The Society Islands. On the Same Charter.
Raiatea, Tahaa, Huahine, Bora Bora — the pinnacle bareboat trip for a reason.
Overview
Tahiti — more accurately, French Polynesia — is the bucket-list bareboat destination. Charters depart from Raiatea (the second-largest island in the Society chain) and work the leeward islands: Raiatea and Tahaa share a lagoon and a barrier reef; Huahine is a half-day east; Bora Bora is a full-day west. Each island is its own world. The lagoons are flat water in vivid turquoise. The pass entrances through the barrier reefs are the only open-water sailing on a typical charter — most of the trip is inside protected lagoons.
What's hard: getting there. From the US West Coast it's 8 hours nonstop to Papeete (PPT), then a 45-minute flight to Raiatea. Provisioning is in Uturoa (Raiatea's only town) and Bora Bora; between, you're carrying. Charter rates are at the top of the global market.
Best for charterers planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip, sailors who want lagoon-flat cruising in vivid water, and groups willing to commit to the travel time and rate.
Quick Facts
- Best months
- May – October (dry season, austral winter). November–April is hot and wetter (cyclone season is December–March but rare in the Societies).
- Sailing conditions
- SE trades 10–20 knots May–October. Inside lagoons, flat water; pass entrances can build with wind against tide.
- Water temperature
- 77–84°F year-round.
- Typical trip length
- 7-day most-booked, 10-day for the full Bora Bora run.
- Cruising character
- Lagoon-based, flat-water cruising punctuated by short pass crossings between islands.
- Customs
- Visa-free for most nationalities (90 days for US passport holders). Charter base handles cruising permits.
- Currency
- CFP Franc. Euro accepted in some places; USD less so.
Sample Itineraries
All depart and return from the charter base. Distances are approximate nautical miles.
7-Day Active
- Day 1 — Raiatea (Marina de Uturoa) → Tahaa (Hurepiti Bay). ~6nm N (inside the shared lagoon). Short first sail. Anchor in the bay. Tahaa is the vanilla island — visit a working vanilla farm in the afternoon.
- Day 2 — Hurepiti Bay → Coral Garden snorkel + Tapuamu. ~5nm. Drift snorkel through the Coral Garden between motus on the north end of Tahaa. Tie the dinghy to the marker line and let the current carry you over the coral.
- Day 3 — Tapuamu → Bora Bora (through Teavanui Pass). ~20nm W. Cross open water to Bora Bora. Enter the lagoon through Teavanui Pass — the only pass into Bora Bora. Anchor or mooring in the lagoon off Vaitape.
- Day 4 — Bora Bora, hold. Snorkel the famous outer reef. Lunch at Bloody Mary's. Sunset off the boat with Mount Otemanu in the background.
- Day 5 — Bora Bora → Raiatea. ~20nm E. Return to the shared Raiatea/Tahaa lagoon.
- Day 6 — Raiatea → Huahine. ~25nm E (open water). The least-developed of the four islands. Anchor in Fare or Avea Bay.
- Day 7 — Huahine → Raiatea. ~25nm W. Return sail back to Marina de Uturoa.
Anchorages Worth Planning Around
Coral Garden (Tahaa)
Between two motus on the north end of Tahaa.
Getting There
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