After endless flights and layovers, I finally re-joined the boat in Nuku Hiva. The Pacific team did an amazing job, arriving at the front end of the fleet. Well done James, Mary , Andrew, Linda and John.
Nuku Hiva is the administrative capital of the Marquesas Islands, with a few shops and one hotel. The place itself is grand as they say - best positioned at the end of a long crossing for that "land - Ho" moment, with more than touches of Banagher-Sur-Mer. They have pizza. The anchorage itself was uncomfortable as well, so we decided to get going for the Tuamotos - a series of atolls and lagoons si hindred and thirty nautical miles or two thirds of the way to Tahiti proper. Fuelling up was difficult and very tricky - we had to hold the boat off the quay in a big swell, all 40 tons of her snapping in and out . John dinghied the hose out to the boat, and once all the queue barging by the locals was fully exhausted, we filled up. Not easy. Early the next morning, after warm goodbyes, John and Linda left the boat.
They made a huge contribution and will be missed. John rivals only my children in his love of boat "-ology'' - happier than a clam tying and untying knots, running here there and everywhere in the dinghy , decanting fuel . Then, once cleared out with the local Gendarmerie, we pushed the boat around the headland to a more sheltered bay where we dropped the mainsail and James, clinging to the top of the mast for all he was worth, re attached the loose furling rod inside he mast - also no easy!
So we are back at sea now - on our way to Rangeroa. We have to time our entrance to the atoll lagoon for high water slack tide. We will point the boat at the surf, gun the engine, head straight for the surf and hope to God the pass reveals itself in time to be where its meant to be. Well almost. So not a minute to be lost . Back into the rhythm of the passage - the weather is good, the company is great, and the atolls await us.
Liam
Nuku Hiva is the administrative capital of the Marquesas Islands, with a few shops and one hotel. The place itself is grand as they say - best positioned at the end of a long crossing for that "land - Ho" moment, with more than touches of Banagher-Sur-Mer. They have pizza. The anchorage itself was uncomfortable as well, so we decided to get going for the Tuamotos - a series of atolls and lagoons si hindred and thirty nautical miles or two thirds of the way to Tahiti proper. Fuelling up was difficult and very tricky - we had to hold the boat off the quay in a big swell, all 40 tons of her snapping in and out . John dinghied the hose out to the boat, and once all the queue barging by the locals was fully exhausted, we filled up. Not easy. Early the next morning, after warm goodbyes, John and Linda left the boat.
They made a huge contribution and will be missed. John rivals only my children in his love of boat "-ology'' - happier than a clam tying and untying knots, running here there and everywhere in the dinghy , decanting fuel . Then, once cleared out with the local Gendarmerie, we pushed the boat around the headland to a more sheltered bay where we dropped the mainsail and James, clinging to the top of the mast for all he was worth, re attached the loose furling rod inside he mast - also no easy!
So we are back at sea now - on our way to Rangeroa. We have to time our entrance to the atoll lagoon for high water slack tide. We will point the boat at the surf, gun the engine, head straight for the surf and hope to God the pass reveals itself in time to be where its meant to be. Well almost. So not a minute to be lost . Back into the rhythm of the passage - the weather is good, the company is great, and the atolls await us.
Liam
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