The Tuamotus Archipelago.

When we left the Marquesas, we did not follow the usual "Cruiser-crowd" route sowthwestward towards Tahiti.

Instead we headed south into the Tuamotus archipelago towards the Hao Atoll.

On the way we stopped at Amanu atoll. With some trepidation, we made our first passage into an atoll lagoon. The narrow, shallo entrance passages were always dangerous and had to be timed carefully to avoid heavy currents and the consequent "standing waves" generated at the entrance.

We were the first "cruiser" of the season to visit Amanu, and were greeted enthusiastically by the small settlement of "black pearl" farmers residing there. We were also shwon the ins and outs of black pearl farming, and later in the trip met the Chief of Police & Family who onwed the farm but lived in the larger atoll to the south called Hao.

At Hao we were joined by two other cruisersand befriended the Chief of poilce ( ).Hao has an Emergency Space shuttle landing airstrip, and has a small contingent of French Foreign Legionairs. My Dad (John F.) flew in and joined us for the sail from Hao via Tahanea to Tahiti. But first we did some SCUBA diving using the French Foreign Legion equipment, and Anna and Chris had their first SCUBA dives.

Scroll down left page for pictures taken in the Tuamotus.