Fatu Hiva
Jarek
Thu 7 Aug 2003 02:00
We have left Fatu Hiva at noon and are on the way to Ua Pou.
This entry is a bit overdue, but the passage was rather uneventful and while
in Fatu Hiva, we were too busy hiking around and consuming the beauty of the
island to do any typing. The passage took us 26 days. We arrived to Hanavave
Bay early in the morning on August 4, a day after my 59th birthday (Thanks
for all the birthday greetings!). And what a birthday gift it was! Hanavave
is deservedly advertised in France as a most beautiful bay in the world.
(Granted, there is a good number of most beautiful bays in the world, and
truly so). It is so pretty, that it can bring tears to your eyes. No
photograph, no video can possibly render this beauty. Fatu Hiva is a high
volcanic island with shear cliffs and ridges surrounding the old caldera and
stretching out to its outside corners. Hanavave bay lies at a wide crack in
the caldera wall, through which a couple of creeks are running down to the
sea. The vegetation is rampageous and of all shades of green. Fruits are
plentiful. After watching the scenery for a while you truly feel in
communion with Mother Nature.
There are some unusual rock formation there, one resembling a bust of George
Washington, as Mike from "Just Desert" pointed it out to us. To say that two
stone pillars at the northern cliff of the bay resemble shape of a phallus
is a bit of a stretch, however. The same can be said of a utility pole. A
creation of mind of a dirty old man mourning over his long lost virility,
perhaps? Interestingly, I have not heard such associations with regard to
rock spires of Le Pieu in Massif Central or Meterora in Greece.
This is a note made on Sunday, July 27:
Marquesas are almost 800 miles away and pretty soon we will have to face the
reality of civilization. Andrew, a.k.a. "Wujo" ("Uncle"), a life long time
friend, has already arrived there from New Zealand. His passage was
difficult at times. I am looking forward to meeting him, probably in Nuku
Hiva. We have been broad reaching last three days and the genua/staysail
system does not work too well at this point. I remembered an old trick of
running under genoa and main with three reefs on: the genoa does not loose
the wind and we are again at about 5 knots. Everything is holding all right
(knock, knock!). Life is not bad at all, even though a freak swell
occasionally comes from an unexpected direction and rolls Sweet Weather
relentlessly for a couple of hours. It does not take away from our long
passage Nirvana, though.