Hao, Tuamoto Islands

We arrived off the coral atoll of Hao, in the Tuamotos after 4 days at sea, and then had to slow down to time our entrance right – so we cruised outside the reef as slowly as we could for another night.   We wanted to enter in daylight and as the water flows into the lagoon at 2-3 knots for 2 hours twice a day and out of the lagoon at speeds of up to 12 knots the rest of the time, we really couldn’t get in if we got it wrong!  

                                        The entrance from the safety of the lagoon

Once the waters stopped churning waves and whirlpools out towards us we headed in and motored for about 10 miles to tie up alongside in the old Navy dock.  The Tuamotos are the largest group of coral atolls on earth, and being atolls they are very vulnerable if the ocean levels rise.

Safely alongside the breakwater

This is an atoll that we would not have been allowed into the last time we were here as it was the French Navy & Army base for the troops involved in the nuclear bomb tests and hence forbidden territory.  Now the troops have left, but not before destroying everything useful on the base, so the heavy electric cables to the dock here are still intact but all the socket boxes and the lights have been smashed and all the barracks had their showers & loos smashed too. 

Ipo with his tricycle - a very popular mode of transport on this atoll

The locals were outraged, they tell us that when the Americans or British leave a base they also leave it intact for the local people to use and so they have demanded that the French put the island back to the way it was before the base was here.  Hence I enjoyed watching the young, muscular French squaddies in their teeny weeny shorts demolishing the site!  They are replanting the area too and our new friend, Ipo, has bought the old Navy dock so is delighted we are using it.  He has plans to install showers and a washing machine & wants to attract more yachts here - at the moment there is nothing.  He worked as an engineer on Mururoa atoll during the bombs and later on here where the spotter planes landed to be washed clean of the radioactive dust.  He told us that everyone that he worked with from these islands is now dead but that he was always really careful to keep all his protective gear on.  I think I was too pregnant last time we were here to comprehend quite what the French were doing to the whole area – it is dreadful,

Harry on the ocean side of Hao

And 2 minutes later on the lagoon side.  The lagoon is over 30 miles long, and up to 20 miles wide.

Ipo came along to see us immediately we tied up and warned us of rats – the police came along (all 4 of them) later and also warned us of rats.  So before nightfall we moved across and moored inside the breakwater.  The police wanted us to check in with them even though we had already cleared in to French Polynesia in Mangareva, so the next day we headed into the village on our bikes.

It was great to be alongside so we could get off whenever we liked, it felt like a luxury.

  

Clearing in with the Police.

As the only visitors on the island we were greeted warmly in the village and soon met the (French) English teacher from the secondary school here.  The children from the Gambier and Tuamoto islands board here or at schools in Tahiti, returning home by ferry or plane.

We had planned on a couple of days here but soon a huge storm blew through with torrential rain and waves blasting across the lagoon to wash over the breakwater.  One of the heavy chains we had tied onto decided to break, causing our bow to swing out and involving us all in getting safely back alongside.

We bought a prepaid card for the internet and cycled to the Post Office (where the aerial is) to go online.  It was closed and after 30 minutes sitting on the step, feet in sand, preparations for the festival (just like a village fete) all around I gave up.  It was overcast, very windy and wet and the locals said the internet is very slow in these conditions.  They had a craft competition as part of the festival where only natural, local materials could be used, so there were beautiful palm leaf weavings, shells & wood and coconuts used for jewellry, carvings and models.  

Meanwhile John cycled for 6 miles to the chicken farmer we were told about as there were no eggs in the shops.  He had a lovely time collecting eggs from the hens with the help of a 6 year old!

The old road through the officers quarters taking us from the dock to the village

Once again we couldn’t get any money out as, just like in Mangareva, there was no bank but unlike Mangareva the post office wouldn’t change money either.  Luckily 2 shops took credit cards so we were able to buy some supplies.  We had run out of all sorts of things – cheese, cocoa, liquid soap, golden syrup, pesto, tortilla wraps to name a few things we couldn't get here. The last proper shop was in Panama City in February.

Outside Ipo's house with the dock in the background

We couldn't resist his chandelier over the barbecue - made from shells, palm leaves, fishing line & 2 bicycle wheels

We had 8 days in Hao and early on the last morning I raised the mosquito net to get into the cockpit with my mug of tea to find … rat droppings!!  Blimey, the hairs on the back of my neck were raised in horror, totally freaked out.  We did a frantic check and found some chewed crab shell under the sprayhood and droppings along the deck and under the dinghy.  After a good check down below we were confident none had got down there (so mosquito nets must be a good visual barrier) and we couldn’t find a rat on deck.  We sailed off towards Tahiti and for the next few days were very jumpy! We seem to have been lucky and our visitor did not stay long, thank goodness – we’ve heard nightmare stories of ‘the rat that can’t be caught’ from a few boats – I think I would consider that as a sign to stop sailing!