Marquesas to Tuamotus (June 16 - 23, 2006)

When we had first arrived in Nuku Hiva our intention had been to spend at the most 7-10 days before continuing west. A strong high pressure system to the south, however, produced significantly stronger than normal trade winds and that kept us at anchor much longer than we wanted. But finally, almost three weeks after our arrival the forecast was calling for 15-20 knot winds and gradually settling conditions through the next five days. It was time to go.

There is something a bit unnatural about leaving a nice quiet anchorage and heading out onto the open seas. Sort of like getting out of bed in Illinois in January. As we raised anchor and motored towards the entrance to the bay, part of us wanted to return and rest just a few more days. But it was time to go.

As predicted conditions had settled down some. At least we were able to get out of the bay. As we turned west, however, it was clear that the prediction of 15-20 knot winds was a bit optimistic. The wind gauge remained solidly at 20 knots and with those winds the seas were still in the 10-12 foot range. It was going to be a rough day.

We always like to start a passage with a few nice easy days. It allows us to get our sea legs back and avoid sea sickness. And just getting used to the motion of the boat again always takes a couple of days. Starting out with conditions like we had today makes for a tough day. We got the sails up and trimmed and basically just hunkered down and waited for the winds to moderate.

Several other boats had left at the same time and for most of the morning we could see sails in the distance. But either because they were faster or they were heading to a different destination, by the afternoon we were once again all alone. That night, though, we heard a voice on the VHF radio and looking out we saw a large cruise ship in the distance. They were calling a sailboat that they had on radar. We determined from the coordinates that it was another boat to the south of us. We heard the cruise ship tell the other sailboat that they had seen a large number of sailboats in the area. It was nice to know we had company out there, even if we couldn't see them.

By Saturday morning the winds had decreased to about 15 knots from the southeast. That gave us a perfect beam reach and with those winds from that direction we made a bit over 6 knots most of the day. By the end of the day on Saturday we had run off almost 140 miles - a great day.

We still had not made up our mind exactly where we were headed. Our final destination in French Polynesia was going to be Raiatea but our course would take us very close to some of the islands in the Tuamotus. The Tuamotus are made up of about 40 atolls running northwest to southeast between the Marquesas and Tahiti. Because they are low and hard to see, they used to be called the Dangerous Archipelago. Many ships and boats have come to grief in the Tuamotus over the years. With the advent of GPS navigation, however, a landfall in the Tuamotus is not quite as hazardous as it used to be and we were considering a stop there if the weather turned bad again. So we set a course half way between Raiatea and Mahini and figured that in about three days we could make a final decision on which island to aim for.

In the mean time we were just enjoying the perfect sailing conditions and the good progress we were making. We had started feeling better, getting some sleep, and getting used to the motion of the boat again. It was going to be a good passage.

By Sunday morning the winds were down to about 10 knots but Stap Isi was still moving along nicely on a beam reach at about 5.5 knots. The seas were calming and it was truly a perfect sailing day. Since it was Fathers' Day we got out the satellite phone and Kyle called the kids and his dad. It is always amazing to us that with today's technology we can be in the absolute middle of nowhere and be able to call home to the States.

Sunday afternoon just about dusk we saw a huge pod of dolphins heading in our direction. They were leaping out of the water in groups of 5's and 10's and coming straight towards the boat. It looked like a class of 6th graders running for the ice cream truck. They swarmed around the boat and took up their positions in front, weaving back and forth across the bow. Some stayed along side leaping into the air and occasionally we would see five or six surfing down the face of a wave as it went by. It was like a dolphin circus and was about the most amazing thing we have seen out here. We sat on the bow and watched until it became too dark to see. Silently the dolphins headed off, hopefully to other boats.

By Sunday evening the wind had dropped to 6-8 knots. We were still making fairly good time but it was looking like a stop in the Tuamotus might be in order. The forecast was now calling for light and variable winds for Tuesday thru Thursday before the next high pressure system got things moving again. Rather than battle twitchy winds we might do better enjoying a couple days at anchor in Mahini.

Throughout the day we continued to make good progress in 8-10 knots of easterly winds. It was wonderful sailing and our only concern was trying not to get to Manihi too early. Low tide was supposed to be at 7 AM on the 20th and it is best to try to get through the pass about an hour after low tide. That is when the least water is moving out through the pass.

About 9 PM we saw probably the biggest meteor that we have ever witnessed. Kyle happened to be looking directly at that portion of the sky when there was an explosion and a flash of light. Kathy was looking the other direction but still saw the flash and turned to see a brilliant trail of light moving slowly across the sky. We kept thinking that it might burn out but it just kept moving more and more slowly, leaving a red trail behind it. Finally it disappeared into the clouds on the horizon. For at least 15 minutes afterwards, though, the trail was clearly visible in the sky. Quite a show.

We arrived off Manihi about 3 AM, dropped the sails, and drifted quietly off the pass waiting for dawn. Finally the sun began to light the eastern clouds and soon we were able to start the engine and motor towards the pass into the atoll.

Atolls were originally volcanos that rose up out of the sea. After the formation of the volcanic mountain, a fringe of coral would build up around the mountain forming a barrier reef. Then slowly the peak of the volcano subsided into the ocean again leaving just the fringing reef and small islets around what used to be the volcano's crater. Getting into an atoll can be quite a challenge. When the wind and seas are up, a lot of water goes crashing over the barrier reef into the atoll. That water flows out through any of the passes in the reef. The narrower and shallower the passes the faster the current flowing out. That is why it is best to try to enter a pass at high or low tide. That way the current produced by the tides is lowest and the only current one has to deal with is from the normal water flowing into and out of the atoll.

The main pass into Manihi is fairly wide and deep so we did not anticipate any problems getting in. We hit the pass about 8:30 AM and found a slight current flowing out. Stap Isi was easily able to make headway and we were soon into the lagoon and heading southeast. Our charts showed an anchorage off a small island on the southwest corner of the atoll about a mile from the main village. Kathy stood on the ratlines, a rope ladder we build on the shrouds, from where she was able to see any coral heads or obstructions. She was able to easily navigate us through the lagoon without hitting anything and we were soon at the anchorage.

Normally the winds blow from the east or southeast and under those conditions this would have been a great sheltered anchorage. But today the winds were blowing from the northeast and conditions were not so good. We set the anchor twice but each time the winds blew the boat towards the coral shelf off the island. And the chop formed by the winds made the anchorage very uncomfortable. As long as the anchor held we would be OK but if it dragged much at all we could find ourselves in the coral. We talked about it and decided that this was not a good place to rest. So we hoisted the anchor again and headed back out the pass.

By now the tide was flowing in and there was an ample current coming into the lagoon. But Stap Isi's motor was up to the challenge and we were soon back in open water. But now where to go. The huge atoll of Rangiroa was a day's sail ahead so we decided to make for that. But we would have to pass by Ahe first. Ahe was visible from Manihi and we passed along southern coast when we remembered that Graham and Lyn, some friends we had met in Panama, had mentioned stopping in Ahe. Just out of curiosity we called out for them on the VHF radio and were a bit surprised when they responded. Graham suggested that we just come into Ahe. The anchorage was wonderfully sheltered and calm and there were only a few boats there. We got the charts out and calculated that with a little help from the motor we could make the anchorage at Ahe before dark. Kyle fired up the motor, we changed our heading, and made for the pass into Ahe.

As we came around the southwestern corner of Ahe we found ourselves heading straight into the wind so we dropped the sails and ran under motor alone. As we drew near to the pass, three sailboats came shooting out on their way to Tahiti. At least they helped us identify the entrance to the pass. It was now a few hours from low tide again and we were a bit concerned about how strong the current would be against us, but not to worry. Stap Isi was able to make about two knots through the pass and we were quickly into the lagoon. From the pass it was four miles to the anchorage. The channel through the corral heads was clearly marked by navigational aids so there was no difficulty getting in. Just at dusk we dropped the hook, turned off the motor, and relaxed. Graham and Lyn invited us over for supper so we took a quick bowl bath and went over to their boat, Minarette.

The anchorage at Ahe was by far the calmest we had been in for several months. It was surrounded by a fringe of corral that kept out the chop. Kathy was thrilled to be able to cook without everything sliding around.

The first day there we put the dingy in the water and rowed to the wharf. For some reason it was a school holiday so there were kids everywhere. As we walked through town our escort of kids grew. They spoke French and Tahitian while we spoke neither. But somehow we managed to communicate. They told us their names and Kathy took pictures of them with the digital camera. They showed us the school, church, store, and other landmarks. Then we rowed back to the boat to get some more rest.

We were only planning to stay in Ahe a couple of days. It was basically just a rest stop. So on Thursday we got the boat squared away, checked out the engine, and prepared to leave on Friday. The weather forecast was for good winds on Friday but for decreasing winds on Saturday and Sunday. If all went well we could be in Raiatea on Monday before the winds died out altogether.