We were losing the Sun. We’d sworn an Oath with the charter company not to sail at night yet here we were suddenly determining the official time of sunset and performing mental time and distance mathematics.

Completing the skippers’ briefing ahead of schedule and good to go we cleared the Apooiti Marina and outside moorings and set sail. We were mindful of adjacent Raiatea Airport’s clear zone — marked by yellow restricted buoys guaranteeing landing aircraft an approach free of our 62′ mast. Otherwise we had fun on a zig zag course toward our first obstacle challenge: Grand Banc Central, a reef in the lagoon marked with Cardinals. Rather than beating through the narrow Passage Tearearahi we ran engines and got through without muss. Uturoa was our first point of interest and after locating the visitor dock we made fast for a couple of hours. We split groups for some last minute provision hunting and to hike a 1000′ vertical rise (Mont Tapioi) for a vista reward.

Hot and a bit parched at the conclusion of our trek we detoured for ice cream cones in Uturoa and in hindsight, we squandered time (daylight) in its pursuit. Our overnight anchorage was short range but we were now pressed to make it in time. With the sun disappearing behind Taha’a but our Motu (Mahaea) just beyond Passe Toahotu in view we raced the failing light arriving just in the nic.