As alluded to, we had two unsuccessful attempts at sailing to Fulaga. We left Nananu-i-ra with a forecast of Northerly wind 15 knots and abut 8 hours into our sail we had SE wind at 30-35 knots and so we turned our stern to the wind and flew to Viani Bay. On the second attempt, we left Savusavu with a forecast of light E winds switching to NE and instead they switched to the ESE and so we had a mellow lovely sail to Ono instead of Fulaga. We *could* have made it to Fulaga on that window under power. Indeed, as we talk to people here in Fulaga that is a common passage strategy to get here.

The third time was a charm. We left Ono ahead of a front with NE wind. As the front passed, we bobbed about with no wind for a few hours. Then the wind switched to the S and the SSE and we flew the rest of the way to Fulaga arriving at 4 am and forereaching until the morning low water slack which we made a mess of because it turns out that WXTides has TWO stations called “Moala Island” one of which is apparently not in Fiji. The good news is that we have a fair amount of experience reading passes visually and so we could tell that we were at the end of the ebb and chose our timing accordingly. We went in with still a fair amount of current (and turbulent swirling waters) but no standing waves and had a safe transit into another pass (which we never take for granted). We kept Bravo Reef to port – thanks for the waypoint Adam!

And it was so worth the effort. As we sailed into the incredible landscape of Fulaga’s lagoon, the crazy colors and limestone islets dotting the shallow waters of the entire lagoon, we knew it was worth missing out on part of Ono. It was worth the two aborted attempts and having made it here entirely under sail sweetened the landfall for us intensely. Everyone who makes it here, however they do, has earned the right to be here so we don’t mean to sound like sailing snobs. Still, sometimes working for things makes the accomplishment more precious.

There are “false passes” in some atolls in which there is a spot in the encircling coral reef just low enough for snorkelers, or surfers, or even small boats to exit to the open ocean.

Last week we were anchored near a false pass (Motu Totegegie in Mangareva Atoll) and we spent some time outside the pass snorkeling and fishing in the open ocean.

Well, in the middle of a BBQ on the beach in the afternoon a group of us had the great idea to head out the pass for some fishing (trolling style) even though the tide was a little low and even though the light was already fading.

On the way back, surrounded by the light of a stunning sunset, we worked our way back, through crystal clear water that the sunlight was glancing off of, allowing occasional peeks at the what lay beneath:

Sometimes the sunset obscured everything except what poked out of the surface:

In each dinghy it was a team effort to spot the coral heads just below the surface before they ripped into the pontoons or broke the prop:

Is it possible to be stressed when you are looking at this scenery? Yes…but then no…but then yes…

We were trying to figure out why we like Point Venus so much on Tahiti. It isn’t convenient to anything except the prime kiting spot. The grocery is a fair walk. We like being a bit out of the hustle and bustle of Papeete while still having the option to go back “into town” as needed. We rarely share this anchorage with more than a boat or two. The Point is a park and is full of people enjoying their weekend, swimming, paddling and surfing and the sound of kids screaming in the waves is just far enough away to add to the ambiance rather than detract from it. We are able to use our inflatable paddle board to get to the beach and the water is clear although with the black sand you can only tell how clear when the water is flat.

The black sand beach is alternately mesmerizingly beautiful and muddy looking depending on which section and which tide you see.

The views of the island of Tahiti are great and while the view of Moorea isn’t as good here as it was in Marina Taina, we get to watch the sunsets without jet skis. Although we had spent two weeks in Marina Taina, enjoying the bars, the land access, the showers, doing errands and buying things, and were really itching to get back to the Tuamotus, we passed over a decent (but not fantastic) weather window to sail back in order to spend a week kiting at Point Venus.

From a safety/local perspective, this is a much nicer place than Marina Taina to tuck into if the forecast calls for any of the strong SW’erly swells that can come through Tahiti at this time of year.

One of the downsides of the Tuamotus is the lack of actual sand in many atolls. That’s it. That is the only ugly secret we’ve been hiding ;) There are many brilliant white beaches which, for the most part, on closer inspection are bleached out bits of coral rubble and shells. Pretty to look at, nice to walk on, but not volley ball court material. So when we do find the occasional sand beach we take full advantage.

Regardless of the state of the shore, whether sand or coral rubble, when we are near uninhabited motus we spend multiple nights per week watching the sunset from shore and then cooking our dinner in a fire while sipping something tasty.

We have been lucky this season to be having our bonfire time with friends. We’re learning a lot about how to cook in tinfoil packets. Long baking foods are no longer frequently cooked aboard SV Estrellita because of the heat they create in the cabin and so we were happy to discover how easy roasted garlic was in a campfire and have rediscovered bonfire cooked “baked” potatoes.

The freedom we as cruisers have in this area of the world is amazing. So often we are in uninhabited areas of atolls (or we are if we want to be) and the motu becomes an extension of our home. We set up a play room on the beach, in this case to enjoy with friends. From others’ reports and from reading blogs I know that this kind of remoteness, in an area of such beauty, is something to cherish while it exists and while we are here.

Hi Family and Friends,

More than a month without internet access. Having a great time and collecting good stories to share. Here are a few photos in the meantime.

Love, Team Giddyup

We still love Bora after a second visit. Overwhelmed by tourists? Yes. But it is also incredibly beautiful and we keep meeting such nice and generous people each time we visit. If you stop in Bora, use the Bora Laverie for your wash and take some time to chat with the owner. We didn’t have much time to play while we were here this visit.

Our plan is to apply for a long stay visa for French Polynesia which must be done in our home country. We leave the boat on the hard in French Polynesia and fly back to Seattle in early December where we will apply for the visa in Vancouver. The visa should allow us to stay in French Polynesia as long as we want, which we currently are guessing is about 1.5 years after our return flight in April. More on that application process after it is completed.

We spent over a week in Bora Bora getting our legs back under us after our passage from the Cook Islands back to French Polynesia. We needed to refill the boat with propane, gas, diesel, water, and fresh food. We also scurried around making reservations, booking tickets and arranging all of the things we needed arranged to leave our boat on the hard and fly out. We had avoided making any of those plans because, as mentioned previously, we weren’t 100% sure we would make it back.

We’re also looking forward to seeing our families and friends and all of the things we’ve missed about N American cities like sitting at coffee shops and going to the movies. Lastly, we’ll buy all of the crap we think we need for the boat and haul it back in our luggage.

I still can’t believe we’ll be visiting in winter.

If you know of any fun events or opportunities, suitable for two cruisers who just bought plane tickets from French Polynesia to SeaTac (that means poor), send us an email (s.v.estrellita@gmail.com). We’ll be in and out of the Seattle-Vancouver area with possible side trips to Quebec and, if we can find miles tickets or similar, Colorado.

If we looked away from the sun we saw this (notice shark):

If we looked toward the sun we saw this:

Not a bad 360 view in Mopelia…

Hover over each for a description:

Hover over the photo for the location: