| Bearing down on the Tuamotus, our crew are keeping | | | | with some trepidation. |
| a sharp lookout ahead. They know now that the first | | | | This level of anxiety is heightened by the sight of the |
| sighting of land is going to be the fronded crown of a | | | | white hull of a yacht lying up on the reef close to the |
| palm tree, rooted in the sand of a coral atoll barely | | | | entrance, looking very skeletal, bones bleached whiter |
| above sea level. The expectation of being the first to | | | | than white in the tropical sun. Sails dropped and engine |
| spy one of these occupies cour crew with the | | | | ticking over, she manoeuvres onto her course for their |
| formidable fervour of young boys. In the event, a | | | | first 'running the Passe'. Gunning her motor, she propels |
| number of these mop tops sluggishly grow out of the | | | | herself forward, all eyes on deck staring, looking for |
| southern horizon, bathing in the western afternoon | | | | any obstructing and deadly razor coral heads, and |
| sunlight. Staring at an empty horizon for so long, these | | | | sweeps into the crystal waters of the lagoon, cutting a |
| rising palms, eagerly awaited as they are, still bring with | | | | pretty picture of white hull on blue as she comes up in |
| their languid appearance an almost unwanted intrusion. | | | | a trim turn to starboard. Our doughty crew, unwittingly |
| 'Another of humans' trivial life foibles' our little ship | | | | holding their collective breath, quietly release, |
| thinks. | | | | heartbeats gradually returning to normal. She also feels |
| Willing as they are to have their daily routine disrupted | | | | a spurt of satisfaction, along with quiet competence |
| once again, the actual arrival brings with it a | | | | tinged with pride, at safely conning her way in without |
| momentary, but deeper level of relutant resistance to | | | | so much as a scratch. No matter how many hundreds |
| the imminent change. | | | | of these 'Passes' she will negotiate in the future, this |
| 'Oh my, if I was as confused as that, I would never | | | | very first one will always burn bright in her memory. |
| know which direction to take!' | | | | In, in the nick of time, she rounds up into the rapidly |
| A quick check with the GPS and she is right on course | | | | falling and short lived tropical dusk, smack in front of |
| for Passe de Tiputa on Rangiroa Atoll. Her crew | | | | the resort hotel Kia Ora. By the time her scope is |
| always seem surprised and pleased with themselves | | | | rattled out over her bow roller, anchor set and |
| that she is exactly where she is supposed to be - | | | | snugged in for the night, it is dark, and our crew turn to |
| they have yet to understand that her fibres of glass | | | | appreciate the twinkling lights of the hotel, mirrored in |
| are at one with the ocean currents and lost she will | | | | the gently gurgling lagoon. Kia Ora in Maori means |
| never be. | | | | 'Welcome' and the significance of this is not lost on our |
| A coral atoll in this part of the world will normally have | | | | two thirds Kiwi crew, it perhaps being the first indication |
| one or two entrances which have navigable channels, | | | | that they are coming within some kind of mental reach |
| and possibly others which are too shallow to pass | | | | of their native land. A surge of emotion rises, and she |
| except in a canoe or outrigger with a shallow draft. | | | | hears them blathering on once again to Anglo crew |
| These entrances are known as a 'Passe' in French | | | | about all good things Kiwi - more banalities being |
| and can vary in width from quite wide to terrifyingly | | | | thrown around than plates at a Greek wedding! |
| narrow. They can be and mostly are, littered with coral | | | | 'Nincompoops! you would think from the way they |
| heads with razor sharp teeth - teeth sharp enough | | | | carry on, New Zealand is the only paradise on |
| that would crunch through her fibreglass hull as easily | | | | Earth!......this place comes close', she reflects in her |
| as chomping into a crusted meringue. Being advisable | | | | reverie, swaying on her chain. |
| to enter on a flowing tide and exit on the ebb, she will | | | | The same palms they observed from afar earlier that |
| be passing the channel at speed. The margin of error | | | | afternoon can be dimly seen, placidly waving in the |
| therefore for our deep keeled yacht is somewhat | | | | constant trade wind on the seaward side of the coral |
| reduced. A lookout at the bow is required to ensure a | | | | strip. The rattling palms, accompanied by thundering |
| safe path is steered through the passage before | | | | surf beyond and the breeze sighing through the |
| popping out like a cork drawn from a bottle of | | | | casuarinas, create a symphony only to be dreamed of. |
| Hennessey cognac, into the lagoon beyond. With her | | | | And dream they do, our crew tucking early into their |
| sharp farmers' eyes, sibling crew posts herself | | | | bunks, contentedly drifting off to the melodic song of |
| balancing on the top pulpit rail, wrapping one tanned | | | | the south seas, sloshing lagoon gently slapping against |
| arm around the rolled in foresail. Our little ship, drawing | | | | her hull - tomorrow will be another day, bringing further |
| over two metres, and also conscious of this potential | | | | adventures. |
| to wreck and ruin, approaches their first one together | | | | |