Position           09:21.49S 140:02.89W

Date                0640 (French Polynesian Time UTC -10½) Friday 28 March 2014

Distance run - 66nm over the ground, 61.4nm through the water

The morning after arrival in Baie Hanamoena  we tried a dinghy trip ashore to the inviting white sandy beach.  It was very steep too and with a swell running there was a great danger of turning the dinghy over and as we had no particular reason to go ashore this assault landing was abandoned.  Back on board the decision was made to sail overnight to the next island on our itinerary, Ua Pou and the main harbour of Hakahau.

Once again we had to sail out of the anchorage and it took an hour to clear the confused winds that circulated around the bay.  Once clear the wind filled in from the aft the beam and we made good progress until the early hours of the morning when the wind went around to the stern and we rolled our way gently onwards towards a spectacular dawn as the island came into view.

First with the heads of the mountains poking out of the cloud and then as the cloud cleared in its full glory.

The harbour of Hakahau has a breakwater and if you can manoeuvre behind the breakwater there is some reasonable shelter from the swell.  Without an engine we were only able to anchor in the middle of the harbour and that was inevitably going to be a rolly experience.

Morale was improved when Klaus from the German boat Circe, having heard of our engine problem passed by with a fresh baguette.  With the aid of fresh bread we settled down for breakfast wondering what to do next.