French Polynesian Master ran aground

[kelemvor]

I am happy to report Master is refunding our boat portion of the trip. As for giving them the benefit of the doubt re the accident, the boat clearly went on the wrong side of the channel marker. It was a substitute captain since the regular captain was on vacation. Two regular crew members said the accident would not have happened if they had been in the wheelhouse with him.

I'm no boat captain, but I've driven boats (much smaller than the one in question) a number of times. It's super easy to lose track of where the channel is and get out of it. That's why it's good to have a professional and experienced captain driving a boat. Not surprising that a substitute captain screwed it up.

 

[Joneill]

Dude, that was me, I’m one of the 8 Aussies!!!!!! Crazy small world! How have you been?! How was the rest of your trip?
Actually such an amazing trip on that liveaboard. All the divers paid us out for being snorkelers but didn’t realise half of us could scuba dive just chose not to

Wow - it is a small world! That trip was so awesome that it doesn’t feel like it was a year ago (we arrived in Rangiroa exactly 1 year ago today!). The rest of the trip was equally incredible - though much less dive-centric.

After Rangiroa, we went to LeTaha’a Island Resort and then to the St Regis Bora Bora. French Polynesia is the most beautiful place we’ve ever seen - I’ve never seen so many different shades of water and hard transitions in colors (especially in Bora Bora).

You can see it here on the approach into Raitea:


And here in the Bora Bora main lagoon:


It was a pleasure meeting you In Rangiroa - you seemed like a fun bunch really enjoying life - as it should be. I hope the rest of your trip was fantastic as well and that you all are staying safe and healthy in these crazy times!

 

[Dan]

Anyone else that had their Master FP charter cancelled? Just curious about the reasoning.

I supposed to be on FPM in May. It was cancelled due to COVID-19 and rescheduled it to October. Then it was cancelled again due to the boat will no longer operate in French Polynesia and is in the process of moving to Galápagos as Galápagos Master II. So, now I’ll end up going back to Galápagos for the 2nd time sometime early next year. I still am waiting for the final schedule date.

I have cancelled my flight from Houston to Papeete twice.

 

[raphaelgatti]

I've got my 2022 trip cancelled as well. Are they moving to Galapagos due to this accident?

 

[fishatude]

Wow, I can TOTALLY believe the F.P. Master ran into problems. We went in 2019- December - just before COVID- worst trip EVER. Total mess from dive guides to the accommodations…, no working AC in dinning room - which could not seat everyone. Last thing ya wanna do is eat dinner in a tiny room- had to move table to allow people to scoot to backside of table- in 90 degree heat with no fans. That is not to mention the terrible guides who left their groups. Never in our diving of 35 years, did divers come off the boat and basically get into a yelling match with their guide who left the group. A few exp. Divers ended up keeping the group together and surfacing as a group. You don’t need to fin when in a ripping current. They would fin and just be “gone”. A few divers stopped diving, refusing to go with the guides fearing for their safety. The currents in the atolls- was ripppppping. Two divers were slammed into the reef and came up bleeding. This is before one of the tender drivers - didn’t put the engine in idle, and who ran over a diver- nearly severing his foot- he had an emergency evacuation. This company/boat is going to really hurt someone if they it keep up… and it looks like 5 years later- nothing has changed. but we DO recommend the Fakarava night dive with the wall of sharks. One of the coolest things ever.