One year in French Polynesia

It is hard to believe we have spent a whole year sailing through the magic of French Polynesia. As we prepare to lift the anchor and set off on our next chapter, I want to pause and take a deep breath, remember, honour, and share the wild beauty, quiet moments, and growth this past year brought us.

Landfall in Hiva Oa: After 31 Days at Sea

After 31 days on the open Pacific, we made landfall in Hiva Oa, in the Marquesas Islands. I will never forget that feeling, watching a jagged green coastline slowly emerge from the horizon, real land after nearly a month of uninterrupted ocean. It felt surreal, almost dreamlike. We had spent so long surrounded by nothing but water and sky that the sight of trees, mountains, and colour felt like stepping into another world.

When you zoom out far enough on Google Maps to see where we’d come from and where Hiva Oa lies, it looks like a miracle that we didn’t miss it entirely. And yet, with modern navigation, our crossing was smooth. Still, there was something humbling about it, crossing thousands of miles by sail, guided by wind, stars, and GPS, and arriving exactly where we’d hoped to.

I remember stepping onto land again and smelling freshly cut grass. It was the kind of detail your senses cling to when you’ve been so long at sea, raw, grounding, and strangely emotional.

We didn’t stay long in Hiva Oa, but we gave ourselves five days to rest and reset. We anchored in a quiet bay where manta rays circled beneath our hull. Every morning at 6:30, we’d slip into the water and swim with them for hours, just us and these silent, graceful giants gliding beneath the surface. It was a welcome kind of magic, the kind that reminds you why you crossed an ocean in the first place.

Life Aboard: Learning, Adapting, and Laughing Through It

The Pacific Ocean was entirely new for us. In the beginning, it felt vast and wild, and honestly, we felt a bit vulnerable. That sensation of being so small out there and exposed took some getting used to. But as soon as we arrived in French Polynesia, that feeling melted away. The islands welcomed us with calm anchorages, warm smiles, and a rhythm of life that matched the sea.

One of the most special parts of our year here was having family and friends visit us. Sharing this floating life with loved ones made it all the more meaningful. That said, it also highlighted how different our everyday lives have become. Life on a sailboat isn’t always barefoot cocktails on deck (though there are those moments, too). There were definitely some exciting, and maybe slightly chaotic, experiences when visitors were aboard.

After a few days of swell, squalls, and dinghy mishaps, we also faced some serious technical challenges. Our autopilot broke down during high waves and strong winds, turning every shift at the helm into a full-body workout. With endless cloudy skies, our solar panels couldn’t keep up, and just when we needed it most, our generator failed. We had no choice but to sail all the way back to Tahiti to get it repaired.

It is  no wonder that most of our visitors ended up saying, “Sailing is not our cup of tea.” And honestly? I get it. It is intense. Living on land for a month is, in many ways, more relaxing. There’s no constant checking of wind, anchor, batteries, or weather forecasts.

But for us, this is home, and we love it. The challenges come hand-in-hand with the freedom, the intimacy with nature, and the clarity that comes from living simply. We have learned to take the inconveniences and quirks in stride. Because what we get in return is nothing short of extraordinary.

Tuamotus: Where Time Slowed Down

Of all the places we anchored in French Polynesia, the atolls of the Tuamotus stole our hearts. We could have easily spent another year there, just drifting between motus, soaking up the remoteness and rhythm of the sea. The Tuamotus offered everything we love: crystal-clear waters, vibrant underwater life, and a pace of living that stripped everything back to the essentials.

There’s something deeply satisfying about self-sufficiency in a place like that. We baked our bread (nothing beats the smell of a fresh loaf in a boat’s tiny galley), made yoghurt, and became creative chefs with whatever ingredients we had on board. It wasn’t just about food; it was about the ritual, the slowness, and the presence it brought into our daily lives.

The snorkelling and diving were unbelievable. We swam with manta rays, watched reef sharks weave through coral gardens, and marvelled at the endless parade of tropical fish. Every day the water revealed something new, something wild and electric.

And then there were the whales.

Swimming with humpbacks in Moorea was nothing short of magical. It is hard to describe what it feels like to be in the water with a massive, gentle, and utterly graceful creature. That moment is burned into our memory.

Tahiti, too, played a role in our story, though it was more urban and bustling. We loved it mainly for restocking the boat and indulging in big-city luxuries like grocery stores with aisles of fresh produce. But options were limited when it came to anchoring, and we were always eager to return to the archipelago’s quiet corners.

Learning the Hard Way: Challenges at Sea

Sailing in paradise isn’t without its challenges; the Tuamotus are a perfect example. Their remote beauty comes with a price: navigating the narrow passes into the atolls. Timing the tides and checking the swell becomes critical. We quickly learned that getting it wrong could mean real trouble.

Our most frightening moment happened in Moorea, in Haapiti Bay. The swell that day was bigger than expected, about 3.5 meters, and we made the call to enter anyway. As we approached the pass, a rolling wave caught the boat just wrong and almost slid us sideways towards the corals. For a few seconds, it felt like time stopped. That wave could have spelt disaster.

We made it through, shaken but safe, and it is still our scariest experience since moving aboard. It was a harsh lesson in humility and respect for the ocean’s power. Since then, we have become more cautious and more tuned into the patterns and signals that the sea offers. That moment changed how we sail, and it probably saved us from making the same mistake again.

Looking Ahead: A Bittersweet Goodbye

One thing is for sure: we are going to miss French Polynesia. It is hard to say goodbye after a year of calling these islands home. But the nature of this life is movement, and it is time to lift the anchor and set our sights west.

Our next destination: Fiji. But before we set foot there, we still have about 1,900 nautical miles of open ocean ahead of us. No small hop, that’s for sure. And as if the distance weren’t enough of a challenge, the weather isn’t exactly cooperating either. For the past three weeks, we have been treated to lots of rain, day and night, and high waves just outside the sheltered bays. We have officially checked out in Bora Bora and sailed on to Maupiti. Here we wait patiently, with coffee and a healthy dose of restlessness, for that perfect weather window to set sail.

While we waited, we had one very special reason to celebrate: Rajesh turned 30 here in Maupiti. We celebrated together with our dear friends on Lille Venn. Barbara made a delicious birthday cake, and I cooked a birthday meal, chilli chicken with homemade chapati. It was simple, joyful, and exactly the kind of memory we will carry with us into the next chapter.

Ideally, we will sail straight to Fiji. But if conditions change, we have got backup plans: the Cook Islands, maybe Niue, or even the Samoan islands. This time, there are more places along the way to stop and find shelter if needed. It is comforting to know we have options, and after a year of learning, adapting, and growing, we feel more ready than ever.

French Polynesia gave us so much. Unforgettable moments, good lessons, new friendships, and a stronger connection with nature and each other. As we set off on this next passage, we carry all of that with us, and a little part of our hearts will stay partly anchored here.

🌀 P.S. – My Book Is Out!
If you’ve enjoyed following our journey and want a little extra inspiration for your own, my book is now available in three different languages:

• 🇳🇱 Jouw droom, jouw toekomst. Maak het waar. (Dutch)
• 🇬🇧 Your Dream, Your Future. Make It Happen. (English)
• 🇮🇳 आपका सपना, आपका भविष्य। इसे सच करें। (Hindi)

All three versions are available in the webshop of The World of Dots (currently PayPal only).
It is also available on Amazon.nl and Amazon.com in Dutch and English.

Thank you so much for your support 🌊✨