Day 50 Under way again

Passage to Rangiroa
Each atoll is somewhat different but the guidebook specifically states that the sandy bottom of the Manihi lagoon has a large number of coral heads. These are mushroom shaped growths that are the size of large rocks to the size of large busses. Cruisers are warned to be careful when anchoring.
Cruising sailboats use chain to connect the anchor to the boat. After the anchor touches the bottom, 3 to 5 times more chain is let out. This has several functions. The chain cannot be cut by rocks or coral. The chain is heavy and acts like an anchor of its own. The chain rests mostly on the bottom but if there is any wind, the boat will pull up enough to act as a shock absorber.
We had been at anchor for three days and several of them were windy. Each time the wind changed directions, the boat would pull the chain with it. As a result, when we tried to raise the anchor, we could not. Our chain was snagged 60 feet below the boat - a bit too deep to free dive. Fortunately, we received some help from Eric who has scuba gear aboard Far Niente. With Kurt and Andy in the water and me at the bow to relay messages to Mark at the helm, Eric descended and proceeded to unwind the chain from the many coral heads it had entangled. After about 30 minutes we were able to retrieve the anchor and all of our chain. Without the scuba gear, this might not have been possible.
The last remaining challenge was to clear the shallow water at the lagoon entrance. Again, it was about 7 feet deep. Close, but we knew it would be enough.
We then set a course to arrive at Rangiroa the next morning. Rangiroa is the largest atoll in the Tuomotus and the second largest in the world. At 45 miles by 18 miles it could surround the entire island of Tahiti. There are two entrances and from the book, it appears they are deeper than Manihi and the bottom does not have the coral entanglements.