Huahine – the sexy woman!

Huahine, at the heart of the Society Islands, often called “the wild one” is a jewel in the glistening crown that is the gorgeous Polynesian Islands. The two islands of Huahine, Huahine Nui (big) and Huahine Iti (small) are joined together by a charming, whitewashed bridge. The landscape is lush and teeming with nutritious vegetation, watermelon, mangoes, cucumbers, breadfruit, papayas as well as roots such as sweet potato and taro. We have sampled most, to the delight of our young crew members, Liz and Heidi.

We arrived here on 31^st May at 16:20 after a bracing sail from Taha’a. The north, northwesterly winds from 10-15 knots brought us at a brisk clip (averaging 10 knots) to the supposedly sheltered anchorage inside the lagoon off the town of Fare. Troubled skies, tropical downpours and a boisterous sea state, welcomed Irene IV to this serene, laid-back, authentic town.

The hustle and bustle of the town in the early morning reflects a fiercely independent and vivacious people. Freshly baked croissants and baguettes are collected on bicycles. Fruit and vegetables at the many stalls, set up around 05:30 before the light of the sunrise, are gently squeezed and discussed with pride and “bagged” in baskets fashioned out of coconut fronds. The numerous little shack cafés sell aromatic coffee and breakfast delights. The fish mongers flanked by coolers filled with freshly caught tuna, of every type, await their customers “shooting the breeze” with wide, wizened, and welcoming smiles. This island was the last of the Leeward islands to fall to the French, in 1888, certainly not without resistance.

The extremely well stocked supermarket indicates a larger and wealthier population than one might suspect. The population of 6,000 inhabitants live well, taking care of their own, with an awareness for environmental vigilance too. In the Super U the following was posted: Avis a la Clientele, depuis le 1er Janvier, 2022: Sachets en Plastique INTERDIT. Merci de votre comprehension. La Direction. Next to that posting was a sign advertising reusable vegetable and fruit bags for sale.

1^st of June was a day of cleaning, provisioning, and hanging out in the Huahine Yacht Club with our buddies on Seabird.

The following day, Irene IV “kids” Liz, Heidi, and Seabird “kids” Johnny and Ciara went on a speed boat excursion around both islands, with snorkeling, a picnic and basket making included. Despite persistent rain they had a blast!

The “grown-ups” hired a car, a good idea on such a damp day. As we drove, we got a sense of the character of this little island enclave. Even though the French took over the protectorate from the British in 1888, trading the island for the fishing rights off Newfoundland, it took until 1895 to convince all the local chiefs to finally sign the treaty. The village of Maeva, a short distance, north east of Fare, is famous for its fish farming techniques that use stone V-shaped fish traps, an ancestral legacy that is still used to this day. The stones are laid in V-shaped configurations, trapping the unsuspecting fish as the tide rises. The traps end in a small circular pond where the fish can be easily collected by the fishermen. A simple but ingenious system! Historically Huahine was ruled by 8 families, each with their own Marae, place of worship. The island is littered with the remains of these sacred sites, with tall upright rocks, erected in honor of each of their gods. The famous singer and artist from Hawaii, Bobby Holcomb, settled in Huahine and lived out his short life in this paradise. We journeyed on to a visit to Michelle Dupré’s art gallery, a ramshackle treasure trove, where Michael bought the first print to adorn his beloved Seabird. Over the bridge to Huahine Iti took us to the hotel of Mahana nestled in the white sands of Avea beach, on the southwest coast, for a lengthy, scrumptious lunch. Hitting the road again running along at sea level, we headed back to base, with a quick stop at the Distillerie Huahine Passion, for a cocktail tasting of local fruit liquors.

On 3^rd June we set sail for Raiatea after a feed of local fruit and croissants.