It’s also hard to know what to make of this place. It has the feel of an old
boxer whose glory days are long gone, but keeps climbing back into the
ring and having another go.
It pays the rent and just maybe he’ll get lucky and recapture a moment
of his old glory.
We’ve been here for 6 days and we’re not in Papeete itself so our
assessment may be a bit harsh, but I don’t think so.
We’re also here very late in the cruising season so the bustle of all the boats
and their crews who’d normally be tied up at the quays in the city is missing.
In fact when we motored into the harbour area for a look around there wasn’t a
single boat there.
It would be a noisy spot at the best of times, like trying to sleep on a
major city street.
We knew we’d be making our way south of the airport to where there are 3
anchoring areas and a major marina because as usual, we have boat repairs
and need that kind of infrastructure. We used to think it was a cynical joke
when cruising boats described their lifestyle as working on their boat in ever
changing exotic locations.
But it’s true.
Sailing is tough on boats and the sea is harsh. The strains and forces are huge
and I think most designers and manufacturers of boat stuff are armchair sailors.
But maybe I should backtrack a little.
On Sunday evening we could see massive mountains rising into the clouds on
the horizon as the sun was setting. They were silhouetted against the grey and
pink of the sunset.
New landfalls are always a thrill and these islands are so dramatic.
We had to kill a bit of time so we’d arrive at dawn, and I misjudged the best
turning point to create a dog leg with the prevailing wind and overshot the
harbour entrance.
The result was a hard beat back to the harbour, dodging the fast cat ferries that
ply the waters between Tahiti and Moorea. In fact it would have been easier to
go straight to Moorea, the next island, except we needed a bigger centre.
Much of Tahiti is surrounded by a shallow reef and once inside it is vital to stick
to the narrow channel. We motored around the little harbour and saw the quays
where the visiting yachts usually tie up, and they were empty.
There was a cruise ship docked in the harbour, Essence of the Seas, or something
similar, and a couple of 150 ft shiny sailing yachts. Drool.
We sure aren’t all born with the same size piggy bank.
We picked our way through to the channel and followed the markers around to
the south west of the island. Sometimes the coral reef was just meters from the side
of the hull.
When we got to the anchorage areas they were all taken up with fixed moorings and
95% of the moorings had boats on them. Most with nobody on them and many
looking tired and neglected.
There was literally no place to anchor.
I radioed the marina and was told we were too big for the moorings. The marina itself
is well kept and had a number of super yachts berthed stern to, multimillion dollar affairs
with permanent crews and all in showroom condition.
When the marina heard we were only here for a few days they said we could anchor in a
small area just north of their marina, which we did. There is something amazing about water
that is so clear you can watch your anchor going down until it disappears into the dark.
We are in the only free anchorage area and there are probably a dozen other boats here, but there is plenty of space. In the season it is so packed when the wind shifts they all have to fend off their neighbours. Not our kind of scene at all.
The marina is well set up and full, the mega yachts stern to on the outer wall, and all shapes and sizes in the inner slips. All of the boats, even the old ones are clean and cared for. Not like out on their moorings.
I inquired what the rate would be for us, and the 50% discounted off season rate
was $265 per day!
The internet services here are a bit of a rip off too. The service is slow and sometimes difficult
to connect, and it’s costing $39 for 10 hours.
Considering it can take 15 minutes to log off, which you have to do or the time keeps ticking,
and 10 minutes to open a website is not unusual, it’s a pretty backward setup.
No doubt you can get better services if you’re here a long time and can get a contract.
Before getting here we’d been given contact information for some old friends of a friend of ours. Hein said we really should look up Erik and Daphne on Windweaver, ex Cape Town and have been cruising for over 30 years.
We found them easily and they have been a great help with lifts into town... they have a car here, and general knowledge about life around here.
The funny thing is, Erik and I look so much alike we could be brothers, twins even. Same colouring, beards, build etc.
At least 3 people have called out to me or greeted me thinking I was Erik. In fact as we were coming into the dinghy dock one fellow tying up his dinghy called out, “Daphne, you’ve died
your hair!” Sandy currently has bright red hair, and Daphne has long brown and greying hair.
He couldn’t believe his eyes, but soon realized his mistake when we introduced ourselves.
I really should take this opportunity to rob a bank!
There are very few cruisers here and no real meeting spot. The nearest restaurant/bar is
the Pink Coconut, but everything is so expensive here that the average yachtie can’t
afford it. We’ve been there a couple of times during half price Happy Hour to use their
very slow internet, and stretch one cocktail over an hour or two at about $2 a sip.
But on the upside, the anchorage is calm and secure. It’s still so warm we sleep in the
cockpit, and in the early hours it’s actually quite cool.
We wake up with the sounds of distant surf on the outer reef and roosters crowing a
mongst the 3rd world hovels along the shoreline. Wonderfully peaceful.
One tradition the locals have clung to is canoeing. We frequently see modern fibreglass
kayaks with an outrigger being paddled along. Timing would indicate many go to and
from work in them.
And then there are the big canoes with 5 or more paddlers and they’re always going as
fast as they can with someone calling the strokes, no doubt in training for competitions.
Big or small canoes, they all use single paddles and change from side to side every
few strokes.
There are supermarkets within walking distance which is handy,
and we’ve managed to get the bits to get all the urgent work on the boat done.
The last will be the shroud that was threatening to let go. The parts for it should be
here from New Zealand on Monday and we plan to be on our way again on Tuesday.
So I guess our impression of Tahiti is that it has lost much of it’s olde worlde charm
with the onslaught of westernization fuelled by massive tourism. That has dried up
in the global recession and many hotels have closed.
The locals are too advanced to go back and feel as though the rug has been
pulled out from under them.
Tourism is now the arrival of a cruise ship and the town rolls out the South Seas dog
and pony show. The herds come ashore and get their photos and overpriced black
pearl jewellery, tee shirts and gaudy ukuleles to hang on the wall, and sail off again,
happy that they’ve “done Tahiti”.
Just the way life is I guess...
From here we will head up the island chain, Moorea, half a days sailing from here
and we’ll anchor there overnight, then an overnight sail to Raiatea, and eventually
Bora Bora.
These are all beautiful mountainous islands with fringing coral reefs, and I’m sure
where Tahitians go to find out what it would be like to live on a South Pacific island!
In fact, what tourism there is goes to these islands now, leaving Tahiti with it’s
memories of the good old days.
But we’re delighted to have come here and I’ve no doubt when the
season is in full swing it will have the feel of Act 3, rather than half an hour
after the crowds have gone home.
Next time around we’ll make sure we don’t miss the show.
Until next time...