The Society Islands Sailing Itinerary
Overview
“There’s more beyond the reef.” I must admit, Moana may have inspired this trip, but it’s certainly one that’s on every bareboat charterer’s bucket list. Probably a location on many peoples’ bucket list.
Tahiti is a location that lends itself to chartering your own vessel, with multiple islands and various stops that would be very hard to plan from abroad. We also made several adjustments to our itinerary as we progressed through this magical place and met people who gave unique, local recommendations.
While we sailed when we could between islands, much of the technical aspects of this trip were navigating the inner reef areas and making sure we weren’t running aground or hitting coral. Even though tedious at times, it was completely worth it!
Itinerary Stops
An overview of our Tahiti itinerary
Charter Company - Dream Yacht Charter
The Dream Yacht Charter base is in Uturoa, which is a commercial base on Raiatea. The base has minimal facilities, but a strong recommendation is to take a break and head to Patisserie Bon Apetahi. Absolutely phenomenal French baked goods that you will wish you had along the entire voyage!
A couple of tips:
1) The marina is well protected, but that also means “hot!”. I recommend an early check out as you will see. There are moorings right off the exit and a far better place to spend your time after check out than the marina.
2) This marina has a system where a Dream Yacht captain steers the boat out of the marina, has another boat follow, and then the Dream Yacht captain hands it over to you. Seemed like a relatively easy marina exit, but it’s their protocol. Just know that this takes extra time to get out as you have to wait for a couple of guys to be ready.
Vessel Selection - Bali 5.4
At slightly over 55ft, the Bali 5.4 is the largest boat I personally have captained and the largest we have ever used in any of our sailing trips. There’s a few standout characteristics of the Bali:
A) Full Size Refrigerators: these are always welcome and seem to just keep things cooler than the drawer versions.
B) Center Helm: I like the positioning here as I could see fairly well when docking.
C) Garage Door: a very typical feature of a Bali is the garage door that opens that saloon to the aft lounge area. It makes for one giant room if you like open plan arrangements!
For the Dream Yacht charter version, this was a great boat with most things functioning fine, except for the watermaker (which frankly I’ve seen very few charter boats actually have this working). We did get the watermaker to eventually work, but it required careful monitoring and manual pressure adjustment.
Day 1 (Saturday): Uturoa to Mooring at Motu Aito
Uturoa to Mooring at Motu Aito: negligible distance (less than 15 minutes after you exit)
Strategy & Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
We had early check out, but everything was delayed and we probably didn’t leave the marina until about 3pm. We weren’t going to make it to Huahine with that timing, so we opted to stay out of the marina and head to a mooring near Motu Aito.
There were multiple benefits of doing this: 1) it’s just far more beautiful to be out of the marina 2) the marina was hot with little wind flow and 3) Dream Yacht requires their captains to take the boats out of the marina, so by already being outside we could get a very early start on the next day!
Day 2 (Sunday): Uturoa to Huahine, Bouyarne Bay
Uturoa to Huahine, Bouyarne Bay: 27.0nm
The route is long at 27nm with slowdown as you navigate the reefs. You will want to start early so you can enter Huahine with overhead light. This was my first reef entry sailing in French Polynesia and I had done a lot of research on what magnetic heading to enter. It was actually far simpler than anticipated, but from what I understand it’s most likely due to these being very popular entries and exits. I believe some of the smaller islands have some hairy reef entries.
Strategy
The trip across was relatively uneventful with decent winds. We didn’t feel like pushing it all the way to Avea Bay and had heard so many good things about Avea that we wanted dedicated time there (hint, this was the right call if you see the photo of Motu Vaiorea).
A view of Motu Vaiorea at early sunrise
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
Rather than try to do the full trip from Raiatea to Avea Bay, we opted to anchor outside of Bourayne Bay. This turned out to be a fantastic choice as we had time in the evening to snorkel, swim near Motu Vaiorea, etc.
The anchorage is very easy with great sand holding and no issues at all with slippage. We maybe had one neighboring boat the entire evening there and as the photo here shows, sunrise was gorgeous.
Bourayne Bay has some great snorkeling that can be done with a peaceful anchorage on the otherside of Motu Vaiorea
Day 3 (Monday): Bouyarne Bay to Avea Bay
Bouyarne Bay to Avea Bay: 3.2nm
It’s a very short trip from Bouyarne Bay to Avea Bay, so we opted to have a casual breakfast, a wonderful swim, and then motor slowly to avoid any unmarked obstructions.
Just watch out for any reeds or markers in the water as they may not show on Navionics.
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
Avea Bay is spectacular with a perfect mix of crystal-clear water, relatively few boats, and good onshore restaurants.
At first we tried anchoring near the shallows, which has perfect sand, but after inspecting the anchor it looked like if the wind changed we could get pulled down a slope and drift through deeper water. We found a mooring as indicated in the picture. Note that these moorings rest very low on the surface and can be hard to spot.
For food options we went to the Le Mahana Hotel and had a beach lunch with cocktails. Phenomenal.
Later in the evening we explored by dinghy further out and found the Vairai Sunset Grill, which ended up being our choice for dinner. Be careful here with the dinghy prop as it gets very shallow and there can be coral heads to navigate.
Day 4 (Tuesday): Avea Bay to Anapa Pearl Farms
Avea Bay to Anapa Pearl Farms: 36.0nm
Strategy
The eventual goal, Anapa Pearl Farms
The trip to Anapa was long at nearly 36nm. We ended up departing early in the morning and arriving in the late afternoon. We were concerned that the mooring we reserved ahead of time would have been taken by then, but it turns out it was quiet at Anapa and we were the only boat moored there.
Anapa Mooring Reservations Required Tel/Whats App +689 87 707 607
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
Be very careful when heading to shore from the Anapa Pearl Farm buoys. Lots of coral heads.
After we moored, we knew this side of Raiatea as we had stayed at an Airbnb not far away and knew we loved Fish & Blue restaurant. We organized taxis to pick us up from shore to take us there for dinner.
Be very careful of the coral heads in a dinghy, particularly at night! It’s worth taking a trip in the day to see them, locate the channel markers and save a route line on Navionics. If it’s pitch black out after dinner you can use the route line to navigate back to your boat easily as it is NOT a direct ride to the mooring balls.
We spent the next morning at Anapa Pearl Farms and had a great time. We snorkeled the Pearl Farm, which was incredible to see how pearls are literally “made”. Note that the current can get strong and you really do need to use fins. We also spent time shopping at the store, which has many gorgeous things.
Our afternoon plan was to head to Fa’a’aha Bay for a Polynesian dinner and dance!
Day 5 (Wednesday): Anapa Pearl Farms to Fa’a’aha Bay
Anapa Pearl Farms to Fa’a’aha Bay: 12.0nm
The trip to Fa’a’aha is fairly short and simple. Be careful of a few things on the way:
1) As you pass between the two islands as there are boats going in several directions. Just keep an eye out as some of the speed boats go very quickly.
2) You can see on the chart to the right that there are some shallow areas. Pick a route and navigate around them. The red and green channel markers are pretty obvious.
3) As you approach Fa’a’aha there are several inlets that at first look like you should make a turn into, particularly the large one right before. Just watch your GPS to make sure you are upon the correct one.
4) It’s fairly clear, but be careful of the shallows to the right of the island on your way up.
Strategy
During our trip we had heard about a Polynesian dinner and dancing restaurant that was in Fa’a’aha Bay. We figured we could stop there, spend the night and the next morning take the north side of Tahaa to get to the Vanilla Farm tour we booked. Note that it’s likely faster the next day to go South, but we simply wanted to see the North part of the island.
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
We found a mooring that the restaurant maintained and went to shore for the dinner. The group’s review of what unfolded was mixed. Dinner was barbaric as it was served buffet style with far too many people in line. People were unruly and sloppy making it worse. Several instances of people cutting the line or taking huge amounts of food that left little for the people further back. Once you were able to actually have a bite, the food itself was so, so.
The show was good, except for a far too long comedy act in the beginning that really needed be cut off. Honestly not sure if it was worth the stop, although the inlet itself was beautiful and it was a very convenient dinner destination.
Day 6 (Thursday): Fa’a’aha Bay Vanilla Tours Moorings
Fa’a’aha Bay to Vanilla Tours Moorings: 14.0nm
I’m sure some Reddit user will blast me for suggesting to go counterclockwise, but we wanted to see what this part of the island looked like and it was worth it for a breakfast motor around.
Our goat was Vanilla Tours, which you need to make reservations early: https://www.vanillatours.pf/contact.html
Tours are 4 hours, but so worth it as Noe knows everything, is kind, patient, and is a true island host. He takes you on a walk starting with his farm and the background of how he and his family came to be there (it’s a good story). You then hike through the vanilla plants and can see them at varying stages of growth. Later you drive across to the other side of the island to visit a rum distillery and have lunch.
Noe also provides an amazing fruit snack with fresh fruit diced beautifully at the rear of his jeep. I cannot say enough good things about how he runs his business and the experience you have.
WhatsApp (+689) 87 35 86 39
Strategy
The strategy was pretty simple here as Noe takes care of your entire day. We basically let him explain everything and guide us around.
He has many very cool “tricks” to show you in the forest. The video here shows one of these where the coating on one of the leaves is highly water resistant and seems like Teflon. It was mesmerizing to watch.
A couple of tips for this experience:
1) Make sure you have some decent shoes for hiking around trails. The terrain can be slippery and muddy, so if you have flip flops on you may slide all over the place.
2) We had a relatively large group (13 of us), so we had to rent a small car to follow him around. Most of the vehicles are manual transmission, so someone in your group should be able to operate it.
A Vanilla Plant
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
There’s a few mooring balls at the end of the inlet. When you enter the inlet I highly recommend calling Noe as there is some advice on getting to the mooring ball when you are near the end. There are shallows to be aware of which he can guide you around.
The other thing to be aware of is that it’s a very quiet and peaceful area to moor. Noe is trying to run a business without offending his neighbors, so at night you should be prepared to have a quiet evening.
Our boat moored near Vanilla Tours
Day 7 (Friday): Vanilla Tours Moorings to Bora Bora with a stop at Coral Gardens
Vanilla Tours Moorings to Bora Bora: 21.0nm
We started out Friday sadly leaving the wonderful cove of Vanilla Tours and made our way over to Bora Bora. One of the stated highlights of the area was Coral Gardens, which we stopped at, but was told that most of it was closed off. We managed to do a little snorkeling to get a dip in the water before the long sail over to Bora Bora.
It was a cloudy morning for most of the sail, but the peaks of Bora Bora shone through as the sun began to break when we made our entry.
We debated where we wanted to moor as we considered the area to the starboard side when you enter the reef. However, we had heard positive things about the other side and decided to make the trek all the way around the island to White Sands beach, where there is a large mooring field.
Make sure to call ahead to check on space, which we had plenty arriving around 2pm, but basically you anchor in front if there isn’t any room. Bora Bora Mooring Services (BMS) can be reached by phone or WhatsApp at +689 89 44 08 88
Strategy
Bora Bora’s famous outline
When we first started planning Bora Bora we had a few things in mind that we wanted to do: 1) Bora Bora Yacht Club 2) Bloody Mary’s 3) Lagoonarium 4) Manta Ray Diving and 5) Good Restaurants at the Hotels. What we learned earlier in the trip was that Bloody' Mary’s and the Lagoonarium were closed. So we pivoted our trip to base ourselves out of the White Sands Beach area, which was excellent. We arrived pretty late in the day.
Where We Docked / Moored / Anchored
As mentioned above we called ahead to get a mooring at White Sands Beach, which were solid and provided comfort given the strong winds pushing against us. The mooring field gets busy, but it’s spaced well so you don’t feel like you are on top of each other like in Croatia!
Mooring at White Sands Bora Bora
Day 8 (Saturday) / Day 9 (Sunday): Exploring Bora Bora
No Sailing! Dinghy Distance: ~1.0nm
We decided on using White Sands as a base and took our dinghy out to get to the mainland. We also hired a taxi service to take us to dinner one of the nights, so there’s plenty of options to get around Bora Bora. Just be prepared that it can get costly!
Possibly the best highlight of Bora Bora was scuba diving with manta rays (video in this section). After taking a dive boat back to the section that has you zig zagging when you first entered, you descend about 40 to 50ft. Being careful of the coral, you rest on the bottom and just wait. We felt lucky, but perhaps it was standard, that after a few minutes a massive manta ray came right by. As I was staring at it in awe I looked over to my right and two more came through the other direction. As long as you stay still they will come right near you. Absolutely should not be missed and potentially the best dive I’ve ever done.
The other highlight we had on Bora Bora included taking an ATV tour high up in the mountains (pack some warmer clothes)!
ATV ride up Bora Bora’s mountains
Day 10 (Monday): White Sands to Bora Bora Yacht Club and Boat Return to Vaitape
White Sands to Vaitape: ~4.0nm
For our final day we wanted to stop at Bora Bora Yacht Club. We left in the late morning after a swim and made it there for lunch. It was fun to draw in the history of the place, but it was pretty quiet and we enjoyed our food, one last pina colada, and then headed out to return our boat.
We had booked a one-way charter (definitely the way to go) and our drop off was to be Vaitape. Prior to drop off keep in mind you need to refuel and there is a very convenient fuel stop right near Vaitape (long, long wait though). We then dropped off at the main dock at Vaitape, which wass really convenient as our flights back to Papeete were from Bora Bora and you take a shuttle boat straight from the same dock at Vaitape to the airport.
