Leaving Marquesas
Nakesa
Fri 20 Jul 2012 14:50
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S16 31 W143 36
Leaving Marquesas
The last three weeks have been fantastic!!! But
right now I am sitting on watch barely moving as I wait for first light and
slack water to enter Makemo, our first Tuomotos Island..and it is a challenge,
these islands are all coral atolls only 1m high and perfect coral rings. One has
to find the small channels cut into the lagoon in the middle and wait for slack
water as these are the top of volcanic craters and they fill with water ona
cycle with the moon, and they then empty with the water rushing out at up
yo 9 knots..there are no charts of the interiors and the charted position of the
atolls is up to 2 miles wrong! Challenging!
This follows 2 1/2 days of hard sailing on a close
reach against 30 knots...the crew were not happy (and very very sick!) and it
saw many moments when I nearly turned west towards Tahiti and gave up..lets hope
these islands are worth it otherwise there will certainly be a mutiny. The low
point was last night when in very very rough seas we lost our lovely canoe. I
saw it coming loose as our bow buried deep into huge seas but in the few seconds
it took to get a lifejacket on it had gone...with no moon and doing 10 knots it
was pointless to turn around, even if we had found it we couldnt have got it
back aboard but I was so sad and angry with myself for not having deflated
it before the trip..apart from the cost, Aston and Atlanta loved it......The
Skipper has a lot of making up to do!!! Yet another lesson to prepare for the
worst regardless of the length of the trip or the weather forecast!
Back to happier things!..........after Fatu Hiva we
sailed back up to Hiva Oa in search of Tranquility, the boat; certainly
not the mood!! We didnt find them until Monday but we had a happy weekend going
out to lunch twice including a Sunday at the Pearl Resort which was great. Back
in Tahuata we found Tranquility just in time to celebrate Camerons
birthday on a wonderful beach. There were a few boats including Guppy
owned by Laura Dekker..there were two unusual things about her..one that
she was 16! the second that this was her second time around the world having
circumnavigated single handed at the age of 14!!!!! The most experienced sailor
on the beach!
We sailed together to Oa Pou where we saw dancing
and Aston and Atlanta played with our friend Keith in a local band..Keith is a
retired rock star, his band Champagne had a hit in the 1970's, he then played
with the likes of Stevie Wonder and is full of great stories..he is now learning
to sail and plays a bucket whenever he gets the chance..we did a few Johnny Cash
numbers together but I think I outclassed him so he didnt seem to want to repeat
the experience!
WE sailed on again to Daniels Bay, Nuka Hiva. This
was paradise..Aston and I canoed (sadly departed, sob, sob) around the bay and
Aston named it Ying and Yang bay as there were two beaches, one black and one
white, one rough and one smooth, completely opposite ion every bay.We trecked to
a 900ft waterfall and swam in the cold pool before having a lunch prepred in a
local house of freshwater shrimps, green coconut and goat curry.
Next stop Taiohae Bay, the big town (2 shops),
where they were celebrating Hiva an annual dance and music festival..this
included some wonderful dancing and drumming (Keith loved this). We met up with
Cant and Double Bryuan, both Kiwi boats full of great
young guys who certainly new how to party!! For once I was not the wildest or
out the latest (it was kind of depressing) Josh from Cant had a great
new tattoo and it was a close call whether I sailed back to Oa Pou to get one!
It was afantastic week, lots of rum music and great friends. Coba Libre
and Samsara turned up too but kept very much to themselves I think they
were protecting their livers!
So after a fantastic week we set sail on this last
trip and a final sad goodbye to the Marquesas, I loved them..I so hope to
return, who knows Nuka Hiva lost the only architect a few years ago so a few
French lessons and we could have a new life!! Oh and I found my
favourite resort, Pearl Inn, Nuka Hiva, simple, elegant and beautifully
integrated into the landscape, my good mate Kevin Underwood would love
it!!!
Okay 1 hour until daybreak and I can see the lights
of the village...... I now have to go and wake Aston and Atlanta, they
wanted a night watch and I need their help getting in as the depth repeater in
the cockpit has broken..great timing with all those coral heads
around!!
Wishing you all well
Graham
SY Nakesa
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