Had a nice sail over from Moorea initially, but slowly wind died down so I ended up motoring overnight, knowing I could top up in Bora Bora. At daybreak, I was passing Raiatea, with Bora Bora just visible in the distance. The wind came up as I reached the SW end of Bora Bora, so I was able to have a nice peaceful breakfast under sail, watching the surf crashing spectacularly onto the reef as I passed towards the well-marked reef passage into the lagoon.
I went over to the Bora Bora Y.C. just to see what the anchorage was like and then headed down to Bloody Mary's and picked up a buoy there. I was kindly offered help picking up the buoy by David & Mary ('Kismet') on a nearby boat who turned out to be fellow-members of the O.C.C. with several mutual friends. We all went for a relaxed lunch at a very pleasant hotel beach restaurant nearby (Bloody Mary's, surprisingly, being closed on Sunday). On the way, we passed a black pearl 'Farm' - the dark
'cultivated' pearls were fascinating colours and the lovely pearly shell halves were hanging everywhere - I couldn't resist the offer of being given some... (shells, not pearls!)
Back at the boats, we found S. African friends of David & Mary had turned up - so I ended up with yet another highly sociable evening .... and late to bed. (I think I need to get to sea again to get some rest...!!)
Although there are clearly lots of hotels and tourist development here, it's all fairly low-level and doesn't seem to me to detract from the scenery too much - not from the water, at least.
Today I'm making use of my last chance to get on Internet for a time and then I'll be going to refuel and clear out from French Polynesia before heading towards Niue - a 9-10 day passage with the possibility of a stop midway in the lee of an island if I fancy it & if it's not overnight when I get close - I'll see - it's often simpler to keep on going, once you're in 'passage mode'! The forecast is for light winds for several days so the passage may take longer anyway - another good reason not to
stop.
I'd better send this now, so I can get to the 'gendarmerie' well before midday in case they close then.