Whether it s a five minute helicopter ride or a two hour sail from Tahiti with humpback whale watching en route, the island of Moorea (20Nm) is where all cruising should begin. The islands stunning backdrop of jagged cliffs and craggy mountains is home to the sheltered anchorage of Opunohu Bay. At the head of the bay is a track to a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the Pacific beyond and is well worth a visit for a short hike in the rain forest followed by an island tour via open air buggy or scooter through the pineapple plantations and local farms. A short tender ride from the anchorage is a special spot for feeding Sting Rays in the wild where you can stand or swim amongst them in the pristine lagoon.
A short distance away you can view the spectacle of the local kite surfers at Les Tipaniers, boosting and carving up the lagoon, or join them for a lesson and a session. Golf is an option here as well as a local dance show at Tiki Village.
From here it s a decent downwind leg to Huahine (85Nm) where you ll find more Humpbacks nursing their young in season. When there is an opportunity, we like to snorkel amongst the whales in a serene spot just outside the protected pass. There is a resident pod of spinner dolphins and the locals surf the right hander in the pass all day. With Silvertip we can access the southern anchorage of Parea and park next to the most azure calm blue water the Societies has to offer. A good place to arrange a trip to the local pearl farm through Port Bourayne which splits the two Islands or take a trip to see the Blue Eyed Sacred Eels. The main town of Fare is the quietest in the Societies but you can regularly get fresh fish, mad crabs, and occasionally lobster. Some of the best tattoo artists reside here; you may want some local ink.
Then it s a short sail across to Raiatea (35Nm) and into another pristine calm lagoon. A kayaking trip up the Faaroa river, visit the most sacred Marae in French Polynesia, hike the river trails of the three cascades or buys some local carvings from the township of Utoroa, or take a horseback tour. There is a decent daily air service to connect to Tahiti form here. Inside the same lagoon is the Island of Tahaa (20Nm), the vanilla Island. With its rim of small sandy islands (Motu s) we can gain access to a private island for a picnic or take a lagoon tour and check the fish traps. Taking a 4 wheel drive and quad tour of the vanilla plantations is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon in Taha a. Just on the NW end of the island is the beautiful anchorage of Tautau buy Le Taha a Resort and Spa where guests can treat themselves to soothing spa and body treatments. The snorkelling in the natural aquarium here is world class. The views over the ocean to Bora Bora serve as a beautiful sunset backdrop.
We will sail out of the pass of Taha a and on to Bora Bora (35Nm) which has a vast array of lagoon activities from catamaran sailing, diving with Lemon Sharks, Manta Ray encounters as well as luxurious shore facilities and restaurants such as the Four Seasons, St Regis or the famous Bloody Marys. Bora Bora is a good place to satisfy your pearl shopping needs or just pass the day checking out another vast and stunning lagoon. This is a good place to disembark and connect by air to Papeete. There are many scheduled and charter options available.
This itinerary has been created by Captain Blair MacLeod and can be adjusted upon your particular requests. Blair has been running Silvertip for over 5 years. He has sailed over 50,000 nm on her in the Pacific and has been coming to the South Pacific Islands for 15 years. With a long history in yachting having captained many Superyachts he is more than competent when handling this yacht. Blair is a true Kiwi, he enjoys the ocean and what it has to offer. As well as sailing he is passionate about kite surfing, diving, fishing and yacht racing. Being a calm and patient captain he has attracted a great team to work with him on Silvertip. Blair and his crew have an intimate knowledge of the Tuamotus for a more adventurous world class diving trip where we can start from Fakarava and cruise to Toao and Rangiroa... On all those trips on top of our great crew we can have a professional diver who will not only guide you to the best shark and manta rays diving spots but also film all your adventures...
JASON COX ENGINGEER Jason joined Silvertip as a full time engineer in May 2014. With over 12 years working on yachts he is an experienced sailor and engineer. He started his engineering career working in mines in Australia and was sailing on the family boat before he could walk. Coming from a small town in NSW, Australia called Wangi Wangi (so good they named it twice) he has grown up on the water. His other hobbies include; kite surfing, surfing, diving, windsurfing and running. MARK ANDREWS CHEF With a long history of chef positions behind him and a love for the ocean Mark is a great asset to the team on Silvertip. He has a natural flare in a variety of cooking styles from Mediterranean to Thai and years of experience in luxury private villas and restaurants around the world. Before Silvertip Mark was the proud owner of a bakery in the beautiful Mangawhai, New Zealand. He is skilled in making breads and pastries. In his free time Mark enjoys spear fishing, scuba diving, surfing and snowboarding. AISLING BLACK STEWARDESS Ash has been part of the team for over a year now. She has been working on super yachts since 2010 and has sailed from a very young age. As our token Irish she has a great sense of humor and takes everything in her stride. She has been working in hospitality for many years in different corners of the globe and has a keen eye for detail. Ash has been in the South Pacific for two years now. She keeps fit and enjoys hobbies like surfing, SUP, diving and running.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Builder: Yachting Developments Length: 33.80m (110 11 ) Beam: 57.10m (23 4 ) Draft: 4.30m (14 1 ) Year Built: 2001 Flag: Marshall Islands Cruising Speed: 10 knots Last refit: 2012 No. of Cabins: 3 Guests (Sleeping): 7 Guests (Cruising): 12 Total Crew: 4 Gross Tons: 114 Fuel Consumption: 35 Litres/Hr Deck Jacuzzi: No Location Summer 2015: French Polynesia, South Pacific Current Summer Base Port: Tahiti Summer 2015 Rate: 60,000 USD per week + VAT + Expenses Commercial/MCA/ISM Status: Private Yacht Limited Charter Cat 2 Availability: From August 1 st onwards in Tahiti Toys: Waterski Equipment Wake board Knee board Fishing gear including spear guns and game rods 6 x dive tanks and equipment plus snorkeling gear Kite surfing gear 2 x SUP 1 x quad copter with GoPro 4 Canon underwater camera Captain Name: Blair McLeod Captain Nationality: New Zealand