Your vacations afloat
Since the essence of Polynesia stems from its myriad of islands, what better way to visit than by sea? It’s the most authentic, surprising and natural way to discover our destination.
A catamaran, is: a home afloat, a means of transportation and a base for nautical activities – all in one
A living space : we provide all you’ll need to make your daily life comfortable. Sheets and towels of course and a galley-kitchen with refrigerator, cooker, gas stove, barbecue etc. Converter for charging your batteries.
For fun activities, you’ll find sea kayaks, stand up paddle boards, snorkel equipment.
Your catamaran is well-suited for both longer and shorter inter-island sailing.
A choice of catamarans to suit
All our boats have 4 double cabins and 2 or 4 bathrooms, depending on the model. They can take up to 10 guests.
The “Classic” types are much appreciated by families and groups of friends and represent an excellent value-for-money.
Our “Grande Croisière” models, equipped with generator, air conditioning and water maker, are ideal for sailing in the Tuamotu, where there are water shortages. The standard of comfort is that of a home.
We organize private cruises, with or without crew, for couples or more. The only other persons on board will be your crew and they know how to make themselves unobtrusive whenever it is appropriate.
With or without crew?
You can rent one of our catamarans without a skipper if you have the necessary experience. However, in the Tuamotu and the Marquesas, because of local conditions one of our professional local skipper is mandatory aboard.
Sailing in the Leeward Islands is generally easy with the trade winds blowing from east to west. In July and August, we have a south-easterly called the mara’amu, which can get up to force 6 or 7 on occasions – 25 to 30 knots. It is comparable to the Greek meltem.
As well as taking care of the safety of the vessel and its passengers, our skippers are truly guides. They know the best spots for fishing and the favorite haunts of manta rays and dolphins. They will take you to explore coral gardens, go up a river by dinghy, meet with vanilla or pearls producers (for free) etc. They take you to dive centers, the best local restaurants and advise you on excursions, such as the visit of the lagoonarium on Bora-Bora or an island tour of Huahine.
Each day, your skipper will help you plan your time according to your wishes. And you are free to help in sailing duties, if you so desire.
We select your skipper according to your favorite activities and profile (for example, fishing, lazing, whether you have kids with you etc) and the boat is at your disposal throughout your cruise.
The “100% Holiday” option lets you spend your time without any housekeeping worries thanks to our hostess-cook aboard who will take care of all provisioning and meals. You’ll wake to the smell of freshly-brewed coffee; your lunch will be waiting when you return from your morning excursion; you’ll be seated comfortably for your evening aperitif while dinner is being prepared. Menus are adapted to your own tastes and we can accommodate special meal requirements. Naturally we give priority to local fresh fruits, vegetables and fish.
If you prefer to be independent, we will provide you with a list of supplies from which to choose and they will be aboard on your arrival for you to check and pay for. The galley-kitchen has all you need for preparing your own meals – oven, stove, barbecue, refrigerator etc).
Personalized proposals and quotations
Your cruise price will depend on various factors: the catamaran type you select, season, duration, with or without crew. We will send an individual tailor-made proposal for each request.
You may set off on your cruise on whichever day of the week you choose.
You will leave the marina a few hours after your arrival as soon as embarkation formalities have been completed and you’ll return the boat to Raiatea on your last day, 2 hours before your flight time or by 3.30 pm at the latest. In this way you can profit from the catamaran for 8 full days. If you choose to disembark elsewhere than at our Raiatea homebase, you must plan to be there by 12 noon at the village dock. This is a paying option unless you have our skipper on board.
Where to sail?
For details please consult “First Visit to Polynesia“.
Leeward Islands
Tahiti Yacht Charter is based on Raiatea in the Leeward Islands, at 40 minutes flying time from Tahiti. Four main islands, each with their own individual charm, can be reached in 3 to 5 hours easy sailing time.
If you wish to leave from Tahiti itself, we will bring your catamaran across from Raiatea for an extra cost. The sailing time from Tahiti to the Leewards is some 18 to 20 hours so you must spend the night aboard. This option route is reserved for experienced sailors and for durations of more than 2 weeks.
Raiatea, called the Sacred Island, is bathed in a magic and mysterious atmosphere. It shares the same lagoon as little sister island Taha’a where you will find green valleys, many pineapple and vanilla plantations and breathtaking views.
Bora Bora, the pearl of Polynesia, is the celebrated dream island famous for its crystal-clear turquoise lagoon and its ring of tiny white-sand islands, called motu, on which palms sway lazily in the breeze.
Wild and secret, Huahine has largely escaped from the modern way-of-life and remains very authentic, with a population proud of its cultural heritage and Polynesian ancestry.
A cruise of one or two weeks will introduce you to the best of these island paradises.
The Tuamotu
To the NE of Raiatea lies the most extensive archipelago of French Polynesia, the Tuamotu.
Here time has stood still and the modern world seems absent. The wide lagoons within these coral atolls are exceptional: they contain 25 pearl farms, spectacular dive sites, passes through to the open sea teeming with fish life and very much a Robinson Crusoe existence.
Rangiroa, seems like one enormous strip of white sand. Its spectacular favorite spots are the “Blue Lagoon”, Tiputa Point and the fossilized corals of “Reef Island”.
A snorkeling trip is an unforgettable experience in itself.
If you are looking for complete calm and isolation, head for Tikehau. It’s all of 300 km from Tahiti and its pristine lagoon is one of our wonders.
The island of Fakarava and its surrounding atolls is so special that it has been classified as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
The comparative isolation of the Tuamotu and local navigation conditions mean that you must have one of our skippers aboard – for your safety and that of our vessel.
The Marquesas
The Marquesas Islands or the myth of Eden.
“Wild” is the adjective that springs to mind to describe these islands that have seduced so many notable artists. Its mountain peaks fall abruptly into the sea and they have no encircling reef and therefore no lagoon. The islands have innumerable bays and the atmosphere is quite unlike any other part of Polynesia.
Hiva Oa is a favorite stop among these islands for its beauty and for a visit to the final resting places of painter Paul Gauguin and singer Jacques Brel.
Nuku-Hiva and its Taiohae Bay is recommended for its relatively protected moorings at the foot of impressive sheer cliffs.
The Marquesas are some1,500 km from Raiatea and would be a sail of some 7 to 10 days .
Flying time from Papeete to Nuku Hiva is around 3 1/2 hours.
We require you to have one of our skippers on board, given the sailing and boat maintenance conditions in the Marquesas.