The Tuamotus and an Anniversary
It feels like we are getting the hang of this lifestyle after three years of living at sea and the Tuamotus are definitely our favorite type of cruising grounds - vast, gorgeous and sparsely populated. We spent almost three weeks on Makemo, which ranks as a top ten anchorage for us. Just so beautiful and isolated. Beach after beach, lots of healthy coral, tons of fish and more black tip reef sharks than mosquitos on a summer night. There were a few other boats nearby and we made friends with a lovely Danish family and a German couple. Snorkeling the reefs, hiking the beaches and coral flats, drift diving the pass into the lagoon, playing volleyball, sitting around a bonfire, cooking delicious meals, repairing this or that, reading, napping, and playing games in the evening with a cocktail in hand and an eye on the sunset.
I should probably add that Beata continues to work full time, warrior that she is, so she gets up at 3:30am weekdays to be on Cincinnati time. If I want fresh coffee, I get up then too. Then she clickety-clacks on her computer until lunchtime, while I do the dishes, bake and keep Halley shipshape. Afternoons and evenings are for fun and then it’s early to bed, which is not hard since the sun sets here around 5:30pm, often spectacularly. What can I say? I married well and today is our 30th wedding anniversary. Would you believe me if I told you that this is all according to my plans of more than three decades ago? As I’ve repeatedly advised my sons, marry the hardest working and smartest woman that you can manage to snare and best if she’s just a bit younger than you!
We are now on Tahenea and it should probably make the top anchorages list as well, but we need to save room for places yet to come. Along the way we procured some pearl buoys so that we can float our anchor chain above the many coral bommies, while tucking up to a motu in six or seven feet of swimming pool colored water. The one and only local here, Nico, took us on a coconut crab hunt a couple nights ago and we feasted on our catch the next day for lunch. A half dozen boats have sought refuge in the southeast corner of the lagoon while waiting out a week-long blow of 30+ knot winds. Even though massive waves from an angry ocean crash over the perimeter reef only a couple of hundred yards away, the sun is still mostly shining and we are well protected behind our little islet. The scary part is how fast the days go by.
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