I left Marquises on June 6 2009, heading for a large group of small atolls called the Tuomotus about 500 nautical miles away. “Charlie’s Charts of Polynesia” (A must have guide for this area) describes the Tuomotus as “78 Islands all but two being coral atolls, spread across 150 degrees of longitude and extends almost 1,000 miles in a NW-SE direction. In contrast to the lush vegetation of the Marquises, the atolls have little greenery except for palm trees and short grass. Together with the marquises and Society Islands they form French Polynesia, and are administered from Tahiti. These islands have justifiably been called the Low or Dangerous Archipelago, because of their low-lying character, making them visible from a yacht only when the vessel is within 8 miles”

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