16:31.24S 145:28.39W

We had a short motor over to the SW part of the atoll and crept in to the anchorage using the waypoints from the very useful Soggy Paws Compendium, whilst still maintaining a very keen lookout on the bow.  We had to get accustomed to passing over coral heads which appeared deceptively close to the surface due to the clarity of the water.

Trying to find a decent anchoring spot was something of a compromise as, although we could easily find a sandy spot to drop the anchor, it was impossible to find an area clear of coral heads for the full scope of our chain.  However with the now benign conditions this is not too much of an issue.  This anchorage is the preferred one SW of Passe Tumakohua (South Pass) albeit a longer dinghy ride to the village of Tetamanu and the pass itself.

On our first evening we enjoyed a fire lit happy hour on a nearby island in the bay with our fellow cruisers in the anchorage and were looking forward to the drift snorkel of the pass which we’d heard so much about.

The village of Tetamanu, once the capital of Fakarava, is now mainly a residential dive resort with gorgeous, rustic huts at the water’s edge.  Nonetheless, the delightful old church remains to this day with its unique mother of pearl altar.