The Navy Spoiled Our Party
January 20, 2023Full stop at Mangareva / Gambier Islands.
We changed our route, due to the presence of French navy ships. We actually wanted to anchor at – or at least sail by – several atolls (like Mururoa or Fangataufa) that had been used by France in the past to set off nuclear weapons. However, we were basically told to fuck off immediately. Not especially with these words, but they made themselves very clear, so to speak.
So, well – here we are at Mangareva, a rather beautiful island, that even features bed&breakfasts and beach bars. We have some 24C and expect 27C today. It’s rather rainy (that isn’t unusual for this part of the year). We will stay for a few days, have some beach fun and stock fresh food.
In a few days, depending on the weather, we will continue South-East-East towards the Pitcairn Islands, that are part of the British overseas territory. We want to reach South America and cape horn in spring. It’s still some 3,500 nautical miles from our current position.