If you're an experienced sailor, you can charter a yacht -- with or without skipper and crew -- and knock around some of the French Polynesian islands as the wind and your own desires dictate. The best place to start is Raiatea, which shares a lagoon with Tahaa, the only French Polynesian island you can circumnavigate entirely within a protective reef. Depending on the wind, Bora Bora and Huahine are relatively easy blue-water trips away.
The Moorings, a respected charter company based in Florida (tel. 800/535-7289 or 727/535-1446; www.moorings.com), operates a fleet of sailboats based at Apooti Marina, on Raiatea's northern coast (tel. 66.35.93; fax 66.20.94; moorings@mail.pf). That's a few minutes' sail to Tahaa. Depending on the size of the boat -- they range from 11 to 15m (36-50 ft.) in length -- and the season, bareboat rates (that is, without skipper or crew) range from about US$415 to US$1,480 per vessel per day. Provisions are extra. The agency will check you out to make sure you and your party can handle a sailboat of this size; otherwise, you must pay extra for a skipper.
Sunsail Yacht Charters (tel. 800/327-2276 in the U.S., or 60.04.85 on Raiatea; www.sunsail.com) has a fleet of 11-to-15m (36-49 ft.) yachts based at Faaroa Bay on Raiatea. Its bareboat rates range from about US$360 to US$1,200 a day per boat, depending on size and season, plus provisions, skipper, and cook if you need them.
The French-owned Tahiti Yacht Charter (tel. 45.04.00; fax 45.76.00; www.tahitiyachtcharter.com) has 11to-14m (36-49 ft.) yachts based at Papeete and Raiatea. It designs cruises throughout the territory, including lengthy voyages to the Tuamotus and Marquesas. Similar services are offered by Archipel Croisiers, on Moorea (tel. 56.36.39; fax 56.35.87; www.archipels.com).
