Suwarrow – Cook Islands May 19 – June 18 2014

We departed the wee world of Mopelia, our final stop in French Polynesia Monday morning May 19 for our 500 miles passage west to Suwarrow situated in the Northern Cook Islands approx. 900 miles south of the Equator.

Suwarrow has been described as a real Treasure Island and the most romantic Island in the world by Mrs. Robert Louis Stevenson.  This very isolated atoll is comprised of a dozen small islets rimming the pristine waters of one of the best land locked lagoon harbours in all of the Pacific waters.  It is certainly on the path less travelled.

Though thought to be home to Polynesian settlers in times past it receives its name from the Russian ship Suvorov which landed on these barren shores in 1814. During the mid-19^th century a ship from Tahiti found treasure in an old iron chest worth approx. $5 mill today.

During WWII the US set up a watch station on Anchorage Island, the largest of the group and some years later the island received its fame from a lone New Zealander, Tom Neale who came to live in isolation for 15 years between 1952 and 1977.  He wrote of his adventure and his tale, ‘An Island To Oneself’, is a testimony of his will and endurance and both Kaija and I found it a terrific read and one we recommend.

After reading his book, we too had a desire to spend time here, alone, and being a month or so ahead of the Pacific Puddle Jumpers Cruisers we hoped to do just that.

Our 5 day sail was uneventful with two exceptions.  On night two, being hundreds of miles from anywhere or anybody, we saw very bright light on the horizon.  We thought it a fishing vessel but had no read of it on our 48 mile radar and no response to our various VHF calls.  We were concerned not so much about Pirates but because some of these large fishing Seining vessels carry nets that run for 100 miles, drawn into a circle 33 miles across.  We did not want to become part of his catch.  It was not until the morning dawn that the light faded from view and we never did discover its origin.  The winds were light and we were sailing downwind and if we were to have any chance of making landfall during daylight hours we needed to pick up the pace.  It was time for the Spinnaker.  We carry an Asymmetrical Chute intended more for running on a slight angle to broad reaching.  Because we were DDW (dead downwind) I decided to use the Spin Pole in effect to allow for a better angle and a more stable set.  The breeze was between 8 – 10 knots and had been for many hours.  We hoisted the chute and trimmed her out and soon we were doing a comfortable 6 knots in the light breeze.  Excellent!  Well, just when you think you have it all under control long came a strengthening breeze and it took only a matter of minutes before it was blowing 20 kts., a lot more wind than needed when flying the chute, especially shorthanded.  We had a Chute sock, but I quickly realized that we were beyond dousing with the sock, it was time to blow the sheet and get it down quick.  With Auto driving hard to keep the nose down and avoid broaching I let the sheet fly.  Kaija, on the deck, was attempting to secure the chute by pulling down the sock.  This was not to be. She quickly let me know we had a slight problem.  Our chute had hour glassed around the head stay.  This was not good.  We were in danger of damaging the chute and unable to use our headsail in this current situation.  It required someone going aloft to sort this mess out.  We took a vote and decided neither of us was going up the stick in these conditions.  It would have to wait until we reached Suwarrow.

The next day with light winds again we were making slow progress under main sail alone and it was time to fire up the ‘iron genny’ (engine) in order to make landfall during daylight.  In these lighter conditions we continued to watch the chute curl, furl, and continue to wrap and rewrap itself around the head stay but with lighter stress and  I decided to relax the halyard a foot or so.  Gradually we watched the chute inch its way downward.  Ok…so it’s a game of inches…over the span of that day we slowly worked the chute down but it was not until the next morning as we arrived at Suwarrow that we finally managed to the get chute completely down and stowed and all the mess sorted…with no damage.  Thank you Lord!

As we arrived at Suwarrow we noticed a couple of boats in the anchorage.  But as we came thru the pass out came one and then the next.  Aha, were we to get our wish…Suwarrow all to ourselves.  Alas, as we rounded the headland we saw one boat remaining.  This turned out to be the Sailing Cat Sonadora owned by a nice lady Carol from UK enroute NZ on her second circumnavigation.  We enjoyed a day on the island with her crew and learned the ropes of successfully negotiating our way into the ripe coconuts with our trusty Machete.  Yes there is an art to it and once learned you will never be thirsty again…provided you are on an island with Coconuts.

The following day, Sonadora departed and our dream came true….An Island to Oneself!  No one else, no Wardens, or Field and Stream boys, no authorities telling us what to do or not do, no other cruisers…Paradise to explore!  – For 4 hours.

Then once again we were in the company of three French Cats a German Cat and three French monohulls…wow…a crowd.

 

  But being the friendly sorts we are, it wasn’t long until the beach parties began and we were all busy exploring the island Tom Neale journalled so well.

We found his original shack, cooking hut and garden and were introduced to the Suwarrow version of the Coconut Crab and did we find crab…WOW!

 That’s the beauty of coming to a place where few have gone before.  Mother Nature and all her inhabitants have a chance to replenish and flourish.  For the next few days we hunted crabs, fished and snorkelled the many reefs close to the anchorage.  They were beautiful and full of sharks, black tip, white tip, reef and greys they were all there and in large numbers.  As were the very large snappers and groupers and all manner of good eatin fishies, it was just a question of how fast can you swim, spear and walk on water.  The trolling was excellent and wasn’t long before the freezer started filling up.  Also, it wasn’t long until the crowd started to thin out and one morning we woke up knowing that we were once again all alone.  This time we had a few days and perfect weather to take the dinghy and explore the other islands rimming the atolls. In particular we wanted to go and find what Tom Neale described in his book as ‘The Perfect Reef’.  We did and it was….SPECTACULAR!  In the 10 years that we have been cruising and diving it was the most incredible reef dive we have ever had.  We weren’t in the water but a couple of minutes when, spear gun in hand, I had a large Pacific Jack, bigger than me, swim right up to my mask.  I could have kissed him, he was that close.  Needless to say, my trigger finger was twitching, but that wee small voice that belongs to my survival instinct said “Elmer, if you shoot that fish you are gonna die” and although I recognized that to be a little harsh, I knew if I shot that fish I would be taken for a ride to a place I may not come back from.  At the very least I would lose my gun and that’s no fun.  So I wiggled my fingers at him in my most friendly Nemo kind of wave and off he swam and so did I.  We spent a whole day exploring that reef and Kaija discovered a new species of fish we have never before encountered.  It was the Ambon Toby and Kaija, always on the lookout for a new fish, was thrilled.

Kaija found a bird sanctuary with thousands of nesting Terns and Gulls and was able to enjoy a real time of communion with them.

  I discovered a beautiful whale bone vertebrae and if it weren’t for the size I would have brought it home, it was a most comfortable chair, but alas, too big and too heavy for das boat.

Over the next many days we explored other islands, fished and swam and it reminded me of the movie Blue Lagoon with Kaija and me the stars.  It was heavenly, total isolation, serenity, perfection.  However, it wasn’t too many days before more boats started arriving and we once again found ourselves in the company of cruisers and a good time was had by all.  Todd and Gayle Sv Small World II from Hawaii, Tim and Katie Sv Marjana an Australian couple making their way home after cruising the Med for 6 yrs. and a pair of nice lads from the States, Hugh and Peter Sv Icarus recently College grads having a sailing adventure before selling the boat in Australia and head back to the land of Stuff and gainful employment.

Finally, the Island Authority/Warden arrived.  His name was Harry and in company with his assistant/wife he promptly proceeded to inform us of ‘all the rules’.  There was a whole lot of ‘you can’t do’ including fires on the beach, socials at the clubhouse etc., however, he was nice enough when he came to ask if we could install his SSB radio, which we did and made the best of the situation.  However, it was not the same with all the rules and regs and it was time to move on.

We discovered that we had a fairly major fuel leak coming from the fuel injector pump.  Despite my best efforts, this fix was way above my pay grade.  I needed help and there was no help in Suwarrow.  Originally, we had intended to sail for Tonga then Fiji, but given the distances it seemed a wiser course to head for American Samoa where at least we could get parts shipped in.  And that is what we did.  On the morning of June 18, in company with Sv Small World II we departed this Paradise of Isolation and headed for civilization.

Mopelia – May 10 – May 18 2014

We departed Maupiti for the last inhabited island of French Polynesia, Mopelia.  This was an overnight run and with strong winds and a couple of squalls we arrived before day break.  We spent the next 5 hrs. slowly trolling up and down the west side of this remote Atoll waiting for high tide and enough sunshine to see our way thru what was to be THE BIGGEST BUTT CLENCHER of them all….I know, I know, that’s what I said about Maupiti…but I’m not kidding when I say squeeze them cheeks and don’t sneeze or you’re a gonna have to change your shorts.  There are only two sticks marking this verrrry narrow channel, completely awash with pounding surge and surf…and we are on the lee side of the atoll.  We made it thru this 10ft deep 40’ wide channel, and Kaija made an ‘Admiral’s Declaration’…We Ain’t Doin That No Mo’.   It was about as nerve racking as it gets, but we were thru.  Once inside the Atoll, the waters are clear…so clear in fact that you can see every coral head down to about 100 ft.  However, they seem a lot closer and negotiating our way to the anchorage was akin to sailing thru a mine field.  There is no airport on this Atoll, and very few ships visit.  There is one coastal freighter that visits once every 8 months.  There are a few local inhabitants but limited to no more than 20 at any given time.  We were lucky enough to meet Adrienne, her daughter Faimano and son Hilo who greeted us with uncommon hospitality.  They were kind & gracious and invited us to join them for a meal of Coconut Crab. 

 

 This was our first taste of this Crustaceous Critter.  We first saw these crabs 25 years ago scampering thru the trees in Bora Bora but never had occasion to taste one.  Adrienne found a monster and cooked it up.  There was more than enough to feed 5 given that we were hoping that Adrienne’s husband Marcello would arrive in time for dinner, but did not.   

 

 The highlight of the meal came when after being served the best parts of the crab, the claws and legs, Hilo turned to Kaija and me and said “but you are not eating the best part”…referring to the belly of the ‘beast’.  On this size crab it is the size of a small pot…and the innards are cooked into a ‘stew like’ concoction used for dipping the taro root.  At first blush, dare I say glance, this did not look too appealing.  However, Hilo was insistent and said “it is very good, tastes like cheese”.   Kaija, in her most ladylike manner said, “oh I just couldn’t, I’ve already eaten so much, but Gary would love to try it, he LOVES cheese”.  Now anyone who knows me, knows that I do in fact like cheese, your sharp Cheddar, your Gouda, Emmenthal, Brie…love em all, but this didn’t look like cheese, nor did it have any of that cheesy smell.  In fact, my olfactory senses were shutting down.  Not wishing to offend our hosts, I felt obliged to give it a try.  I dipped a piece of Taro into the belly of the beast and with sweating brow and gag reflex subdued, I swallowed.  Hilo, Adrienne and Faimano were watching closely.  I smiled, well perhaps grimaced is more accurate, and made the most sincere gesture of satisfaction…I think I deserve an Oscar Award for my performance.  I know I was convincing, but my stomach was retching…I held out…showed my manly prowess and breathed deep, just barely hanging on.   Satisfied that we had partaken of their offerings, Adrienne was anxious to move onto dessert…which thankfully Kaija had prepared.  Double Gooey Chocolate cake.  As it happens, Chocolate was Adrienne’s weakness.  Ha Ha, watching her devour that cake was akin to watching a 4 yr. old on Christmas morning opening presents.  She reluctantly shared with Hilo and Faimano, but made it clear, that this was her cake.  We were not the first to visit these hospitalities.  A large scrapbook was produced filled with testimonials of those who have come before and of the good times had by all.  We happily agreed to add our comments and left them in their guest book as follows.

 

 

 We had so much fun, shared a lot of laughter and had a genuinely wonderful evening with these very relaxed, easy going people.  They have so little, but gave generously that which they had.  We were blessed to find such wonderful folk on this tiny remote atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Maupiti – May 5 – May 9 2014

30 west of Bora Bora we found one of the last of the Society Islands, Maupiti.   To visit this island by boat demands relatively calm weather.  Otherwise the surge and ocean swell thru the one ‘pass’ is prohibitive.  We carefully waited for a weather window for our visit and even so, found this entrance thru the reef to be the most butt clenching experience we have had in our 10 years of cruising.  With huge ocean rollers all around you, there is little margin for error coming into this narrow opening in the reef. 

  

 

 However, once thru…one finds a place less travelled and a vista worthy of a William Wordsworth poem.  With giant Manta’s guiding you thru the stick marked channel you arrive at an anchorage just beside village church with bells tolling peacefully. There is an airport here used mainly by the locals and there are few tourists.   

We were one of only two boat in the anchorage.  The other boat was Sv Itchy Feet with Alex and Maria a lovely couple from Austria, out to see the world.   

 

 The locals greet you with warm open smiles and are eager to assist in giving directions to wherever you wish to go…the directions are simple…”it’s just two minutes that way” as they point up or down the village road which is the road less travelled and three hours will circumnavigate the entire island.    

 

 There is not much to see or do on Maupiti but a visit here is like a balm for the soul.  A perfect place of Rest, Maupiti = Tranquility.

Bora Bora April 23 – May 4 2014

What can be said or written about Bora Bora that hasn’t already been?  Movies such as Mutiny on the Bounty and South Pacific have conjured up this idyllic Island Paradise to be the Home of Legends and the Place of Dreams. 

 

Time, however, is not being kind to Bora Bora.  Tourism is now the anchor of the local economy and is bringing about a subtle but real change to the island feeling.  Gone is the simple lifestyle of quaint village fisherman and their families sustained completely by the land and the sea.  When we first visited in 1990 there was less of everything.  Sometimes less is more.  Back then, there were few cars and we walked dirt roads overrun with large coconut crabs.  Today they are gone replaced by paved roads and more cars per capita than most large cities.  Along with the hustle and bustle of traffic there are the Ocean Cruise ships, non-existent in these waters 20 years ago.  Today they come and go with clockwork regularity bringing with them the hordes of tourist crowds that exhaust the local infrastructure and leave behind them a land filled with waste and garbage.

The purist part of Bora Bora remains the atoll waters.  More so on the east side of the island where the cruise ships cannot go.  There you can still swim with the giant Manta Rays and enjoy the coral reef gardens, provided you go when the cruise ship launches are not there. 

 

We are grateful we saw Bora Bora 25 years ago when it was still the Bora Bora of the movies and close up it was beautiful.  This visit, while we were still able to enjoy a good Burger at Bloody Mary’s it was 5 times the price without the quaint setting and instead of island music it is rap music and Wi-Fi.  Today it is Bora Bora the tourist trap, much more romantic from a distance than upon closer inspection.  Bora Bora was once considered the jewel of the Pacific because of its natural beauty.  In my humble opinion the new manmade beauty pales by comparison.  This Jewel has lost its luster.

Ra’iatea, Society Isl, Fr Polynesia, Mar 18 – 24, April 5 – 23 2014

Ra’iatea is a great stop in Fr. Polynesia.  It has a terrific boat yard/marina facility CNI, Raiatea Carnage where you can haul and store your boat or take advantage of the many tradespeople resident in and around the yard.  It is also a great spot to provision, with many Yacht Charter companies on the island the grocery stores are well stocked, you have choices, abundance of fresh produce and the prices are reasonable.

The people of the island are very friendly and if you need to get someplace, just thumb a ride, you won’t wait long before some smiling local picks you up and tells you their life story.

There is a terrific anchorage on the lee side of the island near the west pass with great snorkelling and excellent fishing/surfing nearby.

Kaija also found a really good deal on another Black Pearl at a little shop upstairs of the local fresh fruit market.  We also re-kindled our friendship with Brent and Ana Sc Impi whom we met in Nuka Hiva last year.  It was great to see them again.  The evening sunsets are spectacular and the entertainment is provided by the local rowers.

 

Tahaa - Society Isl, Fr Polynesia Mar 25 - 28 2014

 

 

 

If you visit Tahaa, try to find the time to visit the above places, they are well worth it.  The Coral Gardens are some of the prettiest shallow water snorkelling you will ever experience.  Visiting the Pearl farm is a real education as is the Vanilla bean plantation.

We made one other stop that held a certain significance for us.  Leo’s restaurant was a place we visited in 1989 on our first visit.  It was unique in that it had only 6 tables Leo was a happy newly wed.  They had a 600 lb pet pig named La La with a great personality who would move from table to table to visit and be hand fed.  The food was excellent and very reasonably priced.  Unfortunately for us on this visit, Leo was not quite as happy, La La was no more, the restaurant was fancier, the food was good, the prices astronomical dare I say outrageous.  If it’d hadn’t been a nostalgic fix it might have been downright disappointing.  Oh well, not all things get better with age.  However, on balance, we found Tahaa to be delightful.



 

Mo’orea, Society Islands, French Polynesia Mar 11 – 17 2014

We arrived in Cooks Bay, Mo’orea with building winds and seas as a cold front bringing heavy west winds was due and we were exposed sitting on a mooring at Marina Tiana on the west side of Papeete.

With our hook firmly in place we settled in to wait for the bad weather.  We spent the first night without incident and then were visited by the French Coast guard who came knocking and told us that it would be safer for us on the east side of the island, as they had dragged earlier in the week sitting in the same spot we were anchored.

We raised anchor and sailed in a brisk breeze back to the eastern anchorage, entering thru the ferry pass with building seas.

As we entered the anchorage we noticed a very interesting site, it was a ‘Jet Boarder’.  This is akin to strapping on a boogie board and hooking up to a water jet.  It propelled the rider out of the water and with practice you could see how much fun it might be…however, give the height of thrust, it could also be a dangerous ride.  The young fellow we saw was screaming like a bangie and apparently having the ride of a lifetime, it did look like fun.

We spent the next three days hunkered down as the winds howled.  Three days of 30 + knots with gusts over 50 knots. 

I was up reading on the last night of the heavy weather when the winds seemed to have finally blown themselves out.  It appeared that the system had passed and the winds were down in the 12 – 15 kt range.  We had not had much sunshine for the solar panels, and I had tied off the wind generator to keep it safe.  I decided it was time to loose Winne and get some power back in the boat.  It was all good for about an hour and about 4 am. along came a microburst of undetermined strength, but it was strong enough that it latterly lifted our 30lb. wind generator off the mounting pole and away it went.  I mean it was gone.  We were anchored in 70 feet of shark infested water so murky you couldn’t see a foot.  All of the wave action of the past few days made it like soup.  For those of you who have followed the saga of our KISS wind generator, we have had it since the beginning and it was was a royal pain in the keester.  I completely re and re’d (rebuilt and re-installed) it 14 times in 10 years.  It was only the past year that it actually worked as advertised.  But it was gone!  And the next day so were we…as we made an overnight passage to Raiatea.

Papeete, Society Islands, French Polynesia – Mar 2 – 11 2014

  

Papeete, Tahiti is the Administrative capitol of French Polynesia.  It is the economic hub for more than 117 islands that are spread over a marine area the size of Europe and encompasses some of the most remote and stunningly beautiful geography and topography on the planet.  The volcanic Marquesas, The Tuamotu Atolls and the reef rimmed Society Islands of Tahiti, Mo'orea, Ra'iatea, Huahine, Taha'a, Bora Bora, Maupiti and Mopelia, Paradise of the South Seas.

Papeete is where you go to provision and also if you need to beg for a Visa Extension and begging is the operative phrase…they do not make it easy or make you feel welcome, quite the opposite, you are clearly a bother.

We checked into Marina Tiana on a mooring ball and for the record these folks were great.  The anchorage was conveniently located close to shopping and town. 

 

There is a certain charm resident in the island architecture and native population, the old ships at anchor and the beautiful encompassing reef, but we found the administrative Bureaucrats much less so.

After jumping thru all the hoops, numerous visits, passports photos and questionaires copied ad nauseum, we were begrudgingly and reluctantly allowed an additional 30 days.  (I am writing this in RED in honour of all the RED TAPE NEEDED HERE!)

 It was a start! 

We provisioned up and sailed on to Moorea to wait out a weather system before proceeding on to Raiatea to effect some needed boat maintenance.

Fakarava North – Feb 23 – Feb 28 2014

 

 

 

 

   

Fakarava North is quite different from the south end in that it is a quaint and quiet community that is home to a large percentage of the Black Pearls that are cultured for the world market.  It didn’t take long to recognize that we were in company with some big spenders.  Huge Mega yachts complete with helicopters were in the anchorage with their launches shuttling owners and guests ashore to shop.

Lucky for us, we met Hinano who owns Hinano Pearls.  She not only spoke English but she is a direct outlet for their family Pearl Farm and her prices were very reasonable.  Her wee shop is located just past the Catholic Church on the main road.  She was very helpful and guiding Kaija thru a large selection to find one that she not only liked a lot but Hinano really sharpened her pencil and made it affordable.  Thank you Hinano.  This however, did not satiate the dream…it only fed the monster…Kaija was now on the prowl with more Pearls to follow.

Our Visa for French Polynesia was coming due and we needed to get to Papeete to ask for an extension.  We were lucky enough to have a decent weather window so off we went.  Unfortunately, our timing out the North Pass wasn’t quite perfect and we felt like we were riding a bucking bronco as we headed out the pass in very short steep waves.  At one point, when we should have been in deep water, I noted the fathometer was reading 7 ft….it was a rather uncomfortable moment, one I would rather not repeat.

Fakarava South, The Tuamotos - Feb 13 – Feb 22 2014

 

On Leaving Tahanea, we stopped on the island of Faaite to give us a better window for the tides which can be critical in these waters in making safe passage thru the reef.   The next morning, after a short 5 mile crossing we entered the island of Fakarava thru the south pass.  It was fairly wide and easily navigable in good light, with clear water and a white sandy bottom with clearly visible coral heads easily avoidable. 

Unlike Tahanea, there are people here.  We passed a small dive resort coming in the pass and turned north to find a reasonable anchorage beside another very quiet and isolated resort with thatched roofed huts on stilts out over the water’s edge.

One did not have to look hard to see the plentiful and colorful fish, and the sharks, they were everywhere. Oh Boy!  It was time to go hunting!

Guided by new friend Gilles (Sc Sugi), along with Francois (Sc Baies du Monde) we went hunting for Grouper.  Gilles, being a resident of the island knew exactly where to go. 

 

 

It didn’t take long and we were spearing some beautiful fish, there were so many to choose from.  I was patiently stalking a lovely 10lb. Camouflage Grouper, he stopped just outside a coral head.  I dove and took my shot.  It was almost a perfect kill.  Thru the gills, but missed the brain and he went into his death spiral and buried himself under the coral ledge. 

Now, I’m in 20 ft. of water with a 4ft gun carrying a 42in. spear and 8ft. of lanyard.  When you do the math, it all adds up to a little bit less than 20 ft.  And I’ve still got to breathe.  That was not my only problem.  With the grouper sending out distress vibrations the sharks came fast.  As long as he stayed under the ledge, I could not pull him out and he was safe from me and from the sharks. 

I was attached to this beauty by a rather expensive piece of artillery that I wasn’t yet prepared to relinquish, as it would likely be the last time I ever saw it, so I kept tugging on the line hoping the fish would just give up, and let me quickly pull in the lanyard and spear and get him out of the water.

I am running out of air and my legs were churning enough to create my own distress vibrations, which as Lloyd Bridges (SeaHunt) will attest is not good especially in shark filled waters.

It wasn’t the Black Tip or the White Tip or even the Reef sharks that I was concerned about.  But we had shot enough fish and the Greys were now resident in numbers.  FYI, the Greys are not a very happy fish, or at least they are not very social when it comes to sharing a meal.

I knew that I was either going to have to give up my gun, or be prepared to get physical with a big bad set of very sharp teeth.  Lucky for me, Mr. Grouper decided to cooperate and out he came.  I got one good look My maritime Meister as he slipped out from under the ledge.  My spear was cleanly thru and thru and I had him.  Well, I thought I had him.  The sharks moved in and then I felt something that I hope to never feel again.  As I am looking at my pretty Poisson and pulling him toward me, I felt the rasping skin of a large grey shark squeezing between my legs.  I could see his head and coal black eyes looking up at me as he emerged between my knees and, faster than I can say it, he had my lunch and my spear in his mouth, two quick shakes, he spit out my mangled spear and Mr. Grouper was gone.  Needless to say, I had had enough fun for the day and did my best imitation of a Jesus Lizard (yes there are such things and yes they do walk on water) making my way back to the safety of the dinghy.  And the really good news is…I’m still alive to share the story, kinda reminded me of that Kenny Rogers song…You Got To Know When to Hold ‘em, Know When to Fold ‘em, LOL, yup…there certainly is a time to fish or cut bait!

Kaija says it’s time to go hunting for Black Pearls, should be a lot safer!

Tahanea, The Tuamotos Jan 30 – Feb 11 2014

 

 

 

We arrived on the very remote island of Tahanea in the mid-chain of Islands call in old days, The Dangerous Islands, named so because they are a collection of very low lying Atolls surrounded by hull chewing reefs and many a ship has floundered in these waters.  Today they are known as the Tuamotos.  We selected Tahanea because of it's easy access thru the reef which is not the norm in these islands.  The Tuamotos are also the home and source of many of the world market's finest Black Pearls.  Because of this, Kaija has long had her heart set on visiting here, in search of just the right Black Pearl or Pearls as I would soon discover.  However, I am getting ahead of myself as there are no Black pearls on Tahanea. 

 

In fact there is not much of any kind of habitation on this atoll, short of an old abandoned fishing hut.  There are however, a row of Tiki’s on the edge of the south pass and Kaija and I had fun erecting our own Tiki to add to the collection.

The atoll waters are clear and clean and full of fish.  We delighted in drift diving the two passes holding onto the dinghy as it was pushed along by the rushing waters of the incoming tide.   There were fish by the thousand, large and small, some of the biggest grouper we have seen, and Napoleon Parrot fish which can grow to 4 ft.  This was our first sighting of the Giant Clam in such vibrant brilliant colors, amazing hues of the rainbow ranging in size from inches to 4  1/2 feet.  And of course there were the sharks.  There were a whole lot of sharks.  Black Tip, Reef, White Tip & Greys and while it was quite evident that they had no lack of food, you felt a healthy dose of respect wariness in their midst.

We have been wary of fishing in the coral waters of French Polynesia because of Ciguatera, a toxin known to exist in reef fish.  However, in meeting Francois and Johanna Sc Baies du Monde, the only other boat around, and sharing our common interest in fishing, Francois and I decided to see if we could ‘invite’ some lovely grouper or snapper to join us for a meal. 

François had indicated that he was quite certain there was no issue with Ciguatera in these waters, but to be safe, leave the large blue spotted Groupers alone.  This was hard to do, simply because they were so large, so close, so inviting.  But following his advice we selected other fish for dinner.  Francois shot a lovely snapper which he gifted to us as they had a freezer full of fish.

It didn’t take long to process and cook up this beautiful fish and sit down to what was to me, the best tasting fish I had ever eaten, no doubt in part to Kaija’s cooking, but it was excellent.
Shortly after dinner, Kaija complained that she wasn’t feeling terrific and this feeling persisted into the next day.  The next evening, I again ate the snapper, she did not.  Not long after eating, I too began feeling ‘off’.  That night we both began to feel the effects of the toxin.

At first you feel slightly light headed.  Then your limbs seem to feel slightly disjointed with a very real weakness throughout the body.  This feeling persisted over the next couple of days. Then came the worst of it.  That was the itching.  Located in the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.  It was unnnnnbeeeelievable!  You felt like you wanted to scratch the skin off your body but primarily your hands and feet.  And it would not stop.  Kaija dosed us with meds designed to relieve itching and swelling.  Nothing, nadda, it just persisted.   This was an illness you would not wish on your worst enemy.  Ok, wait, maybe this is exactly the illness you would wish on your worst enemy, not that y’all have any enemies, I’m just sayin :o) 

 

We became avid students of this rare Toxic illness and learned that in severe cases it can be deadly.  It is accumulative, in that you can eat small doses in fish with no effect and then one large dose can be the catalyst that triggers it.  And, once you have it in your system, it is there for a verrrry long time.

It was a good solid month before the main symptoms finally receded and the itching stopped enough that you were not consciously scratching 24/7.  However, in the evening hours, lying in bed, we would both be aware of the other person trying to scratch as quietly as possible not to set the other in motion.  So be careful what you eat, even if told it is safe, be very very careful.

Ua Poa – Our final stop in the Marquesas’ – Jan 13 – Jan 26 2014

We sailed south from Nuka Hiva 25 miles to the small island of Ua Poa.  In part it was a shakedown sail to make sure that all of the ships systems were operable.  It had been, after all, 7 months since our arrival in Nuka Hiva and apart from a couple of short hops to Daniels Bay, KS had not been to sea.  We arrived in Vaiehu Bay without incident and settled in for a couple of days.  Primarily to clean to hull, which had been fouled badly in Taiohae Bay, which although scenically beautiful, is a nasty harbour full of everything that can grow and cling to the hull. 

Kaija immediately fell in love with this little bay, in part because of a herd of goats inhabiting the nearby cliffs.  They were something to behold…as they romped easily over precipice and precarious outcropping of rock no wider than a weed…but big and small they all did so with fleet feet and flight of fancy…there was no stopping them.  They were the daily entertainment, like having a ringside seat at the circus.  You couldn’t help but smile at their nimble footed prancing to and fro.

The days passed quickly and with a weather window in place, we departed to sail south to the Dangerous Islands, The Tuamotos.

Our first day out was pleasant with easy seas and a comfortable breeze.  All was well until the afternoon of day two of our 5 day passage.  We carry three GPS instruments on board…yes redundancy is a good thing and you would think that three would suffice.  Well normally they would, but about 3 pm on day two…all three GPS units failed to provide a fix.  It seems incredulous, unbelievable that all three unites should fail at the same time.  We were heading to a group of islands so unlike the Marquesas’ in that they are flat atolls and you can’t see them from any distance at all.  They were after all called the Dangerous islands.  We needed to make a decision…sail forward and pray, or turn back and sort out our problem.  Not that sailing back without GPS was ideal, but we could ‘dead recon’ our way and the Marquesas’ are volcanoes that you can see from a great distance.  The choice was a no brainer.  We turned back.

Long about 11pm that night, the GPS units came back to life…don’t ask me…I don’t know…but I was glad to have the systems up and running.  We continued our return to Vaiehu Bay to effect a boat and systems check.  We would miss the weather window…but when in doubt, always always always err on the side of caution…that motto has stood us in good stead for 10 years like the old aviation saying…”there are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are very few old bold pilots”.

 

We arrived back at Ua Poa, dropped hook, and settled in.  Kaija again had her herd of goats to entertain and I proceeded to tear apart three GPS systems to find the fault.  Over the next few days, the only fault I could find was one electrical connection on one of the units appeared suspect.  But that did not account for all three systems failing.  It was eerie, spooky.  I wasn’t complaining that things were again working, but I don’t like not knowing why things fail.  I decided to leave all systems up and running 24/7 and wait for a failure. 

One week later, everything was still up and running and we once again had a weather window.

We departed for the second time for the Tuamotos and 5 days later arrived without incident in the Dangerous Islands on the remote island of Tahanea.  At first blush…a little bit of paradise…stand by for the next update from the Good Ship KaijaSong and her happy crew.

Marquesas’ Farewell – Jan 12 2014

It was finally time to say good-bye, bid farewell and sail away.  This is the hardest part of our journey…the goodbyes. 

It is an understatement to say that what has made this adventure over the past decade so amazing are the friends we have met and made for life.  We have seen unbelievable scenery, visited places far off the beaten path and had the undeniable pleasure of spending time in some of the most isolated and beautiful places on the planet…but what really stands out in our minds, are the people. 

The gracious hospitably, warm open hearts, friendly spirits that have welcomed us as our stars spun into their galaxy.  We consider each new friend a gift and we cherish and hold dear. However, thru ought this past 10 years, there have been a handful extraordinary in their goodness to us. 

Kevin and Annabella are two of those very rare and unique individuals who brought us into their lives, their homes and hearts and made us family.  We will never forget their kindness.  We grew to appreciate and love them.

On our last evening together, according to custom, they gave each of us a Black pearl necklace, a reminder of our time spent and open invitation to return to their home, their heart and their Island.

With very mixed feelings we said our final farewell, not goodbyes, but knowing in our hearts, that as it is for so many we have met along the journey, it may be in the next world when we meet again.

 

 

Dear Friends Kevin & Annabella & Marquesan Ceremonial Drums

News Year Celebration 2014 – Kaija’s Birthday

We sailed a short distance from Taiohae Bay to Daniel’s Bay to join friends Cheryl and Rene Sv Gypsy Blue and Marie & JP who hosted the New Year’s Eve party aboard their lovely Motor Catamaran Domino. 

New Year’s Day, being Kaija’s birthday, seemed the perfect time to exorcize the New Year’s Eve demons by making good on at least one New Year’s resolution…more exercise…ha…which meant a hike to Vaipo Waterfall, 2000 ft, making it the second highest on the planet…how’s that for resolve. 

They claim the hike is a short 2 1/2 hours with a few stream crossings included. Hahahaha, dreamers, how about 4 hrs. up and down slick jagged rock face and portaging a raging river with water up to your skivvies and you just hangin on…to anything you could including your skivvies. 

It was a beautiful day and we were not only rewarded by incredible scenery but with an amazing lunch provided for us by Monnet and Mathius a local couple who were both host and hostess extraordinaire. 

 

 

 

If you need citrus to travel, this is where you will find it.  We were loaded up with limes, pompamous and bananas and there are also mangos in season.  We were completely satiated and it will be a birthday Kaija will not soon forget….more memories…what a place!