Sailing Some Tuesdayvideo
Navigating The Maupiha'a Pass - the Trickiest and Narrowest Pass in French Polynesia
10 August 2026 · 3 min · 291 views · Maupiha'a
What this video covers
Captain Steve navigates Some Tuesday through Maupiha'a Pass, which he describes as the narrowest and trickiest pass in French Polynesia, with a minimum width of 20 meters in places.Watch He recommends approaching from the north for the best sightline into the channel.0:19 Current runs 4–5 knots against incoming boats.0:23 The pass is deep — over 100 feet in the center — but shoals sharply at the shoulders, which are lined with coral walls.0:35 Two black-and-white poles mark the channel; a red marker shown on charts is missing, forcing a choice between going right or left.0:49 Steve went right, as do most boats.1:16 A bommie in the shallow mid-section has reportedly struck other vessels; Meghan stood on the bow spotting coral heads while Some Tuesday, drawing 1.5 meters, steered around them.1:32 Minimum depth recorded was 12–14 feet.1:53 A Lagoon 60 with a nearly 10-meter beam was anchored at the north anchorage, confirming wider catamarans can transit the pass.2:52 Steve recommends satellite charts and a bow spotter as minimum precautions.2:28 The north anchorage is remote, with only a handful of permanent residents on the island.
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