June 25 - Moorea

Lat S17deg29min/W149deg37min.
We slipped our mooring at the Yacht Club de Tahiti at 0800 and motored out the pass in very light winds. Unfortunately, the wind didn't pick up, and instead of motoring down to the entrance of the Port Of Papeete, where the official 1000 hour start time of the Tahiti to Moorea Sailing Rendezvous was, we decided to just motor on to Moorea, as we figured the winds would stay very light anyway. We were right, and out of about 40 boats registered for the rally, only (I think) 7 actually sailed, the rest of the fleet motored here as well. Well, some years the winds just don't fill in as expected. About 50 boats are anchored way to close to one another in front of Mareto Beach here in Opunohu Bay. The bay is stunning, with Mount Tohivea and Mount Muaroa forming a jagged backdrop at the head of the bay (Robinson's Cove), and we'll go exploring and hiking Monday. Today, after all the cruisers arrived, there was a welcoming party on the beach, with traditional dancing and cocktails served. We've signed up as one of the 23 four person canoe teams (we're aboard Team Hawaii with some friends of ours) for the canoe races tomorrow (Sun), and there will be other competitions as well, before a traditionally prepared Tahitian lunch on the beach. Sounds like good fun. We're anchored in 10' of crystal clear water, watching the sting rays glide by, with big smiles on our faces, pinching ourselves to remind ourselves we're really here in Moorea. The only sounds at night or in the early morning are roosters crowing and the occasional dog barking. Air temperature is 73 degrees. Lovely.