The Beginning of the Adventure

A large superyacht has been at the gas station for two hours now. Jeroen and Jesper decide to walk to the gas station to see how long it will take before we can refuel. It turns out there is another boat ahead of us.

Departure from the Harbour
As soon as that boat is almost ready, we leave the harbour and stop at the gas station to fill all the jerry cans and the tank on board. Fully loaded, we motor out of Marina Taina and pass through the passage via the fairway. Ready for our real adventure.

The Journey to Haapiti Bay
The wind forecast for today indicated a maximum of 8 knots of wind, but to our surprise, there are 14 knots of wind, and we can hoist the sails and switch off the engine. There is a long high swell of about three meters, but otherwise, the water surface is mirror smooth. It is approximately 18 nautical miles sailing to Haapiti Bay on the island of Moorea. We had received a tip that this is a good place to learn how to wave surf, a great wish of Melissa, so we wanted to go there first. Everyone feels good on board, and we soon hear Jesper say: “I could get used to this too.”

The fishing rods are also cast out to the delight of Melissa, who really enjoys fishing. As we sail off the coast of Moorea, we see large, wild, rolling waves crashing onto the reef. The turquoise colour of the tops of the waves contrasts beautifully with the rest of the waves. The “pass”, a passage through the coral reef where you can enter the bay, is difficult to discover due to the high waves.

The Dangerous Passage
As we get closer, we also see wild waves in the pass, and I get an ominous feeling in my gut. I try not to look sideways at the ten-foot waves crashing against the reef with a deafening roar as I steer the boat toward the “pass.” My heart is pounding in my throat. I shout to Jeroen: “I’m scared!” He answers with understanding, but my body screams inside: “No!!” Yet there is no way back now that we have started and are already too far towards the “pass”; we cannot simply stop, turn around and sail back. No, the force of the waves pushes us forward.

The waves build up behind the boat, menacing and unrelenting. I accelerate and see the coral reef frighteningly close on the starboard side. “Jeroen, the coral!” I shout, my voice high with panic. The boat doesn’t react the way I want, and in my mind, I can already see us crashing into the coral. Jeroen jumps next to me, accelerates even more, and jerks the rudder to starboard. We surf down the wave through the pass at dizzying speed. All five of us are shaking on our legs. We made it, but I have never known such fear as at this moment. A feeling of captivity overtakes me. We are now in the bay, but with these high waves and swell, we are guaranteed not to get away again. Inside the bay, the water is calm. After we anchor, we look at each other with relief, happy that we are safe.

Three Days in Haapiti Bay
The two other boats here appear abandoned. Jeroen and I look at the weather forecasts for the coming days. Waves will remain high until Monday and decrease slightly to two meters on Tuesday, then increase again to more than four meters. We decide to enjoy the three days. To our disappointment we found no surf schools or other surfers. Instead, we enjoyed snorkelling, swimming, reading, writing, chatting, playing games and a hike that the younger ones undertook while the older ones stayed on the boat and dealt with the generator that kept malfunctioning. Jeroen suspected that it was either due to contaminated diesel or a broken diesel pump. It turned out to be a broken diesel pump, so we immediately took measures to keep our energy consumption to a minimum. We couldn’t charge anything anymore and turned off the Starlink. In the meantime, I tried to find out from various companies whether they had a 12V diesel pump in stock.

Jesper, Melissa and Rajesh returned after several hours, sweaty and covered in mud, without having reached the top. After Jeroen dropped them off, the islanders greeted them kindly and enthusiastically started their walk, Jesper later said. It is known that many hiking trails run along private property, and you need permission from residents to walk on them. This didn’t seem like a problem, but since COVID-19, we heard rumours that the islanders of Moorea were less hospitable to non-residents. They certainly noticed this when they passed houses where dogs rushed at them, and residents scolded them and chased them away. Slightly bewildered, they walked in the other direction, but after a long search and clambering, they found no other path up. Tired but satisfied, they decided to return to the boat.

Dark clouds gathered, and soon, the first drops of rain fell. The weather remained bad for the rest of the afternoon, with strong winds and no sun, which we desperately needed now that the generator was not working. That evening, Jeroen, Rajesh, and I took turns in the engine room next to the generator, manually pumping diesel to the generator to charge our batteries and prevent damage. It was a restless night, and we were all tense.

The Return Journey to Papeete
In the morning, we looked at the horizon. Were the waves indeed lower? Yes, they were. After breakfast, we discussed our plan to approach the pass from port and turn to starboard to avoid shoals. We raised the anchor: Jeroen was at the front of the point, Rajesh checked on his phone whether I continued to follow the correct route and I stood behind the helm. Jesper and Melissa sat in the cockpit and kept to the background for a while. The pass came into view and we indeed saw a stretch with less high waves. I accelerated and went through the waves at almost full speed, making good progress. Once we passed the critical point, we cheered and were greeted by dolphins. Jesper and Melissa went forward to watch the dolphins. The tension fell away, and I quickly wiped away a tear. To this bay, I will not return.

There was not enough wind to sail, so we quietly motored the 18 nautical miles back to Papeete. While we sailed, we chatted a lot and enjoyed the wild waves in the distance. At the wide pass of Papeete, we saw several wave surfers, and Rajesh managed to take some beautiful pictures.

Prepare again
Once at the anchorage, Jeroen looks for the diesel pump while Jesper and Melissa explore Papeete. I start cooking several meals to use up the fresh vegetables we have left while Rajesh cleans and organizes the boat. A little later Jeroen calls with good news: he has found a diesel pump and is going to have a beer with Melissa and Jesper with Rolf and Andre from Rebel Rebel.

As soon as they are on their way home, I fry potatoes with tuna steak and beans. We discussed our plans and decided that Jesper, Melissa and I would go shopping tomorrow morning while Rajesh and Jeroen repair the generator. Then, we will pick up the anchor and sail to the Tuamotus, to the island of Fakarava. We are all looking forward to the remote islets of the Tuamotu archipelago, where we can swim, snorkel, dive, read, write and, above all, relax.

Fakarava is an atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia, known for its special underwater world and spectacular diving locations. As a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Fakarava offers a protected ecosystem home to grey reef sharks, manta rays and colourful reef fish.

The Southern Pass (Tumakohua Pass) is famous for the “Wall of Sharks”, where a large number of sharks can be seen through a drift dive; numbers of up to 700 sharks are reported. Do we dare to dive here? Let’s get there first.

After our shopping mission we return to the boat and hear that Jeroen and Rajesh have been successful. The generator is working again, and the water tanks are filled. Super.

The Sailing Trip to the Tuamotus
We put away all the groceries, and at half past three in the afternoon, we give Neptune a drink of rum. We pick up the anchor and start our three-day sailing trip, heading for the first sunset. We eat Dahl, rice, and an omelette, and at eight o’clock in the evening, our waiting schedule starts. Melissa and Jesper also go to bed at that time.

That evening, there is no moon to be seen, but the stars shine brightly in the sky. The waits are uneventful. At half past four, Jesper wakes up and keeps Rajesh company in the cockpit. Jesper later says that he saw seven shooting stars. The sea is calm, and the wind is dropping, so we start the engine and sail for a while.

Later, the wind turns to the southwest, allowing us to set up the Genaker. This is a good time to check that the sail has been repaired properly, and it has. A new piece of green sail has been added, and we are proud that we can use our beautiful sail again. Fishing continues unhindered. Jeroen had bought thicker fishing lines and new bait in Papeete, so we always had two fishing lines open.

When the wind dies down again, and we have lowered the Genaker, we start the engine again and sail quietly towards our second sunset. I had prepared a quinoa salad, broccoli salad and chickpea curry and was baking the last two tortillas when I suddenly heard that we had a bite. I immediately turn off the gas, storm upstairs and switch off the engine. Jeroen does his best not to lose the fish while Rajesh is ready with the fishing hook to lift it inboard. It works! An 80 cm Skipjack tuna lies in the cockpit, and within a minute, the cockpit is covered with the tuna’s blood to bleed it dry. Great enthusiasm follows, and Melissa is extra proud because this was one of her wishes: to catch our own fish during this trip.

After the fish has bled, I fillet it and put everything in bags for the refrigerator and freezer. Everyone helps clean the cockpit. Because it is calm and there are no waves, I serve the food on the table where the tuna had just been lying. We chat endlessly about fishing during the meal. So we go into the night.

The next day the wind has shifted to the east, exactly the direction we should sail. We are only 67 nautical miles from Fakarava’s northern Garuae Pass. If we were to continue on the motorbike now, we would arrive at 9 pm tonight. We consult with Ralph from Lille Venn about the tides in the Garuae Pass and he explains that it is best to sail in early in the morning when it becomes daylight or around 2 p.m. We decide to do our best to get to the Garuae Pass around 6 am.

We sail a bit to the north, where we see a group of birds and wild splashing in the water. Our fishing rods are out, and yes, we got a bite on both lines. I reel in one line while Jeroen takes care of the other fishing line. Rajesh deftly hooks the fish with the fishing hook. I hooked a yellowfin tuna, and not much later, we saw that Jeroen also had a yellowfin tuna. It’s a bit chaotic with two fish in the cockpit, and we do our best to kill everything as quickly as possible. An hour later, these two fish were also filleted. Jeroen fillets one and Jesper fillets one. It’s all super fun to see. We are all so proud!

That evening, the waves were high, and with a strong headwind, the boat swayed up and down while I prepared dinner. I made a green salad with baked potatoes and, you probably guessed it, tuna steak.

It will be a night full of excitement and adrenaline, in which Jesper and Melissa in the front of the boat are thrown through the air again and again by the high waves and headwind. The boat sways wildly back and forth. Around half past twelve, Melissa suddenly appears in the cockpit, exactly when I am engrossed in my audiobook. A white shadow in the corner of my eye makes my heart skip a beat, and my breath catches. Melissa jumped at my reaction, her eyes wide. She can’t sleep, and I completely understand that. The stormy sea leaves no one alone.

I suggest she try sleeping here in the cockpit and explain to her how we often do that in such rough conditions. After about 15 minutes, I finally see her drift into a deep, exhausted sleep. If Rajesh takes over my shift, he can still sail a bit, a welcome rest from the deafening engine noise. Melissa continues to sleep undisturbed, completely unaware of what is going on outside.

Arrival at Fakarava
At half past six Jeroen wakes me up with the news that we are almost at the Pass. The tension is palpable as everyone appears on deck. Fifteen minutes later I enter the Pass. Despite the countercurrent of 3 knots, My Motu holds up bravely and we maneuver her in without any problems. Inside the atoll, the water surface is initially mirror-smooth, but this changes quickly.

A violent storm
A sudden, violent storm breaks out. Rain pours down, and the wind howls, completely unexpected and not predicted by any weather model. Over the VHF radio, we hear panicky voices at the anchorage of other boat owners warning each other that they are getting too close. Is it a dragging anchor? Or have they already anchored too close to each other while anchoring? The anchorage turns into a chaotic and terrifying scene. While arriving, we feel the eyes of the other boaters on us, afraid that we will get too close or, worse, loosen their anchor chains.

Within the atoll, many sailors use small fenders on their anchor chain so that their anchor chain cannot damage the coral. But this makes the situation life-threatening in a storm like this. The rain and wind obscure the view; we don’t see a hand in front of our eyes, including those small fenders. You can read how this adventure continues in the next blog.

Reflections and Lessons
After two weeks on board the sailboat My Motu, of the five and a half weeks they will stay with us, Melissa and Jesper have gained a wealth of experiences that have turned their expectations upside down and pushed their limits. Both starting without any sailing experience, they came on board with a mix of enthusiasm and uncertainty, curious about what life on a sailboat would bring them. What they discovered went beyond an idyllic vacation; it was an intense adventure full of unexpected twists and valuable insights.

Jesper indicates that the stories I write for my blogs were he was prepared and had a fairly realistic picture of boat life. Yet he soon discovered that reality was more exciting and challenging than he had imagined. Manoeuvring the boat in particular brought with it a tension that he had never experienced before. “You are completely at the mercy of nature,” he said, “and that brings a sense of vulnerability that was really new to me. It’s a real adventure!” One of his most surprising experiences was wave surfing with the heavy sailboat – something he never thought would be possible.

Melissa had no experience with sailing before this trip and imagined an idyllic picture of sun, white beaches and calm seas. The reality turned out to be a lot more complex and challenging. “The unpredictability of nature is a constant,” she noted. She learned to deal with changing wind directions, strong winds and high waves but also experienced the serene moments of a calm sea with the perfect wind. This constant adjustment to nature, followed by the reward of a perfect anchorage, gave her a new appreciation for the hard work and beauty of sailing.

Neither of them has had much trouble with seasickness, although Jesper sometimes has less desire to eat and drink, which he sees as an unexpected positive effect on his weight. However, his ‘sea legs’ give him funny moments on land, where he sometimes wobbles in the supermarket. Melissa, on the other hand, sometimes feels anxious about large waves and passages, afraid that the boat might capsize or be damaged. Yet she draws confidence from the calm and confident attitude of Jeroen, Aagje and Rajesh, and the strength of My Motu.

The most unforgettable experience for Melissa was catching their own fish in the middle of the sea, a moment of pure joy and satisfaction. For Jesper, it was the excitement and adventure of sailing itself, the constant interaction with nature and the unexpected situations that every day brought. Both agree that sailing on a boat is much more than a holiday; it’s a lifestyle that you only really understand once you’ve experienced it.

Their advice to future sailors is based on their experiences. Jesper recommends being flexible with plans and enjoying the adventure each day offers rather than sticking to a strict schedule. “Idyllic holiday photos only come after adventurous trips,” he says. Melissa emphasizes the importance of respecting nature and understanding that you can never fully predict what it will bring.

In these two weeks, Melissa and Jesper learned what it takes to live on a sailboat and embraced the unexpected challenges of life at sea. They discovered the beautiful moments and adventures that come with living on a sailboat, and these experiences have forever changed their perspective on vacation and adventure.