New Boat & New Friendships

One hurdle I have been facing is that I got so focused on buying the boat that I forgot to enjoy where I am. I would wake up at six, spend the whole day on the boat, and come back exhausted and with searing back pain, which is not exactly the best way to experience a place as friendly and beautiful as Tahiti. It took me about a week to realize I needed to actually live a little, meet new people, and explore. I decided to push myself despite my flimsy French, and skipped my Airbnb to head to a local hostel lobby. That is where I met Gauthier and Miika.

We did what new friends usually do and grabbed a beer by the pier, trading stories about what brought us to the middle of the Pacific. It seems like everyone you meet here has a crazy reason for being in Tahiti. Miika is a Finnish guy taking a break from life to chase waves and adventures, while Gauthier has a story that is similar to mine but bolder. He is from France, here to buy a boat and sail around Oceania, even though he does not know how to sail. He has no time limit, no restrictions, and zero experience. But here in Polynesia, everyone has been supportive, and I can tell he is determined to make it happen.

Hey everyone, sorry for the delay. It turns out I am a great procrastinator. I keep telling myself writing will be easier once I am actually out on the water, but so far, I have just been busy (and maybe a bit lazy). I have been in French Polynesia for over two weeks now, and it has been a mix of small wins and frustrating setbacks. My main focus has been to finalize the boat purchase, which thankfully went pretty smoothly. We did a thorough survey (shout out to surveyor Vincent Goyat, if you are ever in Tahiti and need a survey done, he is your guy) that involved hauling the boat out and inspecting every nook and cranny. We found a few issues, but nothing major, so once the survey and sea trial were done, it was just about ironing out the details.

A day after meeting them, Miika invited us to surf on the other side of the island. It felt surreal. One minute I was stressing in my Airbnb about the boat purchase, and the next I was surfing with the most jaw dropping scenery I have ever seen. Surfing also led me to another friend, Felix, a German guy on sabbatical who is chasing great waves. It feels like every person you meet here introduces you to someone else, and suddenly you are part of this growing community of travelers.

Miika has since left Tahiti for Mexico, but Felix, Gauthier, and I stuck around and ended up doing an awesome hike together. I never would have done that if I had stayed in boat purchase mode. The best news is I finally got the keys to my boat. It is officially mine, and I am one step closer to sailing the Pacific. I will keep you all posted on what comes next, hopefully without such a long gap in updates.