The Tuomotus
Stretched out halfway between the Marquises and the Society Islands the Tuamotos is a natural stop for boats following the trade winds through French Polynesia. It is one of the most remote areas on earth, 77 sparsely populated atolls thrown out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles from the closest continent. The atolls are their own worlds; 15- 30-mile wide lagoons fringed by coral reefs and coconut islands called motus, ruled by the wind and the sea Half of the atolls have openings from the ocean to the lagoons, making them accessible to vessels. Standing waves and tides up to 8 knots blast through the passes and it is best to enter at slack tide in good light. The abundance of coral reefs, sudden weather tantrums, strong currents and scant protections has earned the Tuamotus its name: “The dangerous archipelago”. GPS, Satellite-weather, tide-tables and Google Earth have made things easier, but boaters still wreck on the unforgiving corral and get ...