Pitufa.at

Yesterday we slowed down in order to reach Aitutaki in the morning, but when we then got a new weatherforecast this morning, we decided to sail on without stopping. We’re now headed to Niue, with a possible stop at Beveridge Reef. 450 nm to Beveridge!

Yesterday morning the weatherforecast suddenly looked favourable, so we got the boat ready as quickly as possible (still took us 4 hours to clear up) and left Maupihaa at noon. The seas were still a bit rough, but they have calmed down a bit by now. There is more wind than forecasted, so we’ve been doing 6 knots all night long–let’s hope it stays that… Continue reading »

We reached the tiny, westernmost inhabited atoll of French Polynesia late this morning, somewhat hesitant as it has a bad reputation. This is what ‘South Pacific Anchorages’ says: A number who have visited the atoll consider that there was not sufficient compensation for the trauma of entry and exit… Approaching we compared Garmin charts and satellite pictures, the chart is about 15 m off which… Continue reading »

This month we have to leave beautiful French Polynesia after 3 wonderful years, firstly because import tax on the boat would be due now and secondly because there are many more interesting islands further out in the Western Pacific. The next island group west of Fr. Polyn. are the Cook Islands that are spread wide from north to south, but they don’t have many anchorages… Continue reading »

This morning we had an appointment for a haul-out at the Carenage in Raiatea and of course it was squally and gusting up to 30 knots when the office called us to come in. The approach went well despite the nasty weather and now Pitufa’s parked in a cradle waiting for a belly-rub and a few layers of antifouling paint. The weather forecast threatens with… Continue reading »

The slowest (daily runs of 85 nm) and comfiest (all hatches open…) passages we’ve had in the Pacific so far ended today with Pitufa rushing along with 6 knots under a steady breeze to hold the gennaker up. We anchored just behind Point Venus in Matavai bay (famous for Ct. Cook’s first landfall in 1769 and infamous for Pitufa’s first landfall without a usable engine… Continue reading »

Yesterday we had very light winds from the NE, we tried poling out the genoa left and right, put up the gennaker left and right, but for all that effort we just gained a few miles, but at least we managed to avoid motoring. During the night the wind picked up a bit again, but it’s still 100 nm to Tahiti.

We reluctantly left beautiful Kauehi yesterday at noon, but the gribs had changed and it seemed our only chance for some wind was to leave immediately. Going through the pass was a bit exciting, as we had 5 knots of incoming current against us, but Pitufa kept steady in the eddies that tried to swirl her around. We’re sailing in very light winds downwind, but… Continue reading »

This morning we reached Kauehi after a very slow nightsail. We knew that the ingoing current would be strong, but the pass is so open and easy that we motored in without a problem. Kauehi’s lagoon is small and easy to navigate (almost no coral heads) and now Pitufa’s anchored off a southeastern motu on sandy patch–standing still like in a cradle ashore A turquoise… Continue reading »