16:04S 145:43W

 

 

Leaving Kauehi with the morning ebb tide, Bandit hit 10 knots as we raced through the pass helped by six knots of current.  We’d heard so many stories about these passes and so picked atolls with “easy” passes and Kauehi proved very straightforward.  We had a lovely sail across to neighbouring Fakarava which was also reported to have an easy entrance and so it proved.   We’d timed it to enter with the incoming tide and while there were a few small standing waves it was nothing to worry about.

 

We headed to the anchorage off the village of Rotoava which had a bakery – fresh baguette!  There was internet floating around so we headed to the local hotel and, in an idyllic waterfront setting, managed to send a few emails, check news sites and download grib files before it died.  Internet in these atolls is hard to find, unreliable and usually notoriously slow.....so we’ve weaned ourselves off it but it is always nice to see what is happening in the world.

 

Tulu was in the anchorage so we had drinks on board with them and True Blue – a stunning Oyster 655 we first saw in Panama and then the Galapagos.  We’d never met, but had heard Don on the SSB.  Turns out he was born in New Zealand but these days lives in San Francisco.  Was great to meet and have yet another fantastic night on Tulu.