Rangiroa - Tuamotu 30 June 2024 -Strong Winds

We had had gusts of up to 32 kts the day before and this morning things seemed a little calmer but strong gusts of up to 30 kts will return on Monday. At present we are still planning to move on Tuesday subject to the weather.

After breakfast we headed ashore going round the bay a bit to avoid the worst of the waves and tied up at the dock. We had had two days on board and needed a change. It was quiet and we walked up the main road. The snack bars and shops were closed as it was a Sunday,. We walked up to the passe which did not look too bad despite the conditions but it must have been the state of tide as out beyond the passe there were 2-3meter waves with white horses.

We decided to hire some bikes and then set off towards Avoratou. This was easier than walking and we dropped into the Kia Ora Hotel so we could see whether we could do a snorkel of the passe. They took our names and suggested we came back at 5.00pm. We carried on again past the airport and then on past various houses, shops and snack bars, none of which were open. The wind was strong but the sea was a lovely colour and crashing on to the shore of the Atoll. There is a small vineyard here called Vin de Tahiti which we wanted to visit but it was also closed.

There was one snack bar open just beyond the airport but we continued on and then came to Avoratou. The snack bar we had eaten was closed as was the shop. We passed the church on the quay but it was closed. They paint them red and white here and the Passe Avoratou was relatively quiet (there are two passes into this atoll, the other being the main one is Passe Tiputa which we hope to snorkel). We carried on round the mutu and came across another church which was in full flow and packed. The doors at the back were open and everyone was in their full finery with hats etc – almost like ladies day at ascot! They are quite devout here I think. We watched and listened for a few minutes and surprisingly came across a small supermarket which was open. We were able to get some bread and a few potatoes etc which was good. It was interesting going round the point and seeing peoples houses and gardens – it was like a Sunday in the olden days. This end of the atoll definitely felt poorer and more run down.

As there was nothing else open we decided to head back to the snack bar by the airport which was open. The issue here was we were now riding into the wind. The road took us over some hoas (gaps in the reef/land) and the water was running into the atoll quite fast. The snack bar was open and we had a welcome refreshing drink and ordered a ham and cheese baguette. However, they ran out of baguettes so we had a wrap instead. We continued on and came back to the passe which was now more of a boiling cauldron. We returned the bikes and went back to the quay. The snack bars were still closed so we returned to Stormbird. It was still windy but we coped and did not get too wet on the way back.

We went over to the hotel and were able to book on the snorkel tour of the passe for tomorrow. We then had a cocktail as the sun went down on their terrace. It had been good to get ashore. Supper was a simple pasta pesto as we have run out of fresh stuff. We then watched Pulp Fiction – a Tarantino film.

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