FAKARAVA ATOLL, IN THE TUAMOTUS, TO TAHITI, IN THE SOCIETY ISLANDS – 250NM
My humans need to get some stuff done in the capitol of French Polynesia, Tahiti. We all thought it would be fun also to be at a larger island for the Christmas Holidays. Internet connections have been rare, variable and slow in the Tuamotus. The humans thought it would be nice to be able to connect with family and friends during the holidays. So our visit has two purposes.
We are traveling in the rainy season. So we expect light winds interspersed with showers. It will not be a fast trip, and we can only hope we have picked a weather window with the least amount of unsettled weather.
BUTTERFLIES
No matter how many passages we do I always get butterflies in my stomach before we go. The humans have learned, after a few mistakes, that ‘battening down the hatches’ is always a good idea even if the forecast is gentle seas. I watched them running around the boat securing everything down and double checking all the moving parts.
FINALLY OFF
We were finally off with the predicted slack current in the north channel of Fakarava Atoll. Lots of diving boats were sitting in the middle of the channel and the red buoys from the divers below the water were easy enough to pick out and swing wide of. Must be very scary for them below as sound travels so much better under water. Our boat engine must sound like an approaching freight train to them.
ONCE OUT OF THE NORTH PASSAGE
We had good winds on the beam and seas that settled once we were clear of the waters that funnel between Fakarava and Toau atolls (Chenal de Fakarava). The grub screws were staying in the furler foil. The auto pilot was working happily away and everything looked set for a lovely sail to Tahiti.
We got about 3 hours of nice sailing when the first squall caught up with us. Strong winds shifting directions and driving rain. Nothing relaxing or dry about this type of sailing as you have to reef this, let out that. Then pull this back in, winch that, then let this back out. And of course the storm steals all the wind in between. So you are left drifting for a bit, no wind to fill the sails, trying to keep steerage. Then the next squall comes. It was like this all through the night, finally calming down around 3am.
SETTLED BACK INTO A RHYTHM
The winds have settled into a little more consistent level. Very light, but at least not changing direction every half hour. At 3 knots we are moving along at a gentle walking pace. Some one once said ‘Sailing is the slowest most expensive way to see the world’. Well I do not know about most expensive, but we certainly are not going anywhere very quickly.
But we are not complaining. The dark clouds have mostly cleared. Just a few small patchy ones here and there. The sea state is gentle and I can get about the boat easily. So what if it takes days to get to our destination, we can at least relax a bit and enjoy the journey.
GETTING TO TAHITI
But I have to admit I am looking forward to running on land again! I may have grown up on a boat, but it is not my natural environment. There is no excitement in weeing on a flat plastic surface. And besides the occasional dolphin or sea bird, nothing much to chase. I know the humans have a secret desire, when we get to Tahiti, to go into a ‘really big’ air conditioned grocery store again and see isle after isle of selection. I can tell already that this Christmas is going to be a big ‘pig out’!
The humans also need to see a dentist. I need to see the vet and get my annual boaster shots. We heard there are a few chandeliers where we can get some boat bits. There are friends anchored there we all want to get caught up with and ‘of course’ there is fast internet. You will finally get to see all the pictures and video we made. Especially all the shark videos!
TAHITI HERE WE COME
Only 150nm to go.
We are at 16 40.000S 147 18.770W (you can cut and past this into google maps)
END.
