Yott Sailing Fact Box : Society Islands

Yacht Charter: bareboat and skippered charters are available with Tahiti Yacht Charter, Stardust Yacht Charters, Dufour Tahiti, Star Voyage Pacific, The Windward Islands Cruising Company, Sunsail and Moorings.

Best Time to Go: April-October (average temperature 24-30°C), with easterly tradewinds of 10-20 knots. The cyclone season is December- March.

Time: GMT -10 hours

Flights: International airlines include Qantas, Air New Zealand and Air France with flights into Tahiti. To get to the main charter base on the island of Raiatea, chose between ferry, internal flight, seaplane, helicopter or water taxi.

Port of entry: Papeete, Tahiti, 17°32’S 149°34’W

Shopping: Food shopping is excellent in the major towns, although expensive by European standards. Local agriculture is pineapple, vanilla, citrus fruits and coconuts. French supermarkets offer wide selection of goods and local bakeries offer baguettes and croissants. Meat is very expensive. Souvenir shopping for black pearls, carvings and jewellery.

Languages: French, local patois is Reo Maohi, limited English

Currency: Polynesian Franc (CFP), cashpoints accept switch and visa

Customs: Giving of lei (necklace of Tiare flowers) to visitors as a welcome. Unlike France, it is not usual to tip.

Information: Most charter companies have their own daily nets

Don’t Miss: July is festival month with dance competitions and displays throughout the islands culminating in the finals in Tahiti at the end of the month. The morning market in Papeete, Tahiti is superb with low priced black pearls and souvenirs and excellent fruit and veg. A good range of tattoos also available. ‘Le Truck’ (a brightly coloured truck with bench seats) is the most economical way of getting around the islands and the local equivalent to a bus.

Charts: The islands are well charted with leading lines into the lagoons. The passes into the lagoons are generally well marked with channel markers. Inside the lagoons eyeball navigating is often required to reach suitable anchorages.

Warnings: Navigating the passes into the lagoons requires precision. Never guess, or hope you are in the right place, always be absolutely sure before entering a pass. Many yachts end up on the reef, some forever, thus becoming navigational marks! Navigating through coral should be done whilst the sun is high and behind you. Don’t leave your move until the end of the day when the sun is low, you are likely to run aground. Don’t forget your polarised sunglasses!

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