French Polynesia - Marquesas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Polynesia

http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/FrenchPolynesia

French Polynesia is grouped into five Archipelagos:

• Marquesas
• Tuamotu
• Gambier
• Societies
• Australs

Hiva Oa, Marquesas

Hiva Oa, Marquesas

The land did appear to move when I stepped ashore, thankfully it soon settled. I walked the 2 or 3 kilometres into Atuona town to clear in. For people with an EU passport the check in was a breeze taking 15 minutes to fill in a form, then taking the form to the post office to be faxed to Papeete. Non EU passport holders are required to pay a bond of the cost of an airfare to their country of residence. The Gendarme was not at all interested in my Ecuadorian Zarpe, as I knew he wouldn't be. 

Internet access here is slow and expensive. It took awhile to I consolidate and update the blog with pictures.

Hiva Oa, Tahauku anchorage

I was surprised that many of the yachts in the harbour had come from west coast North America having departed from Mexico and Costa Rico. Most of these yachts had arrived on the Friday or over the weekend and were clearing in.

Other yachts that I met:

“Sunny Deck” with Murray, Sam, Victor and Alan heading to New Zealand from Mexico.

“Grattetoille” with Darren and Jodie from north west USA.

“Angela” with Philip and Barbra heading to Tasmania from Mexico.

“MaryAnn” with Olivier, Vivian and Pierre on-board – I had met them in Ecuador.

• I lugged water from shore to fill the tanks. I used approximately 130 litres since leaving Ecuador plus catching some rain water. The abstemious use of water may account for the face fungus that I acquired along the way.
• I topped up my jerry cans and main fuel tank with diesel. I discarded the spare 20 litre jerry can that I bought in Ecuador.
• I did the laundry, which probably should have been condemned as toxic waste.
• Cleaned some of the many goose-neck barnacles off the hull.
• I cleaned the hull above the water line as there was a lot of passage grime and slime.
• General fixing things on the boat.
• Updating the blog and sorting photographs.

Sadiqi with passage grime

I did a tour of Hiva oa with Pifu with several other cruisers around the mountainous island. It is a beautiful, verdant, fertile, and rocky island. We visited sacred sites with the legendary Tiki statues. Pifu gave us a bunch of bananas each, pompelmous and limes. 

Sacred site - Tikis

In the mornings I rowed ashore then walked to the the fuel station to get a baguette, one of the few things that is not that expensive. A can of the local Hinano beer costs close to US$3 in the supermarket.

16-05-15 Saturday

In the afternoon I extracted Sadiqi from the fore and aft anchors. I had to dive over the side and release the stern anchor as it had hooked up on some mesh. I re-anchored using the bow anchor only so I could tidy up all the anchors and lines before heading out to sea.

2000 departed Hiva Oa.

Engine: 1614.3 hours.

It was a pleasant overnight sail to Fatu Hiva 45 miles south east of Hiva Oa, mostly on the jib only to slow down. The wind was 12 to 18 knots from east north east. The seas were still pretty gnarly beating into it. The phosphorescence was amazing on the moonless night. Smithy's rudder blade was lit up with a ghostly green luminescence most of the time. Large globs of phosphorescence were left behind in Sadiqi's wake. 

Fatu Hiva, Marquesas

17-05-15 Sunday

0650 arrived Baie Hanavave, Fatu Hiva, Marquesas.

Engine: 1617.1 hours.

I dropped anchor in 12 metres of water. There were 10 yachts anchored in the bay.

This is a stunningly beautiful island with no airport. The only transportation is by boat.

Hanavave, Fatu Hiva

Hanavave, Fatu Hiva

Fatu Hiva

Other cruisers I spent time with:

“Ambler” with Tom and Jan from USA” I had met them in Brazil and Trinidad.

“Teara” with Jorge, Andrea and Leaya from Monaco. I had met them in Ecuador.

“Ulysses Blue” with Harry and crew heading to Australia.

I'd set the anchor alarm on the AIS Watchmate. I could hear the anchor or chain grinding over rock. Cruisers on a German yacht behind Sadiqi advised I was getting a little too close. I hauled up the anchor and shifted further to the southern side of the steep sided bay and found shallower depth - 9 metres with sandy bottom. Sadiqi was also a little more sheltered from the strong gusty wind bullets that blasted down the steep volcanic massive.

Early the following morning I thought I heard the anchor chain grinding over rock again. I discovered reef fish bumping the side of Sadiqi's hull, I assume chewing barnacles.

I decided to stay in Fatu Hiva for a week or so. Other than it being very expensive it was a great anchorage and the Polynesians were friendly. A litre and half of coca cola cost around five dollars! A bunch of bananas around $20. I walked the steep roads each day extending the distance as my muscles got used to being on terrafirma again. Many of the locals do wood carving; bowls, tiki statues etc. of course using traditional tools in the carving – brand names like; Bosche, Makita, Dremil etc. made in China. A ten inch high Tiki statue made of ebony can set you back several hundred dollars. The traditional canoes had been replaced by Quintrex aluminium dinghies with: Mercury, Yamaha and Tohatsu paddles - progress.

I walked to the waterfall or cascade. I was unsuccessful the first attempt. On the second attempt I turned right past the sign for the Project Hydroelectric, then crossed a ford with a water gauge, then past the hibiscus plants until I came upon a track with small piles of rocks (cairns). It had rained heavily the day before so the track was muddy. The waterfall was close to 100 metres high - very impressive.

Fatu Hiva cascade

Fatu Hiva cascade

The following day I decided to walk up the road between the two towns; Hanavave and Omoa on the island. At times this was a heart thumping lung heaving climb. The view was worth it. The easiest way to get to the other town was by dinghy.

Hanavave, Fatu Hiva

Monday I did the laundry, filled the tanks with drinking water, updated the blog and various other jobs for an early departure on Tuesday.

26-05-15 Tuesday

0620 Departed Hanavave, Fatu Hiva

Engine: 1618.9 hours

Wind 14 to 18 knots SE. Once out of the lee of the high island it was a fast broad-reach to Tahuata 36 miles to the north west.

Shortly after passing the southern cape of Tahuata Sadiq was assaulted with strong winds – up to 45 knots apparent. It is not often I have seen spindrift - thank goodness. Thankfully, the seas were relatively flat. This was deemed a little excessive as the main and headsail were frantically furled. Then there was no wind. Wind missiles then continued to assault Sadiqi from all angles for a short time. I motored to the anchorage at Vaitahu, Tahuata.

1540 Arrived Vaitahu, Tahuata

Engine 1621.7 hours

The wind howled through the rigging during the night. It would appear I had missed a report on adverse weather while at Fatu Hiva. I did not go ashore on the island of Tahuata. I planned to do an over night sail to Ua Pou, 65 miles to the north west, late the following day. I did not think it worth while to inflate the dinghy etc. 

Vaitahu, Tahuata

I had a quite day onboard and hauled out the sewing machine to restitch the boom cover that had been almost shredded by the strong wind bullets at Fatu Hiva.

27-05-15 Wednesday
1630 departed Vaitahu, Tahuata
Engine: 1621.7 hours.

In the lee of the islands of Tahuata and Hiva Oa it was a pleasant sail. Once out of the protection of the islands the seas resumed their uncomfortable choppy countenance. Winds varied between 7 to 14 knots. The sea state became so uncomfortable around midnight that I started the engine to make some progress. I wanted to arrive in the anchorage of Hakahau, Ua Pou in daylight.

28-05-15 Thursday
0945 Arrived Hakahau, Ua Pou
Engine: 1626.2 hours.

Hakahau is a small protected anchorage. I noticed that most of the yachts had bow and stern anchors out to keep the boats facing north west into the swell. The village of Hakahau on Ua Pou is pleasant and locals friendly. The two grocery stores were well stocked and seemed more reasonably priced than the other stores in the Marquises.

Hakahau, Ua Pou

Other cruisers I spent time with:

“Fair Winds” with Sherman and Judy from USA and Australia

“Korbut Rose” with Bruce and Sandy from Seattle, USA.

“Antares” with Justin onboard from Portland, Oregon USA.

“Grattetoille” with Darren and Jodie from Hood River, Oregan USA.

“Ulysses Blue” with Harry Leanne and daughters heading to Australia.

31-05-15 Sunday (Mother's Day in French Polynesia)

It is the fifth anniversary of Sadiqi's departure from Fremantle, Australia.

One night the wind howled onshore, there was a fair size swell running. Sadiqi along with the other yachts bucked and rode the swell. It was not the best nights sleep I had had by a long shot. Roxy the anchor and the small danforth stern anchor held well.

Most mornings I would go ashore to the patisserie and indulge in a croissant, pain au chocolat and a baguette. Around lunch time I'd head to the community centre and library to use the free WiFi and have a very reasonably priced lunch. Poisson cru, a traditional dish, vegetables with raw fish soaked in lime juice with a coconut milk dressing. On several evenings I ventured out with other cruisers for a pizza.

Hakahau, Ua Pou is one of those places that I felt little inclination to leave. The people were friendly, the pace was easy. Most evenings the locals hurled steel balls on an uneven gravel surface near the anchorage - playing petanque. The men and boys paddled their single outrigger canoes around the anchorage, surfing the waves near the river mouth if there was any swell. The passenger/cargo ship the Aranui, that visits the islands once a month from Papaeete, arrived early on June 10 bringing supplies. The arrival of the passengers brought on a whole gamut of festivities to Hakahua. This is pay day for the locals where they get to sell their craft and curios to the tourists.

Sadiqi departed Hakahau, Ua Pou on Tuesday 16-06-15 at 0715. I had to leave for fear of getting croissant, poisoning or gaining a few kilograms - more. Retrieving the anchors proved a tough task. Both the stern and bow anchors were well and truly bedded in after 3 weeks of riding the swells and weathering the strong gusty winds in the small anchorage.

Sadiqi headed north to Nuku Hiva the largest and most populated island of the Marquesas. The winds ranged from 18 to 25 knots from the east south east – a beam reach. The lumpy swell would have been close to 2 metres. It was a fast and boisterous ride.

Anaho bay, Nuku Hiva

Sadiqi arrived in the sheltered waters of Anaho bay, Nuku Hiva and the anchor was dropped at 1510. There were only two other yachts anchored in the large bay – my kind of anchorage. There was no Internet access. I chose to anchor near a sandy beach, which was not sheltered from any northerly swell. At this time of year most of the swell should be from the east.

Anaho bay, Nuku Hiva

If I'd thought the pace of life was easy at Hakahau, Ua Pou, it was frenetic by comparison to Anaho Bay. There were no roads or large four wheel drive vehicles. Transport appeared to be by walking or horse. The track on the southern side of the bay lead from the village to the next bay to the east. Several times I watched locals and their pack horses plod along the track near the beach. The vertiginous volcanic massif to the south of the bay were usually shrouded in cloud.

Anaho bay, Nuku Hiva

Life's little challenges. A squid had the misfortune of being near the thru-hull inlet when I flushed the toilet. The unfortunate squid was sucked into the system and lodged under the inaccessible rim of the toilet bowl. I could see it was a squid as a few of the tentacles hung into the bowl. The following day the squid, very deceased, wreaked revenge and started to reek. I escaped the stench and went for a long walk along the tracks around Anaho bay. As you may imagine the reek of decomposing squid was almost indescribable when I returned to Sadiqi. My solutions was to attempt to hasten the decomposition by injecting muriatic acid where the carcass was trapped. The solution that prevailed was to stay on the boat and get used to the stench.