Tuesday 30 June 2015

French Polynesia - Tuamotu

23-06-15 Wednesday
0830 departed Anaho Bay, Nuku Hiva.
Engine: 1632.2 hours.
Sadiqi's anchorage had become very uncomfortable with a northerly swell wrapping into the bay.

The winds along the north of Nuku Hiva were 10 to 15 knots from the East. In the lee, west coast, of the large island the wind were from the north west then all over the place. The seas were rough and vile tossing Sadiqi around like a cork. The Volvo chugged away to get Sadiqi through the rough seas as quickly as possible.

Noon 1200 UTC -9.5
Oops, forgot to set the alarm for midday!

1335 Sadiqi eventually escaped the rough seas in the lee of Nuku Hiva.
Winds 18 to 20 knots ESE.
COG: 222 deg M, SOG: 5 knots.
1700 Beer o clock was observed with libations to absent family and friends.

24-06-15 Wednesday
It was a pleasant and uneventful sail through the night under a waxing crescent moon.

Noon 1200 UTC -9.5 hours
Wind 10 - 12 knots (T) ENE
Lat: 09 58.44 S, Lon: 141 36.53 W
COG: 225 deg M, SOG: 4 knots
Engine: 1635.2 hours
125 miles since noon the previous day.

25-06-15 Thursday
Slow sailing overnight dead downwind with poled out jib and single reefed main.
Wind 8 – 12 knots (T) NE
Sails flapping and banging with the uncomfortable seas. The skipper was wondering what had happened to the south east trade winds.

Noon 1200 UTC -9.5 hours
Wind 8 - 12 knots (T) ENE
Lat: 10 33.16 S, Lon: 143 11.35 W
COG: 225 deg M, SOG: 4 knots
Engine: 1635.6 hours
89 miles since noon the previous day.

1515 dark clouds and rain on the horizon.
Wind 10 – 12 knots (T) NNE.

26-06-15 Friday
The winds dropped to less than 10 knots early in the night. With sails flapping and banging Sadiqi was hardly making one knot. I started the engine, which rattled away for most of the dark hours.

0600 With relief I turned off the engine.
Winds 8 to 12 knots NE.
Sailing slowly downwind with poled out jib and single reefed main.
COG: 225 deg M, SOG: 3 knots (sometimes).

Noon 1200 UTC -9.5 hours
Wind 10 - 15 knots (T) ENE
Lat: 11 27.79 S, Lon: 144 32.91 W
COG: 225 deg M, SOG: 4.5 knots
Engine: 1647.9 hours
97 miles since noon the previous day.

27-06-15 Saturday
It was a pleasant, fast sail overnight.
Wind 10 to 16 knots (T) NE
COG: 215 deg M, SOG: 5.5 knots

Noon 1200 UTC -9.5 hours
Wind 10 - 15 knots (T) ENE
Lat: 12 52.09 S, Lon: 146 09.49 W
COG: 218 deg M, SOG: 5.5 knots
Engine: 1647.9 hours
126 miles since noon the previous day.

The wind eased after midday making for an uncomfortable, banging and flapping downwind sail in knarly seas/swell.

28-06-15 Sunday
It was a roly sail overnight with wind from behind – single reefed mainsail and poled out jib.
Wind: 8 to 12 knots (T) ENE

Noon 1200 UTC -9.5 hours
Wind 15 - 20 knots (T) NNE
Lat: 14 01.75 S, Lon: 147 40.98 W
COG: 205 deg M, SOG: 6 knots
Engine: 1648.4 hours
113 miles since noon the previous day.
The wind dropped to less than 10 knots shortly after noon.
I had planned on skipping the Tuamotu archipelago of French Polynesia and heading straight to Tahiti. However, I was going to pass close to the the most western atoll, but one, Tikehau around midnight. I decided to slow Sadiqi by reducing sail and visit Tikehau. The reason for skipping the low lying Tuamotu archipelago was the risks of entering atoll passes and the incidence of coral bommies once inside the atoll. I had sufficient information and the entry looked doable regardless of the tidal flow.
Sadiqi rolled from side to side, not so gently, slowly south west.
1700 - Beer o clock UTC -9.5
Change time zone to UTC -10 hours
1700 Beer o clock UTC -10 :)

29-06-15 Monday
A slow sail overnight with double reefed mainsail doing only 2 to 3 knots. This was planned to arrive at passe to Tikehau atoll around 1000. The cruising guides (Bonnette and Deschamps) advise to only navigate inside the atolls between 1000 and 1500 to be able to see the shallow coral heads.
Wind: 10 -15 knots ENE

1100 Entered Passe Tuheiava, Tikehau, Tuamotus.
Sadiqi's transit of the Tuheiava passe was uneventful. The pass is wide with fish traps on either side.

1130 Dropped anchor Teonai, Tikehau, Tuamotus
Engine: 1649.6 hours

Tikehau, Tuamotus
Sunset Tikehau, Tuamotus
The Teonai anchorage was small and sheltered by Teonia island to the west, a reef to the north and east on which were the remains of a resort. On the second day two local fishermen came by the boat and generously offered me a couple of fish. I gladly accepted one, filleted and cooked it that night for dinner. I was hoping that my lips would not go numb and I wouldn't start baying at the full moon with a bout of Ciguatera poisoning. The fish was excellent and to my knowledge I did not suffer any neurological disorders – no more than usual.

01-07-15 Wednesday
In the morning I downloaded the weather GRIB file using the SSB radio to check for wind – there was little forecast. I had planned to head to Tahiti that day. There was little point in rolling around in nasty seas with no wind. I decided to stay – not a hard decision given the location. I did, however, decide to motor 6 miles south to the main town on Tikehau atoll – Tuherahera. The navigation markers in French Polynesia are excellent. I arrived at Tuherahera and dropped anchor. I checked for WiFi Internet access so I could update the blog with pictures. It existed but was very slow. I had lunch and motored back to Teonai anchorage. Tuherahera looked far to civilised at with tourist resorts, airports and cars etc. The wind did not exceed 5 knots throughout the day. It was the most benign wind conditions I had experienced since leaving Ecuador.

After nearly 3 months since leaving Ecuador I still had Ecuadorian Pilsener beer. The first 3.3 Kg propane tank had only just run out – having lasted 3 months. I still had sufficient food on board for possibly another month. Sadiqi did appear to be riding higher in the water than when she left South America. It must have been the dwindling food stocks.

I checked the GRIB file the following day – there was going to be even less wind for the next few days. I set up camp putting up the awning on the boom for shade. I had not inflated the dinghy to go ashore and felt no need to. I went snorkelling in the afternoons. The visibility was no so great being only a few hundred metres from the passe into the atoll. It was a beautiful location with stunning sunrises and sunsets and an amazing full moon reflected over calm waters
Sunrise Tikehau, Tuamotus
Sunrise moonset Tikehau, Tuamotus
Tikehau, Tuamotus
Moonrise sunset Tikehau, Tuamotus
I read “The Happy Isles of Oceania” by Paul Theroux – a candid account of his travels, much of it in a collapsible kayak, around South Pacific islands in the 1990s. An entertaining and enlightening read.

The fishermen came past Sadiqi again and offered fish. I gladly took one and filleted it. I threw the carcass and bits over the side, which attracted about 6 large black tip sharks. Apparently, snorkelling or scuba diving in the passe was supposed to be very good – swimming among the sharks.

The wind forecast on the GRIB files was increasing with south east winds around 25 knots. This was considered a little excessive for a sail to Tahiti. Tikehau atoll is about 12 miles across, the passe and anchorage near Teonia island are on the west. This made for a potentially uncomfortable even dangerous fetch in strong winds. I sailed 6 miles south to the main village on Tikehau atoll – Tuherahera. It looked like my departure was going to delayed again. Saturday night the wind howled between 20 and 30 knots. Despite the protection from the island the waves still tossed Sadiqi like a cork making for an uncomfortable night. When at anchor or moored I usually sleep in the fore cabin. Sadiqi's bow was rising and falling a metre or so in the wave chop. In the fore cabin berth when the bow plunged I was rendered momentarily almost weightless. I had to retire to the saloon, where I sleep when under-way, with the lee clothes holding me onto the bunk. It is amazing that conditions can change so quickly from idyllic calm to dangerous rough.