The Journey Begins

Today marks the first day I actually set foot in Polynesia. After a couple of back-to-back long-haul flights with a layover in LA, I finally landed at 4 a.m., dead of night. To my surprise, I was greeted by Tahitian singers and dancers performing local tunes. They must have been there to cheer us up, as customs and immigration hit a little snag. Besides the long wait times I specifically hit a snag with my overextended return flight, but after showing the officer this website, he seemed convinced I wasn’t planning to overstay my welcome.

Once I left the airport, I encountered my first miscalculation on the trip. Double-check your dates, folks. I arrived at 5 a.m. at the Airbnb where I’d be staying while I surveyed the boat for the rest of my trip, only to discover I had told them I was arriving a day late. Needless to say, my early check-in was null and void, leaving me with 18% battery on my phone and six hours to spend aimlessly strolling through Tahiti.

Famished, I headed to the nearest open market, which reminded me of my time in Spain. There were rotisserie chickens, fresh bread, and poke on the menu, but I decided to hit a local coffee shop and get a “Hawaiian omelette.” After breakfast, I ventured into the nearest Carrefour, a European supermarket, in search for a phone charger and a general feel for whats to offer. As I scoured the aisles, I realized I had underestimated Tahiti’s provisions. The fish section was impressive, with whole tunas on display; the cheese section took up 50% of the store and reminded me that I was indeed technically in a French territory; and I even found my favorite snack from Spain, Fuet, which I could never find in the States. Groceries weren’t going to be a problem... at least, not for now.

After wasting as much time as possible at Carrefour, I visited the marina. I wandered around until I spotted my potential vessel, Parallel. I noticed some mechanics shuttling back and forth between the engine compartment, so I decided to supervise, to make sure nothing was being “fixed” for the upcoming sea trial. After confirming they were only changing the starboard’s raw water pump, I asked for permission to board and inspected the vessel in person for the first time. So far, so good, but it won’t be until the full survey that I’ll know for sure if I’ll call it home until September.

After my inspection, my dock neighbors, Ian and Ann, invited me aboard. They were incredibly kind, and they shared how they had been liveaboards for over a decade. Unfortunately, they had experienced a string of bad luck, being hit by lightning while in the Tuamotus (my biggest fear, as it could cut my trip short). They gave me tons of advice on navigating the waters and provisioning, and even invited me into several sailor WhatsApp group chats for French Polynesia and other countries along my route.

After a quick chat, it was finally check-in time. I rushed over to the Airbnb, excited to finally get my sweaty travel clothes off, and was not disappointed. I had a beautiful little cabana right on the water with a perfect view of Moorea—the island to the northeast of Tahiti—as well as a sandbar where I could watch locals take breaks in their traditional Polynesian canoes (vaʻa). I soon followed suit: I grabbed my own kayak, took a much-needed stroll, and even dipped into the water at the sandbar. Tahiti might be the least pristine island on my journey, but even here, the corals look so much more vibrant than those in Florida. If everyone saw what healthy corals truly look like, maybe we’d do more to protect what we have back home.

After kayaking and enjoying what felt like a full day, I glanced at my watch and realized it was only 2 p.m. I fought the urge to hit the hay and instead found a rental scooter app that accepted my US driver’s license without any issues. I hopped on one of those bright yellow scooters, zipped into Papeʻete, and bought some groceries. Everything here is pricey—alcohol, in particular. Bottles that cost $40 in the US are $100 here. The only affordable brands are the local ones, so I made sure to buy their beer. After finishing up at the grocery store, I grabbed some poke for lunch and returned just in time for sunset.

Now, as I sip this Polynesian beer and watch the sunset over Moorea, I can’t help but feel excited for tomorrow. Tomorrow I finally start inspecting the boat in earnest and will get a true feel for whether it’s the place I’ll call home until September.