{
  "id": "french-polynesia",
  "destination": "french-polynesia",
  "name": "French Polynesia",
  "route_label": "the Leeward Islands",
  "kind": "classic",
  "question": "What is a good 7-day sailing itinerary in French Polynesia in the Leeward Islands?",
  "answer": "A classic 7-day sailing itinerary in French Polynesia in the Leeward Islands starts and ends in Raiatea (Uturoa) and goes Raiatea (Uturoa) → Taha'a → Bora Bora → Taha'a (west coral garden) → Huahine → Raiatea (Uturoa): 5 legs and about 90 nautical miles in straight lines between the stops (our calculation; you will sail further). By our rules the best months for it are May, June and October, when the mean wind at Raiatea is 10–11 knots (our calculation from NASA POWER data), in the dry season; in Bora Bora's lagoon decked boats may anchor only in authorised zones (DPAM, 2020).",
  "answer_markdown": "A classic 7-day sailing itinerary in French Polynesia in the Leeward Islands starts and ends in Raiatea (Uturoa) and goes Raiatea (Uturoa) → Taha'a → Bora Bora → Taha'a (west coral garden) → Huahine → Raiatea (Uturoa): 5 legs and about 90 nautical miles in straight lines between the stops (our calculation; you will sail further). By our rules the best months for it are May, June and October, when the mean wind at Raiatea is 10–11 knots (our calculation from NASA POWER data ([NASA POWER](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/monthly/), checked 28 Oct 2026)), in the dry season ([Tahiti Tourisme](https://tahititourisme.com/en-us/travel-planner/tahiti-weather/), checked 27 Oct 2026); in Bora Bora's lagoon decked boats may anchor only in authorised zones (DPAM, 2020) ([DPAM, Government of French Polynesia](https://www.service-public.pf/dpam/2020/05/27/amelioration-du-cadre-reglementaire-et-des-zones-de-mouillage-de-bora-bora/), checked 29 Oct 2026).",
  "canonical_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/itineraries/french-polynesia/",
  "markdown_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/itineraries/french-polynesia.md",
  "api_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/api/itineraries/french-polynesia.json",
  "destination_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/french-polynesia/",
  "best_time_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/french-polynesia/",
  "true_cost_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/true-cost/french-polynesia/",
  "licence_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/french-polynesia/",
  "book_url": "https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=french-polynesia&pos=api",
  "checked": "2026-10-29",
  "basis": {
    "status": "editorial",
    "note": "The Bora Bora and Huahine legs are open-ocean crossings; plan them on settled days.",
    "sources": []
  },
  "stops": [
    {
      "index": 0,
      "name": "Raiatea (Uturoa)",
      "lat": -16.7298,
      "lon": -151.444,
      "kind": "not_verified",
      "kind_sources": [],
      "rules": [],
      "fees": []
    },
    {
      "index": 1,
      "name": "Taha'a",
      "lat": -16.6358,
      "lon": -151.4915,
      "kind": "not_verified",
      "kind_sources": [],
      "rules": [],
      "fees": []
    },
    {
      "index": 2,
      "name": "Bora Bora",
      "lat": -16.5065,
      "lon": -151.7514,
      "kind": "not_verified",
      "kind_sources": [],
      "rules": [
        {
          "text": "In Bora Bora's lagoon, anchoring outside the authorised anchoring zones is prohibited for all decked vessels, whatever their length and however long they stay (DPAM, May 2020; our translation).",
          "status": "official",
          "sources": [
            {
              "id": "it_pf_dpam_borabora",
              "name": "DPAM, Government of French Polynesia",
              "title": "Amélioration du cadre réglementaire et des zones de mouillage de Bora Bora",
              "url": "https://www.service-public.pf/dpam/2020/05/27/amelioration-du-cadre-reglementaire-et-des-zones-de-mouillage-de-bora-bora/",
              "checked": "2026-10-29",
              "note": "Official news item of the maritime affairs directorate, 27 May 2020 (French; translations ours). The underlying order (arrêté 2442 CM of 22 Nov 2018) was amended again in 2022 and 2023; we did not read the consolidated text.",
              "tier": "official"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "fees": []
    },
    {
      "index": 3,
      "name": "Taha'a (west coral garden)",
      "lat": -16.6039,
      "lon": -151.5662,
      "kind": "not_verified",
      "kind_sources": [],
      "rules": [
        {
          "text": "Tahiti Tourisme describes crystal-clear shallow water between two motu on the west side of the island, where you drift with the current over the coral.",
          "status": "official",
          "sources": [
            {
              "id": "dive_pf_tt_garden",
              "name": "Tahiti Tourisme",
              "title": "Jardin de corail, Taha'a",
              "url": "https://tahititourisme.pf/en-pf/activities/points-of-interest/jardin-de-corail-tahaa-en-en-pf-3342043/",
              "checked": "2026-10-28",
              "note": "Official tourism board listing, last updated 3 July 2024.",
              "tier": "official"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "fees": []
    },
    {
      "index": 4,
      "name": "Huahine",
      "lat": -16.7146,
      "lon": -151.0337,
      "kind": "not_verified",
      "kind_sources": [],
      "rules": [],
      "fees": []
    }
  ],
  "legs": [
    {
      "day": 1,
      "from": "Raiatea (Uturoa)",
      "to": "Taha'a",
      "distance_nm": 6.3
    },
    {
      "day": 2,
      "from": "Taha'a",
      "to": "Bora Bora",
      "distance_nm": 16.9
    },
    {
      "day": 3,
      "from": "Bora Bora",
      "to": "Taha'a (west coral garden)",
      "distance_nm": 12.2
    },
    {
      "day": 4,
      "from": "Taha'a (west coral garden)",
      "to": "Huahine",
      "distance_nm": 31.3
    },
    {
      "day": 5,
      "from": "Huahine",
      "to": "Raiatea (Uturoa)",
      "distance_nm": 23.6
    }
  ],
  "total_distance_nm": 90.2,
  "distance_method": "Great-circle distance between OpenStreetMap (Nominatim) coordinates, Earth radius 6,371.0088 km, 1 nm = 1.852 km. Straight lines: the sailed distance is longer.",
  "weather": {
    "reference_point": {
      "place": "Raiatea",
      "lat": -16.73,
      "lon": -151.44,
      "elevation_m": 4.41
    },
    "months": [
      {
        "month": 1,
        "name": "January",
        "mean_temp_c": 27.5,
        "mean_wind_kn": 10.8
      },
      {
        "month": 2,
        "name": "February",
        "mean_temp_c": 27.8,
        "mean_wind_kn": 10.6
      },
      {
        "month": 3,
        "name": "March",
        "mean_temp_c": 28.1,
        "mean_wind_kn": 8.8
      },
      {
        "month": 4,
        "name": "April",
        "mean_temp_c": 28.1,
        "mean_wind_kn": 9.4
      },
      {
        "month": 5,
        "name": "May",
        "mean_temp_c": 27.6,
        "mean_wind_kn": 10.4
      },
      {
        "month": 6,
        "name": "June",
        "mean_temp_c": 27,
        "mean_wind_kn": 11.4
      },
      {
        "month": 7,
        "name": "July",
        "mean_temp_c": 26.4,
        "mean_wind_kn": 11.9
      },
      {
        "month": 8,
        "name": "August",
        "mean_temp_c": 26,
        "mean_wind_kn": 11.7
      },
      {
        "month": 9,
        "name": "September",
        "mean_temp_c": 26,
        "mean_wind_kn": 11.7
      },
      {
        "month": 10,
        "name": "October",
        "mean_temp_c": 26.3,
        "mean_wind_kn": 11
      },
      {
        "month": 11,
        "name": "November",
        "mean_temp_c": 26.9,
        "mean_wind_kn": 10.4
      },
      {
        "month": 12,
        "name": "December",
        "mean_temp_c": 27.3,
        "mean_wind_kn": 10
      }
    ],
    "source": "NASA POWER monthly, 2016–2025 means (our calculation)"
  },
  "best_months": {
    "best_weather": [
      "May",
      "June",
      "July",
      "August",
      "September",
      "October"
    ],
    "sweet_spot": [
      "May",
      "June",
      "October"
    ],
    "families": [
      "May",
      "June",
      "October"
    ],
    "windiest": [
      "July",
      "August",
      "September"
    ],
    "rules": {
      "best_weather": "Warm (≥ 20 °C) and outside the Atlantic hurricane season (1 June–30 November, NOAA) or Tahiti's wet season (November–April, Tahiti Tourisme). Not given where we have no season or rainfall source.",
      "sweet_spot": "Best-weather months that are not among the 3 priciest months (our rule).",
      "families": "The calmest best-weather months by mean wind (our suggestion; mean wind is not gusts or sea state).",
      "wind": "The windiest months by mean wind speed at our reference point (our ranking)."
    }
  },
  "marina_examples": [],
  "rules": [],
  "fees": [],
  "not_verified": [
    "Where yachts may anchor in Bora Bora today (the rules were amended again in 2022 and 2023).",
    "Mooring fees at every stop."
  ],
  "status_legend": {
    "official": "Read in an official text: government, park or port authority, or an operator's own published price list.",
    "secondary": "From a newspaper, NGO, guide, charter company or community map; not official.",
    "not_verified": "We could not confirm it. We leave it open rather than guess, and never add it to a total."
  },
  "source_counts": {
    "official": 2,
    "secondary": 1
  },
  "derived": "distance_nm, total_distance_nm, catamaran_eur_by_month and best_months are our calculation; weather means are our calculation from NASA POWER data.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "it_pf_dpam_borabora",
      "name": "DPAM, Government of French Polynesia",
      "title": "Amélioration du cadre réglementaire et des zones de mouillage de Bora Bora",
      "url": "https://www.service-public.pf/dpam/2020/05/27/amelioration-du-cadre-reglementaire-et-des-zones-de-mouillage-de-bora-bora/",
      "checked": "2026-10-29",
      "note": "Official news item of the maritime affairs directorate, 27 May 2020 (French; translations ours). The underlying order (arrêté 2442 CM of 22 Nov 2018) was amended again in 2022 and 2023; we did not read the consolidated text.",
      "tier": "official"
    },
    {
      "id": "dive_pf_tt_garden",
      "name": "Tahiti Tourisme",
      "title": "Jardin de corail, Taha'a",
      "url": "https://tahititourisme.pf/en-pf/activities/points-of-interest/jardin-de-corail-tahaa-en-en-pf-3342043/",
      "checked": "2026-10-28",
      "note": "Official tourism board listing, last updated 3 July 2024.",
      "tier": "official"
    },
    {
      "id": "it_osm_nominatim",
      "name": "OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocoder)",
      "title": "Nominatim search API: coordinates of each itinerary stop",
      "url": "https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/",
      "checked": "2026-10-29",
      "note": "Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright). One query per stop, run by scripts/fetch-stop-coords.mjs; the queries are in src/data/itinerary-stops.json. Community map data, not an official gazetteer.",
      "tier": "secondary"
    },
    {
      "id": "nasa_power_monthly",
      "name": "NASA POWER",
      "title": "Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Monthly API (T2M, WS10M)",
      "url": "https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/monthly/",
      "checked": "2026-10-28",
      "note": "Monthly point data for 2016–2025 pulled on 28 Oct 2026 with scripts/fetch-weather.mjs (API v2.10.0, community RE, parameters T2M = temperature at 2 m in °C and WS10M = wind speed at 10 m in m/s; meteorological grid ½° × ⅝° per https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/methodology/). One request per reference point, in the form https://power.larc.nasa.gov/api/temporal/monthly/point?parameters=T2M,WS10M&community=RE&longitude=<lon>&latitude=<lat>&start=2016&end=2025&format=JSON (coordinates in src/data/weather.ts). Route points for the Dubrovnik and Cyclades itineraries are in src/data/weather-routes.ts (scripts/fetch-route-weather.mjs, pulled 29 Oct 2026). Credit: https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/referencing/ . The pages we opened did not state a licence; NASA data is described to us as free for any use. Palma (Mallorca) reference point for the Mallorca vs Ibiza comparison in src/data/weather-routes.ts (scripts/fetch-route-weather.mjs, pulled 29 Oct 2026)."
    },
    {
      "id": "k12_tahiti",
      "name": "12 Knots",
      "title": "Catamaran charter in French Polynesia (Tahiti)",
      "url": "https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/destinations/oceania/tahiti/catamaran-charter/",
      "checked": "2026-10-27",
      "note": "Page states \"Updated October 2026\"."
    },
    {
      "id": "tahiti_tourisme",
      "name": "Tahiti Tourisme",
      "title": "Tahiti weather",
      "url": "https://tahititourisme.com/en-us/travel-planner/tahiti-weather/",
      "checked": "2026-10-27"
    }
  ],
  "attribution": "Cite \"Catamaran Index\" with a link to the canonical_url of the page the figure comes from, and name the original source listed with it.",
  "coordinates_licence": "Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright).",
  "affiliate_note": "book_url links go through /go/samboat, an affiliate link: Catamaran Index may earn a commission on bookings, at no extra cost to the traveller. It never changes the data."
}