Taking advantage of a favorable wind window, on July 19th we set sail for Toau, a small atoll that had been described to us as one of the most “wild” and unspoiled in the Tuamotu Archipelago; in fact, it is inhabited by only 3-4 people in total. Our first mooring was in the eastern area inside the atoll, where 5 mooring buoys installed by the French Polynesian maritime authority are available.
Boat hoist winchesThe long beach at Toau east
After a few days, we left the pass to reach Anse Amyot, a beautiful bay outside the coral reef on the northern side of Toau, well-protected from the prevailing easterly winds. Here, too, we had the opportunity to use one of the 10 mooring buoys installed by the government to preserve the extensive coral formations.
Zoe at Anse AmyotL’Anse Amyot from above
The seabed here is particularly rich in marine life, which we had the chance to admire during numerous snorkeling outings – after all, all we had to do was dive off the boat to see tens of thousands of fish swimming beneath the hull!
Tens of thousands of fish under ZoeRemora fishes under the keel and attached to it
Napoleon fish
Among our neighboring boats, we particularly befriended a friendly Danish couple traveling with their 4-year-old son, who left Europe two years ago. We shared a delicious meal with them, cooked by Valentina and Gaston, a local couple who, upon request, prepare a lavish meal of fish and lobster for passing sailors.
Anders, Frej, and Katrine traveling on “Mona”, a Beneteau Oceanis 473
One evening, we participated in a bonfire where we gathered with the crews of the 4-5 boats moored in the bay and exchanged our experiences and future plans.
Toau
Taking advantage of a favorable wind window, on July 19th we set sail for Toau, a small atoll that had been described to us as one of the most “wild” and unspoiled in the Tuamotu Archipelago; in fact, it is inhabited by only 3-4 people in total. Our first mooring was in the eastern area inside the atoll, where 5 mooring buoys installed by the French Polynesian maritime authority are available.
After a few days, we left the pass to reach Anse Amyot, a beautiful bay outside the coral reef on the northern side of Toau, well-protected from the prevailing easterly winds. Here, too, we had the opportunity to use one of the 10 mooring buoys installed by the government to preserve the extensive coral formations.
The seabed here is particularly rich in marine life, which we had the chance to admire during numerous snorkeling outings – after all, all we had to do was dive off the boat to see tens of thousands of fish swimming beneath the hull!
Among our neighboring boats, we particularly befriended a friendly Danish couple traveling with their 4-year-old son, who left Europe two years ago. We shared a delicious meal with them, cooked by Valentina and Gaston, a local couple who, upon request, prepare a lavish meal of fish and lobster for passing sailors.
One evening, we participated in a bonfire where we gathered with the crews of the 4-5 boats moored in the bay and exchanged our experiences and future plans.