Time to leave the busy anchorage behind the reef at Opunohu bay on the island of Moorea and sail overnight to Maupiti, 170 nautical miles. This will be Nicolas first nightsail since he is on board and we both look forward to the new adventure. The plan is to sail to Maupiti first and then to Bora Bora.
Sunday it would be the ideal moment to enter the dangerous pass on the south side of Maupiti. But the predicted weather is strong South winds starting on Monday for at least a week. During that time it would be far too dangerous to sail trough the pass of Maupity. Pity…time to change plan, divert to Boara Bora after passing the islands Huanine and Raiatea. Both those islands we will visit later.
more than 25 boats moored very close together
at first light the contours of Bora Bora appear
we are lucky, only 2 boats anchored in baie Faanui
There are heavy mooring restrictions at Bora Bora. Basically anchoring is only allowed in 2 tiny areas, Faanui and Hitiaa, maximum 5 boats, maximum stay 36 hours. A mooring buoy costs 4000 xpf, approximately $40, per night. For more information see https://voiliers.asso.pf/2018/12/10/bora-bora-anchoring-regulation/
time to explore the area. let's walk around pointe Tahi to explore our next anchoring opportunity
a small gap in the reef seems the ideal place for the dinghy
the spectacular vulcanic landscape meets the sea
clever solutions to store your boat on the reef
the white text says:long seat to wait for the bus
there is a small maritime museum on route
Hitiaa is the other area where anchoring is allowed, same restrictions
A sign on a house says Snack Vaoirie and there are people eating. Great, that will be nice on the way back. The owner tells us she is from American-Singaporese descent. So we speak with her in both French and English. We ask her what she has to offer and she shows us everything…rice, brochettes, beef and a nice potatoe salad with mayonaise. We say yes that is fine.
Chatting to her continues and we all enjoy the conversation. Meanwhile the other people at the table unpack some food and start eating. After another ten minutes still nothing is happening, we are not offered a place to sit nor a plate. Slowly we begin to understand that this is not a snack but a private family dinner and that we cannot eat here! Finally we realise our mistake, say goodbye and continue our walk back to the boat. So much for Snack Vaorie..but very friendly people.
a bit more north of Hitiaa we hope to see manta rays
lets see
yup...there they are
last night in Bora Bora
bye Bora Bora. On to the next island pair: Tahaa and Raiatea
