Apataki -Tuamotu 6 July 2024
We had a good night’s sleep which we needed after our passage. It was quite a nice morning and we had been reasonably sheltered where we were anchored. We had breakfast and thought we would sail down the atoll inside to anchor outside the village of Niutahi which is adjacent to the south pass of this atoll called Passe Pakaka. The village has a population of about 350.
The first recorded European to sight Apataki Atoll was Dutch navigator Jakob Roggeveen in 1722. It was visited by James Cook in 1774. On 27 May 1902, while Paul Gauguin was living in the Marquesas Islands, the mail-boat Croix du Sud between Papeete and Atuona was shipwrecked at Apataki. leading to a three-month loss of supplies for the islanders. There is a domestic airfield in Apataki which was inaugurated in 1977. The island appears in some maps as "Hagemeister Island".
Apataki is connected to the world via Apataki Airport but has no tourism industry. The only main industry of the island is cultured Tahitian (black) pearls. The coconut palm, which forms the basis for copra (dried coconut) production, used to be of special economic importance to the islanders. On a few islands, the residents cultivate vanilla.[6] Agriculture is generally limited to simple subsistence. Pandanus leaves are traditionally woven together as roof thatch (although corrugated sheet metal is also used today), as well as for other items such as mats and hats.
However, before we moved we decided to clear out our food storage areas as we had discovered some weevils (small black insects) in our rice packets. We therefore thought we would go through our pasta and rice stores and check them. We found them in most of our bags of rice and some pasta and some couscous. We cut the packets and put them overboard. This was annoying and depleted us of quite a few supplies. I then decided to google about them. Weevils are not harmful to humans unless you are allergic to them. You can perfectly well eat rice and pasta etc and it is suggested that you rinse them out before use but if you do eat any they are just extra protein. Now you tell me!! I have just thrown out needlessly a whole load of provisions which are running low. Well, we had a good clean and clear up at least and we learn for the future.
We sorted ourselves out and prepared Stormbird and upped anchor about 10.20am. I had looked up information about routes and some people had gone round the edges. There was, however, a channel on the chart plotter with lots of depths and it appeared to be an area which had been mapped out. Due to the wind 17-19 kts with gusts of 22, the water was quite ruffed and despite the fact we were in the lagoon there were about 0.5m waves. We headed back toward the passe and then turned south into the chart plotter channel. Even in this channel there were shallow patches, rocks and coral bommies to contend with but they were clearly marked on the chart plotter. We put up the staysail and started sailing slowly about 4 kts. We then looked out for the rocks and coral patches. I was using google earth on my phone which had these marked as well. We could clearly see them and one coral bommie was on the surface in 40 meters and we calculate this bommie to be about 2,000 years old at least!! We then put up a bit of main and were sailing nicely about 5-6 kts and we could dodge and see the obstructions on the way. There was some spray coming on the deck from the small waves and due to the wind strength.
We could see some motus on the west side as we sailed down bit this side is quite open and exposed. After some 15 miles we could see the village on the Starboard side a little and we could see some aerials. I did not want to head over too early as that part was not chartered and so I stuck in the channel and then at the end we started to head across. We had noticed a number of lobster pots or pearl buoys on the way. As we were moving toward the village a boat came along and asked us to go straight and came beside us and then once we were past their buoys they said we could head in. I had looked up anchoring points and there was one behind a cardinal which marked a coral reef. We therefore headed over to that point and could see two red posts marking the channel to the passe. You could see a line of disturbed water rushing back from these posts going about 6 kts and the pilot book suggests in flow that the current could be this high.
We came round the cardinal and it was empty and I could see we could anchor in about 10-12 meters of water behind the coral reef. There would be no shelter from the wind but perhaps a little from the swell. Otherwise close to the village you could see stakes and fish trapes etc. We put our anchor down on about 12 meters which our anchor ball attached to it (it floats above our anchor so we can see where the anchor is on the bottom). We then attached a fender to our anchor chain at about 30m meters and another about 40 meters. They were taken under water by the weight of the chain but hopefully will lift the chain off the coral. Once set we let the anchor settled and I took some transits (things on the shore – like a post against a tree or house) so I could see whether we were drifting and I also put our anchor alarm on. The anchor had set well and the wind was keeping us downwind of it although there was a little bit of swell which made us ride up and down.
We had lunch and looked at the village through binoculars. We were about three quarters of a mile away and between us and the village were coral reefs and the disturbed band of water. This made going ashore a bit unattractive and the fact that being s Saturday afternoon the shops would be unlikely to be open. We therefore read and had a rest. I tried to work out the tides for tomorrow for the Passe as we may leave through it and getting it right would ne important. Clearly we were not at slack water the day before when we arrived and it is a bit of luck here and it is difficult to get it right even though we consult a number of sources.
We saw a man with a Kayak near the reef and he was diving down we assume for lobsters of possible oysters. He was there for some hours. We had a sundowner at about 5.00pm and by 5.50pm it was dark. We can see the leading lights in the passe flashing red and the lights of the village. Coing down to this end of the atoll has meant we would not have to do this passage outside the atoll with the current wave conditions. Subject to the weather we may go out of this passe and on to a small atoll called Toau which has a cul de sac passe which you can anchor in and which gives you good protection. This is only about 20nm away.
We had the reminants of the Red Lentil Curry with Couscous and enjoyed it in the cockpit in the dark.
The picture of the day is looking back at the passe we came in on yesterday.
Crewing Opportunity Year Two
In addition, in year two I will be going from New Zealand in early January 2025 across to Sydney and up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and probably across the Indian Ocean to Cape Town and I will need some more crew.
If there is any interest do email me at hine.nick9@gmail.com
The blog will continue as we move through French Polynesia and beyond.
If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com I can only upload one picture a day and visit our website www.stormbirdgoesglobal.co.uk