SATURDAY
Fly from your home airport to Papeete, Tahiti (airport code PPT). There are lots of flights from LAX. Once in Tahiti, catch a short flight with Air Tahiti out to the island of Raiatea (airport code RFP), or if you have more time, hop on one of the many ferries out to the islands. Plan on arriving at the boat late afternoon or early evening, unpack, and get settled aboard.
SUNDAY
Attend a charter briefing with the charter company, where they will talk about sailing conditions in the area and give us information about all of our destinations. First sailing class; boat familiarization, systems overview, docking and anchoring. Depart and enjoy your first sail from Raiatea to the island of Tahaa. A beautiful island, covered in lush vanilla plantations.
MONDAY
Morning systems briefing. Get an in depth look at all the systems on the boat, including an intro to diesel engines and maintenance. First sailing class; sail theory, points of sail and sail trim. Practice your new sailing skills as we sail from Tahaa, across to Raiatea and down the west coast to a remote anchorage. Anchor just off a little atoll, perfect for snorkeling and exploring! Head ashore tonight to eat at a delicious local restaurant overlooking the lagoon.
TUESDAY
Introduction to navigation, chart reading, GPS, and chartplotters. Today is passage day as we set sail for Bora Bora 23 nm away, the quintessential South Pacific island. Bora Bora is a stunning island, with jagged peaks covered in lush jungle, surrounded by a beautiful lagoon. Fishing techniques for cruisers will be introduced, and hopefully we’ll catch fresh fish for dinner! We will anchor in the western end of the lagoon and take our first ASA 101 test.
WEDNESDAY
Today we continue our sailing and exploration of Bora Bora! We will head into town to get fresh bread, pastries, veggies and hopefully some fresh fish! Chart a course and set off on an exploration of Bora Bora. We’ll stay inside the lagoon and work our way around the island, working on our sail trim and points of sail. We then do mooring practice in front of the most famous restaurant in Bora Bora, Bloody Mary’s. Take the ASA 103 test and head ashore for dinner!
THURSDAY
Today is another crossing day! Plot a course for the island of Tahaa, pop the sails, put out the fishing lines and enjoy the passage. We’ll continue with our sailing lessons, and everyone will have a chance to captain the boat. Then, we anchor off the famous Le Tahaa resort on the western side of the island, and enjoy one of the highlights of the trip, snorkeling the famous “Coral River” through two atolls. This will be some of the best snorkeling you’ve ever experienced! We wrap up the day with the ASA 104 test.
FRIDAY
As confident sailors now, you’ll captain the boat for a circumnavigation of the island of Tahaa! You’ll use all the navigation skills and sailing experience acquired during the week for this unique challenge. We will stop to visit a pearl farm and vanilla plantation before heading back to Raiatea. Anchor off the Raiatea Lodge Hotel tonight and go ashore for a celebration meal.
SATURDAY
Pack up bags, motor back to the marina for an 8am arrival, and say goodbye to everyone! Catch the shuttle to the airport for your morning flight home … Or, stay on a couple of days to further explore the area!