arrived Kauehi

[pos]15 56s 145 03w
[sp]0 kts
[h]anchored
[w]15 kts E
[s]anchored SE corner of Kauehi lagoon. Humpback whales greeted us at the pass. 2-3 knot flood sucked Pau Hana into the lagoon. Nice and deep, no worries. Forecast looks stable. We're anchored against the east side of the atoll, so no waves at all. We can paddle and swim in calm water even though the tradwinds are blowing overhead.
Actual distance sailed 231 nm. Kauehi is immediately north of Fakarava, so we'll stay in the vicinity for a while.

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Underway to Kauehi

[pos]15 25s 146w
[sp]5 kts
[h]140 t
[w]15 kts E
[s]underway from Rangiroa to Kauehi. waves 2m. clouds 50%. 1013mb. close reach
After two weeks at Rangiroa, we're making slow progress against wind, waves, and adverse current. Luckily Pau Hana goes to windward well and smoothly. The Tuamotus would be quite nerve wracking without GPS. The atoll are low and are not visible until we're within 5 miles. Minimal navigational aids.
There was another sailboat near us this morning, but we didn't see it visually. No other boats at all so far on this passage. I just had my first successful check-in with my new General Class Ham license on the Pacific Seafarers net. On 14 MHz I was able to speak with Ham stations in California and Arizona as well as several other boats in the South Pacific. I don't usually talk on the radio much, but it's fun to expand my skills.

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Rangiroa

We're leaving for Kauehi, an atoll about 250 miles northeast tomorrow morning. The passage will take about 48 hours, we plan to arrive Sunday morning.

Rangiroa rules

We're still in Rangiroa, this photo is taken from the pass entering the atoll last week. The currents here are strong and wicked so all trips through the pass have to be timed to the tidal current. Otherwise, mayhem.

We're currently trying to straighten out some firmware issues with getting photos uploaded from the GoPro. Wish us luck, we are back in the land of low bandwidth- and loving it! The diving and water here are simply amazing and makes up for the lack of other amenities like fresh food and connectivity. We're planning on leaving in the next few days and starting our trip upwind through the Tuomotus.

Anchored Rangiroa

Pau Hana is safely anchored at:
S 14* 58'
W 147* 38'
221 nm from Papeete to Tiputa anchorage, .Rangiroa
We entered Avatoru Pass under calm conditions on a slight flood tide, so no burly standing waves and leaping dolphins like the last time we were here.
We couldn't arrive with only one night at sea, so we departed Tuesday at dusk and sailed at a comfortable slow pace and arrived at the pass at 0900 Thursday. One guy had the Avatoru surf break all to himself.
There is good diving at Rangiroa with a resident pod of Bottlenose dolphins that often investigate the divers.
Nap time.
Martin

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on the move

[pos]15 57s 148 33w
[sp]6 kts
[h]032 T
[w]13 kts ESE
[s]underway Tahiti to Rangiroa. 10% cloud cover, 1-2m waves, 1013mb
After spending a month in Tahiti and Moorea, We're on the move again, heading upwind into the Tuamotu Archipelago.
We've said goodbye to our friends Matt and Kate that we met in North Carolina in 2014 as we were both beginning our voyages. Tamata will head for Australia, while Pau Hana is bound for the USA.

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Tuomotus bound

We're leaving for Rangiroa this evening. It's about 240 nm to the northeast, in the Tuomotu Archipelago. Even though we passed through last year, I'm excited to return for the diving and water activities. It'll be a 2 night push and we should pull in Thursday morning. Happy August!