07-Aug-2006 Noon Position
French Polynesia to Niue
South Pacific Ocean
- 07-Aug-2006
- 16°52.4000"S/153°42.2000"W
- 113nm in last 24hrs
- 113nm from Bora Bora
- 931nm to Niue
- 10-15knots SE
We have finally broke free from French Polynesia and are heading to the tiny county of Niue, on our way to Tonga. This crossing is about 10 days to Niue. Then 3 more days to Tonga, if the good weather holds.
We were supposed to have left Bora Bora last week. But a low pressure system moved through and stole the trade winds. It shifted the winds from the West, exactly the direction we wanted to go. I guess there are worse places to be stuck if you have to be stuck somewhere!
The problem was that our 90-day visa had expired. And we had already checked out of French Polynesia. So we had to hide the Sandpiper from the Frenchies. We spend the last week doing a lot of snorkeling and hanging out with our friends from the S/V Sensei and the S/V Blue Sky. We all spent one very stormy day moored to the mooring balls at the Yacht Club, drinking beer, and watching a charter boat get a mooring ball wrapped in their propeller.
The following day we anchored off the Hotel Bora Bora. It was excellent snorkeling, as this is the one day that there was no wind. The water was crystal clear!!
We have been sailing for the last 24 hours, averaging 5 knots. The winds are predicted to be the same for the next 4 days. So go Sandpiper!!
Tom and Amy
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