![toau atoll in french polynesia toau atoll in french polynesia](http://e-sushi.fr/imagearticle/2015/06/4900-1024x768.jpg)
They do form rapidly, perhaps in 20 minutes, pretty amazing. The wind was fairly constant but on the last night I noticed a squall rapidly forming about 5 miles upwind from us.
![toau atoll in french polynesia toau atoll in french polynesia](https://www.sailtahiti.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Tikehao-in-the-Tuamotu-French-Polynesia-.jpg)
Had to get the salt water hose out the next morning. (Boobies overgrown Seagulls) We did not know it until the next morning but one had landed on the solar panels and spent the night. New rule on the boat though Boobies are not allowed to roost on the boat at night. Once we got everything up and stored for the sail we sailed out of the bay getting hit by one squall after another until we were about 10 miles south of the island.
TOAU ATOLL IN FRENCH POLYNESIA FULL
(I tried to pull it out with the dinghy there once and it would not budge at full power) So, just as we break the anchor loose from the bottom a squall came over the hill and hit us with 25 kt winds and a torrential downpour. It was so �"set�" there was no way to pull it out by hand.
![toau atoll in french polynesia toau atoll in french polynesia](http://media.cntraveler.com/photos/53da3d6adcd5888e145a8dbb/master/pass/tikehau-pearl-beach-resort.jpg)
Taking up the stern anchor involved letting out our bow anchor rode and winching ourselves over the stern anchor to winch it up. (and then complain about their lack of sleep and how rolly the anchorage was) Sorry, I digressed. From what I could see, there were perhaps 4 boats with stern anchors out and the rest to them rolled side to side constantly, sometimes toe rail to toe rail. As usual in Taiohae Bay, we had a stern anchor set to point the bow into the continuous swell coming in the bay to keep from rolling. (It is a 3 ½ hour flight from Nuku Hiva to Tahiti for example on an ATR 42) We departed Nuku Hiva at 4 PM local time for the estimated 2 ½ day or 450 NM sail to Raroia. You could spend a lot of time here and not visit the same place twice. BTW French Polynesia is about the same size as ALL of continental Europe, so lots of destinations. So we provisioned for the estimated 2 or 3 months without any supplies for our visits to the more remote Atolls of French Polynesia. Moving on to Raroia Atoll, Tuamotu Archipelago, French PolynesiaĪfter almost 3 months in the Marquesas it was time to move on.