The Tuomotus are the largest of the Polynesian archipelagos (in fact, the largest in the world) extending over more than 20,000 square km and includes 76 islands and atolls of which only 41 are populated with a total of about 16,000 people. They are administered as a subdivision of the French Polynesian government. Though French is an official language, the islands are very remote and the locals tend to speak their own language. The economy has been revived recently by the cultivation of black pearls; there is also the production of copra and a small amount of tourism. The islands in the area are coral ‘low islands’ – basically high sand bars built on coral reefs – apart from the ubiquitous coconut trees (for copra) any agriculture is purely subsistence.
The Tuomotus were not called ‘the dangerous islands’ for nothing. Spread out in a random pattern, almost completely flat, no more than 5 to 10 feet above sea level and with practically no vegetation on many, they are all but invisible to approaching boats. Ancient mariners, without the benefit of satellite navigation, were brave indeed to pass this way and many did not survive the attempt. Even today, many in our number and particularly the single handers like Colin on Solvesta, decided to give them a miss and went directly to the Society Isles.
In 1947 the Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer, Thor Heyerdahl, set off from Peru with friends in a flat raft made from balsa logs to cross the Pacific Ocean, intending to prove that the Polynesian people originated from South America rather than from Asia. His raft finally smashed onto the reefs of the atoll Raroia after 101 days at sea and 4300 miles. We read his wonderfully interesting book ‘Kon Tiki’, the name of his raft, which has been translated into over 50 languages, and has inspired many other such adventures in rafts. Anthropologists, however, still believe that Polynesia was settled from the east.
Our trip was 590 nautical miles and took us six days, travelling slowly and erratically with variable winds, much rain and heavy squalls. Our Panamanian onions finally finished on this trip and there were only a few potatoes left. They had lasted nearly three months. The wind died completely towards the end, and on our last day we only managed 42 miles, and only five miles all night!
We had originally planned to go to the atoll Manihi, home of many black pearl farms, but our cruising guide gave the island a rather bad write up, and then we overheard on the SSB someone else saying that it was difficult to anchor there, so we changed our minds and went straight to Rangiroa, which is the biggest of the atolls and at the western, and therefore furthest, end of the group.
With radio assistance from our friends on Aliesha, we timed our arrival perfectly and entered the Tiputa Pass at slack high water without much difficulty. The atoll was overfilled at the time, so that even at slack water there was a continuous outpouring of water through the pass, and despite our 50 hp engine running well, the boat slowed right down to two knots. Not everyone was so lucky and we saw one boat forced to abandon the attempt to enter when his boat finally started drifting backwards! We saw three good yachts recently wrecked on the reefs outside the passes, but even this sight didn’t seem to deter a number of yachts that we saw foolishly trying to enter against the flow. Exiting could also be dangerous as the outward flow of water could get unreasonably strong. Timing was important and we thought it amazing how many yachts ignored it. Even with GPS, which is not exact in this remote area, navigation was hazardous and one had to remain very wide awake and hawk-eyed.
Tiputa Pass
Once inside the atoll, anchoring at Rangiroa was tricky with a strong wind blowing and we dragged a few times before settling. Once again, we bumped into a few friendly yachts, almost literally when our anchor dragged! We had drinks on one yacht and they showed us all the pearls they had traded for on Manihi, which atoll they said was wonderful, the people hospitable and no problem anchoring! So, it doesn’t always pay to listen to what other people say.
Rangiroa is such a big atoll that you don’t get the impression of being in an atoll at all; the lagoon is so vast it could enclose the entire island of Tahiti. As this was our only stop, it was difficult for us to assess the Tuomotus properly. To us, Rangiroa was just a very flat tropical island, dotted with coconut trees, like so many others, with nothing special about it. The vegetation was too sparse and the soil too sandy to qualify as beautiful in my book, but it certainly had its own charm.
We took some long walks around the small settlements where the people live basic but comfortable lives. These people are extremely isolated and communication wasn’t always easy, but they were friendly and interested in foreigners. I am sorry to say we did not visit the pearl farm and didn’t buy a pearl. I had been promised a black pearl as a wedding anniversary present, but we decided to get it in Tahiti, as a local Rangiroan girl advised that we would get better value and a better selection there.
3 July 2004. After four days, we left Rangiroa through the second pass, the Avatoru Pass, again at the correct time and again without difficulty.
No comments:
Post a Comment