Here we are, Tahiti! Incredible. I know our passage was small, but we are here! A place we have talked about... that everyone we meet talks about... "when we get to Tahiti..." "And after Tahiti..." "We can fix that in Tahiti"...

This is a convergence spot and a stop over and a meeting place. This is the destination that define's a cruiser's trip across the Pacific. Possibly because it has been a known name... in the same way that New York, Paris, and Singapore are known names....

And there is the mystique. The romance. Beautiful people, beautiful flowers, beautiful water and sun.

Oh, and then there are the waves. We didn't know it, but the SW coast of Tahiti is known for its waves... Today, as a matter of fact is a surf contest, we think sponsored by Billabong. As we sailed up the coast, there were a bunch of boats and at least one helicopter bunched around the first pass that we were interested in entering... and yet, we had already made the decision to go into another pass... one that was used by aircraft carriers! The waves were huge. Think of the biggest wave you have seen on TV... then think bigger.

The noise of the waves crashing on the reef could be heard while we were 2.5 miles away with the motor running. As they reared up they turned from deep sea blue to aquamarine, before crashing and throwing water and spray 40' into the air. The passes all looked very small and narrow! How about the one the French Navy uses! Yup...