Cruising by the Cabin in Polynesia

For sailors from all four corners around the world, French Polynesia is something of a nirvana, a holy grail for circumnavigating cruisers. I’d been enthralled by the stories of Bernard Moitessier, Paul-Emile Victor, and Alain Gerbault. But is it true that French Polynesia no longer resembles the description given by Bougainville in the 18th century? The only way to find out for sure was to go and check it out for myself. The problem is that the call of the South Seas comes at a price, and chartering a private catamaran is not within everyone’s budget. So when I saw that Dream Yacht was offering 11-day cabin charters in the Society Islands aboard a spacious Lagoon 620 crewed by locals, I didn’t hesitate.
Before heading off, I was inevitably wondering if the magic would still be there. We’ve all dreamed of it since childhood, this mythical Pacific Ocean that covers nearly a third of the planet. I had read everything I could about French Polynesia and sailing among these 118 sublime islands spread across five archipelagos, scattered across a maritime area half the size of the United States.

€ 7,200 for a Double Cabin, Full Board

For me, it was to be Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, and Bora Bora. The compromise seemed ideal to me: sure, I was going to have to share the catamaran with strangers, but the comprehensive itinerary would allow me to see almost all of the islands in the best conditions, without wasting time organizing the charter, provisioning and cooking, shore excursions, all the formalities, transportation, etc. And even though there’s pleasure to be had planning your own trip, being able to rely on a skipper who knows the waters, the dangers, the best anchorages, and the weather conditions well gave me the opportunity to fully enjoy a contemplative cruise without worrying about a thing. It seemed idyllic on paper, and very advantageous financially: €7,200 for a double cabin with full board (the optional shore excursion package costs €550 per person). No matter how many times I did the math, the budget/peace of mind ratio was unbeatable. The favorable season was well placed in my calendar: at the beginning of April, the warm southeast trade winds would soon set in. And of the six cabins on the latest Lagoon 620, which was not fully booked, only one was still available: I quickly decided to book it. Note: the charter company offers the same service with Bali 5.4s. All that was left to do was throw a few swimsuits in my suitcase and travel the 12,000 miles that separated me from Papeete. I’ve been sailing for 30 years but never has a cruising departure been so serene. I needed to bring almost nothing, trusting completely in the good reputation of the world leader in charter, and relieved that I hadn’t (completely) emptied my bank account. I reckoned I was off to a good start!

Lagoon 620: An Incredibly Comfortable Catamaran

Maeva Tahiti (“Welcome to Tahiti” in the local language)! Arriving at Marina Taina, I was ...