Sailing from Bora Bora to Samoa | E057
2 October 2025 · 5 min · 461 views · Apia, Samoa
Yacht Zen slices through swells under blue sky
What this video covers
Nicki and Mike depart Bora Bora under visa pressure and sail 1,400 miles southwest to Apia, Samoa aboard Zen Again.▶ 0:00 The Bora Bora pass exit runs against a 4-meter swell and a 3–4 knot outgoing current, with waves breaking on the reefs and one wave putting green water over the bow.▶ 0:38 After clearing the pass, they motor three hours to reach gradient wind.▶ 1:02 The first five days bring 10–15 knots with only a first reef in the mainsail; days six through eight bring rain squalls that build rapidly in all directions, requiring constant lookout; the final three days are sunny.▶ 1:30 They arrive off Apia at dawn, call Port Control on VHF, and receive clearance to enter the harbour.▶ 2:25 In Apia they provision with propane, diesel, and water, and find the Sunday morning market the best source of fresh food.▶ 3:01 A hired car takes them to the National Park in the south of Apulu, where they walk a kilometre through rainforest to see the Mar Tree and explore lava fields and volcanic coastline.▶ 3:46 Timing a Bora Bora departure around pass conditions matters: a 4-meter swell with outgoing current makes even a normally calm pass demanding.
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