Toau, the next, and our final atoll in the Tuamotus, was a much quieter spot than Fakarava, with only 5 other cruising boats at anchor, two part-time inhabitants, James and Wallis, some friendly lizards and a gazillion palm trees.
An atoll is comprised of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon formed from a long-since sunken volcano. Access into and out of the lagoons invariably requires some tricky navigation, dodging uncharted bommies, avoiding fast-flowing counter currents and gnarly breaking waves. Getting the timing right to navigate the pass is a bit of a dark art, as conditions are influenced by multiple factors and local advice is often contradictory. Sometimes we got it right, other times we took a thrashing and were spat out of the pass, Mowzer bucking all the way, our nerves thoroughly rattled. Toau pass fell into the latter camp!
Sailing Mowzer 