Reputed to the trickest pass entry in all of French Polynesia, we were pleasantly surprised to see this relatively calm entry. However….NARROW it was with no inner guiding marks. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
These two posts were the only markers at the entire atoll of Mopelia. The current was outgoing and as you can see the posts are in water that is around a foot deep. The trick here was to favor the right once inside. After a 100 yards and a minimum depth of 13 feet – the show was over. You don’t want engine fuel problems or hydraulic steering problems in a pass like this one. Both were of concern….. Piece of Coconut!….. The remains of most of the wreck of the “Seeadler” were just to the right of the white foamy wave in the right side of this photo. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
Anchored just south of the pass for easy diving access, we woke up one morning to this lovely site. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
The south motu where Calami and Sophies family lived, gave us very good protection from the south and east winds. We had to occasionally come here from the dive site anchorage to avoid weather. ! Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
The main village that was here years ago on the north side is gone. Only 9 people live on this far western atoll of French Polynesia. A family of 7 and another of 2. They live 300 yards apart and don’t get along. Copra farming is why they’re here. It’s pretty lucrative, especially as they have to pay no rent. Ownership is still being hashed out in Papeete of this entire atoll. The last in all of Polynesia for the government to assign land ownership. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
Calami and Sophies family. Natalie, Jerome and kids from sister Switch 51 – “Na Maka” (Spirit of the Sea), had been here three times before and the kids all played well together. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
The man himself. Calami showed me photo copies given to him by a visiting German yacht of the “Seeadlers” grounding taken by the crew in 1917. He drew me an extensive map of the underwater topography. Right for the most part, he got the depth of the “deep anchor” wrong by only 70 feet!….. Here is planting bread fruit with the help of one of three grandchildren on the island. This is about as “grass hut” as it gets….. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
The main house. Coconut trees and a tin roof. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
This is why they’re here. They get quite a lot of money for a 50 kilo bag of dryed coconut. It’s picked up every 4 months or so with a small vessel that visits and brings them supplies from Tahiti, 285 miles to the east. The roof of the drying shed can be slid over the drying copra to prevent it from being soaked by heavy rains. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
At least they have a lovely beach front view from their surroundings. It’s a tough life foraging everyday. They fish, collect terns eggs, coconut crabs and catch lobster on the reef at night. Gilligan’s Island did come to mind, but this is the REAL thing little buddy. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
There were dozens of these guys around. The day would come when they were dressed and cooked in an underground traditional oven. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
We don’t know how Natalie does it….Small boat, small kids. This is Calami’s oldest grandson whose name translates into “Big Head” (on the left) with Natalie, Leo and twins Artur and Tituan. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
The kids playing together gave Natalie (especially) a nice break. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
Cindy (with Leo in the background) looked lovely in the late afternoon’s “golden light” on the beach at South Mopelia Motu. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
Ouch….This is the famous Crown of Thorns “owie” that Cindy got in Maupiti about 2 weeks after it happened. It still hasn’t completely gotten better as I post this in mid August. She did have it looked at while on an unplanned sneak visit to New Zealand from where I’m posting these photos in Niue. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
No, I didn’t catch it. One of the local fishing boats came in for some rest from the bashing they were taking outside and via Calami gave each boat in the anchorage a 1/2 a piece of fresh sashimi. Yum! I rarely eat fish, and hadn’t cleaned one in about 30 years, but somehow I managed…. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
From left to right, “Na Maka”, unknown French boat, “Mahina Tiare III” and “Beach House”. John and Amanda Swan Neal have been doing payed sailor introduction practical voyages for the last 20 plus years. John who is about a year older than I am, sailed his “Mahina Tiare” from the US West Coast to Hawaii about a year before I did a similar sail aboard my Mariner 32, “Triad II” in 1976. He wrote a book about it which I read while sailing to Hawaii. After 34 years, we finally met in this remote Pacific Atoll. John and Amanda had been to Mopelia at least 8 times. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
Here’s the picture most people often associate with “life in the South Pacific”. Nice….. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
It was warm, breezy and pretty rough outside the island. We were glad to have the lagoon and islands protection. “Honey, I’m home!….” Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
We found this pearl oyster shell on the beach. There were dozens of abandoned pearl oyster buoys throughout the lagoon. When the black pearl market collapsed with the world economy, the former operators simply left their navigational hazards throughout the entire lagoon. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
We would take nice long walks from the lovely protected side of the atoll to the “wild side” where the south east trade winds were kicking up 12 foot swells and lots of uncomfortable looking waves. Glad we were inside, not outside!… Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
Cindy likes my new diet program. 45 lbs later, this was the new me. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
Bernard is one of those guys who the God’s watch after…..He’s a single hander from France. We met him here and again for a month in our next destination, “Aitutaki”. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
John Neal brought the “retail guests” over for an early evening video fest of our underwater exploits including some still photos of the wreck of the “Seeadler” right outside the pass in Mopelia. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
Yeah, we do look enough alike to be brothers, but alas close kindred spirits was to be our destiny. John and Amanda invited us over for dinner and the 10 of us were amazingly quite comfortable on their Halberg Rassey 46. Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
Sort of the Martha Stewart of the boating world. Amanda has written a very successful cook book for cruisers. You can see all about John and Amanda at: www.mahina.com Amanda’s cook book is, “The Essential Galley Companion”. Cindy got her copy autographed by Amanda in a secluded Pacific Island……Fun!…. Next stop, Aitutaki Atoll in the Cook Islands…..see you there! Mopelia Atoll, Society Islands – French Polynesia
