We sighted land just after day break, first Hiva Oa, then Fatu Hiva , our passage was almost finished.

The islands are quite dramatic in appearance, standing very high, with sheer cliffs down to the sea. Waves crashing against the shore warranted a double take, to make sure they weren’t waterfalls, such was the surf produced.

We made our way around the coastline, looking for the entrance to Baie Tahauku. It was very well concealed and without the charts, we might well have missed it.

Judging by the number of masts appearing as we neared, it was also a popular anchorage.

I was pleasantly surprised by the anchorage. I had expected just a bay and nothing more. But the hills had lovely houses dotted here and there. It was lush and verdant, the scenery was stunning.

Huge escarpments shrouded in clouds, impressive indeed. You can see where Paul Gaugin got his inspiration from.

We found a slot amongst the 20 odd other boats and anchored (fwd and aft).

Rob & Sheralee had told us earlier that day, that they had decided to leave the boat here.

I can’t say I was surprised, it was always an open ended arrangement, but a 23 day passage is not really ‘fun’ (unless you are a sailor).

They had acquitted themselves admirably, coping with the sailing and lifestyle change demands and that is not being patronising, it isn’t an easy life. It is a testament to their determination.

You have to be more disciplined than you are at home (yes I know discipline and Janice just don’t go together), but when it could turn out to be a matter of life or death (I am not exaggerating here) such as a gas leak which has filled with bilge with explosive gas, because someone forgot to turn the gas off and there had been a leak, or having no water, because the water pump hadn’t been switched off and there had been a leak which emptied the tanks, then on a 23 day passage it is dangerous. That isn’t including the inconvenient disciplines, like always putting the toilet lid down, so that when the boat is hard over and your towel falls off the rail….need I say more??

Such as, always putting things back in the same place, so that they can be easily found, especially in the dark. Or not being able to put the fans on when you are boiling hot, because the batteries are too low. Let’s not mention not being able to have a cold drink (I daren’t even think of ice) because there is no refrigeration.

All of which is not only restrictive and inconvenient, but also tedious and wearing, constantly being pulled up for forgetting, which as one gets older, becomes more frequent. Add all of that to the discomfort of being in perpetual motion 24/7. Yes, even when you sleep!! The boat never stops moving and neither do you. It also makes it difficult to get into a position that is conducive to sleep.

As for the peace and quiet, if you actually analyse it, there is never any peace and quiet. If you are sailing (which is the quietest time) there is the rush of the waves against the hull, the wind in the sails, although it the sounds in that instance are pleasant, they are still sounds. Then on the night when you want to sleep, there is the noise of the shrouds or halyards, the banging and crashing of the waves against the hull, the creaks and groans of the boat with the stresses being imposed on her as the wind picks up etc etc.

Now don’t get me wrong, compared to many boats (especially racing boats) Beaujolais is very comfortable and lenient. Racing boats don’t even have doors (not even toilet doors) !!!

Many boats don’t have refrigeration ( I’m spoilt, what can I say), nor the luxury of a large cockpit with a tent to keep you dry or out of the sun. So while it is not an easy life, on many boats it would have been much more of an ordeal. Passages, especially long passages, are definitely for sailors (I do not profess to being a sailor, despite coming back year after year).

It will be very different not having them around and will take a bit of getting used to, but I am glad they were with us and I certainly think they were the right couple to do it with.

But I digress.

It meant we had to go ashore, clear in and then get them taken off the crew list, before they could go ashore. Well that is the normal procedure. However, we were reliably informed that the Gendarmerie was closed until Monday (today being Saturday) but they weren’t too strict about going ashore without having first cleared in.

As time was passing and R&S had to find an hotel, we hurried ashore. There are no cabs, it’s a hike into Atuona  (longer than we thought as it turned out) so we dinghied ashore and headed up the road.

The trouble with mountains, is that the roads never go straight up, they meander. By the time we finally reached Atuona we were in need of a cold drink and a rest.

The town is very nice, clean, orderly with excellent roads, but very few bars, hotels of cafes (that we could see) and certainly none that were open (and it was only 3pm on a Saturday). I saw two ladies sitting on a wall, so went over and asked if they knew anywhere we could get a drink (thank god I speak French) They told me there was a shop just up the road and an hotel on the way out of town (we passed it coming in). I thanked them and we headed up to the shop.

Sheralee had taken details of pensions out of the lonely planet guide book, so we asked the cashier if she knew where they were.  

As we headed out of the shop, guzzelling ice cold coke, one of the ladies I spoke to (Claudine) was walking up the road, she smiled, seeing we had got our drinks. I went over and thanked her again, then asked if she knew the pensions we were looking for. She said she could recommend a place, very nice, with a pool and very quiet. The price of 10,500 cpf per person (US$105) was a little more than R&S had budgeted, but it included breakfast and dinner. So she called the owner, Alex, who came and picked us all up, drove us back to the boat to pick up their luggage (it is just as well they decided to leave it as it turned out) and then drove us up to his house way up on the hill overlooking the bay. Stunning views and very peaceful.

We had intended to go and have dinner at the hotel on the outskirts of town, as they served pizza (also we hadn’t seen anywhere else to eat) but Alex asked if we particularly wanted pizza, as he served dinner and drinks.

His pension/bar/restaurant is in a fabulous location, high above the bay, though the drive up is somewhat stimulating to say the least.

They have a lovely pool you can use and as I mentioned earlier, the views are simply stunning. They are open everyday for lunch or dinner but it is necessary to ring or e-mail to book. Like most of the establishments, they also provide a free taxi service to and from the restaurant. For those cruisers heading this way, his tel. is  +689 234817, or you can e-mail on pension {DOT} hivaoa {CHANGE TO AT} yahoo {DOT} fr.

 So we spent a lovely evening drinking by the pool and had a super 3 course meal for 1500 cpf. (US$15) ( excellent value when compared to other establishments in Atuona).

He then drove us back to the boat.

I have to say I slept very soundly for the first time in weeks and I am sure Rob & Sheralee did too.