Harmonie - Motu Murimahora, Huahine, Society Islands

Motu Murimahora, Huahine, Society Islands

Harmonie

Don and Anne Myers

Fri 16 May 2008 22:19

16:45.811S 150:57.721W

We left Moorea on Wednesday (5/7) just before sunset, expecting a nice leisurely 90 mile overnight sail to HOO-HA-Hiney Island. Instead we endured one of the most uncomfortable nights yet experienced on this trip. It wasn't stormy or windy. In fact, half the time, there wasn't enough wind to sail. But there was a killer swell rolling in from the southeast - just enough to continuously rock the boat from side-to-side in something more than a gentle fashion. This rendered me fairly useless (again) and our guests had to prepare dinner and clean up. My, what excellent hosts we are! Bill took the nine to midnight watch and Don and I spent the three hours rolling back and forth on our bed. At some point we got the bright idea that it might be more comfortable if we laid sideways on the bed so we wouldn't roll. Sideways was ok for a while, but eventually the blood rushing to our heads every time the boat rolled to the left became annoying and we opted for the side-to-side roll instead. Not a lot of sleeping went on. At midnight we were able to sail and things smoothed out a bit. Don took over from Kathie and I at 3am and by 8am we entered the eastern pass through the coral reef that surrounds the island. By 9am we were comfortably anchored in the quiet lagoon just inside the reef by a small motu (tiny coral island).

Picture 1 is the rainbow that greeted us as we approached Huahine island in the morning. Pictures 2, 3 and 4 are the various views we had of the lagoon and incredible multicolored water in and around our anchorage.

Don and Bill spent the afternoon of the day we arrived on Andante helping Bob (the owner and captain) get his generator up and running. Their effort resulted in a cocktail hour invitation from Andante and the four of us spent a pleasant evening with the Andante crew of six (this is the boat with an average crew age of 70). We learned some more Britishspeak and drank vodka or gin and tonics without ice. The English do not understand American's obsession with ice.

Friday morning (5/9) the four of us took the dinghy to the nearest coral, flopped overboard in our snorkel gear and drifted with the current over a fabulous array of coral and tropical fish. When finished, Don and I were able to climb semi-gracefully back into the dinghy using a handy rope step Don rigged for us. We realized then how much we have progressed since the time we floundered and flopped back into the dinghy like giant sacks of potatoes after our visit to The Baths on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands back in December. If we have gained no other skill on this trip, semi-graceful dinghy re-entry is one we have mastered.

Bill and Kathie joined us back on the boat and we weighed anchor for the short trip out the eastern pass of HOO-HA-Hiney, around the northern tip of the island and into the northwestern reef pass where we anchored near the town of Fare. The guidebook said this was a nice place for four or five boats to anchor. We were greeted by eighteen boats all snuggled in the spot where a good sand bottom could be found. With only six Society Islands to visit where secure anchorages can be found, it's no wonder that we run into a few more than some of the forty rally boats here and there. We found a patch of sand on the bottom, dropped anchor and joined the multitude.