August, 2012 in Raiatea, French Polynesia
Raiatea was a bit confusing for us when we came here. Here’s some of what we learned as we stumbled about.
You can tie up at the public docks. You need to see the harbor master to arrange payment. There’s a little inside section here but it’s reserved for local boats as we understand. There’s also a wood pier at the north end but that also seems to be for local boats.
There is an anchorage outside of the marina which is decent if the wind isn’t too strong. We’ve been told that when it’s 20 knots off the island, it can be 28 knots at the north end of Raiatea as the wind funnels between Raiatea and Taha’a. There were up to four boats anchored here when we first arrived, before the wind came up. Big advantage – it’s close to town.
We got lucky and ended up in the marina, but it wasn’t easy and we’re told there is seldom space here.
I’ve marked the location of the harbor master’s office at the time we were there, but for all we know they have since moved. The harbor master at the time we were here was a woman named Hinano, but that was some time ago and things may have changed.
There’s a Total gas dock at the head of the bay just beyond the marina. You can get duty free fuel here and the woman who helped our friends seemed very friendly and helpful.
Shopping – There are three large grocery stores here. Prices seem very good and the selection is great. There’s a pretty big central market area right across the street from the public docks and the fruit and vegetable selection is OK, depending on what day you’re there.
Restaurants – There is a shortage of restaurants in Raiatea, but we found a pretty good one in the building right next to the public docks. We also found a nice place near the boat yard called Mimosa. It had really good food at about $11 – $13 US for a dinner but unfortunately it’s a very long walk from town. There are some little snack shops in town that aren’t bad and some food trucks that set up in the evenings just down the road. We haven’t eaten at any yet but one had good looking steaks.
Rental car – We rented a car at the airport at Hertz. You can walk to the airport from town or call them at 66 35 35. We dealt with Natalie – she was great. It was a little expensive at about $92 US/day for one day and $169 US for two days, but this island is beautiful and well worth the expense of renting a car to see it.
Sightseeing – We drove around the island and it was very beautiful. There isn’t a lot in the way of restaurants, but there are some impressive Mare and a fantastic hike to the three waterfalls.
Marine store – We didn’t find much in the way of marine supplies. There’s a little marine store at the caranage (boat yard).
Boat repairs – We found a man named Richard Neufeld who came highly recommended for mechanical, electrical, and electronic repairs. We didn’t use him for anything as we took care of our small issues ourselves, but after talking to him, I was very impressed, plus we had talked to several people who were very happy with his service. His phone number is 73 15 79, and I think he’s an American. He lives here permanently on his catamaran at the marina and stocks quite a few parts and has a small machine shop.
Other Anchorages – We didn’t anchor at Raiatea but we looked at several anchorages as we drove around the island. There were a few boats anchored by the boat yard on the northwest end of the island, and there were several boats anchored in two of the bays on the east side of the island. One problem with these anchorages was there weren’t eateries or stores within walking distance. Another was that there’s a big charter fleet on Raiatea and this is where they end up. As a result, you may have cruisers who are light on experience anchoring nearby, especially in the bays on the east side of the Raiatea. (I think this is also a consideration in the anchorages in Taha’a.) -Rich
