Bora Bora

As I've said for years, most people consider Bora Bora the most beautiful island in the South Pacific.  Bora Bora boasts a magnificent skyline with the twin volcanic plugs and a gorgeous lagoon.  Its height and unique shape made it ideal as an aircraft base in World War 2, allowing pilots to find their home field.  And that field, carved from the coral of a motu, with a bit of improvement, is the current airport. 

Lovely Conni on the morning of our departure from Tapuamu Bay on Taha'a. 

Although seemingly constructed of modern materials, this is a replica of a traditional Polynesian sailing canoe, a catamaran design.  Her sail plan is not traditional, being gaff-rigged main and mizzen. 

We pass this enormous Catholic church as we enter or depart Tapuamu. 

This is Nomad IV, a huge boat in the charter trade.  You can lease her for a mere US$60,000/week.  She has a carbon fiber hull and sails and one of everything. Please take us with you!

Nomad IV with her hailing port of Malta.  She's under power here. 

Lovely Conni LOVES to steer!  Here, she's at the helm in the Taha'a lagoon.

Bora Bora's sea buoy guides us into the lagoon.  Were this US waters, this buoy would be green, but international regulations make it red.  The actual pass is somewhat complex since it involves a "dog leg" set of turns.

We've entered the Bora Bora lagoon and get our first good look at that gorgeous skyline.  A circumnavigation of the island shows the mountain changing with the different aspects, sometimes barely recognizable. Our destination is just under that much smaller peak at left. 

This is Intrepid, a Dashew FPB that I described in a few blogs.  At 74-feet, she's spacious and beautifully outfitted, and at US$2.5 million, not inexpensive. Every component was chosen for utility and durability if not for beauty.

Even in this squall, that mountain is gorgeous.  The boat in the foreground is One Life and its logo is on her bow.  Her crew has departed for awhile, probably going home for awhile after being caught in CoVid delays.

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