We consider ourselves quite experienced at navigating lagoons and coral-strewn areas by now, we even enjoy close-hauled zig-zag sailing between bommies in the clear waters of the Tuamotus.
Raivavae’s shallow and murky lagoon is a bit more of a challenge. Distances are tiny, but a 1.5 nm ‘passage’ here needs a perfect weather window with blue skies and the sun high up in the sky. Christian keeps a sharp look-out on the bow while we’re weaving our way through a minefield of coral heads and I have to react quickly on the helm to get Pitufa around pinnacles that only get visible moments before we reach them.
Finding an anchoring spot is often even more difficult than getting to a motu with only small sandy patches between bommies that come up vertically to the surface. Here’s an example of a very pretty, but also very tricky anchorage on the eastern side of the lagoon.
