Sailing Doodlesvideo
Sailing to Bora Bora: Dolphins, Crystal Waters & Paradise
15 December 2025 · 14 min · 162K views · Raiatea
What this video covers
A 23-mile daysail from Raiatea to Bora Bora aboard the Island SPIRIT 525 covers the passage in light air — 6–7 knots at departure, briefly picking up to allow the genoa to roll out for the final miles.5:15 Bobby and Chloe leave a mooring ball in Raiatea early, raise the mainsail while still on the mooring to avoid swinging, and motor-sail through open ocean before entering Bora Bora's single western reef cut; the south passage is too shallow for the boat and the north side is the only viable approach.0:55 A pod of dolphins meets them in open water between the reefs.2:47 Mooring at the Bora Bora Yacht Club now requires advance WhatsApp reservation and costs 4,000 CFP (roughly $40) per night — a change from earlier years when free anchoring was permitted.4:50 Ashore, the crew rents scooters for a one-hour circuit of the island, stops at the Bora Bora Beach Club, and repairs a broken drone leg with epoxy before dinner at the St. James Restaurant.9:13 Bobby reflects on a former crew member, Thad, who sailed the South Pacific with Sailing Doodles and died of cancer.11:51 Raising the mainsail on a mooring in calm conditions is easier than on anchor because the boat swings less.1:17
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