Tuamotu Atolls

The Tuamotus are a scatter of 78 atolls spread across a thousand miles of South Pacific, each one a ring of coral barely above sea level enclosing a lagoon that can be anything from a shallow pond to a body of water larger than some Caribbean islands. The French called them the Dangerous Archipelago — les iles Dangereuses — because the low-lying coral is invisible from any distance and the currents through the passes are powerful enough to make them impassable at certain states of the tide. Rangiroa, the largest atoll, is the practical starting point. Its lagoon is 80 kilometres long, large enough to contain Tahiti within its boundaries. The main settlement of Avatoru sits near the atoll's two navigable passes — Tiputa and Avatoru — where the tidal exchange between the open ocean and the lagoon creates currents that attract large pelagic life. Dolphins surf the incoming tide at Tiputa Pass; grey reef sharks patrol the outgoing current in dense schools. Fakarava, 200 nautical miles south-east, is the other marquee destination. Its southern pass — Tumakohua, known as the South Pass — is a UNESCO biosphere reserve where a wall of grey reef sharks, hundreds strong, congregates in the outgoing current. The diving here is considered among the finest in the world. The northern pass, Garuae, is the widest in the Tuamotus and produces the strongest currents. Sailing between atolls is open-ocean passage-making. The distances — 200 miles or more between the main atolls — require offshore navigation, weather routing, and self-sufficiency. Passages typically take 24-48 hours. The trade winds blow reliably from the south-east at 15-25 knots, making the run between atolls a broad reach in manageable conditions, but the return to windward is slow. Entering an atoll pass is the critical skill. The pass must be transited on slack or incoming tide — outgoing tide against ocean swell creates breaking waves in the pass that can be lethal. Visual conditions must be good — the sun high enough to illuminate the coral. These constraints dictate timing in a way that no other cruising ground demands. Provisioning in the Tuamotus is minimal. Rangiroa has small shops with basics; the outer atolls have almost nothing. All provisions should be purchased in Papeete before departure. Water is collected from rain or produced by watermaker. Fuel is by jerry can. This is self-sufficient sailing at its most literal.