16:51.232S 155:22.648W - Farewell French Polynesia
Irene IV - World Adventure
Louis Goor
Mon 13 Jun 2022 03:34
Yesterday we said our finial goodbye to French Polynesia. It is the first
time on this trip that we are sad to bid farewell. The excitement of a new
adventure in a new land does not mask the disappointment of leaving this
magical collection of islands. Right down to Maupiti, the last island we
visited, we have been enchanted. The arrival in Maupiti, last Thursday, was
a spellbinding moment - a rare quiet, a raw beauty, a serene seclusion -
were our first impressions. Wordlessly, we took in the sheer, stunning
vistas, and the gentle peacefulness, none of us wanted to disturb the vision
and the emotion it evoked. Jumping rays, playing in the lagoon, welcomed us
to their nugget of nirvana. We felt lucky to have happened upon this
glorious place. Despite the regular downpours, we swam and snorkelled in the
tranquil, aquamarine lagoon, and climbed the slippery terrain onshore. A
short morning hike on the day of departure, turned into a bush whacking
marathon, as we got totally lost on the less than adequately marked trail!
Safely back aboard with the sticky Maupiti dirt washed off, Irene IV guided
us through the treacherous narrow pass across bumpy waters and breaking
waves to the wide-open seas beyond. The forecast predicts good winds for our
westerly journey to Fiji - a ten-day journey during which excitement will
build for the next chapter. We look forward to a family reunion when most of
the Goor grandchildren will be onboard together.
We like to entertain aboard Irene IV! Thus far we have invited only rally
participants. Since our return to the boat a couple weeks ago, two non-rally
Oyster yachts have joined us for dinner. Carolyn and Andrew, moored in Bora
Bora, sailing the world on Askari, have spent the last two years in French
Polynesia. They cannot leave, they love it so much. They got delivery of
their Oyster 475 the same week that Louis picked up his previous boat, Irene
III, an Oyster 525. At that time, they drank copious bottles of champagne to
celebrate their new toys. Aboard Irene IV at this time, we dined on
butterflied rosemary lamb, grilled on the barbeque, washed down with a
bottle of delicious French wine. In 2016, Carolyn and Andrew gave Louis a
good luck clip on koala, which he still has clipped to the bookshelf over
the chart table. We gave them an Irish leprechaun to bring them good luck
as they continue their travels around the world.
Similarly, the owner of Uhuru, an Oyster 62, anchored in Maupiti, James and
his boyfriend, Jin, cannot tear themselves away from French Polynesia. They
have seen numerous departure dates fade away. Dining with them on Fish Pie,
and a crisp New Zealand white wine, was a delight. They have an infectious
glee about everything they do. Originally scheduled to spend a year or so
sailing the world, after selling his very successful company, James has come
up with a new policy - 4:1 - spend 4 days in a new place for every day it
took to travel there. They will be "on the road" for a lot longer than a
year!
We, on the other hand, have places to be, parties to attend, and people to
meet! We will stick to the timetable, although French Polynesia did grab a
lot more of our time than was previously planned, we are glad of it!
A poem by Kaveri Patel, inspired by the Dalai Lama, that expresses our
mission and motto:
Walk gently on this earth with purposeful steps
You share this space with seven billion human beings
And countless other precious life forms
Just like you
They all want to be happy
Just like you
They all need love
We're not going to survive unless we walk
Gently on this earth together
Until we touch something in others that
Feels just like the shards of our own pain,
The fluttering warmth of our own joy,
Until we sew their wounds into our hearts
And seal it with our skin.