Rangiroa to Tahiti

June 16, 2014  Rangiroa to Tahiti

It is time to move on.  Yesterday we went to Josephine’s to have a drink and watch the current in the pass.  We consulted with other boats and it was decided that 1:36 was the  perfect time to exit the pass.   Since the anchor chain is wrapped around a large coral head we need  plenty of time to figure out how to get it free and hoisted.  If/when we get it loose we will hook onto a mooring ball until it is time to leave.  The first attempt is with the hookah.  Maybe Alan can swim down and pull it loose.  Unfortunately it is just a little 12v hookah designed for cleaning and inspecting the bottom of the boat and will not reach down to the bottom.  The anchor is at the end of 60 feet of chain so it is not going to be much use.  It does let  Alan get down closer and see exactly what the problem is, however.  Once he sees the scope of the problem he free dives several times and manages to tug it out from under the coral.  He then attaches a second rope to a float and holds onto it from the dingy.  Now I run the windlass  to hoist the anchor, very carefully while he pulls the second line at exactly the correct angle to keep it from re-snagging.  The minute the anchor is loose I run for the tiller, put it in gear and steer over to the mooring ball. Surprisingly, it all goes as planned and we are free. 

 And now we wait.  The starter switch is iffy.  Maybe it will work and maybe it won’t.  We pass the time having lunch and doing odd jobs.   Finally it is time, we should be just on time to exit the pass on the slack tide.  Not sure what we will do it it doesn’t work.  I really don’t want to sail out through the reef without an engine.

Hooray, the engine starts after only a few tries.  This is obviously a high priority project for Tahiti.  Slowly we move out towards the pass, slowly, slowly, watching the waves, watching current and watching the clock.  There is another boat leaving too, just behind us.  The clock says it is time.  The waves on both sides of the pass are relatively calm.  We turn into the channel and head out.  Alan decides that this is it and guns the motor.  I take my position on the bow, looking for hazards.  The current is running with us and we move smoothly out at 7+ knots.  Piece of cake.  Chara is right behind us.  No dolphins today but we give a wave to the people at Josephine’s.  We will see them again in Tahiti or Moorea or somewhere along the way.

out of the pass, no wind

 The main sail is still double reefed to keep it from tearing any further.  The mizzen is also reefed.  Alan has decided that we will play it very safe  and just use the jib and reefed mizzen on this last leg.  The main sail will stay tied down tight.   It may take us longer but hopefully we will reach Tahiti with no further damage. 

we head south along the coast.  It we can head up far enough we can just squeak by the corner of the island, my watch, drifting closer.

Chara goes north, When Alan comes back he decides we are not going to make the corner and we head north, just as Chara heads south, way off in the distance against the setting sun  still no wind

The pass between Rangiroa and Tikehau is only 6 miles wide and there is only one light on the point.  We had originally planned on going all the way around but now that we are underway we are anxious to get to Tahiti as soon as possible so we decide to go through the pass.  There is no moon and it is very dark.  Both atolls are so low that the dadar is not much use.  The Navionics program on our iPad is our bible.  Normally we are fairly casual about following the exact course but not tonight.  Carefully, carefully, watching the chart like a hawk Alan steers us along.  From a very light wind, a gale suddenly springs up and we are flying along at 6 knots.  Luckily the wind is taking us the right direction.  By the time it  is my watch at midnight we are through the pass, the wind has dropped and Alan is ready for bed.  According to the chart there is another atoll off our port side but it is far enough away that it should not be a problem. 

Tuesday is a day of light wind, just coasting along with Fred the autopilot in charge.  According to the computer we should get to Tahiti about dawn on Thursday.  Of course things never go as planned.  About midnight the wind comes up again and this time with rain, rain and more rain.  Once more we are soaking wet and the cabin is draped with wet clothes.  With all this wind of course we make landfall at midnight, not dawn like we had hoped.  Nothing for it but to heave to and go to bed.  As usual, I stand watch with the iPad while Alan sleeps.  The wind is howling and I am really not sleeping.  I stick my head out of the hatch every half hour or so the be sure everything is OK.  According to the iPad we are drifting at about 1knot around in a circle.  We learn the next day that wind gusts of up to 40 knots were reported out here.  When dawn comes we are still pretty much in the same place. Heaving to really works.   And there is Venus Point, Tahiti!!  We made it!

The wind is still blowing but at least the rain has stopped.   The first order of business is to start the engine.  We are still 5 miles out and normally would sail until we are right off the entrance but with such an iffy starter we want to be sure that it is working before we get too close.   Even with the motor on it is slow going.  We seem to be fighting a current as well as the wind.  And then suddenly we are in the lee of the island.  The wind drops and the sun comes out and it is beautiful.

And we are in Tahiti!  We keep looking at each other with big grins.  We can hardly believe that we are here after 50 years of talking about it.  We did it.  We made it.  Sailed to Tahiti in our own boat.