June 4, 2012
We weighed anchor a 1236 hrs in Daniel's Bay and set sail for Takaroa, Tuamotu. The wind was fresh out of the ESE so we had broad reach on the port tack. I had a reef in the mainsail and we averaged about 6 kts.
The Tuamotu atolls lie between the Marquesas and Tahiti. They are low and difficult to see under restricted visibility. In the days before modern electronic navigation they were called the "Dangerous Archipelago" or Low Islands. With view to making a safe voyage, Takaroa is chosen as a landfall because it is in the northern part with no land between. We had a good voyage but the winds went light and we were becalmed for several hours. We ended up poling out a jib and ghosting along. We made landfall in Takaroa on June 9th at 0830 hrs. Instead of trying to negotiate the tidal pass at Takaroa, I chose to lie ahull off the entrance and rest. The reason for this is that the currents in these atolls can be very swift and produce standing waves at the entrance. Additionally, one has to anchor in sand and coral. I didn't want to take a chance of getting the anchor chain wrapped around a coral head. Our goal was to get to Apataki, Tuamotu where we were planning to haul out the boat for anti-fouling and new anodes. We were travelling with another yacht called "Libertad" that were heading to Apataki. They anchored outside the pass but I was more cautious. Later they reported problems in getting the anchor up. Takaroa is another one of the beautiful atolls with white sandy beaches and coconut trees.
We sailed for Apataki on June 10th. The distance was about 95 nm so it was an easy sail.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
MARQUESA ISLANDS TO PAPEETE, TAHITI
May 13-June 27, 2012
It has been hard to keep the blog updated due to very poor or non-existent internet service. We made landfall on the island of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas on Mother's Day May 13th. Autuona which is the administrative center for the Marquesas is spectacularly impressive with steep jagged mountains covered with lush green. All of the Marquesas are impressive and very beautiful.
Hiva Oa was the last stronghold of cannibalism in the Marquesas and Robert Lewis Stevenson in "South Pacific Islands" describes an incident in 1864 where an American crew member from a Whale Boat was captured and only saved from being eaten by a missionary that ransomed him from the tribal chief. President Lincoln later sent him a sum of money and a gold pocket watch for this act of kindness.
We spent a week in Hiva Oa and then sailed for Fatu Hiva which is about 42 nm distant. This island is one of the last to make tapa cloth from the bark of mulberry, breadfruit and another tree. The islanders are good wood sculptors and make some beautiful wood carvings. Tattooing is an art form in the Marquesas and most of the inhabitants sport a few of them. When the missionaries wielded more power, the practice was forbidden but it is in vogue once again. Fatu Hiva may be the most beautiful island in all of the Marquesas but none are to be slighted. The locals were friendly and gave us a lot of fruit: mangoes, lemons, pomplemousse (a very sweet grapefruit), bananas. They would not take any money for this kindness. There are only two villages on Fatu Hiva that have anchorages. We anchored in Hanavave which was more protected but had strong katabatic downdrafts.
On May 22nd we weighed anchor and sailed to the island of Tahuata. On the western side there is a very beautiful anchorage called Hane Moe Noa. We dropped anchor and enjoyed the beautiful sunsets. The problem on many of the islands of the Marquesas are "NO-NOs". There are Black NO-NOs and White NO-NOs. They are similar to mosquitoes but rather than having a hyperdermic needle type bite, they take a small chunk of skin which can infect and make nasty sores. Fortunately, we avoided the areas where they mostly frequent and had no problems. This meant not going to many of the beaches or hiking inland during the hours of peak activity.
We followed Tahuata up with another island called Ua Poa. Hakehau is another delightful and beautiful town that had some vegetables and groceries. All produce and groceries are very expensive in French Polynesia. I would hazard a guess that the cost is at least double that of the States and in many cases more. All this gives the Polynesians a very high standard of living which is subsidized by France through all the taxes that are levied on all products. If one is looking for the romanticized allure of the South Pacific, you won't find it here. It's a very modern society with all the French and traditional customs mixed but more European than anything else. So far we have seen nothing that would indicate that Polynesians are anything but a modern society. I'm sure that on some of the more remote islands there exist some of the older traditions but we haven't been there.
From Ua Poa we sailed to Nuku Hiva and then Hakatea Bay (Daniel's Bay). Nuku Hiva is a good stop for groceries and limited repairs. We rented a car with another boating couple and toured the island. It was a very beautiful trip but the roads are no more than dirt goat paths in many of the places. Only a four wheeler could negotiate these places. One of the impressive sights that we saw in Taiohae, Nuka Hiva, was the feeding of the sharks by fishermen when they are cleaning the fresh caught fish. They throw the guts and skeletons of the fish into the water and it boils with big sharks right there at the pier. It was enough to impress me that I didn't want to go swimming in that bay, however, many locals swim at some of the beaches. Daniel's Bay was our last anchorage in the Marquesas; another picture postcard place with incredible views and sunsets. It would be hard to find a more impressive landscape than that offered by the Illes Marquises. These islands are all volcanic and geologically very young therefore they have very few coral reefs. In all of these islands, one has to be very careful with ciguatera poisoning. This is a very debilitating toxin found in fish that feed on the coral or are eaten by bigger fish. The toxins are accumulative in fish and people and can be fatal under certain conditions. The effects go from mild to severe and may last for several days or months. We eat only fish that the locals know are safe but it's not a sure thing. So far we have been lucky!!
It has been hard to keep the blog updated due to very poor or non-existent internet service. We made landfall on the island of Hiva Oa in the Marquesas on Mother's Day May 13th. Autuona which is the administrative center for the Marquesas is spectacularly impressive with steep jagged mountains covered with lush green. All of the Marquesas are impressive and very beautiful.
Hiva Oa was the last stronghold of cannibalism in the Marquesas and Robert Lewis Stevenson in "South Pacific Islands" describes an incident in 1864 where an American crew member from a Whale Boat was captured and only saved from being eaten by a missionary that ransomed him from the tribal chief. President Lincoln later sent him a sum of money and a gold pocket watch for this act of kindness.
We spent a week in Hiva Oa and then sailed for Fatu Hiva which is about 42 nm distant. This island is one of the last to make tapa cloth from the bark of mulberry, breadfruit and another tree. The islanders are good wood sculptors and make some beautiful wood carvings. Tattooing is an art form in the Marquesas and most of the inhabitants sport a few of them. When the missionaries wielded more power, the practice was forbidden but it is in vogue once again. Fatu Hiva may be the most beautiful island in all of the Marquesas but none are to be slighted. The locals were friendly and gave us a lot of fruit: mangoes, lemons, pomplemousse (a very sweet grapefruit), bananas. They would not take any money for this kindness. There are only two villages on Fatu Hiva that have anchorages. We anchored in Hanavave which was more protected but had strong katabatic downdrafts.
On May 22nd we weighed anchor and sailed to the island of Tahuata. On the western side there is a very beautiful anchorage called Hane Moe Noa. We dropped anchor and enjoyed the beautiful sunsets. The problem on many of the islands of the Marquesas are "NO-NOs". There are Black NO-NOs and White NO-NOs. They are similar to mosquitoes but rather than having a hyperdermic needle type bite, they take a small chunk of skin which can infect and make nasty sores. Fortunately, we avoided the areas where they mostly frequent and had no problems. This meant not going to many of the beaches or hiking inland during the hours of peak activity.
We followed Tahuata up with another island called Ua Poa. Hakehau is another delightful and beautiful town that had some vegetables and groceries. All produce and groceries are very expensive in French Polynesia. I would hazard a guess that the cost is at least double that of the States and in many cases more. All this gives the Polynesians a very high standard of living which is subsidized by France through all the taxes that are levied on all products. If one is looking for the romanticized allure of the South Pacific, you won't find it here. It's a very modern society with all the French and traditional customs mixed but more European than anything else. So far we have seen nothing that would indicate that Polynesians are anything but a modern society. I'm sure that on some of the more remote islands there exist some of the older traditions but we haven't been there.
From Ua Poa we sailed to Nuku Hiva and then Hakatea Bay (Daniel's Bay). Nuku Hiva is a good stop for groceries and limited repairs. We rented a car with another boating couple and toured the island. It was a very beautiful trip but the roads are no more than dirt goat paths in many of the places. Only a four wheeler could negotiate these places. One of the impressive sights that we saw in Taiohae, Nuka Hiva, was the feeding of the sharks by fishermen when they are cleaning the fresh caught fish. They throw the guts and skeletons of the fish into the water and it boils with big sharks right there at the pier. It was enough to impress me that I didn't want to go swimming in that bay, however, many locals swim at some of the beaches. Daniel's Bay was our last anchorage in the Marquesas; another picture postcard place with incredible views and sunsets. It would be hard to find a more impressive landscape than that offered by the Illes Marquises. These islands are all volcanic and geologically very young therefore they have very few coral reefs. In all of these islands, one has to be very careful with ciguatera poisoning. This is a very debilitating toxin found in fish that feed on the coral or are eaten by bigger fish. The toxins are accumulative in fish and people and can be fatal under certain conditions. The effects go from mild to severe and may last for several days or months. We eat only fish that the locals know are safe but it's not a sure thing. So far we have been lucky!!
We are back in internet access so here are a few pictures. I don;t remember were I left off and hope I don;t duplicate some pictures.
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| Getting ready for the sunset on the way to the Tuamotus |
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| Almost at sunset time, |
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| The sun setting. |
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| A small Motu |
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| Going through the pass towards Apataki |
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| An outrigger keeping up with us as we move along at a speed of 4 to 5 knots. |
Friday, June 1, 2012
A few more pictures of the Marquesa Islands
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| Little pig on a line leash , fasinating I thought. |
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| Beautiful field of these feathery plant |
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| Another church |
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| Carrying an unfinshed out rigger to the water to assemble the out rigger. |
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| A coconut husking machine, and as you can see it does a pretty good job. |
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Pictures of scenes from the different Islands
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| The Tabernacle in one of the churches we visited |
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| The pregnant Tiki watching over he children swimming in the bay. |
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| Too cute. |
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| Lonesome George |
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| Mantas eating plankton by the side of our yacht. |
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| Fraggle rock for those who remember their kids watching Fraggle Rock Cartoons. |
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| Have to include my sunset. |
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| Pulpit from another church. |
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| Exploring with friends |
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| One of the Bays in Hiva Oa |
Saturday, May 19, 2012
We have landed in Paradise. The beautiful Island of Hiva Oa in the Maquesas. I will be showing pictures of the 25 day voyage on the high seas and when we arrived.
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| Beautiful flowers overlooking the mountains. |
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| Arriving in the port of Hiva Oa. |
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| Friends that left the Galapagos about the same time we did. |
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| The first sight of the island. |
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| Sailing with one sail on one side and the other on the other side called sailing wing and wing down wind. |
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| Rough seas. |
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| Trying to capture the high seas. |
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| Sun setting |
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| Double rainbow |
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| Full moon |
ISABELA ISLAND, GALAPAGOS TO HIVA OA, MARQUESAS ISLANDS: 2950 NM
May 13, 2012 Sunday
We have made landfall on the island of Hiva Oa in Taahuku Bay (09 deg 48' S ; 139 deh 02' W). This bay is the official anchoring spot for checking into French Polynesia at Atuona which is a 40 minute walk over the mountains. The other option is to take a taxi which most cruisers do. The entrance Hiva Oa is spectacular with very high mountains and precipitous cliffs and drop offs. The island is lush and green. Our first smell upon entering was fresh baked bread. We anchored at 1100 hrs in a well protected anchorage behind a small breakwater. Our voyage took 25 days with an average speed of 5.0 kts. There is nothing here so one has to go into Atuona for entry formalities, groceries and money. The scenery is absolutely fantastic and awe inspiring.!
The actual voyage had a distance of 3024 nm when tacking and course changes for the wind are brought into consideration. The rhumb line distance was 2950 nm. This was a long haul with periods of calm and light winds but mostly the South East Trade winds blowing from the ESE to E to ENE. During the evenings squalls form and generate wind and rain. Many of these produce gusts to 30 kts so we carried a single to double reef in the mainsail and reefed jib. The beginning of the voyage from Isabela Island brought us SE'ly winds and a favorable SW'ly setting current so we were able to sail on a broad reach and make good time. From April 18-24 we made good 858 nm in 148 hrs at 5.8 kts. It was the fastest time for the trip. After that we were becalmed and dropped all sails for about 8 hrs. When the wind came back it was in squalls and confused seas. Actually the seas were running about 8-10 ft in the main swell from the ESE with S'ly components and other swells colliding to make it feel like being in a washing machine. Not a comfortable motion but the Valiant 40 is a very buoyant dry boat.
The farther South we sailed the more E'ly the wind became so that we had to set up sail for running before the wind. This is usually done by sailing "Wing in Wing": the mainsail is boomed out on the leeward side and the jib is poled out on the windward side. It produces a fairly balanced sail plan and as long as there is enough wind to keep the mainsail pressed all is well. Problems arise with this set up when there are big swells (8-10 ft), confused seas and light winds. As the vessel dances around all wind is spilled out of the sail and it begins to flog and slate. It's hard on the sail and equipment and nerve wracking on the sailors. It the end we had to drop the mainsail because the flogging caused the base of the boom vang to be pulled off the mast. I was able to overcome this failure by rigging up a handy-billy and 6 part block and tackle but we nursed our use of it for the rest of the voyage. This left us with the headsail which I poled out either to port or starboard and managed to make 4.2 kts on average and 5.5 kts in squalls. It's not comfortable sailing with only a headsail and it causes the boat to roll around even more without the stabilizing influence of the mainsail. After this long voyage of sailing "wing in wing" I realize that Twin Headsails Poled Out" are the way to go when running before the wind. Two time circumnavigator Scott Kuhner and his wife Kitty on the S/V Tamure had pointed out that I needed Twin Jibs but it was too late in the undertaking to do anything about it before we left the States. When we get to New Zealand, it will be one of the first issues I address. On this voyage it would have been possible to set the spinnaker we have onboard but I didn't have the experience to do it. Although I know all the technical details to set it up, it's daunting to fly a big balloon sail in anything but light winds and settled weather. We had squalls at night and I would never carry a spinnaker under these conditions. That left me with daytime sailing and I didn't have the confidence to set it flying. In the end I sailed a modified "wing in wing" with the staysail to leeward and the jib poled out. Unfortunately, the staysail is too small for anything but heavy weather. It's a scrap of a sail and does very little pulling.
The voyage was long, uncomfortable and not the idyllic sail I thought it would be. The SE Trade Winds are not as constant as their NE counterpart. Wx conditions and winds blow at different strengths within a small area. I could be sailing with light wind and no squalls while another boat 60 nm South of me might have 15-20 kts of wind and heavy rain. All this produces a confused sea that knocks the boat around. After everything is said and done it was a good voyage: we didn't have any severe or heavy Wx. Our strongest winds and rain squalls were on the last day as we entered Hiva Oa.
The second piece of equipment to break during the voyage was the auxiliary alternator bracket. Fortunately, it was dispensable and I can have it re-welded in Nuku Hiva or points beyond.
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