The 80 mile passage to Huahine was almost directly downwind. We first tried sailing with the mainsail, but it banged and crashed so much in the usual multiple cross swells that we took it down and ran with the jib poled out. There was still some whipping and snapping of the sail, but much less than with the main. We rounded the north end of Huahine about 9am and headed for the northeast pass, next to the main town of Fare.

As we approached the pass, we could see huge rollers breaking on either side. Surfers were catching the edge of the break and getting a very long ride. The center of the pass was narrow but clear, so we motored in against a strong outflowing current, then anchored on a sandy patch just inside the pass. Here, the water always flows out, and it is quite something to be anchored in a strong current, up to four knots at times. As we were anchored quite close to the inside edge of the reef at the pass, Tane stayed on board as Sally and I went ashore to check in and to get some supplies, including dinghy fuel. I first walked to the far end of Fare to the gendarmerie to check in. I was told they didn't handle it, and to go to the port captain. After wandering to the other end of town again, I found a fellow who pointed out the tiny port captains office to me. I presented him with the papers...he took a glance, nodded, and saaid, "OK". That was it? Yes, that was it----I guess our advice that we need to check in is somewhat outdated.

After all of this chasing about town, it was after 11:30am, which is when the Total and Mobil stations close for two hours, so we returned to the boat for lunch, then back to the Mobil station for gasoline, and back to the boat. We'd heard that the anchorage at the south end of the island was one of the best in the Society Islands, so at 2pm, we raised anchor and started motoring south through the channel marked inside the reef. Tahiti has high mountains and the fringing reef is quite close. Moorea is not as high, and the outer edge of the reef is further from the shore. At Huahine, the moutains are lower and more rounded, and the reef is considerably further from the shore. We're seeing the evolution of the Tuamoto atolls. The Society Islands are moving westward from the hot spot in the crust that forms them, so the further west we go, the older the islands, the further they have sunk, and the so the further the fringing reef is from the shore.

We motored south inside the reef with the green clad mountains rising to our left, and huge surf towering up and crashing on the reef to our right. It is strange to see such large surf crashing in the distance with flat calm water between it and ourselves, with no sign of the reef above the water. Tane took the dinghy over to the very inside edge of the reef to photograph the surf. The lagoon becomes quite shallow a long way before the reef, so Kena had to stay in the channel. We passed settlements, white sand beaches, coves and harbors cutting deep into the interior, and the now-familiar hotels on stilts as we made our way through the ever narrowing channel to Baie d'Avea at the south end. Sal, in particular, kept marvelling aloud at the scene---she was quite taken by it and must have said "Wow!" a hundred times. By 4pm, we had the anchor down and were in the company of one other boat, a charter catamaran. Later in the evening, we were joined by Maya III, an Australian monohull that participated in the Rendevous event.

In the morning we took the dinghy around to the southern pass. The guide books state that this pass is very dangerous, and it was easy to see why. The surf on the reef was the largest we've seen, and in the open water of the pass, it was only slightly less spectacular---there was no way to bring a boat through this pass without being pitchpoled. We went snorkeling through the pass, but there was little to see as all of the surf made the visibility less than ideal.

Back at the boat, Tane and I raised the anchor and started motoring back through the channel towards Fare as Sal prepared lunch. The return trip was just as interesting. On the way, we saw a mini cruise ship and the Arctic, the converted icebreaker that we've since learned belongs to the Packer family of Australia. Artic was with us in Tahiti, showed up in the same anchorage in Moorea the day we left, and is now here with us in Huahine.

Back at Fare by 1:30pm, we rented a small Fiat beezlebub or gnat or some such, and set off on a tour of the two islands, Huahine Nui and Huahine Iti. The first stop was at Maeve at what is considered the best example of an ancient Marae in French Polynesia. It's on the shores of a lake at the northern end of Huahine Nui. The road follows the coast of both islands, and crosses a bridge at the closest point between them. The roads are paved and in perfect shape, and the roadsides are tended and maintained beautifully. The views through the palm trees of blue lagoons, fringing coconut palm covered islands, the mountains and the sea are more picture postcard stuff. As we drove along, large crabs scuttled across the road, pincers up in defense against the approaching vehicles. Alas, we couldn't avoid hitting at least one of them---this is the first time we've seen crabs as road kill. I wonder if the restaurants serve crushed road crab?

At the south east end of Huahine iti, we stopped at a viewpoint that overlooked a huge stretch of the lagoon. There below us, racing in the lagoon, was a huge fleet of Hobie cats---it turns out that there is a youth racing festival that is going on for a month or so.

We stopped for a beer at a restaurant built out over the sea at Baie d'Avea, where we'd anchored the previous night. It was great to get the view from the other side.

After returning the car to the rental agency, we returned to the boat and by 6pm, we had set off for Bora Bora on a course that passes north of Raiatea-Tahaa. The weather files show a strong blow starting tomorrow and lasting for at least 5 days, so we decided to head for a spot where there seems to be several options for activities. It's our plan to spend a week or more at Bora Bora, then check out Tahaa and Raiatea where we'll provision for the passage of over 500 miles to Rarotonga. The passage to Bora Bora from Huahine is only 45 miles, so we've reduced sail and are still going nearly 4 knots under a postage stamp poled out jib.

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