Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Spotlight on Fakarava and Toau
Fakarava is a perfect location to learn the lessons of “Atoll Cruising 101” because one
long, thin motu shelters the entire east coast, with a marked channel leading several miles
away from the small-scale “development” of Rotoava village. Atoll novices will be re-
lieved to discover there is nothing life-threatening about leaving the channel and finding a
place to anchor. With the sun high overhead, it's easy to pick your way through coral heads
to sandy patches fifteen to thirty feet deep. Even though Fakarava draws a fair number of
sailors, it is possible to find your own anchorage. That is, if the copycats don't find you.
Often, we were happily enjoying our solitude until the magnet effect drew in a handful of
other boats. Perhaps they reasoned that we had found “the” anchorage when in reality, they
could have strung themselves out almost anywhere along the long shoreline.
From Fakarava, it's a pleasant day sail to Toau. On the northwest side of this atoll, two dis-
tinctive white range markers lead the way into Anse Aymot. This is a false pass that
breaches through the fringing reef of the atoll without breaking all the way through to the
inner lagoon. The result is a mini lagoon with excellent 350° protection - a rarity in the
Tuamotus. In Toau, one friendly couple live off the bounty of the land and sea, occasionally
offering evening meals at an open-air “restaurant” by the shore. However, Valentine and
Gaston are extremely busy with multiple atoll pursuits and may not be able to offer regular
meals. Consider it a treat, not a given. They have even set up several moorings (a herculean
effort involving repeated free dives to depths of fifty feet and more) to eliminate the hassle
of anchoring over coral heads (not to mention the damage this inflicts). Some cruisers
linger for weeks in this unhurried place, snorkeling the reefs and wandering the wild,
tangled edges of the motus.
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