Fai Tira Blog Wednesday 5th April

Fai Tira in the Archipel des Touamotu, Makemo 16:37.67S 143:34.37W

On a personal basis the last week or so has been difficult. An ongoing and chronic battle with hearing loss has re-occurred with a vengeance, causing me to take some pretty powerful drugs and live in a constant state of anxiety wondering about the final outcome. So I approach this blog in perhaps not the best frame of mind and apologise in advance for any detectable lack of enthusiasm.

The last couple of days at sea on the approach to Makemo did little to improve the overall impression of a pretty poor sail from our starting point at Ua Pou some 5 days earlier. The wind did pick up slightly and we managed a brief period of sailing, but for most of the time it was engine on and motoring.

It was very early when we got our first sight of land. We kind of had an idea what to expect as we approached, but I’m still not sure that we were totally prepared. This was a completely new experience and all the information we had, was gleaned from books. These islands were never going to be seen from far off, unlike the magnificent Marquises with their towering peaks. Although they’d at one time been similar in their profile, the once majestic mountains had now slipped beneath the waves leaving a perimeter of coral barely above sea level, a palm covered dry ring with the Pacific bashing away at its exposed outer shores, whilst providing tranquil protection to the, sometimes, massive and constantly changing lagoon within it. I don’t think that any of us had ever experienced water quite as clear as this and even though we knew that the expanse of water was big, some 40 miles long by 10 wide, it still took some getting your mind round, after all it’s just like a mini sea contained within this vast ocean.

Radio communication with the some of the BWR boats inside, had already provided advice about the timing of our entry and with a whole range of unknowns it was all very welcome. We knew that at its height the tidal flow could reach 8 knots and we were approaching that period. Miss Tippy had made the passage through at a similar time the previous day and from a distance things didn’t look too turbulent, so we decided to shut all the hatches and try for it.

For a period progress was ok, but as we proceeded we found ourselves firmly in the grip of the outgoing tide. The engine was giving its all and the boat yawning wildly in the frothing turmoil. The speed over the ground was just about indicating momentum, which was until we realised that it was showing that we were in fact going backwards. At this point we aborted, turned the boat and headed back out, With everything closed down and switched off we just bobbed around for the next 5 hours  waiting for the next opportunity and slack water.

Our second attempt occurred at about 11.30am. Again we lined up the boat with the two white transit poles on a bearing of 157degrees and headed in before picking up a line of 3 green poles on our right and following them round to the anchorage, it was still tough but this time we made it.

The anchorage lay just off the small village where a freighter was berthed against a long and substantial concrete jetty that looked as though it had been designed for somewhere else and built in the wrong place.

Although Makemo is not one of the more popular destinations, six other BWR boats had made their way there and four were still at anchor as we arrived. Before long we had an invitation, extended by Brian and Sheila from Miss Tippy to join them and the guys from Perigrena for food on their boat that evening.

However, still early, there was time to investigate and swim, so we set off in the dinghy headed for the shore and started the usual ice cream hunt.

The community was small. Something like 600 inhabitants the major concentration being located in this village. Information we’d had from other boats had provided a brief description of available facilities. 3 supermarket ish stores, and a couple of what could loosely be called restaurants; and once more not a tourist trapping in sight....Great!!

What we saw was a strange mix of dereliction, combined with not infrequent opulence. Most of the dwellings were single storey and sat in very dry patches of ground where dogs lay around sleeping under whatever shade they could find as protection from the searing heat. There were also patches of lush green and gardens with exotic plants full of colour where much of the living and, judging by the outside beds, sleeping took place out of doors. And everywhere substantial linking concrete roads travelled by pick- ups all moving at walking pace, why do they need them?!!!! there’s nowhere to go......Strange!!.

Although our initial foray was brief, it was still long enough to realise the friendly nature of the community. We were greeted everywhere with beaming smiles by people going out of their way just to say hello.

The successful ice cream hunt out of the way, it was back to the boat. Pete was off for a dive with Brian from Miss Tippy, while David and myself took the dinghy and headed off in the direction of the red post marking a coral shoal for a snorkel. Our first experience of the crystal clear lagoon waters and their ever changing corals...Brilliant!!

The colours, textures and shapes were superb all augmented by the variety of darting, delicate shapes of aquatic life and all this intermingled with the slow, graceful and determined glide of the white tipped sharks on their curious and investigative prowl.

It was now getting late, so back on the boat for a quick shower before the trip across to Miss Tippy for an evening of great food, company and entertainment. Thanks Brian and Sheila. What a great family!

Most of the boats moved the following day to an anchorage further into the lagoon. We decided on a day of relaxation before joining them. That’s exactly what we did. Strolled around the village, checked out a place to eat, lazed on a wall overlooking the lagoon and slept whilst waiting for the shop to open, bought some provisions and ate some more ice cream (You just can’t have too much ice cream)

Our evening meal’s worth a quick mention if only for the fact that it was in a “restaurant” that was almost in the back yard of one of the small supermarkets, where we sat on ramshackle stools around a rickety table with a gaily coloured plastic table cloth covering a large hole in the centre. Cockroaches scurried around the floor and a group of fairly well oiled local youths traded friendly banter from a wall opposite and all the while we were treated to the friendly greetings by the succession of beer drinkers and takeaway customers......Food Atoll style!!!!

We set off early the next day, anxious that the sun be positioned right to give the best chance of negotiating the coral heads. The day was blisteringly hot and David spent the first couple of hours, melting, sat halfway up the mast on the first spreader directing the way, before it was decided that we could manage just as well by looking out from the bow sprit.

We arrived at the anchorage off the deserted shore by mid afternoon and were guided in by some of our fellow travellers. It wasn’t long before a trip ashore was organised and as a bunch we were going to sit and watch the sunset, have some drinks and eat a few nibbles. We arrived, parked ourselves, broke out the drinks, tucked into the food, lit a bonfire and watched a red ball disappear into the sea.

The next day we were parting company and heading for Tahanea, but before then there was another chance for a trip ashore with Michael and Ger from Simandrel, to visit a shallow area of coral and water just inside the outside shore where we encountered a whole range of fish, baby sharks and an octopus. A great way to say goodbye to our first atoll!!

It was always going to be just about impossible to time our arrival with the right time for entry into the passage, so after a really good sail on a beam reach making up to 7 knots, we hove too, waited and made a smooth uneventful entry into another exotic and this time deserted location where we were totally alone.

Our first anchorage proved very rocky, so after a short trip ashore to try and find, what the book describes as a part time village, we relocated to a more protected area dropped anchor and went swimming with some more sharks.......

This’ll do for the next few days!!!!

Bye for now Pete, John and David.