Two weeks on the water aboard the Moorings 4200 three cabin catamaran flew by in a blur of awesomeness. After our first night off the east side of Taha’a near Motu Maheahaa we set sail for Apu Bay. After some land exploring, pearl farms, a long standup paddle for me and a hike, we set off the next morning for Bora Bora.
The wind was brisk but not in a direction that would allow us to sail directly. While the swells played against our hull for 4 hours, the ride was not too bad at all. After a quick peek at Bora Bora Yacht Club we decided to pick up a mooring ball behind the island of Toopua – great choice! We took the dinghy out almost to the motu where black tip reef sharks and rays swam lazily among us in gin clear water.
Swimming with sharks had never been on my bucket list – but it was amazing. The next day we anchored on the east side of Bora Bora (after a fantastic sail around some of the most scenic views imaginable) to Motu Piti A’au. From there we took the dinghy to “The Aquarium” and the name says it all.
We had heard of a newly opened restaurant where shirtless, barefoot Joe created an :”Exploration of Fish” from his garage. Don’t be fooled – the gourmet wonders he shared at Arii Motu Grill were as bountiful and fresh and they were unique and delicious. We also enjoyed a dinner at the Bora Bora Yacht Club on our final night in the area.
After the journey back toward Raiatea where we stocked up on fresh towels and sheets, we prepped for our journey to Huahine the next day. What a day it was! By 7:30 am we sailed out the Toahotu Pass clocking a solid 7.2 knots under sail most of the time. Our entry into Avamoa Pass delivered some of the most exquisite water we have seen yet. Once inside the Motu we made our way to Avea Bay. The snorkeling here was wonderful. Our favorites were the huge anemone where so many large clownfish darted and played. After lots of swimming and paddling none of us stayed up much later than our yummy dinner grilled on the boat.
March is a bit “early season” in Tahiti. While prices and crowds are lower, there is some rainy times. Fortunately most of the torrential rain came at night, rewarding us with mid morning rainbows. From Avea Bay we had not planned to stop at Port Bayourne Bay buy that turned out to be a highlight. We found a mooring ball which was good since the bay is 90 feet deep. It is also full of marine life – including some huge manta rays that put on a show for us. It was my night to cook and we dined on Jamaica jerk chicken, mushroom/pepper/broccoli stir fry over fettucine noodles. YUM! If I say so myself.
The sail from Huahine back to Taha’a was a dleigh ride of perfect breeze and following seas. Captain Ed was in Heaven!
Inadvertently we saved the best for last. We sailed to Motu Tau Tau to explore a unique coral garden that has water funneled from off the bank between Motu Tau Tau and Maharae. The coral stretches about 150 yards across and may7be 1/2 mile between the islands. We parked our dinghy at the down current end of Motu Maharae then walked to the other end where the coral garden started up current.
The current was so brisk that standing in the sandy areas was not easy. The best thing to do was to simply plant face down in the gin clear water and prepare to observe more varieties of fish than could be imagined. We even got to observe an octopus – observing us!
Once back at the boat it was pure heaven to sim0ply float and reflect on our adventures!
Elder SUP 