Cook Bay Moorea

The sea has us back. Dark blue and a not too high wave make it easy for us to get back on board. We are heading for Moorea at five knots. With the new sails set, the boat is making good speed, considering that we once again have to contend with an upwind course. The weather forecast predicted south-southwest 10 knots. In fact, we have west-southwest winds of 15 knots, so we can't set a direct course for Moorea. With a true wind of 40°, we barely manage a course of 300°, which takes us out to sea.

Katinka in Moorea

Our place in the marina is in high demand, so we have promised those following us that we will contact them via WhatsApp half an hour before we cast off. In the meantime, I start the engine and make the lines ready. Port Control gives us clearance via channel 12 with the information that two ferries are entering the harbor area and I have to let them pass. Which is obvious in itself. So we set off and meet the people following our berth in the marina. We greet each other and wish us all the best. The ferries have now also passed us and we have a clear run to the exit of the pass. Shortly after the exit, we shoot into the wind and set the main. The course is set at 300° and we let out the genoa. Once the engine is off, the pleasant calm that we have been missing for some time returns. Even though Papeete Marina is very pleasant for sailors due to its central location, it is also very noisy due to the traffic. The peace and quiet on the water makes this very clear once again.

Dyneema, strong as steel

Our Katinka is happy, too. She plows through the water at five knots and looks quite smart with her new sails. Moorea itself is covered in a thick cloud of rain, so we can't see the island at all. In this respect, the course out to sea is not awkward, as we avoid the worst of it. Nevertheless, a drizzle reaches us, making it quite chilly. The hope that the wind will turn more to the south in the wind cover of Moorea is confirmed, but it is nowhere near enough to set a direct course for Moorea. So halfway there, we start the engine again and go a little more upwind under main. The Freya, a 53' catamaran flying the Austrian flag, overtakes us shortly before entering Cook Bay. Our neighbors in Papeete set off a little later and took the direct route under engine. We agree by radio to head for Cook Bay and stay here for a few days. 

Cook Bay, Moorea

In the meantime, the thick rain cloud has rained off and moved away to the north-east. A pale blue sky peeps out and the red and green buoy marking the entrance to the pass comes into view. At the entrance on the east side of Cook Bay there is an anchorage in the shallows of the outer reef. We steer clear of a diving boat, as divers are suspected to be in the water. There are four yachts in the anchorage, so there is plenty of room for us. The water abruptly changes color from dark blue to light turquoise. The water depth rises from 17 meters to 2.4 meters. Breathtaking, especially as the nautical chart indicates 1.6 meters at this point. Even with our catamaran, it's getting tight. We carefully sail our Katinka across the shallows and find a nice spot where our anchor buries itself in the white sand. 

Crystal clear water on the outer reef, Moorea

The water is crystal clear, and you can see the anchor chain and anchor very clearly. After five hours, we reached our destination, despite the detour. We steered the 17 miles or so by hand, as the rudder transmitter had failed and so the autopilot wasn't working. The rusty screws point to another challenge, but I don't want to deal with that at the moment. For now, we enjoy the peace and quiet at the anchorage, which is only briefly interrupted by jet skiers or excursion boats. We encounter dolphins in the bay and swim with rays and puffer fish. The few small coral sticks scattered in the white sand are home to small, colorful reef fish. The next day, the Lady Blue also arrives in Cook Bay and looks for an anchorage. Not so easy, with a draught of two meters. But Horst is an experienced skipper and, as always, is fully concentrated. That's why he doesn't even see us at first. But of course we make ourselves noticed and he drops in on us. Unfortunately, he has caught a virus and doesn't fancy a beer. Well, it's winter in French Polynesia, after all, and things like that can happen. It usually passes quickly.

Anchorage in Moorea

We'll wait until the west wind ends, which is forecast till the weekend, and then see what happens. There is still a lot to discover on Moorea. Until then, we wish you: always fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.