Papeete – Hanga Roa · 12 August – 11 September 2026

Over 3000 miles of open ocean, one ship, endless stories.For many, Tahiti is the true Polynesian paradise: white sand beaches, emerald mountains, and people whose warmth mirrors the tropical sun. But for sailors, Polynesia is more than paradise—it’s a playground of vast possibilities.Our voyage from Tahiti to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is a blue water journey like no other. Though the miles ahead number in the thousands, the voyage offers time to explore, reflect, and perhaps make landfall on one of Polynesia’s least-visited gems: the Austral Islands.After casting off from Papeete, we set our course southward, slipping out of the trade wind belt. The Tecla, a proud lady of the seas, stretches her canvas wide—ready to dance with the shifting winds. With her many sails and ocean-proven hull, she carries us confidently into deep waters.The Austral Islands rise like forgotten emeralds from the vast Pacific. Having explored much of this remote archipelago earlier in the season, we may now visit the one island we missed—Rapa. Fierce and isolated, Rapa was once home to 14 warring clans, each holding their own stone fortress. Much of their legacy still remains, hidden in the folds of its misty hills. Rarely visited, Rapa is supplied by ship only once a month—a true edge-of-the-world encounter.Then the sea calls again. We chase the westerlies across the open ocean, embracing the silence, the swells, the stars. Every mile sailed is a song of the deep. As we near Easter Island, and the statues of Hanga Roa rise into view, one can’t help but marvel: How did ancient navigators reach this dot in the ocean with their “primitive” vessels? Or were they, in fact, centuries ahead of their time?