After what can best be described as a fairly questionable night sail from Monday the 18th into Tuesday — involving enough rolling around to reconsider sailing to be worst method of getting to places— we finally arrived in the beautiful anchorage of Avea Bay in the south of Huahine Iti.

Once recovered, we enjoyed some excellent beach time, rented a car for a day to explore the island, and once again attempted to feed and pet the local eels. Sadly, the eels were not nearly as cooperative as before, much to the heartbreak of our younger crew members, who were fully prepared to adopt one.

We also did a fantastic drift snorkel just inside the reef and spotted our first ever clownfish living in anemones — very “Finding Nemo,” minus the dramatic soundtrack. Most surprisingly though: not a single shark.

And perhaps the biggest news of all: Joe has officially launched his very first business venture.

Since we already had to sort out his birthday present back in Tahiti — and because there was one very specific wish high on the list — he received it a little early this year: a drone.

Naturally, this entrepreneurial mastermind immediately turned it into a business opportunity. Joe is now offering fellow yachties aerial shots of their boats in exchange for donations toward his next big dream: an outrageously fancy mountain bike once we get home.

So far, business has been off to a slightly slow start, mostly because the windy anchorage has made drone flying “exciting” in all the wrong ways… but honestly, I think he might be onto something!

Huahine reminds us a bit of Mangareva in the Gambiers… except with roads, tourists, and a supermarket that could make grown cruisers emotional. The Super U in Fare is stocked with absolutely everything: fresh basil, frozen berries, incredible chocolate, and — perhaps most importantly — a tiny fan for Joe’s cabin. Civilization at last.

While the landscapes may not be quite as jaw-dropping as Moorea, the island itself feels wonderfully alive. The vegetation is insanely lush, birds are singing nonstop, and everything has this calm, sleepy vibe to it.

You do notice there are significantly more cruisers and charter guests around here though. The many “private property” and “tabu” signs scattered around local gardens suggest that a few visitors before us may have forgotten basic concepts like “don’t walk through someone’s backyard.”

Originally, Huahine was even on the shortlist for being our final stop in French Polynesia. But apparently Tangaroa (god of the ocean) and Tāwhirimātea (god of wind and weather) have looked at our Tonga plans and collectively said: “Absolutely not.”

The weather window for crossing “the dangerous middle” currently looks somewhere between “uncomfortable” and “curing you from the sailing-bug,” so for now we’ll continue island hopping instead. Tough life, really.

Today: Raiatea. Maybe Taha’a tomorrow. Then onward to Bora Bora — where we remain determined to finally swim with manta rays and not just more suspiciously evasive eels.