Sailing round Tahaa lagoon

Monday 5th June 2017 To reach Bora Bora we had to go round the island of Taha'a, and luckily we were able to do so inside the lagoon under sail. It was a rare treat in these rather windless days to hoist all sail and heel to the wind and hear the water chuckling under the forefoot. If one imagines a clock, we had entered the lagoon from the outer sea at about 5 o'clock, and had the choice of sailing clockwise or anti-clockwise to reach 7 o'clock. Everyone was keen to go round the long way, and we had just enough time to do so.

On our left the thin strip of inhabited land slid by, with the coast road linking communities. Behind it rose the mountains up to 550 meters, cloaked in various textures of green. The acacia trees give a wonderful layered mantle to the slopes, with elegant white trunks showing bright against dark foliage and dividing into a fan of pale branches under each canopy. Then there are feathery trees that climb the hills giving patches of grey-green vertical texture. Amongst these there are patches of vivid green from a broad leaf tree, that make a vibrant scalloped surface. Along the coast, and occasionally in clusters that venture up the scalloped valleys, rise the palm trees, shiny in the bright sunlight, with yellowish green leaves and highlights of orange at the focus of the fronds where the nuts cluster.

Well marked channel

Our course was well marked by red and green beacons warning of dangerous coral heads, but for much of the time we sailed in inky blue water 100 feet deep. Looking out to the reef where the swell rears up and then curls over in a long tube of collapsing surf, it amazed me that all that energy is dissipated by the coral fringe, and no hint of swell disturbs the lagoon, despite the furious deep roar of the ocean hurling itself into foam. While we sailed Mark zoomed around in the dinghy taking photos.

Bora Bora from Tahaa lagoon

Having navigated safely round to the next pass we dropped anchor for lunch in 3 meters of pale blue water over white coral sand. Across the reef beyond some palm-clad motus, or reef islands, the astonishing shape of Bora Bora rose in a jagged peak to 750 meters, seeming close and huge despite being over twenty miles away.

Julien at the helm through Tahaa lagoon

Knowing that we need to be in harbour whilst still light, we hurried out to sea, and with a fair wind of 16 knots raised the spinnaker and were soon making 6.5 knots in the right direction, rapidly overhauling a large catamaran ahead. We hadn't put the spinnaker up for ages, so Mark took to the dinghy again to get some rare shots of us with the ParaSailor up as we approached Bora Bora.

I felt relaxed enough to enjoy sketching the approaching island, which was a dramatic study in greys and indigo shadows under orange-grey clouds and curtains of rain, with intense evening sunshine breaking through the gloom to light a path on the water.

Approaching Bora Bora 

Just before sunset we motored through the wide pass into the lagoon and picks up a mooring at the Bora Bora Yacht Club. It was my turn to cook, and I rooted through cupboards and lockers seeking inspiration until I ended up making a lightly spiced couscous topped with butter-roasted asparagus and followed by a lemon sponge cake served with fromage blanc and apple purée. The unused tins of spinach, sweet corn and a fig compote that I had extracted remained on the side to puzzle the rest of the crew.