Bora Bora; a great stop (Mai Kai marina recommended) and some brief comments about other islands west of Tahiti

Bora Bora is a wonderful stop for boats nearing the end of their time in French Polynesia, and we plus several other yachts have lingered here longer than expected enjoying the translucent water and spectacular scenery. Maikai Marina and Yacht Club is a particularly yachtie friendly place; free and fast wi-fi is available on the cyclone-rated mooring buoys as well as at the restaurant and bar. For those of us who are facing another longish passage, this is a real bonus; bad forecasts are much more bearable if you can chill out around the swimming pool or gaze at a spectacular sunset! At the moment the moorings cost CPF 5,000 for 7 nights but you do not have to take the nights consecutively; ie you can go away for a couple of nights to snorkel and then return to a buoy for another hit of yachtie chat etc. To find MaiKai, look towards Vaitape as you enter the only pass into Bora Bora; you want to go to the group of yachts you will see almost ahead of you as you come in on the leads, i.e. very close to town. The group of yachts further to the left are probably using the old Bora Bora Yacht Club moorings or anchored (20 plus metres).

The Chinese supermarket in Vaitape is OK but does not have the large range of produce you will (hopefully) have found in Fare village in the delightful island of Huahine. In Huahine, the bay of Avea in the south is a good and very peaceful anchorage; the yachtie hub in Fare is the waterfront restaurant/bar right by the anchorage (although this can present with problems of dragging). Happy Hours are always well supported by everyone. Huahine is a very pretty island and well worth a stop of several days to hitch around the island/rent bikes etc.

From Huahine it is a short hop to Raiatea;  Apooiti marina is a good spot for getting things fixed. We found an excellent free-lance chap in Raiatea who for a reasonable price did a health check on our alternator; refurbished it (new brushes and commutator smoothed) and returned it the same day. Richard will look at anything electrical and also SSB problems; he also has mechanical expertise. Contact Richard on 731 579 or ask for him around Apooiti marina.

En route through the islands between Tahiti and Bora Bora, try and snorkel in the Coral Gardens in Taha’a; almost as good for live coral as the Tuamotus and just a short hop from Raiatea or go directly from Huahine.

A final comment; lots of fun activities are planned in Bora Bora around the annual celebration (Heiva) which run from 21 June through July; everyone participates, including the yachties. The smallness of the population here in Bora Bora helps make it one of the friendliest places we have visited despite the significant number of upmarket tourist hotels. We shall be sad to leave but places to the west are calling!

Suzie and Robin, S/Y True Blue 1

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