Note: Although I am writing this in Dec 2023, these events happened in July, 2033.
On July 6 we left Fakarava for Toau, the next atoll up the chain, just a few miles to the North West. Our sailing distance was a bit over 40nm, an easy day sail. Luckily the north pass out of Fakarava is wide and deep and with high tide just before 10 am, it was an easy exit. The conditions were good although at times we could have used more wind.
We were heading for a cove called Anse Amyot at the north end of Toau because we had heard it was well protected, had a number of mooring balls.
View of Anse Amyot from outside.
We arrived late afternoon and had an easy time entering the cove and tying up to the mooring ball. There were 7 other yachts in the cove, a bit crowded for the small cove. I think we got the last mooring ball but several yachts left the next morning.
The chain from our mooring ball appears to be in good shape. I can’t see what it is anchored to, but I don’t see any problems.
The pic above (a google map sat view) is zoomed in on the cove and shows the doc and a few buildings where Gaston & Valentine live. With prior notice, they can serve a nice lunch or diner for cruisers.
Gaston retrieved a lobster from a fish pen he keeps in the lagoon. He regularly goes diving in his ‘secret places’ to get lobsters that he and Valentine can serve to cruisers.
This lobster is going to be my dinner. About as fresh as can be. You can also see the ‘restaurant seating’ where we ate and the main kitchen.
Many remoras or ‘suckerfish’ hanging out under Calista. Their sucker is an adaptation of their first dorsal fin. I allows them to attach to a whale, shark, or other large fish and hitch a ride. This means that the ‘host’ is doing the work of moving through the water, flushing water over their gills, reducing their energy expenditure. The pic below shows one of the ‘suckers’.
We spent several idillic days at Anse Amyot. The water was warm and amazingly clear. We highly recommend the place. However, I have seen reports that it can be difficult in bad weather. If a strong blow comes from the north, the swell could get really bad. If it comes from the south, a huge amount of water goes into the lagoon at the south end and exits through Anse Amyot. I’ve seen accounts of strong currents through the cove and anchors dragging. I have not heard of problems with the mooring balls, but you always have to be careful.