The Big Marsters Family and Other Extraordinary Encounters in Palmerston
Palmerston Early in the morning we exit the narrow pass of our last French Polynesian atoll Maupihaa (or Mopelia, as the French renamed it). It is one of the places I leave with a heavy hearth. I wish we could stay longer, a lot longer- at least a month more. To make copra together with Hina, to […]
Maupihaa. A Few People on A Tiny Island
Maupihaa We sail overnight with Bowie and Debora and all of their stuff from Maupiti to Maupihaa and drift not far from the atoll for the final dark hours of the night before entering through the narrow, shallow, full with coral heads pass, notorious for its dangerous strong tidal current. Thanks to Ovitalmap and Bowie’s local […]
Hitchhikers with Generator in Maupiti
. 30 nautical miles West of Bora Bora lies the tiny picturesque island of Maupiti (11km2), the smallest of the Society Islands, secluded and authentic. . Its atoll has only one narrow pass to the south linking it to the rest of the world. A pass so notoriously dangerous and only accessible in specific ocean […]
Ana and Kalin’s Sailing Vacation in French Polynesia Aboard Fata Morgana
After spending a month in Tahiti, we are off once again to the smaller islands of the Society Islands Archipelago. Most of these islands combine the dramatic volcanoes of the Marquesas covered with lush tropical forests with rivers and waterfalls, and the blue lagoons of Tuamotus, creating perfection. Green mountains meet calm coral lagoons in the Society Islands- the […]
Heiva in Tahiti
We leave our last atoll in the Tuamotus around 18h00, exiting Fakarava’s north pass at slack tide. The wind is light from behind at 10-15 kts, almost 180 degrees, and we fly the spinnaker the entire time, day and night, for two nights and two days. We approach Tahiti on the third evening – a massive mountain […]
The Wall of Sharks and Coconut Crabs in Tuamotus
Maya scuba diving with sharks We exit the Makemo atoll through the north pass at slack tide and sail to Tahanea overnight together with our friends S/V Mercredi Soir and S/V Invictus. Tahanea and Fakarava atolls Arriving in the dark, we heave-to for a few hours in front of the pass waiting for daylight and for slack […]
Kids and Coconuts in Makemo
. The Tuamotus are wonderful. Spectacular remote lagoons and tiny coconut motus (islets), warm clear waters, healthy corals and tropical fish, relaxing atmosphere and friendly locals. Sailing from lagoon to lagoon, from island to island, snorkeling and scuba-diving, making huge bonfires on the beach in the company of dear friends became our most favorite times […]
Sailing to Raroia- The Kon-Tiki Atoll
. French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity (or territory) of France, composed of 118 islands and atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, of which 67 are inhabited. These islands and atolls are divided into five island groups: the Marquesas Islands, the Tuamotu Archipelago, the Society Islands archipelago, the Gambier Islands, and the Austral Islands. The […]
Happy People in Nuku Hiva
. After Tahuata Island, we sail to Nuku Hiva- the biggest Marquisan island (330 sq km) and the second largest in all of French Polynesia after Tahiti. Like all the other islands of the Marquesas hotspot, Nuku Hiva is a young volcano, between 4 million and 400 thousand-years-old, without a barrier coral reef formed around it […]
The Blue Hanamoenoa Bay in Tahuata
. Across from Hiva Oa, only 2.5 NM away, is Tahuata- the smallest of the inhabited islands in the Marquesas. We sail to Hanamoenoa Bay- a pretty little bay just for cruisers with a nice glittering beach once visited by Captain Cook. The bay is shallow with white sand and warm, completely transparent turquoise water, […]
