Huahine and Cruising Lessons

We were glad that Simon and Katharine were keen to do an overnight sail on their vacation since it’s important to us to keep moving. We left Moorea in the late afternoon and were well on our way by the time the sun went down with 14 knots on the beam. If there were any conditions to have on a first timer’s night sail – these were them. The moon was bright, the sky clear, and there was hardly an ocean swell. Simon and Katharine stayed on watch for four hours while Will and I slept down below. Nice work guys!

We arrived in Huahine the next morning and were surprised to find a beautiful sandy spot to anchor just off the town of Fare in 30 ft of water. Huahine was great. It’s relatively undeveloped (no resorts) and retains its friendly and relaxed Polynesian charm. We rented scooters to circuit both Huahine Nui and Huahine Iti. We visited three marae – pre-European ceremonial grounds, took a look (but not a swim) with a river full of holy blue-eyed eels, toured a one-man vanilla operation, and enjoyed the beautiful sandy beaches and incredible scenery.

It was funny to see our lifestyle through the eyes of non-cruiser friends. Simon and Katharine were champs. Lathered with six inches of sunscreen every day, they took to the lifestyle quickly.

What were some of the lessons to be learned?

In every restaurant, coffee shop, or bar you enter, you must scour the walls for plug outlets for your electronic devices.
Carry shampoo and soap in your bag. Who knows when you might come across an accessible fresh-water shower or a garden hose on someone’s front lawn…
Stock up on good food when you see it. The store at Fare was amazing – much bigger than expected and full of goodies that we couldn’t even find in Papeete. Katharine recognized this immediately and urged us to go back and stock up some more!
Don’t bother changing your clothes every day, or even every few days. Better to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and sweaty.
Warm milk does the trick. We’ve been living without refrigeration for two months now. This means no fresh meat, cheese to be eaten the day-of purchase, and cold beers on the boat on rare occasions. Buying ice from time to time keeps things cool, but a fridge is a ‘nice to have’, not a ‘must have’. Long-life milk can taste pretty good.

On the last day of the visit, we were impressed that Simon & Katharine had no qualms showering in the middle of the town. Literally. There is a rinse off shower on the main street, right across from the store and small cafes. No privacy whatsoever, but even Simon’s ‘5 minute lathering technique’ wasn’t enough to embarrass the two of them.

Thanks for visiting guys! “A million Mauruurus” back to you.