Tuamotus to Society Islands

Hi everyone,

On Tuesday afternoon we departed Rotoava on Fakarava atoll in the Tuamotus for Papeete on Tahiti in the Society Islands.  It was a 250nm passage which took 47 hours in widely varying weather conditions.

Tahiti Ho!

Here are the usual plots...

Track

Arrival Track

Graphs

The transit out of the Fakarava North pass was easy.  We jagged slack tide and sailed out with a Danish Beneteau 50.  We had a nice 15G20 ESE breeze giving us a nice broad reach.  Seas were sloppy until we were well clear of the atoll - the swells wrap around both sides and it's messy where they meet.

Wednesday afternoon

Tuesday night was moonless and also cloudless so we had a wonderful starscape to gaze at.  On Wednesday morning the wind decreased well below the forecasts.  By lunchtime we were down to 3 knots boat speed and the sails were slatting, so on went the engine.  We motored all afternoon during which the light wind came around to ENE - right behind us.  Then it filled in again from the ESE and we resumed sailing.

Wednesday evening

Wednesday night was cloudy with a couple of showers but we were making good progress.  By morning  we could see Tahiti but there were big rain storms moving in.  By late morning we were under storm staysail and trisail-sized main as we approached the island.  The wind peaked at over 30 knots.  And of course it was raining as we entered the port.  We arrived only a couple of hours after the Beneteau.

Entry to the port is tightly controlled, mainly due to its close proximity to the airport.  Boats have to call Port Control on VHF12 to seek permission to enter.  Once inside its necessary to get clearance to cross near each end of the runway.  We anchored at the Airport Anchorage close to several EBBYC and OCC boats.  It wasn't much fun anchoring in 17m depth in a 25 knot wind and rain!  That's the deepest we've ever anchored with our relatively new 20kg anchor and 10mm chain.  We hope we can get it up again!  But it held immediately which was a relief.

Passing historic Point Venus

Anchored with the rainstorm gone

It's great to be in the Society Islands.  This is the last of three parts - Marquesas, Tuamotus and Societies - in our French Polynesian adventure.  Here in Tahiti there are all mod cons, including large supermarkets and chandleries.  Let the shopping begin!

Trust all's well where you are.

Fakarava Atoll

Hi everyone,

We spent over a week at Rotoava in the north of Fakarava atoll.  Roroava is the main town and we had a very relaxing stay with a bunch of EBBYC and OCC crews.  We had hoped to spend a few day in the south of the atoll but the weather didn't cooperate.

At the Pearl Farm resort

The town of Rotoava is very neat and tidy.  We were able to dispose of our rubbish at last.  However water was only available after buying a card with minimum amount of 400 litres which made it quite expensive.  That's another reason we have to move on.  We paid the small fee for our stay - visitor and rubbish fees - at the town hall.

Dinghy Dock

Town Hall gardens

There are an array of cafes and restaurants in town.  Some are quite posh, catering for the small cruise ships which visit regularly.  There are several small supermarkets, one of which is a boulangerie.  Get there by 0730 if you want baguettes.  Very nice.

We had several get-togethers with the EBBYC and OCC crews here with us.  First a sundowner on the beach followed by dinner at a cafe.  Second a visit to the local pearl farm.  Third a sundowner on EBBYC sv Joint Venture.  We also spent some time with OCC sv Nimue who we've known for some years.

Sundowner on the beach

Pearl Farm jetty

Oysters

Learning about pearl farming

Following the pearl farm demonstration we all picked an oyster.  The pearl found inside was ours to keep.  Nicki now has a nice black pearl.  Then we all hung out in the resort for a couple of hours and had a great lunch.  Top spot.

Sharks cruise past the Pearl Farm resort

It's a shame we only allowed ourselves 2 weeks in the Tuamotus.  They're an amazing group of atolls, particularly for divers.  But time marches on.  Next we'll be sailing to Tahiti and exploring the Society Islands.

Birds feeding alongside Zen Again

Trust all's well where you are.

Makemo Atoll to Fakarava Atoll

Hi everyone,

On Monday we departed Punaruku anchorage at Makemo atoll for a 135nm passage to Roroava on Fakarava atoll.  It was a 25 hour passage with two pass transits, a good breeze but a LOT of rain.

The rain storm which 'got us' in the Fakarava Pass

Here are the usual plots...

Track

Arrival

Graphs

From our anchorage in Makemo we sailed across the lagoon to the pass under double-reefed main alone.  This allowed us time to identify the bombies and avoid them.  Light conditions weren't ideal with a lot of cloud, so that was a little tricky.  Satellite imagery was very useful. 

Approaching the Makemo NW pass

The Makemo NW pass is relatively narrow and we went through with 3 knots of current with us.  Happily the water was flat although turbulent.  Quite something to be ripping past a very shallow reef less than 100m away.

In the pass

In the pass

Once clear of the Makemo pass we had a 120nm downwind passage zig-zagging between atolls.  The swell was lower than S of all the atolls but was bouncing around between them.  The sea state was irregular to say the least.  On one occasion during the night a large sea loomed above us and half-pooped us.  Very wet.

Winds were 20G35 from the ENE-ESE. Rain storms were coming past regularly, dumping a lot of rain on us.  Thankfully no lightning.  Heavy rain while sailing downwind is miserable on Zen Again since we have no protection in the cockpit.  Thankfully Kazi the WindPilot did a great job - as they say about vane gear 'the harder it blows the better they go'.

As we approached Fakarava another set of rain storms caught up with us.  We motor-sailed through the Fakarava N pass in a downpour.  We kept well to the E, in water down to 10m depth to keep out of the breaking seas mid-pass.  The current was up to 2 knots against us but much faster mid-pass.

Once through the pass we had to motor directly to windward against tide and 20 knots of wind.  That was a slow slog but the rain gradually eased.  Eventually we arrived at the anchorage off the main Fakarava town of Rotoava.  We anchored in 8m over sand with no bombies visible.  Then the sun came out!

Rotoava anchorage

Anchored off Rotoava

We plan to spend a week here at Fakarava.  We'll spend a few days at Rotoava then may visit other anchorages along the E side of the lagoon.  A bunch of OCC and EBBYC yachts are here so it should be fun.

Trust all's well where you are!

Makemo Atoll

Hi everyone,

We've had a brief but wonderful stay at Makemo atoll.  Later today we'll  be departing towards Fakarava to join an EBBYC get-together.

Gday!

After arriving on Friday afternoon we met up with the crews of OCC yachts Nimue and Dovka.  We knew the Nimues from the UK where we'd met them at the Cruising Association in London.  And we had met the parents of the Dovkas in Deltaville, USA.  We all had pizza in town.  The town is very neat and tidy, and the locals super friendly.

Exploring Pouheva

Departing Pouheva anchorage

On Saturday we motored the 18nm W from Pouheva to Punaruku anchorage.  Like most passages through atoll lagoons this was a case of steering around the bombies, some of which are small reefs.  Most of them show up on satellite imagery.  That's why all yachts carry satellite imagery 'charts' in the South Pacific (and elsewhere).  Here's our track...

Track

OpenCPN showing chart and satellite image

During the passage we arranged the boats to take photos.  Always fun!

Line abreast - Dovka and Nimue

Line abreast - Dovka and Zen Again (sv Nimue photo)

Line astern - Dovka and Zen Again (sv Nimue photo)

Nimue takes the lead (as big boats feel the need to do)

Zen Again from Dovka

Manson Supreme dug in

The Punaruku anchorage has large sand patches which remove the need to float one's chain (as we did in Pouheva).  The NoForeignLand anchor symbol is right over one such sand patch.  On Saturday night we had a great sundowner on Zen Again with the Nimues and Dovkas.  Sadly no photos.

On Sunday we had a day of 'rest'.  Caught up on cleaning below, reorganising provisions etc.  Then in the afternoon we went for a snorkel around the reef which extends out from the point.  Lots of clams, some nice coral but poor visibility.  When we got back to the boat we found several baby sharks cruising around under Zen Again.

Baby sharks

Bombies in the shallows

Zen Again anchored at Punaruku

Our first atoll visit was great.  Such nice folks ashore, such amazing sea life, such wonderful scenery.

Trust all's well where you are!

Marquesas to Tuamotus Passage Summary

Hi everyone,

Here is the summary of our passage from Marquesas to the Tuamotus, both in French Polynesia.  It was a 500nm passage.  We had light airs throughout, making it our longest passage ever under full sail.  We only had reefs or furls in for a few hours during the early part of the passage.  We had to motor through a calm, and at the end to make it to the Makemo eastern pass at slack water.  It was a lovely passage with 'champagne sailing' practically all the way.

Under full sail

Here are the usual plots...

Track

Arrival

Graphs

Here are the vital stats for the passage…

    • Distances/Speeds

        • Route Distance = 500nm

        • Logged Distance = 490nm (yes, the log is under-reading slightly)

        • GPS Distance = 515nm

        • Duration = 4 days 6 hours

        • Average speed over ground = 5.0 kt

        • Average day's run = ~120nm

        • Best day's run = 126nm

        • Minimum boat speed = 3.5 kt

        • Maximum boat speed = 6.0 kt

    • Weather

        • Minimum wind speed = 1 kt

        • Average wind speed = 9 knots

        • Maximum wind speed = 15 with gusts to 22

        • Apparent wind angle range = 60 to 140

        • Seas up to 1.5m at start, reducing to 0.5m for most of the passage

        • Swell 2m initially reducing to 1m for most of the passage 

        • Clear with 1/8 cloud except for one afternoon/evening with 6/8 cloud

        • Full or nearly full moon every night

    • Engine

        • Total = 18 hours

        • Driving = 18 hours

        • Charging = 0 hours

    • Failures

        • None

    • Stars

        • The boat - she's a witch in light airs, despite a small main and full fuel, water & provisions

        • Tasker mainsail and Kemp yankee

        • Pelagic autopilot  - steered for most of the passage due to low apparent wind

Marquesas departure

So many great sunrises and sunsets

Cloud bank before the calm

We experienced a calm which lasted for about 9 hours following a line of cloud passing overhead.  Then as we approached Makemo the wind died again.  Apart from those two 9 hour periods we sailed in winds of 8-10 knots, mostly from the ENE - NE.  So it was mostly a beam reach over a slight sea.  Champagne sailing indeed.

Transiting the pass

OCC svs Nimue & Dovka with Zen Again anchored behind at left

We plan to spend three nights here in Makemo.  After one night off Pouheve we'll be moving to the Punaruku anchorage NNW from here.

Trust all's well where you are!