travel
kauehi kids’ kamp
June 26 – 27, 2013 There was no shortage of activity for our first day in Kauehi. It was a day for birthdays. Guillaume (s/v Sueño) was turning eleven, and Finn (s/v Dolphin of Leith) was turning four. The double birthday party was held on the deserted motu just in front of our boats. There … Continue reading
kauehi ~ beautifully wild & rugged
June 25, 2013 Of 76 coral atolls, Kauehi is one of 46 inhabited atolls within the 1000-mile long Tuamotus Archipelago chain. Like many of the coral atolls, the Kauehi atoll is a chain of coral islets (motus) with only one navigable pass into the center lagoon. In Kauehi, each motu ranges from about half of … Continue reading
ua pou ~ a kid favorite
June 13 – 20, 2013 After an invigorating 26-mile sail from Nuku Hiva to Ua Pou (which only took about three and a half hours), we were surprised by the tiny anchorage tucked in behind a breakwater wall. There were already plenty of boats in the anchorage. As we rapidly approached, we were still dragging … Continue reading
work & play in hakatea bay
June 6 – 13, 2013 Hakatea Bay, Nuku Hiva, also known as Daniel’s Bay, is one of the few Marquesan anchorages that are quite protected from high winds and big swell. As we approached the anchorage, we couldn’t make out the entrance until we were nearly upon it. It looked as though we were going … Continue reading
taiohae bay, nuku hiva ~ big town, swell & provisions
June 1 – 6, 2013 Taiohae Bay in Nuku Hiva is a major economic and administrative port of the Marquesas Islands. Even though the Marquesas are quite remote, we almost felt like we were back in civilization again. It’s easy for boats to get parts shipped into Taiohae, so many boats who suffered damages during … Continue reading
taiohae, nuku hiva ~ old friends reunited
June 1, 2013 Amidst the retrieval of our propane tank, as we arrived in Nuku Hiva, we were also seeing old friends for the first time in a year. We had met s/y Yindee Plus last summer in Maine, and had kept in touch with them ever since. When we left Maine, we were supposed … Continue reading
paying ransom in nuku hiva
May 31 – June 1, 2013 Late afternoon on Friday, we bid a temporary farewell to our buddy kid boats (s/v Sueño and s/v Flour Girl), departed Puamau Bay, Hiva Oa, and sailed overnight to Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva. Our friends would be joining us in a day or two, but we needed to catch … Continue reading
hiva oa’s tikis
May 29 – 31, 2013 The northern side of Hiva Oa was our next Marquesan spot to explore. While s/v Sueño returned to Atuona for some provisions and internet, we sailed with s/v Flour Girl to Hanaiapa Bay. We spent one night in Hanaiapa before sailing to Puamau Bay on the northeast side. There we … Continue reading
tahuata, best beach & manta rays
May 22 – 29, 2013 The anchorage in Hanamoenoa Bay, Tahuata was one of our most favorite places. Manta rays would frequent the bay, there was a beautiful sandy beach where the kids could swim and play, and we received enough rain to fill our water tanks and do all of our laundry. During our … Continue reading
tahuata, hiva oa, and back
May 20 – 21, 2013 It was nearing sunset when we arrived in Hanamoenaoa Bay at Tahuata. As we were sailing towards the bay, we couldn’t help but notice the large Customs vessel anchored near the entrance. Since we weren’t officially cleared into the French Polynesia yet, we were a tad nervous about our stop … Continue reading
