Tag Archives: music

Hoppin Huahine

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We finally had a good weather window to head to Huahine. We typically do this passage at night because it is far enough (almost 80nm) where we cannot make it during daylight hours. So, we leave at 1600 and usually arrive around 0800-0900.

We had a beautiful beam reach sail from Mo’orea to Huahine. We had a reefed main and jib as we did not want to go “too fast” and arrive before sunrise. As it turned out, Sugar Shack wanted to move. Matt kept trimming the sails to slow her down, but she was on a mission to get to the Leeward islands. As it turned out, we managed to slow down enough to arrive at dawn.

Trip Details

Total Miles: 89nm
Total Hours: 14.5
Avg Speed: 5.96
Max Speed: 11.9

First 50 miles rocking it
Avg Speed: 7.7
Max Speed: 11.9

Friends Abound

Our first stop is Izzy’s burgers. Doesn’t matter how tired you are, you stop at Izzy’s! We have been craving her burgers for months and months. As it turned out we stopped by 3 different times for lunch and once for breakfast and it never disappoints!

She makes an Izzy burger that Matt is in love with! It is a regular burger with bacon wrapped shrimp, lettuce, tomato and special sauce. I usually get the veggie burger with cheese and on my last day I topped it off with bacon wrapped shrimp and found a new favorite! One day her plate dejure was shrimp salad and I loved it! For breakfast I had a giant omelet and Matt had poison cru with a shredded coconut (an Izzy special).

Izzys at Huahine

Izzys at Huahine

We met Anne in Gambier. Her best friend is Poerani, our friend who is an English teacher in Gambier. Anne lives in Huahine and is an English teacher as well. We brought her a bunch of school supplies and books for her students. We even had Anne and Lizzy, another teacher on the boat for an afternoon of fun.

Matt, me, Anne at the Huahine Yacht Club

https://www.svsugarshack.com/2022/01/moorea-escapades/

HOPPIN HUAHINE

Our friends Steve and Lili on the boat Liward joined us in Huahine. Steve plays with a few of the locals and decided to put together another concert. As you might recall, he played at Rock the Barge and Polynesian Jam Session in Mo’orea.

Steve secured a private bungalow on shore at the Huahine Dream Beach House. We had it for the afternoon and early evening. What a really beautiful place right on the beach with gorgeous views. It has a huge deck with a full size table and chairs, lounge chairs, and BBQ. Inside is a spacious living area and a marvelous kitchen with a chef worthy range and refrigerator. It has two bedrooms and can sleep 7 people, but 5 comfortably.

Huahine Dream Beach House

Huahine Dream Beach House

Our friends on Bella (Ulreka and Matias), Matt and I helped Steve and Lili bring all their gear to the bungalow and set up. We enjoyed a lazy day on the deck and beach until our event started.

A few of the locals brought floral crowns, which just made our day! The couples….Matt and I, Steve and Lili (lower left), Ulreka and Matias (lower right).

The ladies:

Taha’a Bound

After a week in Huahine we went to Taha’a and Raiatea. Lucky for us it was an easy 20nm downwind run so we flew Big Bertha and made it no time!

On the way we pass my 2nd yacht – Lady Christine which is a 68m (150’) by 12.5m wide (she is as wide as we are long)! She boasts of a helicopter, negative edge pool on the stern, cinema, workout room, guest suits for 10, 2 dinghies, and a 10m sailboat. Check out the photos on the above link as they are spectacular.

We have fun with loads of Mo’orea Escapades in our last blog. Events from this blog post occurred early October. Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.

Polynesian Jam Session: Cruiser Style

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Our friends, Steve and Lili from the boat Liward came back to French Polynesia after being stateside for the past 10 months.  Steve is a fantastic musician and has put on many jam sessions around French Polynesia.  Our last jam session was called “Rock the Barge” and was held in Huahine.

This time we had to do things a little different.  Technically, no live music is allowed during our confinement.  So, Steve thought, well we can host an impromptu jam session off the back of his boat.  We were all technically respecting the 1 meter distance and we are all vaccinated.

Steve has an all in one guitar which can be used as an electric or acoustic guitar.  He uses a luper where he can record himself playing and then play over it at the same time.  It is amazing to watch and listen to!  Steve plays a lot of Polynesian music and some American rock. 

 

We had about 8 dinghies show up carrying 22 people.  All from the Opunohu anchorage.

Some close ups of our friends.

It started right around dusk and lasted a few hours.  Super cool  We had a beautiful sunset to go with the amazing musical talents of our friend Steve.

Sugar Shack is right next door.  We could have easily seen and heard the music from our boat but it would not have been nearly as fun!

We take the ferry to Tahiti and are duly impressed with the Aremiti 2, the last blog.  Events from this blog post occurred the end of September.  Our blog posts run 10-12 weeks behind our adventures.

Steve at rock the barge

Rock the Barge

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We often hear locals strumming on their Uke or practicing on their drums and it draws us like bees to flowers.  However, it is rare to attend a music gig or concert outside of a heiva, especially during covid.  So, we jumped at the chance to attend “rock the barge” with a few locals and cruisers.

Steve, on Liward, is a very talented guitar player and singer.  He has been playing and putting on mini concerts with locals all over French Polynesia.  He invited Frank who owns the shell museum (see this post) who is a percussionist, and Terani to sing and play guitar.

Now, all they needed was a venue.  Typically, they play at the Huahine yacht club.  However, with covid restrictions we could not “gather” there.  However, there is a local family, Teiki and Tea, who have a beautiful house boat.  They have sailed it all around French Polynesia (by spinnaker).  They graciously offered their vessel for rock the barge!

A Polynesian House Boat

This remarkable house boat looks like a party barge as you approach. We had seen it around several islands. We approached it once hoping to buy a drink.  However, we quickly learned it was “prive” and went on our merry way.  They have a large engine and a spinnaker that helps maneuver the vessel from anchorage to anchorage.

Several large solar panels and a small generator provide power.  Everything looks authentically Polynesian and several varieties of local wood are used all around the boat.

Teiki and Tea's home

Teiki and Tea’s home

They have an open floor plan where the galley and salon are out back.  The helm is in the front, sleeping quarters are upstairs and below the sleeping quarters is a living / storage area.

They have a baby goat, an old rabbit, a cat and soon a chicken onboard.

They used a piece of bamboo for their herb garden and have beautiful Polynesian art all over the boat.  Can you guess what the rock like item is in the middle photo?  See answer at end of the blog.

They also had a beautiful, fast outrigger that they hand built over many months!  It was gorgeous sailing across the lagoon toward our anchorage.

Rock the Barge

It was time to rock the barge!  Steve had set up all the gear, did the sound check at 1700, and the festivities begin at 1800.  The main band consisted of Steve (left) lead guitar and singer, Frank on percussion and Terani on guitar and co-lead singer.

They had Teiki (the owner of the barge) fill in on harmonica on many songs and we had a guest appearance by Puamu who sang an amazing rendition of an Adel song!

We should have been better at social distancing, but considering there are zero cases of covid in Huahine we thought we were safe.  Hopefully.  There were about 20-25 people on the barge and another 12 people in the dinghies.  I love the local ladies’ flowers; they just enhanced their natural beauty.

A few of the dinghy crowd.  Tope is Linette and Neils (Storm Along) and Floris and Ivar (Luci Para 2).  Below is Dave and Jan (Hanna) and Ramon and his wife (Nawom)

Somehow, I was blessed with a crown and a floral leigh at the end of the night – perfect ending to a perfect concert.  I love Rock the Barge nights.

ANSWER:  The rock like item is an anchor.  A line is tied around the top portion, then it is tossed in the water and holds their barge in place.

Events from this blog occurred on 18 October 2020.  Our blog posts run 6-8 weeks behind our adventures.