Darned if we didn’t arrive at Tikehau on November 18th proceeding up the marked shipping channel then on to the anchorage by the Pearl resort.
Having just arrived from Mo’orea which is just adjacent to Tahiti in the Windward Society islands, the two most populous in French Polynesia, which on a per capita basis is #1 in coronavirus cases, we were advised in a friendly way that we would be required to quarantine from the group of boats which had been here for weeks or months, but that after 7 days away from the Windward Societies petri dish we would be considered “disease free”. Some might view us as libertarians or even anarchists, but even out here social rules exist. The reality is that we’re dependent upon one another for our safety and security, and bad behavior is unacceptable. That goes for Covid-19, but also for such things as anchoring technique and proximity to other vessels. Anchor too close to another vessel in a wide-pen anchorage, fail to properly pull down on the hook and inspect your anchor, drag in windy conditions – very quickly the boat is recognized as someone operated by either idiots or assholes.
In crowded anchorages we do our best to ensure we’ve got at least 80 meters from other boats. In bigger spaces we try for 250 meters or more. People need and deserve their privacy, and though we’re not prudes a naked shower on the back deck might be found a bit distasteful by others in a crowded anchorage. It’s common to see single-hander Frenchmen prancing around naked on deck, sometimes a memory that can’t be “un-seen”. At the end of the day, this boat is our home, and it represents a sizable investment in both time and money. Even if a fully insured boat dragging its anchor slams into us, we would likely lose a year or more of cruising during the ensuing battle with their insurance company. Boat insurance companies are notorious for dragging their feet before finally paying out.
We don’t want or need the stress. . .
Anyway, we got past our week of self-imposed quarantine. We had a period of very light atmospheric conditions and took advantage of that opportunity to enjoy the anchorage down by the pass, do some drift snorkeling on a tidal inflow, and share a Thanksgiving meal on SV Remedy with a couple of retired physicians. Not only did they show us wonderful hospitality, but they asked if we needed any medical advice! They were part of the World Arc, a highly organized 18 month round the world sailing adventure that had fallen into disarray when French Polynesia went into lockdown as they were all arriving. Adding insult to injury, French Polynesia has temporarily stopped offering long-stay visas so they had no choice but to abandon their adventure and have a hire captain bring their boat to Mexico.
Moving back up to our original anchorage by the Pearl resort, we spent a settled morning dinghying about 2.5 miles out to the giant manta ray cleaning station with Ray and Yvonne of SV Nuwam2 and Sally and John from SV Cappal Mara. Sal had her SCUBA gear and fancy underwater camera and got some great shots while the rest of us snorkeled from above. The mantas gave us a great show! When the wind piped up from the East relocated to the East end of the atoll, finally enjoying some time with Moggy and the Dutch boat, Amaryllis II. Jeff and Marin hosted a game night which involved a dice rolling game called “Farkle”, and we all brought goodies to share and our own adult beverages. That’s pretty much how cruiser parties go – bring a dish to pass and your own booze, don’t expect to devour the limited resources of others unless specifically invited to do so. Joining us was Silka, a German single hander living on a small monohull by herself. Silka has led a rather remarkable life, working in South Africa for some 20 years along with other professional exploits. She’s an independent cuss with great stories and a delightful sense of humor.
Next up – the “rest of the story”. . .
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