August 6, 2013
sunrise as we approached Raiatea
After a brief overnight sail from Moorea, it was early morning as we neared the the Teavapiti Pass at Raiatea. We were still about 2 miles offshore when Wil decided to check if we had an internet signal. I don’t know what possessed him to do that, but low and behold he found a signal! The lucky person to receive a Skype call that day was his mom. At the time of his call, she happened to be going through the McDonald’s drive-thru, and he asked her to order a Big Mac with French fries for him. Hmmmm! After so many months away from fast food, the idea of a juicy burger had our mouths watering!
Entering the Teavapiti Pass was simple and straight forward. Once on the inside, we motor sailed around to the northwest side of Raiatea. We needed to anchor as closely to the Apooiti Bay Marina as possible, as this was where we needed to drop off our genaker for repair.
Apooiti Bay Marina is home to the Moorings and Sunsail Charter Base. There are also a number of other yacht services in the bay, including the Voilerie Sellerie Aveia where a French woman, Regine, would repair our sail. She had a wonderful reputation for doing quality work both quickly and inexpensively, and we were excited about this prospect.
Close to the marina, there were only moorings available in 25+ meters of water, so anchoring right next to the marina wasn’t an option. Instead, we chose to anchor out near the barrier reef and dinghy across to the marina. Once we located the sail maker, and made sure she was available to do the work, we returned to the boat to remove the sail. We had arranged to bring the sail to the loft right after lunch, so after a quick lunch we returned to the Voilerie with the genaker. As per her reputation, she amazed us with her quote. The day was a Tuesday. The sail would be ready for pick-up on Friday, and the estimated repair price for 7-tear was 25,500 CFP (~$255 USD). We couldn’t believe our ears!
Excited with the goods news, we returned to the boat and enjoyed a beautiful sunset over Bora Bora. While we waited for the sail to be repaired, we would have a few days of playtime coming our way.
sunset over Bora Bora viewed from Raiatea
Air Tahiti flying overhead
Air Tahiti landing in Raiatea near our anchorage
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