Our new mooring off the Bora Bora Yacht club gives us a new view on the island both of the mountains that tower over us and the communities who live here. Monday means school work, new arrivals on planes, cruise ships and charter boats. We rarely see the planes but a low-slung fast-moving ferry boat passes behind us early in the morning taking the workers to open the airport then 1.5 hours before each flight. New arrivals are labeled with the while flower necklaces as they pose for selfies in front of the blue green lagoon. Although some arrivals are family members returning from medical procedures off island, including tiny newborns. The charter boats are a steady flow through the pass through the reef. Some with hired captains and some under the command of the visitors.

Biking through town today, I stopped to watch a 50-foot catamaran, the Rada Rose, skippered by a woman captain named Audrey docking in a very tight space. I know my friend Robin can dock her big catamaran and I wish I could watch her. Audrey had her 6 Canadian clients watching and “helping. Standing at the helm high above the dock she gracefully maneuvered the big boat into a slot only slightly larger than the Rada Rose. As she docked, her clients were offering advice then leaping to tie up the lines. She needed to redo the lines. When the boat was secure the clients cheered admiting they would never have been able to dock this large boat. Audrey took all this in stride proceed to tell them what tour bus they were to get on next while she stayed with the boat.

After swimming and errands, we kayaked back to the boat from the yacht club, we had to stop to let a fleet of va’as, outrigger canoes, pass lead by two small performance racing singles paddled by proud teenage women. As they passed the dock, they called to young woman standing under the club sign, clearly trying to talk her into joining them. The Mabel Rose became a turning for the training and we got to see many va’as in the evening light. As the sun set, looing westward, we talked with friends about Tasmania. Ferries, rivers clubs and piers all are new but to be learned.