The Dangerous Archipelago

Today, we leave the lovely islands of the Marqueses, with their tall volcanic peaks and lush vegetation, for the Tuomotus, a long chain of coral atolls about 600 miles to the southwest of us.  It will be an easy sail (we hope) with the wind from behind.  The Tuomotus are known as the "dangerous archipelago" because they lie flat in the ocean, surrounded by coral reefs.  Their highest landmarks are the palm trees that grace their shores.  The atolls themselves are only passable through at most 1 or two cuts into the lagoon, cuts where the current can run 5-8 knots at flood or ebb tides.  Entering at anything other than slack water is dangerous, and many ships (prior to GPS) ran aground on their shoals.

We'll be careful, though one of our main engines is acting up, and we've given up waiting for parts for our dinghy engine.  The delays on the part of  Honda US in shipping even the simplest of parts have left us frustrated -- but we're looking forward to the crystal-clear water of the seas inside the lagoons, as well as the wonderful snorkeling and diving in those clear waters.

They have internet there (!), so we'll be back back in touch in a few days or so -- meanwhile check our progress using the top button on the left hand screen of "links."

In the interim, here's the wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuamotus


Hope all are well; be good!

/jon