This is why we went cruising!

It is time to leave the Marquesas Islands and make our way to the Tuamotus. The weather window looks good and we plan a late afternoon departure from Ua-Pou so that we will arrive in Tahanea Atoll in the morning. Entering an atoll is not as easy as entering a typical anchorage. You need to plan carefully and arrive at the east facing atoll entrance at slack tide and wait for the start of incoming current. The water that enters and leaves the atolls with the tide change can only do so through the passes (breaks) in the atoll. The current that flows through these passes can be well over 5 knots and if you get wind against current, you will find yourself in standing waves, strong current and a very dangerous situation. Planning is key and you have to take into account that although it may state that it is slack tide, it could be that slack still needs to take place in the pass due to the amount of water still trying to exit the pass. To help with this, download the 'Guestimator' by 'Soggy Paws. This is a data sheet that help you work out a more accurate time though it is not fool proof as there are a lot of dependants but it is a great help. The Tuamotus are paradise. Take your time here. Watch out for coral bommies. Float your chain. Respect the locals. You will love it. Please consider becoming a Patreon https://www.patreon.com/sailingmokara Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sailingmokara/ Thank you for watching.