After the 19-day single-handed passage from the Galapagos, I reached the Marquesas and began the French Polynesian stage of the voyage.

The Marquesas

Landfall after nearly three weeks alone at sea marked a complete change of scale. The great open-water crossing was behind me; ahead lay island cruising through some of the most memorable waters of the circumnavigation.

On towards the Tuamotu

From the Marquesas I continued into the Tuamotu archipelago. The low coral atolls introduced a completely different cruising environment. Safe entry through the passes depended on current, weather and light. Once inside, coral heads and pearl-farm equipment meant that the chart alone was not enough.

The Tuamotu were not merely a navigational challenge. They also offered some of the most memorable water and reef experiences of the Pacific cruise, particularly around Fakarava.