NO, IT DID NOT TAKE THE HUMANS 4 DAYS TO GET TO TAHITI
It just took them 4 days of ‘fluffing about’ to find the spot they wanted to anchor. The first mistake they made was ‘erroring on the side of caught’. Worried they would not make it through to Papeete, the islands capital city, and around the maze of channels before dark they decided to head for an open anchorage just before the city called Venus Point. It was recommended to the humans as a good night time anchorage by several cruisers. With dusk quickly approaching the humans decided they were not going to make it to Papeete in time and turned off to circle behind the reef and find a spot to anchor off Venus Point in the fading light.
Now the surfers on the beach should have been a warning. If there are breaking waves on the shore line there are big waves rolling into the bay. The fact that no other boats were anchored there, should also have been a warning. But did the humans listen to these warnings? Of course not. There really was no problem with the anchorage….as long as you do not mind rolling side to side and side to side and side to side all night long. It was rougher in the anchorage than it had been the entire sail. They even had to put the stove on gimble to be able to cook dinner. The stuff I have to put up with these two.
THE NEXT MORNING
Not surprising the humans were anxious to get an early start to finding friends anchored south of the capitol. It had nothing to do with the roll I am sure. The humans decided, since they were getting an early start, they might take the longer route to the anchorage, where they hoped to connect back up with friends they had met in the Marquesas. So they sailed by the reef entrance at Papeete and continued on to the next reef entrance south. As they were sailing by they saw a lone mono hull and catamaran anchored just inside the reef. ‘That looks like a nice spot to anchor for snorkeling’ and they marked on their charts to maybe visit it.
Sailing outside the protective reef that surrounds this island is lovely. You can not actually see the reef. It is just under the surface of the water. What do see is the ocean waves rising up and breaking over it sending plumes of spray into the air. Seeing this line of breaking waves all along the coastline was impressive.
The view over to Moorea is also impressive. Tahiti’s closest island neighbour is only 8nm away. Even though her tallest peaks were shrouded in clouds the island still cut a hansom profile in the distance.
INSIDE THE REEF
You do not have to sail around this island on the outside of the reef. In fact you can travel great sections of the coastline following marked channels that run between the coast and the outer reef. There are sections of these channels that are so wide they make great protected areas for visiting yachts to anchor. The humans were hoping to reconnect with friends that were anchored in one of these ‘wide sections’ of the channels. But where exactly they were, was a bit of a mystery. Only my humans would be too stupid to ask their friends where they were anchored before coming?!?!?
LOOKING FOR A NEEDLE IN A HAY STACK
We made it safe and sound through the narrow channel south of Papeete, Tuapuna pass. Thankfully the swell was not large. And we entered the well marked channel behind the reef. A short distance traveling north and the narrow channel suddenly widens into a giant yacht basin. Here there is a Marina on the land side, Marina Taina, and on the other side is an extensive field of moorings. 100s and 100s of boats all tied onto mooring balls as far as the eye could see. But we knew our friends were anchored and not on a Marina mooring buoy. So we continued on.
After the Marina both sides of the channel were filled with anchored boats. So many! How were they going to find their friends? They have a brown mast. Most sail boats have white masts. So they slowly edged their way up the channel searching through a pair of binoculars for any boat with a brown mast. ‘There is another little bay ahead. Lets look there.’ Further and further north we headed until we were at the end of the islands main airport. You are not supposed to cross the flight path without calling into Port Control to ask for permission. Something about planes hitting your mast and 100s of passengers being killed in a horrible crash. Not very likely to happen, but I got the humans to call in for permission to cross the run way anyway. Permission granted.
Now the humans were starting to get worried. Where were these friends? They were starting to make there way almost back to Papeete. But there were those two boats, way out there beside the reef we sailed by earlier on the outside. A close inspection with the binoculars and yes, one did have a brown mast. That could be them? Got a bit closer and it was. Finally we could anchor up.
AND WHAT A LOVELY SPOT
Right out by the reef in clear clean water. What a lovely place to anchor…if you are a fish. Figures the humans would take me somewhere without a beach at my door step. ‘But you can watch the planes land’ they tell me. I guess being beside an airport does have it’s perks, and they have promised to run me ashore in the dingy. So I can live with that. The view is nice here too. The sun sets beside Moorea and the hill sides light up with twinkling homes and street lights. You can’t hear the traffic on the streets out here, and because you are on the side of the airport, the sound of the planes is muffled too. What you can hear out here is the party boats. These are large covered barges that come out to the reef and tie up to a mooring ball. These can be rented for the day including a bbq, bar and a juke box with very, very big speakers. Everything is a compromise in life. Welcome back to the city Tahiti style.
SPEAKING OF THE CITY
So friends have filled the humans in on where to tie up the dingy and where to get everything they need in the city. At least they have offered to keep me company as my humans take off in search of their ‘shopping’ needs from the ‘big’ city tomorrow. I can not believe they are not starting off at the local giant supermarket. But they insist they want to get my vet visit sorted first, before everyone goes away on holidays. I wish them luck in their adventure. Not that I am looking forward to my visit to the vet. You just have to put up with these things. I do hope my baby sitters have some goodies to spoil me with aboard. I have been seriously looking forward to something other than the boring dog food my humans insist on feeding me.
FILL YOU IN ON WHAT THE HUMANS FIND ASHORE….OR NOT FIND?
We are anchored up at 17 33.358S 148 37.426W (you can cut and past this into google maps)
END.
