We thought that the business of Tahiti would be a bit of a shock after cruising remotely after several months. What we found was a gorgeous island populated with friendly people, with bigger stores/ports/restaurants. Tahiti Yacht Club (TYC) provided us with a comfortable slip and we were able to take warm showers and do laundry without having to worry about batteries, water makers, weather, etc. A huge grocery store nearby provided ample opportunity to reprovision. A restaurant and snack bar on shore were convenient and provided delicious meals and beverages.What a nice rest from our adventure! Sometimes I feel so grateful that it brings tears to my eyes.

Tahiti is the capital of French Polynesia and part of the Society Islands, which is an archipelago of relatively “young” islands characterized by a dormant volcano surrounded by coral reefs. The top photo above shows the typical pattern of the waves breaking offshore at the reef, with a small interior lagoon filled with navigation hazards.

TYC is in the Commune (city?) of Arue, known as the home of Tahitian sailing. The water clarity in the marina was stunning, given the proximity to such a populated area. Immediately adjacent to TYC is the fish/vegetable/fruit vendors’ cooperative. A community center with boat launch, stadium, basketball court, gymnasium, and soccer field hosted a plethora of summer camps. It was so entertaining to be at the center of community activities. Arue was preparing to participate in the a parade in Papeete (to mark close of Olympic surfing?) that demonstrated dances of the communities of Tahiti and Mo’orea.

TYC hosted a variety of junior sailing classes, which seemed to start at elementary school age. Sailors would head out in the morning with their boats trailing the instructor’s boat, stop for lunch at the snack bar, then return to their boats until mid-afternoon.

A couple times we used the TYC tables on the deck to cut out fabric for covers for the winches and generator. The youth were very observant of the measuring and marking. They were fascinated when we cut the fabric with a hot knife, which cuts by melting the fabric, but doesn’t burn the table. Smoke and magic! I gave a fabric scrap to a young boy, and he was still clasping it an hour later when we saw him on the dock. A couple of men at the marina asked to see my Sailrite sewing machine, then invited us for beverages. So many ways to make new friends.

The maintenance person at TYC battles daily against the coconut crabs, which dig holes in the ground. Everyday maintenance would fill the holes and by nightfall, the holes were open again. The weekend gave crabs an opportunity to expand their holes. Purportedly the crabs can break fingers and toes with their claws, but they’re shy and quickly hide when people come close. It may be time to rewatch CaddyShack.

Papeete – Murals, Downpour, Marina

We biked into Papeete, about three miles (5km), to visit chandleries, scuba vendors, and hardware stores. Tahiti has a population of about 200,000, and like any metropolitan area, has some issues like pollution, traffic, etc. Roundabouts abound and we appreciated that drivers flash their emergency lights as they approach crosswalks to let pedestrians know they’re seen.

For the first time in months, Herman and I spent a few hours apart. As I was bicycling through the city, I started to notice the many murals on the buildings that helped brighten the city. I went to a “mall” outside Papeete and when I was ready to leave, the downpour started. After about a 30 minutes, it let up a bit so I decided to move. Let’s just say, by the time I met Herman at the scuba gear store, I was literally dripping wet. After a brief attempt to try on a scuba wetsuit, to no avail over my wet skin, we went to a restaurant where I wrung out my clothes in the bathroom sink.

Tahiti Driving Tour

We rented a car for a couple days so that we could drive around the Tahiti island, pick up a spare scuba tank, and do some heavy provisioning.

Tahiti is literally coming apart as the connecting land between Tahiti-nui and Tahiti-iti sinks. The east shore with the blowhole and tiki sustained some storm damage and several patches of road were under repair. Visitors stepped right over the fence and blatantly ignored the safety signs at the blowhole. We found the hopping critters at the blowhole interesting.

The lighthouse at Point Venus was designed by David Louis Stevenson, father of Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson’s novel, Treasure Island, was likely influenced by his time here as a teenager working in his father’s office. The waterfalls and tikis were gorgeous and easily accessible.

Tahiti-iti provides much of the produce, beef, and hops for the islands. We were surprised at the level of cultivation and variety. The rolling hills reminded me of Scotland, except that it was 80F (26C).

Museum of Tahiti and the Islands

The renovation of the fabulous Museum of Tahiti was completed in 2023, and we enjoyed our visit tremendously. Students in French Polynesia learn French history, so the preservation of island history is up to the natives. Because the environment is so humid, many of the plant based exhibits items were collected by Captain Cook and are now on loan from the British History Museum. The missionaries encouraged the natives to destroy their God-worshipping tikis and other items, in order to fully embrace the Christian God. Imagine throwing a tiki on a fire or into the sea.

The natives had no written language so history is preserved via storytelling. We got headsets so that we could listen about the exhibits in English. One particularly moving exhibit told the story of the formation of Tahiti in Tahitian, with translation displayed on the screen. Listening to the native language was powerful.

We spent several hours in the museum and would have bought a history book if it had been in English.

Surfing!!!

Tahiti hosted the Olympic surfing completion. The road to Teapuhoo, home of the “Tube” and surfing competition, was closed to all but spectator buses. Tickets were sold out months before, so the closest we got was the Surfing Museum. In 1966, the Tahiti Surf Club was formed in Arua (near the Tahiti Yacht Club where we’re staying). When Tahiti participated in the French championship competition, they dominated, but for what ever reason, sometimes they didn’t participate.

For the Olympics, two competitors participate in a 30 minute timed heat, where their best two dives are tallied. I went into an office on the final day of competition, and got to watch Tahiti win the heat! Let’s just say Tahitian productivity probably lagged as Tahitians watched local heroes win men’s gold and women’s bronze.

Our favorites at the museum were the “Tube” and artwork.

Wrapping Up

We met Larry and Norhi on SV Norhi, who are circumnavigating with teenagers Dylan and Alexa. SV Norhi is a Balance Catamaran built in South Africa. She won the CapeToRio race in her first crossing with a top speed of over 28 knots, about twice Tieton’s best. Beautiful boat and even nicer family.

We dove three times with the local scuba shop, so our skills and confidence are refreshed. We got an extra tank so we can dive and have a spare in case we have anchor troubles.

Latitude 38 magazine published our write up of our Pacific crossing, followed by an update about Shane from Outrun.

Our next stop is Mo’orea, a mere 17 miles away, and this post has taken so long to write that we’re about to leave. We can’t wait to swim with whales!