Week #16: packing up

Wallis sailing season #1 is coming to an end. Back in Tahaa, these last few days are all about packing up and making sure that Wallis will be comfortable until we come back again in a few months. What an amazing time we had...

Captain Yamu !

For our last sail for this season; from Huahine to Tahaa, I was the designated captain for the day, making all sailing decisions and leading the manoeuvres. If you would have asked a 15 year old Yamu which “tittles” she would like to identify with when she grows up, there would have been many; but “Captain” would definitely NOT be one of them! To be a sailing captain, you need to know your boat, understand the weather, know how to navigate the ocean, be calm in times of crisis and preferable also know how to swim. Well I didn’t possess neither a boat nor any of these skills and the sailing world was alien to me. So how did I get to this day captaining Wallis?

Most people believe that since Seb is a sailor and always wanted to sail around the world, he must have sold me this idea when we met. This is not true! Seb never mentioned his dream of sailing around the world; apparently he had accepted that it was not for this lifetime!

My first encounter with a sailboat was in La Rochelle when Seb’s dad took us out for a few hours on his 25ft boat Picaron in 2017. I loved the experience and there was no looking back from there. Fast forward a year and Seb had taught me how to swim in our condo pool in Singapore and we did even the Singapore Triathlon. He took me sailing, just the 2 of us on Picaron teaching me how to navigate and understand nature. After a sailing trip with friends in Polynesia in 2018 we seriously discussed the idea of buying and living on a sail boat and the rest is history. Even though I learnt from the best (Seb!), it still took me some time to feel completely confident to manage as a captain. Well, I did it, with 23 knots of wind and it was fantastic as Wallis was flying and I could boss around Seb while enjoying the sail :)

Heiva !

Every year in the month of Tiurai (July), the entire Polynesia switches to Heiva mode. Without any religious or historical motive, the Heiva festival is all about celebrating Polynesian culture.

Most islands have their own Heiva festival, which typically lasts 3 weeks. There are many events held during the day, from va’a (rowing boat) races to coconut opening competitions. In the evening, everyone goes out to have diner at the roulottes (local food trucks) and gathers for the main attraction: the traditional dance festival.

Each night one of the many dance schools of the island performs the show that they have been rehearsing for the past 3 to 4 months. A performance includes several traditional dances and songs, and involves between 20 to 100 dancers. They are supported by 10 to 20 singers and musicians playing typical Polynesian instruments (ukulele, nasal flute) and drums (To’ere, Pahu, Fa’atete). Most of these dancers are amateurs and this performance is a major milestone in the life of many of the Island Tane (boys) and Vahine (girls). At the end of the 3 weeks, the jury selects not only the best show, but also the best dancers and musicians who win the competition. The winners will perform one last time at the festival closing event.

The biggest event is Heiva Tahiti, which takes place in Papeete and gathers the best dance schools from all over Polynesia, including professional performers and musicians. We have already booked our ticket for next week's shows and cannot wait to experience the thrill and beauty of Polynesia traditions. My last live Heiva Tahiti performance in Papeete was in 1997…

What next ?

Time definitely flies and we can’t believe that we are already half way through 2023 and at the end of our first official sailing season. It’s now time for the non glamorous tasks that do not make it to Instagram! Our wrap up checklist is long and takes 3-4 days to complete. We need to oil the wood on the boat, pack up the anchor, pack up sails, clean up the rust, wash the boat, clean the toilet, empty fridge etc etc…

We could be sad to leave behind Wallis, but we choose to be grateful instead for this wonderful season. We achieved everything that we wanted to, discovered such beautiful places and met cool people. And through all that we managed to keep ourselves and Wallis safe. We have truly evolved - what a gift.

So what’s next? Well, for starters we need to go back to France to get some things organised and we hope to be back on Wallis before end of the year. This year is El Niño from a weather perspective (you can google what that means). For us it means there is a cyclone risk in Polynesia and we would have to leave Wallis in the dry docks between December - March if the risk is confirmed. Our spot is reserved, but not our tickets to Tahiti yet! Let’s see what second half of 2023 brings, but we hope to be back with our blogs for Season 2. May Ganesha and the wind gods be with us!

Thanks to all of you who took time and interest in our sailing life updates. We love you!