can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Skyelark of London - Cruising the society islands



Over the last 10 days or so days the weather has been more Scottish than South Pacific. Fortunately we have crew member and Scotsman, David, to interpret. Just as Eskimos have 32 or so different words for snow, so Scotsmen have words for rain. The conditions were variously described as "dreich" or "smirren".



Leaving beautiful, quiet Huahine we had a lovely downwind sail of a few hours to Ra'iatea, anchoring off in quiet Faaroaa Bay. A highlight were the fresh Tuna Dan bought in Huahine for lunch. I had urgent need of a dentist

to file off an ancient filling which was irritating my tongue and making eating and speaking painful. As all we do all day is eat and speak it was a handicap. I hitched a lift into town from two average size Polynesian ladies, Beryl Smith and her daughter Doris, Mormons, descendants of Charles Smith from London. Beryl very kindly, got me an appointment at the dentist and all was right with the world.



After a brief relocation to a Ra'iatea town centre mooring and a rainy day car tour of the island we motored the short hop within the reef to sister island Tara. Here we moored in Haamene (or "Hurricane") Bay to sit out a blow expected overnight. This was a typically good decision by Em and Dan as the rest of the fleet anchored further into the bay had several dragged anchors overnight. We were snug on our mooring, owned by a small hotel/bar called "Hibiscus", founded and run for 30 years by Frenchman, Leo Moreau and his Tahitian wife. Lonely Planet described the service as "erratic" which was true but this was utterly charming eccentricity and a great spot for sun downers and continental breakfast.



The weather cleared and we left lovely Tara with the rest of the fleet for a day sail to Bora Bora. We moored off a very slick bar restaurant called the "Bloody Mary" and went ashore for the eponymous drinks and dinner. It had one of those boards outside with the names of all the famous (sort of) people who have visited, like Bob de Niro. Very tasty dinner but they attempted to overcharge us (twice). Sarah immediately put a suitably salty revue on Trip Advisor so they are going to regret that.



We quickly understood that we were in fact the only non-honey-mooners visiting Bora Bora but that was fine as we just pretended we were on honey-moon, as best we could in the circumstances. So we took a guided walk in the jungle led by the only Moroccan Tahitian in French Polynesia, Adzim, cycled the island on bikes provided by Avis and hung out on the beautiful beaches and in the rather proper Yacht Clubs, where Commodore Gerard made us all feel at home. Me, Debbie and Sarah went diving with Manta Rays (amazing) and Lemon Sharks (big) and Em and Dan got in a bit of kite surfing. Other more ambitious plans by David to climb the mountain and take a heli tour were thwarted. Too slippery and no helicopter respectively.



Sadly our Brazilian/American crewmate, Erico, left the boat in Bora Bora after six weeks on Skyelark from the Marquesas. It was a pleasure and a privilege to sail with Erico and we wish him safe journey home via New Zealand.



On 13 May, having provisioned, watered and fuelled we sailed WNW for uninhabited Suvarov in the Northern Cook Islands. I write this exactly two days in to an estimated four and a half day sail. Wind steady 18-22 knots (subject to the odd squall). We were all enjoying the simple routines of a long sea passage when yesterday, within minutes of Dan having dismissed our fishing prospects because of the full moon, the line span out, the rod bent double and an enormous dark shape appeared in the water astern. We cut the line because, as they say in "Jaws" we would have needed a bigger boat to land that monster, a beautiful Blue Marlin which breached clear into the air on our port quarter and tore away!



We have all been reading "An Island to Oneself" by Tom Neale (thank you lovely Liz) who lived alone on Suvarov for several years in the 1950s and 60s so are looking forward to living the dream of the beachcomber life for three days, following which we shall be heading to Nuie, another three days sail.



Chris






Previous | Next