Two Drifters on sailing in French Polynesia
by Jenevora Swann and Fergus Dunipace 20 Dec 2020 17:11 PST
Two Drifters enjoying the tranquility of Taurere Bay in Bora Bora © Jenevora Swann
Jenevora Swann and Fergus Dunipace have been liveaboards on their catamaran Two Drifters since 2014. They sailed around Europe before crossing the Atlantic to the Caribbean and the Americas.
When we arrived in French Polynesia during the height of coronavirus, our dream of slowly sailing our catamaran, Two Drifters, around the South Pacific was stopped dead in its tracks.
French Polynesia had closed its borders while we were crossing the Pacific Ocean but, thankfully after our four-week transit at sea, we were granted maritime entry and directed to an anchorage in Tahiti for the remainder of lockdown. Here, we were in excellent company - and part of a great support bubble - with OCC friends on Tourterelle, Ocean Blue, Supertramp, India and Serenity First.
After a month, restrictions were lifted and inter-island travel granted. At last, we were free to sail again and French Polynesia was briefly declared covid-free.
While many boats backtracked to the Tuamotus - a beat against the trade winds - to see one of the archipelagos missed on the way due to the pandemic constraints; we decided to take the western route and visit the rest of the Society Islands before the islands opened to tourists.
The Society Islands are known for striking mountainous vistas, miles of fringing coral reefs, blue lagoons and white-sand beaches. With 14 islands in the archipelago, they extend some 450 miles in length and many are within an easy day sail of each other.
While each of the islands has a distinctive character and appeal, we found nature and culture in abundance with walks, hiking trails and visits to vanilla plantations and pearl farms. Underwater, the immense marine life was teaming with an assortment of rays, sharks, coral and a bounty of colourful fish.
Our exploration was blissfully devoid of people and boats. We had the rare opportunity to step back in time and see these islands in their raw tropical beauty; untainted by visitors or cruise ship passengers, authentic in every way and just being enjoyed by their residents.
In Bora Bora, amazingly we were one of just four visiting boats, and had the infamous blue lagoon virtually to ourselves, making our stay in this paradise setting so very special and memorable.
By mid-July, French Polynesia opened its borders and in came the tourists. We adapted once again; back came face masks, barrier gestures and, sadly, coronavirus. With no one knowing if another lockdown was on the cards, boats congregated in the Society Islands and we excitedly caught up with many good friends, celebrating missed birthdays and sharing our experiences of these beautiful islands, often over a drink or two on the back deck or on a socially-distanced dinghy drift.
What to do for cyclone season, which starts in November, has been a hot topic of conversation among sailors in the South Pacific. The borders for New Zealand and Australia remain firmly closed - despite the OCC's sterling efforts to put forward a case for small yachts seeking cyclone refuge.
So, we have put Plan B into operation. With 118 islands split into five archipelagos, French Polynesia covers a vast area, that is equivalent to the size of Europe. The further northeast we go, towards the equator, there's less likelihood of being caught in a cyclone. Also, the 20/21 season is heading towards a La Niña event year, so the cyclonic risk in French Polynesia is almost zero.
In a world that's been turned upside down by coronavirus, we consider ourselves immensely lucky to have such a large and amazing cruising ground to explore - and, we are grateful to have so many OCC friends nearby to share it with.
Two Drifters are now sailing in French Polynesia.
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This article has been provided by the courtesy of
Ocean Cruising Club.