APATAKI, TUAMOTU

June 11, 2012

We arrived of the Apataki atoll early this morning and checked out the North Pass which is called Pass Aimonu.  We could have entered here but we were headed to another pass called Pass Haniuru which is located on the southwestern side of  Apataki and is very well marked.  There is a village there at the pass but we were headed into the lagoon and the Apataki Carenage Service haul-out facility.  The best way to find out what the tide is doing in the passes is to eyeball it and see what it looks like.  If it's rough with breaking seas and standing waves one has to wait for a more opportune time to enter.  The currents can run 9 kts at times.  If waves and heavy swells are breaking over the reef into the lagoon and aggravated by an opposing wind the water has to go somewhere- mainly out.

Today was a good day and things were smooth on entering the Pass.  Once inside we could see the turbulence created by tides: water was bubbling and boiling with overfalls.  Quite impressive!!  So we motored on to the Tamaru motu inside the Apataki lagoon.  Here is located the Apataki Carenage Service.  There are five mooring buoys that can be taken on a first come first serve basis.  For today we had to anchor and wait for a vacant mooring buoy.

This is a beautiful place and the family that runs the haul-out facility will be our most memorable experience during this leg of the voyage.  Here one finds that wonderful Tuamotu hospitality.  Basically there are seven people helping to haul-out yachts for storage or anti-fouling: Alfred, Pauline, Tony, Pappy, Nini and two others at times.  Additionally, they have a pearl farm that produces those beautiful black cultured pearls that are so famous in the Tahitian markets.

We got on a mooring buoy the following day and were informed that we would be hauled out on June 13th.  In the meantime, the family had fresh fish and other food that they served up during the evening.  It was absolutely delightful to be there with sunrise and sunsets.  The sky was inky black at night with stars blanketing it like a carpet.  No pollution here!  I have never seen a clearer atmosphere that in the Tuamotu.  Everything here is on a self sufficient level.  There are coconuts, fish, and some fruit.  Everything else has to be grown.  Water is from the rain and collected in plastic tanks.  Electricity is by portable generator.  There is no internet for the yachts, however, the family seems to have some kind of special subscription service the gives them access to the outside world.  They are able to process credit cards and surf.

To be continued: