The Vanilla Island - Tahaa - French Polynesia.

Nina
Steve and Lynda Cooke
Sun 26 Jun 2016 23:25
16:38S 151:31W

The Vanilla Island - Tahaa - French Polynesia.

Our trip across from Huahine to Tahaa was a lovely drift downwind for 22 miles with the wind behind Nina. The Ocean swell built up as we left the pass through the coral reef, and the 12 Knot following wind meant we motor-sailed with the Gib out. Peter was skipper for the day, and Lynda and Steve were crew.
Raitea and Tahaa are two separate islands, with a huge coral reef all around them. They were connected at one time, but the middle lagoon, some 6 miles between the two is a great sailing area, protected and sheltered from swell and weather.
We made our way up to the west side of Tahaa, and into the very large bay, Hurepiti, looking for an anchorage. The three miles of long and beautiful bay was deep, more than 20 meters, with coral all along the sides, so we continued up to the end where there were some buoys. Getting thrown off the first one by a guy on the shore, he indicated that we should use the other three on the other side of the bay. They belonged to Vanilla Tours.
Paw Paw had been unsuccessful finding an anchorage, so we radioed them and they came to join us on the adjacent buoy.
We found the dinghy dock of Vanilla tours, and booked for the next day.
Paw Paw had a set of Mexican train dominoes, which was great fun. Elaine and Roy used to play it in the Caribbean with the other live-aboard boats, just as we used to play with Lynda's Mum and Dad, John and Margaret.

The Vanilla Tours tour around the Island was quite superb, Noah taking over from his father the year before to make it a great trip all around the island, taking in the Vanilla plantation, and the Rum distillery, and explaining all about the plants and flowers of French Polynesia, showing us ginger, lemon grass, Turmeric, Noni Fruit, (as well as all the other fruits we have become accustomed to seeing here) and the history and customs of the islands, having grown up and gone to school here. We had lunch of coconuts, star fruit, pineapple, and bananas, all picked fresh off the trees.
The next day we dropped off the mooring, and anchored in the middle of the bay. A great anchorage, and very well sheltered from the nightly blow.
The next day we took the dinghy and went along the lagoon to the south of the bay, where the only public beach on the whole island was located. Snorkelling off the reef in the lagoon, and exploring the island.