Adventures in Tikehau
Rangiroa had a few must-do items which we didn't get to... But it was time to move on.
Tikehau is the next Motu to the west; it has a west-facing reef pass with a wave setup, and there was swell forecast to hit in the next couple of days.
We set sail on the 9AM slack tide. The pass transit worked out well and we were at sail on the seven seas again. However, for once, the wind forecast was not understated; the downwind Easterly struggled to get above 12 kts. Our course was dead downwind, and we were operating under a jury rig for the mainsail... The relentless drone of the donk and the endless rolling that comes with downwind ocean sailing were not ideal.
It was time to deploy the new Code C Furling spinnaker.
We fluctuated between motor-sailing and motor-free sailing depending on whether we had more or less than 14 kts true breeze, ... Even with the spinnaker and enough wind we managed only about 140 degrees true wind angle, although we could push it to 150 degrees with the motor on - I would have preferred more wind. But even when deployed, the motor was secondary and subdued. The big sail damped the movement of the boat, and the motor is reasonably well acoustically isolated. So it was a great option.
As we headed further south around the top of Tikehau the wind dropped off, but our angle improved.
7kts of boatspeed in 9kts of wind are good numbers... It was nice to have the motor off for the last leg to the pass entry. We anchored just inside the entry. Sadly, there was no evidence of the forthcoming swell.
The next day we motored to town and anchored off the little port. We had lunch in the town and a walk around before the shops opened after lunch. The port was new and well looked after; the churches were beautifully kept.
On Friday there were signs of life at the reef pass. maybe the swell was finally hitting.. A few sets looked good from the anchorage. I waxed the board and headed out.
Alas the close-up wasn't as promising. But it was worth a paddle.
Later, as I watched intently through the binoculars from the anchorage, it improved, but it was still small. Nonetheless, with the quad fins deployed in the 6'4" Dahlberg for extra speed, and a good crouch down, bum on heels, there were a couple of ripper 2 footers to be had. It's good to surf on your own in a beautiful natural environment. I imagined that I might be the only surfer for 200 miles.
I could see the waves were continuing to improve, but we had agreed a date at the Manta Ray "cleaning station". Not to mention picking up the baguettes we'd ordered from the Bolangerie.
Motu Mauu is a tiny deserted island inside the reef where the Mantas go to have the Remoras and other symbiotic fish clean their gills.
We snorkelled around for a while. The visibility was cloudy and terrible; and there were no fish at all to be seen. It felt like a tourist trap and a complete waste of time. Then, out of the gloom, a giant shadow emerged.
The Mantas were amazing. Slow, majestic, and unfazed by our presence. After a long snorkel, we said goodbye, and headed to town to collect our baguettes.
It's been a pretty decent day.
Except just as we are settling down for dinner I notice the raw water cooling pump for the freezer and fridge compressors has stopped. It's been overheating and struggling; we knew it was a matter of time.
So that's it for the heat exchange. The compressors won't run.There are two replacement salt water pumps waiting for us in Papeete. But we are here and not there.
So: It looks like we are up for a few days of no refrigeration. The contents of the freezer may not make the distance.... We'll have to make do. It's time for some deep breaths, and acceptance of the headwinds that the remote cruising life can impose.
All good.
Comments
Post a Comment