After saying goodbye to Alex and Tamara, who were heading towards Maupihaa, the last of the Society Islands, we hoisted the sails bound for Penrhyn. The journey began under the sign of adventure; in fact, the exit from the Maupiti pass was perhaps the most daring we’ve ever experienced, with incoming waves breaking against the outgoing current. We suddenly found ourselves in the open ocean with a bit of a racing heartbeat!
The passage from Maupiti to Penrhyn, 580 nm towards NNW, was also marked at times by strong winds and heavy seas. After just under five days of sailing, we finally crossed the island’s western pass, having to reach the village of Omoka by 4:30 p.m., the closing time of the offices in charge of entry formalities.
We had just made it through Penrhyn’s western passAnchored off the village of Omoka, waiting for the arrival of the immigration, customs, biosecurity, and public health officials.
Penrhyn, or Tongareva in the local language, is the northernmost island and has the largest lagoon of the Northern Cook Islands. It is renowned for its unique handicrafts: hats, fans, and jewelry made from bleached young coconut leaves and seashells. Moreover, its waters are said to hold the highest concentration of sharks in the archipelago; on this note, we observed how the locals treat nurse and blacktip reef sharks almost like domestic animals, feeding them with the leftovers from their catch.
The following day, after completing the formalities and paying the entry fees, we left Omoka and set course for the village of Te Tautua, on the opposite side of the atoll. Some fellow sailors had recommended we anchor there, not only because it is sheltered from the prevailing winds, but above all for the rare and exquisite hospitality of the few families who live in this remote settlement.
From Omoka to Te TautuaArriving at village of Te Tautua
As soon as we set foot on shore to explore the village, we met a cheerful family busy working with coconuts to produce the famous hats. Continuing in the direction of the church, we were greeted by Api, the pastor’s wife, while he was away in Rarotonga, the capital, preparing for the ceremony marking the anniversary of the Cook Islands’ independence from the British Empire. Api kindly offered to introduce us to Kura, the matriarch of the village’s largest family. Kura welcomed us warmly, showing a great sense of hospitality fully in line with her reputation; indeed, her home has become, in a way, the local “yacht club,” always open and available to the few sailors who venture this far.
During the welcome dinner she organized the following day, we met Sylvan and Letitia, from France; Larry and Kathy, from Hawaii; Alexis, a solo sailor born in Athens and living in Antigua; Gary and Pat, from the United States; and we were reunited with Volker and Rachael, the German–Chinese couple we had first met in Maupiti.
Welcome dinnerCleaning the fish – an afternoon gathering opportunity for the sailors
The sharks, treated almost like household pets, waiting eagerly for the scraps from the afternoon fish cleaning
Considering the challenges of food supplies, which depend on the arrival of a ship only every three to four months, we were amazed by the richness and variety of the dishes offered, largely the result of fishing, the raising of chickens and pigs, and the produce from Kura’s garden.
On Sunday, we had the chance to attend the Protestant service celebrated by the village deacon, where the sense of spirituality was also expressed through deeply heartfelt choral singing.
The village church of Te TautuaOne of Penrhyn’s eastern passes, where we drift snorkeled
During the eight days we spent on the island, we had the chance to get to know the other sailors better, snorkeling together, fishing under the guidance of the locals, and appreciating the genuine and rare hospitality of the village inhabitants. On several occasions, we also witnessed the creation of beautifully crafted handicrafts made from coconut fibers.
It was a pleasure to gather in the late afternoon around Kura’s family as they worked on the coconut leaves; it will be a memory forever etched in our minds.Hat making is an exclusively female activityCultural connections – Kura, while working, is almost always on video calls with her daughters and grandchildren living in the capital, RarotongaOne of the many creations made from coconut leaves and seashells (note the mother-of-pearl at the center of the hat)Te (a proper name!) and Gemma – Te is one of the artisans who works with shells, creating valuable items
On the occasion of our departure, Kura organized a dinner during which she gifted each of us a beautiful shell necklace, a tradition she has established for all sailors who stop by the village..
Gemma and Sergio wearing the necklaces gifted by Kura
Thursday, June 26 – after saying goodbye to all our friends and hugging Kura and her family, we set off for Samoa, 860 miles to the west. After just 17 miles, what would become — and we hope forever remain — the most stressful adventure of our entire sailing experience began.
Penrhyn
After saying goodbye to Alex and Tamara, who were heading towards Maupihaa, the last of the Society Islands, we hoisted the sails bound for Penrhyn. The journey began under the sign of adventure; in fact, the exit from the Maupiti pass was perhaps the most daring we’ve ever experienced, with incoming waves breaking against the outgoing current. We suddenly found ourselves in the open ocean with a bit of a racing heartbeat!
The passage from Maupiti to Penrhyn, 580 nm towards NNW, was also marked at times by strong winds and heavy seas. After just under five days of sailing, we finally crossed the island’s western pass, having to reach the village of Omoka by 4:30 p.m., the closing time of the offices in charge of entry formalities.
Penrhyn, or Tongareva in the local language, is the northernmost island and has the largest lagoon of the Northern Cook Islands. It is renowned for its unique handicrafts: hats, fans, and jewelry made from bleached young coconut leaves and seashells. Moreover, its waters are said to hold the highest concentration of sharks in the archipelago; on this note, we observed how the locals treat nurse and blacktip reef sharks almost like domestic animals, feeding them with the leftovers from their catch.
The following day, after completing the formalities and paying the entry fees, we left Omoka and set course for the village of Te Tautua, on the opposite side of the atoll. Some fellow sailors had recommended we anchor there, not only because it is sheltered from the prevailing winds, but above all for the rare and exquisite hospitality of the few families who live in this remote settlement.
As soon as we set foot on shore to explore the village, we met a cheerful family busy working with coconuts to produce the famous hats. Continuing in the direction of the church, we were greeted by Api, the pastor’s wife, while he was away in Rarotonga, the capital, preparing for the ceremony marking the anniversary of the Cook Islands’ independence from the British Empire. Api kindly offered to introduce us to Kura, the matriarch of the village’s largest family. Kura welcomed us warmly, showing a great sense of hospitality fully in line with her reputation; indeed, her home has become, in a way, the local “yacht club,” always open and available to the few sailors who venture this far.
During the welcome dinner she organized the following day, we met Sylvan and Letitia, from France; Larry and Kathy, from Hawaii; Alexis, a solo sailor born in Athens and living in Antigua; Gary and Pat, from the United States; and we were reunited with Volker and Rachael, the German–Chinese couple we had first met in Maupiti.
Considering the challenges of food supplies, which depend on the arrival of a ship only every three to four months, we were amazed by the richness and variety of the dishes offered, largely the result of fishing, the raising of chickens and pigs, and the produce from Kura’s garden.
On Sunday, we had the chance to attend the Protestant service celebrated by the village deacon, where the sense of spirituality was also expressed through deeply heartfelt choral singing.
During the eight days we spent on the island, we had the chance to get to know the other sailors better, snorkeling together, fishing under the guidance of the locals, and appreciating the genuine and rare hospitality of the village inhabitants. On several occasions, we also witnessed the creation of beautifully crafted handicrafts made from coconut fibers.
On the occasion of our departure, Kura organized a dinner during which she gifted each of us a beautiful shell necklace, a tradition she has established for all sailors who stop by the village..
Thursday, June 26 – after saying goodbye to all our friends and hugging Kura and her family, we set off for Samoa, 860 miles to the west. After just 17 miles, what would become — and we hope forever remain — the most stressful adventure of our entire sailing experience began.