The French Polynesian Meteo as well as the grib files predicted a disturbance with wind clocking to the north, then west, south and finally southeast. During such episodes the southerly and/or southeasterly winds are usually strong which the Polynesians call ‘Maramu’.
Ideally we would hop from anchorage to anchorage around an atoll to be on the protected side, but in an atoll as big as Tahanea with wind shifts during the night that is just not possible. We therefore did the next best thing and moved to an anchorage behind a reef sticking out from the southern side of the lagoon that offers protection to all sides but the north. We arrived yesterday with light northerly winds and anchored on a leeshore, shortly later we were bouncing in short, steep waves when squalls from the north set in, but fortunately the wind shifted to the northwest during the night and we were fairly well protected behind the reef while the wind was blowing with 25 knots sustained and up to 40 knots during squalls.
This morning dawned rainy and grey, Pitufa’s sitting in calm water in Southwesterly winds and we’ll stay in this anchorage for another day.
