Sheer Tenacity: August 2013

24/8/2013

"Coral Garden" at Ile Tau Tau, Tahaa

We enjoyed a gentle overnight motor sail from Mo’orea to the twin islands of Raiatea and Tahaa, which are surrounded by a single, figure 8, barrier reef. The reef has 11 passes through it, and we chose the Iruru pass on the SW of Raiatea.

We are beginning to understand why so many cruisers had told us that there was so much to see in the Pacific, and too little time to do it in one season! We would love to have spent more time in French Polynesia, but with the seasonal clock ticking away, we decided to give Huahine a miss, and have a quick look at Raiatea/Tahaa. Despite food and provisions being so expensive, there is so much to see and explore, and there are so many free anchorages!

Having entered via the pass, we picked up a free mooring buoy, (thanks to Moorings Charter services!) in the Faaroa Bay opposite the pass.

Sheer Tenacity entering Faaroa Bay

Scott-Free moored beside us in calm flat water

After the rolly anchorages of the Marquesas, this was heaven!

The following day, we explored the Aoppomau river, up which one can take a dinghy fro 2 -3 miles.

Apart from enjoying the vegetation, we scored a big green coconut, which was floating down the river, full of coconut water, for Mary’s rum & coconut water tipple, plus 2 breadfruits, which we “harvested “ from overhanging branches! (Not worth the trouble…. Chewy ,tasteless potato substitutes, even when boiled, and deep fried as chips, and eaten with tomato sauce and mayonaise!)

The river mouth at the head of the bay

Beautiful overhead canopy of tropical vegetation

We had to squeeze under these overhanging mangrove trees

That evening, we spent time with Rene and Cheryl, from “Gypsy Blues”, whom we had last seen in St Maarten and Grenada, 2 years ago. They had sailed this same route, last year to New Zealand, and have just sailed back to French Polynesia from NZ via the southern route…(total madness!!) , to spend the cyclone season in the Marquesas, so that they can do it all again next year!

However, they had shed loads of advice and information to impart, and as sadly is so often the case with cruisers, we went our separate ways the next day.

We motored up past the town of Uturoa, and the airport, crossing over between the islands, and on up the west of Tahaa to the Ile Tau Tau, to snorkel the “Coral Garden”.

Despite being spring lows when we went, it was fantastic! We then spent a quiet evening at anchor, just off the luxury Ile Tautau resort, watching the sun set behind the coconut tree fringed motu, with the distinctive silhouette of Bora Bora peeking through the gap!

Upmarket resort on Ile Tau Tau

Bora Bora peeking through the palms on the motus

Dramatic peak of Bora Bora from our anchorage in Tahaa

The next day, we motored one mile back over the channel, into the Tapuamu bay, where we dropped anchor in 21mts, (thankful for the extra chain!), and filled up with duty free diesel, in preparation for our leg over to Bora Bora, the next day.

A landmark on the way to the Pai Pai Pass

We had a pleasant 4 hour sail over, in light airs, and were able to see how our new sails performed! Not bad at all!

Exiting the Pai Pai Pass

Sheer Tenacity enjoying her new sails with Bora Bora in the background

17^th August 2013

keeping up with us at 6.2 knots was no problem for this young man!

With so much of French Polynesia still to see, and only about 3 weeks before we should be heading out westwards once again, it was time to move on. Mo’orea is only about 12miles away from Papeete, so we were not put off by the gribs indicating 20-25knot winds.

We left from Taina, going back up the passage past the airport, in ideal calm conditions, complete with our slipstreaming outrigger canoes. Once out through the pass at Papeete, it was not long before we had to review the single reef in the main, as the winds quickly reached the 28-29 knot range! While at the mast putting in the second reef, I felt the need to put in 3 reefs instead! By the time I returned to the cockpit, the wind was anywhere between 36 and 40 knots! It had also veered to a dead downwind point of sail, and our brand new half- furled genoa was banging away! We put it away very quickly, intending to use the staysail instead, but after one look at the speed we were doing with 3 reefs and a preventer on the main (7.5 -8.0 knots!) , I said "why bother!!" At times we hit 9,5 knots, in what turned out to be a very fast, wild and rough little passage!

Once we reached the SE corner of the island, the wind and seas abated, to the point where 25 knots felt like we were becalmed! Soon after rounding the corner, we hung a left, and went through the pass into beautiful Cooks Bay, where we found a calm and sheltered anchorage in 17mts, surrounded by magnificent mountains.

Scott-Free entering Cook's Bay after our wild passage

The locals refer to this peak as "gorilla playing the piano"????

I was glad too, that the very last thing I did in Tahiti, was to have another 15mts of 10mm chain added to my existing 60mts of anchor chain (by way of a very cunning, and strong welding process). Anchoring is often quite deep in French Polynesia, and the winds can get up! Despite having a Rocna Anchor, I like to have a 4:1 chain rode, and am now able to do so more often!

We booked a day trip to swim with Stingrays and Black- tipped Sharks, ending with a Barbeque on an outlying “motu” ( islet). The weather for the first couple of days had been blustery and overcast, but Friday turned out to be a peach of a day!

On the way we passed this outrigger sailing vessel

The Paul Gauguin cruiseliner in Opunoku Bay

We were collected at the Bali Hai Club, in a 60 person catamaran, and taken to “Sting Ray City”, which lies on a sandbank beyond Cook and Opunohu Bay, and past the Hilton and Legend hotels.

We were taken on the inside channel, which is way too shallow for yachts, past turquoise reefs, and the opulent chalets and bungalows which make up the rooms of these hotels,… each with their own private verandas, bathing platforms, ladders etc.

The romantic settings, crystal clear waters, and privacy, go a long way to explaining why these hotels, and Mo’orea is such a big honeymoon destination….. apart from all the punters in big power cats thundering past your bedroom!!

Sting Ray City was to be honest, a bit of a circus, and not the kind of wildlife experience we would have really chosen! It was full of tour boats, private boats, jetskies, and noisy yodeling and squealing people, overcome by the sight and experience of being in such close proximity to the shoals(?), schools(?), of stingrays, bumping and nudging them for attention, and begging for scraps from the tour guides, who feed them.

Getting to know you....................

Getting to touch you...................

Rarely seen..........underside!

Around the periphery, were masses of Blacktip Sharks, especially just beyond the channel drop off. As a long time conservationist, I cannot go along with the concept of handfeeding wildlife , and changing natural behaviour. However, I must be honest, and say that I quickly got caught up in the amazing spectacle, and the magic of these big stingrays apparently enjoying the interaction, the head stroking, (looking for tidbits!) proving to be so harmless, and unthreatening.

After a period with the sting rays, I spent most of my time observing and filming the Black Tips. At times, I must have had between 20 and 30 around me. Magnificent creatures! They move so effortlessly and gracefully, yet capable of amazing bursts of speed!

Despite the circuslike atmosphere, and behavior of some idiots, we did our own thing, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Mary, decided that she would be far happier staying on the cat, and filming from there, than joining me with the sharks!

The Barbeque which followed was equally good, with a choice of fresh Mahi Mahi (Dorado) , marinated chicken, an wide choice of side dishes, salads, cold beer, rum punches and pineapple!

The motu where we had the barbecue

On our return trip to the Bali Hai Club, the cat dropped off punters along the way at their hotels, cruise ship (the Paul Gauguin!), with everyone having enjoyed a really special day.

That evening, we booked a meal at the Bali Hai restaurant, and went early in order to buy our beer at the 2 for 1 Happy Hour prices, and to watch the Tahitian singing and dancing exhibition, which turned out to be very good indeed!

Various suckers, myself included, were dragged from the audience to be taught how to jiggle ones’ knees, shake your hips, and thrust your pelvis in time with your beautiful local flower adorned dancing partner! Now I have been known to do all three of those things at various times in my life….. but never all at the same time! The end result was somewhere between laughable and lewd, and I am only too happy that Mary could not video my attempts from where she was sitting!

The meal afterwards, of lightly curried local prawns, done in coconut milk, was equally superb, albeit a trifle expensive!!