Tantalising Tuamotos

After leaving SE Asia due to being so ‘over’ sandy beaches and palm trees, we are soooo happy to be back in same. The Tuamotos, over 300 miles of atolls, with the southern group being out of bounds near the infamous Mururoa Atoll, are just divine and very much remind us of our amazing Maldivian experience.

Our first priority was to go to Apataki Atoll for our haul out in paradise and get our very dirty bottom seen to. We decided to choose two atolls to visit so we were not rushing from place to place. Every atoll has its own unique aspect, but they mostly have amazing coral and fish with stunning clear water that we all love to float around in.

Every atoll has a pass which can be tricky. They have been written up by past cruisers as having 8 foot standing waves that try and sink the boat as you pass through them and spinning the boat sideways. All in all, if you can plan your entry and exit close to slack water, they are manageable. Mind you, we do not have 30 knots of wind!!!!!!!!!!

Our entry into Apataki was a little earlier than planned as we had been waiting outside for 3 hours, arriving at 0400 hours. We got the last of the ebb through the SW pass, which gave us 2 knots against us as we entered from the ocean and 4 knots as we went into the lagoon. We had good leads and a marked channel, so all was easy. It’s good to be back in IALA A territory.

The lagoon was all that we expected. We decided to go exploring the first few days as the weather was so nice. Sandy cays, nice coral and good snorkeling. 

I did have a bit of a scare as I went for my morning swim out to the anchor. On the way back, this large Remora (almost as long as my arm) came at me from under the boat. I was thinking reef shark (as there are many) and he would go away as they do. However, the Remora kept coming and I thought it was a shark coming for the attack. I made lots of splashing whilst at the same time making haste towards the ladder and yelling for Peter to rescue me. The Remora did not like the splashing and looked a little confused and kept coming at me when I stopped splashing. This little game of ours lasted a few minutes, which seemed like a long time! Where was Peter?? Enjoying some loud opera music below which of course screened my shouting! Got the heart rate up a little!! Since then, we have swam with lots of black and white tipped reef sharks and are sort of used to them, except when the bigger ones eyeball us!

Tony, the son of the Lau family who run the yard came out to greet us on arrival and invited us ashore later. They are the only family on the island with the small village is 9 miles across the lagoon at the pass. So it is quite isolated and quiet. We inspected the yard and listened to how the haul out works, with one boat going in so we could watch how it all happens. As it turns out, the whole family and all the yachties there come and watch the proceedings.

The yard consists of compressed coral and has been raised to about 5m absl with many yachties choosing to dry store their yachts for the cyclone season. It’s a risk you take but it has been a while since the Tuamotos have had a full on cyclone.

The drill was that we weave between the marked coral heads and drive onto the trailer. Tony is in the water guiding you onto the trailer, with his dad, Alfred, driving the tractor. Another chap is in the water as well. 

With no wind and little swell this is actually not a problem. We draw 6’ and had 100mm under the keel as we drove onto the trailer. Once on it, Tony is underwater pushing the boat so that he can line up the hydraulic pads.

The trailer is designed and built in France and can lift up to 20 tonnes. As we came out of the water, the trailer was continually adjusted so that we were level and close to the ground. For us, this was much less stressful than being hauled out in the more conventional travel lift. There was a moment where the tractor could not pull us over the join in the concrete pad at the water line. With the back hoe extended and chain tied around the bucket, it was pulled in as the tractor reversed providing more pull. Although we theoretically weigh 14 tonnes, we figure we are about 16 tonnes loaded.

We had to wait an extra 3 days on the hard due to inclement weather. As it was not our fault, we did not have to pay any extra. Our haul out, including 3 nights on the hard, high pressure wash and props cost us around $400. They had ordered our bottom paint for us from NZ at a cost which was only a little more than what we would have paid in Australia. This was far more acceptable to us than the $3000 it would have cost us to do the same in Panama!!

After one coat of antifouling, Peter twisted his back again. Under his instruction (for a while!!), I had to finish the job. I am not sure which was more painful for Peter…his back or him trying to instruct me on EXACTLY what he wanted done!

Mum, Pauline, speaks good English, answers all the emails and does the accounts. The family also run a pearl yard (infamous black pearls) and the grandparents export copra, which is still used in the making of cosmetics.

Others who are around help out with other coconut products. After they (the coconuts) have sprouted, the soft flesh inside is extracted and pounded up with crushed hermit crabs (who provide important oil) and made into an oil that repel nonos and mosquitos. Every night barrels are lit to burn coconut husks to keep these bities away. They are very ferocious.

With jobs done, like swapping our new VHF onto the more powerful cable so we have a 20 mile plus range.............

 it was off to Rangiroa, the next atoll, an overnight sail. As we had had isolation for a week, we were keen to see village life with restaurants, fresh food, wifi and seeing what passes us by.

Arriving at Rangiroa just after slack water low at 0730, we went straight in the pass with a gentle flood tide and flat water.  Our overnight passage was what dreams were made of at sea; starry night with half-moon, calm seas and enough wind to push us along between the atolls.

Anchoring in a nice calm anchorage was once again a welcomed relief. Terry and Elaine from Virgos Child (one of two out of 14 Australian boats we have seen that are actually circumnavigating) came over for a chat and to give us the low down on the where and when on the island.

 Josephines, a restaurant in the pass, is one of the local hang outs. We can watch the ebb racing out and the dolphins jumping.

Dave (La Fiesta, Aussie as well) Peter and Terry relaxing after a beer!

Some 20 miles across the main lagoon is ‘Blue Lagoon’ and a worthwhile visit.  We opted for a fast boat ride to do this in a day and so we were not anchored overnight on a lee shore. Snorkeling was average but we did get to snorkel in the little pass there with many black tipped reef sharks and large schools of fish.

Before we left on our tour, we did a drift dive on the western pass, which was stunning. Clear water, lots of coral and fish…we were drifting along at around 2 knots for half an hour.

Whilst we were off swimming in Blue Lagoon, our hosts prepared a wonderful local B-B-Q lunch with coconut bread. It was yum!

Near the small motu in the main pass is what the locals call the ‘aquarium’. It is by far the best snorkeling we have done with a stunning array of coral, fish, turtles, and 5 large moray eels. The latter were massive and slinked around near the rock ledges. One came at us, so being the brave soldiers that we are; we made a very hasty exit.

The above Moray Eel is slinking along the bottom with another sticking his head out to see if its safe.

Our anchorage in Rangiroa is wonderfully calm and protected and we will be here for a week or so before we set sail for Tahiti. Peter would rank this as THE best place he has ever been in THE world.

It is 180 miles to the northern end of Tahiti and should take us 1 night and the better part of 2 days on an easterly wind. Our course is 203 degrees to Punta Venus where we can anchor for a night before going around to the main anchorage. We will have a near full moon and have made a booking for the marina to get our engine sorted and some welding done on our boom. Of course from here on in, we have to lock up the dinghy and put away anything else on deck that could be removed!

By the time we leave French Polynesia we would have stayed our customary 3 months. That is never enough time for such an amazing place. Understandably, the French are strict with the visa situation. Otherwise no-one would leave! The French yachties can only stay 2 years without importing their boat, even though duty has been paid in France.

The REAL Pacific

Arriving in the Tuamotos we felt that we had finally arrived in the Pacific.....clear skies with little white fluffy trade wind clouds, nice trade winds (nothing over 20 knots so far) and lagoons! The Maldive experience all over again!! Palm trees, white sandy beaches, gin clear water and lots of snorkling looking at coral and pretty little reef fish!

Our passage from Marquesas was 4 days as we chose to go right through to Apataki Atoll where we are hauling out on a hydraulic trailer tomorrow for our bottom job.

Having a forecast of wind for 48 hours which we accepted as good, would allow us to enter Tuamotos with good clear weather to get into the pass with little wind, which is what we got. What we did not bargain for was the little squall system that developed overnight just south of the Marquesas. We sat in that for just over 24 hours with rainy squalls, only one being over 20 knots, which took us by surprise! Our last 24 hours saw an wonderful 18 knot SE'erly come in, so once again, flat water, good wind on the beam, we sailed at 7 to 8 knots plus all day, then had to slow the boat down and wait for daylight to enter the atoll! The entrance was fine. There are many yachts that have written horror stories about atoll entries, like 8 feet standing waves. In adverse conditions, that would be possible. Timing is everything! Our entry was 30 minutes earlier than the best time (we have a slide rule based on moonrise/set) but who is patient??? We had 2 knots against us going in on the ocean side and 4 knots as we came out into the lagoon. That was a little exciting as it was a narrow channel.

We expected some convergence and a day later sailed through 15 miles of rain with little wind. (I use the term 'sail' loosely!) It was like going through one curtain and out another. As we say, warm and wet is doable!!

Before we departed Marquesas, an Australian guy had organised a little dinner get together for the Aussies. Not all the Aussie boats came, but there were 10 boats represented. Its the first time we have out numbered the yanks!! There are going to be a lot of boats for sale in Australia next year!! Virgo's Child and possible one other are the only circumnavigators.

Three other Australian boats left with us so it was good to chat on VHF then HF as we separated. It was strange, but nice seeing other white triangles out there.

Yotreps are not posting our position reports at times for some reason which I am trying to follow up.

We look forward to a cleaner bottom soon!! As we have kept it up to scratch on the way, it has not been a problem. We have rubbed all the red ablative off and are now back to a blue bottom!! It will all come off next year anyway! Haul out will be interesting as we have to drive the boat onto the trailer!!! Bags not driving!

We have made a reservation in the marina in Tahiti to get our injectors serviced so we can be a 4 cylinder engine again. We will also go back in for 2 days when Barn and Anita arrive, then its off to other magical places in French Polynesia. We fully understand the tight reign FP has on visiting yachts as otherwise no-one would leave here!!

Rest day today, exploring the south of the atoll in the dinghy with some other Aussies. Work tomorrow.

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Milestone Marquesas

Our arrival in Hiva Oa was somewhat of a relief. Lucky for us there were only 10 boats squashed into the small anchorage when we arrived, compared to 25 after we had left! Our timing was good as we just beat the entourage from Mexico. The gooseneck barnicles that we had collected on passage died in the anchorage after 2 days. What a treat! No-one else had realized this as other yachties had scrubbed their hulls the day after arriving. All we had to do was get their small shells off later, which was not difficult.

As we came into the anchorage, we wanted to tuck up out of the swell behind the breakwater, which meant being close to the pier where the supply ship, Aranui berths. The ship had left a day before our arrival, so we knew we had a few days to spare. All the yachts have stern anchors, so not only did we have to deploy ours, we had to squeeze in; not being used to either. We did entertain a few boats with first anchoring, then having to move back away from the pier; done with letting out more rope on our stern anchor to go forward to pull up our bow anchor, then pulling back on our stern anchor again to reset the bow anchor. Sounds confusing??? …it took us a while to think it through. Of course it worked!!!

We did not learn our lesson of anchoring near the pier (our quest for flat water!) as it happened again in Ua Pou, but this time we did not have to move. Our anchor was 3m from the stern of the ship. We had intended to depart before it arrived; however, at 0515 it was a little late for us to leave!

We had a great beam reach south to Fatu Hiva, the southernmost island and the ‘best anchorage in THE world’.

The Stolen Kiss jury is out on that one! Spectacular it may be, but wet, rolly and squeezy it was in the small anchorage! At least the winds were light. However, we did some good trading with a local (fiberglass cloth for fruit) and hiked to the waterfall, which was worth it. Lisa from Amnesia (Fremantle Registered boat!) joined us. Peter went for a swim and got out before he saw the eel!!

The French Customs boat came in to check our papers as some yachts go there first before clearing in. What a nice bunch of young guys!!! Clearing into French Polynesia was as easy as Malaysia and trouble free. It’s been a while to experience this. The Gendarmeries are all helpful and easy to get along with, and their system of keeping track of yachts is computerized.

The island of Tahuata had some nice sandy beach anchorages where we could see the grains of sand underneath us at 8m. Nice! We took this opportunity to give the bottom a good scrub. Many other bays have black beaches and sharks! Manta Rays swam past the boat every morning and the Toad fish waited patiently underneath the boat for any morsel we may have cleaned off the bottom.

The Ua Pou (the other tight anchorage behind the breakwater) anchorage was in the lee of some spectacular spires.

In the small village we found Keith, an elderly Queensland man who now lives there and runs a few small shops, found us wandering by. He was happy to have some Australians to chat to. Early one morning we came ashore to buy breakfast at the bakers, but at 0800 it had closed so we had to resort to begets from the supermarket. Red Sky feasted in the usual manner when one had to make do!

Nuku Hiva, some 25 miles from Ou Pou is the main island and it is where we spent most of our time, albeit unintentionally. As we had been on the move since early January, we just wanted to rest. Had the weather in the Tuamotos been more favourable, we would have left earlier. We were so lazy that we did not venture into any of the other bays, but did see some of them by land! Our days were taken up by reading, going for a walk and the daily Aussie bocce game,

... not to mention boat maintenance and keeping the waterline clean. Most of the yachts here are Australian and only two have circumnavigated. We met one guy who keeps his boat in Malaysia and we remember the boat from when we were up there.

With around 40% unemployment in the Marquesas there are many people who work for the government for their social security payment. Hence the villages are all neat and tidy with whipper snipping the grasses on verges an all out activity.

We are really enjoying the clean environment, but of course it comes at a cost with higher prices...almost like home. Extended families play an active part in families and we hear that if there is no girls born into the family, then the youngest boy is reared as a girl to help look after the family. Not sure if this is true but there seems a disporoportionate of 'lady boys' in the town. They are easy to pick if not because they seem to smile more than the girs!!!!!!!

We did come across this very fat, happy pig! We have not seen pigs wagging their tails like dogs before…………. hence the saying……happy as a pig in.............

Taiohae Bay houses the main town and THE centre of the Marquesas. It is somewhat small, but offers a few supermarkets, wonderful begets and a Saturday morning market, that the bleary eyed cruisers scramble for at 0400 in order to get a few vegetables.

The anchorage itself is a little rolly at times, with light winds it has not been as bad as others have noted. We are the dark spot on the LHS of the photo, close to the pier and the beach. Ua Pou Island can be seen in the background, some 25 miles away.

Richard, a local Marquesean, found us on the pier and offered us a deal we could not refuse! His tour of the island was well worth it; for the vista, the history and stories he shared with us and for his company. We teamed up with Deb and Don from Buena Vista whom we met in the Sea some 18 months ago.

Original ceremonial sites on the islands are now being restored and archaeological digs have unearthed tools and weapons used to combat enemies. Some of the Tikis found demonstrate sacrifice, which was so much a part of their culture.

At one site, a Banyan Tree (crummy photo but you get the idea of size!) has a large hole behind it where the skulls were stored.

The Marquesas are now huge exporters of Noni fruit, the juice of which claims to solve all ailments and popular in the west. It is from such sales that the people can now afford 4 wheel drive vehicles. Even the smallest villages have vehicles which seems a little strange as they do not have far to drive. However, even the short distance makes their life easier.

Being part of the Christian world, churches are very much part of the landscape with Crosses and Virgin Mary's located on the highest points above the villages. Beautiful flowers are arranged each weak for the services.

We have really enjoyed interacting with the Marquesan people who are helpful and friendly and even after short encounters in the supermarket or banks and the like, they wave and say bonjour! They have told us that the people in Papeete are not so friendly (more French??) but you get that in any city environment. We know after the Tuamotos we have to lock the boat and the dinghy/outboard all the time. Although an interesting place to visit, the Marquesas is not a WOW destination for us. We look forward to the atolls of the Tuamotos and the stunning locations of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora.