Category: Photo Log

May 7-9, 2014

This was my second favorite anchorage in The Marquesas (after Fatu Hiva). I only regret that we saved it for last and didn’t have nearly enough time. We only have 90 days on our visa for all of French Polynesia and we were pushing 5 weeks in the Marquesas, so it was unfortunately time to go. But we did manage to hike over a ridge to the next bay to a town to buy baguettes and hike to an organic vegetable farm and pick our own veggies. We left with 4 stalks of bananas and 40+ mangoes, so we hoped to give some to the locals in the Tuamotus (spoiler alert, our first motu was Raroia and we didn’t meet any locals, so we were forced to eat all that fruit ourselves. We were on banana quota patrol.) 

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Logbook – May 7, 2014 (Hakaehu to Anaho)

Passage Log Highlights

• 1245 Arrive Anaho * No speedo

Daily Notes:

• Wahoo! 49 lb 5’6”
• D – paddle board along the reef. 2 turtles – beautiful
• Potluck on LC. Wahoo!

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Logbook – May 8, 2014 (Anaho)

Daily Notes:

• Hike over the ridge to hatiheu w/o kids. Frozen baguettes.
• Rainy day

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Email to family and friends dated May 8, 2014

Subject: Anaho

We made it to Anaho and it’s one of the loveliest anchorages we’ve been in, well worth the bash to get here. Unfortunately it’s been raining all day today (Thursday)so we haven’t been able to fully enjoy it. We are down to just a day or two left in the Marquesas, so it’s a bit disappointing. On the 6 or so mile trip to get here from Hakaehu Lady Carolina landed a huge wahoo. We were on the radio with them, and Steve was telling us to go ahead and pull in our lines since we are set for fish for awhile and then… whrrrrr…. fish on. Tim also wrestled aboard a 5.5 ft wahoo. So, now we are REALLY set for fish. We have traded some with some locals for bananas (although the bananas have not arrived yet), traded some to another boat for some dorado, and given some away to another boat we’ve seen several times previously at other anchorage. We had a HUGE wahoo dinner on Lady Carolina last night, and we’ll be having another on Exodus tonight.
Tim, Steve, Carolina, and I went on a hike this morning (sans kids) up over a ridge to the next bay where there is a town and we heard you can get baguettes there. It was a long hike, and I enjoyed it because it gave me that same feeling I get from running (getting the heart rate a little bit up and then just pushing along). We scored some baguettes but they were frozen and since it was such a small town we tempered our desire to buy 8 each and cut it down to 4 each.
We will likely leave for the Tuamotus on Saturday and we will hook up again with True Blue V for the passage, so we will be convoy of 3. Chara is already in the Tuamotus but hopefully we will catch up to them in Tahiti if not before.
Love and miss you all,

-D.

At 5/6/2014 3:25 PM (utc) our position was 08°49.34’S 140°03.89’W <—- just noticed the date and time are wrong. Not sure why… it’s currently Th May 8 4:50 pm Marquesan time (UTC – 9.5)

P.S. I have discovered a process error which has caused many of the dates attached to these location messages to be erroneous. Anyway, since I do these manually, it’s best to take them with a grain of salt. The best way to check our location is on the inReach page.

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Logbook – May 9, 2014 (Anaho)

Daily Notes:

• Hike for veggies – picked fresh veggies @ the farm
• Boys gather 92 mangos (green)

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Email to family and friends dated May 9, 2014

Subject: Anaho

We made it to Anaho and it’s one of the loveliest anchorages we’ve been in, well worth the bash to get here.  Unfortunately, it’s been raining all day today (Thursday) so we haven’t been able to fully enjoy it.  We are down to just a day or two left in the Marquesas, so it’s a bit disappointing.  On the 6 or so mile trip to get here from Hakaehu, Lady Carolina landed a huge wahoo.  We were on the radio with them, and Steve was telling us to go ahead and pull in our lines since we are set for fish for a while and then…  whrrrrr…. fish on!  Tim also wrestled aboard a 5.5 ft wahoo.  So, now we are REALLY set for fish.  We have traded some with some locals for bananas (although the bananas have not arrived yet), traded some to another boat for some dorado, and given some away to another boat we’ve seen several times previously at other anchorage.  We had a HUGE wahoo dinner on Lady Carolina last night, and we’ll be having another on Exodus tonight.

Tim, Steve, Carolina, and I went on a hike this morning (sans kids) up over a ridge to the next bay where there is a town and we heard you can get baguettes there.  It was a long hike, and I enjoyed it because it gave me that same feeling I get from running (getting the heart rate a little bit up and then just pushing along).  We scored some baguettes but they were frozen and since it was such a small town we tempered our desire to buy 8 each and cut it down to 4 each. 

We will likely leave for the Tuamotus on Saturday and we will hook up again with True Blue V for the passage, so we will be convoy of 3.  Chara is already in the Tuamotus but hopefully we will catch up to them in Tahiti if not before.

Love and miss you all,

-D.

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At 5/6/2014 3:25 PM (utc) our position was 08°49.34’S 140°03.89’W <—- just noticed the date and time are wrong.  Not sure why… it’s currently Th May 8 4:50 pm Marquesan time (UTC – 9.5)

P.S. I have discovered a process error which has caused many of the dates attached to these location messages to be erroneous.  Anyway, since I do these manually, it’s best to take them with a grain of salt.  The best way to check our location is on the inReach page.

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Email to family and friends dated May 10, 2014

Subject: Adios Marquesas

We are planning to leave Anaho around noon today (Marquesan time) for the Tuamotos.  Our planned first stop is the atoll of Raroia, and we expect it to take between 3 and 4 days.  We want to arrive on the lee side of the atoll where the pass is by Wed morning in order to make it through the pass at slack tide around 12:30.  We’ll have the inReach on so you can track our progress and I’ll send another email if any plans change.  Right now Tim is trying to find a leak in our dinghy and I just finished preparing passage food and I’m doing all the other pre-passage activies (testing EPIRB, getting sails ready, etc.)  The boys changed the water maker filters and cleaned the sea water strainer and are currently trying to talk me into having the day off from school.  They took yesterday off to go on a hike with Kyle and Joel to collect mangoes, and would you believe they came back with 92 nice green ones?  We are trying to take extra fruit to the Tuamotus, because unlike the Marquesas it is not very abundant and we want to share with the locals.  Tim, Steve, Carolina, and I hiked over to an organic farm yesterday and picked our own green beans, lettuce, radishes, and eggplant, and we also got some tomatoes and peppers that were already picked.  The part of the hike back that was along a trail just off the beach was amazing and I regret I didn’t have my camera with me.  White sand, blue water contrasted with dramatic black volcanic boulders.  No, it wasn’t a quick trip to the store for veggies, but it was a journey worth taking.

Love and miss you all,

-D.

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At 5/9/2014 1:57 AM (utc) our position was 08°49.34’S 140°03.89’W

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May 5-6, 2014

Unfortunately, I didn’t take many photos here. We met a father and son who treated us with such hospitality, including a tour of their property, a meal to share, and a bunch of pamplemousse. The animals in these photos are theirs.

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Logbook – May 5, 2014 (Daniel’s Bay to Hakaehu)

Passage Log Highlights:

• 0928 Engines on
• Depart
• 1002 Engines off main + genoa
• 1107 SB engine on + main
• 1258 P engine on + main (1 reef)
• 1425 Arrive Hakaehu

Daily Notes:

• Met Albert and Germain – many animals (baby pig & goat!)

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Logbook – May 6, 2014 (Hakaehu)

Daily Notes:

• T – help fix LC main sail
• T/Steve – spearfish. T – lost bolt (gun broken) Steve – afraid of sharks
• Dinner w/ Albert & Germain. Pig, breadfruit, breadfruit puree

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Email to family and friends dated May 6, 2014

Subject: Hakaehu

Once again, we tried to navigate east around the north side of an island and got slammed with 20+ kt winds on the nose and didn’t make it to our destination.  We heard this island (Nuku Hiva) was better.  We heard that the wind funnels through the valleys and if you stay close to shore, you’ll get a nice beam reach on your starboard side.  We heard wrong.  Anyway, we didn’t make it to Anaho yesterday, instead we stopped at a less visited bay called Hakaehu.  We won’t be leaving for Anaho today either, because we are in for another treat today.  Tim met two guys, a father and son, who live here, and they showed us around their property where they harvest copra and grow many other fruits (they gave us pamplemousse and papayas) and they have many animals.  Brenden especially enjoyed the baby goat that followed him around.  They speak only slightly more English than we do French, but with a little bit of gesturing and had signals we were able to communicate.  Today they have invited us to a meal with them where they are going to cook up a wild goat they caught (we actually saw it tied to a tree yesterday).  I wish I had more bananas right now because at our last meal with Marquesans on Tahuata the banana bread was about the only thing we brought that they liked.  Maybe I’ll make pumpkin bread (I’m sure I have a can of pumpkin rolling around somewhere).  I will also be sure to bring my French book this time.

Love and miss you all,

-D.

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At 5/6/2014 3:25 PM (utc) our position was 08°47.27’S 140°10.89’W

May 2-4, 2014

Baie de Taioa became known as Daniel’s Bay because of after a Marquesan couple, Daniel and Antoinette, who lived there for a very long time and were quite welcoming to cruisers. Thanks to the TV show survivor, which used this bay as the set for one of their seasons, they no longer live here, but we enjoyed our stay none the less. The highlights were a hike to yet another waterfall, and our first taste of Wahoo, courtesy of Tim and Steve.

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Logbook – May 2, 2014 (Taiohae to Daniel’s Bay)

Passage Log Highlights:

• 1027 Depart
• 1041 Port engine off
• Port engine on
• 1154 Arrive Taioa (Daniel’s Bay)

Daily Notes:

• *Speedo didn’t work the whole way
• T/Steve dinghy fishing. Wahoo! Tuna! Dinner on Exodus with LC

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Email to family and friends dated May 2, 2014

Subject: Daniel’s Bay

After several days of provisioning and internet we finally made it a few miles out of Taiohae to what it commonly called Daniel’s bay.  There used to be a Marquesan here called Daniel who would befriend cruisers, but those of you who watch Survivor might recall that when they filmed Survivor Marquesas this is where they did it and they paid Daniel to move and tore down his house.  (At least that’s the story I heard at one of the seminars I went to).  We’ll stay here a couple days, enjoy another hike to another spectacular waterfall, and then decide if we will visit one more anchorage here on Nuku Hiva before we leave the Marquesas for the 3-day passage to the Tuamotus.

Love and miss you all,

-D.

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At 4/25/2014 3:54 PM (utc) our position was 08°56.60’S 140°09.81’W

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Logbook – May 3, 2014 (Daniel’s Bay)

Daily Notes:

• Potluck on Exodus more fish – wahoo & tuna

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Email to family and friends dated May 3, 2014

Subject: Wahoo!

Daniel’s bay is nice and sheltered, so it’s one of the least rolly anchorages we have been in, but the best part so far was the WAHOO!!  Tim and Steve went dinghy fishing yesterday afternoon and came back with a 4.5-5 ft. Wahoo.  And for good measure they also caught a good size yellow fin tuna.  So, we at very well last night.

Love and miss you all,

-D.

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At 4/25/2014 3:54 PM (utc) our position was 08°52.85’S 140°02.88’W

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Logbook – May 4, 2014 (Daniel’s Bay)

Daily Notes:

• Hike to waterfall & pool. Boys swim. GoPro video.

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April 28 – May 1, 2014

Taiohae is the capital of The Marquesas, so we took care of laundry, provisioning, propane, and we also enjoyed eating out a few times.

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Logbook – April 28, 2014 (Controller Bay to Taiohae)

Passage Log Highlights

• 0845 Engines on
• 0851 Depart
• 0803 SB engine off
• 1022 SB engine on
• 1053 Arrive Taiohae

Daily Notes

• Bad burgers & slow internet

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Email to family and friends dated April 28, 2014

Subject: Taiohae

We just arrived in the main anchorage of Nuku Hiva called Bai Taiohae, and we have wifi!!!  We’ll be going ashore for awhile, but hopefully I’ll get to upload photos and movies by days end.

We had a great time at Baie du Controleur where we hiked to a waterfall and caught up with old friends from our summer in the sea of cortez.

Love and miss you all,

-D.

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At 4/25/2014 3:54 PM (utc) our position was 08°52.85’S 140°02.88’W

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Logbook – April 29, 2014 (Taiohae)

Daily Notes

• Early to markets for baguettes and veggies
• Fuel & laundry
• Internet!
• Pizza dinner on shore

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Logbook – April 30, 2014 (Taiohae)

Daily Notes:

• Massive provisioning – tons of veggies
• Mint – mojitos and Thai stir fry
• T – cover for the generator

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Logbook – May 1, 2014 (Taiohae)

Daily Notes:

• Confessions of a cruiser – weeks w/o fresh fruit/veg… shaved legs?
• No baguettes or fuel – have to wait until tomorrow to leave
• D – walk around the bay
• Music on the dock then drinks on Exodus with LC

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April 24-27, 2014

Baie du Controleur, Nuku Hiva – This is the village that is the setting of Herman Melville’s Typee

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Logbook – April 24, 2014 (Tahuata to Controller Bay)

Passage Log Highlights

• 1619 Engines on
• 1625 Depart
• 1644 Engines off – main (1 reef) + genoa
• 1842 SB engine on – turned off after an hour
• 1944 Main (1 reef) + genoa

Daily Notes

• Big dorado on hand line (red/black feather). Lost it at swim step (4.5-5 ft long). Just West of Hiva Oa 3-4 mi.

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Logbook – April 25, 2014 (Tahuata to Controller Bay)

Passage Log Highligts

• 0602 Engines on
• 0632 Arrive Controller Bay, Nuku Hiva

Daily Log

• Shore excursion with Chara. Walk along the river through town. Were given a big box of bananas. Dinghy painters stolen.
• Drinks on Sara M

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Logbook – April 26, 2014 (Controller Bay)

Daily Log

• TBV dinghy painter stolen too
• Hike (walk) to waterfall
• Potluck on Exodus w/ LC, TBV, Chara, Sara M

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Logbook – April 27, 2014 (Controller Bay)

Daily Notes

• Distress call from Grace
• T – Spearfish with Craig & Gravel
• D – short paddle to small beach
• Dinner on Exodus w/ LC – making a “plan

April 21-23, 2014

We spent a few days on the west side of Tahuata to break up the passage between Fatu Hiva and Nuku Hiva. Here we found rare white sand beaches in The Marquesas.

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Logbook – April 21, 2014 (Fatu Hiva to Hapatoni, Tahuata)

Passage Log Highlights

• 0649 Engines on
• 0655 Depart
• 0708 P engine off
• 0815 SB engine off main + genoa
• 0949 main + spinnaker
• 1359 P engine on main + genoa
• 1606 Arrive Hapatoni

Daily Notes

• D – paddle across the bay to the north
• All – snorkel, spearfish

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Logbook – April 22, 2014 (Hapatoni, Tahuata to Hanamoenoa, Tahuata)

Passage Log Highlights

• 1331 Engines on
• 1335 Depart
• 1513 Arrive Hanamoenoa

Daily Notes

• Shore excursion @ Hapatoni – bought turtle necklace for Jen
• Drive-by Vaitah
• Anchor @ Hanamoenoa – white sand beach, play in the water
• T/A – night diving for lobsters +2

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Logbook April 23, 2014 (Hanamoenoa, Tahuata)

Daily Notes

• B “took” mom snorkeling
• LC, TBV, Chara here. Boys play at the beach
• A – JELLYFISH STING
• Appetizers on LC
• T/Steve – Dark diving for langosta. None! (All the ones they saw were like an inch and a half long). Kyle/B – drove the dinghy for them

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Email to family and friends dated April 24, 2014

Subject: Headed for Nuku Hiva

We are still on Tahuata, but we are planning to leave this afternoon for an overnight passage to Nuku Hiva.  The anchorage we are in now has a nice white sandy beach where the boys have been playing… until Alex was stung by a jelly fish all over his chest, stomach, and arm.  It was incredibly painful, not something you like to see your “baby” go through, but he was tough and got through it and even went over to Lady Carolina with us for a potluck.  I’ll post photos if I ever get internet…

Love and miss you all,

-D.

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At 4/24/2014 4:00 PM (utc) our position was 09°54.43’S 139°06.22’W

April 15-20, 2014

We stayed in Hanavave (aka Bay of Virgins) on the Island of Fatu Hiva, and it was by far the most beautiful anchorage we’ve ever been to. It was an overnight upwind slog to get there, but totally worth it.

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Logbook – April 15, 2014 (Hanaiapa to Hahatekuua to Fatu Hiva)

Passage Log Highlights

• 0825 Engines on
• 0830 Depart
• 0908 Arrive Hahatekuua
• (time not recorded) Depart Hahatekuua
• 1836 P engine off. Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)

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April 16, 2014 (Hahatekuua to Fatu Hiva)

Passage Log Highlight

• 0713 P engine on
• 0751 SB engine on
• 0822 Arrive Fatu Hiva

Daily Notes

• T – spearfish w/ Pete & Hugh (s/v Icarus II)
• D – paddle to shore, let all the kids ride the paddle board
• Party on LC
• Norango is found! David, Lynn, Sianna (6 yrs)
• Dinner on Exodus w/ LC, Icarus II, Norango

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Email to family and friends dated April 16, 2014

Subject: Fatu Hiva

We had a crappy overnight passage from the north side of Hiva Oa down to Fatu Hiva.  It was into the wind the entire way, but fortunately we were able to make it from the east end of Hiva Oa to here on a single tack.  We just dropped anchor and the boys and I are about to do some schoolwork before Lady Carolina gets here and they want to go play.  The anchorage is amazing.  I keep hearing it’s the most beautiful in the Marquesas, maybe even French Polynesia, and it is living up to its billing.  We will likely stay here a few days and enjoy some hiking and exploring.  According to Charlie’s Charts it is rumored that this anchorage was originally named “Bey des Verges” (Bay of the Phalli) because of the shape of the rocky pillars that greet you at the entrance of the bay.  However, the missionaries disapproved, and inserted an “i” making it “Bay des Vierges” (Bay of Virgins).  All that may be irrelevant because in Marquesan it is called Baie Hanavave, which means “strong surf bay.”  Seriously, I have no idea how photos will capture that massive beauty of this place.  I was punished for even trying… while taking photos on the way in I dropped my lens cap overboard. 

Love and miss you all,

-D.

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At 4/15/2014 4:37 PM (utc) our position was 10°27.92’S 138°40.05’W

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Logbook – April 17, 2014 (Fatu Hiva)

Daily Notes

• Hike to waterfall
• Dinner on shore. 1700 XFP/person. Good food & entertainment

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Logbook – April 18, 2014 (Fatu Hiva)

Daily Notes

• T/S – Lobsters w/ the locals

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Email to family and friends dated April, 18, 2014

Subject: Fatu Hiva Adventures

We are having a wonderful time here at Hanavave on the island of Fatu Hiva.  Our first afternoon I went out on the paddle board and went over to check the situation at the dock (where could we tie up a dignhy?  Where can we dump trash?  Etc…)  And the local kids asked me, in that clunky sign language that you use when you don’t speak each other’s languages, if they could try the paddle board.  So, I seriously spent about an hour and a half with them while they all took turns trying the paddle board.  They loved it! And as they got more and more comfortable with me they got more and more aggressive over who’s turn it was and kept looking to me to adjudicate.  Communication was very difficult, since my French is horrible, and one of the girls only spoke a few words of English.  However, I found out last night when I saw one of the boys again that he is learning Spanish in school so I was able to talk to him in Spanish!  Then, after they got even more comfortable they started asking me for things and simply would not stop.  Fishing line, hooks, pencils, notebooks, crayons, erasers.  And of course all of this was communicated playing that sign language game again.  Although, they did teach me a few words in French.

Yesterday we had a not too strenuous hike up to a waterfall and then we had dinner on shore.  We had a very good Marquesan dinner for 1700 XFP per person (about $20 each) at someone’s house and they even brought out a guitar, bongo, and ukelele and provided some entertainment.  A young girl probably 11 or 12 did some singing and dancing and she was quite spectacular.  This morning, the husband, Jack, took Steve and Tim out fishing, and they are not back yet so I can’t wait to see what they catch. 

There was a church service going on when we walked to dinner and the singing was very welcoming.  We asked if it would be OK for us to come to Easter service, and they said yes, but told us we (the women) would need to cover our shoulders.  There is a service Sat evening at 7pm and we may go to that one rather than Easter morning.  It seems a night service might be a little more lively with the singing and all. 

Love and miss you all,

-D.

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At 4/18/2014 5:15 PM (utc) our position was 10°27.92’S 138°40.05’W

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Logbook – April 19, 2014 (Fatu Hiva)

Daily Notes

• Lobster feast on Exodus w/ LC, TBV, Chara
• Marquesan church service zzzz

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Logbook – April 20, 2014 (Fatu Hiva)

Daily Notes

• Easter Sunday
• Adios to Icarus II
• Brenden recovers the plate (42 feet of water)
• T/A/B + Leann, Joyce, Anna –> snorkeling/spearfishing
• B made chocolate pudding
• T/A night dive for lobsters +7

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April 12-14, 2014

We were headed for Hanaiapa but with 20+ knots on the nose we aborted and stayed for one night at Hanamenu, which was a pleasant anchorage. Hanaiapa is a village on the north side of Hiva Oa. We didn’t stay long, but we enjoyed a nice walk through town, and we met William at the “Yacht Club”

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Logbook – April 12, 2014 (Tahuata to Hanamenu)

Passage Log Highlights

• 1000 Engines on
• 1020 Depart
• 1033 Engines off, Main + genoa
• 1234 P engine on (SB already on) + main
• 1312 Arrive Baie Hanamenu

Daily Nots

• Changed propane to tank #3
• TBV – 2 yellowfin tuna! yum!!! TBV and LC for dinner
• Fresh water spring w/ pool on shore – beautiful and cold!

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Logbook – April 13, 2014 (Hanamenu to Hanaiapa)

Passage Log Highlights

• 0836 Engines on
• 0848 Depart
• 0904 SB engine off
• 1020 SB engine on
• 1105 Arrive Hanaiapa

Daily Notes

• T – spearfish
• Icarius II – Pete & Hugh – wine & beers on Exodus

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Logbook – April 14, 2014 (Hanaiapa)

Daily Notes

• Shore excursion – Hanaiapa. Concrete wharf, nowhere to tie dinghy. Beach landing. Walk through town. Many houses, no services. Stopped at William’s “Yacht Club.” Hospitality in exchange for wine.

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April 9-11, 2014

It’s only a “secret” because it’s not in the guidebooks. So, we didn’t have much company in the anchorage. We met a Marquesan family on shore and had a potluck with them. They were extremely hospitable, and we all enjoyed ourselves

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Logbook – April 9, 2014 (Atuona to Tahuata)

Passage Log Highlights

• 1243 Engines on
• 1255 Depart
• 1520 Arrive Tahuata Island

Daily Notes

• 09 deg 53.6 S, 139 deg 04.93 W – Secret Bay
• Boys to shore on surfboards
• T – a little spearfishing. Giant rays and sharks
• French bread pizza on Lady Carolina

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Logbook – April 10, 2014 (Tahuata)

Daily Notes

• Back to school
• T – spearfish all afternoon
• Boys – surfboards to the beach

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Logbook – April 11, 2014 (Tahuata)

Daily Notes

• Marquesan potluck
• Meat party on Exodus

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Email to family and friends dated April 12, 2014

Subject: Ile Tahuata

We left Atuona a couple days ago and we’ve been at a “secret anchorage,” meaning one that isn’t in the guidebook, on the island of Tahuata.  When we were still in Atuona, Tim and Steve befriended a local guy who took them to fish and to get fruit and they came back with bags of coconuts, mangos, and bananas.  Then he came back to Exodus and cook pork and breadfruit for us and our friends.  He also left us with a whole side of meat (lamb, we think), so… yesterday Tim and Steve went to shore here to ask some locals if we could make a pit on their beach to cook our meat, and they welcomed us to use their BBQ, and we ended up having a big Marquesan potluck with the extended family staying at the beach.  There were 5 kids, all in the same age range as our boys, and they all played on the surfboards together.  Brenden has a harder time with the language barrier… Alex said he just told the other boys, “Don’t say, just do.”  We learned that boiled bananas are quite good, and that coconut milk goes on everything.  We grilled up some of the fish Tim caught, but I spiced it up a little too much for their liking.  They were polite and tried our food too… my cucumber salad (made with banana vinegar) wasn’t such a big hit, but they seemed to like my banana bread.  They were a really nice family, and one of the women spoke very good English, so we were able to talk and learn a lot about them and how they cook.

Today we aren’t going back to Hiva Oa, but to an anchorage on the Northern side.  We are all out of baguettes and there’s a little village there, so hopefully we can replenish.

Love and miss you all,

-D.

P.S.  Just a reminder for everyone…  This email is coming via HF radio, and that means VERY low bandwidth.  Remember 96k modems?  So, it is important that correspondence using this email is necessary and not too large.  So, please don’t forward anything to us, don’t send us any attachments, and anything that can wait until the next time we have internet access please send to our regular email accounts.  We love you all and we want to use this email to stay in touch, but we also use it for the very important task of downloading weather.

OK, all that said,  we LOVE hearing from you.  Short text emails download quickly, so please don’t let my little lecture above keep you from dropping us a note every now and then letting us know what’s going on with you too.  We really do like staying connected with what’s going on back home, so please say hi once in awhile.  Especially Andrew.  🙂 

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At 4/12/2014 4:12 PM (utc) our position was 09°53.62’S 139°04.91’W

April 2-9, 2014

This was our first port of call in French Polynesia, and we stayed a full week enjoying the town and the arrival of all our friends.

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Logbook – April 3, 2014 (Atuona, Hiva Oa)

Daily Notes

• Shore excursion
• Smells remind me of Hawaii
• Giant bag o’ French bread
• Snack Makemake
• Gendarmarie, Bank, stores, Pan de chocolate

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Logbook – April 4, 2014 (Atuona, Hiva Oa)

Daily Notes

• Chara and LC here!
• Mankini
• All day happy hour on Exodus, no dinner

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Logbook – April 5, 2014 (Atuona Hiva Oa)

Daily Notes

• Potluck w/ Chara, LC, Mojombo – seared ahi, yum!

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Logbook – April 6, 2014 (Atuona, Hiva Oa)

Daily Notes

• Welcome TBV! Drinks and snacks on Exodus. Mankini part 2
• Boys made ramen for dinner

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Email to family and friends dated April 6, 2014

Subject: Atuona, Hiva Oa

We are still in Atuona where we arrived last Wednesday.  We have been having a great time welcoming the rest of the gang here… Lady Carolina and Chara arrived on Friday, and True Blue V will arrive later this morning.  There is also another kid boat here with a 14-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl, so we also had them over yesterday evening.  We will probably leave here tomorrow or Tuesday, depending on whether we can arrange for an island tour tomorrow.  Today is Sunday, and the island pretty much shuts down.  You can’t even get baguettes on Sunday!

The town is really nice even if it is quite a walk from the harbor.  We’ve been to town twice but have yet to make it up to the cemetary (where Paul Gaugin is buried), and I’m getting to the point where I think that may have to be a solo activity for me.  Provisions here are very good, and contrary to what you hear you CAN get eggs here.  Lady Carolina brought 20 doz. and Chara brought 16 doz. with them from Mexico and covered them in vaseline.  I just couldn’t bring myself to do that… I brought enough for the passage and if we really couldn’t get eggs here we would just go without until Papeete.  The roosters crow 24/7 here, so I knew there must be eggs… Since we had been out of fresh fruit for over a week, the tangerines we found in town were quite a treat.  I bought 10 the first day and the boys devoured them.  So, I bought 25 yesterday, and those are almost gone.

The checkin process was very simple and easy.  No long waits.  No drama.

Love and Miss you all,

-D.

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At 4/4/2014 2:25 PM (utc) our position was 09°48.18’S 139°01.85’W

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Logbook – April 7, 2014 (Atuona, Hiva Oa)

Daily Notes

• Tim & Steve – full day adventure with Steven – Ka Oha
• Boys on LC all day
• D – 3 hrs of internet – walk to town and cemetery
• Rebel Heart 😦
• Potluck – LC, Chara, TBV, Eleutheria (Lewis/Alyssa), Steven, breadfruit, pig. Mucho, mucho, mucho alcohol. Kids and dinghies to LC. (No midnight fishing).

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Logbook – April 8, 2014 (Atuona, Hiva Oa)

Daily Notes

• Tour across the island w/ Marie Jo. Pamplemouse, dried bananas, star fruit, limes, breadfruit, peppers, tikis
• French toast for dinner after dishes for 2 hours

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For more about the Hiva Oa Island Tour adventure, follow this Link.