By Grant 

So the last stop in French Polynesia was Maupihaa. After 8 months, this is the longest we have spent in any country. French Polynesia covers more surface area than Europe, so we needed the time to fully explore. Before recapping our adventures in FP, let me tell you about the most surreal island of Maupihaa.

We arrived early in the morning after sailing overnight from Bora Bora. The island is actually an atoll similar to those in the Tuamotus but it only has one narrow pass. The pass is so narrow that I don’t think any pleasure yacht as wide as Arabella has ever entered. We had been told the pass was 60 feet wide and Arabella is 33 feet wide. It's long and skinny, so you need to keep your boat centered  or it wouldn't be fun. Still, it seemed reasonable to visit since it would shave off 140 nautical miles from our passage, meaning another night of sleep (though ironically that didn't happen, as I'll explain later).

Arriving at the pass a little before 9 am, I was nervous, no - petrified! I couldn't see the walls of the pass because the water was rushing out at at least 4 knots. I couldn't keep the boat straight easily due to the current and the pass has no motu (land) on either side - basically a secret passage through the reef with two sticks suggesting it may be passable. This definitely wasn't for the faint of heart. Another yacht's captain (already inside) came up to me saying "no problem, all is good, just go!" Clearly he was French (no disrespect intended) and already inside. So I took a deep breath, lined up Arabella and pushed the engines up to 1900 rpm, charging into the outgoing current with hope and prayer. Thankfully, God was looking down on me that day and I managed to sneak through without touching anything. What a relief. But it was fleeting because as soon as I was in, I worried about getting out. Luckily I made it out okay but scary and far from any help.  

Inside the atoll, only 7 people live there. Karine and her mom live in the north, her uncle and his wife further south, another uncle further south, a man I didn't meet, and finally an elderly lady living alone in the south. Historically they farmed copra there but since the French government decided it was too expensive to send regular ships, the copra business has mostly stopped. With no public boats visiting, the community relies on cruisers like us for rides and supplies. No one needed a ride to Maupihaa when we left, so we just brought some fruit, vegetables, fishing tackles and old clothes. In return, Karine treated us amazingly. After providing fresh coconut waye for our family, we discussed exploring the outer reef for lobsters that evening. Karine was thrilled and said she'd take me.    

At 6 pm, I picked her up. She was wearing the same shorts and shirt as that day, just socks and plastic shoes to navigate the reef. I wore a wetsuit, reef booties, gloves and a catch bag. I felt overdressed but I know how challenging the reef can be. Clearly not for Karine. She knew all the secret little channels through the reef. It was like she had a map in her head. Quite extraordinary.  

What was even more extraordinary were the birds. Thousands of boobies and terns flying overhead. The sound drowned out the ocean breaking on the reef. I've never heard anything like it, not even at large aviaries. It felt a little like Lord of the Flies -- the dark night with no moon, miles from anywhere, following this woman out onto the reef alone with this deafening noise above. All in all an unforgettable experience and success too.

Daddy collected 9 good-sized lobsters for our passage the next day and hopefully gets one less night watch because Mommy is so happy.

If you're ever near this little atoll, visit Karine. You will not be disappointed.