Mark’s Birthday Weekend in Huahine (and the Days after)

Last weekend started with too much tequila on Friday night, after Mark and I shared our last bottle with Scott and Melissa on SV Kaimana. Good times were had, leading to a few false starts – always ending back in bed - on Saturday. After a hearty lunch at 1pm, we felt ready to leave Fare and head back to peaceful Avea Bay on the SW side of Huahine for Mark’s birthday. The hope to sail there was abandoned after an hour of little progress, “shaking down” our sails and equipment, to make sure everything worked well, before our upcoming longish trip back to Tahiti. When we arrived in Avea, it was a nice surprise to find our friends Marie and JP on MV Domino in the bay. Having company on one’s birthday is always a bonus.

We anchored Irie on the shallow 6ft sand back again, this time letting heaps of anchor chain out so we wouldn’t get in “trouble” when the wind and the current played tricky games with the boat. Just as our friends came by to say hello, we saw a big dark spot moving astern: manta rays! It didn’t take long for Marie, JP and me (after quickly putting the boat in order after our arrival) to jump in the water with our snorkel gear and spot two or three of the gentle giants feeding along the drop off. Mark had some Wirie work to do, since it was already 3:30pm and we had been “useless” earlier in the day.

The following morning, on March 1^st, I wished my husband a happy 44^th birthday and made French toast with coconut bread. A yummy treat, but we had to refrain ourselves, since a massive Polynesian lunch was planned ashore. Around 11am, we joined Marie and JP at restaurant Chez Tara, with a whole bunch of other tourists and locals. Their special Sunday lunch was revealed, when all the food – that had cooked for hours in an umu (underground “dirt oven”) – surfaced in a big metal cage. As dish after dish was uncovered, tourists stood by and took photos. Everything was transferred to a buffet table, where it was served to all people present.

Our plates loaded up with traditional Polynesian food, like tender pork, pork with spinach, smoked veal, fish, taro, breadfruit, purple bananas, poisson cru, mushy bread, clams, and many other non-pronounceable or non-translatable dishes, we returned to our tables to enjoy the “heavy” feast. Our bellies were too full to indulge in the four different kinds (and colors) of the traditional po’e po’e dessert (a sweet, pudding-like dish made with bananas, papaya, or mangoes cooked with taro and coconut cream). Two ukulele players provided musical ambiance and we had a very pleasant time and experience, topped off by a wonderful gift from Marie, who had made a beautiful nautical quilt for Mark. Exhausted from the heat, bountiful food and sleepless nights, we took it easy the rest of the day – a lazy Sunday afternoon with no internet!

Monday started quite differently. As soon as the sun was up, I hauled Mark up the mast to fix a small issue with the flag halyard. Then, we both jumped into the shallow, clear water to clean Irie’s bottom. Keeping ourselves afloat next to the boat proved to an exhausting affair, with the wind and current sending Irie all over the place! After this two hour long exercise and some work online, we decided to head back to Fare, close to the pass, in case we would leave for Tahiti the very same day. The motor trip along the coast was quite brutal with a massive squall, choppy lagoon and buckets of rain. 

Drenched to the bone, we picked up a mooring ball off the beach and took a breather.

We checked the weather again and our gut feeling was confirmed. That night would be the best time to sail back southeast to Tahiti. The wind forecast was NNE at 10 knots, perfect for a close reach to our destination. But… Wind Guru predicted a lot of rain and the sky over the ocean was dark grey. Realizing that the distance was further than we thought, Mark and I turned to action again, preparing the boat for an overnight passage to Tahiti. By 4pm, Irie was ready and so were we. A pod of dolphins waved us off through the pass, and once in the ocean, we were treated to a giant spectacle of tunas flying through the air, chasing their prey, and diving boobies making a ruckus above the waves. Then, a massive squall hit…

Winds up to 40 knots from behind sent us screaming forward at sometimes 10 knots. Steering became challenging and the driving rain reduced all visibility. Luckily, these wind conditions didn’t last too long, but the rain kept pouring down for hours (Mark considered wearing his snorkel mask) – and we had 105 miles or about 25 hours to go! The wind died – and was fluky because of the all-encompassing squalls - and the rain diminished, but never completely disappeared during the night. We had to motor most of the time, with a three hour sailing period around midnight, while Mark and I took turns at the helm. One massive wave swamped the cockpit, the captain and the hardy basil plants…

On Tuesday morning, the wind shifted to what was predicted and a quick and pleasant three hour sail concluded our last Irie journey to Tahiti. Initially planning to go to the Arue Yacht Club – our preferred option – this angle was impossible to sail, so we diverted to the Marina Taina anchorage, where we settled – far enough away from all neighbors, in deep water – around 11 am. With the funky winds, constant waves from ocean swell and boat traffic, the incessant heat, and suffocating smoke from burning garbage, busy Tahiti is a necessary evil for the sailor needing services in regards to health, shopping and boat maintenance. Welcome to paradise! Let’s hope we don’t have to stay long after Mark’s check-up on March 9^th.

Impressive sunset over Raiatea, seen from Irie in Avea Bay

And the view of the bay and Raiatea during the day - Huahine is pretty!

Traditional Polynesian food straight out of the umu

The umu, or underground oven, takes a couple of hours to prepare and is covered with banana leaves and dirt. Then, the food cooks for 4-5 hours.

"Birthday" friends: Marie, Mark, Liesbet and JP

Marie explains the patterns she made on Mark's beautiful quilt

Polynesian buffet at Chez Tara in Avea Bay

Ukulele players provide local music

Cheers, Mark!

Lunch is served...

... and devoured as firsts and seconds!

The women are given leis - the fragrant smell of the tiare flowers is pungent

Going back home to our boat

Leste, the Belgian beer home-brewed by Wim and his friends, was saved for Mark's special day

Manta ray ...

... turning ...

... around!

Life in the Tropical Climes of Huahine

At 6am, Mark’s internal clock wakes him up. Starting work early has three advantages: the cooler temperature still allows a decent level of concentration, office hours in the US and Europe are way ahead, and he doesn’t have me around to distract him. An hour or so later, I join him at the table to do some work on the computer as well, after having a look outside to appreciate the beautiful surroundings. Mid-morning, we have a small breakfast and then, it is back to our computers, or we do boat chores or run shore errands. It is already very hot and nothing can be done without sweat streaming down our faces, whether we are inside the boat or outside in the cockpit or on land.

After a late lunch, we feel lazy, but napping is not our thing, so we try to read, write emails or relax a bit, before it is shower time. We jump in the ocean around 4pm, when it is still hot enough to enjoy our “bath” and our towel has time left to dry outside. Sometimes we swim to the beach and back for some exercise, or, on a cloudy day, we go for a little walk to collect fruit. At 5pm the day is mostly done and we have a glass of yummy juice with a little snack, while we prepare and cook an early dinner. By 7pm, we are in bed. It is dark – the relentless sun finally gone - and we enjoy a TV show or a movie on the laptop. Mosquito netting keeps the buzzing creatures out. 9pm is bed time, and after a night with many interruptions because of rain, wind gusts, visiting cargo ships, noise on shore or waking up in sweat, the cycle starts over again.

Fridays are different. Mark drops me off in the town of Fare, where I try to sell some unneeded household items and make a bit of money for the evening happy hour at the Yacht Club - the happening place in French Polynesia. Sometimes, we grab a bite to eat as well, or we meet new friends, like last Friday, when Melissa and Scott invited us over for a fun evening on their boat Kaimana. Our last bottle of Tequila was put to good use, something we “regretted” the following day!

During this monotonous life in the tropics, we are surprised and inspired by the “special events” that occur once in a while. On the evening of Mardi Gras, our friends Marie and JP invited us over for traditional French crêpes on their boat Domino, and Chinese New Year was celebrated with fireworks in Fare – something that was absent here on December 31^st.

One morning, I rented a bike and pedaled up to the marae of Maeva. This time, I followed a hiking trail up a hill to see some different ruins. It was a pleasant walk, mostly in the shade, but the humidity was high in the jungle. To cool off, I biked to the edge of motu Ovarei and snorkeled the coral garden, which held some pretty surprises. The ride back at noon was brutal without any shade, but at home, more refreshing salt water awaited!

On the weekend, we moved Irie back to Avea Bay, to celebrate Mark’s birthday and to prepare for our sail back to Tahiti.

Va'a in Fare

Marie of MV Domino, making yummy crepes

Marie and JP on MV Domino, their impressive, self-built motor yacht

MV Domino in Fare's mooring field

Va'a at dusk with Raiatea in the distance

Loads of coconut husks, after the coconuts are taken out to export as/for copra

View from motu Ovarei towards the mainland of Huahine

Marae Manunu on the motu

Windward coast along motu Ovarei

Hot and sweaty ride back to town along the airport

Local vendors pass the time playing ukuleles

The water off Fare (and Huahine) looks beautiful

Snorkel time, off motu Ovarei

Orange-finned anemone fish brushing against an anemone

Sixbar wrasses on the reef

Passage ways through the coral reefs

Living Afloat in Huahine

It feels as if Mark and I are living in Fare, Huahine, these days. We have become used to the island pace and the Polynesian way of life. We go to the hardware store on a Saturday morning and are not surprised to find it closed. We take our jerry cans to the fuel station, never expecting to be helped the first time around. Once, they were out of gasoline on day one, and a month later, the station was already closed at 11am. A second attempt, usually has us carry full jugs home. As Mark states: “Whatever we want to do, count on about 50% of it working out.” And, he is right when it comes to local matters, like a store or food van being open, fresh fish being for sale, coco glacé (coconuts on ice to drink the deliciously refreshing coco water inside - $1 a piece!) vendors being present, a planned event, a given direction, a previously reliable internet connection actually working, and so on. When it comes to boat parts or other pieces we need, to fix or maintain the boat, the percentage of finding something on tiny Huahine drops to zero.

Eggplant gnocchi with boat grown spinach

Every day, fresh baguettes await in the one grocery store, where a variety of produce is sadly lacking. We have the habit of walking the refrigeration aisle, just in case there is more to be found than the usual eggplants, cabbage and carrots. So far, we have no luck. We haven’t eaten a tomato or lettuce in weeks, or other dinner veggies in months, and even cucumbers are becoming sparse. We manage OK, though, and our creativity with meals is still existent. Having a constant supply of basil and sprouts helps. One thing we (I) can’t get used to in French Polynesia is the early time everyone rises. People get out of bed around 4am and start the day before 5! Most stores open at 6:30am. It makes sense, since the early hours are the coolest. Mark is also most productive before 7am, but I still have a hard time waking up with the sun.

On Irie, we have the unwritten rule that whatever we haven’t used for a year (or two) – except for parts and tools – needs to get off the boat. Having quite a few things that belong in this category, we looked forward to a planned flea market in Fare last week. When the event was canceled, we decided to take a tub of stuff to shore anyway and set up shop next to the vegetable sellers. As “new providers” we were the hit of town, and gear unavailable on the island went quick. Mark and I made enough money for lunch at a roulotte and happy hour that day, and for a Valentine’s dinner at the Yacht Club on Saturday!

As we set about our daily routines, we enjoy being comfortable on one of the free mooring balls in Fare’s multi-hued lagoon. The view of the surrounding reefs, islands, beach and water is pretty and the wind has recently been helping us out with electricity and keeping the temperature bearable. Thanks to our friends Rachelle and Patrick on SV Namaste (now in the Marquesas), who told us where to find abandoned fruit trees, we go “shopping” in nature for avocados, grapefruit, limes and bananas. The gusty wind had knocked over some plants and branches to make the pickings easy!

Since the sun gave us a break yesterday, we braved the 120% humidity and swarms of mosquitoes to go on a walk in the jungle. Besides getting some exercise and feeling as if we were the only people on the island, we enjoyed exploring the remote interior to the sounds of birds and a rushing river. The lush foliage of the tropics and the beautiful flowers of Polynesia never cease to impress me. We even found some hot pepper bushes to spice up our meals. Huahine, as most of the fertile islands of French Polynesia, truly is a piece of paradise to visit or live in and its abundance of natural wealth and beauty is a fact. The locals realize this and love their island. And we do, too!

Leaving civilization to head into Huahine's interior

Little waterfall along the river

Following the river into the jungle

Narrow trail into the foliage

Colorful flowers along the way

Easy avocado pickings

Tiare flower bush

Tiare Tahiti

Valentine's dinner: tuna carpaccio for me and fish burger for Mark