Visit of the Society Islands

In order to be at our Happy Hour rendezvous, we had to leave the Tuamotus and sail the 320 nm to Huahine. We left our mooring under sail, well reefed down with two reefs in each sail. The NE wind was favourable for us to sail out of the lagoon through the north pass. By the late afternoon we passed the last atoll that could pose navigational difficulties and there were no further dangers between us and Huahine the first Leeward Island of the Society Archipelago. The wind veered from NE to E to be right on our stern so we shook the reef out of the main sail and hauled the fore sail amidship. It was, again, a pretty good run, in which we managed to cover the 320nm in 2 days and 9 hours. It was touch and go whether we would make it before dark. Fortunately, our anchor went down in 4m of water with floated chain, and the ground tackle set in a sandy spot just before dark. After the ship was squared away it began to rain, washing off the accumulated passage salt. Renate was much pleased by this.

Fare, the main village of Huahine was very nice. There was a floating dinghy dock for free use right at the Yacht Club, which was really only a restaurant and bar. Fare had the best stocked supermarket we had seen since Mexico. Oh Mexico! Good quality produce at reasonable prices; I am afraid to say that we took Mexico, and her people, for granted and did not really appreciate its bounty as much as we should have.

The dental surgeon of Fare came highly recommended and as Renate needed a broken filling replaced we made an appointments for a week’s time. The good dentist checked and cleaned my teeth and replaced Renate’s filling at prices that make NZ dentists seem like robbers.

 

 

Our reunion with our NZ sailing companions at Happy Hour was a very pleasurable evening. The beer and the food were excellent. Time ran away quickly with all the talking and sharing of news since our last come-together in Nuku Hiva.  

 

 

Of course there were more social occasions to follow. A nice BBQ on Forth Dimension and a car tour around the island, where we visited some sacred blind blue eyed eels, an historical fish trap and many archaeological places of the early Polynesians.

 

One day, suddenly, my left side of my face felt funny and I had difficulty speaking clearly. Fearing a stroke we went straight to the Medical Center. As an emergency the doctor saw me right away. With some tests and phone calls to different neurologists in Tahiti the diagnoses was: partial facial paralysis as a side effect of covid 19 vaccination. Otherwise known as Bell’s Palsey, it is an infrequent but known side effect of the vaccine. I left with a 3 prescriptions and the hope the situation may recover in 3-6 month. For me, it is very embarrassing not to be able to speak clearly, drink without dribbling or eat without biting my lip. I shun being photographed, talking on the vhf or answering the telephone. Friends say it is not very noticeable but my joy in life has been limited by this misfortune.

 During a tour of the island in rental car we had seen some of the other beautiful anchorages from the shore and resolved to try at least one by ship. With our buddy boats we sailed downwind to the southern bay of Baie d’Avea. Here the current was not so strong so that we were able to enjoy a safe snorkel on the reef. We also availed ourselves of lunch at visit at the highly recommanded beach restaurant.

 

Doctor Natalie had asked me to stop by her office once more to be sure that the paralysis of my face was improving. It was slightly better, she expressed pleasure at seeing improvement. A visit to the doctor meant sailing back to the village of Fare. For another doctor appointment we sailed back to the main village. This was a little bit of a challenge, because the wind direction and strength varied with the landscape and there was limited space for tacking in the navigation channel. Our bermudan rigged buddy boats both motored, while we sailed. The 11nm took us 3.5h in which we had to tack 37 times. We were quite pleased with the sailing performance of our boat in a meandering and often constricted channel. 

 

Back on our first anchorage we had a nice view of the mountain range, which has the profile of a pregnant women lying on her back. Vahine, the Polynesian name for women, may have given rise to the name of ‘Huahine’. 

 

In mid October we left for Raiatea and Tahaa, two Islands which share a common reef. From Huahine we could see the Islands from our anchorage and this was going to be an easy day trip. In a steady east wind of 15 to 20 knots .The 25 nm were covered in 3.5h, with a top speed of 8.2kn. After entering the east pass of Tahaa under sail, to come to anchor inside the pass behind little motu. There were no other boats around us and we felt lucky having such a place for us alone. It being the beginning of the weekend this didn’t was for long. It quickly became well populated with local boats out to enjoy a brisk weekend of water sports, such as kite boarding and windsurfing.

The weather forecast promised us some gusty wind with a wind shift. The reef would not give us great protection there, so we decided to sail into that very long bay of Haamene in the middle of Tahaa. This is a very sheltered anchorage with nice surroundings. A public floating pier was close by, which we could use as dinghy dock. The main area of the village is occupied from the primary school and the College of Tahaa. A little municipal market with an eatery, 2 supermarkets, a flash restaurant and a post office with 5G wifi network, where we finally where able to post the previous blog, making it a very usefull stop for cruising yachts. We found a very attractive walk to a lookout. The view over the island to both of its coasts was worth the effort. The bodily exercise invigorated us.

A very rainy weather period descended on us for several days. The downpour was heavy and we had remain on the boat for much of the time. The water in the anchorage turned brown, an annoying deck leak around the chimney flue made its presence felt and there was insufficient solar charging to keep up with demand. In a brief fine spell a trip ashore was undertaken. After a walk around the village the downpour resumed during which refuge was found in the water front cafe. Thinking that a beer would outlast the downpour, a dry return to the ship was anticipated. While bailing out the dinghy we where disabused of this notion as the heavens opened once more, soaking us right through to the undies in less than a minute. On the positive side much rain water was collected to supplement our water supplies and the washing.

 

Eventually the weather improved and along with it, water clarity for reef navigation. With good weather and water visibility Taiko navigated between the coral, under sail, to anchor in what is known locally as the hole in the reef. 

 

 

Here we meet up with our buddy boats again. As well we got introduced to Domini, a long term friend of Fourth Dimension. Julian is a professional musician and composer playing the piano. We had a lovely jam session on there boat and a lot of fun that evening.  

 

 

Unfortunately Raiatea and Tahaa has few places to anchor that are shallow enough, less than 20m, for the average yacht to anchor. That is why we are here, a mile from Uturoa, the main village of Raiatea, and supplies. 

 

 

This has created some logistical for shopping etc.. rowing for a mile is not impossible in good weather but as I write today we have endured a front within which we had winds in excess of 40knots. If we had been ashore in our dinghy when this blew up, serious trouble would have resulted. I have never had sea spray strike the dodger at anchor before as it did today. The weather isn’t always nice in paradise. Fortunately David, from Tiluk has generously taxied us a shore with his inflatable, equipped with a15 hp outboard, when we needed go to town.

The outward clearance from French Polynesia has been completed and we have to go to shore once more to bunker fuel and water and buy some more fresh vegetables. Then we will be on our way back home to New Zealand, saying goodbye to French Polynesian