15 September 2024 – Tahaa to Raiatea

Although it rained in the night it was a pleasant morning and sunny so we tried to dry everything out which had been soaked from the day before. It was supposed to rain today as well but there was no sign of this initially.

We had a breakfast of bacon and eggs which was a good start to the day. The dinghy had about 2 inches of water in it and I bailed it out which took some time. I then had to fix the locker catch which had broken. Keith baked a loaf of bread and we sorted ourselves out. I decided to swim on the anchor and to see if I could get the speed log working. The anchor was some way ahead of the boat and fine and I noticed it wrapped round a bit of rock/coral. We would have to motor forward when we leave to ensure it does not get caught.

I dived under the hull to inspect the speed log. This is a plastic wheel which comes out of a small hole in the hull (on the bottom) and spins in the water. It can get stuff in it -mostly sea creatures looking for a home and therefore it stops turning. I have to go down about a meter or more under the hull and spin it and try to clear it. I could see it was covered in white stuff and with a stiff brush it began to turn. I had to do this several times and hoped it would work when we moved. Keith had a swim too and looked at the anchor and we agree on our strategy when we upped anchor.

We had a relaxing morning and I looked at other anchorages in Raiatea and Huahine our next island. I also began to look more at the passage to Tonga from Tahiti and where we would go on Tonga. I also checked the formalities to enter and which ports you can enter. I also began to look at New Zealand and the requirements there which are like Tonga. You are not allowed to bring in fresh fruit or vegetables, eggs, dairy products and certain types of meat.  There are requirements for most countries and certain islands which as the Skipper I am responsible for and getting all of that right. It takes time to do this and check the requirements.

We had a light lunch and then upped anchor – which went well and without issue and we began to head off toward Raiatea which we can see from where we are and we have to navigate through the reef to get to. We do not need to exit the reef but can stay within it. As we were not going far I was happy to two the dinghy and we did not put the solar panels down etc. The good news was that the speed log was now working.

Raʻiātea or Raiatea is the second largest of the Society Islands, after Tahiti, in French Polynesia, in the South Pacific Ocean. The island is widely regarded as the "centre" of the eastern islands in ancient Polynesia and it is likely that the organised migrations to the Hawaiian Islands, and other parts of East Polynesia started at Raʻiātea.

A traditional name for the island is Havai'i, homeland of the Māori people. Situated on the southeast coast is the historical Taputapuatea marae, which was established by 1000 CE. The site was the political and religious center of eastern Polynesia for several centuries, and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017 for its historical significance. We hope to visit this tomorrow.

The main town on Raʻiātea is Uturoa, the administrative centre for the Leeward Islands. There are also colleges which serve as the main educational location for secondary schools for students from the regional islands of Bora Bora, Tahaa, Huahine and Maupiti. The Tahitian language name Ra'iātea means bright sky.

Raiatea was discovered for Europe by James Cook on July 20, 1769, during his first voyage. Coming from Tahiti, he sailed with the Endeavour through the Avamo'a Reef passage, sacred to the Polynesians, anchored in Opoa Bay and landed near the Marae Taputapuatea. He hoisted the Union flag and took possession of the island for the British Crown in a brief ceremony. Although neighboring Tahiti was already under the influence of European powers in the late 18th century Raiatea formally came under French protectorate in 1842.

With a total area of 175 km, it is the second largest island of the Society archipelago, after Tahiti. Tahaa lies north of Raiatea, the two islands are separated by a 3 km strait. Raiatea's landscape is characterized by rugged peaks, a heavily indented coastline with deeply indented bays, and numerous small, tiny islands located in the lagoon.

There are three main mountain masses on the island, connected by lower ridges. The central mass includes Mount Tefatoaiti (1,017 m), the island's highest peak. The northern mass is known as the Temehani Plateau. The plateau generally undulates between 600 and 650 metres elevation, rising higher in places including the plateau's highest peak Tepahu (821 m). The total population was 16,438 inhabitants in the 2002. The climate is tropical and humid. The average annual temperature is 26 °C, with negligible differences between months. The average annual rainfall is about 1800 mm.

Coconut palms, breadfruit trees, taro, yams, cassava, sweet potatoes and various tropical fruits are grown as food crops, including a particularly tasty pineapple. Pineapple and vanilla fruits are exported and grown on small family farms.

We set off for Raiatea and motored down toward the reef areas between Tahaa and Raiatea. There was the odd spot of rain and we looked toward Raiatea which was covered in cloud and looked a bit grey.

We covered the 6 odd nm quite slowly as we were towing the dinghy and came round the reef and then headed toward the anchor area off Uturoa. There were two boats we could see and knew that depth (in terms of being able to drop our anchor) might be an issue. We saw a Catamaran in the in the one spot I wanted to anchor and when we approached the whole anchor area had been filled with buoys. I checked again and there was a shallowish area ahead we could potentially use. We edged forward and managed to anchor in about 20meters which was good. However, by this time it was raining again quite hard and so we had a cup of tea and chilled.

The rain stopped about 5.45pm and we realised we could see four islands -Bora Bora, Tahaa, Raiatea and Huahine from where we are anchored.

We had supper of bangers and mash with red cabbage and broad beans. A feast fit for a king!! The rain comes and goes but we are fine under the doghouse.  

Last night in the rain we had movie night of Kill Bill 1 and tonight we look forward to Kill Bill 2.

 Crewing Opportunity Year Two

In year two I will be going from New Zealand in early January 2025 across to Sydney and up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and then through Bali, Singapore and on to Thailand to end year two about the end of November 2025. I will need some more crew.

If there is any interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

The blog will continue as we move through French Polynesia and beyond. If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com