Anchorage· Rapa Iti· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Ahurei Bay Inner Anchorage (west end, Rapa Iti)
27° 36.7′ S · 144° 20.4′ W · approximate
The quieter inner end of Ahurei Bay, west of the moorings and away from the village dock, below the Morongo Uta and Tevaitau fort ridges; an option only when both moorings are taken, and only with great care for the coral.
Practical
Approximate position: about 600 m west of Mooring 1, in open water between the Tikoko shore and the Area shore on OSM; no cruising source gives a tested anchoring spot or depth here, so sound carefully. What the sources say about the whole bay: 20-30 m deep and uneven over dead coral rubble, with many dragged and fouled anchors; the shallower parts (under 15 m) are often live staghorn coral that Pitufa and Noonsite ask cruisers not to anchor on. Buoy the chain, use a trip line and dive to check the anchor. A 1903 French notice (the gunboat Zelee) put the 'best anchorage in Ahurei Bay' where Tapui islet is just hidden behind Kutuni Point; on OSM positions that line (Tapui islet over Kotunui cape) runs SE toward the existing moorings rather than to this inner end. Williwaws come off the ridges in N, W and S winds. OSM maps a small pier on the SW shore (Teakauaree, about 450 m south-west) for a dinghy landing toward the fort trails. Ask the mairie before anchoring away from the village; land and shore are communally held.
Best for
Overflow spot when the moorings are taken
Season
Settled weather; avoid strong N, W or S winds
Nearby
- Ahurei Bay Anchorage (Rapa Iti)0.3 NM away
- Ha'urei Football Field Trailhead (Rapa Iti)0.4 NM away
- Ahurei Main Dock and Fuel (Rapa Iti)0.5 NM away
- Ahurei Mooring 2 (Rapa Iti)0.5 NM away
- Ha'urei Magasins (Rapa Iti)0.5 NM away
- Ha'urei Medical Centre (Rapa Iti)0.5 NM away
- Ha'urei Post Office (Rapa Iti)0.5 NM away
- Rapa Iti Bread and Garden Produce (no bakery)0.5 NM away