Cruising French Polynesia Les Iles Sous le Vent
By Nancy G. Kaull & Dr. Paul F. Jacobs Editor’s note: This article is an abridged excerpt from the authors’ excellent book, Voyages: Stories of ten Sunsail owner cruises. Authors’ note: The following is based on Nancy’s detailed log entries and photographs. Where these are used directly they are shown in italics. General comments and discussions written by Paul are shown in regular font. The reader can thus directly discern our slightly different perspectives. When Nancy and I were initially contemplating becoming members of the Sunsail ownership program back in 2009, we carefully scanned the long list of bases scattered around the world. Both of us quickly spied “French Polynesia” on the list and exclaimed, “Wouldn’t that be incredibly special?” Well, it was now late in 2012, and Nancy had The very lovely Sunsail base, located on the northwest corner of carefully hoarded all available Raiatea © Nancy G. Kaull PPL time at her job with the American Mathematical Sociof Raiatea, where we arrived ety in Providence. Thus, it was around noon. As usual, a Sunsail now possible for us to sail “Les shuttle kindly met us at the Iles Sous le Vent” (the islands airport and transported us about under the wind), not for two three miles to the base. weeks, but three! Our home for the next It seemed to us that the three weeks was 5-year old time and expense of air travel Banana Man. We were told this from Saunderstown, RI all was to be her last charter! We the way to Raiatea in French both felt this would be an excelPolynesia was best amortized lent opportunity to learn what by spending more time there. condition a sailboat might be in This voyage represented a quaupon leaving five years of charter druple bonus: (1) the lure of service. Initially concerned that the exotic; (2) a completely her aesthetics might look a bit different culture; (3) a chance worn, we were pleasantly surfor me to sail again in the Paprised when we first saw her, and cific for the first time in 17 Banana Man tied to the dock in Utaroa © Nancy G. Kaull she looked terrific in the tropical years; and (4) the chance for sun. Nancy and I then went Nancy to sail in the Pacific for her first time…ever! I called John below and found her to be in excellent condition, with just a few Keyes at Sunsail, reserved a Jeanneau 36i, spent an hour on Expe- scratches evident after five years of substantial sailing. I was very dia, and then secured travel reservations. impressed. We flew to Papeete, Tahiti on Air Tahiti Nui, and while a Sophie, the assistant manager of the Sunsail base in Raiatea, long trip at about 8.5 hours, it was surprisingly comfortable. The gave us a very detailed and excellent chart briefing. As usual, Paul seats were wider and also had a bit more legroom than those on the navigator had previously done his homework. Sunsail promany other airlines, and the food was very good, including an vided a nice guidebook for us, as well as a new set of paper charts. array of fresh pineapple, coconut and papaya. Wednesday, 10 Sophie also told us that as experienced sailors we were free to sail to April occurred over the Pacific Ocean, and we finally landed Maupiti, but that due to the potential for dangerously high breakers at Papeete airport early that morning. Unfortunately, we had a very near the narrow entrance to the pass through the encircling reef, long layover consumed primarily with reading, but also some she very strongly advised that we call Sunsail from Bora Bora before inevitable people watching, as many of the local natives had departing for Maupiti. incredibly long black hair and beautiful dark eyes. Our smaller Getting off the dock against an 18-knot beam wind was inter-island aircraft departed for the short flight to the island tricky. It took full throttle to pull away and then make the 26 January/February 2018 WindCheck Magazine
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