Land Ahoy!

Kahia
Paul and Catherine Davis
Sat 19 May 2012 11:49
9:51S 138:46W
 
Paul spotted the faint outline of land at the horizon about 12 hours ago, then 49 miles away. How exciting come so close, yet the wind was to weak to get us to the anchorage before dark. So we had to make the frustrating decision to slow down even more and creep through the night to enter Bay Taaoa at day break.
Well, we made the best of it, dropped the main sail and packed it away, while it was dry. Just sailing under the tiny staysail at about 2 knots, we cleaned and tidied up Kahia, baked another bread and it a few hours it did not look as if we had just sailed 3000 miles. 
At 20 miles off the island the wind got up to 18 knots (we needed that in the morning!) and we wallowed under too little power. So, to make it more comfortable we let out a little of the Genoa and sailed to the North point of Hiva Oa.
We are now 5 miles off Hiva Oa, sailing back South towards the little island Motane, still having to wait another 3 hours for dawn. To add to the atmosphere, the night is moonless and dark. It is hard to gage distances, the black outline of the land towering beside us is foreboding and there is not a single light to be seen ashore.
 
-Dear Freya, hope your foot is getting better. keep your spirits up!
-Thank you Sabine for doing Mama's card... at the time of your text we had not seen land yet...
-Good to hear from you Russell, when are you off to Portugal?
 
Wishing you all who are reading this a very enjoyable week-end.