Sailing Panama To French Polynesia
We leave the Atlantic Ocean behind us and set sail to the Pacific! With 4000 miles of open water sailing we are excited to see what the next few months throws at us!
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It’s Time!!! Panama Canal!!
1st Lock
Our Lock Mate
Port Fukuoka - the cargo ship that was in front of us for the first 3 locks.
2nd Set Of Locks
And That’s The Pacific Ocean!
Panama City And A Long List Of Jobs
After our successful canal transit we made a start on our long job list to get Nanuka ready for her 9000nm sail across the pacific. Provisioning, spare parts, and odd jobs… somewhere in there we ended up with a new surfboard… it’s funny how these things happen!
Panama City To Taboga
Our first sail in the Pacific Ocean! With Nanuka full with food, water, gas and diesel which should see us over for the next 4 months we set off on the short sail to Taboga, a small island off of Panama City.
Sailing Las Perlas
We’ve spent the last couple days exploring the islands 30 miles south of Panama City. It’s been a nice change with different wildlife and tides to contend with. There is a very different feeling in the pacific compared to the Caribbean. You can feel the energy the ocean has and its expanse.
A few more days relaxing before setting our eyes on the horizon.
Perlas Islands To Venao | Search For Veg
We could have spent a very long time in Las Perlas. The islands are wild and untouched with some incredible nature. The last night we had at anchor was spent stand up paddle boarding with whale sharks!
There is however a slightly better looking window to head off into the Pacific. We are heading to stock up on fresh food with the intention to sail overnight, stock up, then leave the same day.
4000NM To Go. Sailing The Pacific Ocean
We absolutely loved Playa Venao. Surf, calm anchorage and a nice surfer/traveller town. We definitely could have spent a lot longer there. But having checked out of Panama a while ago and a somewhat good (you’ll never get a good window!) weather window to push us into the pacific we have set off and are watching the last bit of land we will see for six weeks disappear into the horizon. Livs is on the afternoon cake, fishing lines are out and we should have two or three days of ok winds.
Sailing The Pacific | Sharks & Eclipse
We’re now three days into our pacific crossing. The first two days we had great winds and a current current behind us making for some really lovely sailing. Now… as I’m sat here watching an eclipse (see the blurry photo!) it’s two in the morning, gusting 5 knots and what was a current pushing us along is slowly turning to be on the nose. The next three days look much of the same. No wind and some unfavourable current!
We have also had a group of sharks following us for the first few days making fishing near on in impossible but amazing to watch!
Whales & Dolphins!
The wind is still very light meaning we are spending a large amount of time bobbing. But the sea is calm and there’s wildlife everywhere! Today we’ve seen whales, dolphins, a huge amount of seabirds, turtles and sailfish.
We have spent the last 24 hours about 5NM from a boat we anchored next to a few times on the Caribbean side who is also choosing to save fuel and opt to drift instead of motor. He is a solo sailor without internet so we are his forecast while we’re in VHF range!
The wind is very variable for the next 500 mikes, but until the current is against us we’ll drift, enjoy lots of sleep and calm days!
Sailing The Pacific | Morning Coffee
Another day of bobbing and very little movement. In fact for a time last night went back towards Panama for three miles!
When sailing oceans it’s not often you see another boat, let alone talk to them! This morning was a bit unreal. We’d been in contact with ‘Woodpecker II’ a young Austrian solo sailor and as it was so calm he decided to come over for a morning coffee! A lovely morning was spent relaxing, swimming and sharing stories and plans. We left him with 20l of water as he doesn’t have a watermaker and we’d just topped up our tanks. A very bizarre but lovely morning!
Sailing The Pacific | Gulls & Boats!
We have now been at sea over 1 week. The wind has stated to fill back in and we’re sailing well again which feels good. Hopefully the wind over the next couple of days will push us into the South Pacific and into some more stable trades. This part of the world is known for squalls and thunderstorms. So far we’ve been lucky and have avoided the worst of it but it will be nice to get into the trades and leave the changeable weather behind!
We’re currently sailing next to some friends of friends who are also heading to the Marquesses. It feels comforting knowing there’s other boats close by.
Sailing The SOUTH Pacific
The day started off extremely wet and quite windy! We have had a night of contending with squalls and it doesn’t appear to ease!
We are no however sailing the South Pacific! We had a ceremony for Neptune of which Liv baked a cake and some rum was donated!
This has been a dream of mine for a long time…it’s exciting to be in n a completely different part of the world. We now feel a long way from home!
We will have another couple days of calm weather before edging our way into the trades.
Sailing The Pacific | Slow Days
As we make our way through the ITCZ our progress is very slow. We have a mixture of no wind, very light wind, and strong winds when the occasional squall passes through.
At first it was really nice. We had calm seas which meant that even the slightest breeze would fill our sails. The sea state has now become a little more confused which makes for some uncomfortable sailing with banging sails as they struggle to hold their own weight. We have about 209 nautical miles until we reach the steady trades. It’ll definitely feel like a bit of a mile stone when we finally leave the ITCZ.
Sailing The Pacific | Boarding At Sea
We were just finishing off our morning game of monopoly deal when we notice a large boat with a lot of black smoke heading towards us. They have no AIS and we’re towing 4 smaller boats all with 40hp engines on the back.
We watch with curiosity as they head past our stern. Once about half a mile off our stern we notice four of the men pile into one of the smaller boats and start throttling towards us. It’s hard to know what to think in this situation. The chances are it is nothing, but other thoughts do cross our mind! We hid our important documents and devices. By the time we come into deck they’re pulling along side. By this point we’ve put the engine on to give us a little more speed and steerage.
Once two of the four men were onboard it become obvious they were friendly Ecuadorean tuna fisherman who were after some food and water. We gave them 20 litres and some cokes and they were on their way.
It’s easy to assume the worst when the majority of people are generally very friendly!
Sailing The Pacific | Into The Trades
The stretch from Panama, through the equator and into the trades was both challenging and relaxing. We had days of calm seas and very little wind filled with loads of wildlife as well as nights with squally weather and lots of thunder. We have now left that all behind us and edged our way into the trades. We currently have 10-15 knots on the beam and are sailing along nicely. There are flashes of thunder off our starboard side but so long as we remain in the wind it should be trade wind sailing for the next 2900 NM.
Sailing The Pacific | Edging Forward
The last week or so has all merged into one. We had some really nice and easy sailing conditions. The sea was calm and the wind around force 4 on the beam.
As of this morning the wind has picked up and the sea state got a little rougher. We expect to have three days with similar weather. It feels good to be sailing fast (surfing down waves at 9 knots!) but everything gets a little trickier and extra care taken with even simple tasks. But the sun is still shining and we’re clocking off some miles.
Sailing The Pacific | 22 Days At Sea
Today is our 22nd day. Now we’re in the trades we’re making good progress - generally sailing 100 - 120NM every 24 hours.
Here’s a few pics from earlier on in the crossing back when we had no wind!
Pacific Crossing | Half Way Delivery
Last night another boat appeared on AIS shortly followed by a VHF call to Nanuka. An Australian boat had just caught a big Wahoo and asked us if we’d like any. The sun was just setting so we decided it was best to wait until dawn before doing the hand over. This morning we can alongside and we’re gifted a big bag of fresh fish, oranges and some freshly made cake. We definitely owe them a beer when we make landfall!
Sailing The Pacific | Windy Days
In the last 24 hours we’ve sailed over 150NM. It feels nice to be making such good ground but it does make life a little harder sailing in lively seas. We’ve had a consistent force 6 behind with fairly large following seas. It will stay like this for another 12 hours or so before dropping off tonight.
Sailing The Pacific | Rest Day
The wind started to drop last night and has continued to drop through the day, so we once again find ourselves bobbing!
We heaved-to and used the day to get a few jobs done. We ran the watermaker, scrubbed the hull (mostly!) - it is a big job as it has a thick layer of goose barnacles and then has a few hours of relaxing. It’s been really nice to have a bit of a rest from the strong winds and seas of the last few days. The wind should pick up again overnight and send us onward towards the Marquesas.
Sailing The Pacific | Life Recently
Our days are very much merging into one. We have a good routine which we stick to. We are now on day 34 and have around 620NM left to go. The weather is a little more unsettled now with frequent squalls and variable wind making progress a little slower, but as a whole, we’re sailing along nicely.
Sailing The Pacific | Land Ho!
After 38 days at sea and over 4000 nautical miles without sight of land, as the sun rose from our stern this morning the tall cliffs of the Marquesses appeared on the horizon. Land Ho!
Sailing The Pacific | We’ve Arrived!
38 days. Over 4000 nautical miles. Our anchor is down, champagne popped and our pacific crossing is done! It feels a little unreal to be anchored in some remote pacific island. We’re excited to explore and touch our feet on the ground!
The First Few Days Back On Land!
A few weeks into the pacific crossing we discovered a leak. Not something you want thousands of miles away from land! We kept a close eye on it and thankfully it didn’t get any worse. This has however meant our first few days at Hiva Oa has been trying to confirm the source and create a temporary fix. We have also spent some time hiking the trails, collecting fruit from the forest, and enjoying being able to buy fresh food!
Fatu-Hiva
After spending a few days fixing our leak we set of on a 10 hour sail south to Fatu-Hiva. The sailing was stunning with 10-13 knots on the beam and treated with a huge Mahi.
Fatu-Hiva is nothing short of stunning. We have spent a couple days exploring ashore in search for waterfalls, relaxing and snorkelling.
Manta Rays!
We are now anchored in front of a lovely couple from England. Late afternoon they shout over telling us that they just spent 30 minutes snorkelling with manta rays. It didn’t take us long to grab our gear and head out. About 199 m off the anchorage we were greeted with 8-10 huge manta rays feeding in the plankton. They didn’t seem at all phased by us, more inquisitive than anything!
Ua Pou - The Search For Fresh Veg
We have chosen to take a weather window before some squally days ahead to sail overnight to the next island north in search for some fresh veg! Our supplies are out and we’re digging deeper into our lockers for tins…
This is our first night sail since the pacific crossing. In many ways doing a few weeks sail is easier than just one! We had good wind for most of the night until the sails started to slap around 3am as the wind dropped. We persevered until sunrise before turning the motor on about 6 miles out. We’re now 2 miles away from the small port where we hope there’ll be space to anchor to sit out some weather for a few days.
Mountain Hike
Today we headed off on a hike with our Danish friends from Apollon. In length it wasn’t a long hike (10-12km), however the 800m elevation was really felt in our legs! Very worth it for the views!
Ua Pou, Marquesas
Waking up with the sun shining through the curtains, the sound of the gentle breeze, and the rhythmic pulse of the waves on the hull, this signalled the end of our overnight sail…..
A Quick Stop In Taiohae
A town with multiple opportunities for panini and coffee’s! Most boat jobs and work but we managed to fit in a small walk to an archaeological site with a fierce horse and lots of tikis!
Hiking Nuku Hiva
We have spent the last few weeks with SV Apollon, our Danish friends which is really lovely.
After a morning of playing on the foil board we put on our hiking shoes and headed over the ‘Hill’ to the next town. I’m not sure if it’s the fact our legs are still a little weak after the crossing, the intense heat and humidity, or the near verticals climbs but the hike around here are hard work!
Rainy But Stonking
First 24 hours at sea. Beating into wind and waves but we had some excitable dolphins! Started to rain this afternoon which we were not expecting and lost all the wind. Now sailing well again averaging over 6.5 knots - a quick sail for Nanuka.
Tuamotus | Land Ho
We have had a mixed bag of weather over the last few days from consistent trades to 30knot squalls. We are slowly coming to accept that Nanuka actually prefers heavy weather and really starts to come alive in 20 knots plus… especially with a bit of a beat (sailing into wind).
This morning we spotted trees on the horizon as the sun rose off our port stern. The Tuamotus pose a bit more of a challenge as each pass into the atoll is greatly affected by tides, swell and wind - at points creating currents up to 12 knots with large standing waves. It’s a bit of a guessing game as to when slack water is, if it even occurs at all when a steady wind has been blowing. Our guess today for the pass into Makemo is 10:00am. Because of this, once we were in the Lee of the atolls we tried our best to slow Nanuka down to time our arrival for around 9;00am. Fingers crossed we are right!
Sailing Makemo | Our First Atoll
After navigating the pass we noticed 8 miles to the eastern side of the atoll to find shelter from some winds that would come up over the next few days. We dropped anchor and went about floating our chain - something new to both of us! Most of these stills are covered in coral heads and therefore it’s good practise to use floats to lift the chain off the bottom.
We spent a few days relaxing, snorkelling and foiling. A great start to the a Tuamotos.
Snorkelling With Sharks
Once we dropped anchor we wasted no time in getting our masks on and exploring the underwater world. We haven’t done all that much free diving with sharks… until now! We spent a wonderful few days getting to know these friendly creatures. They are they inquisitive but at no point did we feel any aggression from them. It was amazing to share each of our snorkels with anywhere from 3 to 10 sharks of different species.
Drive-by Surf
Ads and Jack from SV Open Range have jumped in for a surf meanwhile Lauren and I are sat motoring back and forth ‘boat-sitting’. The things we do for waves…
The Wall Of Sharks | Sailing Fakarava
After spending the morning surfing a atoll pass which was a little too shallow for my liking we did the short sail over to Fakarava south pass in hope to catch slack tide and edge our way into the lagoon. We had a lovely sail with 15-20knots on the beam and our friends on open range close behind.
The pass was relatively straight forward and we were lucky enough to grab the last mooring bouy inside. We wasted no time in grabbing our freediving gear and heading out to the pass - a UNESCO world heritage sight known for a huge abundance of sharks. It did not disappoint!
The Perfect Wave | Surfing The Tuamotus
If you’re reading this in hope to find the location of this wave. The pebbl location is not correct! The wave is in the Tuamotus… but I’ll say no more than that!
This spot is unreal. Perfect barreling waves with very few people to surf them… paradise on earth! We spent a good few days surfing multiple sessions a day. Every time we took our dinghy out to the lineup the wave would blow my mind. A swell which has traveled thousands of miles rises out of thousands of meters of water onto this atoll pass and perks perfectly for 200m down the coral reef.
For a few days we were surfing with our friends on open range and another ozzy mate. But, as always, our plans differed somewhat and we waved them off as they motored out the pass and back into the ocean. It’s not often you hope for more people in the line up, but there’s something about surfing a super shallow coral reef with a ton of sharks around on your own a little lonely! Maybe not a bad problem to have?
Apataki | Anchored In Town
After saying goodbye to our buddy boats we’d been sailing with we had some mixed emotions. Excited to explore new places, but sad to say goodbye to our new friends. As we approach the pass we see a familiar boat on AIS. Open range we’re pulled up to the dock after a tough sail in unpredictable winds. This was a great surprise and we were excited for a few more days with some good company!
We had heard of a mooring in the small pool area just outside of town, and open range confirmed our thoughts. As we approach we saw the tiny gap from the pass leading into the pool with shallow reef sticking out either side. Things were complicated further by the 1-2 knots of current draining out of the atoll. We increased the revs and shot Nanuka into the small pass narrowly missing the reef. Once inside things didn’t improve much, the space was tight and with the angle of the wind it put no more than one to two meters of water behind us before ending up on the reef. The pressure was on to collect the mooring and tie off tightly to keep Nanuka hole free! After a missed attempt due to the ball being too large for our boat hook, we managed to lasso the mooring and get tied off. After our usual checks we turned the engine off, looked around at the immense beauty of the area, and relaxed in what had to be one of the best moorings we’ve ever been on.
More Sharks!
After a few minutes searching satellite imagery we saw a Bommie (large coral head) that looked good, grabbed our freediving gear and headed over on our dinghy.
We dropped the anchor in a sand patch, jumped in and proceeded to circumnavigate the bommie - around 300 m.
The reef was teeming with life and as a whole the coral was very healthy. There was the odd reef shark around but nothing we weren’t used to! On we were on the far side of the boomie we suddenly found ourselves with 5-6 very large grey reef sharks along with a white tip and a few blacktops. Again, after Fakarava, we were somewhat used to having lots of sharks around. However, unlike the sharks in Fakarava, these sharks were not as used to seeing people and were very inquisitive! Definitely a dive we will remember!
We’ve Hauled Out!
It’s been a whirlwind of a couple weeks! We’ve been on the edge of deciding whether to go home for a few months for a good couple weeks now. We really did not want to fly, this is something we both feel quite strongly about especially after being in places that are so badly affected by the causes of climate change. However, due to multiple events happening back home we felt that it was time to bite the bullet and be a little hypocritical!
This meant hauling the boat… something we don’t hugely look forward to due to the extensive job list that follows and the normally very uncomfortable living conditions they boat yards being with them.
That being said, the haul out went very smoothly and Apataki yard is without doubt the most picturesque yard we’ve ever been to!
Long sandy beaches, a nice breeze, and crystal clear waters made for quite an enjoyable time preparing to leave her for a few months!
Next up… trying to organise our long journey home!
Apataki boat yard | Launch Day!
After a busy 10 days in the boat yard it’s finally time to put Nanuka back where she belongs. Boat yard life is never our favourite time however we got some good projects done and hopefully set us up for a season cruising French Polynesia which we are super excited for. The launch back into the sea via a tractor, trailer and some ply boards to put under our keel as we scraped along the bottom was an interesting experience to say the least… We’re on the upper end of what they can haul at apataki so it was quite a lengthy and skill full process to get here afloat. We’ve just hoisted our main, the kettle is on, and we’re heading a few miles south where we’ll spend our first night back on anchor.
Sailing Tuamotus | Back At Anchor
The first couple days at anchor have been very relaxed mixed with a few unexpected boat projects! We went on a 10Nm round trip dinghy mission for our weekly shop. We had somewhat forgotten the price and availability of food here… we will be getting used to eating very basic meals again for the next few months! Along with relaxing, spending huge sums of money in the supermarket and the never ending boat projects we have managed to squeeze a good couple hours of snorkelling in each day which as always in the Tuamotus, has been amazing. Sharks, rays and loads of fish. It’s taken a little bit of getting used to feeling comfortable around so many sharks but until the speargun comes out they all seem relaxed and friendly!
Sailing The Tuamotus | A Storm Inbound
We’ve been tracking a depression coming from the north for over a week now. Yesterday we left our anchorage down south to scope out a few potential spots we’d searched out on Google Satellite Images. It can be tricky finding good anchorages in these atolls due to the charts being completely wrong, deep waters and lack of open sand areas as everywhere is covered on Bombies (large coral heads).
After a 4 hour sail in torrential rain we arrived in the north west of the atoll. After a couple attempts we were happy with our anchor placement tucked in behind a small patch of land and reef. We’d normally dive on the anchor to check it’s dug into clear sand, however due the the heavy rain the water is a little milky today and we’re all too aware of how many sharks are in the water… so hopefully the visibility will clear up later. For now, we will sit tight and get ready for the strong winds on Tuesday.
Sailing The Tuamotus
As I write this now we’ve just heard the news that the depression we’ve been watching has been upgraded to a tropical cyclone with conditions worsening rapidly. It looks to be tracking more southerly than originally predicted which should reduce its impact on our location. We’re still tucked in behind a Motu so will hopefully get a good bit of protection as it tracks past over the next 12 hours.
Another first for us today on Nanuka was when we heard a strange noise coming from the top of the mast. A buzzing sort of sound. It gradually got louder and louder until there was a large clap of thunder and then the noise stopped. We can only assume it was static that was built up.
Overnight Sailing Passage To Fakarava
We woke up this morning to sunshine which felt really good after what has been almost a week of non-stop wind and rain. We left Apataki early to sail overnight to Fakarava. Although distances between the atolls are not huge, due to having time to time the passes perfectly both when leaving and arriving it makes day sailing tricky, so we tend to end up favouring overnight passages to make sure our arrivals are timed for slack water.
The sea was a little lumpy to start (the left overs from the tropical cyclone which blew through) but throughout the day it calmed and although we have been beating tight on the wind, it’s generally been a comfortable passage.
I’ve just woken up from my 4 hours sleep for my watch. Liv made really good time on her watch and we’re just a few miles off Fakarava, so I will sail up and down for the next five hours until it’s slack tide and we can navigate the pass.
Sailing Fakarava To Aratika
After a few lovely days just a short trip to the bakery and shop (of which we fully abused!) we decided it was time to explore another Atoll while we had stable weather.
We left the pass at Fakarava early morning and sailed 40NM north to a small Atoll called Aratika. It’s a much less visited Atoll but we’d heard the freediving is very good and there’s plenty of space for fires on the beach. About four hours in some brown footed boobies decided to go for our fishing lines… once we bought them in (without any birds attached thankfully!) they then started going for our VHF antenna. I’m unsure what they wanted but they continued this endeavour for near on an hour!
Once we arrived in Aratika we made one attempt to enter the narrow pass. We found about 5 knots of current coming out and decided it was best to wait another hour in hope for less current and then try again. After an hour of sailing up and down outside the atoll we made our second run for the pass. This time we had 3-4 knots against us and we very slowly made our way through and into a mooring bouy. Plans have already been made for a dive of the pass tomorrow morning.
Sailing Aratika | Sharks And Beach Days
After a few days on a mooring by the pass we moved 6NM to the east of the atoll. With flat calm waters, a clear channel (normally we’re dodging coral heads!) and good wind the sail across the atoll was as good as it gets. There was another mooring bouy to pick up on the other side which again added to the ease of our time in Aratika.
We spent a few days relaxing on the beach and snorkelling one of the craziest drop offs we’ve come across so far. A vertical cliff underwater which drops down from around 8m to 50m. A little disconcerting but truly amazing. The pass was also home to dozens of reef sharks that would spend there time swimming against the current at the bottom of the pass. Both Liv and I agree this is one of our favourite atolls so far.
Sailing Taou | Our New Years Break
After a lovely time celebrating Christmas with friends in Fakarava we decided we’d go on a quick trip to an Atoll 16NM north of Fakarava.
After a failed attempt to leave the pass the day before due to some large squalls we got up early and had a lovely 3 hour sail in good winds.
The following days were filled with freediving, fires on the beach, some plastic pollution data collection, and even a little surf! Not a bad way to spend the last few days of the year. Oh
Sailing Tuamotus | Ahe
After spending a lovely week in Aratika we headed north with our buddy boat, Isla, to Ahe. This was an overnight sail where we saw some very squally weather making for some tiring sailing. We arrived at first light and headed to the North of the atoll to shelter from some winds for a couple days.
Once the wind had blown through we found a spot closer to the pass where we decided to create our own moorings due to there being a lack of sand. Although it was deep, our system worked really well and we had a lovely few days free diving, surfing and relaxing with friends.
After a few days our Australian friends, Matahari, arrived with a large amount of Marlin that they caught on the sail up. This was very welcome as our supplies were dwindling after not having access to a stocked shop for almost 6 weeks!
Exploring Tikehau
We have decided to base ourself in the same place for a couple of weeks. It’s always nice to slow down and really get to know a place. We’ve had a couple waves, lots of free diving and spearfish, and some amazing wildlife. We are here with three of our. Iffy boats which had been really special. Fires on the beach, spearfishing partners, games night, and some girl time for livs!
A month in Tikehau
It’s now been one month since we arrived in Tikehau, the most western Tuamotu. We have reunited with a family from Jersey and spent some much needed catch up time.
The weather has been a little odd for the past week or so either some extremely punchy thunderstorms coming through each day. Some far too close for comfort! We are now making plans to head to Maketea, a tiny island 50 miles south which is a great stop off in calm weather on our way to Tahiti.
Sailing Makatea - Caves & freediving
After a really quick sail we arrived at Makatea. Due to the mooring bouys being out of action we had to make our own, making use of some huge ships anchor chain that was on the reef as our deadman.
Being such a steep drop off the only option was to moor close in. It felt far to close, but after going astern towards the shore while attached to our new mooring we convinced ourselves it was ok and set about exploring this amazing island.
The one advantage to it being such a big drop off is that we could step straight off the stern into 60m of water. Great for some freediving practise!
We decided to see the island properly by taking a tour either a local tour guide. Reuben. He explain the history of the mining on the island and took us to some amazing places before finishing with a huge spread of homemade food.
This isn’t somewhere we will forget in a hurry!
Sailing Teahupo’o - our first shop!
After months in the Tuamotus and over a year without a large super market arriving back into a slightly larger form of civilisation was quite exciting! Not only that but we were dropping anchor next to one of the most famous waves in the world.
After having a good sleep in flat calm waters we ventured ashore to indulge in some fresh apples. Mundane to most, but quite exciting for us! The next few days were spent hiking, surfing and snorkelling befire we head up north for some more serious provisioning.
Sailing Moorea | Hiking, surf & treats!
Our time in Moorea has been very relaxed. Life here is east. We’re anchored next to a fun right hand wave, there’s good snorkelling nearby and to top it off there are some very tasty ice cream and smoothie spots! It’s one of those spots we could happily spend a good few months. There are some incredible hikes nearby which give you panoramic views of the island and as with everywhere in French Polynesia, the locals are friendly. The time has come however to continue west. Our next sail is an overnight to Raiatea. The winds are light and it’s down wind so it could be a rolly 24 hours!