Landmark· Mataiva· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Pahua Pass (Mataiva, not navigable)
14° 52.0′ S · 148° 42.4′ W
Mataiva's only pass, a narrow, shallow cut through Pahua village in the north-west of the atoll where the lagoon empties to the sea; it is only a few feet deep, so no yacht can get in.
Practical
Coordinate is the 'Passe de Pahia' waterway in OpenStreetMap. Wikipedia: the pass at Pahua 'is only a few feet deep and is not navigable', and the Tuamotus Compendium lists Mataiva (Matahiva) as 'No Anchorage Possible'. Tahiti Heritage says the lagoon drains outward through this pass while ocean water enters through the hoa (reef channels) to the south-east, so the pass runs as a near-constant outflow. It is crossed by the Pahua bridge, which limits headroom anyway. Flanking the pass are the Papanui tane and Papanui vahine platforms, raised reef conglomerate standing about 1 m above sea level and tied to a local legend; Tahiti Heritage calls the pass Faratue and Papanui-Otea on different pages. If sailing past, stand well off: the reef is steep-to with no shelf to anchor on.
Best for
Understanding why Mataiva is a fly-in atoll