Puddle Jumpers Brent and Ana — South African / Flemish sailors aboard SV Impi, a Lagoon 440 — made the trade-wind crossing from the Galápagos to Hiva Oa on their second circumnavigation. Here’s a taste of what they found on the other side. Follow them on Facebook @cat.impi.

For most Puddle Jumpers, the moment the Marquesas rise out of the Pacific is the payoff for weeks at sea. For Brent and Ana of SV Impi, it was also a homecoming: they first cruised French Polynesia in 2013–2014 and were so captivated that they came back this year, 13 years later.

What struck them first happened before landfall. Approaching Hiva Oa, they called the French Polynesian JRCC (Joint Rescue Coordination Centre) on WhatsApp about a line of isolated AIS beacons and got an immediate answer — the beacons marked fishing nets, safe to pass a mile off. “It is remarkable to have such a service available across such a vast and remote chain of islands,” they write.

Then came the welcome ashore: a clearance in Hiva Oa so simple and friendly they were enjoying tuna in coconut milk within ten minutes, surrounded by the scent of frangipani. But it’s the people that bring them back — fresh fruit pressed into their hands, unexpected help with repairs, and old local friends reunited over photos “of all of us looking much younger.”

They share fond notes on diving the passes of Fakarava during the grouper spawning (they’ve grown so fond of the fish they no longer eat them), the Wall of Sharks, hiking above Maupiti, the waterfalls of Moorea, and getting around Tahiti on the 200 CFP bus. Fellow cruisers — Holly and Maddy on SV Seasential, Josh on SV Nyla, Jessica and Jeff on SV Pennylane — add their own highlights.

Read Brent and Ana’s full story, “What Do We Love About French Polynesia?”, on the Sail Tahiti journal:

Read the full article on Sail Tahiti →

Planning your own Puddle Jump landfall? Sail Tahiti, the Pacific Puddle Jump’s local partner in French Polynesia, can help you prepare boat and crew for the islands.