A chef’s perspective of chartering in the Society Islands
Several years ago, we embarked on a 10-day dreamy charter flotilla with another couple in the Society Islands. After an eight-hour flight into Papeete, Tahiti, and a short flight to Raiatea, we were welcomed with a fragrant flower lei.
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Day 1
We made our way to The Moorings Tahiti at Apooiti Marina where we were assigned our charter sailboat. The staff reviewed boat systems with us, and then we attended a skipper meeting to learn about the flotilla cruise plan. The Moorings provisioned all the boats with frozen proteins, breads, condiments, snacks, and local fresh fruits and vegetables, plus the wine and liquor each boat ordered. They also provided ice, water, linens, cleaning products, charcoal grill/lighter, propane stove/oven, snorkels, and boat safety gear. We were led throughout the cruise by Jerry, a local French sailor, on his own sailboat, who knew the islands well.
The Moorings arranged for Jerry to guide our flotilla and provided assurance that the charter company would come by powerboat to fix any boat problems if they occurred.
Once we were all briefed and provisioned, we set sail for Taha’a and its beautiful Apu Bay, where we anchored for the night. It was an easy sail with calm seas and bright sunshine. Following a quick rainfall, we swam and snorkeled until late afternoon, showering, and changing for our first early dinner aboard. We started with Western Loire French Muscadet, along with delicious French cheeses and charcuterie, followed by a hot smoked salmon fillet topped with a citrus chili sauce and a salad of fresh grapefruit, avocado, and mint. Coconut ice cream with fresh pineapple completed our tropical feast.
Day 2
We set sail for Bora Bora after a breakfast of coffee, ham, eggs, and toasted bread with cassis jam. We sailed the 15 miles in 4- to 5-foot seas. Things calmed down as we reached the lee of the island, though the chop at the Bora Bora lagoon pass gave us concern as the entrance is narrow and we were going downwind. After safely entering the lagoon, we headed over to Vaitape, the largest city on Bora Bora. The town features shops selling beautiful Tahitian black pearls, tropical art, hand-dyed batik clothing, and souvenirs. It also has restaurants, a supermarket, ATMs, and police and medical services.
We decided to make a fruit salad for lunch, so we picked up bananas, mangoes, papayas, and some wine and headed to Povai Bay in the lagoon for snorkeling followed by dinner at Bloody Mary’s restaurant. Though now temporarily closed for renovations, the restaurant has hosted celebrities, such as Jimmy Buffett, Marlon Brando, and Diana Ross, and features some of the freshest fish in the Society Islands. Dinner was spectacular; guests each select from a display of colorful fresh fish available—tuna, mahi, jack, parrotfish—which is grilled or smoked to order with a choice of sauces. My grilled parrotfish dinner came with a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers, steamed green beans, and a choice of garlic cream or green peppercorn sauce. We returned to the boat appetites appeased to settle back and watch the stars.
Day 3
The next morning, we awoke to a short rain shower from which appeared a gorgeous full rainbow. We enjoyed coffee, french toast sprinkled with sugar, bacon, and fresh grapefruit. And, after a few hours snorkeling, we made a charcuterie and crackers lunch before we headed to the Bora Bora Yacht Club (BBYC) just a few miles north.
It is set against the island’s mountains with lots of space for mooring. This is a popular spot for yachts cruising around the world, and to our surprise, we ran into friends in their second year of a five-year world cruise. After a visit, we went ashore to the dinghy docks and headed for the BBYC bar and restaurant. We followed fruity cocktails with a delicious dinner of poisson cru, salad with walnuts and cheese, grilled mahi-mahi, rack of lamb, filet mignon with green peppercorn sauce, and delicious ice cream from Moorea. It was truly a meal beyond expectations.
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Day 4
Following a light breakfast of croissants and fruit, we left Bora Bora for Uturoa, Raiatea, to pick up fresh baguettes and cheese for a charcuterie lunch and sparkling water and then worked our way to Baie De Fa’aroa, farther south on Raiatea. It is a pretty and quiet anchorage with a nice breeze—a perfect spot to grill thick steaks to serve with potatoes, a wedge salad with blue cheese, and ratatouille with a Côtes du Rhône red wine. Dessert was bananas foster with ice cream. The highlight of the evening was seeing the Southern Cross constellation, only visible South of the Equator.
Day 5
We awoke to roosters crowing and dogs barking ashore and had a breakfast of coffee, mango, papaya, and grapefruit with warm baguettes and preserves. The island vibe was in full swing. We ventured out in the morning to take a flotilla dinghy ride up the only navigable river in Raiatea, the Apoomau River. We were surrounded by jungle, fragrant flowers, and views of the volcanic mountains that feed water into the river. We saw laughing Tahitian women dressed in T-shirts and pareaus wading in the river to gather freshwater shrimp in homemade baskets. Like all the islanders we met, they smiled and greeted us warmly.
In the afternoon, we cruised to uninhabited Nao Nao Island to anchor and snorkel. We wandered the island and discovered a picnic basket filled with an open bottle of champagne and food. We snorkeled among octopus and colorful parrotfish and then returned for showers, naps, and a dinner of pasta with mushrooms and ground beef, a salad of marinated asparagus and green beans, a dessert of fresh fruit and ice cream, and topped it off stargazing on deck.
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Day 6
Today started with rescuing a fellow flotilla participant’s dinghy. Once retrieved, we weighed anchor and sailed to Opoa Bay where the archaeological complex of Marae Taputapuatea is located. The Marae is an important religious site that was restored in 1994. A great stone altar is the centerpiece, along with stone figures (Tikis). It dates to pre-1000 A.D. and was a place of sacrifices to the gods and gatherings of the best mariners in Polynesia, who passed on their knowledge to students. As we returned to our boat, we felt the ghosts of the past around us. Following charcuterie and a nap, we made an easy dinner of hamburgers, salad, and grilled pineapple with mint sugar for dessert.
Day 7
We left Opoa Bay for Huahine mid-morning and arrived for a quick lunch and shopping and sailed to D’Avea Bay. We anchored in view of the hotel Relais Mahana. It was a beautiful spot to dress up for dinner. We dined on freshwater shrimp, mahi mahi with a fruit sauce, chocolate eclairs, and a rich vanilla and fruit charlotte. The bar played contemporary and island music, and we all joined in the dancing, even learning some hula steps from the friendly and talented natives—no one woke up early the next morning!
Day 8
Today we stayed put. The boys made an American breakfast, we snorkeled with sea urchins, moray eels, and colorful fish. It was hot, so we nibbled on fruit for lunch, swam, and took naps. We went back for dinner ashore.
Day 9
We sailed back to the village of Fare to shop for gifts, but found little was open, so we had lunch at Le Snack Bar: steak sandwiches, shrimp salads, nice wine, and good bread. In the harbor, we saw anglers coming in so we sailed over and bought some fresh bonito tuna for dinner. We grilled it medium-rare and served it with Spanish rice and grilled pineapple, green salad, and a cheese course with leftover red and white wines.
Day 10
On our last day, we headed back toward Taha’a, a rough ride with 4- to 5-foot seas again. When we docked, we went snorkeling, discovering fish traps with sharks, rays, tuna, bass. Because it was our last night, we cleaned out the icebox and cupboards and made green salad, a pasta carbonara with ham, eggs, cheese, and some barbecue chicken. We finished the baguettes and cheese and planned our course back to Apooiti Marina to turn in the boat.
It was wonderful to have the charter company repair folks “on call” when the few problems with our boats occurred. Our U.S. flotilla also enjoyed having a guide arranged by the charter company. If you plan a charter (or a flotilla), be sure the charter company is responsive to your concerns. We also appreciated the guidance provided by the company on wonderful places to shop, visit, and dine. It was a fabulous trip, a must for your bucket list.
By: Lori Ross
