At 4:30 PM local time Sand Dollar dropped anchor at a beautiful palm tree-studded island on the east side of Raroia Atoll in the Tuamotus following a four day passage from Nuka Hiva, Marquesas. The second two days of the passage were very nice compared to the first two. I actually had to slow the boat down today in order to transit the entrance to the lagoon at the correct time, which was 2:30 PM. This is when the predicted current would be at a minimum and, I am happy to say, was correct. A Dutch boat arrived at the same time and we compared notes by radio and then proceeded through without incident.

Raroia is a typical atoll, 26 x 8 miles in size with a fringing reef, dozens of islands on the perimeter, and a large central lagoon with a single navigable entrance from the sea. There is one village with about 100 people and there are no supplies except black pearls. The anchorage, when the wind in up, is 6 miles from the village on the other side of the lagoon near the landing site of the famous Kontiki raft. There were five other boats when I arrived including my Swedish friends who have invited me to dinner tonight. Tomorrow I will blow up the kayak, grab a fly rod and go exploring the beach.