Pitufa.at

We’re still hanging out in Raroia, where we’re the only boat ever since we arrived. We are enjoying nature while waiting for a window to the gambier. We keep busy with boat projects, some writing and use the good weather to visit the bird motus and marvel at the underwater world. There are channels in the outer reef where clear ocean water flows in, resulting… Continue reading »

We set out yesterday, despite a not-quite-ideal weather forecasts, but the forecasts tend to be wrong anyway and we just wanted to finally sail on. We spent the night tacking up and down, trying to dodge Taenga (atoll between Makemo and Raroia) in winds that were shifting between ENE and ESE. Now we’re finally approaching the pass of Raroia, lots of effort and 6 tacks… Continue reading »

The convergence zone is still getting on our nerves… Impossible to plan protected, calm anchorages inside an atoll, but also impossible to find sailing windows… Last night we were pitching miserably in winds from the SE. We thought we could as well be pitching underway, so we sailed out through the pass of Tahanea at 4 in the morning. First we had great sailing, then… Continue reading »

When we got back to the false pass of Motutunga in the early morning just in time for the slack tide, we had to find out that the small cargo ship had indeed left as they told us, but they forgot to tell us that they left some workers there for the week to work at a pearlfarm in the lagoon. Their workboat still blocked… Continue reading »

We spent a few nice, calm days in Tahanea enjoying the beautiful pass and the many, curious sharkies hanging out around Pitufa (cleaning fish helps making friends ) This morning we saw an opportunity to sail to the neighbouring atoll. Motutunga is uninhabited, with only a few motus and a false pass on the northern side. Studying satellite images we thought we could take Pitufa… Continue reading »

We had a an unexpectedly sporty sailing day yesterday. The weather forecast predicted NE wind, so we thought it was a good opportunity to sail SE down to Tahanea. We woke up at 5 with a NE squall, so we quickly went out through the pass into a glowing sunrise, trying to use the favourable wind. Of course the wind turned E as soon as… Continue reading »

Ever since we’ve arrived in the Tuamotus a persistent convergence zone has been sitting across the area. Actually it’s not just one, but rather a cluster of them… This means the wind shifts around unpredictably–the weatherforecasts are overwhelmed, contradict each other and get it completely wrong. Yesterday the American GFS model predicted strong southerlies, while the European model insisted on light northerlies. What to do… Continue reading »

We arrived in Toau after a very slow, short sail using our gennaker for the first time in ages. Of course it got tangled up and twisted and took a long time to figure out again The pass is tricky as it’s very shallow and open to the east (prevailing winds), but our timing was good. Just after arriving we snorkeled between the passes, a… Continue reading »

We’ve just arrived in Fakarava with northerly winds, anchored next to the pass in the N and will hop over to the neighbouring atoll Toau tomorrow morning when the wind switches to the east (it’s a tricky pass and in the morning we’ll have wind and current in the same direction). The sail up here was quite boisterous with many squalls and a little front… Continue reading »