No alarm clocks today. Jack & Diane's flight arrives in the morning; Bob & Marley join a little later. We cast off when The Admiral is good and ready.

We sail northwest approximately 15 nm across the shared Raiatea–Taha'a lagoon toward an anchorage off Le Taha'a Island Resort on Motu Tautau. En route, if the winds are fair and the cast-off was timely, we MAY stop at Apu Bay to visit the Champon Pearl Farm (free mooring with visit; call 40 65 66 26), walk the Fare Vanira vanilla plantation, and snorkel the fringing reef. Taha'a produces most of France's vanilla — the island fills the air with its scent.

We drop anchor in the lagoon near the resort. Dinghy to the main pier at the flagpoles and check in at Reception before dinner.

🌅 Evening — Confirmed Dinner at Le Taha'a

Hawaiki Nui Restaurant, Le Taha'a by Pearl Resorts. All six guests, 6:30 PM, confirmed directly with the restaurant. Bring photo ID and a credit card for Reception check-in. One of the finest resort dining experiences in the South Pacific.

The dive boat arrives at our anchorage for pickup. Bob ("Scuba-Dubba-Doo"), Tim, and Jack do a two-tank dive with sharks, rays, and technicolor reef life. Donna, Diane, and Marley can dinghy over (or get a Captain's courtesy dinghy drop-off) at the Le Taha'a resort to use the Tavāi Spa (through the resort concierge) or possibly spend time on the resort's beach, or snorkel the coral garden — or simply keep the boat and the lagoon to themselves.

After diving, we move to Motu Mahaea (T2) — a tiny, uninhabited islet with perfect snorkeling. Spend the afternoon swimming, watching stingrays and blacktip reef sharks cruise the shallows. Marley, you will not be deterred. We know this about you.

🌴 Evening — Motu Pearl Village Buffet

We sail to Faaaha Bay for the famous Friday Night Tahitian Buffet and Dance Show at Motu Pearl Village. Traditional food, Polynesian music, and fire dancing under the stars. Free mooring with dinner reservation. Attire: Cazj. Coconut bikini-tops obviously preferred. 7,500 XPF/person. Book through Moorings base.

Depart 7:00 AM. The 26 nm crossing to Bora Bora is typically on a broad reach or run — the most comfortable point of sail for a catamaran — with Bora Bora's dramatic twin peaks of Mt. Otemanu and Mt. Pahia rising from the horizon as you approach. Few sailing passages anywhere in the world match this arrival.

Enter via Teavanui Pass and call Bora Bora Mooring Service (BBMS) on VHF 9. First mooring at the Bora Bora Yacht Club (B2) — Happy Hour from 5:30 PM. Quick grocery run at Chin Lee in Vaitape.

Morning at Motu Piti Aau — "The Swimming Pool." Eagle rays drift past at 15 feet; a 20-minute reef walk leads to a natural seawater pool formed within the coral. It's one of the most magical spots in French Polynesia, and it requires no equipment — just clear water, warm sun, and time.

Lunch at Arii Motu Grill — a beach restaurant on the motu, accessible only by dinghy. Book the evening before. Fresh fish, cold drinks, and your feet in the sand.

Afternoon at Toopua (B5) — stingrays, eagle rays, and blacktip reef sharks cruise the shallows in numbers that will genuinely astound you. They are habituated to humans and completely approachable.

🏛️ For Jack — Vaitape Historical Walk

Dinghy to Vaitape for a walk to pre-European marae sites and American WWII cannon emplacements — a remarkable overlay of ancient Polynesian sacred sites and mid-century military history.

Depart 7:00 AM. Twenty-six miles back upwind to Taha'a. We aim for Haamene Bay — Taha'a's longest fjord, cutting deep into the heart of the island with mountains rising on both sides. The kind of anchorage you'll want in your screensaver.

Lunch at Taha'a Maitai on the dock. Ask about the afternoon option: an island 4WD tour visiting vanilla plantations and traditional villages — worth every minute if timing works out.

Dinner at Restaurant Hibiscus, one of Taha'a's best-loved waterfront spots. Free mooring with reservation.

We sail south to Opoa, Raiatea, for one of the most significant cultural sites in the entire Pacific: Marae Taputapuatea — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most sacred temple complex in all of Polynesia.

Taputapuatea was the spiritual, political, and navigational center from which Polynesian voyagers spread across the Pacific — to Hawai'i, New Zealand, Easter Island, and beyond. Every Polynesian culture traces some thread back here. We arrange a guided tour through the Moorings base. This is not a site to walk through without context.

Lunch at Fish and Blue on Opoa Beach — anchor in front, dinghy in for fresh fish with your feet in the sand.

Afternoon: Faaroa Bay (R11) — the only navigable river in French Polynesia. Dinghy upriver through the mangroves, drift back. Botanical garden at the river mouth for those who want it.

An easy, unhurried final day drifting northward through Raiatea's lagoon, visiting a few last gems before we gather for the send-off.

Vaiorea Bay (T7) — stop at Iaorana Pearl Farm, known for manta ray sightings. The mantas feed on plankton-rich water around the farm. Diane, keep your eyes on the water.

Tapuamu Bay (T8) — visit the Mana'o Rum and Pari Pari Rum distilleries (both free tastings), then settle in at the Fare Miti floating tapas bar (open 11am–9pm) for afternoon drinks on the water. Perfect preparation for the evening.

🥂 Final Dinner — Villa Ixora

The best table on Raiatea. A spectacular send-off for a spectacular week. Jack will give a toast. It will involve Captain Cook. Nobody will mind. Reserve ASAP — it fills early.