Tahanea

As with most passages in the Tuamotus, our sail from Raroia to the
deserted atoll of Tahanea required careful planning in order to exit and
enter the reef passes when currents were manageable and the sun high
enough in the sky to allow us to see shallow areas in the water.  The 140
 mile distance between the atolls meant an overnight passage, but also
 having to keep our speed in check so as not to arrive too early.  With
 brisk trade winds pushing us swiftly along, even under reduced sail, we
 found ourselves approaching Tahanea several hours too early and were
 forced to heave to (stall the boat by pointing it into the wind with jib
 and mainsail tightly sheeted on opposite sides) in order to kill some
 time.  When the time came, entering the pass was without drama and we were
 soon in the protected waters of the lagoon approaching a small group of
 anchored cruising boats.  We had been communicating by radio with new
 friends Mark and Vicki, on the vessel "Southern Cross", who were already
 there and anxious to share with us what they had discovered about diving
 Tahanea's three reef passes.  While we maneuvered in the anchorage
 scouting the bottom through the crystal-clear water, for a sandy patch to
 drop "Blue Rodeo's" anchor, an ominous dark cloud moved overhead and
 proceeded to dump rain on us with such intensity that it seemed we'd be
 drowned from above.  The word torrential comes to mind when searching for
 adjectives to describe the deluge.  With the rain came wind gusts in
 excess of thirty knots and reduced visibility down to as few hundred
 yards.  We had no choice but to use our motor to hold our position, with
 bow into the wind, while waiting for the squall to pass.  Fortunately,
 within minutes, the small, but intense, storm moved-on and we were able to
 drop our anchor.

 The anchorage at Tahanea, like many in the Tuamotus, has a sandy bottom
 with scattered, jagged coral heads known as "bommies" rising up from the
 sea floor.  Anchoring in these areas requires special techniques to avoid
 damaging the live coral and to prevent entangling them with a boat's
 anchor chain in such a way that raising the anchor becomes impossible.  As
 we paid-out our anchor chain, we tied three of our inflated, vinyl, dock
 fenders to it at intervals so as to sufficiently buoy it up from the
 bottom and, hopefully, keep it from snagging on the coral.  As we finished
 the anchoring exercise, Mark and Vicki returned from a snorkeling
 excursion and told us what they had learned about the diving at Tahanea.
 Before long, we began to feel like "old friends" and plans were made to
 SCUBA dive one of the reef passes with them the next day.  As we settled-
 in for the evening, we finally had a chance to survey our beautiful
 surroundings.  The anchorage, at the edge of a huge lagoon, features water
 of swimming pool-clarity and patches of colorful coral that, in some
 places, rise to surface level.  It is exactly the tropical paradise that
 we had, for years, been dreaming about.

 Our dive the next day required that we take our dinghy about a mile and a
 half to one of the three reef passes where we hoped to drift with the
 incoming tide from outside the atoll back into the lagoon.  With four of
 us and all of our SCUBA gear crammed into our dinghy, we pounded through
 the wind-driven choppy water to our dive site taking copious amounts of
 water over our bow, nearly swamping the small rubber boat.  Fortunately,
 both wind and water were a comfortable 85 degrees so the incoming water
 was mostly a nuisance.  Prior to our dive, we went ashore at the ruins of
 a tiny village for some exploration and were greeted by a friendly cat
 that was the motu's only resident.  Although craving some human attention,
 the cat appeared healthy enough and was, no doubt subsisting on sea
 creatures, bird eggs, mice or rats and rain water.  Vicki knew that the
 cat was on the small island and brought along some powdered milk and
 mixed-up a batch for it to drink.  The grateful animal happily lapped it
 up.  With Anne's soft heart for animals, she had a difficult time leaving
 the cat alone and hoped aloud that some cruising sailor wanting a pet
 might soon rescue it.

 Over the next several days we would enjoy several fine dives seeing a
 multitude of colorful and interesting, tropical, reef fish, Barracuda,
 dolphins and dozens of sharks.  On one reef pass dive with friends Don and
 Deb from the vessel "Buena Vista", we had a bit of an adventure when,
 after enjoying a peaceful drift across a spectacular reef, we found
 ourselves in a current that pulled us away from the reef  into deeper
 water.  Fortunately, Mark was tethered to our dinghy during the dive by a
 long line which kept it nearby when we surfaced.  The current though had
 swept us away from the protection of land and into choppy water where we
 had to remove our gear, climb back aboard and motor slowly back into the
 lagoon.  We were thankful that our dinghy was of a sea-worthy design and
 powered by a reliable motor.  Afterward, we vowed that next time we would
 go to even greater lengths to assess the timing of slack tide and current
 when diving in the passes.

 Several more days were spent at Tahanea snorkeling, exploring the motus
 and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.  We wished that we could stay at
 anchor there for a month or more but, with so much more to see and being
 limited by the time limits of our visa, we were soon forced to move on.
 Such are just some of the bitter-sweet  challenges of cruising the South
 Pacific.

Raroia Part 2 blog

Our second day at Raroia Atoll was made special by a trip across the large
lagoon with new, local friends Regis, Tatiana and their daughter Kiva Hei.
They own a nearly-new, outboard motor-powered boat and picked us up from
the anchorage at 8:00am.  Our cruising friends from the boats "Buena
Vista" and "Island Bound" joined us for the outing.  While carefully
watching for shallow patches of coral, Regis maneuvered his boat at high
speed across the lagoon to Kon Tiki Island where, in 1947, Norwegian
explorer Thor Hyerdahl and his crew were driven ashore by the winds and
current ending their attempt to sail across the Pacific from South
American to demonstrate the possibility of how the area could have been
originally populated.  Mark remembered reading the book written about the
voyage when he was a young boy and believes that it planted one of many
seeds in his mind of what adventures there are to be had in our incredible
world.

After visiting the island and going ashore to read the inscriptions on a
memorial plaque, we continued to another motu owned by Regis and Tatiana.
Their small, picturesque island resembled the classic South Pacific image
often seen on the cover of travel brochures.  The palm tree-covered island
is surrounded by beautiful beaches and clear, azure-blue water.  Regis
secured his boat to a coral outcropping just feet from a beach while we
unloaded supplies for our planned picnic.  After unloading, Tatiana and
Kiva Hei escorted the girls on a tide pool walk while Regis took the guys
to a reef in the middle of the lagoon to spearfish for our lunch.  Our
efforts provided the group with several fish that Regis bar-b-qued over a
wood fire back at their island.  During the tide pool hike, Tatiana and
the girls scoured the rocks for clams, snails and other edible delicacies.
When Tatiana came across an octopus, she quickly dispatched it with a
blow from the hammer she carried causing Anne to turn away with tears
streaming from her eyes.  We have often played with octopus while diving
and know of their high level of intelligence.  For Anne, it was especially
difficult accepting that people here regard them tasty treats.  This, and
the fact that residents of these islands will, sometimes raise dogs for
food, served as just another example of how our eyes are continually being
opened to customs far different from what we have experienced in the
United States.  It is difficult, from our perspective, accepting what is
normal in the lives of these people.
 After a lunch of fish, clams and sea urchin roe, Kiva Hei treated our
group to a dance and spoken history presentation about Raroia and its
people that she had performed, winning first place at a competition in
Tahiti.  Wearing a palm frond headdress and skirt over her beach attire,
she greatly impressed us with her grace and powerful vocals.   Before
long, it was time to head back to our anchored boats for a quiet evening
aboard.  Before turning-in, we made plans to take our dinghy, the next
morning, to the reef pass where we first sailed into the lagoon to SCUBA
dive.  Diving in the passes is often the most spectacular as clear ocean
water floods into the lagoons through channels in healthy, live coral.
The coral reef areas are home to an amazing assortment of diverse and
colorful sea creatures including a variety of sharks.  Unfortunately, when
we awoke the next morning, the wind was blowing with such force that the
nearly two mile dinghy ride from the anchorage to the pass would be rather
miserable and towing the dinghy with us as we dived and drifted with the
incoming current through the pass would be almost impossible.  We decided
to forego the dive and went instead to visit Regis and Tatiana to give
them a few small gifts and examine the selection of black pearls that they
had for sale.  Arriving shortly before noon, we found them already
blending batches of pina coladas.  While we sifted through bags and bags
of pearls, we shared the tasty drinks and talked at length about their
lives.  It was such a pleasure getting to know these exceptionally
friendly and interesting people and learning more about what life is like
in this tropical paradise.  After carefully examining hundreds of pearls
for color, shape and natural imperfections, Mark selected three that we
purchased for Anne to have made into ear rings and a necklace when we
return to the States.   Even more so than the beauty of the jewelry will
be the beautiful memories of where the pearls came from and the grand
adventure that has made obtaining them possible.  Rather than from a trip
to the nearest jewelry store, these keep-sakes come as a reward for having
worked hard to prepare our boat for the trip and sailing across more to
3,000 miles of ocean to get here.  Though we paid a modest amount for the
pearls, they and the memories of our passage will, to us, be forever
priceless.

Raroia Part 1 blog

With eager anticipation we departed Daniel’s Bay in the Marquesas for the
450 mile leg to Raroia Atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago (Tuamotus).  We
knew that this area of low-lying, palm-covered motus (small islands)
sitting atop coral reefs that surround sheltered lagoons would be one of
our favorite stops on our South Pacific odyssey.  The reefs and motus are
all that remain of once tall, volcanic islands, much like the Marquesas.
Over the eons, the mountainous islands subsided into the sea floor leaving
just the surrounding reefs and islets.  Many of the atolls have gaps in
the reefs that surround the protected lagoons created by fresh water
rivers that flowed down the slopes of the original mountains.  These
passes allow boats to enter the lagoons and find smooth, flat water that
is buffered from the surrounding, wind-driven seas.  Many of the motus are
uninhabited while some feature small villages where residents farm black
pearls, harvest sea food or cater to a small, but growing tourist
business.  Due to the poor, mostly sandy soil, little grows on the motus
except coconut palm trees and scraggly shrubs so the residents rely on
supply ships that call periodically from Tahiti bringing fresh vegetables,
fruits and meat.  Depending on when the ships last visited, the selection
of supplies at the few small stores can be either adequate or severely
limited.  For this reason, Anne had go to great lengths to stock-up in the
Mexican supermarkets and the much smaller stores in the Marquesas.
Despite her best efforts, our time in this area would be spent creatively
rationing out our supply of rapidly-ripening fruits and vegetables.

Our passage to Raroia started well with favorable winds and smooth seas
but we were soon greeted with a few squalls and an uncomfortable, cross-
swell from our port side reminiscent of our passage from Mexico.  The
winds, however, pushed us toward our destination with such great speed
that, once again, we were faced with the task of making “Blue Rodeo” slow
down so as not to arrive too early at the atoll’s only pass through the
reef.  Since the rise and fall of the tides alternately fill and empty the
sizable lagoons, water is often swiftly flowing either in or out of the
narrow gaps in the reef.  This can sometimes make them impassable.  Not
only did we have to synchronize our arrival with slack conditions near the
turn of the tides but also a time of day when the sun was high enough in
the sky to help us differentiate between the deeper, navigable channels
and the jagged coral reefs and outcroppings that have claimed numerous
vessels over the years.  This area, in fact, was known as the “Dangerous
Archipelago” due to the low-lying hazards in the days prior to GPS
navigation and electronic charting.  Even with these modern devices,
sailors must still exercise great vigilance to avoid an unpleasant
encounter with one of the reefs.

While enroute, we were pleased to hear from friends on the vessels “Island
Bound” and “Buena Vista” who had left the Marquesan island of Ua Pou the
same day we did and were also headed for Raroia.  Having adjusted “Blue
Rodeo’s” speed as best we could, we arrived off Raroia just a few hours
before a slack tide and adequate sun angle.  In the company of “Island
Bound”, we sailed slowly back and forth in front of the lagoon’s reef pass
entrance until we felt conditions we safe to proceed.  Before long, we
were at anchor in front of Raroia Atoll’s only, small village.  We spend
the remainder of the day cleaning and straightening up our boat and
getting caught-up on our sleep after our triple-overnight passage.

The next day, while Mark worked at changing our auxiliary motor’s oil,
Anne went ashore with Bill and Kat from “Island Bound” to explore the
village.  A brief note here that while the three were having an enjoyable
walkabout and meeting a delightful and friendly, local family, Mark was
experiencing one of those boat maintenance nightmares that can make bring
grown men to tears or, alternately, unleash a string of expletives that
would make even the most hardened of dock-workers wince.  After using a
transfer pump to suck the motor’s hot, dirty oil out via a small tube he
attempted to reverse the pump in order to move the oil from the pump’s
reservoir to a container for storage.  Unfortunately, during the process,
a hose connection came apart allowing the black, messy oil to spray all
over him and much of “Blue Rodeo’s” engine room.  At that point, Mark had
no choice but to begin a two-hour cleanup using nearly a full roll of
paper towels and half a bottle of Simple Green.  Needless to say, When
Anne returned, he was not a happy camper.

Cruising friends who had visited Raroria before us had spoken of the
wonderful time they had getting to know the family that Anne, Bill and Kat
met during their walk.  The folks were so welcoming, in fact, that they
insisted that we, and newly arrived friends Don and Deb on “Buena Vista”,
all come to their house for a meal that evening.  So, that night, we took
our dinghies ashore bringing a few things that the girls prepared to
contribute to the impromptu dinner.  At the clean but simple home
featuring plywood walls and a corrugated metal roof, we dining on Chinese
chicken with rice, pulled pork and Greek salad and shared conversation
with Tatiana, Regis and their 7 year-old daughter Kiva Hei.  Both Tatiana
and Regis spoke English and were very entertaining.  Although Kiva Hei
spoke little English, it was clearly evident from her huge smile and
sparkling eyes that she enjoyed meeting our group of ocean-crossing
adventurers.  The meal concluded with a delicious chocolate cake that Anne
had prepared to help celebrate a birthday that Kat had the day before.
Before we returned to our boats, plans were made to go, the next morning,
with Tatiana, Regis and Kiva Hei in their motor boat to their private motu
across the lagoon for a day of spearfishing, beach combing and a BBQ
picnic.

We would all sleep well aboard our boats that night and awake early the
next morning for another day of adventure shared with friends

Daniel's Bay

The beauty of Daniel’s Bay is hard to describe.  There are 2 lobes within
the bay, each with sandy beaches surrounded by dense forests of coconut
palms and towering, emerald green cliffs.  A portion of the bay was used
as the site of one season of the “Survivor” television series.  The
Marquesan name for the bay is Hakatea but cruising sailors commonly refer
to it as Daniel’s, named after a friendly gentleman who lives in a modest
home on the northeast corner of the bay and provides a warm welcome to
anyone coming ashore.  Aside from the beauty of the bay itself, the area
is famous among adventurers for a jungle hike that leads up one of the
nearby valleys to the world’s 3rd highest waterfall.  Cruising friends
that arrived here before us said that the 3-plus hour, roundtrip hike to
the falls was a “must do” so we joined the crews from 3 other boats for
the hike the next day.  After taking our dinghy ashore and dragging it
across the sand to where we could tie it to a palm tree, we set out on the
walk that passed through a small community of homes surrounded by the
lushest gardens imaginable.  As we passed by them, several friendly locals
greeted us and enquired if we were going to the waterfall and if we would
like some fruit on the return trip.  We all answered yes and continued
along the trail that meandered through the jungle.  The hike, although not
strenuous, involved several stream crossings.  Friends had told us that
they had seen locals feeding 4 foot long eels in the fresh water streams
so we tried to block that image from our minds as we waded through murky,
knee deep water and hopped from slippery boulder to slippery boulder.  As
the trail continued up the narrowing canyon to the falls, the terrain grew
more and more dramatic.  Eventually, the canyon walls closed in around us
and were, in places, overhanging.  If ever there was a place for a lost
civilization, this seemed to be a perfect location.  As we neared the
waterfall, we passed a sign warning us of the danger of falling rocks and
soon came upon a cache of plastic, construction- type hard hats for hikers
to don as protection.  We would find out later that a tour operator in
Taiohae occasionally brings hearty clients to the canyon to view the falls
and leaves the hard hats for anyone to use.  After donning the rather
silly looking helmets, we all chuckled at the sight of each other and
joked about how they would really not offer much protection for a falling
rock bigger than a golf ball.  A little farther up the trail, we were
rewarded with the first views of the water cascading hundreds of feet down
a near- vertical cliff face.  We all stood in awe at the sight, doing our
best to take many photos that might convey the grandeur of the scenery.
Before long, we reached the pool at the base of the falls, made murky by
near constant rain runoff from high above.  Not being deterred by the
thought of eels in the water, we all swam across the first pool and
scrambled over boulders to another pool at the base of the falls itself
where we frolickedin the water like children.  The force of the falling
water created wind and spray that was nearly impossible to swim against
but several of our group managed to get right to the base of the falling
water itself.  Before the hike back down the canyon, we took time for a
few snacks while taking more photos and marveling at the majestic
surroundings.

 By midafternoon, we had reached the settlement near the bay and were
greeted by one of the Marquesan women we had spoken to on our way in.  She
motioned us into her yard and to the covered patio of her simple house
where she offered us a treat of fried bananas and lemonade.  We were all
happy to purchase some home-grown fruit from her before saying a heartfelt
“merci” and bidding her “au revoir”.  Our next stop was at the home of
colorful gentlemen who lived with his wife and two boys along the path to
the falls.  Even though he wore modern surf trunks, he resembled an
ancient Marquesan warrior with a chiseled, muscular physique and
interesting tattoos over half of his face and other parts of his body.  He
wore around his neck a necklace made of shells and boar’s tusks.  Before
long, he had engaged all of us in a demonstration of the art of husking
and opening coconuts.  The tops were sliced off several green ones and
they were passed around so that all of us could drink the sweet coconut
milk inside.  He then showed us how to shave the coconut meat from inside
one of the nuts producing what we often see sold in markets in the U.S.
The time spent with him and his family was thoroughly entertaining but we
were soon motivated to return to our waiting dinghies so that we could get
back to our boats before dark.  Before reaching the beach, we walked
through a grove of coconut palm trees where the sandy soil around them was
pockmarked with large golfer-style holes.  Anne squealed when she saw an
animal disappear into one of the holes and we all began to look more
carefully, finding most of the holes occupied by large coconut crabs.
Several of their dead carcasses lay nearby, some measuring 6 inches across
and making us glad that we would be sleeping aboard our boat that night
rather than in sleeping bags on the beach.
Our plan had been to leave the next day for the Tuomotu Archipelago, a
passage of about 450 miles but, when our friend Tucker, from the boat
“Convivia” that was anchored nearby, suggested that everyone meet ashore
that night for a beach bonfire, we happily postponed our departure until
the following day.

The next morning we awoke and began readying “Blue Rodeo” for another open
water passage.  While we enjoyed our visit to the Marquesas immensely, we
were now eagerly anticipating the time we would spend in the Tuomotu where
we would find nearly-deserted, palm-covered, coral atolls and crystal
clear water for diving.  Undersea world…her we come!

Taiohae

A pleasant 25 mile day sail from the island of Ua Pou took us to the
island of Nuka Hiva where we anchored in Taiohae Bay near the largest
population center in the Marquesas.   It was here that author Herman
Melville jumped ship to stay for a few years and write his novel “Typee”.
 We were pleased to see several boats in the anchorage that we recognized
from Mexico and, even though rain showers were moving through the area, we
launched “Blue Rodeo’s” dinghy and went to shore for an evening of
socializing and dinner.  During the ride to shore, a squall with heavy
rain passed overhead and, by the time we reached the dock, we were soaked
to our skin.  We have grown accustomed to the frequent showers in the lush
Marquesas and find them a refreshing, if inconvenient, occurrence.
Being that it was a Sunday night, things in town were even quieter than
normal and our dining options were limited to a simple open air restaurant
at the harbor.  Even though the couple that owned it was preparing to
close when we arrived, they were happy to prepare steaks, French fries and
salads for our hungry group of 8.  For most of us, it was a first meal out
in a long time and we all enjoyed it immensely.

The next day was spent obtaining diesel fuel for “Blue Rodeo” and gasoline
for our outboard motors.  There is a filling station on the quay in the
harbor but tying up a boat’s stern to the rough concrete wall and fueling
from a 30’ long hose can be difficult in any sort of windy and rolly
conditions.  We decided to check out the situation first by dinghy before
going to the trouble to take our boat there.  After sizing up the quay,
which is designed to accommodate much larger vessels than us, we opted
instead to make several trips in with our 5 gallon plastic jerry cans.
The process was exhausting as the full jugs of fuel had to be carried from
the filling station to a point on the concrete quay where a stainless
steel ladder descended 8 feet to the water.  While Mark filled the jugs
and carried them back, Anne waited in the dinghy being tossed about by the
swells and current.  Each of our 4 jerry cans was then lowered by rope to
the dinghy for the trip back to “Blue Rodeo”.  There, the heavy jugs had
to be lifted aboard over our lifelines and then carefully emptied, using a
funnel, into our fuel tanks.  Fortunately, we needed just 33 gallons of
diesel but, since we wanted to depart with all 4 of our 5 gallon jugs
filled as reserves, 3 round trips were required before the job was done.
Al off this was done in the tropical heat and humidity which left us
tired, crabby and drenched with sweat when we were finished.

  With the fueling task complete, we had just enough time to take our
passports and boat paperwork to the office of the gendarme to officially
check in.  Since we would remain only a short while, we were able to check
in to Taiohae and check out for our next destination in the same visit.
Other cruisers had informed us that the hospital near the gendarme’s
office provided free medication for the prevention of an insect-borne,
tropical disease that can, if untreated, lead to Elephantitis.  We knew of
what terrible consequences contracting that disease can produce so we made
the effort to get the pills and be on the safe side.  Even though the
nurse in the dispensary spoke very little English, with the aid of a
poster on the wall showing photos of people with terribly swollen
anatomical parts, we were able to convey what we were seeking.  With pills
in hand, we rendezvoused with our friends from the yacht “Panta Rhei” for
a walk through town to a beautiful, hillside, bungalow-style hotel where
we indulged ourselves with drinks on their deck and a delicious meal in
their restaurant.  From the hotel, the view of the bay and our anchored
boats below was spectacular and the company was delightful.   A fine
evening was had by all.

Early the next morning, we made the rounds through the town’s small
markets hoping to purchase as much fresh produce as we could for our
upcoming trip through the Tuamotu Archipelago.  We have come to expect
that, between the arrivals of the supply ships that come from Tahiti,
supplies are often limited in these islands and the best source of fresh
fruit or produce is the local residents.  Through a tip from a cruising
friend, Anne learned of a woman that sells produce grown by the town’s
school of agriculture.  So, after our limited success in the markets, she
and two friends made a trek to the school and returned lugging bags of
turnips, tomatoes, lettuce and sausages made from a freshly butchered pig.

That afternoon, with provisioning accomplished, we motor- sailed a short
distance west along Nuku Hiva’s rocky shoreline to Daniels Bay where we
would spend several days hiking and socializing with a few local families
and our cruising friends

Ua Pou

Our 65 mile passage from Tahuata to the island of Ua Poa began with a
4:30am wakeup and last minute preparations for a pre-dawn departure.  Once
clear of the anchorage we raised “Blue Rodeo’s” main sail and pointed the
bow toward our destination.  Unfortunately, the winds remained so light
throughout most of the day that we motor-sailed the whole way.  The
exception though was when we were just five miles from the rocky,
northeast shore of the island, where  we were overtaken by a squall that
brought with it winds gusting to as high as 42 knots.  Fortunately, as the
squall’s ominous, black cloud bore down on us, we reduced our mainsail
area to the second reef point.  With the strong winds, the seas quickly
became ugly and we were relieved to finally turn the corner into the tiny
harbor of Hakahau and gain some shelter from the wind and waves.  Two
other boats were already at anchor so we joined them using both bow and
stern anchors to hold our bow into the wind-driven swells that wrapped
around the harbor’s breakwater.

By the next morning, the stormy weather had passed and we were treated to
the sight of the island’s dramatic skyline punctuated by near-vertical
spires thrusting upward from the jungle-covered ridges.  It was quite a
sight to watch the spires come in and out of view a clouds swirled nearby.

After a quick breakfast aboard, we launched our dinghy and went to shore
for an exploratory walk.  Soon after securing our dinghy to the quay and
exiting the harbor area, we were greeted by a young woman with a huge
smile as she bicycled toward us.  After asking if we spoke English, her
eyes lit up and she proceed to tell us that she was a teacher at the local
school and had lived and worked for a while in Cornwall, England where she
learned to speak English.  Since it was Saturday and the school was
closed, she insisted on being our guide and accompanied us to several
markets and on a tour of the village.  Mel, the young woman, was Tahitian
and was a wealth of knowledge about Polynesia.  At one point it was agreed
that our group would split up so Mark could sit in front of the town’s
post office with his lap top computer to try to pick up an internet signal
while Anne would take Mel to our boat for a tour and to pick up some
shopping bags.  Mark’s success with the internet was limited but made more
interesting when he was joined by three young boys who sat next to him and
watched intently what he typed onto the computer screen.  They didn’t seem
that interested in his attempt to transfer money from our
retirement account but soon asked in French, mixed with a limited amount
of English, if Mark would type in a specific internet web site address.
Mark complied and up came a Japanese cartoon video site that was, no
doubt, a favorite of theirs.  Even though the internet connection was too
slow to run the videos, the boys seemed grateful that Mark tried.  When
Anne and Mel returned from the boat, they found Mark still sitting on the
sidewalk with the three boys snuggled up to him and staring at the
computer screen.  We looked at the experience as just another example of
how quickly the world is changing and how we consider ourselves fortunate
to be seeing some of the remote parts of the South Pacific before modern
technology changes it for the worse.

The following day, we motored a short distance along the island’s north
shore to another beautiful bay passing along the way an airport with a
paved runway cut through the jungle from the shoreline up a steeply rising
valley.   The rapidly rising terrain at the runway’s opposite end meant
that this was a “no go-around” airport, much like some of the airstrips
that we fly into in Idaho’s backcountry, where a landing must be made on
the first attempt.  Takeoffs must be made in the opposite direction
regardless of the wind direction.  Even though the island’s population in
limited in number, air service to Tahiti is available several days a week,
no doubt subsidized by the French government.

Our anchorage at Hakahetau, off another small and picturesque village,
provided a splendid place to watch the sunset and spend a relaxing
evening.  The next morning, we would raise anchor and set sail for the
island of Nuku Hiva, our final Marquesan island destination before heading
southwest toward the Tuamotu Archipelago

Tahuata

> With so much to see in the Marquesas and time limited by our 90 day visa
> for all of French Polynesia, we reluctantly left beautiful Fatu Hiva and
> sailed north to the island of Tahuata where we joined friends Bob and Ann
> of the vessel "Charisma" who were already anchored at Hapatoni Bay.  The
> small bay is surrounded by steep hillsides covered with the densest
> carpeting of coconut palm trees imaginable.  The late afternoon sunlight
> bathed the greenery making the colors explode with surreal intensity.
> After searching the coral and rock-covered bottom of the anchorage for a
> patch of sand, we dropped and set "Blue Rodeo's" anchor.  Soon after, we
> were socializing with the "Charisma" crew and planning a trip ashore to
> explore a tiny village.
>
> The next morning, the four of us took our dinghy to the village's concrete
> quay where we tied up near where several mothers watched their young
> children splashing and playing in the water.  We all exchanged warm smiles
> and, once again, felt welcome by the local residents.  After walking just
> a short distance toward the village's ancient stone promenade that follows
> the shoreline for a considerable distance, we were greeted by a friendly
> gentleman who escorted us to his simple home where he produced a selection
> of fine wood and bone carvings.  Bob purchased an exquisite ceremonial
> dagger made from bone and a Marlin bill.  Our walk continued along the bay
> past a beautiful church and cemetery.  When the stone promenade ended, we
> followed a trail up a steep hillside toward a narrow road leading to the
> next village.  Our efforts were rewarded with splendid views of our two
> boats in the beautiful anchorage far below.  As we walked, we marveled at
> the amount and variety of fruit that hung from the trees in the dense
> jungle.  We couldn't help but "harvest" a big bunch of bananas from a
> roadside tree.  We were careful to be sure though that the banana tree was
> far from anyone's personal property.  Without any cutting tools, it took
> considerable effort on the part of all four of us to wrestle the stalk to
> the ground and tear it free from the tree.  Our reward was about two dozen
> green bananas that would provide a sweet treat when they ripened.
>
> Back aboard our boats, we did a few chores and went snorkeling along the
> bay's rocky shore.  The visibility in the water was good and, along with
> lots of colorful fish, Anne and I saw our first Black Tip reef shark.  It
> was just 4 feet in length but certainly got our attention.
>
> The next day, we continued further up the island's west shore to Vaitahu
> or Resolution Bay where another small community sits at the water's edge.
> Our intention was to anchor there for a night but, as we approached, we
> could clearly see that strong wind gusts were funneling down a canyon to
> the bay leaving the water's surface rough and streaked with spume.  We
> opted instead to continue another mile to a bay called Hana Moa Noe where
> we found much better conditions.  This beautiful spot, with its crystal
> clear water and white sand beach will remain one of our favorites in the
> Marquesas.  Our two days there were especially pleasant enjoying the
> scenery, socializing with cruising friends and snorkeling.  We even had
> the opportunity to swim again with large Manta rays, though not as big as
> those in Mexico.  One afternoon, while friends Bob and Ann were swimming
> with the Mantas, they noticed that one was trailing a long length of
> fishing line from a lure stuck in its mouth.  When they informed us, we
> quickly donned our snorkeling gear, grabbed a knife and swam toward them
> hoping to offer assistance.  After an attempt by Mark, Anne was able to
> take the knife and gently approach the swimming Manta getting close enough
> to caress it and cut off most of the line.  When the ray swam out of
> sight, we were satisfied that we had done our best to help it and that the
> remaining lure would probably rust away in a few weeks.  In addition to
> the encounters with the marine wild life, we were treated one evening
> there to the sight of two wild horses on a ridge above the anchorage.
> What a beautiful sight!
>
> While most days in the Marquesas, to this point, had featured lots of
> sunshine and warm temperatures, the skies were never cloud-free.  For that
> reason, we always kept a watchful eye out for showers that can begin
> suddenly and often dump a considerable amount of rain.  We would
> frequently do the "hatch dance" where we'd jump up and scurry about
> closing all of "Blue Rodeo's" hatches.  As soon as the showers passed, the
> dance would begin again re-opening them to allow the cooling breezes to
> flow through the boat.
>
> Our last evening in Hana Moa Noe was spent sharing a pot luck dinner
> aboard the spacious catamaran "Gato Go" with friends Craig and Bruce whom
> we have known since our first season in Mexico.  The crews from "Island
> Bound" and "Charisma" also joined in the fun.  A high point of the evening
> was comparing photos of our group's Equator crossing costumes.  We all
> howled with laughter at the creative and silly costumes.
>
> We returned to "Blue Rodeo" that night and began making preparations for a
> predawn departure for our next stop, the island of Ua Poa, about 65 miles
> to the north.  Leaving a beautiful spot and wonderful friends is always
> somewhat bitter but sweetened by the knowledge that more exciting
> discoveries and warm reunions are just another island away.  This is all
> part of the magic of the cruising life