Raiatea Cruising Notes
Raiatea was a bit confusing for us when we came here. Here’s some of what we learned as we stumbled about.
1 – 2 – 3. You can tie up at the public docks. Number 1 in the drawing is by far the best place to tie up. You can also tie up at number 2 but it’s rough as the wakes from the local boats hit you beam on and the waves make a lot of noise under the wood boardwalk. Number 3 is the dock for the Shell gas station (with diesel – we assume you can buy duty free fuel here). You need to see the harbor master to arrange payment – see number 6. There is a little inside section here but it’s reserved for local boats as we understand. There is also a wood pier at the north end but that also seems to be for local boats.
4. This looks like it’s not a bad anchorage area 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.
5. This is the marina we ended up in. We’re told that there is seldom space here. You can ask Andre who manages this marina if there are any boats out and if a temporary spot might be available. (Andre speaks French only.) You can also ask the harbor master – Hinano, but we got in a little bit of trouble doing this as it seems that while Hinano has the power to grant slips in this marina, the proper thing to do might be to talk to Andre first. He can be found around the marina grounds. Just ask around. Hinano can be found in her office at number 6.
6. This is the harbor master’s office. The harbor master is a woman named Hinano. I’m not sure that harbor master is her exact title, but close enough. She doesn’t speak much English but is very nice. You need to see her after tying up at the public docks to arrange payment. It is very inexpensive. We don’t know exactly how much but we think it was about $5 US a day for our 38 foot boat. No credit cards are accepted and you pay up front. I don’t remember seeing any signs on the building. Look for a building with a pyramid shaped skylight in the center. It’s not far from a big radio tower.
7. There is 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 bit of a shortage of restaurants in Raiatea. There’s a pretty good one in the building right next to the public docks. We found a nice one near the boat yard called Mimosa. It had really good food at about $11 – $13 US for a dinner. It’s too far to walk from town. There are some little snack shops in town that aren’t bad. There are some food trucks that set up in the evenings in town and 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’s a little expensive at about $92 US/day for one day and $169 US for two days.
Sight seeing – We drove around the island and it is very beautiful. There isn’t a lot in the way of restaurants. There are some great Mare and a great 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 is highly recommended for both 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 am very impressed. We talked to several people who were very happy with his service. His phone number is 73 15 79. I think he’s an American. He lives here permanently on his catamaran at the marina. He 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. There were a few boats anchored in two of the bays on the east side of the island. One problem with these anchorages is that there are no restaurants or stores within walking distance. Another is that there is a big charter fleet on Raiatea and this is where these boats go so you may get people who are a little 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.