kauehi ~ pleasant surprises

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Jenny

June 28, 2013

The village of Tearavero is situated in the northeast corner of the Kauehi atoll, about 8 miles from our southeast anchorage. We had heard that black pearls were available in town, so we made a plan to find pearls and put it into motion.

There is a single track road that runs from town to the south end of the atoll where we were anchored. Since it was at least an 8-mile trek to town, we decided to dinghy halfway and then walk the remaining distance. Many of the kids desperately needed to get schoolwork done, so they all stayed back at the boats while most of the adults went to town. Since we have a 25-hp engine, our dinghy was the taxi for the day. However, the engine began acting up on the way there, and we had to pull over after only 2 or 3 miles.

Leaving the dinghy at what appeared to be an abandoned pearl farm, we began the walking portion of our trip. We’d probably walked for about an hour before a pearl farm truck offered to give us a ride. It was a flatbed truck loaded with a pile of pearl farm buoys. While Maina (s/v Voyageur) and I rode in the cab with the driver, the rest of our group sat amidst the buoys in the back of the truck. Once we saw how much further we had to go in order to get to town, we were quite thankful for the ride.

The pearl farmers dropped us off in town, and told us they’d come back for us in about an hour. We were able to walk from one end of the village to the other in a matter of minutes. There’s literally a church, a store, and a handful of homes. Along the way, we bumped into s/v Yindee Plus who was about to start working their way back to their dinghy, also a long way from town. We convinced them to stick with us for a ride back.

Eventually, we made our way to the only store in town, a small grocery run by the mayor’s wife. Imagine that you have gone into a small convenient store that’s going out of business, and it’s in the 90%-off-all-items-remaining stage. That would pretty much describe what’s on the shelves in this store. There was no fresh produce, no milk, no butter, no flour, no meats, etc. There were a few bags of pasta and rice, some canned coffee, Kit-Kat candy bars, and a few choice sodas. There were a dozen eggs priced for 9.50 CFP (over $10 US). We only discovered “fresh baguettes” after Nathalie (s/v Sueño) sweet-talked the mayor’s wife. The baguettes were flown in from Tahiti on the weekly supply plane.

If anyone wants to see the black pearls for sale, they have to make an appointment with the mayor, and the mayor’s wife will set it up for you. However, on that day, the town was preparing for the arrival of the supply plane. Instead, for 5 CFP per person, she arranged for us to be picked up by a flatbed truck and carried to the airport for vanilla coffee and sandwiches, and then we would be given a ride back to the boats. The pearls would have to wait for another day.

On the way to the airport, we were taken by a pearl farm where a local farmer talked to us about how they farm the pearls. The oysters are flat, like large scallops, and they are about twice the size of east coast US oysters. He sacrificed a few oysters for us to sample. We ate them raw, of course! Although, we were surprised to find out that they only eat the muscle and not the large body of the animal. Once the oysters can no longer be used, their shells are sent to Japan where they make Mother of Pearl buttons. The whole time we kept saying that we wished we had our kids with us, so before leaving the pearl farm, they let us pick out some oyster shells to take home to our kids.

The next stop was the airport. When we arrived, the one-building terminal was practically empty, except for the mayor’s wife who was now working the concession counter for anyone who would be showing up for the plane. She prepared the vanilla coffee and sandwiches for us. The coffee, which was quite good, was served in small teacups with saucers.

After the lovely coffee and food at the airport, we thought we were being returned to the store in town. However, the truck driver (who I think was the mayor’s nephew) stopped by the coconut farm where he worked. At the coconut farm, we were shown how they collect and open the coconuts. Once the coconuts were opened, they showed us two methods for collecting the meat. The manual method was done by straddling a bench with a specially made saw-toothed blade that’s shaped like a flatten spoon. With a bowl underneath, the farmer scrapes the meat out until the coconut is empty. A few people in our group gave it a try. The electric method was much faster. Picture a cone shaped wood rasp about two inches in diameter. This rasp sits inside sort of a sideways sitting metal bowl. Again, with a bowl placed underneath to catch the coconut meat, a person presses a coconut half against the rasp while it spins at an extremely fast rpm. One slip and someone could lose a finger! We were given several coconuts to take home with us.

The ride back to the southern end of the island was memorable within itself. As we all sat with our backs against the low edge of the flatbed truck, and bounced along the single lane dirt road, palm fronds would occasionally smack us as we drove past. We dropped Yindee Plus at their dinghy, and then Wil and David (s/v Sueño) off at our dinghy. The truck drove the rest of us all the way to the anchorage.

It had been a spectacular day. We had learned a lot about life on Kauehi, and again, we’d gotten to see just how kind and generous the people of French Polynesia are. We returned to the boats and brought the kids ashore for some run-around time. We enjoyed snacks and drinks on the beach as we watched the sun go down.

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kauehi kids’ kamp

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Jenny

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 was a potluck by the bonfire, and the birthday moms, along with some extra help, had come up with a very creative treasure hunt.

For the treasure hunt prizes, each child was given three activities to choose from. Justine won an afternoon of scuba diving instruction with Vicky (s/v Dolphin of Leith), and Colin won a night of camping on the island with a friend and no adults. Other choices for Justine had been a kite boarding lesson or a baking lesson. Other choices for Colin were kite boarding or scuba diving lessons. Along with some of these choices, other kids had choices such as fishing with Dad, wake boarding, or hokie pokie making lessons.

Due to the involvement of the treasure hunt prizes, the day after the party was another busy day of preparation and activity. Throw in a bit of confusion and uncertainty, as well.

First, Justine’s scuba lesson went extremely well. Before getting in the water, Vicky went over scuba basics with Justine, Finnley (s/v MacPelican), and Guillaume (s/v Sueño) on the beach. Then, she took them into the water one at a time for the hands-on portion. Since we have acquired an assortment of dive equipment, and have the dive compressor, we were able to loan gear and re-fill tanks. Justine thoroughly enjoyed the scuba lesson and was extremely excited when Vicky complemented her and told her she was ready to become certified.

Next came the confusion of who was going camping and did the younger crowd need an adult. Each child who won the camping option could choose a friend to go with them. The camping option was mostly meant for the older children, and mainly the boys. However, by the time everyone had invited their choice of friend, the camping group consisted of ages 7 to 15 years old, boys and girls mixed. There was discussion whether to separate the younger kids from the older kids, and place an adult with the younger group. According to one dad who had been a Scout leader, due to the challenges, a 7 year old was mentally incapable of camping without an adult present.

Camping on this desert island would prove challenging for a person of any age. As soon as it grew dark, everyone would tune into all the strange noises created by the wind blowing through the trees or fish splashing at the shore. However, that wasn’t the worst of it. The moment night falls, rats crawl out from their hiding places, and the ground turns into a moving carpet with thousands of hermit crabs. How was anyone going to get any sleep?

The decision was finally made to have all of the kids camp together in one group. Hammocks were hung from the trees with tarps overhead, and plastic barriers were placed to keep the rats from climbing the trees to the hammocks. We surely didn’t want any of our children’s toes nibbled on!

Each camp kid packed their bags with all the necessities, including flash lights and toilet paper. Each parent supplied some form of food and beverage, and the kids were responsible for cooking their meals over the fire. We had planned to deliver pancake batter the next morning.

Justine was the only kid who didn’t go camping. She was going to go, but when the number of young campers grew, she decided to enjoy the peace and quiet of home instead.

As each kid was delivered to the beach, they were told one very important rule. A dinghy ride in the dark through coral head infested waters was not easy or safe. Therefore, any kid who made a VHF call to their parents, and a parent needed to go to the island, then that kid would be taken back to their boat for the rest of the night. No exceptions. Other than that, they were on their own, and all bets were on!

the older boys at the kids' camp

Most parents took the night as an opportunity to have couple alone time. However, Nathalie and David (s/v Sueño) were still up for hanging out with others, and since we still had Justine, they came over with wine and a board game. Periodically, we would look out towards the beach, and we’d see the campfire getting bigger and bigger. There might not be anything left of the island by the end of the night, but we knew the kids were having fun! Then, at about 10 p.m. we got the dreaded “call”.

Guillaume (s/v Sueño) was calling Full Monty. Colin was sick to his stomach and had thrown up. Wil dinghied to shore, and David and Nathalie waited with me for details. Colin said he was feeling better and wanted to stay. We figured since Colin wasn’t the person who made the call, we would let him stay. Wil had not even returned to the boat yet, before Colin was making the second call. He wasn’t better and wanted to come home. We redirected Wil back to the shore.

Once we had Colin onboard, and after a little while, he began to feel better again. He wanted to return to the campout. As much as he hated it, we made him stay home for the rest of the night. We told him he could return to the beach when we delivered the pancake batter in the morning. Colin got a good night sleep, and by morning he was chomping at the bit to get back to the beach. Wil dropped him off at 6 a.m., and not a creature was stirring. Apparently, no one had gone to sleep until about 4 a.m.! Colin proceeded to get the campfire going again, so he could make breakfast for the crowd.

Over time we learned that there were several kids who had become sick that night. Although, Colin was the only one who came home. We suspected it was due to the high amount of junk food consumed throughout the evening. Hot dogs, marshmallows, Goldfish crackers, chocolate cake, chocolate chips, etc. Their poor, empty stomachs were loaded with sugar, and sugar that so many of them had not had in a very long time.

Later, we also learned that earlier in the camp evening, there had been some squabbles amongst some of the kids. In order to work out their problems they had gathered together for a “conflict resolution” session. Apparently, on the day before, many of the kids had taken notice of a conflict that had occurred with the adults, and they had seen how we had all worked things out. All the parents were so proud to hear about that one!

Amidst the good, there was also not so good, but the kids all learned valuable lessons from their experience ashore. Many ended up with minor burns from cooking, walking across hot ashes, or playing with fire. Some had cuts on their feet. There had been exploding glass from placing a sealed glass jar on the fire. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured from the flying glass. The rats had become like pets during the night, eating whatever crumbs fell on the ground, or running across the kids’ feet. The rats and the hermit crabs also didn’t hesititate to clean up any vomit that was lying around on the ground! How do you like that image?

Surprisingly, the kids remained on the island for most of the next day. They called for snorkel gear and played at the beach. By the time they all returned to the boats, they were exhausted. Even the highest energy kids were quiet and motionless. We brought 15 year old Nikolai (s/v Voyageur) with us when we all re-anchored the boats a little further down the island and he fell asleep on our salon floor.

We many never know everything that happened during that night of camping, but it will be a cherished memory in their minds for the rest of their life.

fun afternoons on the water

boys being boys

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kauehi ~ beautifully wild & rugged

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Jenny

June 25, 2013

beautiful blues of Kauehi

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 a mile to a mile wide, and the center lagoon is about 12 miles by 8 miles in area. The water depth in the lagoon is over 100 feet in the middle with numerous coral heads peeking up to the water’s surface. From a distance, the beaches appear to be beautiful, white sand, but they are really made up of infinite tiny pieces of coral. Like others, the atoll is forested with palm trees and small scrub bush, and rain is the only source of fresh water. Very little produce can be grown on these dry atolls, so coconut and fish are the primary local resource. All other supplies need to be brought in by local supply boats or by other passing boats, such as cruisers. While these remote atolls are a tropical paradise, they are also a rugged and harsh place to live.

the southeastern anchorage of Kauehi

After having been in the deep waters of the Marquesas Islands, the clear, blue shallows of Kauehi’s lagoon were extremely inviting. Even though we had seen a couple of small black tip sharks swimming through the anchorage, it only took us a matter of moments after the anchor was secure on the sandy bottom before we all jumped in for a swim. To our surprise, the water was a lot cooler than we were expecting!

While Wil checked the anchor, the kids and I swam to nearby coral heads. This was our first view of a variety of giant clams, beautiful neon colored fish, some sort of small prawn, and the deadly cone snails.

There are many dangerous creatures in the waters of the Pacific. We had grown accustomed to fire coral, jelly fish, sea urchins, moray eels, sting rays, and lion fish. However, the cone snails, the high number of sharks, crown-of-thorns starfish, and stonefish were all going to be new to us.

Cone snails are possibly the deadliest of creatures, maybe even worse than some sharks. Cone snails are carnivorous with different varieties that eat worms, fish, or mollusks. Sometimes inflicting a fatal sting, the fish-eating varieties of cone snail are the most dangerous to humans. The venom which is harpooned from the snail’s proboscis is quick-acting, powerful, and paralyzing. The shells are beautiful and plenty, so it’s easy for the unsuspecting shell collector to make a fatal mistake. Therefore, we drilled it into everyone that, if we’re going to pick up shells, we must pick them up properly. Don’t let the proboscis end near your skin and don’t place shells in your pockets or in thin, plastic bags. We told the kids that it would be best to use a stick to turn over shells before picking them up, but still never assume that the shell is empty. (Ok, this makes me think of letting my kids play in traffic!)

cone snail shells added to our collection

the narrow end is the deadly end

passing squall to our east

We may have been anchored in a remote atoll, but we definitely weren’t alone. There were about a dozen boats in the area, and more than half of them were the other kid boats. Now, forget the fact that we’re in the remote South Pacific. A birthday party was number one priority on our busy schedule for the next day.

a majestic sunrise over Kauehi

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marquesas to tuamotus

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Jenny

June 21 – 25, 2013

Before every offshore passage, we go up the mast to check all halyards, rigging, and attachment points, as well as look for anything that might be wrong. A few days before our departure from Ua Pou, I hauled Wil to the top. We’d been hearing a strange clanking sound develop over the past few day hops which seemed to coincide with use of the genaker. Sure enough, the U-shaped base of the block for the genaker halyard (near the top of the mast) was withering away, and about to break off from it’s attachment point on the mast. We didn’t have a replacement block, but we wanted to make sure we didn’t lose any parts when this block broke. So, Wil hauled me to the top to do a temporary fix which included using string to tie the block to the halyard. Since the genaker halyard comes from the top of the mast, through the block, and to the top of the genaker, if the block were to break, only the angle of the halyard would change. At least we were aware of our situation before departing for the Tuamotus.

a view of the Ua Pou pinnacles from the west

airport runway on Ua Pou

Colin's favorite position when on passage

desperately trying to fix a fishing reel

It was a bright, sunny morning as we sailed out of Hakahau Bay, Ua Pou. We were in the company of Sueño, Flour Girl, and Voyageur, as well as a mystery sailboat coming from Nuku Hiva. We all started off by trying to fish near the island. Full Monty was the only boat that had no fishing luck. We had a big bite, lost our favorite lure, and we never hooked another fish the entire way to the Tuamotus. Sueño caught a big mahi mahi, and shared it with Flour Girl by putting some fish in a sealed container tied to a line. Flour Girl sailed up, boat-hooked the container, took the fish, replaced it with chocolate, and sent it back to Sueño. It was a perfect maneuver! Voyageur caught a huge marlin and shared it with everyone once we reached our destination.

Usually, prevailing winds are mostly from an east and southeast direction. However, for this passage we were having light winds out of the northeast. Since we were headed southwest, the wind was too much from the stern, and it was difficult to maintain a straight course for Kauehi. We had to head on a more southerly course to keep our speed up. For much of the passage, rather than make the trip longer, we were open for going to whichever atoll we could aim the boat towards. Would we end up in Raroia, Makemo, or Kauehi? Only the wind would tell.

The Tuamotus Archipelago is also known as the Dangerous Archipelago, and for good reason. Numerous vessels have disasterously found many of these low lying atolls by accident. Today’s technology has made navigating around these deadly atolls a lot easier, but it still has to be done with care. Years ago, we’d read Black Wave, a book about a California family who wrecked their 50-foot catamaran on a small atoll in the South Pacific. While the incident took place closer to Tahiti, it’s still proof that close attention must be paid to all atolls. Needless to say, we were a bit nervous about the idea of sailing in similar waters.

With Black Wave in mind, and while I was on watch for our last night before arriving in Kauehi, we had to pass fairly close (within 5 miles) to the tiny atoll of Taiaro. Not only did I turn on the radar to make sure the bit of land was exactly where it was supposed to be according to the chart, but I also searched through the binoculars until I could just barely make out the shape of land. “There you are,” I had said outloud to myself. I was relieved to know that it was there, and we were where we were. That is, until I realized there a squall was closing down on us.

The squall showed up on the radar and was approaching from an easterly direction. In order to avoid the dark clouds, I would need to alter course towards Taiaro Atoll. I could either sail forward and chance sudden strong winds, or I could sail towards the low lying reefs. I chose to turn toward Taiaro, but I slowed our boat speed by reducing sail. Thankfully, the squall moved quickly, and it wasn’t too long before I could alter course back to our original track. Again, I could breathe a sigh of relief.

Wil’s early morning watch ended with having Kauehi appear in our sights. Next, we needed to focus on entering a tidal flowing reef pass. Many of these coral atolls only have one or two entrances into the inner lagoon. Therefore, currents can flow as fast as 5 or 6 knots in these narrow channels when there is a combination of a strong tidal flow and several days of wind blowing over 15 knots. Our arrival needed to be timed for a slack tide, and preferably a slack low, as well as with light winds and small seas. We wanted minimal current, or current flowing in our favor. The whole arrival thing was tough to predict from 4 days away!

As we approached Kauehi, it was near 7 a.m., and we were actually about 6 hours early for the slack low. Therefore, we decided to try the reef entrance during what was supposed be the slack high tide. While Kauehi has a reputation for being a gentle introduction to reef passes, it still needed to be done with care. We could see more waves breaking on one side of the pass than the other, and we could see the swirling eddies of water near the middle. With Wil on the bow, and I at the helm, I throttled forward into the pass. It didn’t take long to notice that the land next to us wasn’t moving past as quickly as it should have. I throttled both engines up to full power. The knot meter read our speed at 7 knots through the water. The Navionics chart on the iPad showed us decreasing speed down to 1.6 knots over the ground. I began to wonder what we were going to do if we started going backwards! [Later, Sueño did go backwards as they tried to enter. They resolved the situation by putting up more sail.]

Fortunately, we made it in without incident, and quickly found our way to the southeast anchorage. The water was clear and gorgeous, and most of all, once the hook went down, we were completely quiet and still without any swell to rock the boat. This was the first anchorage since the Atlantic side of Panama where we were completely protected from ocean swell. Kauehi was going to be a special treat.

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ua pou ~ a kid favorite

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Jenny

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 fishing lines with a reefed main up. Wil wanted to keep the lines out as long as possible, and I was starting to grow concerned about the lack of distance we had remaining. As we got closer, not only was it a crowded anchorage, but there were also quite a few outrigger canoes being paddled in the only open space. Wil wanted us to keep the main up until we were behind the breakwater wall, but I was in total disagreement. Wil said he had faith in my ability to maneuver the boat, but I doubted myself. Needless to say, there was ice in the air all the way until we managed to find a spot to drop the anchor.

We were the first of our group of four boats to arrive, and we knew of others that would be arriving over the next day or two. Therefore, since we are a catamaran, we considerately took a spot towards the end of the breakwater wall. We figured the monohull people would prefer the least rolly area.

trying to get a photo of the famous pinnacles without clouds

the pinnacles of Hakahau Bay, Ua Pou

Our days in Hakahau Bay were a rollercoaster of days between activity and non-activity. We were only going to be in Ua Pou for a few days waiting on a weather window to the Tuamotus. However, it took longer to find a proper weather window, and there were health issues that came up for Flour Girl. David (s/v Flour Girl) had scraped his knee, and it became severely infected. They could not go to sea until the infection was under control. Our entire group of kid boats stuck by Flour Girl’s side.

It didn’t take long for Wil to discover a decent surf break not too far from the stern of our boat. After a brief warm-up, he caught enough waves to keep him happy for awhile.

too bad I missed the shot of Wil cartwheeling through the air

catching a few good waves

the local surf line up

the kids needing to join the line up to talk to Wil

locals surfing their outrigger canoes near the rocky shore

not a perfect run everytime!

recovering their canoe after a wipeout

Ua Pou ended up being a favorite island for the kids. Daily, and despite the French-English language barrier (except for Sueño kids), all the cruising kids spent time playing ashore with the local kids. They would play at the beach, or they would jump and swim from the town quay. Eventually, the local kids offered to let the cruising kids paddle their outrigger canoes. Many times our kids had to prove themselves with the local kids, and being permitted to paddle the outriggers showed true acceptance.

our kids getting to paddle the 6 seater outrigger canoe

Colin, Nikolai, Justine & Max

Xavier would swim from boat to boat trying to drum up business

Michael and Maina (s/v Voyageur) were kind enough to hire local tour guide, Xavier, and take all the boat kids on a tour of the island. The first trip was with just the big boys, and then Michael took the entire group of kids for a second tour the next day which also happened to be Father’s Day. Wil spent his kid-free Father’s Day hauling water for me while I did laundry. We were actually wishing we’d had the kids home to help!

our laundry hung out in paradise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a view from Ua Pou

Tetahuna Archaeological Site

tiki

Tetahuna Archaeological Site

a tiki for the boys

a platform for human sacrifice

hard to believe this is a real tree!

the tree bark literally looks painted

boys taking a cool dip at the waterfall

learning things from their guide, Xavier

Manfred Cascade

Father’s Day ended with a jam session that included cruiser and local musicians. Steve from s/v Liward made all the arrangements. Steve (s/v Liward) and Chris (s/v Yindee Plus) both played guitar and sang, while a local guy played keyboard. Colin was included in the planning, but he was late in returning from the kids’ island tour. Therefore, he didn’t feel comfortable playing his guitar in front of the unfamiliar crowd when he had not had the proper warm-up session ahead of time. It wasn’t until we arrived that we learned that it was really a local birthday party that we had become a part of. Regardless, the locals readily included the cruisers, and we were all handed a piece of birthday cake.

Along with the ladies from Sueño, Flour Girl, and Voyageur, Justine and I got to join a local Zumba marathon for an afternoon. Having never experienced Zumba before, we had our cultural experience doubled. The music was mostly American and Central America, but the Polynesian women added their popular hip shaking movements. Most of the Polynesian women were dressed in exercise pants and T-shirts, but wore a sarong skirt around their waists. After a little bit of observation, Justine jumped right in and gave it a try. She did great and even received attention from some of the local teenage girls. The girls came over to chat with her (in French) and offered her a cold refreshment. Justine and Nathalie get the award for dancing the longest for our group. Even though I’d done aerobics and some line dancing in my past, I couldn’t even begin to move my body in rhythm with everyone else. I mainly stood there in awe of how fast the local women could move those hips.

Zumba dancing in Ua Pou

Justine having a go at Polynesian dancing

the Aranui arriving with passengers & supplies

Once a week, a big supply ship arrives at the town quay. The Aranui 3 is not only a supply ship, but also acts as a small cruise ship, carrying passengers to the various islands in French Polynesia. There’s a new hustle and bustle in the air as the entire village prepares for the Aranui’s arrival. Local vendors and crafts people get their goods ready to sell, and the town quay becomes loaded with items that need to be shipped to other islands. While the cruising boats are allowed to anchor anywhere in the harbor, when it’s time for the Aranui to arrive, boats must be moved to make room for the big ship. We all sat on our decks to watch the amazing maneuvering of the Aranui in such a small space. Once it was safely tied to the quay, and we knew our boats were okay, we all went ashore to see all the crafts and enjoy the local food.

it doesn't seem to matter what size boat is coming in!

several boats had to re-anchor to make room for the Aranui

the goats followed this man through town & back

Over the course of our stay, there were many minor skin disorders that crept up for several people. We started thinking there was something in the harbor water, and we needed to make our exit as soon as was possible. However, for what seemed like too many days to count, we continued to wait on a weather window, and for David’s (s/v Flour Girl) infection to clear.
The day before we were finally going to leave Ua Pou, we decided to make our departure day more simple by hauling up our stern anchor the evening before. In the past, we’d had no trouble with easing out our anchor chain at the bow, and at the same time, pulling in the stern anchor rhode. However, this time, nothing went according to plan. The stern anchor was completely stuck, so we had to ease out more chain from the bow in order to change our angle on the stern anchor. In trying to maneuver the boat in the swells, and keep it away from the rocks, we ended up with the stern rhode hooked over the rudder. Wil had to do a quick swim to unhook the rhode, so we could motor away from the rocks. After much trial and error, we finally managed to get the stern anchor up, and then completely re-anchored our boat on the opposite side of the harbor.

The following morning, we bid a sad farewell to the islands of the Marquesas, and set sail on a four-day passage toward Kauehi in the Tuamotus.

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work & play in hakatea bay

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Jenny

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 to sail directly into the steep, rocky walls that drop into the water.

surrounded by steep cliffs in Hakatea Bay

As we rounded the corner into the bay, the masts of other sailboats gradually appeared. Our friends on s/v Yindee Plus and s/v Voyageur were already there.

This location in Hakatea Bay was also the location for the TV series Survivor and its season of Survivor Marquesas (2002). This was our second Survivor location we’ve gotten to see since we started cruising. Mogo Mogo in the Las Perlas was the other.

We were warned not to anchor too close to shore because of the nono bugs that come out in the evenings. The nono is comparable to the no-see-ums or gnats that we are familiar with. However, the nono is a hundred times worse. You sort of feel them when they bite, but by the next day, a person can be covered in extremely itchy welts that last for at least 2 weeks. We had read that locals will tell you that these little bugs are fiercer than a lion. Poor Nathalie on s/v Sueño suffered with what we think were nono bites all over every inch of exposed skin. She looked and was extremely miserable.

completely protected Hakatea (Daniel's) Bay

While we were in Daniel’s Bay, we had plans to tend to some boat chores. The biggest one was repairing and reinforcing the jib. The edges had become tattered during the Pacific crossing. Sue on Yindee Plus loaned her sewing machine, along with some thread and fabric. She happened to have old bimini fabric that was a perfect match to our sail cover.

We spent one day working on the jib. Wil and Sue assisted in getting the sail to the cockpit, so I could work in the shade. Then, Sue showed me the general how-tos of her sewing machine. It needed 240 power, so we ran an extension cord to a 240 volt plug in the engine room. Then, we turned on the generator to supply the 240 power. With the generator running, Wil felt the need to apply more load, so he turned on the air conditioning and the water maker.

As I sat in the cockpit, patching and sewing the jib, Wil and the kids sat inside enjoying the coolness of the air conditioners. Sue stuck around just in case I needed help with her machine, and she had joined the others inside the cool salon. Occasionally, Wil would come out to help me readjust the sail for my next stretch of stitching, or bring out a glass of water to quench my thirst. Then, he would go back inside, press his nose to the glass doors, and look at me as I perspired profusely.

After we had accumulated enough water from the water maker, and in exchange for use of their sewing machine, Chris from Yindee Plus was able to started filling water jugs from our transom shower. We were very happy to be able to help them replenish their water tanks.

he dove into the surf & was met by a boulder

There was no shortage of kids in the bay. In addition to Full Monty with 2 kids onboard, we had Sueño (3), Flour Girl (1), Voyageur (1), Yindee Plus (2), MacPelican (1), Sirius (2), Pura Vida (2), and Llyr (3). The ages ranged from 7 to 18 years old. Everyday the kids would swim, play on the beach, or build forts. The beach area was also part of a field of cows. The cows reportedly tried to eat the kids’ fort, and once the kids left for the day, the cows did eat the fort. (We also couldn’t leave dinghies on the beach, or they would be eaten by the cows too!) When news got out that the Kid Armada was in Daniel’s Bay, the non-kid boats probably sailed the opposite direction, and more kid boats showed up.

Our big excursion was a hike to the base of Vaipo Waterfall. At 350 meters, it’s the highest waterfall in French Polynesia. The hike was about 5 hours round trip. Other than river crossings, the trail was fairly simple and not steep at all. However, I managed to break another toe before even stepping off the boat to start the hike! Needless to say, the hike was a little painful for me, but it was well worth the effort.

ready for the hike to Viapo Waterfall

roadside chapel

one of many river crossings ~ yes, we have a big group of friends!

looking up at Viapo Waterfall from the trail

some rocky crossings

just as I always imagined French Polynesia

potluck lunch at the waterfall base ~ the best food ever!

the waterfall hidden behind big boulders

into ice cold, murky water with leeches to get to the bottom of the waterfall ~ it was absolutely worth it!!

climbing over the boulders to reach the waterfall base

inside the cave at the waterfall base

another spectacular view of Viapo Waterfall

looking towards Viapo Waterfall

Viapo Waterfall

telephone booth with an antenna & solar power

After five wonderful days in Hakatea Bay, along with many of the kid boats, we returned to Taiohae Bay. We spent the next two days getting more provisions and supplies. We were setting ourselves up for a passage to the Tuamotus, but first we would have what was supposed to be a brief stop in Ua Pou.
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going offline again

Posted on August 22, 2013 by Jenny

Just a quick notice to everyone. We are headed out away from internet again, so we will most likely be offline for possibly the next month. You can continue to follow our progress by our winlink position reports, accessed by the link on the right side of our page. Blog posting will resume as soon as it’s possible!

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taiohae bay, nuku hiva ~ big town, swell & provisions

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Jenny

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 the Pacific crossing headed straight for Nuku Hiva. Yacht Services is located near the dinghy dock, and they are available to help cruisers with just about anything they may need (i.e. fuel, laundry, propane, internet, receiving packages and parts, getting around town, etc.) There are small restaurants and street-side vendors, 3 grocery stores, a vegetable market, an artisans’ building, a hospital, a pharmacy, and a hardware store. After a month and a half without major provisioning, we were quite excited to be there. We were even more excited over the tomatoes, cucumbers, and aubergine (eggplant) that was available.

taking a stroll next to the main street in Taiohae

looking out into Taiohae Bay

At the center of town, and on the waterfront, is the Piki Vehine Pae Pae, a tiki site recreated with modern sculptures by local artists. Many locals spend their leisurely weekends hanging out at this site. There are plenty of places to sit and look out over the bay while the breeze keeps one cool. We enjoyed watching the local boogie boarders and surfers ride the extra large surf while we were there. Which also meant there was extra large swell in the anchorage!

for John ~ the fish has gone tribal in Taiohae, Nuku Hiva!

Due to the large swell rolling into Taiohae Bay (directly open to the southerly swell), many boats needed to put out stern anchors. Instead of using a stern anchor, we found a spot dead center of the bay in about 30 feet of water. This allowed for us to receive the swell head on (without wrap-around or bounce-back swell), and we had enough length of chain out to allow the boat to comfortably ride the waves.

We visited the Notre-Dame Cathedral of the Marquesas Islands. A stone cross stands at the bottom of the road marking the entrance to this Catholic mission. As we approached the cathedral, large mango trees stood at the street’s edge. We drooled at the sight of the most appetizing mangos, and the cathedral shined with its own simple beauty.

road to the Cathedral ~ notice the lamp post

walking up the road to the Cathedral

entrance to the Notre-Dame Cathedral of the Marquesas Islands

under the entrance arch to the Cathedral

the Cathedral decorated with wood carvings

using their natural resources ~ so beautiful

stone carving in the Cathedral yard

in the Cathedral yard

looking out from the cathedral entrance

possibly a cathedral classroom

doors to the cathedral sanctuary

cathedral sanctuary

mango tree in the cathedral parking lot

stopping to smell the flowers

local flora

boats anchored in Taiohae Bay

a home in Taiohae

landscape of Taiohae's waterfront road

Taiohae Bay ~ Full Monty anchored near the center of the photo

Most afternoons, when the fishermen came into the wharf to clean their fish, people would gather around to watch the shark feeding frenzy. Wil and the kids watched their first show from up on the wharf, while I was down in the dinghy closer to shark level. As the fishermen threw fish heads and scraps into the water, several sharks would swarm over the food. The sharks were in such a frenzy that I received a good tail splashing just sitting in the dinghy. I made sure not to put my fingers and toes over the side!

Eventually, s/v Sueño and s/v Flour Girl arrived in Nuku Hiva, and we all completed the rest of our long awaited provisioning. We got dozens of eggs and kilos of flour. We made daily trips to the grocery stores, walking back with as much as we could carry each time. We filled up on diesel and gas, as well as propane. After spending little to no money over the past month and a half, we more than made up for the lack of spending in just a few days.

Now, we were ready to further explore the island of Nuku Hiva. Hakatea Bay with a hike to Vaipo Waterfall would be our next stop.

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taiohae, nuku hiva ~ old friends reunited

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Jenny

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 to see Yindee Plus within a couple of weeks. However, while they were still in Seal Bay, Sue fell through a hatch into their service bay, breaking several ribs. Ever since that moment, they have literally been either hours or a month behind us. While they were a couple of weeks behind us during the Pacific crossing, they went to Nuku Hiva first. Therefore, by the time we had visited Fatu Hiva, Tahuata, and Hiva Oa, they had only just arrived in Nuku Hiva. It was absolutely wonderful to see them again. Before we dropped the anchor, we circled their boat, and everyone was on deck waving to each other. Later that afternoon, they joined us for drinks, along with s/v Calico Jack. After a year of not seeing each other, all of the kids immediately hit it off again.

During our visit, Yindee Plus, who has been cruising for quite a few years now, made the observation that our kids had grown into true cruising kids since they last saw them in Maine. One year ago, we were still newbies as a cruising family, so it felt really good to realize just how well our kids had adapted to the cruising way of life.

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paying ransom in nuku hiva

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Jenny

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 up with s/v Calico Jack who was in Nuku Hiva and had a propane tank that belonged to us.

When we had been in Fatu Hiva, we had learned that s/v Nirvana had been out of propane for about 3 days. Therefore, they’d been unable to do any cooking. We offered our spare propane tank, and told them they could return it to us the next time we saw them.

However, Nirvana is trying to get around the world on a faster track, and they ended up leaving French Polynesia well before us. Therefore, before departing Nuku Hiva, they passed our empty propane tank, along with 5000 CFP (~$55 US), off to our friends on Calico Jack. While we were in Hiva Oa, we received a ransom email from Calico Jack. All in good fun, they stated that they had our propane tank, and we had 72 hours to pay the ransom and retrieve it. I replied with a parlay request, stating that we’d be in Nuku Hiva by high noon on Saturday, and we could negotiate at that time.

Just before our arrival, I’d had a bit of a struggle with shaking a reef from the mainsail. Colin was at the halyard, and I was at the stern trying to free a batten that was caught behind a side stay. As the boat went over one swell, another batten swung towards my face and whacked me across my upper lip. Within a matter of seconds, the fat lip I’d received, gave me the perfect look for dealing with some pirates!

As we got within VHF range, we spoke to Calico Jack on the radio and discovered that there would be no deals. Therefore, we hoisted our huge Jolly Roger flag in preparation for being boarded. Shortly after dropping the hook, Calico Jack approached us holding the propane tank out over the water, threatening to drop it. They got a kick out of our huge pirate flag. We informed them that our boat used to be the Black Pearl.

Calico Jack lowered their dinghy and boarded our vessel along with the propane tank. We paid our ransom with a few rum drinks. It was all great fun!

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