Zephyr

We’d only planned to stay for three days but ended up staying for three weeks. It was without a doubt one of the best experiences all of us aboard Zephyr had had while cruising. We met Hio, the son of the Raioho family in Raiatea who said that we must visit Maupiha’a and suggested bringing frozen foods for his family. The supply ship only arrives once every 8 months or so. And so, with Zephyr having extra freezer space, we loaded it up with lots of goodness and merrily sailed for three days in ideal conditions. Upon arriving we were greeted by Marcelo, Adrienne, Faimano and Karina who welcomed us with open arms. On the first night dinner was a simple affair: we ate freshly caught coconut crabs with them. A true Polynesian treat. Many feasts were had in the subsequent weeks with us and the Raioho family creating some truly divine spreads. We all did our best to give something back to the Raioho family in every way we could. I even spent a day waterproofing/rewiring their entire powerboat that Marcelo uses for a grocery run to the nearest island (100 miles away) once a month. The island is a paradise. It’s only three miles long with an inner lagoon that can at times feel more like a swimming pool than the ocean. We spent our entire three weeks anchored in four feet of water. Days were spent on various missions around the atoll with lots of visits to the legendary pass where there were snapper, tuna and sharks galore. We are dreaming of returning there one day

Who: Roxy, Morgan, Eric
Where: Mopelia (Maupiha’a)
Multihull: Outremer 55 Light
www.voyageofthezephyr.com