Arrived….

… just before sunset!

Yesterday evening, after a stunning sail with perfect wind in exactly the right direction, I arrived at the pass into Aitutaki, Cook Islands.

Being close to land always makes me nervous. Out on the open ocean, far from shore, is actually where I feel the safest.

Before arriving, I had been corresponding with the “Welcome to Aitutaki Committee” to make sure I would have some help tying up in the harbour. As I approached what was supposed to be the entrance through the reef, I simply could not make sense of where I was supposed to point the boat. The reef looked intimidating, and time was not on my side. The sun was setting, and the ebb current was running at 5–6 knots.

I called one of the boats already in the harbour, hoping they could give me a better set of eyes on the entrance. Their advice was reassuring, if not entirely comforting: “It’s confusing from the outside. Just trust your chart and the markers.” Easy enough to say, even though it looked like I was about to drive straight into the reef.

Yikes!

Once I committed and motored toward the first reef marker, everything suddenly made sense. I pushed the engine to its full potential. My paddlewheel log proudly showed 8.5 knots, although my actual speed over ground was only 3.5 knots thanks to the strong opposing current.

The entrance channel was remarkably narrow. In some sections it measured only about 8.5 metres across, while my boat’s beam is about 3.8 metres. There wasn’t much room for error. The shallowest depth I saw beneath the keel was 3.8 metres, which felt plenty close enough.

When I finally reached the harbour, two dinghies were waiting to help. After dropping my anchor, I backed toward shore while they secured my stern lines to concrete mooring blocks. Everything went smoothly, and before long I was safely tied up and had already made six new cruising friends.

After tidying up the boat and roasting the last of my vegetables for dinner, I climbed into bed and slept for twelve straight hours.

I was very happy to be safely in the harbour.

This morning I woke at 7:30 and enjoyed my last piece of fruit from Bora Bora. I’d been warned that Biosecurity would confiscate any fresh fruit and vegetables they found lying around, so I figured I might as well enjoy one last treat.

Around 8:30, Health arrived for the first part of the clearance process. They completed a quick inspection, issued my certificate, and I was finally able to lower the yellow quarantine flag and hoist the Cook Islands courtesy flag.

Within minutes, Biosecurity arrived. They had a quick look around, confiscated my bananas, and cleared me in. At almost the same time, Bob from Customs showed up to complete the final piece of the puzzle.

What I expected to be a quick visit turned into an hour-long conversation. It turns out his brother lives in Port Alberni, on Vancouver Island.

Small world.

Bob taught me a few words in the local language, and we spent the next hour talking about history, politics, and life in the Cook Islands. All three officials who helped me through the clearance process were absolutely lovely. They made what could have been a stressful morning into a genuinely enjoyable welcome.

That brings me up to now.

Tomorrow I plan to rent a scooter and explore the island. The following day, if all goes according to plan, I’ll be diving with the whales.

Until then…

E no’o rā!