ARRIVAL IN PACIFIC ATOLL - RANGIROA
05 July 2010 | Rangiroa, Tuamotos
david
Arrived in Rangiroa. Rangiroa is a Pacific Atoll, a body of water, a lagoon in fact, ringed by motus or little islands barely above sea level. This one is the biggest of all of them, 40 miles long and 17 miles wide. But, even knowing this, I sort of expected to see the other side (lagoon). Instead, upon entering, all that met the eye was another 'sea' with nothing but an endless expanse of water.
We timed the entrance of the pass to coincide with slack tide(no movement of water, in or out). We entered at 930 AM and had a lovely smooth ride into the enormous lagoon. A few hours later and we would have been met with a 6-7 knot current kicking up sharp 7-8 foot waves.
The anchorage is deep and easy to navigate. And it is this fact plus that it is on the way to Tahiti, that makes it a bit too popular for my taste - a couple of big ships replete with numerous jet skis sits a few hundred meters from Shearwater!
Will stay another day, then its on to Tahiti and big Pacific metropolis of Papeete.