Bora Bora is called the “Jewel of the South Seas” for good reason—turquoise water, white-sanded islets, the famous Mount Otemanu and Pahia covered in lush greens, and the friendliness of the 6,000 islanders. The lagoon of Bora Bora is 3 times larger than its land mass. The island is about 7 million years old, and is somewhere between the Tuamoto atolls in age (10 to 40 million years old), and high islands such as Tahaa and Raiatea (2 to 3 million years old). A mere 8 million years from now, the island will have sunk into the ocean and been replaced by a lagoon surrounded by a fringe reef.

We arrived on a Sunday and tied to a mooring buoy next to the well known Bloody Mary’s restaurant. The following morning we took the dinghy to the south-east part of the island to a place called the Coral Garden, an amazing natural underwater park where all sorts of tropical reef fish are found. I was able to get better close-up pictures of fish here since the water was crystal clear, the sun was bright, and the fish seemed less afraid than at other reefs we snorkeled at. After several hours of this, we got back in the dinghy and motored to the Intercontinental Resort where we used the pool, played in the sand, and relaxed.

For dinner we ate at Bloody Mary’s, where you make your selection by looking at the displays of fresh fish and meat on ice before being seated. We had Meka (a type of swordfish found only in French Polynesia), Ribs, Steak, and their signature Bloody Mary (me) and Strawberry Daiquiri (Karen). The tropical atmosphere, sand covered floor, and great food made this a memorable dining experience!

As we moved to different anchorages around Bora Bora, I captured different views of Mt. Otemanu and Mt. Pahia at different times of the day.

Boat Repairs
Dinghy Engine–We use our inflatable dinghy like land-based people use their car. It’s our main transportation once we reach a destination and are anchored. We have a small 6HP 4-stroke Tuhatsu engine that has needed practically no maintenance during its 8 years of use (only changed oil and spark plug). Recently it has been stalling at low throttle, which makes it hard shifting into forward or reverse. So we suspected it was time for a carburetor cleaning. Thanks to YouTube, we were able to follow along the procedure while watching a 10-minute video with the exact same engine model. After removing the carburetor from the engine, we took it apart to gain access to the 2 jets for cleaning. Even a tiny particle can clog the holes in the jets and make the engine run poorly or not start at all. The low-rpm jet probably had some dirt or byproducts from ethanol in gas that was causing the engine to stall at low throttle. Using carburetor cleaner, we sprayed the casing, the 2 jets, and all of the orifices until all were shiny clean, then reassembled and reinstalled the carburetor back into the engine. It started up on the first pull and ran smoothly at low rpm, so we’re calling it fixed!

Zincs—While anchored in the crystal clear lagoon behind Toopua island, I got out our Hookah system (tankless diving) and changed the zincs, scrubbed the prop, and cleaned the hull bottom. Compared to the Marquesas, we’re getting far less barnacle growth on the hull, so it was a quick and easy job.

Sail Repairs—Friends aboard Maestro, a beautiful 72’ Irwin ketch, needed some minor repairs along the luff of their mizzen and main sails. Since we have a Sailrite sewing machine aboard, we offered to help out with the repairs. After transporting the machine to their boat via dinghy, we let out enough sail from their in-boom furling for Karen to sew patches along the bolt-rope where the chafing had occurred. Karen is getting very good sewing canvas and sails and it always feels good helping other cruisers.

Jacintha with Luke and Mathias from Bob The Cat (from NZ)