06/23/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
This afternoon the crew and I moved the boat 8 miles to the south end of Huahine Island to Avea Bay. This is a very quiet anchorage which offers protection from the prevailing trade winds. The barrier reef is about 2 miles offshore and there is a great deal of shallow water inside of the reef which is said to offer very good snorkeling. This island continues to amaze us with its natural beauty, dense vegetation, friendly inhabitants, and scarcity of tourists.
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06/22/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Huahine is known among sailors as the nicest of the Society Islands there being only a few hotels and not many tourists. The market is very well stocked and the local Hinano beer was on sale for only $54 per case, marked down from $70. The island is very fertile and locally grown produce is available including excellent melons. The people are friendly and helpful.
Last evening we enjoyed an excellent dinner of Mahi Mahi at an oceanfront restaurant and watched as some local children performed native dances. Bob and Dana are staying ashore for a couple more days while I am working on boat projects and trying to get wifi internet access onboard.
The wind has been mostly calm with occasional gusts to 30 knots, especially at night. It is all due to the heating and cooling of the mountains and valleys of the island. A couple of boats were dragging their anchors last night so they moved this morning to find a better holding. Sand Dollar seems to be securely hooked to the bottom so I am sleeping well.
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06/21/2007, Huahine, French Polynesia
Sand Dollar arrived at the island of Huahine at 7:20 AM this morning after a pleasant overnight sail from Moorea. The wind was 12-16 knots on the starboard quarter the entire passage and the crew did very well. We dropped the hook and went ashore to explore the small town of Fare which has a great market. The crew jumped ship and took lodging at a small hotel on the water at the south end of the island. They will be back onboard in two days. All else is well.
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06/20/2007, En Route from Moorea to Huahine, French Polynesia
This morning Bob, Dana and I joined the crew of another boat and traveled by dinghy to an area in the lagoon where local dive boats feed sting rays and black tip reef sharks for the tourists. We stood in the water while dozens of large, harmless rays swam around us and into us looking for food. At the same time there were about a dozen sharks also looking for a handout. It was quite amazing and we never felt threatened.
Sand Dollar weighed anchor at 2:20 PM for the 90 mile overnight passage from Moorea to Huahine, an island not frequented by tourists but very popular among cruisers. We have had 10-12 knots of wind on the starboard quarter making for a fairly comfortable trip. We expect to make landfall by 8 AM. All else is well onboard.
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06/19/2007, Opunohu Bay, Moorea, French Polynesia
Today was another day of snorkeling and land exploration. There are 10 boats in the anchorage, all of which gathered for an impromptu beach party at sunset. Old friends and new got together to discuss the day's activities and future cruising plans. All else is well onboard Sand Dollar.
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06/18/2007, Opunohu Bay, Moorea, French Polynesia
The crew of Sand Dollar, minus the captain who had to attend to maintenance duties, rented bicycles and toured the Opunohu Valley. They discovered a French bakery, some charming restaurants and a grocery store. Moorea is a far cry from the isolated Tuamotus. It is very touristy but somewhat upscale. There are large hotel resorts and small bungalows over the water but no cruise ships, thank God.
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