Moorea to Huahine

Hi everyone,

After six nights in Moorea we sailed overnight to Huahine.  Both are in the Societies but Moorea is in their Windward and Huahine in their Leeward Islands.  It was a good 90nm sail in gradually decreasing wind and seas.  For much of the passage we were expecting two gybes but as we approached Huahine the wind backed nicely for us.

On a free mooring off La Mahana resort

Here are the usual plots...

Track

Arrival Track

Graphs

The seas were lumpy and the swell confused as we sailed away from Moorea.  We could see swells coming from both sides, looping around both sides of the island.  Once clear of that mess the seas calmed and we had a nice broad reach under minimal sail so as to arrive after dawn.  We were doing 5 knots under double-reefed (triasail sized) main and triple furled yankee.

Go West!

OCC sv Nimue departed an hour after us and passed us late afternoon heading for Raiatea.  US sv Wanderlust also left Moorea and we chatted with them on VHF.  They said they were heading to Avea Bay in Huahine like us, but ended up in Bora Bora.  They probably didn't have enough buckets to slow them enough.

Sunrise over Huahine

While motoring along outside the reef in the lee of the island we saw several whales breaching.  Always a treat at a suitable distance!  Then in the pass we were escorted by dolphins.  Once inside we motored S inside the reefs to Avea Bay.  It's quite a scenic trip and well marked.  Navionics SonarCharts seem very accurate and much more detailed than the official Navionics charts.

Entering the Huahine pass

We arrived in the Bay late morning and set to work tidying up the boat and launching the dink.  After lunch and a brief siesta we went for a swim to start cleaning the hull.  There's not much growth on her, just a little weed near the waterline and on the rudder.  The prop needed a little scrubbing too.

It's nice being on a mooring, especially after the deep anchorages in the Tuamotus and Society Leeward islands.  Our Muir VM500 manual windlass is great, but weighing 16m of 10mm chain plus a 20kg anchor is hard work.  Turning a 75kg old guy into an iron man will take time.  So mooring is a treat.  And most legal locations in Raitea and Bora Bora are mooring only.  Looking forward to them!  The last time we were on a mooring was in Maine!  That was in June last year, and 14,000nm ago.  How the miles fly by!!!

La Mahana resort from the mooring

Later in the afternoon we dinked over to the S end of the bay, chatting along the way with OCC sv Santo who were also moored.  When the 8 moorings are occupied it seems OK to anchor E of the moorings.  It's quite shallow there but appears bombie-free.  There are small bombies inshore close to the beach and that seems a good snorkelling spot.

After our snorkelling recce in the dink we visited the La Mahana resort.  They're very cruiser friendly and it's a very nice resort.  The snorkelling appears to be good around their jetty judging by the resort residents, and its a very good dinghy dock.

We went for a walk N along the road.  Lots of well-kept gardens with friendly locals.  Even the local dogs are obviously well looked after.  We were escorted by one of these fine beasts.

Back at the resort we settled in for happy hour and dinner.  Happy hour offers only cocktails so we went for a jug of beer and ordered dinner.  We can't remember when we last had a jug of beer!  And dinner was great, as you'd expect in a French resort.  US$80 for beer, mains and a shared desert.  We recommend the 'tarte fine' which must be ordered at the start of the meal.

La Mahana resort restaurant

Dinner is served

We're allowed to stay in the bay for three nights.  Tomorrow we expect to be joined by EBBYC sv Southern Wing.

Trust all's well where you are!