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!