Marquesas –Nuku Hive 23 May 2024
It was good to get a full night’s sleep without having to do a shift and I woke about 6.00am to do the blog as I had not done it the night before. One of the things I did not mention in the blog was the state of Stormbird’s hull. When we got the dinghy put we could see a lot of stubby round creatures hanging off the hull at the back and round the first few meters of the side. In addition for a foot or so above the waterline there was green and brown from the water. It says in the pilot book that this may happen so I might see how much it is to clean the hull.
We had breakfast of delicious mango and papaya and baguette and jam. It was good to be able to get this locally. We then went ashore to meet Keith and Fiona to check in with the gendarmerie. We met them there and saw the same policeman from the day before. He told us that we needed to complete a form online. Why he had not told us the day before I do not know. We therefore retreated to a bar to have a coffee and Charles and I using his tablet filled in the forms. It seemed to us that we had to do all the work now. Once done we went back to the gendarmerie and he just stamped our passports and that was it. We were checked in.
We had a whole load of washing to be done and took that to the launderette and then went to my favourite type of shop – the chandlery!! I managed to get a few things which was good. We then had a look at the supermarket which was interesting and got some things for lunch. We returned to the bar for a quick drink and by this time Charles had taken a taxi for the airport as he was leaving to fly all the way back to Corfu where his wife and children and grandchildren are waiting for him. He had been a good crew member and will be missed. Fiona – Keith’s wife joins us in his place.
We returned to Stormbird and had lunch with some fresh salad, french cheeses, bread and meats. After lunch we returned ashore and went to the hill to the south of the bay which has what is called a large Tiki (statue) called Tiki Tuhiva (see the picture) which is the highest contemporary sculpture in the Pacific. It is an iron structure is entirely covered with shotcrete coated with volcanic tuff. The woman tiki is 12meters high (40 feet) and the warrior is 3 meters tall. Both statues took 6 months to erect. This hill seemed quite eery and clearly is a spiritual place for the locals. It gives a great view over the bay.
Keith then went for a swim, Ian a paddle and I went to see if the chandlery was open as I needed some new hinges for the cockpit table. However it was closed.
We have arranged a tour of the Island for tomorrow which should be interesting. The island and its beauty has began to grow on me as today was a good weather day and the attractiveness of the trees, hills, ridges and flowering shrubs on a lovely bay was more evident. It seemed to me a bit like a flower when yesterday it had not really opened but today it was beginning to blossom.
We went ashore again for supper which was nice and returned in the dark to Stormbird where there is a nice breeze, but it is still very warm and muggy.
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