The legendary Pole Dancers of Mauputi

Our last day in Bora Bora was a busy one - a trip to the cyber-laundrette (half an hour's internet connection with every wash!), a formal clear out at the Gendarmerie and a final visit to the supermarket.

The Bora Bora moorings

No tumble-dryer required!

We left at 07.00 yesterday morning for the 27-mile crossing to Maupiti and unfortunately the breeze never really became established so, after an hour's very pleasant but slow sail with the Parasailor, we motored the rest of the way to arrive at the pass into the lagoon just after midday - which is as close to slack water as you can get. The pass comes with lots of dire warnings on the chart - current of up to 9 knots flows out and meets the incoming south-easterly wind to create scarey standing waves in rough conditions. When we arrived there were white rollers crashing onto the reef but the entrance was easy.

Maupiti is lovely - a big surrounding reef and low-lying motus (islands) make it very like a Tuamotus atoll, except for a high, wooded island in the middle; about 1000 people live here so the village has a couple of shops and a bolangerie. We're surprised to discover it has just been annexed by Germany and renamed Stormvogel Land - see Peter's blog for details and some great photos of the pass.

We're hearing great reports, from other boats, of manta rays in the lagoon and whales just outside so we plan to go and explore tomorrow but this morning there was a rare sighting of the Pole Dancers of Maupiti:

Dianne scaled Maunie's mast - her first time to the top. It's 58 feet above the waterline so quite a scarey cimb so Graham was very proud of her for conquering her fear of heights. Meanwhile Heidi was at the top of Stormvogel's mast to investigate why the anchor light isn't working.

The view from the top of the mast is pretty good - here are a few photos.

Looking south towards the pass, Stormvogel in the foreground

   Looking west towards the main island

Looking east to the Motu Tuanai - Gallinago in the foreground

Video fans will find another YouTube posting here - we'll gradually add more videos to the Maunie of Ardwall channel on www.Youtube.com (just search 'Maunie of Ardwall) but there are five there now.