19 September 2024 – Huahine
Before I start today’s blog -I am looking for one crew from Tahiti to Tonga – who would need to be in Tahiti by the 30th of September 2024 latest. If anyone is interested please email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com or WhatsApp me on 0044 7931360372.
It was a lovely gentle night and we woke to another lovely sunny day which showed off the island so well with the palm trees, shrubs and flowering plants. The sun sort of transforms and magnifies the beaty. We had a fruit breakfast and chilled.
In Papeete we had met a French lady called Laure who was travelling on her own and we met her first in the market whilst buying a crepe. We then bumped into again later that morning at a coffee shop and had a good chat with her. She was going to travel the Society Islands and she told us of her plans etc. Well last night we saw her again at the Huahine Yacht Club and she joined us for a drink. Keith and I were planning when we would go to Moorea and thought we would stay the day here. We wanted to motor south and see some of the bays inside the reef. We therefore asked Laure whether she would like to join us. She was diving in the morning and would join us for the afternoon.
Keith and I spent the morning reading, chilling and cleaning heads!! I read the pilot book about Sydney and the Eastern Australian coast around that area. Captain Cook went there and to Botany Bay just south of Sydney Bay or Port Jackson. This was interesting and I know it is not until 2025 that I will visit; it is good for me to plan ahead and get a feel for the area and its potential challenges. We enjoyed the morning and then collected Laure about 1.15pm- had a light lunch and then upped anchor. This was not before a safety briefing and ensuring Laure wore a life jacket.
The weather had deteriorated a bit and there was a lot more cloud cover and the odd spot of rain. However, it mainly stayed dry and we headed down the channel inside the reef marked with red and green buoys and the odd cardinal indicating a hazard. The shoreline was lovely with the trees climbing up the hills in thick layers with the odd small house/shack on the shore. The water was a range of colours depending on the depth and coral. The channel narrowed in places and the depth dropped but was well marked and easy to follow. The outside reef was easy to spot from the constant white line of the waves breaking on the outer reef.
After some time we came to Baie which has a narrow entrance round an island and we motored into the bay which was large and but only sunny on the west side. We could see some shallow patches on the south of the island and there were a number of other boats anchored there. We found a nice spot and anchored in about 10 meters. It was therefore time for a swim and in we went. The water was not as clear but there was a current and the depth was quite high although we could see the bottom. The swim was refreshing.
We had some tea and then upped anchor and had to head back to our original anchorage before it got dark. This meant that we retraced our steps enjoying slowly drifting past the island again. It took us about an hour to get back and we anchored more or less in the same place and had a sundowner – see today’s picture of the day. Mark she wanted us to say hello to you.
We took Laure ashore and I think she enjoyed her trip on Stormbird. Her father is thinking of sailing around the world and she may join him on some of it. I hope in some way we have given her a little experience of being on a boat again.
Keith then rustled up tuna, noodles, carrot puree and green beans which was great. It was a nice day to just be and not feel we have to get anywhere. We are thinking of heading back to Moorea some 90 nm south of us tomorrow but will check the weather in the morning.
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