Day 80 Departing Mo'orea

Dolphin escort
We did the normal surfing and snorkeling as we had done on the other mornings in this anchorage and finished the water tour by cleaning the bottom of the boat at the water line. It is amazing how quickly the plant and animal life takes up residence even on those parts of the boat that are coated with anti-fouling paint. It also takes a while to scrub the perimeter of a 45 foot long boat but finally we were ready to pack up for the next passage. Our next destination is the island of Huahine (said like who-a-hee-nay).
By late afternoon we weighed anchor, headed out of the pass and turned North for the 90 mile trip. There was absolutely no wind and the water was very calm except for the long swells. As we motored past the reef, three groups of dolphins swam over to say hello. Earlier in the day we had noted a tour boat labeled "dolphin and whale watch" so I expect that these dolphins may get fed periodically by passing boats. They accompanied us for a while as we watched from the bow and then as suddenly as they had arrived, they disappeared into the depths.
Motor power is a necessary evil. We make progress when their is no wind but the noise and smell are much less pleasant than the ambiance of sailing.
During my watch from 6 to 9 PM, the moon was half full and the calm water was almost as bright as day. Later on when I came on deck at 2:30 AM, the moon had set and the stars filled the sky with the Southern Cross on one side and the Big Dipper pointing the way to the North Star on the other. At this latitude, the North Star is below the horizon but the pointer stars in the dipper give away its location.