8 September 2024 – Tahiti to Bora Bora

And then there were two- Keith and I for this trip. Mark and I sailed Stormbird in the Canaries for a number of weeks with just two of us but then we did not do a 24-hour run and overnight. My thought process was to go to the furthest island first (Bora Bora) of those we wished to visit and then work back toward Tahiti as we need to be back by the 27th of September. The passage to Bora Bora is about 150nm and will take us about 24 hours. The idea was to leave in the morning and then arrive in the morning which gives us plenty of leeway.

It was a lovely calm morning and Keith went off to get some last provisions and croissants and I prepared the boat. We had breakfast on his return and I went to the marina office to pay. When I returned we took in the electric cable and made two slips (lines to the shore being doubled back so we can slip (release) them from the boat). When we were ready I put the engine on and Keith took off the lines on the bow and that just meant we had our anchor down at the front and I slipped the lines at the stern. We then eased forward and Keith brought up the anchor chain. We were then free. We then had to tidy up all the lines and put the fenders on the back and get everything ready. We just therefore drifted slightly with the current in flat water inside the reef. With two of us only this takes some time and is quite hard work really.

Once done we motored in the channel toward the airport. As we approached the west side we had to get permission to proceed and we had to do the same for the east side and then finally to leave the passe.

Once we were out of the passe we were into the swell and white horses and there is a sort of acceleration zone on the North of Papeete which seems to channel and increase the wind strength. We put out some main but only to reef 3 and then a heavily reefed genoa. We headed for the Northeast corner of Moorea and were soon sailing at 8-9 kts and had the waves on the aft so it would push us along as well. At one point we did 10.8 kts but we were not being over stretched. It felt good to be out on the water again and although it was a little rolly this was good fast sailing in warm sunny conditions. It took us a couple of hours to pass the corner of Moorea and I set another waypoint to the east of Huahine. From there we hoped to head to the Northeast corner of Bora Bora and the passe to enters its reef is on the Northwest side.

We sailed along nicely and on course, but I knew if the forecast is correct that the wind will round more to the East and push us off course. We carried on well for some hours and we saw a number of flying fish and we looked out for whales as it is the time of the year to see humpbacks but we did not see any. We had lunch on the hoof and by about 4-5 o’clock the wind began to veer toward the East and beyond. Gybing at this time would send us back south. We  came from 140 degrees off the wind to 150 which helped for a while and then we were being pushed off again but we said we would leave things until the next shift change at 9.00pm. We had decided to do 3 hours on and 3 hours off.

It got dark just after 6.00pm and I made supper – easy pasta pesto which gave us something warm and filling.

At 9.00pm when I took over we were some way off course so we took the mainsail down and just sailed on the genoa which helped us go more downwind. We are as I write sort of getting back on course but the wind varies and we are about 165 degrees off the wind and from time-to-time roll causes the genoa to backfill. However, we will see where we get to at midnight when Keith is next due on.

We have had a good sail to this point and I think the cleaning of the hull has helped although annoyingly the log (speed wheel on the hull) has not cleared so I will have to snorkel and clear it at Bora Bora. Back to nights again on the water where you cannot see where you are going but you have the glow of the instruments to keep you company. It is quiet when you are on your own and all you can hear is the waves which sometimes roar past, the wind and the creaking of the boat as she sails. We will see what the night holds and by dawn we should not be too far away from Bora Bora. I will give you details of the island tomorrow.  

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