Category: Latest News

I sailed from Mangareva to Totegegie yesterday. Took the dinghy and went snorkelling on my own in the false pass at the southern tip of the island. Here I met my first Reef white tip and black tip sharks on this trip. The Reef white tip shark (Triaenodon obesus) on the photo was quite curious and swam half a circle around me before he got bored and lost interest in me. My book says, this species is usually docile (gutmütig), but may get aggressive around speared fish. Despite the scientific name, he was not overweight. The spotted skin on the photo is a result of the reflexion of the sunlight at the water surface. He was just plain grey, with a white belly.

I hiked along the mountain ridge today, to get a view of the Anchorage. Easy is marked with a blue circle. I did not see anyone for hours. I like the Îles Gambier a lot!

I am on my way to Taravai, another very remote island of the Gambiers.

The hull was super clean when I left Panama. This is what it looks like after 35 days at sea. The larvae must live pelagic since they were even attached to the windvane paddle which I only put in the water on day 2 of my trip.

Easy is anchored at the dead-end village of Rikitea, on the island of Mangareva (Îles Gambier). It is a rainy day today. Just right to replenish my sleep deficit.

Finally, les Îles Gambier.

When the blue water turns grey it is time to reef the sails. These clouds bring stronger wind from a more easterly direction, rain, waves, all the nasty stuff. In addition, the gain of the solar panels decreases so that I have to save energy. It is getting wet in the cockpit, I have to close the hatches. I am going way too fast now. I will have to take the mainsail down before dawn. Then I can adjust the speed better by just furling in or out the headsail. It will be a busy last night.

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