Sandy Estabrook -- January 1, 2024.  This is the long over due Picture Page addition of MotuIti.com, my first website 'ever', posted in 2001. It remained pretty much as is, with little updating.

During Covid, I hit upon a myriad of YouTube videos of the worldwide cruising and sailing adventures of friends and families documenting their experiences. For most, the videography is fantastic, bordering on professional, and thats both above and below water. Their drone shots are an added plus, and the inspiration for Motu Iti's second page.

Typically, sailors travel with the wind westward the 3,000 +/- miles till they would make landfall at French Polynesia's eastern most island group, The Marquesas - towering cliffs of rain forests and waterfalls with few beaches. Then its usually on to the Tuamotu atolls - low lying islands usually less than a meter high, and circling a shallow lagoon. Many say these are the most beautiful islands of all, the Original Garden of Eden. From there its on to The Society Islands and French Polynesia's capitol, you know it as Tahiti. Also included are the islands of Moorea, Bora Bora and a handful of other islands.

Shown here are Screen Captures (1920px X 1080px) of some of the most beautiful sea scapes and panoramas from their videos with more being added periodically. I use the images as wallpaper for my computer too. More can be found,about this part of the world along with my story at: MotuIti.com,






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Where Mermaids live
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Pacific Chart
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Local Chart
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Arriving in the Marquesas
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Arriving in the Marquesas
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Arriving in the Marquesas
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Marquesas Settlement"
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Marquesas Waterfall
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Marquesas Creek
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Marquesas Settlement
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Inland Spires
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Canyon Lands
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Canyon Lands
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Mermaid.jpg
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Jungle Tiki
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Waterfall
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Private Pool
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Huku Hiva Oa - Fairwell Marquesas
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Huku Hiva Oa - Fairwell Marquesas
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Paul Gaugin's final resting place
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Heading to the Tuamotu's
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The Tuamotu's
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Inside the Lagoon (Ocean at left)
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Inside the Lagoon (Ocean at left)
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A Peaceful Anchorage inside Lagoon
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Creek between Ocean and Lagoon
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Paddle Boarding
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Beach all your own
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Camping Out
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Tuamotu Settlement                                      
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Tuamotu Settlement                                      
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Popular Anchorage
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God's Promice
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Lonely Motu - Arriving Tahiti
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T A H I T I
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Papeete, Tahiti - Capital of French Polynesia
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Papeete, Tahiti - Capital of French Polynesia
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Looking Down at Papeete
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Typical Tahiti Beach
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Tahiti Foot path Bridge
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Tahiti Footpath
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Tahiti Waterfall
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Tahiti Waterfall
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Tahitian Surfers Wave
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Tahiti Surfing
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M O O R E A
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Moorea
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Moorea Anchorage+
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Moorea by the Lagoon
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Moorea by the Lagoon
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Moorea from on High
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Moorea Mountain Folks
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Dolphin Jumping
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Turtle Peaking
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Spotted Eagle Ray
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Hanging with Sharks
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Two Whale Watch
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Befriending a Whale
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Getting ready to Pull Anchor
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Bora Bora, aka Michener's Bali Hai
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Bora Bora
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Bora Bora Airport
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Bora Bora's Atoll
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View from Bora Bor3
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Resort View
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Polynesian Rainbow
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As mentioned, the images have been lifted from the videos made by cruising folks while sailing through Polynesia at one time or another. Now they are likely elsewhere. One returned on a 2nd navigation, some are in dry dock and three couples have upgraded to new boats.

Most of the images were shot by Warren and Erica, aboard "WE SAIL", their Fountaine Pajot, Helia, 44' catamaran. They were in Polynesia quite some time and when this webpage was undertaken. They were still there as of Jan 1, 2024 and befriended Brien & Karin on S/V DELOS on their second circumnavigation, Only this time cute as a button, Sierra, AKA The Little Nugget, was added to the crew. They have been cruising for close to a decade and were the couple that got me hooked into watching cruising folks in the first place.

Kate and Curtis aboard SWEET RUCA took the long way to Polynesia around South America via Cape Horn! They are the only ones, of my following to do that. Everyone else took the Panama Canal shortcut. Another favorite is PARLAY REVIVAL, captained by New Zealander, Colin MacRae. He flew to St. Martin to buy a hurricane damaged Lagoon 450, fixed it up and set Sail for New Zealand. He is often accompanied by a few of his patrons making for a lively video.

Lastly of honorable mention are Britt's, Matt and Amy aboard their 37' monohull FLORENCE. They just finished their circumnavigation and are now circumnavigating the British Isles before heading to Scandinavia. For all these sailors, the whole world is their back yard.            sandy@motuiti.com

The last image is a video. Be sure to check it out.