Day 2,199 - Fakarava (16° 31.45S 145° 28.43W) 19:48 hrs - June 8th 2013 Open Bar

Last week a massive low pressure system far to our south delivered fifteen - twenty foot swell to French Polynesia. Heavy surf collided with the atolls here in spectacular plumes of white spray that could be seen over the tops of distant palms. Boats in southwest Tahiti were ripped from moorings and docks, waterfront homes were flooded, and the millions of gallons of ocean swell cascading over reefs and into atolls here in the Tuamotus disrupted the natural cycle of tides, causing powerful and continuous outgoing currents, that lasted four days. Cruisers were warned not to exit passes that faced south/southwest, and when the tradewinds built in strength, even eastern passes, where ripping outgoing currents met head-on with twenty knot winds, were impassable.

The huge swell also brought to Fakarava all manner of flotsam and debris that washed over the reef and into our sheltered lagoon. Entire uprooted palm trees drifted past our boat, dozens of pearl farm buoys washed-up high onto the motus (islands) and entire docks, presumably from neighboring atolls, ripped from their pylons, splintered and broke against coral and limestone reef on their journey north.

The uninhabited islands by our anchorage near Tetamanu became littered with wreckage - planks of wood, wharf sections, and lots of rope, and what began as a simple clean-up operation turned into an impromptu Robinson Crusoe-style construction project.

I thought a hanging bar would be a nice addition to our little bonfire beach, so with friends on Namaste, Estrellita and Cariba we rallied together and in four hours our little gathering of lagoon-locked cruisers had constructed 'Sud Bar' (South Bar) - a swinging bar, a palm tree table and three driftwood bonfire benches. We only used materials found on the islands, and not a single nail or screw was driven into the trees, both the bar and tree table and secured only by rope lashings and gravity.

Sud Bar's first night was a great success, freshly shaken coconut rum cocktails flowed late into the night (late being about 9:30 for most cruisers), the coconut husks and driftwood fire kept mosquitoes at bay and new friends were made.

So if you find yourself in south Fakarava and are in need of some refreshment, stop in at Sud Bar, it's open 24/7, it's got a cool breezy vibe, there's no age restriction, and while the coconuts are all free, it's definitely a BYOB establishment.