This was our last atoll in the Tuamotus, and sadly, I didn’t snap very many photos. The highlight of our visit isn’t even captured… we met 3 other kid boats!
Logbook – May 30, 2014 (Makemo to Tahanea)
Passage Log Highlights
1630 Engines on
Depart Makemo
1700 Through the pass
1708 Both engines off genoa only (3 reefs)
Daily Notes
Alex sick – slept all morning. Vomiting in the night. Fever. Sore throat. 1550 – 102.6 deg fever. White tonsils.
Anchor stuck – Tim had to dive. Brenden stepped it up (Alex sick).
Logbook – May 31, 2014 (Makemo to Tahanea)
Passage Log Highlights
0528 Engines on. At the pass. Too dar.
0630 Arrive anchorage just inside pass
0848 Engines on
Depart
1134 Arrive SE anchorage
Daily Notes
1st pass going against the current. Max 3 kt current.
Depart Makemo May 30 at 1630 – Arrive Tahanea SE anchorage at 1134We anchored just inside the pass for a couple of hours until the sun was high enough to transit down to the SE anchorageThe pass at TahaneaWe anchored for on the SE side of the atoll for maximum wind protectionBrenden and Kyle designed and built a sail to use as a windsurfer atop our paddle board. It only goes downwind, so Kyle is following Brenden in the dinghy to bring him back.
T/Steve – took all the kids to shore to build forts
Exodus is the mini-me in the backgroun
Email to friends and family dated June 1, 2014
Subject: Tahanea
We made it to Tahanea, another atoll in the Tuamotus, just at sunrise yesterday morning. It is only 48 miles from Makemo, so we had an intentionally long slow night with very little sail up so we wouldn’t arrive too early. Tahanea is an uninhabited atoll, and it is actually a national park to protect a type of rare bird, so we thought this would be the most remote of the atolls so far. But there are a lot of other cruisers here… 6 others in the anchorage with us, and 3 of them kid boats. We had a bonfire on the beach last night and met the other kid boats, all catamarans, all of which cruised the Caribbean and came through the Panama canal. There are 6 kids ranging in age from 6 to 12, 5 girls and 1 boy, so our 4 boys (Exodus and Lady Carolina) instantly evened the girl/boy score. I’m going to give the kids the day off from school, so they can play with their new friends. Love and miss you all, -D.
Logbook – June 2, 2014 (Tahanea SE Anchorage)
Daily Notes
“4-6pm” happy hour on Exodus. Kyle cooked pasta on LC for all the kids
Logbook – June 3, 2014 (Tahanea SE Anchorage to Tahanea Pass)
Passage Log Highlights
0819 Engines on
0825 Depart
1049 Arrive @ pass anchorage
Daily Notes
T/Steve/A/K – ride w/ locals (Phillip, Chris, and “The Boss”) to go find paddleboard. Unsuccessful.
Steve is hooked on minecraft
Depart Tahanea SE Anchorage June 3 at 0825 – Arrive Tahanea Pass Anchorage at 1049We anchored near the pass for an easier departure to Papeete, Tahiti the next day
Makemo was a true highlight of our journey. Not for the beauty, not for the diving, but for the interaction we had with some of the people who live there. We don’t speak French, and I’ve never regretted it more, but we still had a rich experience. I hope to go back there some day.
Logbook – May 20, 2014 (Raroia to Makemo)
Passage Log Highlights
1539 Engines on
1554 Depart
1622 Engines off main (1 reef) + genoa – TWS 10.3 kts SE
Logbook – May 21, 2014 (Raroia to Makemo)
Passage Log Highlights
0618 Main (1 reef) + genoa (2 reefs)
0636 Engines on
0802 Arrival – tied to wharf
Daily Notes
Pass – easy. Incoming tide – 3 kt of current. Tying to wharf challenging, Exodus has so much windage!
Walk to town – 8 baguettes! Met lots of children – invited them to dock. Lots of playing, swimming, football, paddle boards. Kids all go play soccer
Invited to go watch dancing – practice for festival (I think)
Depart Raroia May 20 at 1554 – Arrive Makemo May 21 at 0802Entering the pass at MakemoThe wharf at MakemoExodus stern tied to the wharfThe village here has approximately 600 people (Thanks mom, for sending that Wikipedia factoidIf you look closely, you can see that Brenden didn’t feel like waiting for the dinghy to get between Exodus and the wharf. He just shimmied along a dockline…Here’s a close up
Then all the kids had to try it!They don’t speak the same language, but they try
Email to family and friends dated May 21, 2014
Subject: Makemo Arrival
We just arrived at our second atoll in The Tuamotus, Makemo. It is larger and has a more substantial village than Raroia, so we are looking forward to getting ashore and doing some exploring. Exiting the pass at Raroia was easy, the overnight passage was easy, entering the pass here at Makemo was easy (incoming tide, max 3 kt current), but tying up at the wharf was a bit challenging. This was our first time with this maneuver… we dropped the bow anchor and then backed into the wharf and tossed dock lines ashore to some guys who came to help us. The problem is that Exodus is so big and fat and has so much windage we were getting pushed sideways pretty good. With Alex’s help, we got everything secure and now I’m going to download weather to see if we want to stay here tonight or move to a protected anchorage. We are going to try to get some school work done before going in search of baguettes. Love and miss you all,
-D.
At 5/21/2014 6:14 PM (utc) our position was 16°37.59’S 143°34.15’W
Logbook – May 22, 2014 (Makemo Wharf)
Daily Notes
Kid on the dock w/ flowers when we got up. Wanted to “change” for chocolate. Boys finished school early and played w/ kids all day
T – visit to the pearl artist
Dinner at the restaurant with s/v The Beguine and LC
Email to family and friends dated May 22, 2014
Subject: Local Kids
We had a great first day here in Makemo, but the highlight had to be that Exodus and the dock around Exodus have become the hangout for all the local kids. They swam, played with our American football (Tim would throw it and they would try to catch it as they jumped off the dock), played with our surf boards and paddle boards, and we all tried our very best to communicate with what very little French we know. They even took the boys to play a game of soccer, and when they got back Brenden commented on how good they all were. Alex and Kyle are getting a lot of attention from the girls, of course, but they act like they don’t even notice. When we got up this morning there were a group of younger kids on the dock with flowers wanting to “change” them for chocolate. We will probably stay tied up here a couple more days so we can enjoy the baguettes and the kids, and then we will go explore more of the atoll. Love and miss you all,
-D.
At 5/21/2014 6:14 PM (utc) our position was 16°37.59’S 143°34.15’W
Logbook – May 23, 2014 (Makemo Wharf)
Daily Notes
Squall after squall after squall. Tons of rain. Max 35 kts.
T – bartered for engraved pearls.
Boys – more soccer w/ local kids
French Navy boat arrived
T – spearfished off pier (No fish) w/ Victor and Jack (Mayor)
A French Military boat joined us at the dock in MakemoA bit of a squall blew through…
Logbook – May 24, 2014 (Makemo Wharf)
Daily Notes
No bread. Twice.
T/boys – Wedding
Rope swing day!
One Lady Carolina Halyard + one Exodus Halyard = a pretty cool rope swing
It’s but a short walk across town to the outer edge of the atoll. On the left side, the Pacific Ocean. To the right side, Makemo.Quite a crowd on Exodus and Lady Carolina
Logbook – May 25, 2014 (Makemo Wharf)
Daily Notes
D – first run since La Cruz. Found the cemetery. Lots of tiny graves.
Girls take the boys’ shirts and clean Brenden’s room
Watched the dancing in the evening again
In case you are wondering, that’s a “bon bon” in my mouth (aka sucker or lollipop, en englaise)
Email to friends and family dated May 26, 2014
Subject: Time to move on
Our stay tied to the wharf here at the village in Makemo is coming to an end. This has been our favorite village that we have visited, by far. We spent another day yesterday with all the local kids playing on Exodus and Lady Carolina, and amazingly nothing got broken or lost. Well, except for Lady Carolina’s pulpit, which got a bit bent when a large kid used it as a spring board. A couple times we had to remind them to not stand on the lifelines and not jump on the net, but overall they are a good group of kids, and I spent some time yesterday with some of the older ones reading the French for Cruisers book together. They would pick a phrase and ask me something in English and I would try to answer in French. They seem to speak French more often here than in the Marquesas, even when interacting with each other. In the Marquesas, we heard a lot of Marquesan. I’m not exactly sure what the native language here is called. They speak Tahitian, and a couple words they taught us they would say, “in Makemo” indicating it’s a local language, but I’m really not sure. Tim, Steve (Lady Carolina), and Paul (The Beguine) got a treat yesterday and went fishing with a local guy named Victor. They went spear fishing with him the other day, but yesterday they went out in his boat, which unlike the Mexican Pangas, is driven from the front of the boat. He didn’t bother with any rods and reels. What he does is follow the birds until he finds a Mahi Mahi (Dorado) and then he chases it until it gets tired. Then when he’s close enough he throws a harpoon at it. His success rate was amazing, and they came back with 4 huge Dorado. We have a few errands to run before casting off today including picking up some engraved pearls that the guys traded a bunch of stuff for, and of course stocking up on baguettes. I paid for about 5 hours of internet yesterday and got some photos and a couple movies uploaded, hopefully you’ve had a chance to see them. Love and miss you all,
-D.
At 5/21/2014 6:14 PM (utc) our position was 16°37.59’S 143°34.15’W
Logbook – May 27, 2014 (Makemo Wharf to Makemo Anchorage)
Potluck w/ Lady Carolina – late night talking politics and US bashing
I’m not sure we bought enough breadWe left the village and anchored in a more remote location. Depart Makemo Wharf at 1040 – Arrive Makemo Anchorage at 1428
Logbook – May 28, 2014 (Makemo Anchorage)
Daily Notes
B – cough & sore throat
T/D/A – explore the beach
Quiet night – French bread pizza & a movie
When anchoring in the Tuamotus we float our anchor chain to keep it off the bottom and away from the coralAfter we left the village, we anchored off this beautiful beachAlex and I had a grueling paddle to the beachSome young palm trees
Logbook – May 29, 2014 (Makemo Anchorage to Makemo NW Pass)
Passage Log Highlights
0842 Engines on
0853 Depart
0903 P engine off
1208 P engine on
1253 Arrive anchor near NW pass
1600 Engines on
1620 Re-anchor complete
Daily Notes
Waited for a squall to pass before anchoring
First anchored in the small lagoon
T/A/Steve/Kyle – snorkel in the pass. B still sick.
Decided to stay the night, moved anchor locations
Depart Makemo Anchorage at 0853 – Arrive near NW pass at 1253 – Reanchored at 1620The NW pass at MakemoThe coral head behind us at anchor
Email to friends and family dated May 29, 2014
Subject: Still at Makemo
So, we ended up staying one more day tied to the wharf at the village, and I’m so glad we did. When I told the local kids we were staying “a demain” (until tomorrow) they were so excited they hugged me, especially the girls who are “in love” with Alex, Brenden, Kyle, and Joel. It’s funny, they communicate this by making a heart shape with their hands. They wrote notes with lots of hearts on them and gave the boys silly band bracelets. They spent the day with me on Exodus helping me chop vegetables and teaching me French. One of the girls would say a phrase in French and then tell me, “repetez.” They told me, in French, that they wanted souvenirs from us because they don’t want to forget us. I told them OK I understood thinking I would think of some things and give them later. Apparently what I actually did was give them permission to go to Alex and Brenden’s rooms and pick out what they want. They each came out with two shirts, dirty and smelly I might add, but they didn’t seem to care. I felt so bad I had to stop them because since they’ve been growing the boys don’t actually have that many clothes, especially Alex. Oh, they pleaded with me to let them have shirts, so I dug around in Brenden’s cubby and found some (clean) older, smaller shirts and gave them each one. Another funny thing is when Brenden came back he asked if I cleaned his room. I guess the girls thought the legos needed to be tidied up a bit! The next day Carolina was able to dig out a shirt of Kyle’s and gave that to one of the girls too, they were so ecstatic.
When leaving the dock we had a little bit of drama… we had bow anchor down and were stern tied to the wharf and good fortune had it such that the wind was blowing dead astern, so theoretically it would be an easy departure. Throw off the dock lines (we had help on the dock for that) and then just get pushed by the wind over the anchor as we raise it. No problem, right? Well, Alex wasn’t being quite as careful as he should have been and he jammed the anchor bridal hook up against the bow roller and the windlass fuse blew. I’m at the helm, and Tim tells me we have to raise the anchor manually, so “just hold us right here.” Well, some might think that with two engines holding Exodus in precisely one spot would be easy. And it is, in very light wind conditions. But with huge windage and very little keel, once the wind is over about 8 kts we get pushed around pretty good. And this day it was blowing 15-20. So, I try my best but we do end up getting blown sideways a bit, so my great idea is to just turn, drive back to line we were on, and then face the anchor again. In the process of doing that, I wrapped the chain around a coral head. What a fiasco, Tim had to jump in the water to free the chain, and at this point I just turned us around to face the wind so once free of the coral head we just floated back bow to the wind and raised the anchor manually (with help from Steve who had jumped in the water and boarded Exodus) in a more normal wind orientation for anchor raising. So, I was ready for my rum right there, but we still had 3 hours of navigating through the coral heads to the next anchorage. I dipped into the Zaya for that safe arrival cocktail! It’s a nice spot, but not as nice as where we anchored in Raroia as we are much further from the beach without as much wind protection.
We are heading to the NW pass later this morning to dive the pass and may even leave for Tahanea as early as this afternoon.
We went just a bit off the beaten path in the Tuamotus, and we made landfall in Raroia. After the crowded anchorages in The Marquesas, it was a welcome change. It was amazing. The quintessential remote tropical anchorage. We arrived a day ahead of our buddy boats, so when we arrived, we were truly alone.
Logbook – May 10, 2014 (Anaho to Raroia)
Passage Log Highlights
1255 Engines on
1300 Depart
1515 STBD engine off
Port engine off
1928 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
2105 P engine on – 2205 off
2303 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
Min TWS – 9.6 kts E
Max TWS – 20.2 kts E
Daily Notes
Killed a bee. Not many bees, plenty of wasps. Tim bit on foot by wasp on hike in Fatu Hiva – stung by a bee in bed on the upper thigh/hip?
Boarded by French Customs. Worried about alcohol quantities (didn’t declare everything in Atuona) OK. They only looked in bilges w/ finger holes
2 ft tuna
Lots of squalls
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.
At 5/9/2014 1:57 AM (utc) our position was 08°49.34’S 140°03.89’W
Logbook – May 11, 2014 (Anaho to Raroia)
Passage Log Highlights
0204 D–> T Main (2 reefs) + genoa (2 reefs)
1645 Main (2 reefs) + genoa (1 reef)
Min TWS – 19.6 kts E
Max TWS – 26.9 kts E
Daily Notes
Day 2
Logbook – May 12, 2014 (Anaho to Raroia)
Passage Log Highlights
0851 Main (1 reef) + genoa (full)
Min TWS – 16.7 kts E
Max TWS – 16.7 kts E
Daily Notes
Day 3
Canadia/Australian terms I like and have adopted: bloody, fruit & veg, runners, swimmers
Dusk – caught pacific bonito – big – let it go – 2 ‘ – 15 lbs
Email to family and friends dated May 12, 2014
Subject: Passage
Our passage to the Tuamotus has been a lumpy bumpy one, but we’re all hanging in there. Our first night we had winds in the 25-30 kt range, and then the whole second day was about 23-24 kts. Since then it’s calmed down and been pretty consistent 15-20. We still have one reef in the main and we’re still going 7.5-8 kts! The worst part is we have to keep hatches closed due to water splashing onto the deck, so it is bloody hot in the salon and cabins. We have made really good time, and we are on track to arrive tomorrow, a day earlier than originally planned. Unfortunately the rest of our pack slowed down early on, so they will all still arrive on Wed, so we will definitely be the first ones through the pass. Yesterday was mother’s day, and we didn’t even know it, so Happy Mother’s Day to all of you special moms. Love and miss you all,
-D.
At 5/12/2014 6:23 PM (utc) our position was 13°06.10’S 141°30.75’W
Logbook – May 13, 2014 (Anaho to Raroia)
Passage Log Highlights
0400 P engine on – zero wind
0420 P engine off
0712 P engine on – 0745 off
1211 Engines on
1451 Arrival Raroia – East side
Min TWS – 7.8 kts NE
Max TWS – 13.5 kts E
Daily Notes
Day 4
7am – most beautiful rainbow, full color, full arc
Wind seems to die on the backside of a squall
Low – later – then incoming
High – earlier – then outgoing
Depart Anaho May 10 at 1300 – Arrive Raroia May 13 at 1451The Raroia AtollA look at the pass at RaroiaWe anchored up against a motu on the Eastern sideWe had to wait out some squalls before entering the pass, but at least we got an awesome rainbow.The right side of the pass. We truly aren’t in the Marquesas anymore!The left side of the pass.The crew on the bow looking for “bombies” (coral heads)We found paradiseThe “Exodus pose”Down goes Brenden
Lady Carolina, Exodus, True Blue VThe guys went on a coconut crab expedition, but they only found one. So, the brought it back, we snapped a few photos, and then they released it back onto the island. We just couldn’t eat the last Coconut Crab.
Email to family and friends dated May 14, 2014
Subject: Raroia
We successfully made it to anchor yesterday afternoon. We sure aren’t in the Marquesas anymore… The Tuamotus are atolls, so gone are the dramatic tropical landscapes. Here it is basically a ring of low lying land and coral with a few palm trees. Gone are the black sand beaches and murky water. Here there is white sand and the water is crystal clear. We are the only ones here at the moment, and I don’t mean just out of our pack I mean out of anyone. When we were outside the pass we tried hailing anyone on VHF ch. 16 just to get the low down on the pass, and there was no one. We quickly mastered all three dangers of the fire swamp… getting through the pass, visually navigating across the 6 mile wide lagoon through the coral heads, and visually navigating through a pearl farm with strings of underwater buoys just dying to foul our props. Now we are sitting in a stereotypical remote tropical paradise with a slight breeze and water lapping on the swim step. It’s a bit cooler here having dropped so many degrees in latitude. Last night Tim and I hung out on the net (Exodus foredeck) after sundown and I was actually a bit chilled. The only downside are the flies, which are everywhere and are numerous. Jen, I wish you could be here, this is your turquoise water paradise. Well, except for the sharks. Love and miss you all,
-D.
At 5/14/2014 5:00 PM (utc) our position was 16°06.24’S 142°22.67’W
Logbook – May 15, 2014 (Raroia East)
Daily Notes
Mini-pass dive – rapids, awesome snorkeling
My first shark sighting
Logbook – May 16, 2014 (Raroia East)
Daily Notes
Best snorkeling ever on a coral head (bombie)
Short school day. Boys rope swing on LC. B empties LC bilge for Worthers candies
Pleasant family dinner. B eats all the cous cous. Fat belly wars.
Email to family and friends dated May 16, 2014
Subject: Snorkeling Bliss
(I am writing this Friday night, but most likely won’t transmit it until sometime on Saturday)
We have officially achieved snorkeling bliss. Today we snorkeled on and around one of the coral heads near where we are anchored and it was the most amazing snorkeling I’ve ever done (Including Grand Cayman, Colin). Water clarity was infinity. (OK, I’m exaggerating, but in a relative sense compared to Mexico, it may as well have been infinity.) I have now officially swam with sharks, ~3 ft black tipped reef sharks that want to have nothing to do with you, pretty anti-climatic. My favorite part were the giant clams with colorful wavy “lips” kind of like in a cartoon. One of the other boats here with us (The Beguine) went over to the pearl farm today and arranged for us all to go on a tour tomorrow, so that will circumvent school tomorrow. Looking forward to it.
P.S. In the middle of typing this, Steve (Lady Carolina) got on VHF and sang his Wind Turbine song. Yes, we have a lot of fun out here.
Love and miss you all,
-D.
At 5/14/2014 5:00 PM (utc) our position was 16°06.24’S 142°22.67’W
Logbook – May 17, 2014 (Raroia East to Raroia SE)
Passage Log Highlights
0957 Engines on
1002 Depart
1119 Arrive SE anchorage
Daily Notes
Caught a carron leure underway
Long line of coral extending from shore outward just N of the “anchorage. We went around it. Lots of coral heads, not very good holding – we dragged the anchor when we backed down.
Mini pass just to the N of the anchorage
Tour of pearl farm before we moved anchorages. Thanks to S/V The Beguine.
T/Steve – scouted for lobster while D/Carolina drank wine on Exodus
We went on a tour of a pearl farmPaul and Celeste (s/v The Beguine) organized a tour of the pearl farm for us1. They pull the scallops out of the water2. scrape all the barnacles off3. Insert wedges to make them easy to open4. Take out the pearl to inspect and reseed5. Tie new lines on the scallopsThey gave us some to eatWe moved to an anchorage at the SE side of the atoll. Depart 1002 – Arrive 1119New anchor location – you can see the “mini-passes” to the southThe mini-pass
Logbook – May 18, 2014 (Raroia SE to Raroia Near the Pass)
Passage Log Highlights
0857 Engines on
0901 Depart
1250 Arrive near pass on a bombie
Daily Notes
Tim in the water as we dropped anchor on a bombie
Pass dive x 3. Amazing visibility, fun riding the current. Tons of sharks, mostly black tip, some white tip, a few nurse sharks. Washing machine. Slack tide 1.5 hrs later than predicted.
We moved to anchor near the pass. Depart 0857 – Arrive 1250It took a while to find a good spot to anchorAlex, bringing back some pocket pancakes from Lady Carolina
Logbook – May 19, 2014 (Raroia Near the Pass)
Daily Notes
0615 – hailed a vessel approaching the pass – s/v Good News
D/Carolina/Boys – dive on a bombie
T/Steve/Kyle/B – Hookah in the pass (B passed Steve’s hookah test, Alex’s tooth hurt)
In order to do the pass dive we anchored with pretty much zero protectionThis is what a “bombie” looks like from the boat
Email to family and friends dated May 19, 2014
Subject: Pass Dive
We did our first pass dive yesterday, and wow, what an experience. But first we had to navigate our way back across the atoll in less than ideal visibility and then try and find a spot to anchor near the pass. We thought we’d anchor near the town, which is about 2 miles from the pass and listed as an anchorage in the guidebook. But it was pretty deep and near shore, so we thought we’d look for something better near the pass. We didn’t find much, so we are actually anchored on small pinnacles (Lady Carolina on one, Exodus on another.) Tim dove in and inspected before we dropped anchor, and then he got back in the water when we anchored so he could place the anchor exactly where he wanted it. This is another example of how Alex and Brenden make us not a short handed crew, because we never could have done such a precision anchoring job without them. The wind’s blowing 15 knots and we have no protection from wind or fetch from across the 5 mile wide atoll, so it’s a bit bouncy. OK, on to the pass dive… We arrived at the pass in the dinghies pretty much right at slack tide, and once the current started up again (flowing into the atoll) we drove outside the pass, jumped in the water (each having our own line tied to the dingy), and rode the incoming tide all the way in. The visibility was amazing, and we saw all kinds of sea life. I was especially captivated by all the sharks. Not because I was afraid, but just because I’d never been so near so many at one time. I saw my first white tipped ones and even a nurse shark. I have to say Tim and the boys enjoyed the dive WAY more than I did, since they dive deeper and can hold their breath longer. But I had a lot of fun too, up until the end of the ride when we were in standing waves getting tossed around like a mixed salad. Anyway, it’s definitely one of those not to be missed experiences, and we’ll probably do it again today too. (Not sure when school is going to get done these days…) Love and miss you all
-D.
At 5/19/2014 4:15 PM (utc) our position was 16°00.71’S 142°26.86’W
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.)
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!
We caught a Wahoo en route. Lady Carolina was on the radio telling us about the Wahoo they just caught and that we should pull in our lines since we were set for a while and before we said “standing by” we heard, “Whirrr….” So, then we were REALLY set for fish.Depart Hakaehu May 7 at 1011 – Arrive Anaho at 1245Anaho AnchorageAnaho anchorage
Logbook – May 8, 2014 (Anaho)
Daily Notes:
Hike over the ridge to hatiheu w/o kids. Frozen baguettes.
Rainy day
The view of Anaho from atop the ridge
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.
Logbook – May 9, 2014 (Anaho)
Daily Notes:
Hike for veggies – picked fresh veggies @ the farm
Boys gather 92 mangos (green)
The boys went on their own hike to gather mangoes, and they came back with 92
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.
—–
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.
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.
—–
At 5/9/2014 1:57 AM (utc) our position was 08°49.34’S 140°03.89’W
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.
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!)
The view of Ua Pou as we traveled from Daniel’s Bay to Hakaehu. This island wasn’t in our itinerary, but we viewed it from afar.Depart Daniel’s Bay May 5 at 0928 – Arrive Hakaehu at 1425HakaehuBrenden loved all the baby animalsPiggie!!!Just playing with a baby goat on the beach…
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
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.
—–
At 5/6/2014 3:25 PM (utc) our position was 08°47.27’S 140°10.89’W
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.
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
Depart Taiohae May 2 at 1027 – Arrive Daniel’s Bay at 1154Daniel’s BaySara MWahoo!Wahoo Tuna!
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.
—–
At 4/25/2014 3:54 PM (utc) our position was 08°56.60’S 140°09.81’W
Logbook – May 3, 2014 (Daniel’s Bay)
Daily Notes:
Potluck on Exodus more fish – wahoo & tuna
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.
—–
At 4/25/2014 3:54 PM (utc) our position was 08°52.85’S 140°02.88’W
Logbook – May 4, 2014 (Daniel’s Bay)
Daily Notes:
Hike to waterfall & pool. Boys swim. GoPro video.
Shore excursion to see a waterfallBrenden’s superhero poseThere are phone booths in the strangest places.Tim has a mini-me.
Taiohae is the capital of The Marquesas, so we took care of laundry, provisioning, propane, and we also enjoyed eating out a few times.
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
Depart Controller Bay April 28 0851 – Arrive Taiohae at 1053TaiohaeOur monkey
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.
—–
At 4/25/2014 3:54 PM (utc) our position was 08°52.85’S 140°02.88’W
Logbook – April 29, 2014 (Taiohae)
Daily Notes
Early to markets for baguettes and veggies
Fuel & laundry
Internet!
Pizza dinner on shore
Putting the boys to work plunging a little laundryThe crew of s/v Chara
Logbook – April 30, 2014 (Taiohae)
Daily Notes:
Massive provisioning – tons of veggies
Mint – mojitos and Thai stir fry
T – cover for the generator
I noticed the rainbow above them, and yelled, “quick, pose!” Kyle wins for the best pose, while Craig continued showing us his better side.First fresh leafy greens in awhile
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
Andrew’s mini-mes/v Sea Monkey took this great photoA view of the dock area where the cruisers hang outStreet signI took a walk around the bay and captured a few shots
Baie du Controleur, Nuku Hiva – This is the village that is the setting of Herman Melville’s Typee
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.
Lady Carolina on passage
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
Depart Tahuata April 24 at 1625 – Arrive Controller Bay, Nuku Hiva April 25 at 0632Controller BayController bay and the village called Taipivai at the head of the bayWe brought the dinghy up the river at high tide to visit the townBaby bananasThe local church
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
Another shore excursionOur group hike up to the waterfallYet another potluck on Exodus with the crews of Sara M, True Blue V, and Lady Carolina
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.
Depart Fatu Hiva April 21 at 0655 – Arrive Hapatoni, Tahuata at 1506. Depart Hapatoni April 22 at 1335 – Arrive Hanamoenoa, Tahuata at 1513.
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
Hapatoni anchorage
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
Outrigger canoe with an outboard motorShort passage to Hanamoenoa. The bottom bay is Hapatoni. The middle bay is where the town of Vaitahe is located, but we merely did a drive-by there, and we didn’t stay. The top bay is Hanamoenoa.Hanemoenoa and its white sand beachHanamoenoa – gorgeous white sand beachOur captain relaxingThe boys played on the beach and in the warm water for hours
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
Alex had a run in with a jellyfish.
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.
—–
At 4/24/2014 4:00 PM (utc) our position was 09°54.43’S 139°06.22’W
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.
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)
The bay on the left is Hanaiapa, and the bay on the rigtht is Hahatekuua
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
Depart Hanaiapa April 15 at 0830 – Arrive Hahatekuua at 0908. Depart Hahatekuua at (time not recorded) – Arrive Fatu Hiva April 16 at 0822.Bay of Virgins, Fatu HivaLand ho!Seriously, this is our view as we approached the anchorage. We love our life.Our first day there I paddle boarded around the breakwater to scope out the dinghy landing, and I was befriended by a bunch of kids who wanted to try the paddle board. I was with them for a couple hours, and I also let them use my camera, so these following pictures are from their eyes.This little girl wanted to interact with me so bad, but alas, Je ne parle pas Francaise. She would jump in the water and then want my help back up onto the step, even though she was fully capable of doing it herself.
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.
—–
At 4/15/2014 4:37 PM (utc) our position was 10°27.92’S 138°40.05’W
Logbook – April 17, 2014 (Fatu Hiva)
Daily Notes
Hike to waterfall
Dinner on shore. 1700 XFP/person. Good food & entertainment
This is the school, what a view behind it, ehCopra shedsA father son momentJust a cow sitting by the side of the roadThe boys let the crawfish give them “pedicures”Marquesan graffitiWe paid to have a traditional Marquesan dinner, and for a bonus we were entertained with music
Logbook – April 18, 2014 (Fatu Hiva)
Daily Notes
T/S – Lobsters w/ the locals
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.
—–
At 4/18/2014 5:15 PM (utc) our position was 10°27.92’S 138°40.05’W
Logbook – April 19, 2014 (Fatu Hiva)
Daily Notes
Lobster feast on Exodus w/ LC, TBV, Chara
Marquesan church service zzzz
Some of the Marquesans took Tim and Steve out to get lobsters and this was the granddaddy that Tim got
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
Alyssa (s/v Eleutheria) took a couple Marquesan girls for a ride
Gresham Family Exodus 