14 | Sailing the Society Islands, Mo'orea and Huahine

We dropped our mooring buoy at Anse Amiat early in the morning, and as we left the anchorage we were escorted out by a pod of dolphins. Taking one last look at the palm-fringed atoll, we left the Tuamotus behind, heading out to sea. Our destination was to be the beautiful island of Mo'orea, located right next to Tahiti, about 240 nautical miles over the horizon. The trade winds were gentle but consistent, and we had easy miles. Julia seemed relaxed as she rode steadily over the tropical seas. The third morning out, the peaks of Mo'orea rose out of the haze. We had found the Society Islands. Like the Marquesas, dramatic green peaks tower over the sea. But, like the Tuamotus, a barrier reef surrounds a protected lagoon that wraps around each island. Navigating the pass in the reef, we entered the lagoon and found very calm conditions within. It was immediately clear that these islands are much more developed than the other areas of French Polynesia we had visited. We decided to stretch our sea legs by hiking up some of the lush valleys that lay at the head of the anchorage. One of the things Mo'orea is famous for are its pineapples. We were after hours and the farm was deserted, but we did find some to buy at a roadside stand. They are a small variety, but very delicious. My dad was scheduled to fly into Tahiti, so we left the protected lagoon in what felt like a flat calm. As we left the shelter of the high cliffs and the fringing reef, we found much livelier conditions outside. It was going to be a hard beat to windward to make the pass into Papeete, so we tucked some deep reefs into the sails. Entering the harbour, we found a bustling city, complete with crowded marinas, honking cars, and an international airport. It was a stark contrast to everywhere else we had been in French Polynesia. Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia, and the island of Tahiti has by far the largest share of the population. We took advantage of the city's relative plenty to resupply on all of the things we'd been missing in the more remote islands. The new marina was very nice, but with dad on board, we quickly decided to head back over to Mo'orea for a more tranquil pace of life. The underwater tiki garden is an art installation commemorating an event when the colonial missionaries forced the people to throw all of their carved tikis into the sea. Ruins of houses and temples and other buildings are everywhere in the forest. What is now overgrown jungle was once thriving communities. Many archaeological ruins have been preserved along the hiking path. From the top, there is a spectacular view of the two large bays indenting Mo'orea's northern coast. Taking a different route down the mountain, we walked through a picturesque farming valley on the way back to the boat. but we are going to head overnight 85 miles to Huahine, so a whole other island in the societies westward. Once inside the shallow lagoon, we cruised along the shoreline inside of the reef looking for a good place to anchor. Huahine is a beautiful island. It feels calm and quiet compared to its more populated neighbors. The hillsides are extremely lush with countless fruit trees and plenty of shady places with views out over the sea. Pretty cool spot. Good spot. So we must have been way out on that ridge looking back at that guy. We better get moving, Delia. The sun is gone. Happy birthday! Boat made cinnamon rolls. All right. It being my birthday meant that it was also exactly one year since we pulled away from the dock in Seattle for the last time. We had no idea what lay ahead of us. Our great hope at that point was to make it to Mexico. We never would have guessed that we would have covered so many more miles or had so many additional adventures over this last year. Putting on our cleanest resort clothes, we headed into shore to properly celebrate the milestone. Pineapple glasses. Very tropical. Cheers. Happy birthday, Jonathan. Thanks. Did you enjoy your birthday dinner? Your one year sailing on the water celebration? Yes, it was lovely. It was very good fun. The next day, we sailed back up the channel to the main town of Faraig. In addition to the well-stocked grocery store, the anchorage is also in close proximity to the pass entrance, so we would be well positioned for the next leg of our journey. Leaving the forested hills of Huahine behind, we set out to continue our exploration of the Society Islands. Ahead of us lay the vibrant coral reefs of Taha'a. The iconic scenery of Bora Bora. And some truly adrenaline-inducing passes through the barrier reefs. And even farther out there, beyond the western edge of the Society Islands, we were starting to think about the next big ocean crossing. Another leap out into the unknown.