This night we moved from Tahaa to Bora Bora to have our exit clearance there. We left Tahaa at sunset, winning our anchor and hoisting the sails at the same moment. The wind was dying at that moment so in the end the caterpillars had to sing their tune to get us out of the reef before sunset.

It is an impressive thing, sailing through a hole in the reef: the water inside is flat as a pond in a calm, but here the ocean swell breaks on each side of you. But just a moment and then we are on the ocean, engines stopped, wind in the sail, speed going down. Bora Bora is some 20 miles away, so our speed of 2 knots is just right to get us there in time..

The program for this day was a visit to an island, a Motu.

The place was a typical "Bounty" Island, with palm trees and coconuts, heaps of coloured fish just offshore and corals, huts with thatched roofs, that sort of thing.

To feed the voyage crew, we brought lunch out to them. Somewhat opportunistic: Now me and Gjalt and Sacha also had the chance to check it out. We managed to squeeze in some snorkeling, and also to check out what it was for the next time the Europa might be going here.

Tomorrow is Bora Bora, our last stop in the society islands.

📷 Karin Tanis