WEsailvideo

A Whole Lot of First Times in the South Pacific | Episode 219

29 August 2023 · 29 min · 34K views · Tuamotus

What this video covers

A crew aboard the 47-foot catamaran Animal Cracker departs the Makemo lagoon in French Polynesia, timing their exit through the pass for slack tide.0:50 The transit requires navigating a two-to-three-knot outgoing current and standing waves.3:19 After clearing the pass, the crew completes a 47-mile overnight passage to the Tahanea atoll.4:44 During the transit, the crew hooks and successfully releases a 10-foot marlin after a 15-minute fight.9:31 Upon arrival at Tahanea, the crew anchors in clear water and conducts a night dive directly off the stern of the boat.22:02 The divers use underwater torches and tank-banging signals to communicate, navigating toward a nearby vessel’s lights before returning to their own boat.23:32 The passage highlights the importance of timing atoll pass transits with slack tide to avoid hazardous currents and waves.

Watch on YouTube

More from WEsail

13 Knots, Big Seas & Dolphins at Sunset | Sailing Back to Fiji's MainlandAug 2026We Don't Know Where We're Going Next | Leaving Fulaga, Fiji & Sailing SomewhereAug 2026We Ran Out of Gas Saying Goodbye | Our Last Days in Fulaga, FijiJul 2026Nobody Mentioned the Cave of Bones | Three Weeks in Fulaga, FijiJul 2026

From WEsail — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.

Report an issue