One Of Those Perfect Days - Rotoava, Fakarava

Why does she look so happy? Check out that beach!

Why does he look so happy? Read on...

Don't you just love those days when everything works out wonderfully and you know it will become a day for the memory books? 

After leaving south Fakarava we sailed north until we anchored in the lovely town of Rotoava. It actually felt like the "big city" after 5 weeks without internet or stores. The town has free mooring buoys and we were able to pick one up right between our friends JACARANDA and MALUHIA. We were told that bicycle rentals were available from Fakarava Yacht Services on the far side of town, Linda from JACARANDA contacted them and they agreed to bring the bicycles directly to the quay were we tied up our dinghies.

When we arrived at the quay they were already unloading the bikes from the back of their van. These were comfy beach bikes in excellent condition that would be perfect for the unpaved, coral roads ahead.

We head out to the North Pass on our bikes.

We headed north through town, cheerfully wishing everyone we passed a hearty "bonjour" and "ia orana" (Tahitian greeting), past the airport where the paved road ended, and continued on the more challenging road of dirt and coral. 

Shells? No. Road? Yes!

Eleven kms later we reached the end of the road, the remote and windswept Fakarava North Pass where Cinnabar will eventually exit the lagoon. 

Linda and Sylvia watch the water rushing out of the north pass.

As Linda and I stood there gazing at the water rushing out she wondered out loud "I wonder where the people go to SCUBA dive?" About 2 minutes later a spiffy, large inflatable blasted by us, out the pass, and dropped a boat load of divers into the water. Question answered.

SCUBA divers dropping over the wall outside north pass. photo courtesy of Jacaranda

MALUHIA had done the ride a couple of days before and told us about a picture-perfect beach with fine, white sand at km #9, so on our way back we took a short detour off the road and ended up at a quintessentially south pacific beach where lush palm trees drooped over alabaster white sand. Tom and I jumped in while Chuck relaxed and Linda looked for treasures.

A perfectly beautiful south pacific beach. photo courtesy of Jacaranda

Ready to roll. (photo courtesy of Jacaranda)

Luckily the wind was very light that day so we had almost no headwind on the return trip. As we road through the quaint and picturesque town we stopped at the bakery/store to place our baguettes and croissants order for the next morning, then continued to Fakarava Yacht Services to return our bicycles. We were now on the far end of town so we had a pleasant walk back to the quay to look forward to. However our fun day was not about to end.

Linda had seen some in-water tables at the nearby "5 star" resort Pearl Havaiki and she was not about to continue on until we got a picture of her sitting at the table. In spite of the numerous "Tables For Hotel Guests Only!!" signs littering the area Linda and I shed our outer garments, stepped over the guests lolling in the sand and made our way to a table while Tom followed with a camera.

Linda and Sylvia - scofflaws enjoying the Pearl Havaiki. Photo courtesy of Jacaranda

Unfortunately the snack bar was closed so we were denied drinks. It was now 5:00 p.m. and we were starting to get hungry. We had plans to eat at Rotoava Grill, home of some famous cheeseburgers, but since they didn't open until 6:00 p.m. we stopped at a charming beach cafe for drinks. It was the perfect place to watch the sunset.

Drinks at the wonderful La Paillote, perfect spot to watch the sunset.

When the grill opened we found a table outside next to some flaming tiki torches and enjoyed some of the best cheeseburgers we'd had in quite some time. 

Cheeseburgers in Paradise

After dinner we enjoyed a wonderful stroll back to the quay under the stars, and agreed that our day was one of those special ones that would stick in our memories for a long time.

Linda, Chuck, Sylvia and Tom  - all smiles

Sailor Develops Obsession For Hard Balls

(Sylvia)

They say that sailors can develop strange obsessions while at sea...

Tom used to refuse to hang stuff off the boat, but apparently exceptions are made for washed-ashore pearl farm buoys.

I should have suspected something was up when Tom began roaming the beaches looking for pearl farm buoy flotsam, allegedly for keeping our anchor chain lifted above coral bommies.

So far our anchor chain hasn't wrapped around a coral head, fingers crossed.

Then the buoys started appearing in Tom's art shots...

Is this a photo of Cinnabar or the beloved buoys?

Is it possible to love hard orbs too much? Now this...

Should I be worried??

Tahanea to Fakarava - Some Challenging Pass Negotiations

(Sylvia)


As we mentioned in a previous post, timing our entries into the passes of any of the Tuamotu is critical for a safe entry. If the winds are too strong and blowing against the current in the pass it will create standing waves making for a dangerous entry. They say it's best to enter or leave during slack water (no or little current) and in good light so as to keep an eye out for coral bommies.

After spending a little over 2 weeks in Tahanea we were ready to leave for the Fakarava atoll where there is supposedly excellent kiting and diving to be found. There are two passes into Fakarava, the safe and big north pass, and the extremely shallow and treacherous south pass. The north pass was another 25 nm (nautical miles) farther out of our way, so guess which pass Tom insisted we enter? Bear in mind that Cinnabar has a very deep draft of 9.5 feet.

In order to arrive at the Fakarava south pass at the ideal time of low slack (hopefully with a slight ebb that would help push us back in case we decided to abort the entry) we would have to depart the Tahanea pass at 8:30 p.m. After sunset. In the pitch dark! We decided that this would probably be OK as long as we could follow our own snail trail (GPS track of our previous entry into the atoll). Also, buddy sailboat NAOMA with a shallower draft agreed to precede us and sound the depths ahead.

Ah, the optimism of youth. Nicole and Ryan of NAOMA confer with us about our pass departure that night. All systems go!

So at 8:15 p.m. (20:15) NAOMA and CINNABAR weighed anchor and headed for the pass. We were using three navigational programs to make sure we were on our previous track. Although I had been gung-ho earlier, I became a Nervous Nellie in the pitch dark (no moon) and constantly nagged Tom to check our course on his device, comparing it with the one I was using. Since I was staring at my lit screen I had zero night vision but at least Tom was able to see the dark outline of the land on each side of us. We successfully followed our previous track out of the pass even though it felt like driving through a minefield of potential groundings. Once safely in the ocean, we set sail for Fakarava. We had a slow, mellow and uneventful motorsail throughout the night, always keeping NAOMA'S mast light in our sights.

We arrived at Fakarava about 06:45 the following a.m. where NAOMA was waiting outside the pass. Our wished-for sunny morning was not to be, with gray clouds and thunderheads scudding across the sky. When it got a bit lighter and the current flattened somewhat we decided to make our move. 

Cinnabar slow sailing, waiting to enter the dreaded Fakarava south pass. Photo courtesy of NAOMA

NAOMA agreed to go first and sound the depth for us. They reported that there was about a 1.5 knot current against them (good) but that they saw 8.5 feet in the shallowest spot. Yikes! Tom's navigational program showed a narrow channel that was about 10.5 feet at low tide so we slowly motored through this area watching the depth constantly. 20 feet. 15 feet. 10 feet. 9 feet, what? 6 feet WTF??? We should be smashing into the coral bottom right now.

GAH! Coral right next to and underneath us.

When the instruments read 3.2, Tom realized something was seriously amiss - then he saw that I had accidentally set the depth to meters instead of the usual feet units. I thought he was going to have a heart attack! 3.2 meters equals 10.5 feet, so actually, we had 1 foot of clearance under the keel. Hey, inches to spare, no big deal.

Worried Tom with his phone nav app in hand. NOT happy about the depth being in meters.

All the while we could very clearly see the bottom just below us, it didn't even matter that the sky was dark and gray. By the skin of our bottom paint, we safely transited the pass (whew!).

Cinnabar's track reaching in front of, then transiting north through the pass. Big thanks to NAOMA for leading us through.

Following NAOMA, we headed to the SE for the anchorage of Hirifa which was known as the place for windsurfing and kiting.

It was the 4th of July and it was a squally and rainy day. 

Happy Fourth of July! Now, don't EVER set the depth to meters again!!!!

Weather be damned, the yanks in the anchorage, CINNABAR, NAOMA AND MALUHIA, celebrated with an impromptu 4th of July party aboard roomy MALUHIA that included appetizers, grilled sausages, baked beans, veggie burgers, and ice cream sundaes. 

Beautiful catamaran MALUHIA in the background. NAOMA on the right. Fear-sweat soaked clothes getting a natural rain rinse on CINNABAR.

The next few days were spent doing boat chores, kiting, beach-walking, and enjoying the hospitality of a fun beach-shack restaurant on shore.

We visit the local watering hole for dinner. Counter clockwise - Ryan (NAOMA) front right, Tom, Sylvia, Dave (MALUHIA), Jan/Bernard/Anne-Marie (L'AVENIR, Austrians), and Nicole (NAOMA) Photo courtesy of NAOMA

More later on our journeys throughout Fakarava, the second largest atoll in The Tuamotu. Although we have some internet here, it's not enough to upload an album, so that will be forthcoming as well. Also, when Tom has time he'll post some really fun kiting pics.

Sylvia
Pakokota, Fakarava

Cinnabar Update

(Sylvia)

We finally have a decent internet connection after 5 weeks without wi-fi and in between snorkeling, kiting, boat work and socializing I've managed to put together a couple of online photo albums.

Some exciting kiting in Tahanea. Here Ryan from NAOMA jumps the dinghy that Nicole and I are sitting in! Read on...

Album: Nuku Hiva to Tahanea - The pictures of our journey to and 2+ weeks in Tahanea. Lots of pics of green and blue.

After we left the great snorkeling of the north anchorage we headed south so Tom could enjoy the reportedly epic kiting in the SE anchorage. Finally the wind strength and angle were good enough for Tom and Ryan of NAOMA to do some beach launches. We're still waiting for Tom to do a piece on the kiting (in between his numerous boat chores and responsibilities), but for now here are a few pics of the days (incl. 4 days of kiting) we enjoyed in Tahanea, SE anchorage:

Right after anchoring we check out possible launch locations. Beautiful, yes?

Tom's first day of kiting!

Tom and Ryan of kiting in a picture perfect location.

Nicole (NAOMA) and Sylvia on dinghy patrol.

GoPro on kite - Tom at bottom, I'm in the dinghy picking him up, Cinnabar in the background.

Under the heading of better late than never:
Album: Last Days In The Marquesas - Yes, I realize we left Nuku Hiva 5 weeks ago but we did a terrific land tour our last day in Taioha'e. We visited the Taipivai Valley which inspired Herman Melville's book Typee. He actually escaped from a whaling ship in Taioha'e and somehow made his way through the jungle and over the steep mountains to the neighboring valley, supposedly populated by the fierce Taipivai cannibals. Instead he found happy and generous people who nursed him back to health, fed him, and entertained him. 

IMPULSIVE, SCOOTS, and CINNABAR overlooking the Taipivai Valley

Tom inspects a very recent landslide along the narrow, steep road.

This would be our goodbye to Debbie and Morris on IMPULSIVE who would be returning to the Pacific Northwest. And who knew if or when we would see SCOOTS again? It was a fun way to spend time with some of our favorite people.

Morris, Tom and Eric enjoyed their goat curry at Chez Yvonne in Hatiheu Bay.

We toured the island and even though the guys had already hiked to Hatiheu back when we were anchored in Anaho, this was an opportunity for Debbie, Vandy and me to visit, as well as get detailed info from our tour guide about large population of ancient people who once lived there.

I knew once we left Nuku Hiva we would not have access to any kind of store for at least a month so I was lucky to find an assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables before leaving Taioha'e. 

I couldn't believe my luck in scoring lettuce, tomatoes, apples and avocados along with the usual cabbage, long beans, pamplemousse and limes.

Finding fresh produce in The Marquesas and The Tuamotus can be challenging, so we are always on the lookout for the opportunity to stock up. But that's remote island living for you.


Cheers, Sylvia
Pakokota, Fakarava

THIS is why we came here! - Tahanea Tuamotu

(Sylvia)

We have been at the remote and beautiful motu (coral atoll) of Tahanea for two weeks and it has been glorious. The only people living here, as far as we can tell, are a (temporary) group of men who are harvesting coconuts and making copra to sell in Tahiti. Occasionally a panga comes in to drop off containers of water and supplies and to pick up the bags of copra. Although Tom can access his email via HF radio, I cannot and have been without internet for three weeks. Not sure when I'll have access again, but you'll know when I do because I'll be answering emails then.

For the first couple of days after our arrival the northerly winds continued to blow but we were anchored snugly on the north side of this 9-mile wide atoll (9 mi wide x 25 mi long). The first day we arrived I jumped in the water and was astounded by the crystal clarity of the water and the plethora of colorful reef fish. That afternoon another boat pulled into our anchorage; it was the sailboat JACARANDA, friends of friends in La Paz who told us to "keep an eye out" for this boat. Also, I have been talking to the owner Chuck fairly regularly on the Single Side Band (HF) radio nets since we were three days out of La Paz, so we felt like we knew Chuck and his companion Linda before we'd even met face to face.

We spent the next five days in the north anchorage, hanging out with Chuck and Linda, taking beach walks, and enjoying some excellent snorkeling. Linda is an avid snorkeler and turned us on to a coral bommie near their boat that was rich with marine life. We identified numerous fishes including pipefish (cousin to the seahorse), reef sharks, giant morays and of course the ubiquitous types of parrot fish in all their phases and sexual orientations. (Some of them transform from female to male, so much easier than for humans!)

The passes of The Tuamotu atolls are famous for their clear water, coral gardens and sea life. You must time your dives so that the current carries you INTO the atoll, as opposed to out to sea where you will never be found again. When the winds and seas calmed down to a navigable degree Tom and I dinghied out to the westernmost pass and had an exciting drift dive into the pass which we shared with at least three manta rays. We were hit by a rather severe squall at the end of the dive and realized we could no longer see the location of our boat! Note to selves, next time bring a GPS. But we knew the general direction of the boat and were able to find our way back as the squall lifted.

We had heard that there was a fantastic wall dive outside this pass (on the open ocean side), and finally there was a day where the seas were calm enough to attempt this dive. Chuck and Linda joined us and we headed out to see if the conditions would allow us to exit the safety of the motu. We timed the tide perfectly, the wind and wave conditions were sufficiently calm so we dinghied outside and dropped into the clear water with over a deep wall and pristine coral gardens filled with sea life. We were awe-struck at the beauty and richness of the reef and wall. We were even visited by a curious wahoo (no speargun, argh!) while gray reef sharks swam below us. As we approached the entrance to the pass (dragging our dinghy behind us), we were swept into the channel for a fun ride in the current until we reached the calm waters inside the lagoon. We had time for a second drift dive and we all agreed that this spot was world class and right up there with some of the best diving we had ever experienced, and we weren't even on SCUBA. We were so high over the experience that we even visited another bommie inside the lagoon for one last snorkel. We knew the winds were shifting to the south-east and we would need to travel to the south side of the lagoon the next day so this was our last chance for diving.

After five days in the northern anchorage we readied Cinnabar for the 9-mile motor across the lagoon. Even though the day was calm and without waves due to the protection of the reef surrounding the lagoon we had to keep a constant look-out for very real and just-awash uncharted coral bommies, so we slowly made our way across the lagoon and breathed a sigh of relief as we found our next location to drop the anchor. The attraction of the south side of the motu is kiting. Tom couldn't wait for the SE winds to arrive so he could inflate his kite and enjoy some fun on the water. Later on that day another boat, NAOMA with Ryan and Nicole, anchored nearby. Turns out Ryan used to run a kiting school, so Tom would have a first-rate companion for the upcoming excitement.

More on the south anchorage and terrific kiting later...

Pic - Red Fin Butterfly Fish

On a random bommie in 5' of water.

Pic - Blacktip Shark

Compulsory shark shot...

Sharks are prevalent in these comparatively healthy and unmolested waters. Blacktips are not considered one of the 30 known dangerous sharks (of the 350 total types worldwide).

Pic - Where are we?

Even IN the water, there's no escaping the squalls. They are just part of life here.
Is it wetter above or under water, Sylvia wonders?
Eerie feeling when all visual references disappear - sky, sun, trees, islands, and sailboat - while drifting in current at 2-3 kts.