Sailing tales

 

La Orana!

A lot of this week has been about sailing starting with our exhilarating trip back from Huahine with Fred and Zuzannah.  It wasn’t quite as we had imagined.  French Fred was very experienced – his boat hopping across the Atlantic and the Pacific giving him more ocean miles than both of us put together, but we hadn’t realised that Zuzannah (from the Czech Republic)  had never been on a boat before!  The wind was blowing hard and the swell outside of the lagoon expected to be over 2m– conditions that could be scary for the uninitiated. 

Anna banana - you can never have enough!

Zuzannah - still smiling

The safety briefing was certainly longer than predicted but with everybody still committed at the end, Fred and I went forward to raise the heavily reefed mainsail and cast off our mooring lines and within moments we were off.  I was fully expecting a swift retreat back into the lagoon once the strength of the ocean hit us, but it was not to be.  The wind was blowing strongly in our favour as predicted from the southeast and the swell although high was generally quite steady.  In fact, Papillon was in her element reaching top speeds of 9.2knots for the first time ever and making it our fastest passage yet between Huahine and Tahaa! But none-the-less quite a maiden voyage for Zuzannah!  There were a few moments when we thought seasickness might overcome her, but with a bit of help from the horizon it never did, and she proved to be great company aboard.  Sailing all the way back and with spray flying over the decks we spent the time exchanging stories and discussing all matters arising including COVID, Brexit, Scottish Independence and the French retirement age.  Very entertaining stuff and very distracting too.  Before we knew it we were sailing back through the pass at Tahaa and into the lagoon to pick up a mooring.  I guess for some the risk of taking strangers on board outweigh the benefits and I totally understand that viewpoint, but chance meetings can also be a delight and that is exactly what happened for us that day. The next morning Fred and Zuzannah treated us to Thank You brunch at Apetahi before we all went our separate ways.  It had been a lovely little interlude.

Fred back at the mooring

Brunch stop

Normality returned aboard Papillon over the following days but perhaps not the quiet normality we had anticipated due to the continuing July celebrations or “Heiva” in Raiatea.  Since the Bastille Day parade I have read up a little more about the Heiva festival.  It has existed for centuries but was disappearing rapidly when France annexed French Polynesia in 1881.  The Polynesian Queen at the time, Pomare 1V had the foresight to dedicate the Polynesian festivities of Tiurai (July) to the very first celebration of July 14^th in Tahiti thereby marrying the two festivals.  It proved to be a master stroke as it simultaneously let Queen Pomare vow allegiance to France and enable the culture of Tahiti and her islands to survive.  Almost one hundred years later in 1984 when French Polynesia achieved internal autonomy the Tiurai celebrations reverted to their original name of Heiva.  The celebrations today are extensive lasting from the end of June until the beginning of August and celebrating all things Polynesian including food, crafts, dance, warriorship, seamanship, horse racing and music.  We have missed a lot of the festivities as so much happens into the evenings but night after night sitting in the cockpit, we have certainly heard the music! 

well timed walk ashore

skipper relaxed as usual

Possibly because the main focus of the Heiva is in Tahiti there seem to have been fewer boats around Raiatea this past couple of weeks.  For us this has been a bonus and we have made the most of it exploring a lot of new anchorages around the islands of Tahaa and Raiatea, all very satisfyingly under sail.  I write this from the South East of Raiatea on one of the most beautiful lagoon anchorages yet.  The sandy plateau extends for about a nautical mile in all directions – a steady 2.4m in depth with virtually no coral bommies except for a line running east west making for excellent snorkelling. 

Reef days

Same Motu different weather

Manta and eagle rays gently waft over the sandy bottom, graceful movements until they try to surface, their fins now splashing uselessly through the air.  To the east lies a Motu reminiscent of a treasure island complete with palm trees, coconuts, multicoloured geckos and pristine white sand. Walking round to the east side of it we were only a few meters from the edge of the lagoon with huge waves from the Pacific crashing onto the coral shelf below.  It was the closest I have been to the reef and the first time seeing that strip of land appear, apparently in the middle of the ocean as each wave recedes back into the depths - it is such a unique landscape.  As we waded back to the dinghy young black tipped reef sharks swam over ankle deep coral their dorsal fins sticking up comically above the water line. They could not have been more than 50cm long.  Miniature versions of the 1-2m adults that swim around the moorings in the lagoon.  

wading to the motu	beach after the coral
the reef beyond	next generation of palm trees

Returning to the boat we took a slight detour anchoring the dinghy beside a patch of coral for  a quick snorkel.  Beneath the surface was an explosion of blue and orange flashes as tiny fish darted in and out of the wafting pink and purple stems of coral  - truly beautiful.  We returned later with the Go Pro but couldn’t do it justice.  Hopefully we will do better at the coral garden in Tahaa.  Here the water is very shallow making the coral more accessible to novice snorkellers like ourselves.  We were lucky enough to explore this paradise early one morning last week.  The trick is to walk to the far edge of the Motu adjacent to the coral and then drift gently back through the pass with the current.  I was literally swimming through fish at one point, clouds of yellow and greens all around me.  It was quite extraordinary.  Sadly, no Go Pro that day but we will endeavour to coordinate photography with good snorkelling at some point!!

storm clouds gather on the lagoon

after the storm

It is impossible for me to do justice to the scenery around us this week.  We have experienced all weathers from Argyll mist, ferocious easterly winds, flat calms and tropical sunshine.  Walks ashore have had to be timed to perfection.  The blues and greens of the lagoon become heightened when the next rain shower is approaching, layers of contrasting shades of aqua as you gaze into the horizon.  Last night we treated ourselves to Friday night beers at the Opoa Beach Hotel. Drinks started optimistically on the beach but as the rainbows intensified and the raindrops increased to a downpour, we were forced inside to watch the storm from through open windows.  It was torrential while it lasted but over in a flash.  Within minutes the fairy lights outside had turned themselves on again and the sunset had resumed.  The only clue was the volume of water that had collected in our dinghy outside.  A small price to pay for a wonderful spectacle.  Returning to the boat Venus rising against a deepening crimson night sky it was hard to believe what had just happened but that’s the weather here.  It never fails to disappoint!

rain approaching at Opoa Beach

weather back to normal!