Society Islands at a most opportune, albeit very strange, time.  A slow, quiet moment not seen in over 30 years of tourism here in these popular destinations, a true privilege for us and we are forever grateful for that.  And now that the islands are once again open to International Tourism, we feel it is time for us to move on and let others enjoy while we seek quieter lands in the less touristed and remote islands of the Tuamotos and Marquesas which, under normal circumstances, we would have already seen on our way west to the Society Islands.

L'école du Dance

Heiva Celebration

Patisserie D. Hilaire

It was so much fun to watch!

It is whale season now, here in French Polynesia.  We are hoping to see the magnificent humpbacks in their migration.  We are also hoping to catch some Yellow tail Tuna, so I can make my own Poisson Cru!  And while we are still having a wonderful time and will miss the the Society Islands, we have so much more to look forward to in our Polynesian adventures.  Our weather window is here.  Now is the best time to leave the party!