Clipperton Island

[Clipperton]

Good afternoon from a new member from California and a "Clippertonian"
For the kick of it and to bring this little island to the foreground, I just created the Clipperton Island Yacht Club and am eager to talk about it. It is one of the most remote island in the world and has a unique eco-system and a crazy rich and unique documented history going back to the 1700.
Have you been there, sailed by it?
Look it up and feel free to pick my brain!
Eric

[Clipperton]

For my fifth trip to Clipperton in ten years, I set sail in February aboard a French Jeanneau catamaran. On board, there was a Frenchwoman from La Rochelle as part of the crew. All of this seemed like a good omen, and the starting port was the magnificent city of Acapulco, Mexico. Why Clipperton? I still don't know. You have to go there and spend a few days to understand me, and I would need more space to express my passion and write about it. During five days traversing the Pacific, with its storms and downpours alternating with the doldrums, those periods when the sea resembles a mirror and reflects the sky, I spent my time sitting at the bow of one of the hulls, feet above the water, scanning the horizon, admiring the fiery skies in the morning and evening, and the vast Milky Way at night. No more Covid, no news, just the sky, the sea, the sail, all heading towards Clipperton. I was in heaven!

[Clipperton]

Clipperton is a French atoll located 1,200 kilometers from Mexico. It provides France with an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) equal to the surface area of mainland France. It falls under the jurisdiction of the High Commissioner of French Polynesia for management and security. The atoll, also known as "Ile de la Passion," was discovered on Good Friday in 1711 by French navigators. It consists of a coral crown measuring 12 kilometers in circumference, rising three meters above the water. The crown is dominated by a volcanic rocky system, standing 30 meters high, with widths ranging from 30 to 200 meters, and at its center lies a brackish water lake..

[Clipperton]

The atoll is surrounded by a reef flat at the edge of which waves break, forming breakers. When the reef flat is exposed during low tide, it becomes a real minefield, strewn with "coral heads" or blocks that can be dangerous obstacles for swimmers. During high tide, these blocks are invisible but slightly less hazardous. On the ocean side, there are about half a dozen species of sharks, and it is these sharks that eco-divers come to see at Clipperton. Two dives a day, meals, the bar, the bed – that's the routine for the divers. As for me, I'm interested in the atoll and its fauna.

[Clipperton]

We arrived early in the morning, as it is not safe to approach Clipperton at night. The divers jump into the water for the first dive. As usual, I stack my waterproof bags into a military pack (to prevent the coral from tearing the plastic) and plunge into the water as close to the breakers as possible, wearing only swim trunks and a t-shirt, barefoot. I clear my mind of all thoughts related to the sharks beneath my feet and the coral heads after the waves and make my way past the breakers. As soon as I can stand, I rush towards the beach before the next wave comes, pulling my 20-kilogram bag. I've made it! I'm on land. It was more challenging than in 2017, and I am unconscious. The "Capi" even tried to convince me to return aboard when he found out that I had neither fins nor a wetsuit.

[Clipperton]

On Land
Once on land, my priority is to set up my camp, ensuring that I can live and survive. The camp is basic, on the beach beyond the high tide line, but not under the coconut palms: I don't want to wake up with my feet in the water or be bombarded with warm, humid bird droppings or hit by a falling coconut. However, I hang a hammock between two palm trees to keep my gear out of reach of the crabs. There's not much I can do if the rats are still around. For water, I fill my two water containers (totaling 10 liters) with lagoon water. They are equipped with gravity filters that supposedly stop 99.9999% of anything that could kill or make me very sick. Finally, I find a dried coconut with part of its husk intact. It has three holes that serve as eyes and a mouth. It's my "Wilson," like the volleyball in the movie "Cast Away" with Tom Hanks, his god. I call it "Elvis" because the tuft of husk makes it look like a rock star.

[Clipperton]

I will also stock up on fresh coconuts, which will be my main source of food and drink. A rope is attached to my axe; I throw the axe over a branch laden with coconuts and retrieve it from the other side. Now all I have to do is shake the branch while pulling on the rope to make the coconuts fall – simple and effective. I create a fire using dried coconut husks. A real blaze. In the middle, a flat piece of coral heats up a cup of coffee and a survival freeze-dried meal. I light my pipe. It's an old ritual. I only smoke the pipe at Clipperton, at the camp, in the evening. It used to be my routine when I was in the military, during exercises, at the end of the day's activities. I've kept it for Clipperton. Life is beautiful!

[Brent Swain]

Any kind of safe anchorage there?Seen any French officials?