Pearl farming!

Turns out the owner of the only operational pearl farm left on Kauehi, also the owner of the local 'magazin', and the town's newly elected mayor gave us the tour personally! A 20 minute ride in the back of his pickup with stops at the new airport (plane coming in this PM apparently), where he also has the concession stand, and another stop where a local entrepreneur was in the final stages of building a 'pensione' or bungalow to rent to tourists. Quite a nice place on the water! The pearl farm
was very interesting. Our timing could not have been better as he had two young Chinese girls employed for two months to seed the oysters. We were taken through the entire process from growing the 'naissan' or young oysters, harvesting them to implant the synthetically produced bio-chemical nucleus with a dab of irritant taken from another oyster to cause the pearl to form. Some are rejected by the oysters but most become pearls and are harvested after twelve months hanging in the sea. He then
brought out his big 'treasure' case and spread out two piles of black pearls on a white cloth. He was charging 1500f (about $20) for the larger ones and 1000f for the smaller. The other three boats bought quite a few but we only picked out a half dozen. Then he gave everyone a handful for free and had everyone close their eyes and pick one at random from a pile.
Back in town, his wife asked if we would be interested in a dinner! Talk about your pizza deprived yuppies....and she only wanted 700f per person (about $10) so we agreed to return at 7 to their house. Getting in to shore in the dark, navigating around the coral heads, was interesting but we managed, along with three other boats and were treated to two kinds of very nice fish, chicken, a salad of sorts, rice, juice and pears for dessert! It was fun and a nice change from cooking and cleaning on
board!
Met our fisherman friend, RiriFatu on the road in town and the grandmother had woven hats for both of us out of palm leaves! This man was a pleasure to meet and we will miss him but tomorrow we have decided it is definitely time to move on!
We had planned on a direct route to Papeete but after raising the anchor at first light and motoring out the pass (no trauma this time).....we found no wind at all. We motored 30 miles to the next atoll, Fakarava, and pulled in for the night, determined to wait for wind to sail the 200 miles to Tahiti.

Fun in the sun

We had a day of snorkelling! First around the bay we were anchored in. Found some live coral and lots of little fish but not much else. So we dinghied out about a mile to a big reef in the center of the atoll and threw the small anchor out there. Bigger fish and lots of live coral but did not see any sharks! Maybe just as well!
The following day we were being lazy on board. The two small boys paddled out on their surfboard and we let them on board. They were about 10 years old and fairly well behaved, curious about everything on the boat. In the distance I saw someone working in the water on a reef near shore...turned out to be our friend RiriFatu who paddled over in his outrigger and offered us the fruits of his labours! Seems he was shucking these giant clam shells and had a bucket full of the meat. He put a pile
of it into a bowl for us and was invited on board. We sat and talked about lots of things...the community, their religion...it happened to be May and every Saturday in May was special to the Catholics. He explained how the town was divided into four sections representing the four Evangelists...Mathew, Mark, Luke and John! I thought there was a Ringo but did not mention it. We gave him lunch and shared our last two Mexican beers before he paddled back to shore. That night we pressure cooked the
shellfish and curried it in coconut milk. It was interesting! Later we walked into town and picked up some fresh baguettes. An airplane had landed this morning but we missed it while re-anchoring...did I mention the chain wrapped around the coral so tight the bow was dipping? Came off fairly easily but with a little coaxing and lots of turning around!
Today was Mother's Day and the service at the church in town was a spectacle! The children sang and everyone had flowers hung on them. The locals were sporting their Sunday best and more jewellery than you would see in Harlem on any night!
Every day we plan to leave but today 'Tin Soldier' arrived and we have not toured the pearl farm yet. We went on board the Dorothy Marie, had drinks with Sally and Glen as well as Dennis and Janet from 'Shilling'. Not long before the guitars and piano and saxophone came out and music was wafting across the pond!
Reading a hilarious book they lent us called "Sex Lives of the Cannibals" by J. Maarten Troost.....if you can get your hands on it....you might enjoy it!
Anyway my job is to get up early and try to set up the pearl farm tour tomorrow for the whole gang....so stay tuned!

RiriFatu!

RiriFatu is the name of the fisherman we met yesterday. Today we returned to visit him and I gave him my grinding wheel from my disc grinder and a spare blade I had. In return he called his wife over and we walked across the sand spit among the palm trees and the crabs scuttling into their holes to the other side of the lagoon where he had a small outrigger pulled up on the beach. He picked up a net and he and his wife climbed into the outrigger. While a cousin held one end of it on the beach,
they circled a small house on stilts with the net and slowly and silently closed the gap on the fish that were hiding in the shade. Then an older woman came out with a bucket and sharp knife and they proceeded to pull fish out of the net and cut them up on the spot. I was offered one raw that had been gutted and sliced on the outside in a crisscross pattern. Why not? It was the freshest sashimi you could imagine! They watched me as I ate bits of it. We joked and the older lady said to dip
it in the ocean. The salt improved the taste. After a while it was pretty good actually. I consumed a whole small fish.
Back at their house, he presented Linda with a necklace made from mother of pearl and dropped two fresh young coconuts from a tree for us to drink. He gave us a pile of the smaller fish to take home and marinate (make poisson cru) and one of the larger ones for dinner. He removed the dangerous barb from the tail for me!! We plan to filet it and fry it in butter momentarily!
These are very kind people and although they are becoming accustomed to the 'tourists' that come through on the yachts...they are still welcoming and shades of the older Polynesian hospitality remains. Truly another day in paradise!

Finally arrived!

That is what it feels like anyway....we have finally arrived at the kind of place you read about and imagine when you set out on a journey like this. We paid some dues getting here but that is part of the process!
We went into the small village yesterday and met the local constabulary. He was very nice and apologetic about the news that a local islands council had decided to institute fees for anchoring in the atolls. It was the horrendous sum of 40ff per person per day. That is less than .50 in our currency. For that they take your garbage....not a small problem on a strip of sand and palm trees in the middle of the ocean. They burn a lot and maybe send some back on the supply ship but I doubt it. They
are planning to put in moorings for the visitors as well. We went back to his office where his 'secretary' took the boat info and gave us a receipt for our three days! We entered our names and 'Toketie' into the guest book, which they were very proud of! The building was over 100 years old! I spoke to him some more and learned that the other half dozen boats had not understood French and he could not communicate to them that they needed to make this small contribution to their economy so I offered
to spread the word. Today we have a notice posted at the end of the dock, in English, that explains it!
The kids are a riot. Once they realize you are friendly they are all over you. We have lots of pictures as they hammed it up pretty good. Two little girls begged us to go back to the boat and have popcorn and juice! Maybe tomorrow as the sun was setting. Met a very nice man working in his yard, a fisherman who seemed to be carving something. We greeted him and were invited into the yard. He had a small grinder and was trying to shape what looked like mother of pearl into small sailboats and
other things. His grinding wheel was worn down to the end so I will look through my tool box to see if I can find him another. His name was 'Riribatou'....my spelling!
Had Rose and Robert on 'Tillicum' over for dinner and scrabble last night. They have been living this cruising lifestyle for 20 years and deliver boats when the opportunity arises. We enjoyed the evening and the company and went way beyond our usual bedtimes!
Heard JD twice now on the HF radio, quite clearly, but he could not hear us.
Spent this morning in the water, not playing, but scrubbing the water line which was foul with marine growth. Then I went down below with a chisel and removed the barnacles from the propeller and rudder stock area. A quick scrub of the zincs and I think we are set for another week in this climate!
We are finally feeling relaxed and are enjoying it here so plan to stay a while longer!

At the atoll!

Today was a pretty slow day! The wind howled through here from the NW which is an unusual pattern that can occur in May apparently. It often signifies a frontal system from the S which would leave us exposed. But we are inside the reef and tucked up into a little cul de sac at the N end near a small village. It is very picturesque and if the wind dies down enough to see through the ripples, we are told the coral and sand is visible to 40 feet in the clear turquoise water! In short, it is all
a Robinson Crusoe type island should be....except maybe for the other six boats and the locals on shore! It is not really an island though. It is quite an interesting geological formation. Imagine a low ring of coral but about ten miles long and 4 miles wide. Inside is like a big bathtub. In this atoll, Kauehi, there is only one entrance at the SW end. That is where we had all the bouncy fun yesterday when entering! This entrance is similar to Porlier Pass for all you local BC sailors out
there. The pass itself is 1500' wide but the channel is only 1000' wide with coral on the edges. The currents can run up to 8 knots in some of these passages but it is the overflow turbulence that makes it a bouncy trip as all that seawater tries to get over the reef into the bathtub! Added to that, the wind over tide is always a challenging proposition.
Anyway, the ring of coral forming the atoll has palm trees and sand mostly on the E side but the strip is only hundreds of yards wide and the rest of the ring is awash, or just below the surface of the sea. Occasionally there will be a little clump of trees or sand on this perimeter. Needless to say it is very hard to spot from any distance and the awash part you would not see till you were on the breakers. Quite dramatic actually! But the ring around acts as a breakwater and calms the ocean
swells so on the inside the surface is more or less smooth. Of course, being 10 miles long, there is considerable fetch (distance) so the wind can build up some short steep seas. Today we bounced on our anchor rode so much that I put a kelet on the chain! That is an additional weight that slides down part way off the bow roller to hold the chain at a lower angle and act as a buffer for the wind gusts and swells that lift the bow of the boat. The coral reef is only a few hundred yards downwind
of us and as enticing as it may be, we hope to keep Toketie off of it!
Have not launched the dinghy yet, maybe tomorrow if the rain squalls and high winds settle down. The gendarme in the last Marquesan Island made a point of reminding us to check in with the local 'chief' in the Tuamotus if not an official port of call. Maybe we will look for the 'chief' tomorrow! I wonder if he makes baguettes?

Kauehi atoll

That was probably one of the most difficult passages we have ever done! Light winds, no winds, squalls then motoring for over 60 hours! No fun :( But we made it and it is an incredible place. The full moon shines down on us anchored off a small village at the N end of the atoll. We made a bouncy entry through the pass...and I mean bouncy....shipping water over the decks and at one point did a 360 but managed to push our way through only to be met by 15 to 20 knots of wind dead on the nose for
8 miles to get to the anchorage! But we made it before sundown and got the hook down in sand and coral. We are exhausted but relieved to have arrived!

Sloooww progress!

Still no wind to speak of! Had a bit of lift from the NE today but have been motoring and motor sailing now for a day and a night and it looks like we will motor all night and hopefully make Kauehi tomorrow PM. The moon is almost full so the nights are easier. Although we are still surprised occasionally by a tropical downpour of rain and one of them had 20 knots of wind in it last night....it lasted all of ten minutes though and was gone!
So during the hot sunny day, we did laundry and hung it out to dry! The lamb roast on the barbq was excellent and we had leftovers tonight!
Not much more to say. This is the longest we have ever motored. I think we will have used more diesel in the last few days than in the entire crossing! Glad we scrubbed the fuel and changed all the filters in Mexico. The oil was changed last week in the Marquesas so it is purring pretty nice....touch wood!
At this rate we should be able to send an update about our first 'tomato' experience after tomorrow! Stay tuned!

Underway...sort of!

Well we have made good about 190 miles in 48 hours! Plagued by light wind since we left, we have averaged under 4 knots. On the brighter side, the seas are calm and the skies are blue with fluffy white clouds. Passed through a couple of squalls last night but very little rain and not much wind in them either. At the moment we are practically adrift and have to reef the main just to keep it from slatting from side to side. It's not uncomfortable but it sure is slow! I guess this must be the
'boring' part people warned us about! Only 330 miles to go to Kauehi!
Also, the propagation is not great so I only seem to be able to connect to send these updates after sundown.
Tarun and Cat's Paw IV managed to get into Manihi and really enjoyed it. Talked to them on the SSB and they are leaving today for Papeete. Also spoke to Rose on Tillicum and they expect to arrive at Kauehi at noon today so we should get a report back from them tonight.
Meanwhile the baguettes we stocked up on make great French toast (seemed appropriate here) and we are coping well...but the trashy novels help!

Best laid plans

Like all cruising plans, ours were written in the sand at low tide! It seems we will opt for more challenging places in the Tuamotus! The conservative route is sounding overcrowded and the locals welcome is wearing thinner each year! So based on feedback from friends who passed this way last season and a closer study of charts and tides, we think a more easterly approach is feasible.
JD will appreciate this...we ran into Rose and I think her husband's name was Robert, on a boat called Tillicum! They are from Victoria and have been cruising now off and on for 20 years. They were headed for a Tuamotu called Kauehi and we will follow them and hopefully catch up to them there. We were leaning to Raroia as a first stop but decided it would be almost an extra week which we cannot afford. We may also stop at Toau and/or Fakarava. These are not on the 'beaten path' so we expect
fewer boats in them and perhaps more appreciation from the locals.
But that is planning and written in sand! You will have to tune in to find out where we end up! Meanwhile, after a few days in this little village on Hua Pou, we perhaps had a peak behind the Kimono as far as the French and Marquesan's are concerned. It's a strange little place and although the sound of children's laughter rings out as they play on the beach and families gather on Sunday to cook picnics on barbeque pits, there seems to be an undercurrent of unease. People are polite and helpful
if you direct an inquiry at them, but they are also preoccupied. Then we met Xavier, actually I sort of met him when we anchored as he was swimming across the bay on a boogie board and I spoke to him. Later we ran into him in town and he threw his Kimono so wide open, it near blinded us! Suffice it to say, he is a French national and came to Huku Hiva as a teacher on a two year contract, was run over by a drunk driver, walks with a limp and a cane, has retired and built two houses on land he purchased
here, one to live in and one to rent. Unfortunately something happened and one of the houses burned down. He blames a couple in the community and that's where we decided maybe this was more information than we needed at the time....
So we carried our little plastic bag with four items from the magazin.....peanut butter, a loaf of frozen bread from New Zealand, a liter of juice and a dozen eggs....1900francs worth..or about $27....back to the boat....couldn't find a baguette in the whole town! Apparently the bakery opens at 5AM and if you don't get there by 6AM, you are out of luck. We may attempt that tomorrow!
Today was a busy day! Linda went to refill the rice container from the big Tupperware bin it is stored in and discovered it was crawling with little black bugs. A more careful survey found they had migrated to the Italian pasta and a few other places! So all of the cupboards were emptied...no small feat....and everything investigated....she then washed them out with bleach and I sprayed them with some heavy duty bug killer left over from San Blas, Mexico. While she was busy eradicating critters,
I was in the cockpit, hiding from the sun and splicing ratlines for the shrouds! More on that when they come into play eh!
The pamplemousse are ripe and are great for cleansing the system!
Next day....got the anchors up and dinghy loaded. Made it to the bakery at 6AM and stocked up on baguettes. Now underway for the Tuamotus!

The time has come, the walrus said...

Well, we did the hike and found the old pile of rocks, got bit by the nonos and best of all....met the young doctor at the infirmary who gracefully allowed us to fill a sack with pamplemousse from the tree in the yard!
I think we are "Marequesad out"! You know that feeling you get when you are travelling, that it has been nice but it is time to move on! Well, we have reached that stage here! The islands are interesting and the people have been very kind but they are all starting to look the same. I swear some of those old rocks were moved from the last island and re-stacked for our benefit..... I should not be so jaded as walking among them there really was a feeling that something went on in these abandoned
ruins long ago. But time is passing and our three months in French Polynesia is dwindling and the window to reach New Zealand before the cyclones start presses us to move on. Besides, there is always something more interesting around the next corner!
So we filled the water tanks and the four extra jugs on deck! That was several long dinghy rides and carting them up to the tap where we filtered the water into the tanks and lugged them back to siphon into the main tanks. All of that in rain and sun and heat and humidity and bugs! But its paradise eh!
Tomorrow we plan to make sail for the island of Hua Pou where we will officially check out of the Marquesas and then proceed to the Tuamotus. We have decided to take the conservative passage through these dangerous low lying atolls. It skirts the northern end of them and we plan to stop at Manihi and possibly Rangiroa. That will be enough challenge for this crew! Timing the passes an hour or so after slack water to avoid the 8 knot currents that carry you into the lagoon infested with coral heads!
Sounds like fun! Once inside though, the waters are sheltered and we can play with the sharks in the clear water.
And beyond the Tuamotus lies Tahiti and the Society Islands, which looks like an interesting place to explore before moving to Bora Bora where we will exit French Polynesia for the Cook Islands.

Baie de Controleur

A week in Taiohae on Nuku Hiva was enough! Although spectacular, it was a very crowded and not a particularly clean anchorage. We had done two hikes and met the famous Rose Corser who has been here since the early seventies when she and her husband sailed in and stayed. She is a very gentle soul who lives alone now and has given up the hotel they built and runs a small museum and gift shop with some beautiful artifacts from the islands.
So we dropped in to the local gendarmes and informed them we would be moving on in the morning. They like to keep track of the boats in case someone is looking for one. So we upped the anchors from the sticky mud and beat our way around the corner, about 10 miles, to Baie de Controleur. There was only one other boat when we arrived but by sundown there were five boats anchored. It is a deep bay with mountainous sides and has three smaller bays within which are protected anchorages. So we chose
the center, larger one and dinghied in to the small black sand beach at the head. Here we found potable water from a tap that we were welcome to use so we filled three gerry cans and will do that several more times before our tanks are full. We then walked into the small town and bought the customary baguette at the small store, along with two cans of coconut milk and a couple of other supplies. There was not much to pick from and the prices were a bit higher than Thrifty's! What we really want
is some fruit but we'll have to ask around tomorrow. Rumours of an archaeological site, Paeke, with a ceremonial platform used by priests and chieftains for worship, burial and human sacrifices. It is called a maeae an measures 557 ft by 82 ft. We will go looking for it tomorrow. It is recommended you take your bug spray as the nonos are hungry!
We are travelling alone now as Tarun, our buddy boat from Mexico, has elected to accompany Cat's Paw IV, another Blue Water Cruising boat, who bumped a reef and have unknown damage to their skeg. So the two of them will set a quicker pace for Papeete where they have a haulout scheduled to check the damage. Meanwhile, Toketie will meander along at a slower pace and poke into more corners of this fascinating world.
It is hard to establish any kind of relationship with the locals as it is a very brief season and the cruisers pass through fairly quickly. But they are friendly and helpful and don't seem bothered by us invading their peaceful lives. Talking to cruisers who were here over 25 years ago makes us realize just how much things have changed. There were no roads then and there were as many boats in all of French Polynesia as are anchored now in Taiohae Bay! The locals are fairly well off it seems,
judging by the number of Toyotas and Land Rovers on the few miles of roads!
So we will do some exploring and fill our water tanks. We found butane in the last place rather than propane, and are told it burns the same. Two trips by dinghy to the fuel dock saw the diesel tanks filled at 125 francs a liter (about $1.80). Then we should be ready to plan the next major leg through the Tuamotus where no services are available. They are a string of coral reefs with palm trees on them and also referred to as the "low or dangerous archipelago" as many ships have been lost on
them. It is about 500 miles to the first and we are studying the charts and guide books to decide which we shall attempt to visit.
Knowing how you are all hanging on every word....:)...I will attempt to be more diligent with the reporting!

Baie de Taiohae

A hike to the top of the ridge!

Tiki!

a hike in the hills....leads to fascinating stuff!

ruins

a hike in the hills....leads to fascinating stuff!

Gauguin!

final resting place....

fish for dinner!

 

boobie!

unwelcome guest.....

Dorado!

Becalmed on a glassy sea!

Nuku Hiva - Baie de Taiohae

The last of the Mexican potatoes and carrots went on the barbecue today surrounded by the ancient volcanic mountains where Herman Melville jumped a whaling ship! Talk about a place for inspiration!

But I'm getting ahead of myself....after our hike on Fatu Hiva to the waterfall and dealing with French officialdom in Hiva Oa, we spent close to a week at several anchorages on Tahuata and leaving there for a bay on the north end of Hiva Oa, we were hit by a squall in early afternoon and abandoned that idea to go directly to Nuku Hiva. It was another 70 miles so would be an overnight sail but the wind was great and saw us flying on a broad reach all day and as the sun set the wind lightened slightly as dark clouds were forming all around us. We were making such good time, hitting over 7 knots at times, we reefed once, then twice and eventually reduced the headsail to slow us down. As it was we arrived two hours before dawn and hove to awaiting the light to enter the famous Taiohaie Bay. It was as spectacular as expected....guarded by the twin sentinel rocks at the entrance, the long deep bay with towering volcanic mountains all around was worth being up all night to experience!

A neighbouring boat offered to pick up fresh baguettes for us as the bakery usually ran out early. We gratefully accepted and by afternoon were organized and rested enough to go into town and check in with the local constabulary. The young woman was very friendly and joked about trading passports with Linda so she could live in Canada! Banking to policing...probably not that big a transition!

Next day we hiked for a few hours into the valley and found some very old, overgrown ruins. Looked like a ceremonial site where perhaps the dinner victims were sacrificed on the stone altar! Huge banyan trees gave it a majestic air while eroded stone tikis and moai (as in Rapa Nui) were scattered about in the dense foliage and high grass that covered the site. Not sure how old this place was but the trail to it was not clear and we were the only ones wandering around in it. On the walk back we were soaked by heavy rains that can occur here at any time of day or night! But it was warm and its only water!

Tomorrow apparently there is a dance performance at sunset and Saturday morning we will try to catch the fruit and vegetable market that starts at 4AM! They say that by 6AM, everything is gone!

Propane here is replaced by butane but we are told it burns as well, if under less pressure. The warm climate might make that irrelevant. Am also searching for internet access and diesel. It is recommended that the water here be boiled so that might be a problem too. Rumours of a fresh water stream in neighbouring Daniel's Bay will have to be explored!

Muse-ings!

Thank you for your patience, all you vicarious voyagers! It seems the muse has not visited as often of late. From the intensity of the crossing, we have transitioned to the intensity of relaxing! That and sad news from home that cast a long shadow. But that is for family and life goes on...
Our landing in Fatu Hiva was all that a landfall in paradise could be. It was, of course, not legal and on the second day the local gendarme had words with our friends on Tarun. We missed it but it seems he was a little upset we did not visit him on arrival. In the end, he was content though and said we had 3 days and then must leave to go to an official port of entry to clear into the country. Meanwhile we attempted the hour long hike into the tropical rain forest to find the waterfall. It
was not an easy hike! The paved road ended, then the unpaved road ended and soon we were following a track through dense jungle, with lots of palm trees and beautiful white or red flowers everywhere. The trail continued to get narrower and soon we were searching ahead for the small cairns, rock piles that others had stacked to show the way. Some scrambling up and down slippery rocks, along a stream and down a valley and voila! Le waterfall! Quite spectacular actually, maybe 300 feet or more
of sheer cliff face with a curtain of water falling into a pool below. A family on a catamaran who had just come through the Panama Canal and the Galapagos were there and the girls were swimming in the pool. Our guide book had indicated it was polluted but it seemed fine. Later we exchanged stories on the big black fresh water leeches we had seen and the 3 foot long black eel that Brian saw further downstream. We did not swim but enjoyed the location before trekking back.
On the way out of town, we had been approached by a rather large woman who asked if we had anything to trade. We had brought along some colored crayons and elastic hair bands and small items like that. We agreed to pick up some fruit from her on the way back. Well, she was nowhere to be found on our way back but I had asked her name and so enquired in town of Marie Priscilla! We were pointed to her house but a neighbor said she was visiting and sent us in that direction. After several inquiries,
we found her and she seemed in no hurry to fulfill her part of the barter. But we smiled and were persistent and she scavenged three huge pamplemousse from someone else's tree and some green oranges, some lemons and a papaya. So we were happy. Another young girl had been pestering us so we gave her another box of crayons for another large grapefruit! The grapefruit are to die for! They are huge and sweet and delicious. We met a couple of wood carvers working in a shed. No more carving tools,
they had the disc grinders going. They harvested the wood from rosewood trees on the windy side of the island and some of the tikis and other animals they carved were beautiful. We had no local currency at this point and no one seemed interested in American dollars. What they wanted were boat bumpers or heavy ropes. These we could not spare!
The next day we raised the anchor and sailed the 40 plus miles to Hiva Oa and the rolly anchorage behind the breakwater in Atuona, where the wastrels Paul Gaugin and Jacques Brel spent their last years. The anchorage was crowded and uncomfortable and the 2 mile walk up the hill and around the bay to town was tiring in the heat and humidity. But the baguettes were cheap and fresh every day so we did our paperwork and cleared into the country. The locals were friendly and if you stuck your thumb
out, you could usually get a ride into town.
But we got out of there as soon as we could and now we are anchored in an idyllic little bay on the lee side of Tahuata Island, only about a two hour sail from Atuona. The water is a turquoise and clear down to the sand and coral 25 feet below. We swim and relax, unwinding still from the rigors of travel. The sandy beach is white and the breeze makes the heat bearable! We picked up some NZ lamb in town and Linda is busy making it into a curry....have to get over to the rock cliffs to look for
the parrot fish......it really is a rough life!

Land Ho!

Tuesday, April 15, about 8PM Victoria time! We are hove-to behind Fatu Hiva and waiting for daylight to anchor in the bay!
Our first sighting was in the dark at about 2AM. We had good wind all night and were barrelling along at better than 6 knots so we put a reef in and then a second one and eventually furled half the jib as well. Still, Toketie continued at a good 4 knots, as if the momentum of the last 28 days could carry her to the anchorage! The moon had set and slowly the dark mass of the island took shape. The air carried a faintly citrus smell and the feeling was euphoric.
When daylight arrived, we motored the last five miles into Hanavave Bay with towering volcanic hills on both sides and ancient rock formations at the head of the bay. It was everything one could imagine of a landfall in paradise and we were in awe.
About a dozen boats were anchored and several left as we approached. We managed to get the hook down in about 60 feet and by the time we let all 300 feet of chain out we were sitting in 90 feet of water. The breeze funnelled down the valley and blew out to sea. We had read about strong offshore winds in this little shelter so were careful to set the anchor well. The holding was good.
After the usual rounds of boat chores, cleaning and stowing, we had a pot of coffee and launched the dinghy. Later, we shared the celebratory glass of champagne with Brian and Cathy on Tarun, and landed behind a small breakwater on a concrete launching ramp. Someone had organized a dinner at one of the homes. At $25US per person, it was not cheap, but we could not miss the experience. About two dozen cruisers attended and after a short walk through a very clean and orderly village, we all sat
around a makeshift banquet table set out under an open roofed area. Steaming pots of a local chicken dish, poisson cru...a marinated fish dish, breadfruit, cooked bananas, rice, papaya salad and afterwards, huge chunks of the local pamplemousse, like no grapefruit we've ever tasted before! Sweet and juicy! It was a wonderful evening and we talked and laughed and ate. They had said we could bring alcohol if we liked, as it was a dry island and none would be available but other than one lady with
a can of Mexican beer, I did not see anyone drinking. It was a heady enough experience on its own!
Now we have had our first sleep, sort of...the winds really do blow down the valley and out the bay...I woke up at one point to hear them and registered it was blowing 20 knots. But there was no sea running and Toketie bobbed peacefully at the end of her tether!
We are told we can spend 3 days here before having to move on to one of the official islands to report in. The people here are proud and self sufficient and very friendly. They speak French so my language skills are getting a long overdue workout.
Today we plan to hike up the valley to the waterfall and rumour has it someone is baking a cake for tomorrow!! What a wonderful place to spend this milestone.

Getting close!

Well, with about 50 miles to go, the sun is setting and we expect to make landfall on Fatu Hiva by daylight. The winds have finally filled in nicely and we have been bombing along at about 6 knots all day so will probably hove to when closer and await the dawn!
We are told that propagation is not very good there because of the high volcanic mountains so this is probably the last update for a few days or until we move to another island.
It's been quite a ride and we're glad you came along! We are somewhat weary though and look forward to a good rest.
The saga will continue anon.....:)

Starry, starry night!

We had a good night last night! The wind had been light all day and we struggled to hold a course with enough 'westing' in it. As usual, just before sunset, the wind shifted a bit and we watched to see what it would do for the night. First it piped up and as Toketie was carrying full canvas, she came alive, put her rail down and dug in. However, we were wary now, having been caught before 'with our pants down' so to speak! That would be when we are called up to do the Chinese fire drill on the
foredeck, usually in pitch darkness after not having gotten enough sleep, wrestling the sail to put another reef in and settle the boat. It goes just as fast with the reef in, if the wind is strong, but the motion is more comfortable, not to mention the wear and tear, on the gear and on the two insignificant little beings that have come along for the ride.
So out we go, before the sun sets, and tie in one reef. That settled things down! Of course, within a half hour, the wind had gone very light again. It was dark now, as the daylight comes and goes suddenly in the tropics. But our old friend the moon was back, waxing in the west! Linda was off watch and sleeping so I clambered out forward, with a harness on of course. That was our agreement, if I had to go out on deck at night, I would wear the harness. That way she could sleep without the
fear of waking up to find herself alone on board! And me, well that would make a story I would probably never get to tell! Anyway, I digress....I shook out the reef and adjusted the vane, tied the preventer on and sat back. Toketie rocketed on through the night, with a very gentle swell off the port quarter and only about 10-12 knots of wind, we were holding a pretty steady 5 knots.
It was the most awesome, cloudless night with a billion stars overhead and right down to the horizon. The milky way looked like someone had sprayed it on with a giant airbrush! We spend our watches mostly in the cockpit now because it is warm out and so comfortable sitting out there. Tarun's faint nav light was just visible, when she rode up on a swell, about 8 miles west of us and as the night proceeded and dawn came, we found them alongside about a mile off our starboard beam. So we made good
time last night and had a very comfortable ride.
The boats ahead who have anchored in Fatu Hiva report that the anchorage is deep, 60 to 100 feet and local winds come up from the mountains and blow out the bay. Some of the 17 or so reported boats have left. It rains heavily for a short period every day so if you have some way of catching it, you can fill your water tanks! Talk about 'mana' from heaven! We will be working on rigging something. No contact with any local gendarmerie! A navy boat was in the bay and ferrying back and forth but
paid no attention to the yachties. The locals do not accept US money but will trade canned goods for fruit. They would like alcohol but it is not recommended and we would prefer not to affect the local culture in that way. Someone organized a dinner and about 27 people from the yachts attended on shore.
We have just over 200 miles to go so, if the winds hold we expect to make landfall early Wednesday morning. According to 'Charlie's', it has been rumoured that the bay was originally named "Bay des Verges" (Bay of the Phalli) by early explorers because of the shape of the rocky pillars. Supposedly the missionaries disapproved, and inserted an "i" making it "Bay des Vierges" which translates to Bay of the Virgins!!!

Why we do it!

I am reading "The Happy Isles of Oceania" by Paul Theroux, one of my favorite travel writers. He began his odyssey in Australia and worked Eastwards through the S Pacific so I expect at some point our paths will cross, figuratively speakin
Everything they say about blue water cruising is true! The old joke about it being the most expensive, most uncomfortable and slowest way to travel is very true. And the other one they like to joke about in the yacht club bars is getting everyone up at 3AM and standing you on a moving platform, I like to imagine one of those old fashioned wooden gliding swings that rock back and forth, while someone dumps buckets of water on your head and turns giant fans in your direction.
Oh, the romanticism is still there! It is just harder to focus on at times. Perhaps it is some primitive instinct in us that is trying to escape the slow death by a thousand cuts that living in the cities brings? Is it that we do not feel truly alive unless the adrenaline flows occasionally? Are we escaping from something or someone or somewhere? Is it simply the challenge of 'pulling it off'? One of the best descriptions I have heard, given in one of the Blue Water Cruising talks, is simply
that "the highs are higher and the lows are lower". In other words, we are stretching our boundaries, moving outside the confines of the safe little world most people instinctively surround themselves with. The comfortable home, the yard or garden, the family pet, the friends and even jobs and going to movies and all those things we enjoy and often take for granted!
None of that out here folks! No, out here you face totally different and often unexpected challenges. It is in large measure simply an exercise in self sufficiency but unlike taking your tent off into the wilderness, you are at the same time moving a boat across the globe and trying to maintain some semblance of order in the process, not to mention maintaining it along the way. Someone else once very succinctly pointed out that there are really only three things you need to cross oceans: water,
food and navigation. And I would agree! Everything else is a 'nice to have' but not a necessity. The electronic gizmos and gadgets, all of which are subject to failure at some point and frustration if you grow dependent on them, are very nice to have. I love the electronic chart plotter that shows graphically exactly where we are, what our course is, our speed and how long it will take to get there. But I still plot our noon position on a big paper chart because I like to see those little crosses
with a circle around them that somehow truly represent the efforts we've made! And when you measure between them with the dividers, that really is how far you have come on the journey. The squall in the night may have blown you 5 miles sideways before you could react and get things under control but that is par for the course. When, like we happen to be at the moment, you are sailing on your rhumb line, which is simply a direct line to your destination or intermediary waypoint, the sails are set
perfectly, the boat is balanced, the wind vane is steering with minimum effort and you are reeling off the miles towards your goal, then you feel some kind of 'symbiosis' with your environment. You are still over tired and ache all over from the buffeting you took a few days ago but there is a good kind of tired and the other kind. The good kind rarely comes from stress or anxiety but from an exertion to some degree that you have chosen willingly, no matter how crazy some people think you are!
And if your first mate is baking bread, well....it just doesn't get much better than this. Do you need a fridge? Nice to have for sure....and we appreciate it but if it fails, we will survive. And the big, heavy, thirsty, iron monster that lives under your feet....do you really need that engine? Many small boats have circumnavigated without one but it sure is convenient at times! You become a much more proficient sailor pretty quickly when you lose it, as we found out last year off the Baja
Peninsula. But it only served to build confidence in ourselves and our boat. Self steering, solar panels, fancy downwind rigs....all wonderful things to have and they all make life on board easier when they work but generally the more complicated you make it, the more time you spend maintaining those devices. We have met several people who gave up cruising because they felt they just spent all their time fixing things. I can relate to that! Somewhere in there is a healthy balance and everyone
must find what works for them. And the important thing is that you will never learn this by reading of other people's experiences, valuable as that is, but by doing it. I've always lived by the old adage that there are many more mistakes out there just waiting to be made! The trick is to learn from them so you are not doomed to repeat them!
And then there are the people you meet along the way! The cruising fraternity is still relatively small. There are those who have consciously taken a break from their busy lives to experience it and there are those who do it on a part time basis. And then there are the RBers as our friends so succinctly coined them. These are the ones who, if they have finally built up the courage to leave the marina, will gravitate to another marina or yacht club or occasionally now, with the advent of the GPS
which allows anyone to find their way, they take over an anchorage. What was once a quiet, secluded place to commune with nature becomes a destination for the 'organized games on the beach' and 'never a moment's peace' crowd because without constant distractions, they may have to face themselves. These are the people who try to bring with them to the cruising world all the things some of us are trying to escape from in suburbia! No offense, it's just different strokes for different folks! I am
glad they are out there enjoying themselves and it just makes us look a little harder and a little farther for whatever it is we are looking for! But the small fraternity of real cruisers is still very much alive and the rewards of meeting them and sharing with them are boundless. The bonds formed can be fleeting and enjoyable or deep and long lasting. Often circumstance throws you together and if you are 'open' to it, the rewards are great.
And there are, of course, the destinations. Most of the places we go are not accessible any other way or at the least very difficult to get to without a boat. So they are special because the world is getting smaller every day. There are more people and more ways to travel to more places and therefore it becomes more difficult to get 'off the beaten path'. The cruising life still affords that option. Yes, it is getting crowded out in paradise but there are still places you can explore, especially
if you stray from the multitude of guide books and publications trying to help you, full of useful information but often leading you to the same places everyone else is going. But it is relative as well, because 16 boats in Hanavave Bay on Fatu Hiva cannot possibly be compared to 16 boats in Winter Cove, because these 16 have all gone through a shared experience to get there, and though often unspoken, the bond is strong in the cruising community. And the local people usually live and survive
close to the sea so you have something in common when you arrive in their community.
So why do we do it? I honestly don't know if there is any simple answer to that. I will admit to having been 'brought to my knees', so to speak, on several occasions and asked myself what we were doing out here! But that moment passes and another takes its place and in the end, all we have is these "moments in a lifetime"! So our goal is to make each one meaningful and to take as much from it as we can by living in it as it passes. Living on "the razor's edge" as Somerset Maughn put it...a fine
balance indeed!

Groundhog Day!

Seems like it will never end! The problem is the lack of wind...so light we ghost along but the sails slat and the wind vane gets cranky and our progress is sloooowwww! But the sun is shining, so hot and bright we have to hide from it! And the beautiful white fluffy trade wind clouds drift across the sky like giant marshmallows....we tried putting up the drifter, a large light air sail, but since the roller furler was installed there is nowhere to hank it on. So we flew it free but that was an
enormous effort for very little reward as we could not maintain the course. So with even greater effort (remember the sun! And the big fluffy clouds!) we took it down and motored for a couple of hours to break the monotony and charge the batteries. Now we are sailing again but very slowly.
The foot infection seems better today. When I get too active it flares up a bit but the swelling is pretty much gone and no sign of infection.
You may have noticed these updates are happening on a different schedule lately. It seems the propagation for getting a winlink connection is better later in the day now so I try to do them before sunset instead of in the morning.
Two of the boats ahead of us in the radio net have now anchored on Fatu Hiva and report about 17 boats in the bay. Sounds pretty crowded but we expect most of them will have moved on by the time we get there in about four days at this rate.
Coconut fish soup for dinner tonight! Must say this fish is a treat and we are still enjoying it! Unfortunately the beer bread did not work out this morning.....worked fine the last time but the inside would not cook today for some reason. I have been spoiled with banana bread (with chocolate chips), cheese bread and beer bread so we are not starving out here. We do miss the occasional glass of wine though!
Now if you could all focus your thoughts on sending us another 10 knots of wind from the ESE, it would be appreciated!

Infection!

In the tropics the smallest cut can turn into something serious pretty quickly. In my case, I was not as diligent as usual the day we left Mexico when I gouged my foot on deck, running around barefoot of course, also not the smartest thing to be doing. Anyway, instead of cleaning it, sterilizing it and dressing it like I usually do, we were so busy and the winds were strong getting offshore that it was neglected for two days before I had a look at it. Didn't seem so bad so I cleaned it and tried
to keep a band aid on it, not easy in this environment where every time you go forward on deck, your feet get wet. Well, it seems that it healed over but was infected on the inside so two nights ago, during the fronts we were subjected to all night, it started swelling up and throbbing. Pretty soon I was incapacitated and could not walk on it! Not a great situation with 5 or 6 days still before landfall. So when things calmed down a bit, we had a look at it and found there seemed to be some fluid
building up inside. So we got out the medical kit and with a sterile blade I sliced it open. Lots if icky yellow stuff came out but that's good! All those dead soldiers fighting the foreign invaders were trying to keep my body whole. After lots of alcohol, on the wound unfortunately, we put antibiotic cream on it and a gauze pad so it could breathe. As an extra precaution, I started on a strong dose of tetracycline. By morning now, the swelling and discomfort have gone down and I can walk on
it again. Still have to keep it clean and sterile and hope we got it all but prospects are brighter today!
Dinner last night was fish again and this has to be the best fish I've ever tasted. Found some pictures of fish but it was not among them and it is not a wahoo as someone suggested, maybe a bonito. Still lots of it in the fridge too!
On the sailing front, we were rewarded with a wonderful night of 10-12 kt breeze and Toketie sailed herself directly towards Fatu Hiva all night. With daylight now, the wind is going light but usually fills in later in the morning. The skies are blue and we have less than 500 miles to go! I wonder what today will bring?

Roughish night!

So you are all back there nice and cosy in your homes or offices, thinking what an idyllic adventure we are having! Right? Well, not last night anyway....we have moved from the squally region to the full blown frontal systems. Last night they hit us all night. It's relatively calm now at daylight but we are showing the effects. They are actually not that bad once you get used to them. These ones last for hours instead of minutes and have up to 25 knots of wind in them. Oh, and the torrential
downpour of rain of course. They do move us along in the right direction, sometimes at 7 knots! Then they pass and we wallow with virtually no wind and the seas toss us around.
Where are these peaceful gentle consistent trade winds we expected? We have not really had them on this side of the equator yet. There must be some tropical disturbance in the area. Tried downloading weather files but by the time I get them they are usually out of date.
Our batteries were low and we are in a calm spot now so we are motoring for a while to charge up and hopefully get further south to where the winds are more predictable. Having a harder time getting a winlink connection too so if I miss an update or position report, it was because I could not log in. Hawaii seems to be the best bet lately but still hitting S Cal at times.
Our friends on Tarun are still within VHF range, though we get separated when the fronts come through, we usually have a rendezvous plan that gets us back in range. 627 miles to go! Sure looking forward to them French baguettes!

Fish story!

Caught a beauty yesterday! We were down below and both heard the fishing rod whirr as it struck. I spent maybe half an hour reeling it in and then lifted it over the side with a gaff! What a gorgeous looking fish! Not sure what it is but some of the other boats suggested maybe a Wahoo or Bonito or Blue Marlin! It was three feet long and narrow through the body, with a large fin on its back that extended all the way from the back of the head to the tail. The colouring was spectacular. It was
a deep blue on its back and a silvery blue on its belly. It had a bill about 8 inches long and coming to a point. The meat was white and very mild. We must have gotten 2 kg of it by the time I finished the messy filleting job. Linda made chunks of the filets in the frying pan with garlic and butter and it tasted marvellous. We now have lots of meat in the bottom of the fridge. Probably not cold enough to freeze it so we will be eating fish for a few days!
Other than the excitement of our first fish, winds have been light and died down to almost nothing overnight. We inch along making slow progress but every day the distance shortens. We have gone to 2 hour watches at night now because 3 hours was too long. This way when we hit the bunk for our 2 hour sleep, we pass right out and are more or less ready for the next watch.
Winds have freshened moderately and are at least from the right direction to carry us directly to the Marquesas. They are currently about 12 kts out of the ESE.
Batteries took a big hit two nights ago so I checked the fluid and added some but nothing serious. Have to watch them.
Anyway, 726.6 miles to Fatu Hiva!

Sleepless night!

Very quiet night with a gentle breeze but we are both tired and nodding off on watches! Daylight is always a relief and the coffee always tastes great! Tarun, a few miles behind us reported being hit by squalls all night....we saw dark clouds but nothing hit us! Anyway too tired to write more....diesel reported to be $7US/gal in Atuona...yikes!

Shellbacks!

We are now on the other side of the world! Down Under as they say! Dawn brought blue skies and fluffy white clouds on the horizon. A picture perfect day for this milestone! We had motored overnight in the calm flat seas of the doldrums, burning up the diesel and lightening the load. But with the sun and the warming of the surface temperature came a nice light breeze from the SE.
But we were not to continue so easily! For days now, the new Harken roller furling rig for the headsail had been very stiff, hard to wind and unwind. The installation of this unit in Puerto Vallarta was a saga of its own but suffice it to say, it was installed and working when we left. The furling line had snapped the first night out, likely due to chafe on one of the stanchion blocks that had been mounted backwards. The pin fell out of the shackle that holds the tack of the sail to the furling
unit allowing the foot of the sail to billow free. Two days ago one of the jib sheets had almost worn through where we had attached the pole for downwind work. In lowering the sail to retie the sheet, I discovered that the foil for the furler was loose and sliding up and down on the forestay. Sorry about all the technical jargon but what had happened was that two set screws that held the foil (aluminum extrusion with slot for sail) onto the drum at the bottom had fallen out. Obviously none of
these fittings had been assembled properly or seized on with locktight as recommended. Before continuing on our last 12 miles to the equator, I went forward to examine the furler unit and attempt a repair. Using it as it was could lead to more serious problems. We lowered the jib, managed to slide the foil up and I tapped two new threads into the holes to keep it in place. Two shackles from the top of the unit were coming loose as well. One pin was hanging on the edge of the shackle and the
other was backed out about half way. These were all secured and seized on and the sail raised again. We were now ready to continue to the celebration awaiting us!
After what seemed an interminable amount of time we finally reached the magical 00 degrees 00 minutes and 00 seconds, marking the center of the earth's axis! The skies had begun to cloud over but as we neared the critical time, a huge patch of blue appeared over us and the sun shone as we popped the champagne and toasted Neptune, God of the Seas!
Along with our friends, Brian and Cathy, on Tarun, we hove to and drifted across the equator. This momentous occasion was followed by lunch! Thank you big sis for the lobster pâté and the chocolate! Thank you Jabula for the Champagne.
It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and we savoured the moment! All the planning and effort to reach this point fell away as we gazed ahead to the Southern hemisphere. What new adventures await?

Pollywoggs!

Although the Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea makes no mention of it, it is a well known tradition of the sea that those who have never crossed the equator on a small ship are referred to as "pollywogs"! The few who have endured the challenges and performed the necessary rituals become "shellbacks", a name given to hoary old sailors who have been at sea long enough for barnacles to grow on them!
We are 12 nm from making the request of Neptune to grant safe passage across the mid-point of his domains! The ceremony can be brief or drawn out but must include the traditional toast to the God of the seas and an offering to him, usually of the finest spirits on board! Ignoring these rituals is done at your own peril! Now, we are not as superstitious as some when it comes to nautical lore, though we never leave port on a Friday and always touch wood after commenting favorably on some aspect
of the weather. It seems appropriate, however, to celebrate this milestone. After all, we have earned it! A bottle of cold French bubbly, courtesy of the Jabula's awaits in the freezer!
So as we steam through the night on the large gentle swells from both NE and SE, a legacy of the trade winds we leave behind and those we hope to find ahead, burning the precious fuel we carried to take us through these 'doldrums', our bodies weary from the constant sail changes and demands of night watches, we can feel the warmer air and almost see the waving palms ahead!
The log shows close to 2000 nm traveled and 900 nm to go to Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas where we plan to first drop our anchor. Although not an 'official' port of entry, we have been told the local gendarme is welcoming and will allow you a brief stay before proceeding to the next island to do the necessary paperwork to enter the country.
So sometime between 1:00PM and 2:00PM, local Victoria time, on Sunday, April 6, 2008, if your thoughts turn this way, raise a glass with us as we pass into the world down under!
And remember, the sun is always over the yardarm somewhere in the British empire!

Are we there yet?

Well so much for optimism! Good thing we still have a sense of humour or we'd be chasing each other around with butcher knives....VHF (short range) radio fun with Brian and Cathy on 'Tarun'....revolves around his latest comparison of sailing to being a toddler again....first, you eat your food out of a bowl and are lucky not to drop some, second, you take baby steps and hang onto things, third, your language is incomprehensible to most people...." itcz axis forming at 04 north, 0000zulu.. copy that,
va7dxf clear....etc", fourthly going to the potty is sooooo satisfying and you're so proud of yourself...when you can work it in.... and last but not least....must have that nap in the afternoon or you get cranky!!!
So the night from hell has ended! Started out pretty tame but soon torrential rains engulfed us to the point where we radioed Tarun, exchanged positions and moved apart because we could not see each other's lights and did not know what kind of wind was in the beastie! Turned out to be not much wind except for the brief 20 knots to keep us on our toes...literally. The rest of the night was heavy rain and light wind off and on so we motored when we had to and sailed when we could...anything to get
through this thing. Not sure if everyone gets beaten up this way in the ITCZ but we are weary of it now. Lost radio contact with Tarun and calculated their DR (estimated) position based on last course and speed. Had it to within a few miles and made contact before dawn. And a glorious dawn it was! Still clouds all around but blue skies ahead and a beautiful 12-15 knots breeze from the SE to greet us. Soon have all sail set and chugging along directly towards Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas.....two
hours later wind has died and we are drifting with sails slatting....oh well it's still a beautiful day and we think the worst is behind us....the coffee is great as always. Two slices of Linda's home made cheese bread and we are set for another day.....
"...now bring me that horizon......"

A dark and stormy night!

Ok, we are getting tired of this....over 300 miles of ITCZ and still not out of it! Gentle peaceful sailing one minute and all hell the next! Very interesting phenomena though, watching these storm cells appear out of nowhere and turn into wind and rain! One of them last night turned into 30 knots of wind! But we have taken a less philosophical view of them now and size them up for what we can get out of them. The rain cleans the boat and the wind makes us go faster! Ergo ergo sum, they are
good things! If we weren't so exhausted from the sail changing and trying to maintain our course in them, it would be fun! Oh, they often come with wind from totally different directions! Did I mention that?
Anyway, we are surviving and becoming inured to them, if that's possible. Linda is in the galley making pancakes at the moment....and the coffee pot smells sweet as always. I suspect this is all preparation for our initiation into the 'shellback' society!
The sun has popped up over the horizon once more and there is plenty of blue sky all around so the dark beasties that haunted us all night have retreated for the day. Hopefully a steady breeze to carry us the last 191.7 nm to the equator...but who's counting!

Further adventures!

Working our way south through this ITCZ beast! It really is a moving target. Last night, just after dark, we saw a very dark cloud formation that radar confirmed was only about 4 miles ahead. Looked like lots of rain. The two other boats we are now in convoy with, Tarun and Tin Soldier, both BWC boats by chance, were ahead of us and radio reports from them had winds gusting to 20 kts and torrential rain! Tarun was blown E 5 nm before they could take action. Having experienced similar squalls
a few nights ago, this time we had a plan! Rolling up the head sail, two reefs in the main and firing up the iron genny we set the autopilot to 180 degrees and attempted to proceed due south through it. Well, they did not exaggerate the rain, it came down in buckets! But no harm there! And the wind was not too bad so we motored blind through it. Seem to be some strange currents pushing in all directions as well, maybe this is where the W Equatorial Current meets the Equatorial Counter Current.
That could explain a lot. For anyone who had ever sailed off Cape Mudge on Vancouver Island, just multiply that by 10! It got nasty but only lasted a few hours and we were out the other side. A light breeze picked up and allowed us to sail the rest of the night. Morning now and need new data on the location of the ITCZ so will download email. We are hoping it is moving north again and we have all day to put some miles between us and it!
To the SW of us is a beautiful rainbow! A sign perhaps? Should we change course and seek the pot of gold? Anything is possible out here!

April 2nd, Wednesday at sea!

The sun is up! We had a very comfortable night, sailing at 5-6 knots almost due south. The wind is holding now and we took a reef out and our speed is closer to 7 knots. Lots of sheet lightning in the atmosphere south of us overnight. Other boats reporting squalls south and west but we have been spared and are rested. Expect to have to go through the ITCZ again as it moved 240 south two days ago when we were half way through it. It is one of the most unstable weather phenomena's in the world
apparently and is totally unpredictable and moves very fast. Our goal at this stage is to move south as quickly as possible and get through it.
Meanwhile the coffee pot is on and it is an beautiful sunny day with a perfect breeze from the right direction....aren't I tempting fate by stating that!
We'll take it where we can is the lesson here! Toketie continues to perform marvellously and is a very dry and comfortable boat. Some minor modifications for ease of sail handling will be in order however in NZ.
Appreciate the ITCZ summary wx reports JD!!
Don't work too hard now! Cheers from the skipper and crew!

Inter Tropical Convergence Zone!

Well, we are into the thick of it now! Not really a planned event but two days ago the clouds and showers started to surround us and before we could make the decision whether to head south, it was upon us. So the mountain came to Mohammed! We accepted the gesture and are doing our best to get through it! Hard to describe really...no sleep last night...Linda got a little but we were nailed over and over again by these cells that apparently just form out of nowhere at any time. They have torrential
rain in them that has washed the boat down nice. And they have wind, so far for us only about 25 kts or so but other boats nearby report up to 35 kts. They hit suddenly and are gone in half an hour or so depending on the size and intensity. Needless to say, lots of sail changes are involved if you want to keep moving.
Dawn was a relief! We are surrounded by grey skies and can see rain in the East. The systems move from East to West and travel quickly. We were picking them up on the radar and being ready for them after the first couple of experiences but the radar quit working last night so we managed in the blackness just reacting when they hit. The grey daylight is still easier than the darkness. It went very light this morning and we crawled along, ran the engine for a couple of hours and now it has come
up again from the NE at about 10-15 kts. It's not uncomfortable but very tiring. Talked to the boats ahead of us and looks like we are in for this for 4 or 5 more days before breaking through to the other side. Talked to Don Anderson on the SSB as well and he agreed with our plan to dive South now that we are in it. The plan was to get further West first but best laid plans and all that!
Anyway gotta go.....wish you were here!!! :

Paying the piper!

I guess all that trade wind sailing and fair breezes had to come at a price! Fortunately not too high a price, so far anyway. Last night we were hit by our first squall just after sunset...only 25 to 30 knots but was forcing to go too far south so we reefed down and eventually took the main down and rolled up the head sail, running with just the staysail all night. It was not a comfortable ride, rolling like a barrel of monkeys, but at least we were making 4 knots or more in the right direction.
At daylight, exhausted from the motion, we stumbled out on the foredeck to get some more canvas on. The wind had eased and we were slowing down. Just as we took the ties off the mainsail, the rain hit us. Now, you have to understand, it's been 100% humidity and warm for 2 weeks now and the rain was very welcome. The timing just wasn't that great! So we got soaked and then wondered if wind was following the rain? So we waited a bit and when nothing happened we raised it, lowered the staysail
and unfurled the jib! So now we are really tired but sailing off to the West again comfortably. Of the other boats in our little radio group, two are working their way through the ITCZ and it is interesting to hear their reports twice a day. Sounds like squalls, lightning, rain and little wind are the order of the day! That is why we carry the extra fuel on deck....to get us through the doldrums!
Anyway, it is exciting being here. Some blue sky has appeared so we will see what the day brings. Talked to Don Anderson in Oxnard CA. He does weather reports by radio on the local nets. He advises going as far as 130 degrees West before turning South. The other two boats went down closer to 125 degrees. Too soon to decide...we'll see! Our own personal weather router, JD, is sending us abbreviated versions of where the ITCZ is each day and what the conditions are either side of it. Within
a couple of days, we should be close enough to decide where to dive South and cross it. Sounds like a whole new world on the other side.
Meanwhile the Southern Cross still appears nightly to show us the way!!

Adrenalin!

We are both tired tonight! Linda did not respond to the wakeup call for her 11PM watch so I let her sleep. She needed it. And then she came on and did the same for me. It seems to catch up to you in waves (no pun intended)! The fatigue that is! Tonight is very quiet, loping along at a good 6 knots or more, partly due to the N Equatorial current. The wind has been holding steady at 15 knots with gusts to 20 but it is about 4AM and the breeze is going light. Last night was exciting. Tarun,
our friends whom we had slowly been gaining on, were still about 75nm ahead of us and their HF radio had been working off and on for days now. They managed to get us a message through one of the radio nets to say the radio was unreliable and they were hove to (stopped more or less) and drifting due south at 2.3 knots on their longitude line. The plan was for us to catch up to them and travel within VHF radio range (about 20 nm) from then on. So I carried all canvas and Toketie fairly flew through
the night, sometimes hitting 7 knots, heading for where I calculated their position would be in 10 hours. Now it's a big ocean and you have to be within 3 or 4 miles to see another small boat so it was a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. But then, as long as we got within VHF range, we should be able to make contact. Just before daybreak, after an exhilarating night of sailing, we arrived at the DR (estimated) position and tried to raise them on the VHF. No response! That's strange.
I check my DR calculations a third time. Nothing wrong there! They should be close. Now what to do? We do not want to continue further West and pass them so we turn South on the same longitude they last reported and hope that they just drifted farther or faster than expected. Fairly stiff 18 knot breeze blowing but we gybed and moved the headsail pole over to the other side and reefed down to proceed due south along their last known course. After an hour we made radio contact. Brian had been
sleeping and their radio was turned off! They were 4 nm ahead of us. Not bad shooting for a 75 mile run in the dark. Reminded me of Aubrey's famous tour de force when he came up on the frenchie's tail after an all night chase!
Pizza for dinner tonight! Must say we eat well, thanks to the first mate! Chicken peanut satay sauce on rice last night. Turkey lasagne for a few nights before that! Oh well, I'll exercise when I get to French Polynesia. Speaking of which, it looks like we have chosen Fatu Hiva and the famous 'Bay of Virgins' for our first landing. It is not an official port of entry but one of the British boats that went last year sent us an email saying the local gendarme granted them four days their before
going to Hiva Oa and checking in.
And lastly but not leastly! Many Happy Returns to Phoebe who turns 22 tomorrow, and to my father who turns one year younger on the same day! Not to forget my dear older sister who remains forever young and celebrates it the day after! Happy Birthday Phoebe, Pat and dad! I will raise a glass of tang to you! Phoebe we miss having you on board! Mike...spoil her will you! Take care pops and love to mom!

The motion

It is one of the most fascinating aspects of blue water sailing. We are 1000 miles from shore with almost 2000 miles to go before we reach our destination in the Marquesas. We have finally reached the famous NE trade winds! And everything I've heard and read and remember about them is true. Blue skies with fluffy white clouds, a fairly constant wind from more or less the same direction are trademarks. In sailing terms that translates as fewer sail changes and fewer course corrections to the
wind vane self steering system. It is also a very comfortable 15 knots of wind and could reach 20 knots soon we are told. Toketie is a heavy boat, 17 tons, and likes a little wind to reach her stride.
But back to the motion! During the day we fly along either wing and wing, rolling like a drunken sailor, or on a very broad reach, our favourite point of sail at the moment. The swells, averaging 12-15 feet come up behind us and gently raise the stern as they roar past us, like some freight train on its way to distant shores. In doing so Toketie will slew slightly to the side and sometimes surf down the face of the swell. It is exhilarating sailing! But the night is when the motion truly comes
alive. You lie in the berth as if suspended and can feel the forward motion of the boat, the rocking side to side and the slewing down the waves. If you close your eyes, you can imagine you are riding on some magic carpet through the darkness with only the distant stars to orient you.
What a great way to fall asleep!

10th day at sea

Whoever said, "its the journey, not the destination" obviously never had a long ocean passage on a small sailing ship! Almost makes one consider one of them light displacement go-fast hulls or egads, maybe even a catamaran!! But no, Toketie is everything we hoped she would be and if we won't win any races, there are some advantages to being at the back of the pack. Good weather information from those ahead for one and a more comfortable ride for another!
Batteries low so had to run the engine for the second time. Fridge, radios and navigation are the hungry ones! But without good food, and it's been great, knowing where you are and talking to others, what would be the point? The days melt one into another. The moon now rises at after 1AM so its black as pitch from 9PM on...and I mean black! With some cloud cover and no stars above, it is like being underground in a cave. The winds have increased moderately and it is very comfortable sailing.
It is complicated and takes energy to rig a pole for the headsail so we are now taking long tacks downwind. It is a better angle to the seas and we go faster, if longer on the course!
Alcohol free for ten days now, the shakes have stopped...just kidding...its nice actually and we only have coffee as a treat on weekends due to the work involved in cleaning the darn pot! We drink lots of tea though and tang like stuff with sugar in it. Boat nearby pulled in 2 Dorado's yesterday so we strung a line out..nothing yet!
Anyway, gotta go to work...haha...really...duty calls!

All at sea!

The odd thump on the hull indicates a wave breaking nearby. It is pitch black out, no moon yet. The stars shimmer above and lend a faint glow to the sky. Just over the horizon a glow remains constant. It is no doubt the big fishing boat that nearly ran over us the other night. Another sailboat reported similar behaviour to them last night. And they have a small orange helicopter on board that buzzed us today, circling Toketie then coming down low around us. No friendly waves, no response to
VHF, just checking us out. During the day today we saw them working with their big poled rig out, a huge operation of some sort. Drift nets? Watching for the high seas cops? Who knows!
Just checked in with the Pacific Seafarer's net. Toketie is on their roll call now so they expect a report including location, course, speed and weather information. This is then passed on to other sources including Yotreps which is a vessel reporting system that anyone can access online. I have been uploading our coordinates directly to the winlink site but if anyone is interested, I am sure Google would help you find the Yotreps postion reporting system and if you then find VA7DXF on the list,
you will see where Toketie is at the last reporting time.
Meanwhile the boobie war continues. Every few hours one or two or more of them circle the boat and attempt a landing, usually at the top of the mast. I can tell why they call them 'boobies'!! We make noise and so far have managed to persuade them to try someone else's boat!
Linda is off watch and catching some well earned zzzz's. Last night we fought with the pole on the foredeck trying to go directly downwind. Not as easy as it should be. And the rolling motion was so uncomfortable that we eventually cracked off 20 degrees or so and are sailing smoother and faster if not directly towards the waypoint. In a few hours, we will gybe and make a more southerly course. The boats ahead of us report 18 knots of wind from the NE so that will be nice when we get to it.
The trade winds have settled in, light but we are not complaining. It is fairly steady and the seas are predictable. All in all, an enjoyable ride at the moment!

Day 7 at sea en route to the Marquesas

After 3 ½ days of light but steady wind, 10-12 knots on average, from the NW to NE, pushing us along on our course, the sea gods have turned their backs on us, leaving us to crawl along at a knot or so. Thankfully, in the right direction and no confused seas to toss us around. The boobies continue to be a challenge, attempting to land on the top of the mast or the wind generator, both vulnerable to their big clumsy feet! The morning and evening radio nets our only communication with the outside
world, along with the occasional email by HAM radio. We have set three hour watch shifts with Linda doing galley duties while I do navigation and most communications. We both do sail changes when necessary and other than that time is spent recording the log, on lookout for ships, inspecting for wear and tear and maintaining the course. Merlin, the wind vane steers our course, but as he only maintains a bearing relative to the wind, we must watch what the wind is doing to stay on track. The first
night out saw the new roller furler line snap near the bow. Fortunately it was long enough to just rewind it on the drum. Then a shackle pin fell out from the bottom of one of the running backstays. Both easily repaired but one must always be watching for little things to come loose. There is a small flotilla of cruising boats within 100 nm of us and we make contact twice a day on the SSB. We record each other's positions and wind and sea conditions. There is surprisingly little free time!
When not on watch or other duty, the primary goal is usually to get some sleep.
Last night, Linda woke me on her watch to report a boat bearing down quickly on our stern. Looked like another sailboat and we thought they were just coming close to say hi. But you never know who is on autopilot and not watching either. When they got within a mile, I took the brake off the shaft and started the engine. We were under sail and drifting at less than 2 knots. No answer on the VHF....strange! Got out the big spotlight and horn and shone it on them as they came within ¼ mile of
our stern, bearing down directly on us. We could see by now it was a large fishing vessel. It veered off at this point and proceeded west, never responding to our radio call. One couldn't help but wonder what their intentions were!
Anyway, no complaints here! Sure beats being in the office! Forecasters report NE trades at about 15 knots to appear soon in our area. That would improve our daily run!

Off like a herd of turtles!

Its 2 in the morning on a Saturday night, four days out and I am on watch. We are loping along between 4 and 5 knots with a fairly steady breeze off our starboard quarter under all canvas. The rising moon is full and glistens on the ocean leaving a path of silver behind us.
After a rather boisterous first night out with huge seas and strong winds throwing us off the coast of Mexico, followed by a full day of complete calm where only the occasional ripple appeared on the surface of the water as a zephyr of wind passed over. We drifted like this for the entire day, having decided to save the fuel for when we might really need it. A red footed booby spent the day preening on the life ring and a beautiful shimmering blue Dorado circled us as if to report back to Neptune
who was passing this way!
We are gradually settling into the rhythm of life at sea. The watch schedule has been set so we both know when we are on duty and when we can grab that precious sleep. The log is maintained on the even hours. Regular contact is made through various maritime radio nets and with our friends on 'Tarun' who are about 90 nm west of us on the same heading. Routine chores are carried out.
The infamous HAM radio guru Don Anderson of 'Summer Passage' out of Oxnard, CA tells us we will find the stronger NE trade winds once we reach 112 degrees of longitude, about 240 nm west of our current location. We shall see!
1538 nm till the first waypoint at 8 degrees N and 128 degrees W. This is the recommended course en route to the Marquesas. Make westing as much as possible N of the equator using the NE trades and then drop due S where the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone or doldrums should be narrower, then take a bearing direct to the Marquesas.
It is a beautiful clear night sky with the Southern Cross visible above the horizon off the port beam.

Toketie to the Marquesas!

Thank you to those who have complained about the lack of detail on the blog....good to know someone is reading it!  Sorry, have had radio problems (all fixed now) and the surf often kept us from going to shore to use an internet cafe.

Had daughter Phoebe on board for three weeks and really enjoyed having her.  Having flown into Mexico direct from Mumbai, India, she had to be re-integrated into Western Society....not sure cruising the Gold Coast of Mexico qualifies but it was lots of fun!

Have been cruising with Brian & Cathy on 'Tarun' who will accompany us on the crossing.  Also have enjoyed the company of Bruce & Jeannie on 'Jabula' who unfortunately will stay behind in Mexico this season.

Looks like Tuesday, March 18 is the big day!  We are busy with final provisioning, fuel, water, lashing things down...etc.... We will go downtown in Manzanillo and do the official paperwork with the Port Captain and the Immigration office to check out of Mexico.  Weather seems favorable and the plan is to head for a position of about 8 degrees North and 128 degrees West before turning South to cross the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone and a direct bearing for the Marquesas.

It is exciting and nerve racking at the same time!  I think it will settle down after a few days at sea.

Will do our best to update the blog along the way....weather and power supply gods willing!  Also hope to get our position up on the Winlink Position Reporter site....for anyone who can find this website, its a map that shows our progress.. http://www.winlink.org/aprs/aprs.htm .....just enter va7dxf or find it on the list!  Should have it up there in the next day or so.

Meanwhile, we are thinking of all of you back there and hope you get some small satisfaction following our journey!

Cheers David & Linda

S/V Toketie

Back in Melaque!

Toketie and crew are back in Melaque after a week or so in Tenacatita.  HF radio back in service after new coupler delivered via friends net via Puerto Vallarta.  Nice to be back in the airwaves.  Stay tuned!!

Melaque!

Anchored off Melaque!  Big surf started yesterday and waves pounding the beaches.  Put out a stern anchor to keep Toketie facing into the seas....too rolly otherwise.  Makes for interesting shore landings!  Met our friends Ian & Ness from "Eileen O'Donan" and enjoyed catching up.  Plan to cruise the area locally for a couple of weeks with daughter Phoebe on board before returning to Manzanillo for final preparations.  Hoping to repair SSB radio as well.  Meanwhile the beer is still cheap, the wine undrinkable (in our budget) and the rum and pineapply plentiful!! 

crew of S/V Toketie

From Manzanillo Bay!

Anchored in front of the famous Las Hadas resort!  Provisioning like mad and trying to diagnose/repair a radio problem with the SSB!  Just another hectic day in the life of a cruiser.....its not a holiday you know!  This is hard work.  Gotta sign off now and head to the pool.....cheers!

new pic en route Tenacatita!

Toketie cruising under full canvas.....about 5 knots......this is nice sailing!

Tenacatita!

Enjoying relaxing time in the bay....dinghy up the river.....warm breezes...sunsets....surf....:)

Baia de Chamela

anchored in this beautiful sheltered bay....gentle winds swaying the coconut trees...friendly people....unwinding and planning the next stages....

Toketie on the move!

We have finally slipped the lines from the dock at Marina Vallarta and after a lovely two hour sail in company with our friends on 'Tarun'....we are anchored once again in La Cruz.  No noise from the bars, no city dirt in the air...whales blowing, manta rays breaching....an idyllic sunset and a farewell visit from Andre on 'Symbiosis'.  Peaceful, quiet and gently rolling to the Pacific swells which will soon carry us south on our journey!

latest news from mexico!

Well, the first mate has returned.....and the captain is very happy to see her!  Our friends on Tarun arrived carrying a wind generator and the poles to mount it from San Diego for us....also a welcome sight!  Hectic days and muggy nights....the heat and humidity have finally returned here....planned the installation of the wind generator today....lists of things to do before leaving Puerto Vallarta at the end of January!  Mucho provisioning, much route planning, scrubbing, painting, fixing, stowing......give me a quiet anchorage....soon!  Cheers

another day in paradise!

Last week it was the fuel tanks to scrub out!   Yesterday, I removed all the batteries and cooked them on the dock for the whole day!!  Its called 'Equalization'.  Got them boiling pretty good actually.  After cooling overnight, I tested them today and am awaiting interpretation of the results!!  Voltage is good, specific gravity is good but load test has some questions!!  All part of a day's fun for a cruiser!  Attended first meeting of the "puddlejumpers" group two days ago.....very similar to our "fleet" group in Blue Water Cruising, where people who are planning to make the passage to Fr Polynesia this spring get together and share information and resources. 

 

Rice, beans and eggs...maybe I'll have fish for a change!

philosophical musings!

We have lived on board for going on four years now.  We sailed down the West Coast of North America from Victoria in 2006 and spent the winter in Mexico.   We debated going down through Central America to Ecuador but have now decided to head directly for the Marquesas and New Zealand in the spring of 2008.

It is a very seductive lifestyle.  Free from any 9 to 5 constraints you once had, you become attuned to the sun's rising and setting and meet people with a common love of the sea.   Occasionally you cross paths with someone who has never sailed but have that 'romantic' gleam in their eye when it comes out that you live and travel on a sailboat.   I try not to discourage them or dampen this enthusiasm for I believe everyone must come to their own realizations about their hopes and fears and dreams.  For some, it simply becomes a matter of learning the ropes, organizing the voyage and setting out before it seems that they are back home sorting through the thousands of memories they managed to capture along the way.   And others are truly seduced by the lifestyle and become a modern form of gypsy, maybe returning on occasion to that 'other' world to make contact with friends and family.  

It's not always an easy life.  There are times when you are exhausted or nervous or perhaps even frightened by what the ocean can do.   Those who do it for long seem to develop a kind of humility that you learn to recognize in the gentleness of their manner and softness of their voice.   Rarely do they leave more than footprints in the sand.  And when you need a hand, they are seldom far.

I had this dream my entire adult life but what with careers and mortgages and raising children, it remained a dream, nourished constantly by reading the experiences of those who were living it.

You will never have enough money; there will always be ties to family that hold you back even while encouraging you.  There will always be choices to be made.  But we can no more hold back the sands of time than we can stop the tides.

So pick a heading and take a small step in that direction or risk losing those memories and being marooned with regrets for chances not taken!

January in Vallarta

About time for another update!  Fuel tanks scrubbed out....what a job!  All fuel filters changed!  Maybe next time my kids come to visit....I'll be able to take them out of the harbour.  Last week we bounced around at the entrance, blocking any cruise ship egress....till the Capitaine de Puerto came out and yelled at us...didn't offer any assistance or anything as I got the anchor down to hold us off the rocks....fortunately the good ship 'Symbiosis' came along with Captain Andre to tow us in...well the universe was in a perverse mood at the time so after we hitched the tow line to him...his engine failed as well!!  So not sure who was rescuing who but it all turned out for the best in this best of all possible worlds as the good Dr. Pangloss would say!  Engine now running....awaiting return of first mate.....good ship Tarun on the way to deliver wind generator....meanwhile one day melts into another....sun shines hot and roving mariachi bands interfere with attempted skype....more to follow.....

Dec 18 update!

Well, the roller furler/reefing unit is finally on after about 8 months!  Of course its not quite complete....still need a director block at the top of the mast to prevent the halyard from winding around the forestay and the tube has only one sail slot while we ordered two!  So these items are to be addressed...soon we hope!  Also, rumour has sit our new high test anchor chain, all 300 feet of it, shipped from Washington State is now in Quadalajera and could show up here today!  Also holding my breath on that one!  But hey, its almost christmas and that's when miracles can happen!  Found someone that can repair the scratches to the hull, waiting for a quote on it.  Meanwhile cowboy Bob who caused the problem remains elusive.....also got quotes for haulout in January!  Put new vent scoop cowlings on today, brings more air down below!  Missing my first mate though....my cooking has definitely gotten rusty!  New charge controller in place and working great!  Batteries did take a beating though in going dry, maybe lost 20-30 % of their ability.  Wind generator on the way from San Diego on the good ship Tarun, along with mounting poles and brackets!  Boy do we owe those guys big time...meanwhile life crawls along in Puerto Vallarta Marina.....cool at night but sun is very hot during the day.  Almost time for cerveza and siesta.....what a life!

Home Again, Home Again!

Back on board!  Lots of scrubbing and putting back together.

Mexico!

Staying in the village of Guyabitos outside of PV!  Cleaning up Toketie and getting back into cruising mode.  Stay tuned for updates!!