The Îles Australes are the southernmost and least visited islands of French Polynesia. We have started exploring Raivavae and we’ll see how many more stopovers on the way to Tahiti can fit into our schedule…
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2015
01
May
2015
29
Apr
Landfall in Raivavae
When we arrived at dawn, the island looked spectacular with clouds rolling over the vertical cliffs of the mountain, illuminated by fiery rays of fresh sunlight. As last night was rather strenuous with squalls, torrential rainfall, and confused, lumpy seas, we rested for a while after we’d dropped the anchor and only went for a quick stroll to the village of Rairua in the afternoon.… Continue reading »
2015
27
Apr
Going bananas
No, we’re not going mad on Pitufa, but the stack of bananas we’ve brought from the Gambier has turned from green to yellow overnight–yep, all of them. At least we won’t go hungry, despite the fact that the fishies still refuse to hop on board. We crossed the tropic of capricorn last night, so we’re no longer officially in the tropics (the Gambier lie just… Continue reading »
2015
25
Apr
Banging and clanging along
Last night the wind died down and Pitufa staggered through the confused waves with banging sails. We tried to optimise (tighter preventer, less sail area, etc.), but the nervewrecking cacophony went on. It’s not just the noise and the shaking that goes through the mast and rigging all throughout the boat, it’s also the knowledge of the damage done to the material that makes these… Continue reading »
2015
22
Apr
Out on the ocean again!
Yesterday morning we checked the grib again and realised that we wouldn’t be able to set out during the following week towards Rapa. As we’re running late already, we decided to go to Raivavae (also one of the Australs) instead. We changed the small yankee against the big genoa (buried underneath all the secured stuff in the forecabin) and set out in the afternoon. Now… Continue reading »
2015
21
Apr
Weather games
Waiting for a weather window is always frustrating. We get new forecasts twice a day and then the strategic games begin: we try to “sail” the cursor in expected daily runs through the area of the grib file where arrows indicate the wind speed and direction, trying to avoid becalmed zones and galeforce winds. Of course the further into the future the prediction goes, the… Continue reading »
2015
16
Apr
Winter is coming
Until three days ago it was really hot and calm, but then southerly winds set in, sending up chilly air masses with best regards of the icebergs down there The weather forecast had predicted light westerly winds, so we were anchored off the western motu Tenoko when a procession of squalls approached, hiding Taravai and Mangareva behind a dark grey wall. When the squalls reached… Continue reading »
2015
10
Apr
Article on Keeping Nightwatches in current (April) All-at-Sea
Birgit Hackl: Night Watches, All At Sea Caribbean, April 2015, p. 34–37. Free download from allatsea.net.
2015
03
Apr
New attractions on Taravai
Autumn’s gifting us with gorgeous weather here this year. Last year it was already cool and windy in April, but at the moment we’re enjoying perfectly calm, sunny and hot days. Just looking over the pastel shades of the lagoon in the early morning when the mountains are reflected in the sea like in a mirror with the corals gleaming through the crystal clear water,… Continue reading »
2015
26
Mar
2015
25
Mar
Motu Tenoko
Last weekend the remnants of cyclone Pam (the one that devastated Vanuata) passed by far to the south and despite of the huge distance and its dwindling force it still sent up an impressive 4-metre-high swell. We watched the breakers on the sandbanks and reefs inside the lagoon from the safety of the anchorage in front of the village of Taravai. As soon as the… Continue reading »
2015
20
Mar
Spoiled
We used to call anchorages comfy as long as the dishes didn’t slide off the table, but after spending so much time in protected lagoons we’ve raised our standards to ‘no boat movement at all’. Yesterday’s anchorage on the western side of Akamaru didn’t quite come up to those expectations, we complained a bit about the rolling during the night, but enjoyed our visit to… Continue reading »
2015
12
Mar
2015
10
Mar
Article on our ‘Ten Cruising Boat Essentials’ in current (March 2015) All-at-Sea
Birgit Hackl: Voyaging: Needful Things, All At Sea Caribbean, March 2015, p. 34–37. Free download from allatsea.net.
2015
28
Feb
Goatie island
The Gambier have a new attraction: a petting zoo! Pierre and Lolo (the cruisers who live on Taravai) have taken their two tame goats Fuego and Cacao (we’ve known them since they were babies) over to the tiny island Motu-o-ari off the village for holidays where they greet visitors bleeting happily. They marched all around the island with us and looked so sad when we… Continue reading »