Rangiroa

Our gear cable and throttle problem luckily turned out to just be an adjustment and after stocking up on yet more fresh baguettes, we left Ra'iatea enroute to Rangiroa, about 250 miles to the northeast. We were now leaving the Society Islands and heading east towards the Tuamotus, another of the five island groups in French Polynesia. The Society Islands are 'high', volcanic islands. The Tuamotus are totally different, atolls consisting of strings of motu (small islands) strung together to surround an inner lagoon. They are low and sandy with lots of palm trees. Our visas were quickly coming to an end and we were in a bit of a time crunch to get there in order to check out of the country. We were very disappointed that we were only going to have few days there and we'd have to skip a visit to the Marquesas, another island group about 700 miles NE, altogether. With hindsight, I guess we should have applied for a long-stay visa. It would have required a lot of paperwork and hassle to get. If we hadn't had to spend four weeks in the boatyard in Ra'iatea, it would have been fine. As it is, we are pressing on to Rangiroa as we are trying to get as much easting as possible before heading for Hawaii. From the Marquesas the sailing angle would have been ideal. From Rangiroa, not so much, but better than heading north from the Societies. It is what it is and we're happy we'll at least see something of the Tuamotus.

The three day passage wasn't without the usual weather and mechanical problems, but, we were able to deal with them all and got there with seven days left. We anchored off the Kia Ora resort hotel. The water was incredibly clear and we could see many fish and even dolphins right beside the boat. We swam off the back of the boat almost every day. We're just that little bit closer to the equator here (14S) and the heat, if possible, seemed even more oppressive than it had in the Societies.

We were anchored very near to Tiputa Pass, a legendary dive location where many large species can be seen. Sailboats can pass during times of slack water. It's not a place you can go into at other times as the currents and rips through the pass can be incredibly strong, up to an eight knot flow if you get your tide calculations wrong. It looks like a white water river then, not a place to take a slow-moving sailboat through, or, to be in the water with a snorkel. Local knowledge is a must.

Drift dives and drift snorkel trips through the pass are offered by local operators. We booked with DeDe Excursions. It was reasonably-priced and we had a full two hours at four different locations. Drift snorkeling is fun, no swimming required. Basically, just lay there and steer yourself as the water whisks you along. The water temperature is around 33C. In the pass itself we saw a number of large black-tip reef sharks, a ray and some large grouper. Due to the water rushing through twice a day the pass was scoured clean of coral, but, at the end of it, adjacent to a small island, was 'The Aquarium', a really nice coral garden with big coral. There is a buoyed swim path with underwater signs where you can read about the coral you're looking at! We saw numerous moray eels (a metre long at least) and an incredible variety and quantity of reef fish. It's one thing to see a school of fish at a distance which we've seen many times, it's quite another to become actually part of the school with hundreds of fish swimming all around you only inches away. We were in the middle of a huge bunch of red snapper, it was quite the experience.

We had to visit the local gendarmerie a couple of times to get our outbound clearance done. We are leaving for Hawaii on Saturday, Dec 7. It's about 2200 miles north and slightly west. We expect to be at sea for around three to four weeks, depending on the number of calms we encounter. Looks like a Christmas at sea this year, but, a turkey dinner with all the trimmings is unlikely to be on the menu aboard unfortunately! Christmas is a big thing here it seems. Decorated Christmas trees and tinsel are already up and the grocery store clerks are wearing Santa hats, it seems very incongruous.

So, after a short three months, it's farewell to French Polynesia. You may have noticed that I didn't publish any bird photos while here. There weren't many opportunities and/or subjects, but, I did get this nice shot in Ra'iatea and for fellow bird lovers, enjoy.

----------
Sent via SailMail, http://www.sailmail.com