Long ago Makemo was headquarters for the french atomic weapon tests in the Pacific and the concrete buildings from then are still standing. Nowadays Makemo Atoll is a quiet backwater, a tiny coral dot in the middle of the Pacific.
We entered the atoll through the passage in the reef and anchored off the village. First stop was, of course, the bakery to buy our baguettes. Everything else we planned on buying was “sold out” until a few days later when a supply ship arrived.
We arrived just in time for Bastille Day so there was a week of sport and dancing competitions between the different parts of the village. One day we had five local kids on board from the “blue team” so after that we were official “blue team” fans.
Strangely the anchorage turned out to be a “german nest”. We meet the occasional german boat but seldom more than two in one place. After watching the dancing we were sat in a bar – seventeen sailors and only two who didn’t speak german.
With strong winds forecast, we all moved to the south east corner of the Atoll and anchored in paradise. Clear turquoise water, coral formations under water, coconuts to eat on land and a friendly hermit on the beach. The wind blows continuously which keeps us cool and we make more than enough electricity and fresh water with solar and the wind generator. We have been giving water away to boats with no water maker. Once Heidi managed to connect to the nearest mobile phone mast by hauling a router up the mast, we had everything we needed.
I no longer remember when we arrived, I don’t know how long we have been here and I have no idea when we will leave. At the moment we are enjoying life beyond the end of nowhere.