Marquises Islands

We just arrived yesterday into Papeete Tahiti the first major goal of our sailing adventure. Now have bit better internet service although still expensive like everything in French poly.
Will mention a bit more about our trip through the Marquises. We spent 3 days in Fatu hiva doing lots of walking try to get our sea legs back in shape. There was only one tiny store and we had no French Poly money and no banks here so we could not buy anything here. But we did trade some pencils and a bar of soap for a handful of bananas from one family along road.
The anchorage was very gusty with winds to 50 knots blowing for 4o seconds to a minute then stop and then blow again. We were glad we had a good anchor.
After 3 days we left for the next island Hiva Oa about 40 miles away and we had a great sail all the way there, and anchored in Atuona bay. It is a 40 minute walk into town where we checked in with the local Gendarme ( the French police not the local police) for our offical entry into French Poly. We were using a agent so did not have to post a bond equalling the cost of a airline ticket out. Got some new food finally although very little in the way of veggies. Food prices are double those back home. We did some exploring of the area including a hike out to some petroglyphs There was a old stone shack by the anchorage with a over head tap you could use for a showere which we made use of.
After 3 days here left for Takuata island only a few miles away and spent one night there at a wilderness anchorage with a super sand beach. It was a difficult surf beach landing so we anchored the dinghy and swam into shore to walk the beach and do a bit of snorkling. Left here the next day for Ua Pou 63 miles away. We were up at 3am for a early start and had to motor a few hours before the wind filled in and we could sail with a moderate wind on the beam. Arrived about 5pm just before dark. Only one other boat was there, our friends from Coup de Soleil
A dredge was working in the bay so keeping boats out at times.
This is another beatiful island with towering rock pinnicales. After a couple of days went around island to another anchorage which we had to ourselves and then the next day as we were going to another anchorage we got a awful vibration from engine area, I soon found we had a loose engine mount which I tighened but we decided to turn around and go back to the main anchorage of the island at Taioa Bay and check the engine alignment. This is another Rolly anchorage but had fun exploring the town and even got a few fresh veggies at a local market. After 2 days we rented a vehicle which was a 4x4 pickup, all the vehicles on the island were trucks and suv's. We found it a different experience to see the inside of one of these islands. The narrow roads were very steep in places as they curved along near vertical hill sides.
We parked at one place and did a 2 hour hike up over a pass and down to a super looking bay, this trail was also used by pack horses carring suplies. While we had the vehicle we got 15 gallons of water at a tap on other side of island with great drinking water as cant us the water where we were anchored. The watermaker does not always keep up with what we use.
The next day we motor sailed over to Daniels bay where the tv show survivor was filmed . We also did an incredible hike into this gorge with towering cliffs on each side of us.
Time to leave the Marqueses and head for the Tuamotus 480 miles away.

Manihi Atoll

We are currently on Manihi Atoll in the Tuamotus. We had a slow 5 day crossing from the Marquises to Manihi , about 480 miles. The first day and a half was in great winds on the beam and we flew along nicely and then the wind died to very light from NE. so we moved along at 1.5 to 3 knots and did some motodring
We arrived at the pass entrance to Manihi an hour before slack and had to motor hard against current to get into the lagoon, getting slowed down to 1.3 knots and weaving back and forth trying to stay in the center of the narrow channel, surf was crashing on rocks on each side of the pass, and coral reefs on each side as we entered. We were through in about 15 minutes and then had an easy motor over to our anchorage in 60ft. more later

Manihi Atoll

Those Boobey birds

We buy internet connections an hour at a time as they are slow and unreliable. So have to rush through all this and do our banking and weather checks on internet and emails.
The first few days of the voyage we had boobey birds keeping us company. Just before dark one would sit on the bow pulpit which we allowed as most of the poop when overboard or on the anchor. But then the next night there was four birds sitting at the bow and one further up the rail over the decks, that is a no no. I tried to sho it away but it ignored me. I finally grabbed the deck brush and gave it a good shove and it finally flew away with a squak. They are about the size of a raven and no pushovers. He circled and tried to land in same place again but the deck brush did its job.
Another day and we never saw them again. Then one day I saw one sitting on top of the wind vane at dusk, that is a big no no. Out came the deck brush and after a couple of shoves he flew off.
Will do some pictures later. We stopped at Hiva Oa and Ua Pou on the way here to Nuka Hiva where we are now for a few more days. Times up got to sign off.

Arrived At Fatu Hiva

After 26 days at sea we arrived in Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas Islands. It was amazing to see the islands on the horizon at dawn and a relief to know your navigation was good and GPS still worked after crossing 3000 miles of ocean.
The small bay was crowded with 9 boats on our arrival so we ended up anchoring in 85 ft of water. With the anchor down we looked around and what a fantastic place. Beatuiful rugged peaks and jagged pinnacles around the bay and a lush green valley leading up from the beach.
Our 26 day voyage was a great experience but very long in our minds. The 26 days at sea was hard for us who are used to getting lots of exersice and walking a lot. Dorothy did a great job with the cooking in a boat that is constantly rolling and pitching meaning you always have to be hanging on with one hand, or braced against something if you need two. Dorothy did not get seasick at all on the crossing by using seasick medication occasionally.
We had no major problems on the crossing, though we did have a couple of breakages. About seven days out of PV I was woken up at 5am by a big bang and Dorothy calling out that the mainsheet and ripped out of the boom, allowing the mainsail to crash forward against the rigging. I put a 3rd reef in main and tied boom off the rigging and went back to bed to wait for daylight. The attachment had just been riveted on so it was a fairly easy job to drill out the old rivets and enlarge the holes for quarter inch bolts and it was as good as new an hour later.

One morning we were down below and we heard a loud bang on deck. I ran up and everything looked ok until I started walking around the boat checking the rigging holding up the mast. I found the lower shround on port side had 2 broken strands sticking out, this shroud is the opposite one on starboard side I replaced in La Paz. I had a spare wire on board but did not want to tackle replacing it at sea. So I had a short piece of wire I shackled to lower turnbuckle and then bull dog clamped to wire above break. to back up wire if it finally broke completly, and it actually lasted all the way to our landfall, though we did not push boat quite so hard, as we had 700 miles to go.
The sailing was absolutely fantastic with day after day of almost perfect winds. More later.
We are currently at Nutka Hiva.
INFO
- After 26 days at sea arrived in Marquesas at Fatu Hiva  April 22 2010.  Dropped anchor at 10 27.771S   138 40.203W in 80ft.  Calmer in anchorage but occasionaly got wind gusts to 25 knots and sometimes to 40 knots.
-April 25 left for Hiva Oa after exploring previous island, had no French money so just traded for  some fresh fruit.   Had good sail over to Atuana bay and anchored in 28ft at 09 48.325S   139 01.981 and checked in in morning. Then moved boat closer in to better anchorage at  09 48.23S   139 01.92W  in 20ft but had to put out stern anchor like everyone else.
-April 28 left for Tahuata island and anchored in Hanamoena bay in 33ft at 09 54.42S    139 06.27W
larger surf here so anchored dinghy and swam in.
-April 29 left at 3AM for Ua Pou 63 miles away.  Anchored in 13ft at 09 21.53   140 02.83W
did a hike up local hill and then put out stern anchor when another boat came in.