Audentes

On Monday night, we enjoyed our last hours in French Polynesia by going ashore for drinks and food. The drinks were consumed at the happy hour of the venerable Bali Hai Hotel, which conveniently is the location of the main dinghy dock in Cook’s Bay. Every evening, the owner, Muk, presides over a friendly group […]

It is hard to believe that someone can have a busy and stressful week in Tahiti, but here we are. As we raced to get the boat ready for the long passage to Tonga, where we are scheduled to meet my family later this month, we are reminded how difficult it is on a sailboat […]

The final week of Eric and Nick’s visit was a productive one. On Monday, Eric and Nick took the high-speed ferry to Mo’orea to spend a couple of days exploring the small island that so beautifully decorates the horizon of the anchorage. Their adventures during the two-day visit included high-stakes gambling on hermit crab racing […]

The first order of business upon arriving in Tahiti was to clear in with the Port Captain. When we originally entered French Polynesia in the Marquesas, I was granted a one-month visa. This visa expired on Saturday and, on Monday, I found myself standing before an immigrations official as an illegal alien. Fortunately, a lively […]

Undaunted by the dour forecast, we set off on Wednesday afternoon determined to sail for the promised land that is Tahiti. The first challenge standing in our way was the treacherous pass into the atoll that had intimidated more prudent boats, who chose to wait in Rangiroa for a more pleasant weather outlook. However, before […]

Rangiroa is the second-largest atoll in the world, surpassed only by Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. Although it is considered the most touristy of the islands in the Tuomotus, the atoll retains a quiet atmosphere and lacks much in the way of development, aside from a few upper-end resorts. The atoll surrounds a huge lagoon […]

The atoll of Ahe is a quiet island that surrounds a large lagoon full of reefs and coral heads. Once inside, the lagoon resembles a large lake. Although Ahe is a single island, from a distance the shore appears to be broken by numerous passes to the open ocean. In fact, these opening are coral […]

On Friday, we motored from the main village of Taiohae, Nuku Hiva to Hakatea Bay on the southern tip of the island. The bay is better known as Daniel’s Bay, named after the friendly Marquesan man who lives near the anchorage. The protected bay is towered over by impressive rocky cliffs and the stunning surroundings […]

The short passage from Tahuata to Nuku Hiva was only 90 miles, but the light winds that ranged from three to ten knots made the passage last 26 hours. Departing at 3:00 pm on Saturday, we were able to arrive just before sunset on Monday evening thanks to the assistance of the cruising chute in […]

On Sunday morning, I woke up early and hitchhiked into town to attend mass at the Catholic Church in Atuona. Throughout my travels, I usually try to go to a service at the most impressive looking church in town, no matter what the denomination or language spoken. My churchgoing is less of a religious experience […]