Off To Moorea!

At 11am Feb 29 (Leap Day!) we cast off the dock lines and headed out of Marina Tahina in Tahiti, bound for Moorea! We left via the pass just south of the marina to avoid going through the controlled space near the airport and into Papeete harbor where it can get a bit crowded. It was an easy exit and soon we were turning north to Moorea.

The winds were a bit too light to sail while between the islands because the winds come from ESE and the Island of Tahiti was casting a ‘wind shadow’. But soon we were far enough north that the winds came up to about 12 knots so we raised the sails and had a nice downwind run to Opunohu Bay on the north side of Moorea.

We entered the wide, easy pass with no drama. We’d been there twice before in the past two years and knew what to expect.

After getting into the lagoon, we turned to port and dropped the hook in about 15 ft of water over a sandy bottom that would hold well. The distance was about 20 nm, end to end.

The wind in the anchorage is pleasant and keeping us cool all day. The stars at night were AMAZING!

The next day we were out snorkeling before 9am. The water was clear and warm. We swam to the reef from the boat. It was not very far but there was a strong current flowing in from the reef and to the west, so it was a bit of work. But worth it!