Early in the piece before Tahiti, was when we pulled up the map of the Tuamotos to examine the next passage of Atolls. I cannot imagine the person who looked at this part of the pacific and thought it fun to sail into atolls and come out in one piece. If you want to see these remote areas called the Tuamotos Attols then planning is in order or just Google, it is safer. I look at the printed maps of these intense coral reefs and it looks like this..... a large circular mass sitting in the aqua beauty with mere centimetres for entrances. Trying to put this in perspective doing the maths it leaves only a stone's throw either side of our boat in the entrance pass, and that is the easiest bit. So to navigate your way into this world of pearl farms and wonderment you need nerves of steel. From the hundreds of atolls we chose, Mahini as it was the first of the atolls to reach and the easiest. With Condesa's draft of 8ft we did not want to become one of those wrecks left remaining for divers to admire coloured marine life in years to come. So with the newly acquired "sliding scale" tool we were able to judge the right tide and time, all based on the moon rise and moon set. We managed to calculate ourselves an estimated time to arrive in the entrance channel of 8am. The next morning, Condesa ghosted around the entrance for a bit then we anxiously edged our way in and he who hums quickly sought radio contact with anyone on a boat within to reply and give us the inside knowledge. The one and only French (single hander) replied from the far side of this 9klm wide atoll and I think said in his oh-so-tight sexy French accent that all should be fine to head to his direction on the far side. Just as we made it through the entrance with the local encouragement from the rock wall, we eyeball the entrance hazard marker and at that same moment of anticipation our French contact radios back and I took the call as things were all consuming at the wheel. The only words I deciphered after asking twice were that ...... 'there were two "somethings" to watch out for' . TWO WHAT! Freaking out I was trying to get this now 'not so sexy' voice to speak in plain English and tell me what-the-hell, so I could promptly go and translate precisely the much needed information to the helm. I go up, all eyes on me waiting for the message...and say "from what I can gather -he, (Mr not so sexy French accent guy) said there are two bommies/coral reefs on approach so watch out"..... I think? And I immediately went to the bow to see what I could see to hopefully match my questionable translation. The guide books all recommend to have the sun at you back to view coral reefs clearly, noted to self. ~ Well people, right time and tide in this instance and according to our "slidey scale" thingy had the sun right in our face and there was nothing we could do about that! Seconds seem like minutes and minutes like hours as we inch our way into trouble lurking beneath. OH! I can see what he was alerting us to! Not a hum to be heard and hazard noted first hand! It is at this point in time looking at coral bommies beneath your boat you wonder why you just don't admire the pretty pictures in the brochures fly in to holiday in a bungalow out in the blue atoll bliss. It took time after this to drop both our anchor and our guard before we could really enjoy this achievement. Speaking of drop - so too did the tide drop and we saw the path we took with now high and dry reef smirking back at us, we were lucky to have made it across that atoll unscathed. However now those days are long gone and sitting in safe mooring ball anchorage at Bora Bora we catch up with the fleet over dinner. I soon learn that nearly every other boat crossed that atoll in the same manner so I do not feel quite so responsible for the incident back at Manihi in the Tuamotos. On land was a complete other story the simple happy life of the pearl farmers and their families had nothing to fear and everything to enjoy. Hibiscus coloured curtains shade the windows and doors, kids run free and dogs cats and chickens all play together in the street. So I have attached my favourite land photo from our stay there.