When the stream of water from the tap no longer hits the sink, but swerves beyond the rim, you know you’re heeling too much… This passage was only 220 nm as the frigate bird flies, but we tacked up and down and the mixture of too much wind (30+ knots) and not enough wind (less than 10 knots) was rather tiring. Initially we had planned to sail to Tahanea, but in this easterly wind we would have had to tack another day or two, so we ended up in Apataki instead, which lay conveniently on our course (although we had to tack around its annoying neighbouring atoll that kept jumping into our way…).
We arrived at 1.30 at the height of the outgoing tide, but didn’t want to waste daylight to cross the lagoon and search for an anchorage, so we entered against 5 knots of outgoing current. The pass looked like a mountain stream, but Pitufa’s strong engine helped us through and the (weak-kneed) helmswoman held a steady course 
We anchored on the southern side of the atoll behind a little motu and after 2 hours of cleaning we’re now settling down with a sundowner. Manuia (cheers)!
