sv evi

07/03/2007

14 58.16 S, 147 38.27 W

Our 4 day passage to the first anchorage at Ahe Atoll, 500nm SW of Marquesas was made quicksnap with stiff following wind and days of wing on wing sailing. With Irie always in sight our passage was too fast and by arriving in the dark we had to make a couple of fly-bys waiting for favorable pass conditions. All the Tuamotu atolls require a dangerous, reef-riddled, narrow passage with current to reach the safer but dangerous, coralhead riddled inside. Ahe was no different. (14 32.1 S 146 21.4 W)

With all variables perfect, which rarely is the case, it is still somewhat unnerving transiting these imfamous slots which have claimed many vessels. Yes we modern day sailors with our GPS, radar, sonar, dozens of guidebooks with detailed sketches, waypoints and compass headings, our diesel powered sailboats and the ever present help of the cruiser inside, have it fairly easy….but…..it is the “Terror-Motus”. The recommendation for any passage is at high tide, slack current, light wind, and the sun directly overhead so the person standing on your spreader halfway up the mast can spot shallow water and dangerous coralheads (bommies). When we passed it was low tide, some current, strong wind, and the sun glaring off the water in our eyes which were not up the mast. And yes….we made it with no problem but the anxiety level is high after all the build-up and the constant warnings. Better safe than sorry…..but not so for the 40ft+ new Jeanneau sailboat that struck the reef and sunk while we were anchored inside. All crew was rescued but the eerie site of the angled mast with shredded sails protruding from the depths (shallows) is the best reminder to keep alert.

The cozy anchorage with plenty of space for about 6 boats was extra tight as we were the lucky 13th to drop the hook. It shrinks more when you factor in the dozen bommies that lurk just below the surface that are scattered in all parts of the anchorage. There is no safe location to anchor, with adequate scope, that provides a clear 360 degrees of swing. The trades blew strong the entire week we were anchored in the inner lagoon off the village and so we settled on the edge between a reef and bommie and set a stern anchor. Whew….time for a drink!!!

Ahe is known for its black pearls and the many farms are in constant production. We were visited by a local in his pirogue wanting to trade for the “rejects”. The industry is regulated by the french government and the highest quality pearls are shipped to Tahiti. The others are sold in markets in bulk and the cruisers have traded for these for years. Guava is low on the whiskey stock, which is what they all want, but we did manage to score some nice pieces for some sunglasses, t-shirt, and some fresh pomplemoose. All parties happy.

During a village visit Cort became buddies with three 8-year-old girls. We brought them to Guava and spent the afternoon eating fresh fruit, playing cards and answering questions about our strange life on the little sailboat. They were curious, engaging and well behaved. The next day two young boys, one a brother of one of the girls, paddled a surfboard out to visit. They too were polite and curious and enjoyed the fruit while we had a little jam session on ukelele and flute. Good times.

Arcenciel

Card Sharks

Garcons

Irie Mahi

Irie and Rainbow

Irie Passage

Irie Under Sail

Les Filles

Motu

Irie Sinking?

Tuamotus Jam Session

Tuamotus

Victim Boat

The 100nm passage to Rangiroa went as planned. Attempting a slower speed the big trade winds pushed us faster than needed and upon arrival in the dark we made a couple of passes while waiting for the slack currents and daylight. The sea was exceptionally choppy even in the lee (protected side) of the island. Of course with the maximum elevation about 5ft plus the coconut trees, there is not much protection.

While motorsailing to charge the batteries we observed a large schooner transit the pass and saw another exiting, so with 20kt wind at our backs we decided to drop sail and make our approach as we saw another sailboat rounding the mark to exit the pass. Guava is overpowered with a 75hp motor but times like these I love the old, large Volvo diesel. It has performed nearly faultless in the 6 years i’ve had Guava so I did not think any different approaching the mouth of the channel offering confused seas, crazy current, standing waves and breakers on the nearby shore. With all that said this would be a bad time for the engine to quit……WHICH IT DID!!! YIKES!! While being blown on the reef I attempted to restart…….the awful rarrarrarrarrarrarrar of the starter and a fuel starved motor. NO TIME FOR ANOTHER ATTEMPT. We raised the double reefed main and tried to tack back out….little steerage with the flooding current. Allowing Guava to pick up a little speed we attempted to tack thru the strong wind and combined with the current could not complete the tack. While sailing on the lee shore and keeping speed at a maximum we quickly rigged the storm jib and tacked again. No luck. Not wanting to turn towards reef/shore that we were almost on but with no good option I turned Guava and prepared for a controlled jibe…….yes….YES….YES….we still had a dangerous reef close enough to spit on but we were slowly increasing our distance.

Safe from immediate danger we contemplated our options. The current was as favorable as it would get for the day and I thought about sailing in now that we could approach while prepared with a better angle but remembering my feelings as Guava was being driven ashore I rethought. Repairs at sea are never easy or preferred but sometimes you just gotta deal with it. So while sailing at 6kts away from our destination in ugly conditions I started troubleshooting. The fuel filter was dirty but not plugged and changing both anyway I determined that somehow we got air in the system and lost prime. The process is slightly involved on this 33 year-old motor and when completed it started………sort of. After closing the last fuel injector line it quit again. This went on for half a dozen more attempts with the same sad results and so we tacked (easy this time) and headed back to the pass.

We would either sail Guava thru the reef break where I could investigate in a protected anchorage with many people to ask for advice after well needed rest or continue onto Tahiti, 200nm SSW, and still have no motor for the treacherous passes on that island. With the word out that we had no motor the entire fleet inside offered to meet in the pass with dinghys in case there was an issue. Well….we did not ask for help but it was not necessary…..no less than 5 dinghys were milling about as we sailed thru. Fortunately it had laid down and the current was weak as well as the wave action smaller. So we grabbed one of many vacant mooring balls and were greeted by many familiar cruisers offering cold beers, baguettes and dinghy support. Much thanks to Irie, Asylum and Adagio for their assistance.

The problem turned out to be a plugged fuel line from the tank. With the large seas some muck living in the tank became dislodged and plugged the line. I knew this to be the case and have been in similiar situations and it never happened. Easily fixed for the time being until we arrive in Tahiti where we can get the fuel polished and the tanks cleaned.

The remainder of our time here has been split between incredible diving and surviving the unusually awful conditions of the anchorage. The wind has switched and has been blowing strong from the west for a week now. That puts the normally protecting motu (island atoll) now at our stern and the dreaded lee shore. This makes for a 20 mile fetch as the waves build while crossing the inside of the atoll. Upon reaching the anchorage they are large enough to make it very uncomfortable on the boat and with the surrounding dangers of reefs, bommies and other vessels it is a good idea to remain on board.

The owner of the mooring ball we used the first day returned and allowed us to stay until the morning. With Irie we used the two dinghys and their matching outboards, 8hp Nissans, side tied to Guava and motored her to a somewhat sandy spot to anchor. We declined to use any other moorings since Irie’s broke the previous day. Christian was returning from a dive and immediatly upon securing the dinghy the line snapped. Poki could have handled it herself but the timing was great as the captain had just returned. They struggled with an acceptable spot to anchor, free from bommies, but the atoll is peppered. That same day Adagio had their chain wrapped around a bommie and with a shortened line and the wave action the snubber (shock absorber for the anchor-chain) snapped and injured Dmitri with the recoil.

Checking my anchor by snorkeling I noticed Adagio was fouled again in the coral. At 40ft deep it was a workout to free the chain but with his injuries it was easier for me. It has been a daily chore to free the wrapped chain on Guava but fortunately it has not been necessary during the night.

Diving here has been spectacular. Rangiroa is famous for the swift current pass dives and we have done both Avatoru and Tiputa passes. In Avatoru we observed the rare, local silver-tip shark. They were about 7-10ft and came from the depths to feed. While grabbing a rock to fight the current a half a dozen swam around our small group of divers and even between Cort and I….close enough to touch. With the visibility over 200ft you could see them coming from afar. They are a stout, strong, wide looking shark, different from the long skinny white-tip and black-tip reef sharks we are accustomed to viewing. After the feeding the current swept us away to view the variety of corals, turtles, eels, and hundreds of reef fish present. A large school of jacks big enough to block out the sun travelled with us in the current. Some would break from the pack to tease, harass and nibble at the lone silver-tip that remained with our group.

The following dive in Tiputa pass was very different with the presence of many large manta-rays. With the full moon cycle keeping the lagoon brimming and the strong winds pushing the plankton rich current outward the stage is set for a perfect manta smorgasbord. After a dozen fly-bys of these graceful creatures we were satisfied but passing dolphins, giant clams, a placcid feeding turtle, a deadly lionfish and sharks visible in the trench made for something extra special. Again the endless visibility in the 83 degree water makes these advanced dives seem easy.

Venturing out on our own, sans dive operaters, with Irie we anchored off the pass in the dinghys and free-dove the motu and surrounding reef. Not quite the visibility as the open ocean outside the passes, the water was still inviting with a shallow entry loaded with reef critters and a drop-off to 50+ft the offered blacktip reef sharks, rays and eels. During our week here we would have dove twice daily had not the conditions been so extreme. The diving would have been no problem but the issue was leaving the sailboats unattended in the strong blows, breaking waves and dangerous lee shore.