The Marquesas

Stepping foot on solid ground after 3 weeks at sea is a feeling indescribable! To have it be on the gorgeous islands of the Marquesas is an absolute blessing. We chose Hiva Oa as our initial entry into French Polynesia. Aside from the tiny anchorage where we met with many challenges it was a sweet island to visit. Actually stepping onto terra firma, for many, comes with wobbly sea legs making for the appearance of the notorious drunken sailor. Three out of the four of us felt wobbly. For whatever reason I was left out of this sensation. I wasn't complaining.

As many other boats also aim for the tiny bay of Tahauku it can be quite crowded. And, there is a boundary you must park outside of as it's also the port for the semi-regular cruise/ supply ship.  This somewhat massive vessel has to have enough room to maneuver is this minuscule harbor and they make sure it's so by sending out smaller boats to alert anyone inside of this boundary that they must move.  We had initially anchored well and floated outside of said boundary however the winds shifted and pushed us right inside the 'no go' zone. Instead of picking up anchor then attempting to find yet another sliver of anchorage we got the bright idea of using our dingy to push us out of the way. Genius! Having a front row seat we watched this ship, the Aranui 5, come in. Once they had docked we learned that we had until 4 that afternoon before it was to leave again. We decided to walk to town. This served a few great purposes; regain land legs, get some much needed exercise, and, of course, sight see. 

The road to Atuona was littered with ripe mini mangoes falling from the trees. Of course we had to grab some up. This would be our first taste of fresh tropical fruit from the islands. As we walked slurping our juicy mangoes we were taken by the lovely and lush vegetation surrounding us. We were also a bit oppressed by the heat and humidity!

Atuona's 'downtown' lies 1 mile to the west of the anchorage. On our way we found an opened restaurant and went inside for refreshments. Again, eating food you don't have to prepare or consume in a moving environment makes it all the more scrumptious. To my absolute surprise they had strawberry milkshakes on the menu! My main course!!!

Initially we were meant to stay a week in Hiva Oa while Chris spent time with his parents who had flown over to celebrate his crossing. Unfortunately his dad had to go to hospital after they touched down in Tahiti. Giving his father time to recover it was decided that we would meet them instead in Nuku Hiva. If all else had remained the same we would have gotten underway immediately. Another unfortunate situation arose for our crew mate Terry. He received tragic news upon our arrival to the Marquesas and began arranging travel back to the states, and his family. Wanting to support him as best we could we delayed our departure until the day of Terry's flight. Although sad circumstances had us remaining in a tight, untrustworthy, uncomfortable anchorage we made the most of it.

Hiva Oa is know as the resting place of famous artist Paul Gauguin who died there in 1905. We ventured up to his grave just to say we had. Also there we found another loved and well visited tombstone for musician John Bael. None of us knew who this was but it was obvious many, many people had. Okay, check that box.

We made it back to the boat well before the big ship's departure. It happens that the wind had shifted us back into our original position, outside the boundary, so all we had to do was watch and wave. 

During our time on the island we would often spread out and do our own thing. One such day I ventured to the beach front off the main town, set up a hammock then watched the goings on of the locals. Being that is was Easter weekend there wasn't much open but many were milling around, more specifically teenagers. And, I must mention that I've seen more youth playing volleyball here in French Polynesia than soccer, which I find interesting.

When I was ready to head back I packed up my things then headed to the nearby road. A local man was sitting in his truck after a surf session and asked me where I was going and if I wanted a ride. This guy, Stan, spoke okay English, much better than my French. He said he'd like to practice his English with me. Sweet! I hopped in his truck and off we went. As we were coming to the marina he asked if I would like to see more of the island. Absolutely!

Stan drove me over to the north side of the island to the village where he grew up. Although now he lives in Atuona most of the time, and his parents also have a home in another village, they still keep a family home on the north side. Stan took me to his family's home and picked many pamplemousse (grapefruit) for me out of the tree on their property. On our way back across the island he also stopped to grab a bunch of bananas.  All along the drive were clumps of banana trees. Stan kept looking to see a bunch ready to be harvested. Once he found one he liked we took to bringing it down.

Banana trees only produce one bunch of fruit then die. To harvest the bunch one simply cuts down the tree and takes it. This particular tree that held the bunch Stan had his eye on was set on a steep decline. Chopping down the tree with the heavy bunch would likely see the fruit falling down the slope being lost to us. So, my job was to take the branches Stan had peeled back and once he started hacking away I was to pull the tree, and the bananas, towards me. It worked perfectly! We walked out with a nice bunch of maybe 75 small bananas still pretty green but promised to ripen soon. What a gift meeting Stan turned out to be. A kind, generous spirit.

When Stan delivered me back to the marina I radioed out to the boat telling the guys I was ready to be picked up at the dock, and to bring bags!  Probably 10 pamplemousse, 15 mangoes, a bunch of bananas. We were certainly set, and oh so thankful to Stan.

On another day the group of us rented a car to explore by land. Funny enough the way we began was exactly the mini tour Stan had given me so I had a tiny bit of insider knowledge. During this island road trip we visited the Giggling (Laughing) Tiki and a geological site which is home to the largest Tiki known and several others. We stopped at a corner shop and found this local yummy sweet bread / biscuit freshly made, still warm. I love treasures like these.

After we said goodbye to Terry we got underway to an island south called Fatu Hiva. This anchorage is said to be considered one of the most beautiful in the world. We were eager to see it for ourselves.

In Fatu Hiva and Baie Hanavave we found gorgeous views, for sure, and few of our buddy boat friends which is always nice. We also found a lovely lady named Vanessa who, to earn money, invited cruisers into her home for a meal. There was a group of 9 of us, including 2 young and quite interesting kids, Anna and Nat, that showed up for dinner. Vanessa likes cooking for bigger groups so we all went together. Upon our arrival Vanessa's daughters greeted us with flowers.

The table was set up on the porch of the families home. We took our seats and our meal was quickly on the table. Several different banana preparations, a salad, grilled chicken, grilled fish, ceviche, potatoes, and deep fried breadfruit chips, that was our tasty meal! 

Once we had finished our meal Vanessa invited the ladies of the group in to look at her tapa, or artwork. Tapa refers to the strips of tree bark that is pummeled into a workable canvas, and it's process.

Vanessa keeps this traditional way alive making tapa for her paintings and also tapa so supple that it's used to make clothing, specifically regalia for ceremony and cultural exchange. She gifted the three of us ladies one of her pieces. Vanessa also brought out a strip of bark that was ready to be transformed. Banyan bark & that of the bread fruit tree are two that Vanessa works with. If I remember correctly the bark from the banyan is the one used in making the textile for clothing. She produced the demo strip out of the freezer, sat down at the stone used as base which she pounds the fiber with a mallet, wet the bark then began. The wooden mallets have a long surface attached to the grip, with two different patterns grooved into the striking surface. One with grooves wider apart for the initial portion, the other with grooves closer for the finishing touches. I even had a go. The tempo and the sound was a bit mesmerizing. 

After dinner and our brief introduction to tapa Vanessa invited us back the next day to teach us more about making tapa. Julie from First Light, another buddy boat, and I accepted. 

My absolute favorite thing about this cruising lifestyle is the cultural exchange. For my part I've been making simple and beaded bracelets to offer up. So far these little gifts have been well received. Vanessa and both of her daughters were eager to choose one for themselves.

Julie picked me up at Bird Song around 7:15. When we arrived back at the house Vanessa and her husband, whose name I don't remember, greeted us with smiles. Vanessa herself was quick to laugh and hers was infectious.

Again beginning with a moistened strip of bark we took turns working the fiber. It takes approximately 2 days to. get the bark into something useable for the art so it wasn't to be that we would complete the whole process. However, there were pieces at different phases that we learned on.

The next step was to use tapioca flour and water to mix up a glue to coat the tapa in before it was set out in the sun to dry. Something I found to be really cool was that bits of the pounded bark was trimmed off then used to fill in the small holes where branches had once grown. Dipping the remnant first in the tapioca mixture it was color matched and pressed into the hole to fill it. Once it dried you could barely see where the repair had taken place.

The art drawn onto the tapa was designs Vanessa herself had come up with. She uses a stencil over and over with the help of carbon paper. After the design was transferred she would trace the outline with a wooden skewer that had the point wrapped in hair, dipping it in acrylic as her medium.

Julie and I were set up with our own small piece of tapa and a chosen design. Vanessa chose mine for me, a manta ray. For us amateurs it took a ton of focus and lots of practice to not be heavy handed with the skewer. They definitely did not turn out anywhere close to Vanessa's skilled and beautiful work. That's okay. We certainly didn't expect it to. It did, however, give us both a deeper, most sincere appreciation for the tapas she had gifted us with the night before. After perhaps 4 hours spent having this experience we said good-bye to Vanessa and family.

From Fatu Hiva we ventured back north to a smaller island called Tahauata. On this island there is a bay with a resident pod of dolphins and another known for it's manta ray sightings. We were collectively excited about these prospects.

Our first stop was in Baie Hanatefau, near the small town of Hapatoni. The very first morning here the dolphins came through. I was in the water like a flash, swimming out to where they were gathering with my GoPro in hand. What I came upon was this small group having morning sex. How embarrassing, and yet I started filming anyway. hahaha!  Of course it was an amazing thing to witness. I did my best to keep a respectable distance and they didn't seem to mind me at all, for a short time that is.

This pod swam, jumped, and played all morning through this bay. There were many tiny baby dolphins with them. That was the cutest! Those little ones were the ones jumping and spinning the most. Later in the day I took a paddle board out and floated in the midst of all this sweetness. I could have stayed out there indefinitely!!!

Along with its dolphins this bay is also said to be the best snorkeling spot in the Marquesas. We have been a little surprised to find the water here not the tropical blue and crystal clear we had hoped to find but yes, on this island the visibility is a bit better. It didn't take too long for Chris and I to don our gear and jump in.  We swam to the northern edge of the bay to see what we could see along the rocky ledge. IHere we found our first black tip reef shark, turtles, and spotted rays. I can tell you that when your first small reef shark sneaks up on you and passes close by all expert knowledge telling you that they are harmless goes right out the window. After a brief panic we got on with it keeping our heads on swivel so we wouldn't be shocked the next time one of these sharks came around. 

In this anchorage Infinite Grace, Sea Bella, and Second Sun were all there with us. The majority of us went snorkeling together at one point, with me on the paddle board due to an ear infection threatening. I would occasionally poke my face in to see what I could see. Life is always better with friends around.

Although the town of Haptoni was a distance away, maybe a mile, one could swim to shore from the boat and walk a clear rode to town. Chris had gone in earlier with the crews from Sea Bella and Infinite Grace, I followed on my own later. Turns out those guys went north while I went south and into Hapatoni.

Yet another small, quaint village filled with warm and welcoming people Hapatoni is made up of a church, a school, an open air artisan market, and I think a small store although I never saw it. The artisan market is the main way for these villagers to earn a living. I was told that each family has at least one who learns the art of carving or weaving or jewelry making so they may sell their wares to cruisers and other tourists who come over on a small ferry for a day trip.

In the afternoon we pulled up anchor to go another bay north of us called Vaitahu. Infinite Grace and Sea Bella joined us. We didn't stay too long but long enough to spend one more night with our friends. The next day after saying good bye Bird Song sailed one more bay up in hopes to find manta rays!!! Sea Bella and Infinite Grace would be heading south to Fatu Hiva. It was likely we would not see them again here in the Marquesas.

Baie Hanamoenoa was to be a short stop to hopefully see the rays before Chris, Jim, and I would sail up to Nuku Hiva, 85 nm northwest of us. It would be a quick overnight trip so we had some time to spare. We dropped anchor and were told that the rays stayed out more in the mouth of the bay feeding. So into the dink we went, heading in the direction recommended.

We didn't have to wait too long before Jim spotted a turbulence on the water surface with what looked, at first, like a dorsal fin that disappeared quickly. We didn't know if it had been a dolphin or a shark. Then it was clear that what we saw were the tips of the rays wings sticking out. Chris and I jumped in immediately. Jim agreed to stay with the dingy first.

Oh my GOD!!! There were about 20 rays feeding. With there 6' wing span, gaping mouths, and a torso of all gills with their long, needle like tails these creatures are grace in the water. With just a gentle twist of their distal wings they bank right or left. Or, with a barely distinguishable bend of both they execute a smooth rolling back flip. Often seen in pairs or a trio they will fly in tight formation with such awareness of each other that no collisions occur. And this was all happening within 10' of us!  When I use the word 'magical' to describe this experience it's with full gusto, believe you me!

After the three of us had our fill (not really possible, to tell the truth) we motored back to the boat, got everything ready for sea, then departed the southern Marquesas.

The night afforded us conditions for a perfect and quick sail. We arrived in Nuku Hiva's Taiohae Bay around 10 am. This is where Chris' parents are meeting us, and they are already here and checked in to their hotel.

Our first order of business is to top off our fuel tanks. Coming into the bay we notice the fuel dock that has a reputation for being quite difficult to navigate for smaller boats like ours. It's a tall concrete wharf with fenders spaced for a larger vessel. Smaller boats must doing something called a Mediterranean Moor where you approach the wharf and turn your bow away at a perpendicular then go forward 150' or so to drop your bow anchor then back down towards the wharf, throw up stern lines to be placed on cleats.  This three point system holds the boat far enough away to not get damaged, close enough in to grab the fuel hose that gets tied to a small line then lowered down. After assessing the conditions which seemed calm enough  for us we decided to give it a go.

We had been drifting for a couple of hours waiting for a fishing boat and then a ferry to fuel up. When it was our turn we made our initial approach to see that we now had a surging swell to attend with. Bummer! Chis still felt confident in the mission so we continued. Dropping the anchor and backing down was easy enough but backing down directly where we needed to go was the challenge. I had to pay out chain as we got close to our target then once we had our lines secure on the quay we motored forward and I bought in anchor chain to bring everything somewhat taught & effective.

A couple of times we got uncomfortably close to the concrete, especially with the solar panels jutting out a little further than our stern. However, once we had all three points secure and at a good distance the attendant lowered down the nozzle. The top off was relatively quick so we were able to get out of there in under an hour.

Here in the Marquesas, as one might suspect, everything gets shipped in; fuel, groceries, hardware, etc. In the smaller islands fuel sells out quick. In Hiva Oa we watched cars as they lined up first thing in the morning to ensure they could fill up their vehicles. We made the decision to wait until Nuku Hiva as it's a bigger town and gets a larger shipment. Good decision over all and added to the adventure. We now have experience Med Mooring up to a big, scary wharf. That will come in handy further down the line.

As soon as we were at anchor in the bay Chris was off to see his folks. This left Jim and I to our own devices for the rest of the day. If I remember correctly we rested first and explored later.

Day two in Nuku Hiva Chris' parents rented a car the the group of us took a tour of the island. More tiki's, gorgeous scenery, our first wild pig sighting, and a artisan market we stumbled upon somewhere along the way. At this market was the first time we found someone opening fresh, chilled coconuts and selling them for the refreshing coconut water. That is something I have found a bit disappointing. Over in Baja you could find stands daily. Coconut water is a favorite beverage of mine so I guess I'll just have to learn how to get it for myself!

I did just that! Somewhere along the way we found a coconut, still in it's husk, but when shaken it sloshed so, for me, it was the perfect find. Before leaving Mexico we picked up a machete. This was going to be it's initiation.

Of course I had to google the process to make sure I had some idea or tricks of the trade to begin with. I've heard there's a process where you bury a sharp stick then bring the already husked coconut down onto the pointy end to break it open. Since we weren't on land and no sharp sticks were to be found I was 'stuck' to using the machete. This brought some concern to both Chris and Jim so I waited until Chris was onshore and Jim was engrossed in his reading.

First thing I learned - if you wait until the husk is really dry then it's really tough to peel off. I must've looked like an ape using my feet to hold the nut while I torn it apart with my hands. Whatever works, yeah? Once I had the nut out I cracked the top so to get the water safely out and into a container for drinking later. YUM!  Next I used the back of the machete to tap firmly around the equator of the coconut. Eventually a crack develops that broke it apart. At this point I had successfully opened my first coconut. And it was so moist and delicious!  The effort, and clean up, were all well worth the reward.

We hung out with Chris' family a couple of days before we took off to circumnavigate the island as Jim's farewell sail. First stop was Daniel's Bay just around the corner. I think it was 4 nautical miles from where we pulled up anchor to where we dropped it again, just next to Second Sun. That was a nice finding. 

Daniel's Bay was named after a local man who would enthusiastically greet cruisers and offer up his assistance for whatever they might need and he could do. He has passed away now. His grandson still lives there in the village by the bay but does not carry on the tradition.

This bay is also known for the hike that takes you to the pool at the base of the third tallest single drop waterfall in the world. The three of us took this hike the next morning.

Another fellow cruiser by the name of Christian, a German single hander, had spent a good amount of time in the area and gave us some direction. He mentioned a 'restaurant' at the fork in the road that takes you to the village if you go left or to the waterfall if you go right. Here we met a woman who, like our friend on Fatu Hiva, cooks for guests of the island. Her and her husband were already up and milling about when we arrived. She was quick to give us a reservation for when we would be back down after our hike. She also offered up pampelmousse as well as other fruits to buy. Yes, please!

The hike was maybe 5 miles round trip and took us a couple of hours through lush greenery and flowing streams. At one point we literally had to forge a more quickly moving, deeper stream. This is where Jim drew the line. He had a injured his knee shortly before joining us down in Mexico and he wasn't keen to put any more stress on it then necessary. Chris and I continued on.

This being the end of the dry season there wasn't much water in the pool, and what was there was pretty brown and murky. Not the inviting water one would hope to swim in. With the local knowledge gained when we hiked to our first waterfall in Fatu Hiva telling us that fresh water eels live in these pools I was even less inclined. From the base you could not see the waterfall at all. The route the fall took was back in a crevasse and could only be seen from the trail. We did see it on our way in, including Jim. Still, visiting the pool was interesting, and the hike a good one.

The other few bays we visited on our trip around the island were lovely as well. We didn't make it to land in any of them but had seen some of the villages when we were on our land excursion. It took us 4 days, 3 nights.

Back in Taiohae Bay Chris spent more time with his parents, Jim prepared to leave us, and I reconnected with a new friend we had met just before leaving Puerto Vallarta. Jacob had introduced himself to me on the recommendation of Richard Lowe of sailing vessel Firewater. Richard I had met up in Sausalito when he came to my aid as I was fighting a bilateral kidney infection that put me in the San Francisco VA Hospital for a few days. He kept a good watch on my boat for me. Anyway, Jacob had also met Richard but in La Paz. In their conversation Richard had mentioned me and Jacob reached out. Now here we were meeting again some 3,400 nm away on an island deep in the Pacific. Jacob had just arrived in the Marquesas after a solo voyage over 25 days. So damn impressive. We met up and I asked to hear his story. 

During our last days on Nuku Hiva we were fortunate enough to experience an election time and holiday for the locals. Some interesting things that went with this was that 1) no alcohol would be sold, 2) pop up restaurants would appear on the road side, & 3) there would be a dance exhibition.

Thursday night Jim, Jacob, and I ventured into town and came upon a large group of women practicing traditional dance. That hip shimmy is quite mesmerizing. What we later discovered was that French Polynesia holds a competition in Tahiti each year. Many dance troupes are sent over to represent their home island. This was a rehearsal for that competition. 

On Friday night Chris, Jim, Jacob and I scored a front row table for the shindig. Since we had a bit of time we went across the street to a road side restaurant for food. Here we ran into a couple, Marie and Anders, who own Cavatina, an identical boat to Chris'. We had met this couple before, and enjoyed their company, so we invited them to join us. Offerings on the menu were sparse. Earlier that day there had been a full pig on roast so we knew one item we could choose from. Pork, chicken, fish - those are three of the main staples and where all up for order.

Our group made it back to the table just in time for an exhibition of dance & drumming. First began the drumming accompanied by a conch horn being sounded to summon the group's attention.  In came the warriors. The men with their tattoos, grass covering, & tusk laden necklaces were quite the sight. Their dance was energetic, athletic and fierce. The women joined them, adding a bit of sweetness with their singing and rhythm keeping through the tapping of loosely bound sticks of some kind.

At the end of the exhibition the ladies of the crowd were invited up to learn the female version of the bird dance. Yes, of course I got up to join in. The instructions came all in French so I had to follow the leaders by sight. What fun. My only regret was not learning more French before I ventured here so I could understand more about the storytelling inspiring the dance. Later the men came up to learn their part of the same. What a rich experience for us all. 

On May 1st Jim left the boat. Chris and I were now on our own and headed for the Tuamotus, the next stop on this amazing journey.