French Polynesia is a group of 130 islands in the southeastern Pacific Ocean with a land mass of 1,544 square miles that occupy two million square miles of ocean. Tahiti lies 2,381 miles southeast of Hawaii, 3,571 miles southwest of Los Angeles, 1,468 miles east of Tonga, and is considered a part of the windward island group of the Society Islands.  Most of the Society Islands are high volcanic islands with rocky summits and lagoons protected by a coral barrier reef with excellent anchorages, abundant snorkeling sites, exquisite white and black sand beaches, and awesome wind surfing opportunities.

In 1977 there were 137,400 people in French Polynesia - about 96,000 live in Tahiti. French Polynesia is an overseas territory of France. The territorial Assembly, French Polynesia's legislative body (30 members) is elected every five years by popular vote.   Copra is the main income producing agricultural product. Tahiti's imports far out balance their exports. Nearly 85% of the country's food is imported.  About 100,000 tourists visit Tahiti each year (fewer than visit Disneyland in one weekend). Over 50% of their tourists come from North America.

Raiatea, our starting point, is 135 miles northwest of Tahiti.  It well off the beaten path and surrounded by beauty beyond belief.  The towering volcanic islands are surround by barrier reefs that are rich in coral and sea life.  The people are happy and very religious.  Traditional Sunday hymn-singing should not be missed.  The distance between islands is not great and the anchorages are well protected and very comfortable.  This is a trip of a lifetime.

Executive Summary

We will depart Newark airport on Saturday morning and fly to Raiatea, board our sailing yachts, and cruise the islands.  We will sail for two weeks, arriving back home on a Saturday.  We currently have three yachts and can accommodate 25 people.

Highlights

Passports are required and visas are not for Americans and most other nationals. A return airline ticket is also required. You will be required to posses an international certificate of vaccination, but no vaccinations are required.

The weather in the Society Islands is tropical. It is typically sunny, warm, and humid with a relatively constant trade wind from the east to southeast averaging 12 knots though it is possible to experience a wind of 25 to 30 knots for a week or more. The average temperature in May is 79 degrees ranging from 85 degrees to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The average rainfall in May is 4.5", the average number of rainy days is 10, and the average humidity is 80%. During May, the most typical for of rain is in the form of brief showers. Cool! The southeasterly wind brings cooler temperatures and generally good weather. The South Pacific cyclone season extends from November to May and occur most commonly between late December and late March. Visibility is 80 to 90 miles on a clear day.

Activities include beach combing, snorkeling, gourmet dining, scuba diving, windsurfing, horse back riding, shopping, all with numerous photo opportunities.

Tides and Currents are very unique. Tahiti usually has high tide between noon and 2 p.m. and again at midnight. Low tide is around the hours of dawn and dusk (no kidding). The largest tidal variation is about one foot. The ocean current usually toward the west southwest at .4 to .9 knots. The strongest currents are found flowing outward through coral reef passes and has been reported as great as 6 knots.

Currency is the French Franc. French Polynesia is very expensive - about double the prices found in the US. Bummer! It is more advantageous to bring traveler's checks rather than cash because they are safer and they bring a slightly higher exchange rate. Better yet, you can bring American Express travelers' checks in French Francs.

Language spoken is French and Tahitian with English spoken at only some of the larger hotels.

Flora and Fauna in the Society Islands is way cool. The high volcanic islands are covered with dense vegetation. Coconut palms dominate the landscape. Other trees include the pandanus palm, kapok, ironwood, Australian pine, giant bamboo, and Tahitian chestnut. Fruit trees include mango, breadfruit, papaya, banana, grapefruit, avocado, orange, mandarin, lime, and lemon. Flowering plants include hibiscus, gardenia, oleander, frangipani, bougainvillea, poinsettia, heliconias, bird of paradise, ginger, and many others. Underwater there is a kaleidoscope of brilliant color coral reefs ranging from bright yellow, neon green and turquoise, to deep purples and reds. The marine life is the typical - awesome and incredible!

Tahitian Feast or "tamaaraa" is a traditional event among the villagers. Food is slowly cooked in an underground oven called an "ahimaa" - a hole in the ground lined with preheated volcanic rocks. Food is wrapped in banana leaves, placed in layers in the oven, then carefully covered with more leaves. More hot stones are placed on top of the banana leaves and they are covered with earth and burlap bags to contain the heat within the oven. The food steams in its own juices, and after several hours the oven is opened. The Polynesian food is spread out on a table cloth of palm fronds or banana leaves. You will eat with your fingers, dipping juicy pieces of roast pork, fish, breadfruit, taro, and other goodies into coconut cream sauce. Poe, a sweet pudding, and fresh fruit are served for dessert. The feast is followed by Tahitian dancing.

The Sailing Adventure

Raiatea is 135 miles northwest of Tahiti and is perhaps the most friendly island in Polynesia.  The main town, Uturoa, is unspoiled by industry like it was preserved from the past.  This island is rich in culture, religion, and a sacred ancestry.   There are only 9,000 residents who live in eight villages on the island of which one third live in Uturoa.  It is not a tourists' island and is the center of the French and Tahitian administration for the Leeward Islands.  There are no beaches on Raiatea.  Instead, the island is surrounded by very tiny islands, called motus, which are abundant with beautiful beaches that are excellent for relaxing and swimming.

Our journey will start at the charter base in Raiatea.  We will sail a short distance to an anchorage in the northern part of the island.  We will explore the island by rental car near the end of our adventure.  Highlights of the island will include:  Tapioi Hill provides views of four islands and is only 967 feet high.  It takes under an hour to do the hike.  Faaroa Bay is picturesque and is centrally located on the eastern side of the island.  This is where our charter base is located.  Marae Taputapuatea, the largest and best preserved Tahitian temple, is an ancient site where human sacrifices and fire-walking once took place.  It is said to retain its psychic power - write down your negative emotions, bad habits, unhappy memories, and self doubts then burn the paper on the marae.   Cool.  Fetuna is an attractive village on the south side of the island.   Tevaitoa church is the oldest on the island and is located on the west side.   Behind, is Marae Tainuu, dedicated to the ancient god Taaroa.

Tahaa is 18 miles north of Raiatea.  It is a round island with fjord-like inlets.  The 40 mile perimeter road is spotted with small villages every couple miles with a few small stores in the larger villages.  There is a beautiful walk from the head of Baie Haamena to the head of Baie Hurepiti over Mt. Taira, which divides the island.  The northern barrier reef has several motus to explore by dinghy and snorkel.  The northeast motus have excellent beaches.  There is a little French restaurant at Marina Iti which is quite pleasant.  The Hibiscus Tahitian Restaurant is most excellent and great fun.  There is always great ukulele and guitar music and singing after dinner with Tahitian feasts and parties on the weekends.  The Lile Tuuvahine restaurant is also most excellent.  Ashore, an island tour will include Vanilla plantation tours, an agricultural experimentation station, and botanical splendor along the way.  The anchorages are quite beautiful.

Maupiti is 27 miles west of Bora Bora and is reputed for magnificent motu beaches, vegetation-draped cliffs, a extensive sapphire lagoon, fruit trees, watermelons, and a narrow entry channel with strong currents.  The island teems with native birds including frigate birds, terns, and native land birds almost extinct elsewhere.  Tourism is not promoted because there aren't any regular hotels.   The highest point of this small volcanic island is 1,224 feet and it takes only three hours to walk around the six mile perimeter road.  It's quite pleasant, lined with banana, hibiscus, mango, and breadfruit passing freshwater springs and a beach.   Tahitian temples and Polynesian heritage dominates the island.  Rumor has it that there are some very beautiful anchorages and fun motus to explore.

Bora Bora is about a four hour sail from Raiatea and is the ideal South Pacific island.  The volcanic 2,317 foot spire peaks are surrounded by multi-shaded blue and turquoise lagoon with a barrier reef most excellent for snorkeling.   Hibiscus lines the hills and valleys.  Beaches are perfect and many of the natives are skilled dancers.  Tourism feeds the growth of luxury resorts around the island to our benefit - most excellent restaurants.  The anchorages are secluded and beautiful wit motus that lace the barrier reef.  The underwater world is a kaleidoscopic of fish flowing through prismatic turquoise water with sun rays dancing on magnificently sculpted coral.  Dolphins frequently race ships and play in the wake at the entry channel to Bora Bora lagoon.

Favorite activities ashore include happy hour at the Bora Bora Yacht Club, Bloody Mary's, or the Hotel Bora Bora.  A village promenade through the native neighborhood is most pleasant.  An island tour along the 20 mile perimeter road either by bicycle or car offers many photo opportunities.  Large white mansions on the north side, abandoned large naval guns from the war, beautiful beaches, excellent bars and restaurants, Tahitian temples, quaint native villages, and views that redefine your notion of "majestic."  An excellent hike up Mt. Pahia can be done in about three hours.

We have a favorite coral garden just east of Taurere Point on the southern tip of Motu Vaivahia.  My friend and I swam for an hour through some very interesting coral.  We swam against the current as it grew in strength.  We hid behind large coral heads to catch our breath and then darted perhaps 20 feet to the next one where we again rested.  When the current was so strong that our progress was gone, we turned and swam with the current through the twisty, winding passageways much like an amusement park.  What took us one hour to swim up-current only took us five minutes to swim down.  It was here that I decided to return.  -- Captain's Log, 1994.

Huahine is an island you will love.  The people are friendly, the forests are lush, and the mountains are nicely sculpted.  It's perhaps as beautiful as Bora Bora but far less crowded.  The beaches are unmatched in beauty and the anchorages welcome you with charm and enchantment.  There are only two large hotels on the island and the island is larger than Bora Bora so they go relatively unnoticed.   The island is definitely worth a visit by jeep.

Ashore there is much to do.  Maeva is one of a few to preserve the ancient pattern for the layout of the community buildings, fortifications, walls, homes, fish traps, and other community elements.  There are several other Marae's worth visiting.   Huahine Iti is a smaller island connected at the southern tip by a bridge.   Here, you will find more Marae's and the small village of Parea, a beautiful beach, a boy and a dog.  Haapu village was built over the water near Bourayne Bay which is one of the attractive places on the island.

Huahine was one of the first island we visited after departing Raiatea.   Our journey was obscured by driving rain and heavy seas.  We were close when we first saw the massive island.  The sea calmed as we entered the protected water within the barrier reef.  We found ourselves in paradise as we anchored near shore and found peace and tranquillity as we rested from our journey.  It was an exciting time.  We planned our next day's tour of the island via jeep and were very happy to find friendly people and an island of great beauty.  Around every turn we were awe-stricken as we photographed almost every vista, panorama, garden, mountain, and bay.   All we had to do was close our eyes, spin around a few times, click our heals and take a picture.  What ever we shot turned out beautiful.  In a word, "awesome!"  -- Captain's Log

We will visit Tahiti briefly during a lay-over enroute to Raiatea.  We will likely have enough time to take a guided tour of the island during our brief respite.

Tahiti is 33 miles long and 18 miles wide with an area of 402 square miles. It consists of two connected islands: Tahiti-Nui and Tahiti-Iti. The larger Tahiti-Nui is rugged and mountainous with its largest peak, Mt. Orohena, reaching 7,339 feet next to Mt. Aorai reaching 6,786 feet. The surrounding mountains are deeply cut by river valleys, lush in vegetation. There is a narrow coastal plane and road that encircles the island for a total distance of 75 miles. Tahiti-Iti is a low, narrow mountainous strip of land with its highest peak, Mt. Roniu, reaching 4,341 feet. The Isthmus of Taravao connects the two islands.

Tahiti features luxuriant tropical rain forests and flourishing vegetation carpeting the interior mountains with a vibrant green. Quick-flowing rivers slice through these impenetrable mountains, forming magnificent river valleys with waterfalls and caverns.   Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia. The Tourist Board Information Center has maps, brochures, schedules, and other tourist information (near our marina). Next door, an exhibition hall has frequent displays of crafts and art work. The best place to buy fresh fish, fruits, and vegetables is the Public Market located in the center of Papeete. There are many stores along the water front for souvenirs. Black cultured pearls and mother-of-pearl shells are a specialty of French Polynesia. Outstanding buys are the "tifaifai" Tahitian bed covers or quilts with appliquéd patterns of traditional Polynesian designs such as the breadfruit leaf or hibiscus flower motif. These quilts cost from about $100 to $600. French perfume and crystal are good buys. The vanilla bean is a simple specialty of French Polynesia. "Monoi" is a unique Tahitian suntan lotion made from coconut oil and the local Tiare Tahiti Flower. It smells delicious and is very popular among Tahitians.

Good Ideas

• Bring along items you can use for gifts or trade. Popular items are rock cassette tapes (reggae very popular), colorful cloth, new sports clothing, baseball hats, costume jewelry, perfume, cosmetics, fishing tackle, and kipper snacks.
• Learn French - especially useful for our visits to the more traditional villages.
• Buy aerial postcards and use them as a navigational aid.
• Observe the zero tolerance for drugs.
• Do not express admiration within Tahitian homes - generosity might require that it be given to you.
• Always wear nice clothes in public.
• Always treat a cut or open wound with anti-bacteria solution like hydrogen peroxide (once a friend got a bad infection because a very small cut went untreated, beware!).
• Use insect repellent when on land.
• Ask permission before photographing Tahitians in private settings.
• Be considerate of Tahitian people and property.

This Bare Boat Charter Trip Includes

Credit Card Calls Not Included