Arrival Fakarava

Luceyblue
Ina&Buc&Simon&Amanda
Tue 16 Jun 2009 06:20
Well we left Makemo yesterday, after waitng for Ina and the girls to go and pick up the last of the custom carved tikis, and shells. Makemo is a freindly place to stay. The wind had turned through 360 degrees whilst we were at anchor, so the chain was wrapped around lots of coral heads, making lifting the anchor a little more difficult than usual.
 
It came up ok, and we left just after Vagabond Heart & Imagine, Imagine is heading for Tahiti, but we are racing Vagabond Heart to Fakarava. The wind is dead astern to start with, not LB best point of sail, especially as we tore the spinaker a few days ago.
 
We seemed to catch the wrong side of several rain showers all the way throughthe night, but managed to arrive at the same time as VH, being polite we decided to follow them through the pass and into the lagoon. It is quite a wide and well marked pass, with only about 4 kts of outflow when we were on the way in, some impressive surf brreaking on the reef to the side of the pass, and lots of sharks cruising in the entrance.
 
We are now anchhored in a secluded spot, with VH about 200ft away, and a white coral beach just the other side of them, exploring is planned for the morning.
 
As usual I asked Simon to check on the anchor by snorkelling over it (we put it down in 12 mtrs of water, but the bottom is still clearly visable. Just as he was about the jump in three small sharks swum past, so Simon & Amanda just had to dive in, so they haven now both swum with sharks! Actually the sharks just cruised on past, not at all interested in them. The anchor was ok.
 
The afternoon was spent with the kids from VH on board LB, engaged in loading computer games, and embroidery! Parents on both boats catching up on sleep!
 
The weather is now calm, and the skies clear, so many stars. So I am going to leave this machine in the cockpit, with the three kids, and take Ina to watch the shooting stars on the foredeck. Goodnight all!