The Tuamotus. Ahe and Rangiroa

SY Ghost
Tim and Clare Hagon
Mon 14 Apr 2014 07:15
14:58.01S 147:38.18W
 
After two and a bit days at sea we got to Ahe, the pass was blocked by a boat who had decided to anchor and wait for the tide to slacken before going in. They picked up their anchor and after a brief chat on the radio moved out of the way to let us in while they waited for friends who were just behind us. The passes into the Tuamotus (rings of coral, miles in diameter with people living on the small spits of land) have very heavy currents running through them. The water can enter and exit these passes at over 6 knots, so knowing what time is slack water determines how long you have to loiter outside the pass. The water surrounding these atolls is thousands of metres deep and shelves very suddenly to 20 to 25 metres when you approach – quite nerve wracking!
 
We got through, then motored the three miles to the anchorage where we dropped the hook and went ashore. There was absolutely nothing to see apart from a couple of very sparsely laden stores and a woman/man (look up the third sex of Polynesia on the internet) selling pearls. So off we went to the pearl farm, returning to the boat with quite a bundle of little grey beauties.
 
The other activity in Ahe was snorkelling the pass. We picked a rising tide and holding onto the dinghy we were whisked through at about 4 knots while the wildlife did it’s thing below us. There were sharks aplenty, some quite large, manta rays and all sorts of fabulously coloured fish as we flew over the coral feeling like we were flying.
 
Having exhausted all that Ahe had to offer we set off on an overnight sail to Rangiroa, the second biggest atoll in the world and 80 miles away. The wind was fickle and Clare, Rouse, Barty and I put up with the noise of the engine for the night, getting to Rangiroa at dawn to wait for slack tide. We sat for a while weighing up how much current was in the cut and then decided to just go for it. As it turned out there was 4 knots against us, but the funny thing was the four boats behind us who waited for someone to go ahead before taking the plunge themselves. We went through the washing machine without incident and anchored off a fabulously beautiful beach around the corner, where we have remained since.
 
As we came through the pass we couldn’t help but notice some bright orange armchairs positioned on a dock over hanging the water. This place turned out to be The Relais de Josephine, a French lady of a certain age, arriving in the Tuamotus many moons ago she set the place up and runs it as a restaurant, as long as you reserve a place before 10am the day of your meal, and a guest house with cabins, all roofed with pandanas leaf. Very Polynesian and right by the pass where spinner dolphins jump while you sit in, as it turns out, very uncomfortable armchairs, with a sundowner in hand.
 
Since being here we’ve snorkelled with Manta rays, turtles, been diving with dolphins and have eaten some very good food out at Josephines’. Our plan is to stay here for a few more days before going down to Moorea on Thursday. There are still plenty of things to do, and actually it’s been nice just sitting in the same spot for a while. not sprinting off to the next ‘must see’ place. The water that we are anchored in is blue, full of fish and wildlife and as clear as any swimming pool. Happy days.

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