by Yolanda Ho
PureTravel Writing Competition 2024
The search was over once we sailed ‘Loco’ into a postcard of turquoise lagoon water, sandy beaches and palm trees. My husband and I felt like we were castaways; this was the reason we bought a yacht. We could enjoy the isolation and beauty on our own terms. If you could pick a deserted island to while away the days, then this would be it. Tahanea in the Tuamotus Islands was paradise on earth.
You may ask how did we find our way to this place? Well, there was quite a rocky beginning to our story. At the Brisbane airport my family were told to sit aside while they investigated the credit card knife incident. It had slipped through the torn lining in my husband’s wallet. Immediate shock and disbelief were written all over our faces. We were told the plane would be put on standby. My husband could be the next domestic criminal! My two teenage sons and I waited nervously while he was taken to a room and interviewed by several police officers. Thankfully he was cleared of any suspicious activity, and we were soon on our flight to Grenada. This was where we boarded our own 38-foot Lagoon catamaran.
We had stepped out of our comfort zone to learn and grow in this new world: the sea. In the early days we learnt that the weather was our Master and adjusting the sails was our ticket to ride. We lived in tight confines with our sons. We enforced the need for food and water conservation to live amicably on the high seas. We sailed the Caribbean and Bahamas Islands, San Blas Islands and then transited the Panama Canal.
After 35 days at sea and 4130 nautical miles we arrived at Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas Islands. We celebrated our passage with several pawpaws and pomelos given to us by the friendly locals. After a week of admiring the stunning landscapes and Polynesian culture we left Bay of Virgins anchorage. In our wake we gazed at the distant spires of the rugged lush mountains. We truly felt like we were at the end of the world.
We then spent a few days at Hiva Oa and stocked up on food. We happily shared our passage stories with other sailors over a meal. Then after a week of exploring Nuka Hiva we were on the move again to the Tuamotus Islands. This time we were accompanied by three American sailing families. Before the outset of the passage, we all agreed that the Marquesas Islands were striking, but they weren’t the gentle tropical islands we were searching for in the Pacific. The waters weren’t that clear and idyllic sandy beaches were hard to find.
It was rough sailing and morale was down, with squall number five on the horizon. Our boys played their guitars, followed by Abba and The Divinyls tunes that lifted our spirits. Our record mileage made up for our sea sickness. I got out the binoculars and took a closer look at the atoll. It was low, flat, with a thin ring of land and a lagoon inside. ‘Loco’ went through the pass at Rairoa at slack tide. Once inside the atoll the water was calm, but now we had to avoid hitting coral heads. We used OpenCPN and Google Earth Images to help navigate these treacherous waters. The Tuamotus Islands have a reputation for being called the ‘Dangerous Archipelago’.
We have fond memories of hunting land crabs to feed the three families. Our buckets were filled to the brim, and we relished a well-deserved dish of chilli crab. The next atoll that was just as beautiful was Makemo, where the males went spear fishing for grouper. We were told by a couple of locals that the fish didn’t contain ciguatera. After preparing them for dinner for our fellow sailors, my husband threw the fish skin overboard. Out of nowhere numerous reef sharks appeared. They were in a frenzy, devouring what they could.
One afternoon a small black tip shark charged at me while I frolicked in the shallows. I got out of the water quick smart. One had to be aware of potentially dangerous situations. My parents were alarmed when they saw a video I was tagged in Facebook of me swimming with a reef shark in the background. From an outsider looking in, they saw their daughter in a compromising environment. I am sure I would have reacted the same if I was back on land. During our journey we endeavoured to make safety a number one priority. In retrospect I realised that there was also a very slight possibility of things taking a turn for the worse. However, we dared to dream and lived the experience, rather than living vicariously through others.
A few days later we entered the pass at Tahanea. It was indeed a sight to behold, the jewel of the Pacific. The clearest waters we had ever seen. One of our favourite pastimes was when we drift snorkelled the incoming tide through the pass. We felt like we were riding a magic carpet over the diverse sea life. The place was uninhabited and only occasionally visited by a few people from the neighbouring community of Faaite. Serenity was taken to a whole new level. My husband and I enjoyed taking off in the dinghy to explore the several motus (very small islands). We plunged into the spectacular water between two motus. These moments were bliss. Trying to say goodbye to paradise was going to be an incredibly hard undertaking; just another day turned into another day.
We visited the people on the nearby monohull. As we stepped onboard a middle-aged male was scraping out the flesh of a coconut. He soon introduced us to his wife and their teenage son. They were former dentists who checked out of society to embrace a simple and natural lifestyle. This was their fifth month at Number Seven anchorage at Tahanea. For the most part, his new life resonated with my husband and me. Our boys became immediate friends with their son. They went searching for coconuts, spear fishing, wakeboarding and played computer games on his boat.
My husband gave our eldest son the title ‘King of the kids’. He was the oldest of the nine other boat kids at 15 years old. He directed the kids to collect wood for a fire on the beach for our last night together. A male adult relived his Boy Scout days and helped start the fire. One of the lovely parts of travelling is being able to share experiences with other people. This atoll was also at the top of their list of sailing locations. The spectacular colours of the sunset left us speechless. A fitting scene before we sailed off to different destinations the next morning.
We reluctantly pulled up anchor and left our own private aquarium. It was an absolute privilege to venture to this special island. Time stood still. My husband’s dream of sailing and exploring islands was life-changing. I will be forever grateful that we shared so many wonderful moments together as a family. We have been landlubbers for the past five years. And daydream of sailing yonder and once again feeling the sand of Tahanea between our toes.
Photo by Fabien BELLANGER on Unsplash
