Cleone - Arrives in Kauehi

Clone arrived in Kauehi, Tuamotus, at 0300 GMT/UTC on 20 April.

 

Kauehi is one of the northernmost Atols, and it reputedly has an easy entrance, wide and deep.  But the Charlie's Charts Pilot warned of strong currents and standing waves.  So it was with some trepidation that the Skipper noted that our arrival was timed for the middle of the flood, and we are at or near spring tides.  But needs must - if we delayed we would not have arrived in the anchorage until well after dark.  In the event, the current never ran more than a knot and a half, and although there were a few eddies, there was no sign of any standing waves.  And then we were in the first real Lagoon that any of us has ever been to, and motoring the eight miles across to the village diametrically opposite.  Soon we could see the amazing sight of Harmonie and Lady Kay across the other side of the lagoon, but suspended, as it were, at half-tree level as they floated on a flat-calm mirage.

 

This is a truly stunning place.  Except for the entrance, the lagoon is surrounded by palm-fringed coral islands small but of all sorts of different sizes.  These are all connected by a series of coral reefs.  The lagoon is, at the moment, absolutely calm.  The water is clear - whilst swimming this morning the Skipper could see the anchor, just embedded in sand, and our anchor chain wending its way back to Cleone via a number of coral heads.  He changed a propellor annode in the company of a couple of small sharks and a shoal of other fishes.  We have not been ashore yet, but we could hear the singing in the church at 7 o'clock this morning whilst they were at Mass.  There is a small shop but apparently no bakery.  We have fresh baguettes because the weekly flight arrived yesterday afternoon with them on board!  And in the lagoon there are a number of small wooden buildings on stilts, which we believe are where the pearl farmers manage their crops.  We are not sure how many people live here, but it cant be more than a couple of hundred.  As one of our fellow boats said, welcome to a small section of paradise.

 

More of that anon; it's breakfast time.  The sun is shining, there is a slight breeze and the boom-tent is keeping Cleone a little cooler than she might otherwise be.  And Peter and Mary from Asolare have just joined us for a cup of tea and some grapefuirt.  Then we must go visiting our neighbours (there are 3 other WARC boats here, too) and the nearby island.