How We Picked Our Route

Prior to leaving Mexico, I did a lot of research on the The Marquesas.  I knew which islands and anchorages were on my “must see” list and I knew what the best route should be given the predominantly ESE trade winds.  However, when it got close to leave The Marquesas, I was still pretty clueless about the Tuamotus.  The options were endless, and it was hard to keep the names of the places straight since they were all so unfamiliar.   Finally, I figured I just had to do some systematic reading, and I went through our two guidebooks and the “Soggy Paws Compendium” and made a list of each atoll along with a few other details like how easy the pass was, how big the village was, and what the fishing was like.  Then I connected the atolls into logical possible routes for us through the archipelago and down the Tahiti.  So, there were still a lot of options, but it was a bit more manageable, since I was able to eliminate a lot.  We decided we wanted to go a little off the beaten path, but not have to transit any passes that were crazy hard.  We also decided to just pick two atolls at this point, because they really are quite big, and there’s no need to rush.  If we ended up with time for a third, then we would revisit our options at a later time.  So, we settled on Raroia and Makemo.  Raroia was listed in the guidebook as a good option for a first stop for those not wanting to go the usual route through the more northern atolls of Manihi, Ahe, and Rangiroa (the capital).  We also liked the fact that it had a small village and the pass diving had been listed among the very best.  Makemo caught my attention because the fishing was supposed to be exceptional, and there was no ciguatera.  At one point I brought up the possibility of Kitiu, but that was shot down instantly by the rest of the gang.  It has a very narrow pass, and you actually end up anchoring IN the pass, so the others thought that a little too risky.  I’m usually quite conservative, but I was drawn to it by the write up of one other boat having an exceptional time interacting with the people in the village there.  Oh well, there’s always next time.  Tahanea, the third atoll we visited, was a last-minute decision after Makemo, and to be honest, I don’t even remember how that decision came about.