Atoms and atolls
Fleck
Sun 8 Jun 2008 21:24
|
Date Sunday 8th June, 9am, Vicky still
asleep!!
Location: Rangiroa, 14:54.3S 147:44.2W
Greetings.
Strong winds are keeping the 'our' cruising fleet
here in the various atolls of the Tuamotus, all are wanting to move on to the
fleshpots of Pape'ete on Tahiti. This is a little stressful
for 'Fleck' as we are on a tight schedule to get to Tonga in a month, A
lull is forecast mid week, but then strong winds return, and we may eventually
have to get used to them, and steep seas. Personally I had quite enough of hat
sort of thing three days ago, of which more later.
First these Atolls, like many first time visitors I
had no idea that they were so big, but so empty: like the space inside an
atom. Atolls are saucers of coral growing on eroded old volcanos. Growth at the
margins, with the nutrients of the ocean is better and results in the rim of
land enclosing the central lagoon. The encircling land is divided up into chains
of islands called motus, with passes between which are typically less than
a metre deep, but sometimes, fortunately, big enough for us and the island
supply ships. All at the right state of the tide (See previous episode), of
course! Here on Rangiroa the lagoon is more than twenty miles across, so you
can't see to the other side, and it is like being in Dover Harbour, but with no
harbour walls!!
Rangiroa is also 'developed' with a population
of three thousand; and black pearl culture (we have visited a farm) is a major
business, after tourism. We park our dinghy at the plushest hotel each day, and
yesterday hired two of their bicycles to explore the Motu. There are over the
water bungalows to rent at $750 per night. We get the same view for free, but at
least the honeymooners don't get seasick!
Our overnight passage from Ahe was straight forward
until we approached the 'pass' here at breakfast time, and were met with a wall
of breaking waves across the entrance. Hasty recalculation from our almanac
tables showed that we might be out in our approach timings by 8 hours and we
spent the day 'hove to' out at sea in inceasingly uncomfortable conditions.
Squalls brought strong wind and rain, periodically obliterating all the
landmarks we needed for navigation. Just before dark the visibility improved for
a time and we charged, over by now fairly flat water, into the lagoon. But at
the anchorage (see above) it was nearly as rough and windy as 'outside'. Yachts
were tugging at their anchor chains like demented dogs on their
leashes!
I suspect that readers will not be feeling
especially sorry for us. Indeed the swimming is excellent, and life is quite
gregarious as we get to know more of our fellow travellers. Mostly folk are on
the same time schedule, thus we keep meeting up whenever our paths cross: we are
likely to be told that the Island that we chose not to visit was the best ever,
and all that sort of gossip!
There is fresh food here on the island, and we have
got used to the price hike, we even afforded a snack bar lunch out yesterday,
with wonderful views across the water and tropical fish and rays feeding below,
just like being on your own yacht!!
Richard and Vicky
|