Nuku Hiva and Tuamotu

May 28 – June 1, 2014

Leaving Taiohea Bay for

Taioa Bay,  Hakatea  (aka: Daniel’s Bay), Nuku Hiva

We have sailed a short distance to Taioa Bay. This bay has two coves and we have anchored in the more protected one which is Hakatea or Daniel’s Bay. Once inside, you don’t see the open ocean anymore. It gives a feeling of being on a lake. There are quite a few boats here, but we managed to find a very nice location. The water is clear and the series of cliffs surrounding us are spectacular. We were told this would be a quiet bay to get some rest before our three day sail to the Tuamotu. It is obvious everyone here is doing just that. This bay is very peaceful and we hear no noise whatsoever.

Tranquil Daniel's Bay

There is a beautiful white sand beach and paddling our kayak onshore was easy enough. After tying it to a tree, we went to explore the island. Theo and I kept saying that we felt like we had gone back in time. I tried to capture the beauty and colors of this place with the camera, but it is not just the way it looks… it is the calmness we feel here as well. We walked for a while and came to a flow of water about thigh deep (for me it is thigh deep, for most people it is knee deep). We waded across and met a man named Teiki and his wife. They were telling us that there was a very beautiful waterfall that we should hike to the next day. He said it was not too far and an easy trail (he used two fingers and made a slow walking motion while he whistled casually) and then he told us to come back to his house after for fresh, cold coconut water and fruit salad… we were in!

The next morning we kayaked back to shore and began our hike. The trail was pristine and the nature surrounding it was beautifully maintained. We were gazing at fruit trees bursting with mangoes, starfruit and noni. There were giant red and white hibiscus flowers and fragrant tiare flowers everywhere… Horses, cows, pigs… you name it, we saw it.  We must have said “wow” about fifty times. This was the loveliest and most memorable hike I have ever taken.

The beginning of our hike

A tree bursting with gorgeous starfruit

An unexpected outdoor chapel

We continued to walk for two hours. As we continued the trail became more challenging and there was also lots of mud because it had rained the night before. We could hear the waterfall get louder and louder as we got closer. At one point, I looked to my left and saw it. This was not just any waterfall… It was a giant! So high up and we just kept staring in awe. The other thing we noticed was that it was at least another hour away. That would make at least 6 hours round trip.  We continued on as far as we dared and then decided to head back. In the end it was a good decision. A year ago I couldn’t walk slowly through the grocery store, let alone hike for four hours on a slippery trail. I was so grateful and proud of myself. I felt strong and did the hike with ease, my joints were not hurting at all, I had enough energy to walk longer if I had wanted to, and I only slipped and fell on my butt four times in four hours… Now that is progress!

We stared at the waterfall for a long time...beautiful.

We walked back towards Teiki’s home for cold coconut water, but before we got there we were approached by a woman with a very sweet smile. She asked us if we would like to “mange” which means eat. Before we could even answer, she was scooting us into her home. We met her husband who was even more enthusiastic than she was. He told us to remove our shoes and come inside. The first thing we noticed was that there were cats everywhere… at least ten. Then we saw a long dining table already set for seven people with cold lemonade and fried bananas.  I pointed to the other places at the table and shrugged my shoulders as if to ask a question… the woman pointed outside and laughed. I guessed there were more people coming. A few minutes later we heard her telling others to take off their shoes and come in. They were five people from Denmark who had also hiked to the waterfall and they all had the same bewildered faces as Theo and I had when we first entered the house. Apparently, this couple counts the number of people that hike past their home in the morning, then they prepare lunch accordingly!

Our gracious hosts for lunch...(they made me sit in the chair!)

We were ordered to sit down and they brought us plate after plate of food… it was so good! We all ate until we were about to burst, then talked about future sailing plans and the current mosquito problem (they were attacking us as we were having lunch, so we were slapping with one hand and eating with the other). We all left together and we explained to them that we were going to stop at Teiki’s home because we had promised we would. We were all a bit nervous about this because we had eaten so much and didn’t know if Teiki and his wife had prepared a large meal for us as well!  Thankfully, it was just fresh coconut water and fruit salad. Teiki was kind enough to teach Theo how to husk his own coconut without hurting himself. He also told us that the waterfall we just hiked to was the third tallest in the world! Maybe we should have walked the extra hour? No, we would have missed lunch…

Teiki and Theo... Manly men!!

Theo the student

Theo the teacher

Refreshing coconut water

We waddled back to the kayak and paddled back to Et Voila. After I showered, I realized I had mosquito bites all over my face, neck, hands, legs and feet. Before we left California, Theo and I bought mosquito repellent that is used by our military… it even has Deet in it. I was slathered in this stuff AND had bug repellent full length pants on… how did they bite me through my pants!! I will not give up the fight, but I am baffled and frustrated by the bugs here… @%!#heads.

The weather report looks favorable the next 3-4 days, so we will leave the Marquesas tomorrow for the Tuamotu. It will be Sunday June 1^st, Theo’s birthday.

Lesson: Teiki was burning coconut husks. He told us that the smoke keeps the mosquitos away and laughed at the fact that we use bug repellent. However, when I mentioned Nono’s, he got very serious. He nodded sadly and knowingly, but didn’t say anything.

Quote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.” Mark Twain

French: Mes beaux chats   Translation: My pretty cats

La Limonade   Translation: Lemonade

On a fini?    Translation : Are we finished?

Sunday June 1 (Theo’s birthday) – 4, 2014

Passage from Daniel’s Bay, Nuku Hiva for

Tuamotu, Tahanea

After checking the weather report, we decided to leave on Sunday around noon so we could arrive in Tahanea by slack tide. After Wednesday, the weather was supposed to get unpredictable and rough. As we pulled our anchor up, a sea turtle swam by our boat. Sea turtles are said to bring safety to sailors during long passages, so we were happy to see him. He was wishing us well.

TWO WORDS: NOT FUN

As soon as we exited the bay, we were slammed by 25 knot winds…the weather report said 15 knots!  The first hour was challenging for us, but then things settled down. We figured we just had a rough start and the worst was over. Theo put a fishing pole in the water and we caught a nice size Bonito for his birthday dinner. Everything was great and we were happy. Later on I noticed Theo was very quiet. He told me his stomach was upset and he did not feel well at all. He was sick that night during his watch (Mambo threw up right after Theo). We postponed his birthday dinner until we reach Tahanea.

The next morning Theo continued to feel sick (and Mambo was extra loopy). We think it was the allergy medication that the doctor prescribed him for the rash on this thigh, so he had to stop taking them. We were having a calm enough sail… 20 knot winds and cruising at 7-8 knots on average. I have been reading and cooking to pass the time.

On our last night, Theo came to relieve me of my watch and said “Tonight is going to be a very calm one”. WRONG! One hour later I hear Theo yelling for me from the flying bridge. I ran up there naked and barefoot because I didn’t know how urgent the matter was. “Put clothes on… Big Squall!” he screamed. Okay, I put on my clothes and shoes and went back up. We reduced the sails some more. We had 37 knot winds and the rain was pelting us from all directions. Waves were crashing up onto our flying bridge and drenching us. The wind was howling so loud that we could not hear each other trying to shout over it. I tried to find just one star or the moon, anything to give us some visibility, but the storm clouds made the night pitch black. We could not see anything at all.  It was the worst experience so far. Our sail bag ripped again, a main sail car broke, a lounge cushion and a huge container of dog food are now floating toward China. Breath in, breath out… repeat.

Neither one of us slept much. Once the weather calmed a bit we continued our watch schedule. We were exhausted and the dogs were stressed. I tried to sleep until 2:30am and then did watch until 5:30am. I made strong coffee and ate a dark chocolate bar. It was better than a Red Bull! We were hit by more storms and rough conditions until we reached the atoll. Slack tide was 4pm and it was 3:30pm…perfect. Just as we were about to enter the passage, we had another squall pass over us (really??), so we just waited for it to go by. We were frustrated… so close to getting in and having shelter.

Once we were finally inside, we saw four other boats anchored. There was one monohull and three catamarans. We recognized two of them. They were Mark and Sarah from "Field Trip" and Bruce and Toni from "Remi De". Some cruisers call them the “Kid boats” or “Kiddy Cats” because they have children onboard.  We were very happy to see them. As soon as we anchored they came over to welcome us. We must have been quite a sight. They were in their bathing suits from snorkeling and Theo and I were in full foul weather gear soaking wet. Apparently, their trip from Nuku Hiva was bad too. Mark and Sarah have been sailing for the past two and a half years and they said that this passage was the worst they have ever been through… wow. They ripped one of their sails and another friend of theirs lost their main sail. We were grateful to still be somewhat okay and hobbling along.  Et Voila is a bit beaten and battered, but able to continue… she is a tough cookie like us.

Lesson: The weather report ALWAYS says 15 knot winds.

Quotes: “A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” Anonymous

               “Do what you have to do and then move on.” Anonymous

French: Toujours   Translation: Always

Fatique   Translation: Tired

Du Café    Translation: Some coffee

Du chocolat     Translation: Some chocolate

Es-tu Inquiete?   Translation: Are you anxious?

La bie’re, s’il vous plait   Translation: Beer, please

Ocean Sightings: Sea turtle wishing us well, One Bonito on our pole

Book: You Can Be Happy No Matter What by Richard Carlson

June 4-7,2014

Tahanea, Tuamotu

The Tuamotu are the largest group of coral atolls in the world… there are 78 in the group. Of the 78 atolls, 47 have no pass to get inside. The rest have one or two passes that can be entered carefully at slack tide.  We picked Tahanea because the pass is wide and the snorkeling is supposed to be great. This particular atoll is uninhabited and we understand why.  As Theo and I were exploring he asked me if I thought I would survive being stranded on the atoll. Physically, I think so. There are crabs, snails, clams, fish and coconuts. If there was some way to collect the rainwater, I would be okay. Psychologically, I would be totally nuts. That being said, the water is every shade of turquoise you can imagine… crystal clear like pool water. We are in a lagoon in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We don’t even need to snorkel because we are in 10 feet of water and can see the bottom perfectly.

A lagoon in the middle of the Pacific Ocean

Theo says Coconut Crabs are tasty, but I won't eat them. They look too much like Sebastian from The Little Mermaid movie.

Me and my "shadow"... Isabel

Get us out of the boat!!!!

Mark and Sarah had told us about a beautiful location on the other side of the atoll, so we pulled anchor and went over there. We arrived and saw that there were no other boats around us. We were alone… weird. While we were anchoring, the dinghy line got caught in one of our propellers (I know… duh). Theo went to the stern steps to jump in and untangle it. Meanwhile, I was on the flying bridge watching a 6ft shark swim directly toward where he was. I yelled as loud as I could, “Stop, Shark!”... he said “Where? Ooooh.” Just then it went right by him. If he would have jumped in, he would have probably landed right on top of it! That was close. Once untangled and anchored, we both agreed that the scary passage was worth it. We were in paradise.

A refreshing swim

Our backyard for a while

Coral platforms close to the surface of the water... AKA: Bommies

Our last sunset in Tahanea... look how calm the water is!

When we woke up the next morning, we were floating on an underwater fantasyland. Strangely, there was no wind whatsoever. Believe me when I say the water was completely flat, not even a ripple. We were mesmerized. The afternoon was spent making water and repairing the damage to our lazy bag and sail. Tomorrow morning we will leave for Fakarava.

Lesson: 1) Watch out for “bommies” when sailing inside an atoll. These are like platforms of coral that are very close to the surface of the water. Not all of them are on the charts, so you need an extra pair of eyes on the bow.

              2) Blacktip Reef Sharks: I read up on these sharks because I wanted to get the real story… We are swimming with them after all. The book said they grow to 6 feet in length, generally do not bother divers, but may bite waders on the calf… Hmmmm. We are okay with that.

Quotes: “Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” Oscar Wilde

             “I show up, I try to listen, I try to laugh.” Ann Quindlen

              “Look at the view.” Anonymous

French: A’ la piscine      Translation: To the swimming pool

Ocean sightings: Sea turtle, spotted eagle ray, parrot fish (teal, royal blue, purple and fuschia pink!), needle and angel fish, white and purple clams attached to the coral and Black tip sharks.

Book: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

June 7 - 10, 2014

Leave Tahanea for Fakarava, Tuamotu

Tumakohua pass, southern entrance

We sailed towards the southern coast of Fakarava and entered through the Tumakohua Pass. The trip was wet and uneventful… wet is okay and we really like uneventful. As we entered the pass there was a crazy current. Our boat could handle it no problem, but it was impressive to watch. As we entered more into the atoll we were hyperventilating a bit. There were coral platforms (bommies) all around us and I was on the bow trying to help Theo navigate through them, but they were everywhere! In the end he had to completely trust his chart, which is nerve wracking to say the least. When we finally anchored, he had to take some alone time. That is how stressful the situation was. Phew!

Fakarava South Pass

We recognized many of the boats here. Everyone arrives at different times, but most of us seem to meet up again eventually and we like that. The southern pass in Fakarava is famous for drift diving and snorkeling. Theo went for three dives with Mark and Sarah from Field Trip, and I snorkeled. Swimming with sharks was NEVER on my bucket list.  One of the dive shops here has the logo “Any dive without a shark is free”.  Simply put, if you want to snorkel or dive the pass in Fakarava, you must swim with them…so I did. I was once told that if I ever felt extremely uncomfortable in a situation to send love outward. As the sharks came closer I kept saying over and over in my head “Love, love, love… I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU and please love me back!”  Most of us are so conditioned to be fearful of sharks… myself included. Thinking back on it (because nothing bad happened), they were awesome to watch and I feel privileged that I was able to share the ocean with them. It was just a matter of mutual respect (and love). You stay out of my space and I will stay out of yours… easy. This place is a diving and snorkeling fantasyland! Trumpet, angel, butterfly, coral and parrot fish, puffers, giant Napoleon Wrasse… every reef fish you can imagine. If you can, do this dive. I know we will not forget it.

Fantasyland!

"All you need is love..." - The Beatles

Napoleon Wrasse

Theo's drift dive in the pass

A cute new friend we met walking in the village

We pulled our anchor up and sailed to the south east corner of Fakarava. It is a beautiful location with one hut on the beach. This hut is owned by a woman named Liza and she will cook for you. We introduced ourselves by her pigpen and she swiftly told us that we had the choice between chicken with french fries or beef with french fries. We chose chicken. We had a great time with her. She pulled up a chair and talked to us about family, the tradition of tattoos, she showed us her handmade tool for cleaning a coconut, explained what can be done with copra… and on and on. She told us that she catches octopus just outside her house. Our eyes lit up when she said this, so she went in her kitchen and came back with a large octopus for us to take with us!  She would not let us pay for it, so we brought back fishing line, hooks, hats and all of the candy we had left on the boat. In the morning when we left, she was outside waving and blowing us kisses. I will miss Liza.

A stroll before dinner at Liza's

The gracious and delightful Liza

Lessons: 1) If it starts pouring down rain while you are on the boat, use it to your advantage and collect water. We put a tent up and gathered about 15 gallons for our tanks!

                2) Do not leave the boat hatches wide open because Mambo will eventually fall through. Thank goodness he fell through the main cabin hatch and landed on our bed… patience.

Quotes: “Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun, like struggle. To love someone is a strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.”-  Fred Rogers, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

French:

              Douze requin = Twelve sharks        Inquiet = Apprehensive      Amour = Love

              C’e’tait de’licieux = That was delicious.     Et avec ceci? = Will there be anything else ?

              Ce sera tout, merci = That’s all, thanks.

Ocean Sightings: It would be faster to write what we did NOT see this time.  Whales, dolphins and Mantas