Mark and I left our pretty and shallow anchoring spot near
motu Aito for three reasons: a change of scenery, supposedly decent WiFi (from
an internet service we still had soon to expire credit of) and to do some hikes
in Taha’a’s interior. We would return after a few days for the annual canoe
races. Once we arrived in Haamene Bay on the east coast of Taha’a, the weather
changed for the worst. The rain became more incessant, the already murky bay
turned orange/brown and the hiking trails melted into piles of mud. More than a
quick walk through town and up a hill was not feasible. The scenery was nothing
special and the expected and needed internet was fluky at best. In between rain
showers, we lifted anchor and gladly motored the 7 miles back to our – so far –
favorite Raiatea anchorage, across from the capital Uturoa.
Every year, the Hawaiki Nui Va’a races take place in the
Leeward Islands of the Societies. This year, over 80 va’a (skinny canoes with
an outrigger), each with six experienced and mostly professional rowers, left
Huahine for the first leg to Raiatea on November 5
th.
It was another rainy day and while keeping an
eye on the commotion in the distance – near the closest pass where the group
would appear – with binoculars, we hoped for a dry period before the outriggers
would reach the finish line. When the troupe of local fishing boats, ferries,
catamarans, jetskis, skiffs, any other local craft, and helicopters moved
closer to Uturoa, Mark and I braved the weather and jumped in our dinghy to
join the fun. Despite the wind, the waves and the rain, we did not want to miss
out on the biggest sports event in French Polynesia. Soon, we were part of the
immense chaos of zipping boats, massive chop and wake, and the sounds of drumming,
cheering voices, revving boat engines, and buzzing news and rescue helicopters.
While our little, almost invisible, dinghy bounced all over
the place and drowned in some salty waves, I tried to take some pictures of the
event. The movement of the boat and the stubborn rain did not create any
impressive photos, but I hope the shots underneath provide a good glimpse and
feel of what was going on. A nice surprise awaited us when we were ready to go
ashore and find some shelter. Our friends Patrick and Rachel on SV Namaste had
picked up a mooring ball on the sidelines of the event and we happily climbed onboard.
It was great to see them and to catch up on the last six months. They had
sailed all the way to Tonga and back, while we made our
emergency visit to the States, explored
Tahiti and
Moorea and received
visitors.
An hour into discovering the couple, a greater reunion took
place, when – unexpectedly – Phil, Zoë and their friend Scott showed up on SV
Namaste. We had not seen the youngsters since Christmas in Taiohae, Nuku Hiva.
It was a good reason to celebrate and soon, the rum went around and the mood of
the day was established. We chatted, watched the start of the women’s and
junior’s canoe races, went ashore to eat lunch and hang out, and became wetter
and muddier, when the rain became a consistent downpour and the paths swampy
rivers. In the evening, the three person crew of SV L’Obsession (a 45’ Lagoon catamaran)
invited us and Rachel and Patrick over for good times aboard. Finally wearing a
set of dry clothes by then, we enjoyed great company, food and drinks until
1am! Unfortunately, on the way back home, we were caught in another nasty
squall, which produced more wet clothes and towels to contribute to the growing
pile in Irie’s cockpit.
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| Blue skies again after a very rainy week! |
On November 6th, the race would start from
Raiatea and head to Taha’a. The rain had not subsided. When we were ready to
brave it again and drop the dinghy, we realized that the start line would be
out of reach of our slow mode of transportation, while the starting time was
already upon us. We decided to stay home and dry instead. The day after, we
were hoping to catch up with the race and join the rowers to Bora Bora with
Irie. It would have been a great spectacle with an awesome local party at
night, but, when we opened our eyes in the morning, it was pouring yet again
and the sky did not look promising. The wind was blowing like crazy, just like
the days prior. Around noon, the sun finally and surprisingly reappeared in all
her glory and the amazing blue colors of the lagoon blinded us. By then, it was
too late for us to get ready and head west, so instead we did laundry and felt
a hint of regret not being able to be present during the finishing touches and
celebrations of this year’s Hawaiki Nui.
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| Haamene valley full of palms |
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| View of Haamene bay from the top of the hill |
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| All our plants were swamped by the rain and some died |
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| While it rains, we get work done: a router out of cardboard! |
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| Mark and I reproduced a cardboard router based on the dimensions from the factory, to do some try outs |
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| Haamene Bay in Taha'a after more rain |
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| Chaos at the finish line of the first Hawaiki Nui leg |
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| One of the first va'a to arrive in Raiatea |
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| Passing the finish line |
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| Paddling in sync |
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| A cargo ship entering the commotion near the finish line |
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| Finally rest after a long ocean passage |
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| And a welcome sip of water |
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| Skinny va'a with outrigger |
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| The rowers don't mind the rain! |
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| A last effort to the finish line |
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| Patrick, Mark, Liesbet, Scott, Zoe, and Phil in Namaste's cockpit |
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| The women's (vahini) race |
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| Some of the heavily sponsored va'a onshore |
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| A wet and muddy day! |
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| The evening light casts some color on the busy inner harbor |
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| Soaking wet and ready to head back to our boats |
Mark and I are still in Avea Bay, on the southwest side of
laid-back Huahine. It is an attractive bay with a long stretch of yellow sand,
a few houses tucked away amongst palm and other trees and relatively clear
water. The deeper part of the bay is framed by a shallow sand bank which was,
until recently, our preferred anchoring spot. When the current and wind turned
extremely funky one day, and Irie ended up pulling on her anchor the “wrong
way” (anchor behind us and we were pulling forward – the anchor was still being
dug in, but because of the shallow water, the chain could possibly rub against
the keels in this position), which has NEVER happened before, we decided to swap
our 6ft depth for 42ft. Here, the current is less strong and when there is a
rare breeze, we face into it, which provides some cooling off effect during
this hot and humid summer weather.
No other cyclones have come our way yet, fortunately, but
the last couple of weeks have been very grey and rainy. Our portable generator
is doing a fine job of keeping our batteries charged and our computers
“active”. Once in a while, a charter boat joins us in the anchorage, but
mostly, we are by ourselves. We do a lot of work on the computer and a WiFi
service onshore allows us access to the internet through our paid account and
our Wiriepro. To get a little bit of exercise, we swim laps around
the boat or stretch our legs along the quiet road. A small grocery store, about
a mile away, offers fresh baguettes and non-fresh staples, a friendly lady
sells fruit by her house and an interesting looking marae in the area has a
dumpster next to it, so we are basically set for a little while. :-)
One day, we tried to beat the odds of the rain Gods and set
out for a hike up and over a mountain to reach the village of Parea. The path
was not too muddy and we managed to climb all the way up. We followed the
ridge, but did not see a trail descending on the other side. So, we retraced
our steps down and walked to little Parea along the island road instead. Being
all hot and sweaty, we welcomed the first rain shower, resting on the trunk of
a tree. When the second downpour arrived, we made use of a covered bench. Rain
is a part of life here during this season, and as long as I can protect my
camera and other “valuables”, I don’t mind getting wet, just like the locals.
As long as the sun comes out at some point, so we can dry all our stuff. This,
she finally did a couple of days ago. We are happy with the temporary change of
weather and have swapped our computers for household and boat related chores to
take full advantage of the sun’s qualities and the lack of gloominess!
