See Part 1: Pacific Crossing 2022 – Panama and Galapagos Update

Marquesas

When the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 (GLYWO500) arrived in the Marquesas in April 2022, Nuku Hiva was the only port of entry open due to Covid. Since then, Hiva Oa is again a port of entry and it makes sense to first clear in there (Fatu-Hiva, Tahuata & Hiva Oa) to have the trade winds to sail later to the Northern group (Ua Pou, Ua Huka & Nuku Hiva).

Anchorage and Moorings:

It was much easier to accommodate the fleet of 24 vessels in Taioahe Bay than it would have been in Atuona. At one point there were over 80 yachts anchored in Taioahe and that did spark some disapproval from some residents. The reports posted earlier on Noonsite.com about tensions between the yachting community and local residents in Tahiti and the Societies are indeed correct. A very small minority of resident are quite vocal about not wanting so many sailors around. Unfortunately, the rest of the population who directly or indirectly benefit from sailors’ presence is not vocal enough and the majority who do not mind cruisers can be easily influenced by unfair coverage in the press.

Fortunately, the Marquesas and Tuamotus are still mostly welcoming to yachts and one should spend a maximum of time there to really enjoy French Polynesian hospitality. The rally participants certainly did! Mixing with the local population wherever you visit is, not only mostly rewarding, but also leaving a clean wake behind your passage, which benefits the whole cruising community.

We had a special presentation for GLY sailors about local culture and way of life in the Marquesas given by Cecile in French (a well-informed sailor here for eight years, from the marine chandlery) and Daniel in English (a dynamic guy who shares his fast internet) at the Kapa Services area. I also asked Father Joseph if our group could participate in the Easter Monday Mass at the Cathedral and bring some food to share after the mass. The community liked the idea and some of the mass was in French as well English so our international sailors could understand. After the mass, the sailors and the locals shared some home-made food together.

This was a very unique opportunity to immerse in local culture, discover the people and be ambassadors of the sailing community. Everyone really liked these meetings!

If you happen to be here when a cruise ship visits, don’t miss the welcome program at the Arts Center & Tourism office, where musicians and dancers will greet you. I arranged a similar event including a special Marquesan dance – “La danse des Cochons” (“The Dance of the Pigs”…not to be missed!) for our fleet with Colette, the very helpful lady from tourism. This was followed by small workshops of local arts and crafts and tasting of local foods; again, a lot of fun and engaging interaction between locals and sailors.

General Info about Nuku Hiva

Fresh market & small supermarkets: Closed on Holidays and afternoons during the weekend. Get your fresh French baguettes in the morning or before the weekend – as they run out quickly!

Restaurants: Moana Nui offers good pizzas, the bakery and 2 Eateries on the dock offer local dishes.  2 roulottes (mobile food vans) offer the only food available on Sunday evenings.

Internet: Buy a VINI SIM card from Kevin (Nuku Hiva Yacht Services) on the quay or at OPT (post office); refills for either cards can be purchased at local stores anytime.  Wi-Fi access can be purchased from Kevin; several small restaurants around the dock offer free Wi-Fi for their customers and high-speed internet can be accessed via the Cybercafé and Kapa Services located between Socredo bank and the Ship Chandler, Nuku Tai Nui Marine.

Laundry: See Kevin or Kapa services.

Bank: Socredo (green building) located along the coast towards the middle of the bay. Has the only 2 ATM machines. Stores do not accept Euros and very few accept USD.

Garbage: You can drop your unsorted trash in the containers at the entrance to the dock or put things in recycle bins a little further away (oils and dangerous materials like batteries will be shipped by boat to Tahiti, so might as well keep them onboard until you reach Tahiti). Please fill the municipal form and pay the monthly trash /water fee of 1,500 CFP at the Mairie (municipal office) located nearby, on the left when you come out of the dock. Your receipt gives you a 10% discount coupon at Nuku Tai Nui Marine (congratulations to the energetic and well-informed Cecile to offer this win-win).

Gendarmerie, Post Office & Hospital: All located together nearby when you exit the dock and turn right.

Fuel: You can obtain duty-free fuel for boats in transit (130 FCP/liter in July 2022) if someone applies in person for it at Tahiti Customs. An agent in Tahiti can do that for you and his fee is worth it if you end up buying about 300 liters during your stay in French Polynesia. We used the services of Laurent Bernaert, Polynesia Yacht Services and he did a great job as usual!

Marine Chandler: Nuku Tai Nui Marine: see Cecile, behind Socredo bank. They are dealers of Accastillage Diffusion and are associated with the small boatyard & marine chandler located in Hiva-Oa. Misc.

Boat Repairs: Fred, the Rasta, who lives on a boat in the bay was able to fix all kinds of problems.

Activities: Several of our sailors took a 15 or 30 minute helicopter scenic flight. Next to their office (behind Socredo bank) you can rent electric mountain bikes, scooters, mini-foldable electric bikes. Rose Corser Museum can be visited some mornings at 10am with advance notice if possible. Daniel, Kapa Services, welcomes musicians to jam on Saturday afternoons while you are browsing Fast Internet & enjoying home-made snacks/ fresh juice. He also offers laundry services & tattooing. I recommend a 4×4 Island Discovery Tour with a good guide to discover stunning views and learn more about the island. The competent French/English guides did show us several traditional sacred sites and other points of interest in Tapivai Valley all the way to Hatiheu where we had lunch at Chez Yvonne, a restaurant with excellent reputation as top food at reasonable prices!

Scuba Diving: See Pipapo, dive center just next to Kevin’s office. 2 tank-dive for Advanced divers only, as you dive without a guide – buddy diving. 15,000 CFP incl. any equipment you might need.

While some boats visited Ua Pou or Ua Huka, I flew to Hiva Oa to welcome the fleet there. Flying from Tahiti to the Marquesas is expensive and you should book your flights early during school vacations to avoid waiting several days before flying.

Hiva Oa

Anchorage and Moorings:

Atuona harbor is still the small place it was, and moorings would be very welcomed here, as several boats dragged either their main anchor or their stern anchor (needed to have more boats moored). The local people were quite sorry to see so few boats visiting so far this season and were very happy when finally, Hiva Oa became again an official port of entry, as it was before Covid. It is nice to have the support of the local population, even the mayor and his staff realize the beneficial impact of visiting cruisers!

Anyone planning to visit French Polynesia should join the AVP (Association des Voiliers de Polynesie) as they represent and defend the sailors with the local authorities and the public. Check their website and become a member. An added bonus to becoming a member is the great discounts offered at several ship chandlers and other marine business all across French Polynesia. Even during a short stay, you will have a very easy time saving several times the cost of your membership! A win-win!

General Info about Hiva Oa

Internet: Use your local SIM card, or use Wi-Fi offered by some local businesses.

Water: Free shower and water tap near the tourism office, near the outriggers station.

Garbage: You can drop your garbage in the grey bin near the shower/water spigot.

Laundry: Contact Sandra from Hiva Oa Yacht Services, included pickup/return dock. Tel: 87 23 22 47, Web: www.hiva-oa-yacht-services.com.

Groceries: The mini-mart at the gas station at the dock is really well stocked and offers competitive prices. There are several well-stocked stores in Atuona town, just 3.5km away.

Fresh Produce delivery: Contact Sandra from Hiva Oa Yacht Services, Tel: 87 23 22 47, www.hiva-oa-yacht-services.com

Car rentals: Contact Sandra or Simone (Tourism Office).

Bank: Socredo – located in town, has ATM machines. Stores do not readily accept Euros/ USD.

Gendarmerie, Post Office & Medical Center:  Are all located in the town center.

Fuel: Can be purchased at gas station near the anchorage. Make sure you have your duty-free papers to benefit from tax-free price.

Propane refills: See the boatyard.

Boatyard & Marine Chandler & Sail repairs: See Vincent & Maria, next to harbor entrance. They are dealers of Accastillage Diffusion! It is possible to get hauled out if needed.

Electronic repairs:  Laptop, telephone, boat electric systems, Call: 87 23 26 14

Scuba Diving: Be careful of diving in too big a group because visibility is not that great and it would be easy to get lost. https://www.marquisesdiving.com/fr/#diving

Guided tours: Jonathan Chastel – Hiva Oa Aventures – is highly recommended because he really knows history and in-depth knowledge. Speaks French/English 87 30 95 14 / Etienne Mendiola driver/guide: 87 32 52 35

Public Library: Called ‘Mediatheque’, located near bank and artisanal center. You can find books if you are interested to learn more about anything in the Marquesas (in French). Open weekdays.

Tattooing: Kaha is one of the top artists in French Polynesia, his portfolio is quite impressive with famous people flying to see him from Bora Bora, all expenses paid, to get his tattoos! Clean and comfortable setting with AC and video screen, located in the center of town – Tel: 87 23 91 81. Next to a good hairdresser.

Arts & Crafts: See Artisanal Market “Fae Artisana”near Socredo bank. Open weekdays and when cruise ships in town. Call: 87 23 53 27 for display on theweekend for groups of 10+ people. See Naiki’s wood carvings showroom, call: 87 75 74 00

Eating Out:

Hanakee Lodge Special – All-inclusive Offer includes shuttle from harbor/hotel and return. Wi-Fi access, pool access from 10am-4pm, 1 dish of the lunch menu during the week, brunch on Sunday brunch (cost 3,800cfp/pers). Generally, on Tuesdays, Marquesan buffet dinner and very good dance performance (cost 3,800cfp/pers). Call 40 927 587 to reserve the day before by preference.
Relais Moehau – Best pizzas in town & a-la-carte menu, free pickup from harbor and return if coming for a meal. Call George 87 701 634 for reservation the day before by preference.
Roulotte Houyi serves food every Fri/Sat/Sun right at wharf in harbor.
Snack “Chez Iris”: Small outdoor restaurant on village beach 10:30-14:00 week days and 17:30-20:30 Fri-Sat.

Whenever the Aranui cargo/passenger ship is visiting, sailors are welcome to participate in the local fair with arts & craft demo, food tasting and more … From 09:00-14:00 in town center.

After about 3 weeks, our cruisers left to explore some of the Tuamotus. Some of their favorite ones for diving were Fakarava and Rangiora. Some had issues finding good anchoring spots free of coral heads. The most popular Tuamotus will soon also have moorings to rent.

Tahiti

Docking:

The marinas in Tahiti, Marina de Papeete and Marina Taina, are not taking any advanced reservations during the high season (which is a difficult situation for many who wish to fly away and keep their boat in a marina). The reason is that Tahiti has very few available berthing spaces for transient yachts and during the high season, the demand is way higher than spaces offered. Some of our vessels offered to pay in advance, but that was not accepted either and for good reason, as I witnessed during our event. I don’t remember one boat which did not change the arrival and/or departure date from the marina for our technical stop. Both marinas managers do their best to accommodate boats as they arrive, but they do not hesitate in turning unpleasant sailors away!

Activities:

Being in Tahiti in June, our participants were able to attend many events like the Heiva of the Dance Schools, the Walk on Fire (a little disappointing) and even the first day of the full Heiva Opening Night with a stunning group of 150 dancers on stage!

The sound of the drums is magic and the dances of both guys and girls is quite unique in the world! I was able to invite a series of local food producers (beer, rum, chocolate, dried fruits) and artists (soap makers, pictures with colored sand, carvings, black pearls) to hold a mini-fair in front of the Meherio Tahitian Bistro in Marina de Papeete.

Eating Out:

Tahiti is a beautiful island in its own right and our participants were pleased with their stay. We also had a special evening at the O’Belvedere restaurant way up above Papeete, a place not to be missed if you like originality! Gorgeous views from way above town, nice décor and a swimming pool, as well as a pool table and other games. They do special theme nights with live bands too.

Moorea

Anchoring and Moorings:

Check permitted anchorages, cost and how long you can stay in one place as Moorea has special anchoring regulations (check on AVP website or Noonsite for details).

Activities:

Stephanie Betz held another edition of her Tahiti-Moorea RDV and 13 out of 20 participating vessels were from GLYWO500. Very well organized as always, this three day event was a lot of fun!

Day 1 in Papeete: Video and lecture about French Polynesia, dancing, cocktail and representatives from NZ to tell you about Opua and Whangarei.

Day 2: Sail with some local passengers to Moorea and a nice dinner (optional) in Oponuhu Bay.

Day 3: Presentation about Coral Reef health, then Va’a racing (2 Tahitian + 4 Cruisers) followed by a nice local lunch (optional) and then traditional Tahitian games (lifting a rock, husking coconuts, grating coconuts etc.).

The road around Moorea is in great shape so a tour by bike or a hike to the Belvedere is quite fun!

Raiatea/Tahaa

Anchorages and Moorings:

Knowing that cruisers are not that welcome in Raiatea, (but they are in Tahaa), I thought that our group of 25 boats would be best divided in three smaller flotillas to be able to find places to anchor. So, I designed a mini-event where each flotilla spent about 24 hours in one location and then sailed counterclockwise from 13:00 to 15:00, about 12nm to the next point.

Point A – was near Uturoa (Raiatea), so our participants could have a great dinner at La Raie Gate, a restaurant right on the Ferry/Cruise ship Terminal (put your dinghy in the inner local shuttle boat port). The rave reviews from participants make it a repeat stop for next editions of the GLYWO! In the morning they took a 4×4 tour with Truckee Tours to visit the Botanical Garden and the Taputapuatea historical site where the original Polynesians left to populate the rest of Polynesia a long time ago. They recently had two more traditional canoes sail from Hawaii back to Raiatea!

Point B – was on the east coast of Tahaa, in Baie de Faaha, on the moorings of the Tahaa Motu Pearl Farm (six new moorings should be in place soon). A great dinner buffet with entertainment was again appreciated by each group. The next morning, they toured Tahaa visiting a Vanilleraie (Tahaa Vanilla is #1 quality!) and a Pearl Farm (Tahaa Here Love Pearl Farm). I was surprised how good the tour guides were and how good their English was (compared to 20 years ago).

Point C – was on the west side of Tahaa, anchoring in clear water and good sand just north of The Tahaa Resort near le “Jardin de Corail” (Coral Garden), where you can drift-snorkel without fins to not damage the shallow water corals. Walk to the motu towards the reef and let yourself drift by the always-going-in current, until you reach the end of the motu (small islet opposite the resort bigger islet). You walk ashore until your departure point and drift again over the same area. Since the hotel did not accept any diners not staying at the resort (they might accept if the resort is not full), we went for our plan B to have a potluck on that motu. I had met one of the four owners of this private motu a month earlier (all motus are privately owned, so anyone should ask permission) after a long search for them on the mainland. They graciously agreed (nice Polynesian hospitality) and I asked our groups to leave the motu cleaner than when they arrived (they had garbage bags to collect any trash found on the motu, in the water and what they brought for the potluck).

The next morning, they dinghied to the Total Station small harbor where the Resort shuttles go and either went on a hike with Lorenzo, the best and only-licensed trained guide or they had a free guided visit and tasting at both the Pari Pari rum distillery (1mile away) and Manao rum facility right there in front of the dinghy harbor. At the end of this three day event, all boats came to Motu Ceran (east side Tahaa) to anchor in crystal clear water on good sand to have a big celebration party ashore, well organized by Eric Morou.

Unfortunately, we had a “Maramu” (big southerly wind) with big S-SW swell that made our departure for Bora Bora the next day unsafe (red warning and swell making some passes quite dangerous). There are worse places to laze around, so nobody was too peeved to wait two days before sailing to Bora Bora for our final visit in French Polynesia.

Bora Bora

Some of our fleet left us two days later and had glorious “champagne sailing” to quote James, the owner of s/v Akaroa (with an Australian accent). This was actually the first time I was sailing on an Outremer 55 and I was impressed at the speed and comfort, once past the big swell in the pass exiting Tahaa. We sailed between rain showers and entered Bora Bora’s unique pass. Other than the new moorage system, not much has changed in seven years in Bora Bora. The lagoon is as beautiful as ever!

Anchoring/Moorings:

No free anchoring anymore anywhere, but a choice of 100 moorings, that, I was assured, were verified by a professional diver in the last two months and, which are capable of holding vessels up to 70 feet (I guess a boat that dragged its mooring and ended up ashore was not good PR for the new system). Cost is 34 Euros/day (but monthly and yearly discounts are given). The dockmaster, Moana, was very personable, but quite overloaded with 100 moorings to visit daily to collect fees/register/ and 2x/week garbage collection, which he does all by himself while there are three office staff who did not even reply to emails.

With this rough weather just before we arrived, the 40 moorings in front of the Bora Bora Yacht Club and Bloody Marys were almost all taken, so it took some juggling for our boats to find a protected mooring. However, we did it (as always, somehow).

Marine Services:

As far as marine services, the longtime marine chandler and the motor mechanics are still near town. The Total fuel station has 3m draft at low tide and no appointment needed. Duty-free price is now also130fcp per liter (since 30fcp increase 1st July / open weekdays 6-1730 Saturday 6-noon and Sunday 6-10am.

Eating out:

We had a cocktail and dinner on arrival night at the famous Bora Bora Yacht Club, that unfortunately is no longer a cruiser hang-out but a popular restaurant on the water. The new managers are Turkish and a little unreadable.

The dock is accessible, but is definitively not a public one, so you might find yourself locked in or out when the restaurant is closed. The food was good and normal size so everyone had a good meal. Our second dinner out was at the iconic Bloody Marys where the food was a little more expensive, less copious, but very tasty too. Best to order appetizers and dessert to not come out hungry! Our third restaurant was the Bora Bora Beach Club, where some had a lunch with great views on the turquoise water and some had dinner. Great food and also copious. A few of us picked a Tarte Tatin (fruits du Jardin, mango) as dessert and did not regret the choice.

Activities:

Now, before you think we only experienced the food in BB, we also enjoyed the last festivities during the Heiva: the prize-giving ceremony preceded by six percussion bands. I was lucky to hear them rehearse that afternoon, as I stopped and had much fun watching the unrestrained, louder sound full of passion!

A tour of the island by scooter (rental from 5,000-7,000/day depending operator) or bicycle (or electric bike) is a must to see all facets of the beautiful lagoon. Now what a disappointment to hear that those scooters cannot be left on the public street (even chain-locked) at night because they get stolen (including rentals). On a small island like Bora Bora, where no secrets can remain hidden very long, it is surprising that such thieves can be overlooked by police/gendarmes … lest one day citizens might take matters into their own hands!

During the tour, when the road goes up a little, right after you pass the dump and the dog volunteer shelter area (circulating clockwise), on the north side, before the road slopes down again, on the ridge, landowners have cleared and maintained a 20 minute trail that lets you discover WWII canons and bunkers and leads you to the lagoon, where you can access one of the big manta ray shelters visited by dive tours. The small 500 FCP fee is well worth their maintenance of the area. You can even take a picnic with you and spend more time there.

Diving is another great activity to do in Bora with six dive centers to choose from (some associated with dive centers from Tuamotus and other islands).

Hiking is also a great thing to do in Bora Bora and a few in our group found info on websites.

Maupiti & Mopelia

Some of the rally boats visited there briefly and were very happy they did!

Luc Callebaut,

s/v Sloepmouche

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About the Author

Luc with his partner Jackie, have been exploring the warm waters of the world since 1992 on board their 42 -year old, 46ft Norman Cross trimaran. For the last 30 years they have lived and worked in the Caribbean, Pacific and now SE Asia.

Luc worked as a regional editor for Noonsite for many years and has assisted Jimmy Cornell with a number of his round-the-world rallies. When Jimmy asked him to act as Event Manager for the GLYWO 500, he accepted without hesitation. “I do my best to assist Victor Taburiaux, also an experienced rally event manager, during stop-overs to make the GLYWO 500 rally a success by taking care of all red tape and insuring the participants have a safe and fun event. While it is true that going around the world in just three years is fast, you can see a lot if you are well prepared and waste no time. And you can always go around slowly a second time, revisiting your favorite places and visiting the places you missed the first time.”

Find out more about Luc and Jackie go to https://cornellsailing.com/archives/past-rallies/the-team/#LucJackie

See Part 1: Pacific Crossing 2022 – Panama and Galapagos Update

To view videos about their cruising adventures, check out the YouTube channel “Tropical Sailing Life” which has over 600 original, edited, titled, cruising videos.

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About Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 (2021-2024)

This round-the-world rally has been organized by the French Grand Large Yachting group of companies, to celebrate their 20th anniversary, which also coincides with the 500th anniversary of the first round the world voyage between 1519 and 1522. It is a world rally exclusively for owners of Allures, Outremer, Garcia, RN and Gunboat yachts. The event started in the Fall of 2021 from Seville, Spain, with more than 30 vessels taking part.

Find out more at https://gly-world-odyssey.com/

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising.

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