Sailing to Bora-Bora and Obtaining French Polynesia Exit Visas

 Day 7 & 8 - Thursday & Friday, August 31 & September 1

The first day we woke to a fabulous clear morning with little breeze in the Maupiti atoll.  The location of our Maupiti anchorage is indicated by the blue dot below:

  

Xavier began repairs on the Genoa sail which was not unfurling properly, making it unusable.  This was a serious issue as the Genoa foresail is the most versatile and used of all the foresails.  Initially he thought the issue was with the furling mechanism but after a good night’s sleep it dawned on him that the problem could be at the top of the sail.  

Carol and Mickey hoisted Xavier to the top of the mast in a boson chair (a sling used to lift a person up a mast) and sure enough the Spinnaker halyard had become twisted with the Genoa halyard (halyards are the lines used to raise the sails to the top of the mast).  After untangling the halyards the Genoa worked perfectly and everyone was relieved!  While we could have continued without a Genoa, the voyage would be much easier with one.

We proceed with a couple more minor repairs before setting out for snorkeling.  Near where we anchored was a protected area where Manta Rays come to be cleaned by small fish.  A couple of guide boats were bringing snorkelers to the area so we set out in the dinghy to join them.  Once in the water we found there was a bit of a current.  We did see the rays briefly before being swept away by the current and being picked up by one of the guide boats.  Overall as a snorkeling experience it was a 3 out of 10.

Around 11 am we set out to sail to Bora-Bora which was 25 NM (Nautical Miles) away.  After getting through and out the harrowing pass to the ocean we raised the main sail with genoa and headed to Bora-Bora in light winds.  We needed to arrive in daylight so we started the engine and motor sailed to increase speed.

After three hours the winds picked up and we could stop the engine and sail the rest of the way.  Xavier was even able to sail directly through the Bora-Bora pass into the large bay.  Here are a number of images as we approached and entered Bora-Bora:

After mooring we decided to eat at a famous nearby restaurant called Bloody Mary’s.  Once arriving without reservations we found ourselves with a two hour wait, which was way too long, so we headed to the bar for bar appetizers and a drink.  

Back on Kanoa for the rest of the evening it was decision making time.  The decision was which route to take to Tonga, our next longer stay destination.  Xavier and Mickey decided on a southern route which will take us to the southern Cook Islands and Niue over the next 2 to 3 weeks.  

The blue dot is the location of our overnight mooring at Bora-Bora>

We arose early the next morning to head to the town dock and go to customs control for an exit visa from French Polynesia. With any luck all paperwork will be processed and we can depart later today. While the paperwork was being completed Carol and Mickey strolled the town and purchased some sundries.  

Then we put to work to clean the water filter and build a face plate for the non-working bow thruster.  It may seem like everything is broken on a sailboat but on Kanoa there are so many systems and things that what is broken or in need of repair is less than 1/10th of 1%, which is very good!

The Sail Plan for the next few days is to sail directly from Bora-Bora to Rarotonga over the next few days.  This will be our first multi day and multi night passage.  When arriving at a destination from a lengthy passage such as this it is always preferable to arrive in the morning with plenty of daylight to find anchorage and settle in.  

After taking into consideration winds, currents and weather, numerous calculations were made to determine scenarios for projected speed and projected time to destination dependant on departure days and time. It was determined that the most advantageous time to depart Bora-Bora would be between 6 pm and 9 pm this evening.  This will require a 4 night, 3 day, 420 Nautical Mile sail, having us arrive in Rarotonga the morning of September 5th.  

Obviously we will be entirely off grid these days with the exception of our satellite communicator, so there will be no blog posts until the 5th or after.  Until then, bon voyage and everyone stay well!