Hirifa, Fakarava

Macushla
Mark & Sue Owen
Sun 5 Jul 2015 00:34
16:26.95S 145:21.91W

Having spent a glorious 10 days at the North end of Fakarava it was time to move on. With a forecast of strengthening SE trade winds gusting up to 40 knots in the coming days, we decided to head for shelter.

Fortunately there's a marked channel down the atoll (Channel Balise), so we set off after breakfast in light, variable winds. This took us most of the way to our chosen anchorage off Hirifa in the SE corner, although the last few miles of the trip required eyeball navigation to find a route through the various unmarked reefs. The calm conditions and good sunlight made this relatively straightforward and we were rewarded with a snug anchorage in clear waters over sand. A rare treat indeed.