Cruising the Great Atolls

Luxury Sailing Cruise in the Remote Tuamotu Archipelago
Tahiti – Fakarava – Toau – Apataki – Rangiroa:

The Tuamotu Archipelago consists of 78 spectacular atolls, all of which were once lush high islands, but now lie just above sea-level – coral reef, sand and palm tree – visions of a south seas paradise. The Tuamotu are the “outback” of Polynesia with small villages and black pearl farms as the only vestiges of human occupation. Yet the Paumotu people who live here have a rich culture accumulated over 1500 years of occupation on these tiny islets in a vast sea. The huge lagoons encircled by the barrier reef are home to a pristine system of patch reefs and sand flats – ideal for anchoring and exploring.

The sea life here is spectacular with chances to see dolphins, turtles, schools of brilliantly colored fish, manta rays, and sharks. The numbers and varieties of sharks in the Tuamotu are legendary, but snorkeling with them is as easy and comfortable as with any other fish, and from your first adrenaline-pumped moment on you will be awestruck by their grace and power.

Atolls are ancient oceanic islands created by volcanoes that originally built rugged high islands. As the volcanic mountain eroded and subsided the coral reef formed a barrier around the islands that slowly accumulated small coral sand islets (motu) on its crest.  Now after all of the volcanic part of the island is eroded away all that is left is the barrier
reef and the motu surrounding a huge interior lagoon where the mountain used to be. Atolls are coral reef top to bottom. The barrier reef protects the motu and lagoon from ocean swells, the patch reefs in the lagoon harbor spectacular fish populations, the motu made of coral sediment are home to a variety of native plants and animals, and the people of the Tuamotu have learned to subside in this environment that is rich in marine but very poor in terrestrial resources. Unfortunately, predicted sea level rise due to human induced climate change also makes these some of the most endangered habitats on earth.

We have planned this trip so that we can best see the natural world of the Tuamotu Islands and the way that people have learned to live here, both in ancient times and the present day. At first glance these islands seem very similar – all have a rugged coral reef barrier, a calm lagoon filled with patch reefs, small coral islets (motu) of white sand and palm trees, and minimal human habitation. But each island has its own character and we have chosen sites along our voyage that show the best of what each island has to offer, be it a rare bird, or a ancient village, or a particularly wonderful snorkeling spot.


Boat Description:
Size: 60’ Catamaran
Builder: Fountaine Pajot
Model: Eleuthera
Amenities: 5 staterooms with heads (all doubles, 2 with possible twin arrangement); big salon; bar; galley; large covered aft deck with dining table; huge foredeck with trampoline; 2 kayaks; dinghy; stereo and video; air-conditioning;
Crew: captain, hostess/cook, and sailor
Description: This is the most luxurious sailboat in its class and the cabins are large and comfortable. Since it is a catamaran the ride is surprisingly stable (especially in the lagoons) and it allows for a lot of space on deck. With no wind it motors at 8 knots and with a decent wind it sails at up to 12knots.


Itinerary
Day One – Friday
Fly to Tahiti

Day Two - Saturday
Flight at 6:15 am
We will fly to the island of Fakarava, the second largest atoll in the Tuamotu, and the center of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Biosphere Reserve.. After a short ride from the airport we will take a walk through the village of Rotoava. This is a typical modern-day Tuamotu Village – right along the shore of the lagoon,  with a big church, small municipal buildings, houses with gardens full of flowers, boats, dogs, chickens, and really friendly people. We will have breakfast at a small restaurant on the beach before boarding our catamaran. After boarding, we will sail through this long lagoon 35 miles to the pass at the south end of the island. We will stop along the way to explore sand flats and  snorkel before anchoring near the pass for the evening.

Day Three – Sunday
This day will be spent exploring the south end of the island. There is great snorkeling here, with a huge variety of fish, and everyone will have a chance to get that first adrenalin rush of seeing a shark in the wild. There is also an old village that is mostly abandoned and we will take some time in the cooler hours of the day to explore it. That evening we will leave Fakarava at dusk and enjoy a sunset at sea and an easy overnight sail to our next island.


Day Four - Monday
There is nothing quite like waking up at dawn in the open ocean, with a fresh sea breeze, and a spectacular sunrise on the horizon. This morning we will be resting outside the pass of an island called Toau, waiting for enough light to navigate the pass. This is a wonderful little island with very few inhabitants, and no active village. Just inside the pass we will find our way to an anchorage that offers fantastic snorkeling and spend the day here. This is also a great site for kayaking and there is an ancient village site nearby as well. That evening we will once again set sail before dark and get out through the pas and into the open ocean for an overnight sail to the island of Apataki.

Day Five - Tuesday
We will enter the lagoon of Apataki at dawn and anchor near the village. Most of the people on this island make their living farming the black pearls that French Polynesia is famous for. So on this day we will visit a fairly prosperous village and have a look at the various aspects of pearl farming. During the afternoon we will sail from the south end of the lagoon to the pass at the north end and take some time along the way for snorkeling and enjoying the beauty of this island. That evening we will set out for our final destination, the island of Rangiroa.

Day Six - Wednesday
This morning we will be outside of Tiputa Pass and we will enter it at dawn, into the second largest atoll lagoon in the world. Rangiroa is the largest and busiest of all the islands in the Tuamotu, but it is so big that it takes just a trip across the lagoon to be back in the outback. We will make a quick stop for any supplies we might need and then head directly south across the lagoon to an old village site where all that remains is a well-kept church. This is a great spot to explore the outer reef so we will take a short hike across the motu and spend some time looking at animals and plants on a dramatically rugged coast. In the afternoon we will move west along the south coast, stopping to snorkel along the way, and finally anchoring for the night.

Day Seven - Thursday
We will spend the day at an area called Isle de Recif, which is a wonderful stretch of the south coast of Rangiroa where there is great snorkeling and lots of islands and back reef
to explore on foot or by kayak. We will BBQ on the beach for lunch and enjoy our last night on the boat under a brilliant star-lit sky.

Day Eight - Friday
This morning we will sail back across the lagoon to the Village of Tiputa. Here we will take some time to snorkel near the pass and, if the tide is right, we will do a drift snorkel through the pass on an incoming tide. After lunch we will go say farewell to our boat crew and go to the airport and fly back to Tahiti. The afternoon will be free and then we will have our farewell dinner at a nice local restaurant.
Hotel Sofitel Maeva Beach
Departures:
Air Tahiti Nui at 22:15 and 23:45

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