Baringo's Blog

As the new week dawned the clouds,rain and wind continued. Our repaired hot water tank was returned and installed and no leaks now. The water maker pump and membrane had to be moved for this exercise so the next worry was would it work again after its unseating! Luck was with us this time and we made (drinking) water without a hitch.

During the lift out and lift in at the Carenage we had been obliged to lower the wind generator as the crane was not big enough to allow its height. Despite such strong winds over the previous weekend not a single ampere was forthcoming so we decided to investigate .This as usual proved more complicated than expected; it is much heavier than it looks and we had difficulty manoeuvring it over the backstays and the bimini and at the end of that day it was left rather precariously over the stern. The next day with renewed strength we got it into the cockpit and managed to undo the top from the pole after a lot of WD40 and muscle power and discovered that the electric cable was broken presumably when it was lowered to get into the crane. The wire was so short we could not repair it and presumably the original installers (some will make a guess who this was)   had never thought it would have to be removed so had only used a very short wire. Anyway there was nothing we could do except to return it to its correct position and tie it off. The prospect of carrying this heavy weight around for nothing was not appealing!

The weather did not show much sign of improving by mid-week but, luckily we had the local Wi Fi hot spot was available on the mooring so we could keep in touch with the outside world and on Thursday we managed at last to hoist the big jenny. Other problems continued to surface, heads not working, a new leak from a window and more importantly the last can of Hinano …the rather delicious local beer …was drunk so definitely time to move on. Baringo cocktails were on the verge of extinction!

We moved speedily to Uturoa the main town on the island with shops mainly run by Chinese who have significantly changed the opening hours on the island! Just as we were preparing to shop a Canadian Richard walked by on the pontoon and greeted us giving us a card stating he was a marine electrician. John casually asked him if he could mend our electric winch switch expecting nothing but he jumped at it saying he had fixed many before. He started work immediately and indeed did fix the switch after a couple of hours work. Encouraged we asked him about the wind generator and again this was to be no problem to fix. It was late afternoon so he arranged to return the next morning and tackle it .We were then committed to stay alongside the town quay but the stay was enhanced by finding some excellent live music in the local café. Next day Richard returned and after several set back and a few hours with John as electrical apprentice we had a working wind generator …full marks for persistence. We again enjoyed the music that evening in the company of two lovely ladies in their flower headdresses.

We left the next morning happy with the unexpected improvements to the boat and sailed down the west coast as far as it is navigable inside the lagoon and found some government buoys which we had heard had been laid earlier this year so could be trusted. Another beautiful bay with the oldest protestant church on the island in view, curiously built on the site of an ancient Marae (traditional Polynesian religious site).

Oldest protestant Church

Marae wall behind the church- a bit inconsiderate of Church builders!

We stayed for two days continuing our tasks! I sewed the mainsail luff that had missed the sail repairers not so beady eye and just as we thought the end was in sight we then discovered a leak in the dinghy. Very disappointing after Simon and John’s hard work last year and John’s careful repair with new glue the previous week; so the jobs keep coming !

Julia repairing mainsail.

We repaired it again and left for Haamene bay on the east coast of Tahaa the other island in the lagoon north of Raiatea. It is 2 miles long and although facing the prevailing easterly winds is relatively sheltered and joy of joys more government buoys to pick up! In addition there was a nice restaurant, two supermarkets and much to our surprise the best internet yet in Polynesia in the restaurant. With so much on hand we stayed for week watching many other boat come and go. We hired a scooter for a day and travelled the island and hiked over the middle to the northern town of Patio the capital of Tahaa . We debated our next move and the chances of making it to the Tuamotos looking at the weather patterns and the charts. The weather gradually improved while we were there and the Polynesia we had come back to see returned.

View of haamene bay from walk over the hills.

haamene bay showing reef outside.

our favourite French restaurant in Haamene bay.

Cross island hike (thanks Simon and Jo for great useful waterproof bag seen here!)

jo dassin beach only reached on foot.

Beautiful local flowers

We finally left the bay and moved further round the east coast of the island and anchored in Hurepiti bay. Simon and Jo will remember this as we hit (just touched with the rudder) a reef here last year! So far this year we have not. Our current plan is to try for the Tuamotos this weekend 25^th July but chicken out in Huahine if the going gets too tough or the dinghy starts to leak again!

Bora bora island in the distance

sun setting behind Bora bora

at last sailing again!

“Flowers-r-us” and we are back in Polynesia again! After 20 hours semi –comatose at 35.000’ we arrived in Papeete to a traditional Tahitian welcome of garlands of perfumed flowers and the stirring rhythmical beat of drums. The next day we flew to Raiatea and had the first glimpse of Baringo on the hard looking as if she had missed us. We were staying in the wonderful Raiatea Lodge nearby and were greeted with a flower filled room and a delightful dinner, not only tasty but a creative work of art .We enjoyed many more during our stay there.

Flowers ++ in Raiatea Lodge:

Flowers in Raiatea Lodge

Raiatea Lodge haute cuisine

Raiatea Lodge hotel: highly recommended

Lodge pool

on yer bike!

We were able to cycle to the boat yard every day so the work started straight the next day.On arrival we found the bilge was full of water which we presumed was rainwater as the companionway hatch drain had blocked and overflowed. We pumped the bilge dry and at least it was cleaner than it had been! There was little we could do over the weekend but on Monday the sails were taken away for repair and the dank mouldy smell in the boat gradually faded once the windows were all opened . We had rented a dehumidifier during our absence but it was not running when we first arrived so not sure how much use it had been used, but there was no mould and nothing had rotted so maybe it was worth it. The routine for the next few days was cycling to the boat in the morning, spending the day organising and doing the multitude of little jobs ,returning to the hotel in the evening for a refreshing swim followed by a wonderful supper on the hotel terrace .This was a perfect antidote to the day’s work in a hot ,dirty ,mosquito ridden ,noisy boat yard with minimum ablution facilities. By Thursday we decided to have a break and we hired a car to drive around Raiatea. We spent the morning looking for a new gas regulator as ours had corroded during our absence. We did not succeed but after seeing another model in one of the shops we realised we had a suitable one in our own collection which we had acquired in the various countries we had visited since leaving Hong Kong! We finally started the journey and found the island very dramatic with high central mountains , rivers and waterfalls and a beautiful coastline .It is, rather unfairly , not the most lauded   Society Island   probably because there are no long sandy beaches but this means fewer visitors leaving it more deserted for the discerning traveller .

Raiatea island shore

Peak

Back to work again with the repaired sails returned, sadly not all repairs completed but an improvement. We put the sail bag up followed by the mainsail after we had renewed all the lazy jacks .Gradually Baringo was returning to her former beauty . We attached the anchor chain and were ready to go ……but oh dear an unforeseen public holiday delayed us by another day! We were set to go the next day but on Polynesian time it happened the following day. This did allow John a day to replace all the Raymarine instruments. The screens had gone black over the last season so were unreadable. We had managed to get replacements in Hong Kong so after John’s electrical handiwork we can now see the depth, speed etc which is quite an advantage!

Baringo on the hard nestling in the palm trees

on the way to the launch

into the water- nerve wracking!

1^st July and we were afloat at 13.00 ! The yard is quite small so two boats had to be moved to allow us out in the crane and we were lowered gracefully without incident and no leaks (yet ). We had noticed a small problem of persistent fresh water in the bilge since we pumped out the large amount we had found on arrival …..but from where ? We left the yard for a nearby mooring to finish the remaining jobs and get the foresails up. John’s closer inspection then revealed a leak from the hot water tank maybe it had been there for a while and we had explained the presence of the fresh water as coming from the fridge but it certainly explained the large amount of water when we first arrived ..the contents of the hot water tank. Luckily we had left the main water tanks empty otherwise there would have been more. How to mend it? This was for the next day.

The wind is lightest in the early morning so we were up at 6.00am to hoist the foresails. We hoisted the first time but forgot the battens so had to drop the sail, up again and the furling line was the wrong way so drop again and corrected. Up again ….no… we now had a halyard wrap so it was up the mast for John this time to unwrap it! Finally for the third time we hoisted the sail just before the wind picked up so no time to hoist the second foresail! The morning had not gone quite as we expected!! Jet lag?

The yard were able to help with the water tank which they removed and mended by welding it .The weekend arrived and everything closed, the weather deteriorated so we were storm bound on the mooring swinging wildly with heavy rain and winds up to 37 kts but protected by the reef the sea stays relatively flat. Many boats arrived near us over the course of the weekend seeking shelter from the bad weather which was not what we expected at this time of the year.

Simon and Jo were now comfortably ensconced on board so we spent the first day in Papeete which is not a very pleasant town, busy and noisy with lots of traffic. We provisioned for the trip and that evening we saw some traditional Tahitian dancing in the main square and had supper in the roulettes which are vans parked near the square cooking a variety of foods ; pizza ,chow mein ,hamburgers etc at reasonable process by Tahitian standards …it is an expensive place !

The next day we sailed for Moorea only about a 3 hours away. It is a dramatic island with sharp peaks, deep valleys and two bays to anchor in on the north side. We started off in Cooks Bay anchoring at the end of the bay and the next day had a long hike to the local lookout point where we were joined by a large crowd of American tourists from a cruise ship in the bay. Once they had gone we could the enjoy the real view we had climbed to see! The engineering department went into full swing the next day mending leaks and unblocking the aft heads …the culprit a plastic bag which must have blown in and been pumped through.

Moorea Cook’s Bay anchorage viewed from Belvedere lookout

island tour Moorea

The 29^th September was Jo’s birthday so we celebrated with a birthday outing, driving around the island and with an excellent dinner at a local restaurant. We found an excellent “snack “for lunch on the sea front as well. It rained a lot in the afternoon but we still managed a delicious birthday supper despite being rather bedraggled. We moved to Oponohu Bay next and anchored off a beautiful beach with clear turquoise water so wonderful for swimming and snorkelling although the coral was not that good .We successfully christened the dinghy anchor that Malcolm and Glynis had given us .We enjoyed a dinner of crepes at the nearby Hilton overlooking sharks and rays swimming under the tables providing unusual evening entertainment. We also found another interesting “snack “ in the garden of a house that had been transported from Bali by a French lady married to a Japanese man who cooked Tahitian dishes with an oriental twist, quite a combination!

mountains of Moorea

lagoon hotel Moorea

We left for Huahine on 6.10.2014, an overnight sail which was mainly calm apart from narrowly missing a few squalls. Once through the pass we anchored off Fare the main town and had an excellent lunch in the Huahine yacht club ( really just a restaurant )and luckily there was an excellent supermarket for provisioning. We hired a car the next day and saw some marae (the ancient Polynesian temple areas) and visited a pearl farm in the lagoon.Huahine is one of the less visited islands so it is very peaceful but no less beautiful.

coral reef and lagoon Huahine

Pearl Farm Huahine: John waiting for the ladies to finish!

Marae Huahine

Huahine; interesting rock shape!

We then moved down the west coast of the island to Avea beach in pouring rain but once there we had beautifully clear water and excellent snorkelling. In addition there was a nice hotel on the beach with a pontoon for easy dinghy landing and glamorous cocktails! We stopped briefly on the way back at Bourayne Bay and found more beautiful coral and lots of fish.

Avea beach Huahine

Clear lagoon water Avea bay, Huahine

Avea beach anchorage, viewed from hotel.

On 12.10.2014 we left for Raiatea and had on overnight stop in the lagoon on a pearl farm mooring and set off early the next day for Bora Bora. It was a motor sail as there was no wind but the sea was calm and we were moored at the Bora Bora yacht club by lunchtime. It is a very welcoming place with an excellent restaurant ,laundry and ablution facilities and friendly staff .We hired a car the next day and explored Bora Bora with its many hotels and beaches. We then anchored in several places moving slowly around the lagoon relaxing and enjoying the amazingly clear turquoise water. The weather was rather mixed with intermittent rain and strong winds but usually this did not last long or dampen our enjoyment. Completely by surprise we discovered an excellent Japanese restaurant thanks to a couple from a charter boat anchored nearby who had booked to go there and had organised a car which we all shared!

sunset over Raiatea

Bora Bora lagoon: Rocna anchor well buried-seen from the foredeck! Amazing clarity.

Engineering department trying to fix a leak in the dinghy.

One morning Simon spotted a group of 7 rays swimming just off a beach near one of our anchorages quite an extraordinary sight .We returned the yacht club for our last night then moved to Raiatea on 22.10.2014 and although the passage is short once outside the calm lagoon the sea was pretty rough and we had to motor into a 30kt headwind, so not the easiest journey and it was a great relief to get through the pass into the calm water again. The reef surrounds both the island of Raiatea and Tahaa so we decided to explore Tahaa first as it is the quietest. We found the most spectacular coral garden with lots of living coral and so many tropical fish, it was in very shallow water so although there was a strong current there was no possibility of being swept away. We then visited the main town of Uturoa in Raiatea and finally to the carenage where Baringo will stay for the next few months. Simon and Jo left for New Zealand on 28.10.2014, the end of a great cruise and a fitting finale to this year’s sailing.

Carenage at Raiatea- Baringo’s winter home

Now we start packing up the boat and will leave on 5^th November so until next year when we hope the voyages of Baringo will continue!

The passage on the journey from Tuamotos to Bora bora was quite rough with a big swell once we lost the protection of the atolls we passed on the leeward side. The wind lasted until early in the morning of our landfall in Bora Bora and gradually the swell reduced as well. The passes in the Society islands are much easier thankfully, no tidal gate or standing waves or strong currents and they are very well buoyed. Calm reigned once again inside the lagoon and we picked up a mooring buoy in front of Bora Bora yacht club. Sadly no reciprocal arrangements with RHKYC but a very pleasant first stop nevertheless.

approaching Bora Bora

The water was the predicted brilliant turquoise and the shapely backdrop of the mountains was no disappointment. We dined in the yacht club over the water the first night and then the iconic Bora Bora restaurant Bloody Mary’s with sandy floors and excellent seafood.

Time was pressing on for our crew change in Tahiti so we only had one more night at anchor behind one of the islands in the Bora Bora lagoon and once again we were rewarded with wonderful colours but the coral was disappointingly bleached.

Bora Bora Lagoon

coral island (motu) Bora

We departed the following morning and did a sail through between Raiatea and Tahaa towards Tahiti passing Moorea in the morning of the next day. We had to motor sail as the wind did not allow us to make course and we had a deadline to meet. We moored stern to in Papeete which seemed very noisy and busy after our previous resting places.

Papeete, Tahiti, approach

celebratory lunch after arrival in papeete- the end of our journey from Ecuador to Tahiti

Our next crew Simon and Jo Davies had arrived from Easter Island so it was a grand Hong Kong reunion, but it was indeed a sad day to see Malcom and Glynis leave Baringo after all our magical shared experiences during the voyage. We had some very enjoyable lengthy and amusing lunches and dinners catching up on travel and family news.

As we have learnt to expect a problem came our way when we were least expecting it and we had one incident when we discovered our anchor was stuck on the bottom of the harbour! Although it was stern-to mooring we had not been sure if the mooring lines were present and with the usual strong cross wind which always seems to blow when manoeuvring to anchor stern to we had dropped the anchor to secure the bow. The next event was the almost immediate departure of the boat next to us who had also dropped their anchor and not surprisingly our chain was over theirs. They went to and fro in front of us moving our chain and eventually they were clear and departed but our chain had become very tight …problems ahead were predicted and indeed became reality when we tried to move later the next evening. After many tries to free the chain it proved impossible so we had no choice but to drop it leaving 2 fenders marking the spot and we retreated back to the pontoon. The next day we found a diver from Topdive who agreed to come that evening to try and retrieve the anchor and chain which he did very efficiently using a parachute float. It was with much delight and relief that we put our trusty Rocna back in its place with chain attached.It has been a reliable and solid piece of equipment which we would not be without having changed from a CQR two years ago .

So the day of the grand farewell arrived and Malcolm and Glynis left for New Zealand and we left with Simon and Jo for Moorea and our Society island cruise.

We left the Marquesas on the evening of 28^th August and the first night gave us a very confused sea with wind opposite swell which caused a curious and rather unpleasant twisting motion in the boat . Luckily this did not last for more than the first 24 hours but in exchange the wind died so we sailed very slowly but eventually had to motor . We had some rain and cloudy skies but the cocktails continued each evening with the sunsets.

The Tuamotos are a series of atolls very little land but a lot of water and what land there is flat coral and sand with coconut palms growing .Because they are so low lying navigating between the atolls can be hazardous but modern technology of GPS ,chart plotters and radar has significantly reduced the risk so making our journey possible .To enter the atolls we needed to navigate the passes which are natural breaks in the coral reef usually one sometimes two but they are narrow and because a large volume of water flows in and out with the tides significant current and eddies can develop so correct timing for entry and exit with the appropriate tidal flow is essential .

• Atoll Kauehi   2.9.2014 – 5.9.2014

We timed our approach with the start of the incoming tide hoping it would not be too strong and just float us gently inside the atoll.The water looked fairly smooth initially so we went in and were suddenly taken by the tide reaching a speed of 8kts but otherwise a smooth ride .Once inside all was calm and flat as the reef shelters the lagoon from the waves making a wonderfully calm anchorage .It was about an hour motoring across the atoll to the small village of Tearavero where we anchored near brilliant turquoise water ,the colours were truly amazing . We explored the village meeting most of the locals and we found bread and a few other provisions . We hired bicycles the next day the perfect way to explore the flat atoll coral rim which had a track along it sometimes concrete but sometimes rough. We had a picnic on the beach ,swam and snorkelled in a deserted paradise .We were the only yacht here ! The 4^th september was Malcom’s birthday so after a birthday breakfast we visited a pearl farm and had lunch with the owner surprisingly chicken cooked in imported crème fraiche but we were surrounded by 9 pretty puppies ! Apparently the grafting of the oysters to produce the pearl is done by Chinese who were on holiday back home …we decided this was a much pleasanter and healthier working environment than a factory floor on the mainland ! We swam and snorkelled and then rode back in the truck and visited the owners house to view pearls but all the best had already left for China so only low grade ones were left . We had excellent birthday celebrations with champagne and birthday cake and departed the next morning at 03.45 to catch the outflowing tide in the pass which gave us 10kts over the ground into some huge waves with a few loud slams .It is always worse going out as the water meets the wall of sea but we were soon on our way to the next atoll .

Kuaehi pass

Kuaehi church and village

malcolm’s birthday cake

• Atoll Fakarava 5.9.2014 – 9.92014

Malcom caught a huge dorado soon after we left the pass so it was sashimi for lunch and fish for supper all very tasty . We entered the pass again carried in at around 10 kts with some turbulence but no major problem but there is no doubt these entries and exits are to be handled carefully .It was another hour across the atoll to the village of Rotoava and another beautiful anchorage with brilliant blue water and palm fringed beaches . Again we cycled as far as we could with the pounding breakers on one side and the flat blue lagoon on the other . We found a welcoming French family running a yacht services with laundry , internet facilities ,bicycle hire and excellent coffee ..what more could a yachtie ask for ? Again we cycled as far as we could with the pounding breakers on one side and the flat blue lagoon on the other . We swam and snorkelled and had an excellent dinner in the local pension the price of which included a fresh water shower ! The next day was surprisingly windy no shelter here from the wind only the swell so we stayed on board . We did some provisioning before the next journey the shops are much better stocked than we had been led to expect which was a nice surprise .

at anchor Fakarava

lunchtime restaurant Fakarava

• Atoll Toau 9.9.2014 -11.9.2014

We had an easy sail here until the final 2 hours when we had to motor due east into a strong headwind ,but we were well rewarded as the bay was spectacular . We did not have to enter the atoll through a pass as there is a natural bay in the reef, Anse Amyotwhich provides excellent shelter .There is a family residence here with a very friendly couple Gaston and Valentine who have thoughtfully laid moorings for visiting yachts of which there are about 200 each year .Again the colours were amazing and the snorkelling was a wonderland of shape and colour . Gaston and Valentine caught a huge number of fish in their traps while we were there because the cargo ship was due to arrive and take it to the dining tables in Tahiti .There was great excitement as the catch was unloaded as several sharks came to watch and eat the discarded fish much to the consternation of Valentine’s dogs who were barking fiercely when they approached too close . We left with 4 large lobsters for lunch !

anse amyot with leading beacons

catch at anse amyot

shark scaring dog!

dogs barking at sharks

• Atoll Rangiroa  12.9.2014 – 16.9.20

This is the largest atoll in the group and the island of Tahiti would easily fit inside it.

We had a pleasant overnight sail here arriving two hours too early so had to wait for the slack water to enter the atoll through the Tiputa pass .It looked rather fierce as we approached but by the tide tables it was meant to be the start of the incoming tide and therefore the quietest so we entered expecting our speed to increase. Suddenly the opposite happened and our speed fell to 0.5 kt so we were clearly not on the inflowing tide ! It is at these moments we are thankful for the turbo powered engine so at high revs we stayed almost stationary for about 15 minutes inching our way into the lagoon . At last the calm water was under us and we were inside in peace and quiet . There were only a few yachts here and the anchorage was close to the pass in front of a rather luxurious resort . We hired bikes the easiest mode of atoll transport and we saw the extraordinary waters raging in the pass from the comfort of the land . We dined at the very French Relais Josephine overlooking the pass in which dolphins played and sharks could be easily seen in the clear water just under the verandah .The snorkelling was wonderful on a coral reef close by marked by the leading light into the pass with buoys to attach the dinghy all very easy! So the days here passed easily and pleasantly in the sometimes glassy calm of the lagoon. We were delighted to have to wait an extra day for the wind to arrive before we left for Bora Bora . This time we asked the local dive operator about the best time to leave to get a gentle outgoing tide which was 2 hours after the scheduled one! We had a calm exit the speed only rising to 8 kts and no slamming and we went out into the sunset into a huge flock of whirling black birds and were accompanied by a very large dolphin who played under the bow for about 20 minutes glancing up at us to check we were watching him ! A truly exotic departure party!

dinner at relais josephine

thousands of birds fishing off rangiroa pass

We left the north coast of Hiva Oa at 3.00 am with the moon just rising always a welcome sight for a night sail .We wanted to arrive in Ua Pou in daylight, this is an island to the north about 65 nm away. We had a good sail and a few hours after dawn Malcolm caught a huge dorado. So it was sashimi (with wasabi ) and cerviche for lunch followed by fresh pan fried dorado for supper ….truly mouth watering .

Ua Pou

We anchored in Hakahau bay on the north east coast having sailed past the most unusual spiky outline of the island in clear blue skies . The island contours are created by basalt rock peaks around which erosion has occurred leaving the giant pinnacles behind soaring into the air,a truly extraordinary sight.

approaching Ua Pou

Hakahau bay has the main island town and as usual for the Marquesas it was clean and neat with well kept houses and gardens  and surprisingly well stocked supermarkets , although sadly there is a lack of drinkable French wines.

Hakahau Bay Ua Pou

Hakahau church

wood carving and stone work Hakahau. The churches were all very pretty and well looked after.

The trees were laden with the usual selection of fruit and we were given lots of mango and grapefruit by the locals just plucked from the trees in their gardens and all delicious . We recovered from the 3.00am start and the following day walked to a beautiful sandy beach about 30 minutes to the west over the headland ,another idyllic scene and as usual we had it to ourselves .

We all needed more exercise so we decided to do a longer 3 hour walk to shark beach only occasionally frequented by sharks and safe for swimming. It was a hot day and a shadeless road so after about an hour a hilux truck stopped to give us a lift in the back which was bumpy as the concrete had disappeared but welcome in the heat .We saw the small airport with the runway pointing directly from the sea to the mountains ,only one way in and out here. There was also a slope to compensate for the short length . Again we found beautiful beach with turquoise clear water and just as Glynis was entering for a swim she saw about 8 sharks swimming about 2 metres off the beach in the shallow water so she made a hasty retreat ! The bay lived up to its name but later they moved away so we all swam safely.

Shark bay- sharks visible in the shallow water

picnic at shark bay

We had a delicious picnic and then walked all the way back about 2 hours so plenty of exercise. We sampled the local cuisine that evening in a delightful pension on the hillside looking over the bay owned by a Frenchman .We had sashimi, goat and bread fruit all local dishes and delicious . Jerome the owner is a retired military man as are many of the French living there .

The next day we moved to another bay Hakahetau to the west , another beautiful anchorage and all to ourselves.

Ua-pou en route to Hakahetau-extraordinary scenery

Hakakahetau bay with red roof church

The basalt cones towered overhead and the red roof of the church could be seen through the trees . We had a rather rolly night so moved anchor in the morning with a good result .We explored the village and walked to a nearby waterfall with a refreshing bathing pool at the bottom .We also met our driver from the previous day and he invited us home and sold us some fruit and then he came to visit Baringo . He was keen to crew but we had no space and he was the main carer for his mother and extended family so only a dream at the moment . We had a much quieter night and left early the next day just before the rain came over the island .

waterfall with pool

red roof church

Holler the driver in red roofed church- notice the lovely painted sky ceiling

Nuku Hiva

This is the largest island of the group in fact the second largest in French Polynesia after Tahiti .We arrived around miday after rather a rough sail across again going north west but we had 30 + kts and a big sea .We only had the small jenny, we had not been able to hoist the big jenny as we had not had enough shelter in the previous anchorages. However with this strength of wind we did not need it ! We anchored in baie Taiohae in front of the capital city.  There were several other yachts there some of whom we had met before but it is a large bay so plenty of room for everyone.

Taiohae bay Nuku Hiva- Baringo, a speck on the left

There was a small restaurant on the harbour front with the best internet yet and a yacht services centre for laundry and gas refills and any other assistance.  We hired another hilux for two days and had great fun driving the island roads through the valleys and mountains and remote villages .

hired Hilux

north coast road with the hilux

The north of the island is very dry” terre deserte “and the center is a plateau covered with pine forest. There are many beautiful bays and majestic mountain scenery. We visited the archheological sites and again we were the only visitors .

north coast of Nuku Hiva

Terre desert

Hatiheu beach- another empty beach on the north coast

Hatiheu beach

We did a short hike in the mountains the next day but as signposting is minimalist here we managed to find a suitable trail although it may not have been the one we were lookimg for but had a series of perfect vistas with horses along the way as well.

free range horses

controlleur bay Nuku hiva

Banyan tree with stone remains

Tiki

Later we provisioned for the forthcoming voyage to the Tuamotos where there is very little of anything but coconuts and had an excellent meal in the capitals up market hotel overlooking the bay .

The next day we moved to what was billed as the most sheltered anchorage in the Marquesas to put up the big jenny. It was about an hour away along the south coast to the west and we hoisted the sail easily after John had retrieved the halyard from the top of the mast. We had a last swim then reluctantly left for the Tuamotos .

Certainly the Marquesas lived up to all our expectations and beyond . Thankfully they are remote and therefore relatively under-visited but with just t the right amount of infrastructure to avoid difficulties and have a pleasant cruise. The Marquesans are friendly and easy going but not over interested in their visitors so no pestering . The villages and towns are very well maintained each with its own small church with beautiful stone work and local woodcarvings . It was a wonderful sojourn there, as we all agreed .

Hiva oa

We anchored fore and aft in the little harbour of Atuona and were amazed the next day when a very little boat arrived from South America after 55 days at sea crewed by a very tired looking young couple and an equally tired boat!

We hired a 4 WD drive hilux to explore the island for 2 days managing to drive on every available road as there are not that many! Atuona where Baringo was anchored is on the south of the island so we headed north to the small villages in the bays of the north coast. The roads were mainly concrete but not always so Malcolm took on the task of driver and the 4WD drive was certainly essential. The views were dramatic and the small villages very peaceful and pretty the people still residing without any of the clutter of the modern world. Mangos, bananas, bread fruit (uru) oranges and limes were falling off the laden trees but it was surprisingly difficult to find anyone selling them. There was surprisingly little cultivation although the volcanic soil looks very fertile. We found the well known smiling Tiki buried in the forest and two ancient archeological sites. The first at Lipona near Puamao the first bay we anchored in and another on the south coast the following day Tohua Upeke near Taaoa. They are mainly a series of stone platforms with Tiki statues often under a banyan tree and were formerly places of religious significance but they are still used for festivals of music and dance.

Tiki under banyan tree

We paid homage to Paul Gauguin and the singer Jacques Brell who are both buried in Hiva Oa. There is also an excellent museum with good reproductions of all his paintings done while in French Polynesia.

Gauguin’s grave

Jacques Brel’s grave

We visited the small airport and enjoyed the two restaurants on the islands , it is certainly not generously sprinkled with watering holes! The local food is fish and goat but one restaurant cooked rather excellent pizzas. We finished provisioning visiting all the available supermarkets in the town before we returned the car. That was easy but getting the provisions to the boat in the dinghy from the only usable landing steps was a different story but we succeeded without losing anything to the sea.

Tahuata

We sailed about 10 nm to this adjacent island and anchored in the most glorious bay with a beach of golden sand with only one inhabitant but a few other yachts. The water was crystal clear so snorkeling and swimming were a delight.

M&G going ashore

John ascended the mast to tighten one of the intermediate shrouds but in the calm sheltered bay it was no problem. We had a good supply of fresh food (and wine) so the days passed very pleasantly. But curiosity won and we moved the next bay Vaitahu which had a small village but we were greeted by fierce 45-50kt katabatic winds to anchor in so rather regretted the move especially as we had to anchor twice to get good holding.

Vaitahu

We had a rough first night but the next day the wind settled and we were able to go ashore and explore. There was a beautiful church with impressive stained glass windows, they are usually the focal point of the villages and all the houses and gardens seemed well cared for making strolling around very pleasant.

Fatu Hiva

This was the next island about 45 nm to the SE so we sailed overnight unfortunately into the wind but this was unavoidable. We again arrived the next morning to a welcome of 50 kts headwind trying to get into the small bay Hanaveve better known as the Bay of Virgins. Apparently the original name was the Bay of Verges which means bay of penises in french because of the shape of rocks but this was not to the liking of the missionaries at the time so a redeeming “i” was added or so the story goes ! Anyway it certainly lived up to its original name.

Bay of virgins

Bay of virgins

Fatu hiva inland

Not long before our arrival there was a snap and the big jenny started to fall slowly as the webbing at the top had frayed after the prolonged use on the crossing with lots of furling and unfurling.

torn headsail

The motor took us into this unusually scenic anchorage so the repairs would have to wait for another day. Again the small village was peaceful and seemed from a different era and the locals although polite are not interested in visitors so there is no pestering. We did the 4 hour hike to the main town Omoa over the hills luckily getting a lift back in a local “tinny” giving a great close up view of the amazing coast line. The walk was quite steep so both ways would have been rather more than needed.

Sadly a dismasted yacht has been abandoned in the bay by its american skipper who left two years before so the vessel was taking up valuable space in the small bay and would eventually sink fouling the anchorage or blow out to sea and become a navigation hazard. We had slightly restless nights with the strong katabatic winds racing down the steep slopes which surrounded the bay .

Hiva Oa ..north coast

We sailed overnight again back to Hiva Oa and had quick stop on the return in Atuona for provisions and the internet neither totally satisfactory but improved by a very good lunch. We then sailed around the west coast and along the north coast to Hanaipa a bay we had explored by car and decided it was beautiful enough to anchor in. Once along the north coast it was a beat into the strong easterly wind but the iron sail did not let us down. We were still without the big jenny but for that trip it was not a big problem although we had to sail downwind to get around the west coast but managed with the reefed main alone as there were 30kts of breeze. At one point we gybed around the famous Aranui 3 which is a 117m supply ship that travels from Tahiti around all the polynesia islands including the Marquesas. It is interesting as the front half looks like a regular cargo ship and the aft like a crusie ship. It is a popular 17 day trip for the passengers.

Aranui

The trade winds are stronger at this time of the year but most of the yachts have gone through to get to New Zealand so the compensation is that we often have the anchorages to ourselves. We walked to the idyllic next door bay Hanatekuua with golden sands ,turquoise sea and deserted apart from a few villagers, not a parasol in sight. The path is the only land access a 90 minute walk from Hanaipa for which they use horses.

Hanatekuua beach

Hanatekuua beach- empty!

Hanaaipa bay

We had much quieter nights here as the surrounding slopes were not as steep .

On the 26th July we still had about 950 nm to go. We noticed our speed had dropped and after consulting the Admiralty Pilot book we discovered that the favourable 1kt equatorial current disappears south of 8 degrees sadly. We still had the strong wind though and the accompanying large waves, not quite the Atlantic rollers but larger than we were expecting from the Pacific. We had a minor set back with the fishing when the line got caught in the blades of the wind generator and snapped and we lost our supper and the use of the wind vane. John attempted to unthread it standing on the pushpit but as it was still very rolly he stopped before he fell overboard.

We tried various sail combinations over the next few days, trying to goosewing with the two jennies, we hoisted the main with the third reef but this did not last long as we could not make our course. We really needed to be downwind so it was usually the favoured rig of the poled out big jenny furled as needed. On 29th July the wind became calmer and thoughts of the parasailor began to surface and after much deliberation we had a practice run for a couple of hours that evening but did not fly it overnight. Dawn on 30th saw us all working on hoisting the parasailor again, it looked wonderful and we sailed with it all day as the wind remained light. It certainly gave us a welcome rest from the rolling as it stabilizes the boat very effectively so I took full advantage and baked a loaf of bread and made a cake. We took it down again at dusk and it was back to the faithful poled out big jenny for the night but as the wind strengthened that was just as well.

The pole had to go the next day to make course, and the sea built up with strong wind 25 -30 kts so back to the rolling. On the 1st august Malcolm caught an enormous sail fish it filled the stern cockpit and was a record catch for Malcolm.

At 11.15 the same morning land we saw land, rather a strange sight after so many days of only ocean, but exciting nevertheless. It took until that evening to arrive. We decided to go to a bay on the north of Hiva Oa the island we were making for as it was closer than the anchorage near the town of Atuona. It seemed an easier anchorage in the dark although we had some moonlight now to help us.

We sailed on and the land loomed larger,we had our cocktails rounding the peninsula on the north east of the island and continued to Puamau bay to anchor for supper and a celebratory bottle of champagne. Luckily the modern technology of the chart plotter and radar with the help of the moonlight made it all possible and safe in a large open bay. We all welcomed a night without being woken for a watch and although there was some swell it was much smoother than our nights had been over the last 3 weeks.

So a 22 day voyage without using the motor at all other than start and finish, wonderful wind all the way, no major breakages, gear failures or injuries and a lot of fun as well. We sailed round to Atuona the next day and anchored in the bay with several other yachts some of them looked as if they would hardly make the next bay for a picnic never mind 3000+nm across the Pacific! It seemed to be the normal way of life here to have sailed across thousands of miles of ocean.

We are planning to cruise the Marquesas for the next few weeks before heading to the Tuamotos so watch this space. Photos will be added when internet allows.

Crew (and friends still!) Malcolm and Glynis

Pedro the local pilot who guided us in and out of Puerto Amistad

Leaving Amistad

A bite

Mahi mahi on board

delicious fresh bread baked by Julia

poled out headsail the worker

parasailor the booster

parasailor flying nicely

the wing of the parasailor

land ahoy after 21 days

Hiva Oa getting closer

first anchorage Puamau bay, north east coast of Hiva Oa

We arrived safely on the island of Hiva Oa on august 1st late at night after 22 days at sea. We anchored in a bay on the north shore and the next day moved to the main town of Atuona on the south side where we have been doing the formalities, restocking and having a look around the island. Internet is poor here so hence the delay but full report from Julia coming soon. Hope all is well with you all.

The crew at the start

Our departure from Bahia de Caraquez was more complicated than expected because we discovered that the document we had received there on our arrival in November last year to enable us to import the boat into Ecuador had metamorphosed from the original into a photocopy. This must have happened sometime somewhere over the last 8 months between Bahia and La Libertad where Baringo had stayed on the hard. The original was essential for us to be able to leave Ecuador so we searched the boat telephoned the various offices locally and in La Libertad but to no avail. The solution to the problem was as usual …money ! With that the original was replicated and we just made our departure with the high tide.

Glynis and I had bought all the fresh provisions that morning still not sure if the wheels of bureaucracy would work fast enough for us to catch the tide but they did and Pedro the pilot arrived with all the papers and we were away out of the river into the sea at 14.30. The first few hours were motor sailing into quite a head wind and the waves so a rough start. We crossed Manta bay that evening and the nest day dawned gray and cool ,the effect of the cold Humboldt current which remained with us until after we were west of the Galapagos. The wind had become more favourable so we could sail now on a beam reach but it was still 25 kts and the sea was rough. We were all finding our sea legs and getting used to the watch system and the broken nights again.

It was now beginning to feel a large empty ocean and our progress on the chart seemed rather small but we were making about 7kts occasionally up to 9 kts as the wind remained strong and from the SE. By day 3 we were passing south of the Galapagos but did not have sight of them,but we had dolphins and two whales and petrels for company .All the machinery was functioning, generator ,water maker , autohelm and chartploter although the latter became unnecessary in such an empty ocean. We were sailing with reefed main and reefed jenny so the main watch tasks were furling and unfurling the jenny depending on wind strength which was quite variable but never less than about 15kts.The daily routine of meals ,power generation ,water making and watches continued unabated as the number of miles to the Marquesas gradually diminished. This is the longest passage on the so called “Coconut Milk Run”.

On Thursday 17th there was great excitement as Malcolm caught a large dorado and we had a delicious fresh fish supper. Four days later Malcom caught another and hauled in the line with great difficulty while we are all watching his struggle in eager anticipation but at the last moment the fish swam struggling to the port stern and the fishing line was severed by the wind generator! Undeterred by such a loss our fisherman continued and landed another large dorado the next day which fed us handsomely for three days .

The 23rd July gave us increasing winds gusting up to 45 so we furled the jenny completely and put the 3rd reef in the main sail. We had improved the way we could use this while in Ecuador and were pleased we had as it was easy to do and took the pressure off the boat in the strong wind. These seemed to be very strong trade winds and any thoughts of using the parasailor were still a distant dream .The waves were much bigger now and as we were still trying to cross them to maintain course the boat was lurching violently and unpredictably which made the galley an interesting place to work ! By the next day we decided to drop the main completely having discussed and contemplated this for the preceding 24 hours we as usual felt we could have done it earlier. The boat felt much more relaxed and we sailed easily on the furled jenny alone until we needed the pole out to stabilize it and make course.

So far so good and as I write we are making around 6 kts on a sunny day with the ocean to oursleves still on poled out furled jenny alone. Glynis has celebrated our crossing the 3/4 distance mark with some delicious scones ! We have a sweepstake for our ETA so there is all to play for. (Sorry Richard not an interesting blog for you!)