You know that we’re careful and check our weather multiple days before embarking on any passage. Conni collated reports from three of our best sources to announce that conditions were right for venturing outside Huahine’s lagoon.

We had a leisurely morning, preparing the boat for our overnight crossing, stopped at the Mahana Resort for information on acquiring their water, and have a lovely multi-hour brunch aboard Storm Bay with Chris and Margarite.

We dinghies back to the boat and started a several hour preparation for the overnight passage. That led to an easier-than-expected anchor lifting, thankfully, As much sawing around as we did for those days, we were surprised that the chain wasn’t in tangles or wrapped around something.

We motored back north, through the same shallows with Conni at the electronics and me at the helm with eyes on the world. We had no mishaps, but as we passed by Bourayne Bay, the lovely on-the-reef boat was still there. We learned today that her name is Exocet and Dominic, the brains and experience at Raiatea Carenage (this is his 125th boat-on-a-reef) couldn’t save her so they’ll have to sink her. What terrible news. As we passed by, we could actually see little ant-shapes of guys working on the boat. They had cables stretched off her bow that seemed to be holding the boat bow-to-seas to lessen damage. A little “nose” of reef protrudes outward there. She was motoring and just smacked the protrusion of the reef. No official word on things.

With that sobering thought, we motored on North and through the pass and into the Pacific Ocean. In minutes, we had our double-reefed main and double-reefed jib flying and we were heading for Moorea.

Conni’s weather had all confirmed that the winds would moderate and turn to allow us to make a good run to Moorea. The seas were also supposed to moderate.

Neither happened. The seas were in the 8-10 feet and very confused, and winds in the 25-30 knot range. The boat was ready for it, we were ready for it, but it simply wasn’t the relaxed passage that we had expected. Damn!

With such high wind, we AVERAGED 6.4 knots for the 8 hours! We hit a few 8+ knot runs, and stayed in the 7s for long periods. It’s our highest speed run on Wings. We were never in danger, the boat was never overpowered with both sails so deeply reefed, but it was a very wet, very uncomfortable ride.

I slept from midnight until 4, below, and we began a vigil for daylight to enter the lagoon at Moorea’s Opunohu Bay. By 0630, we had enough light to slowly motor into the bay, find the nearest anchoring location, drop the hook, and catch some sleep.

Opunohu Bay is beautiful, but at the moment it’s very rainy, so we’re ensconced below, listening to the drone of the Honda re-charging our batteries. Usually when we sail, we drag this little propeller connected to a generator, but the generator’s bearings failed over the layover so we simply use energy without replacing it. I’ve got to cart the generator back home and get the bearings replaced, or whatever is wrong. And it’s always something…

So, we’re safe and sound here in Opunohu Bay. We’ll be on Moorea, either here or Cook Bay, for the next few days, then go to Papeete, on Tahiti. We’ve arranged to stay a few days at the downtown marina, enjoying the Tahitian city and with all of the amenities at a price. Then, it’ll be back to Bora Bora, then Raiatea and home. Man, it’s been quick!

By the way, this is the Facebook page for the Raiatea Carenage with its amazing photos of boat rescues and losses.

https://www.facebook.com/Chantier-Naval-Raiatea-Carénage-Services-125191620853468/