Tag Archives: sunset

Sunsets, Sunrises, and Beaches of Rongelap

Rongelap provided us with some of the most spectacular sunsets and sunrises.   The colors were always stunning regardless of what side of the atoll we were anchored at.  I wanted to share some of the beauty we experienced during our visit to Rongelap.

We visited in January when the sun set around 7p-730p and rose around 645a-715a.

Tufa island is located in the southern end of the atoll.  The sun rose in front of the boat and set behind her.

I can’t decide if I like the golden hues, the red, the purples, or the blues better.  We always tried to watch the sun set but we did not always get the sun rises.

Beaches of Rongelap

My favorite spot to cool off is tucked into a corner of Tuff Island.  Soft sand, cool water and beautiful scenery.

The color of the beaches ranged between white to pink.  All of the beaches had beautiful crystal-clear turquoise waters lapping at the shoreline.

Some of the sand was soft and mushy while other parts had hard packed sand.  It was a king tide when we visited so the water covered the beach each night and left pristine sand.  We almost did not want to walk on it.

Some beaches had hard coral while others had small pieces of broken coral.  Coral and rocks always cover the windward side of each island.  

All of it adding to the pure beauty of the beautiful Rongelap atoll.

Our blog posts run 6-8 weeks behind actual events.  We visited Rongelap in January 2025. Did you read about the rare Japanese glass floats that we found in the Marshalls?

Taravai anchorage on a calm day

Polynesian Beauty

The Polynesian beauty can be found everywhere.  In the smile of a local, in the fresh scent of the tiere bloom, in the sparkle of a pearl, and in the setting of the sun.  It just seems to abound from every nook and cranny in this country.

Over the last two years we have accumulated several “imperfect pearls.”  Birthdays, trade, thank you gifts, etc…  An imperfect pearl can be one that is not particularly colorful or full of luster.  Or maybe it is marked or odd shaped.  Either way, there are loads of them around.  Technically, they cannot be sold.

One day I decided to see if I could put together a unique design using small pearls from my little collection.  I was super pleased to find 28 pearls of the same size.  I approached a local jeweler and asked her to drill them, and create a stunning necklace.  In the states this would most likely cost well over $2k, but here it cost me about $90.  I am super happy with this striking, one-of-a-kind necklace.

Polynesian Pearl Necklace

Polynesian Pearl Necklace

Sunrise and Sunsets

We are usually blessed with either a gorgeous sunrise or sunset.  We try to stop what we are doing to enjoy these magnificent opportunities. Sometimes we sleep through the sunrise, but most times we get lucky.

This is a sunrise over Aukena.  We captured it from the Rikitea main village anchorage.

Sunset behind Aukena

Sunset behind Aukena

Matt has such a good eye when it comes to photos.  He captured the same sunrise from the bow with our sail bag and solar panels.

Sunrise over Aukena

Sunrise over Aukena

At anchor in Puaumau, we have an unobstructed view of the sunset.  One night we captured a big storm cloud on the horizon just as the sun was setting.

Storm cloud on the horizon

Storm cloud on the horizon

The full moon rose to its glory of the motu of Puaumu.

Moonrise over Puaumu

Moonrise over Puaumu

Puaumu is a gorgeous anchorage that many cruisers don’t visit (for whatever reason).  However, it is one of our favorite anchorages with crystal clear turquoise waters, great snorkeling, fun exploring, and privacy.

INSERT 2 COLLAG OF PUAUMU

We had a break in the rain on a particular stormy day.  It was the “calm after the storm.”  Which created this beautiful Polynesian scenery  with calm seas and fluffy clouds.  

Polynesian Beauty: Taravai Anchorage

Polynesian Beauty: Taravai Anchorage

Lots of pretty tide pools around low tide that reflect the puffy clouds and showcase the young sea life.

Beautiful friends, new and old.

Me, Ruby, Eve

Me, Ruby, Eve

Our beautiful Polynesian friend Valerie, her new puppy PoPo and Roxy.  Roxy wanted in because Valerie was showering Popo with love.

Events from this blog post occurred during the last few weeks of February 2021.  Our blog posts run 8-10 weeks behind our adventures.

Polynesian Beauty

Heading to La Playita at sunset.

Isla Taboga and the inevitable Return to La Playita

Located 7-miles off the coast of Panama are the Taboga islands.  Isla Tabogo  was called “Island of Flowers” when it was under Spanish rule.  They used this island as a base from which to loot the riches of Peru and the South American Continent.  Later, it became a notorious pirate hideout.  But in 1840, the island became the headquarters for the Pacific Steamship Navigation Company.  Then during the French Panama Canal construction, a hospital and sanitarium were built and the island was used to to treat workers with yellow fever.  Today, the island is a wildlife refuge across its 8km perimeter.

There are several hiking trails around both islands but unfortunately there is no easy way to get to shore.  There is one good anchorage between Isla Tabogo and El Morro which is supposed to be protected. Arrow below points to the anchorage.

Map of Isla Taboga and El Morro

Map of Isla Taboga and El Morro

We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and decided to watch the wind, waves, and current before going ashore.  The anchorage is full of commercial moorings and one large commercial dock that brings lots of traffic.  Finding an anchor spot was challenging as we did not want to be too close to a mooring.  We found what we thought was a good spot and endured the small incoming rolls.

IMAGE: Isla Taboga behind El Morro and below is the town at Isla Tabogo with the sun illuminating it.

Isla Tabogo behind El Morro and below is the town at Isla Tabogo

Isla Tabogo behind El Morro and below is the town at Isla Tabogo

The tide varied by 5 meters (yep, 15′) so we put out enough scope to cover high tide.

Boats that have returned to La Playita and their reasons why:

  • Itchy Foot – Rigging
  • Nomad – Navigation equipment
  • Shannigans – Electronics
  • Sugar Shack – Delayed deliveries
  • Moon Rebel – Electronics
  • And a few others who have escaped my memory