Marquesas –Nuku Hiva to Ua Pou 29 May 2024

I spent some of the night thinking about the gas problem and luckily I had sent Kevin of Yacht Services a WhatsApp the night before. I wondered whether a gas pipe was blocked or a squashed pipe. When I woke up I had a look at the pipes and found nothing. However, about 7.30am Gael the man who had cleaned the hull came. He was a handy man and identified that the solenoid (electrical switch which controls the gas) had gone. Luckily I had a spare (there were none in the Marquesas) and it was soon fitted so by 8.30am I had sorted the gas problem. How lucky we were. I had fears or waiting for days for someone to come. As I had created a good relationship with Kevin I am sure he persuaded Gael to come.

We went ashore about 9.00am and were able to buy some tomatoes and more fruit. Keith and Fiona went off to sort out their flights again with Air Tahiti and managed to sort them. Andy and I went to the bank and then the chandlery as I needed a new small petrol tank as I am sure the day before the petrol station stood on the cap and cracked it. We then went off to the supermarket and got some bread and a few other things. We then all met at the Snack Bar for a quick drink and then we headed back to Stormbird my having settled with Kevin.

I gave Andy a good briefing and we then prepared to leave. We decided to go to Ua Pou another island some 27 odd miles away. We upped anchor and headed out of the bay and then almost straight to Ua Pou. This was a beam reach/close reach all the way. We were doing between 8-9 kts all the way in a slightly rolly sea but it was good fast sailing. There were a few boats we met on the way out of the bay and there were none en route until we neatly arrived.

Ua Pou has an unusual silhouette as it has 12 pointy pinnacles as a result of a volcanic eruption where a mixture of cooling and chemical circumstances formed phonolite in the cones, surrounded by basalt which eventually eroded leaving just the cones. It is often surrounded by mist and clouds and it is a very attractive scene.  

We sailed across and saw the peaks from some distance off. We saw a boat on AIS and it was called Coho. This was the name of the boat and we met the owners on our walk to the Vaipo Waterfall. We said hello on the radio and wished them well. They are Canadian and live now in New Zealand so we may see them on the way.

We approached the Baie d’Hakahau – which is on the Northwest coast. The village is the third largest in the Marquesas and it has a breakwater with a nice sandy beach. The village has a number of shops, but it is noted for for its beautiful wood, stone and coconut shell carvings. We look forward to exploring this unusual island.

We entered the bay and there were already 3 yachts anchored but we managed to find a space behind the wharf. However, we noticed all the other yachts had stern anchors and we therefore thought we should do the same. We had to deploy it quite quickly, so we got our fortress anchor out of the lazarette. This has a 10-meter chain and collectively is quite heavy. We decided to get the dinghy down and put the anchor into the dinghy with the chain and then attached the long rope on the reel on the stern. Keith and I took the anchor out and dropped it off the east stern.  We hauled it in and we therefore held our bow into the waves and this also meat that we should not swing with the wind and tide. It held and all was good.

Keith had a swim and we sorted ourselves out and then had a cup of tea. We got out the fire hose and cleaned off the rear deck and the cockpit. We then had a drink and enjoyed the late afternoon. Another boat an Amel came in and anchored near us. I shouted we had a stern anchor out and they said they would too and they would be fine. They then went ashore.

Keith cooked a bangers and mash and runner beans which was good and we sat in the breeze enjoying this. The Amel’s stern anchor dragged whilst at dinner and when they returned they had to reset their anchor. We hope we will be ok in the night.

We look forward to exploring tomorrow.

Crewing Opportunity

We have arrived in the Marquesas in French Polynesia and will explore these islands and then move through to the Tuamotu’s before getting to Tahiti about the end of July 2024. There may be some space on Stormbird during this period should any sailor/reader be interested in joining for this period or part of it in what must be one of the most distant and beautiful places in the world.

Year Two

In addition, in year two I will be going from New Zealand in early January 2025 across to Sydney and up the Eastern Australian Coast, Indonesia and probably across the Indian Ocean to Cape Town and I will need some more crew.

If there is any interest do email me at  hine.nick9@gmail.com  

The blog will continue as we move through French Polynesia and beyond.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com  I can only upload one picture a day and visit our website www.stormbirdgoesglobal.co.uk