Monday, May 17, 2010
Doing this a bit arsey - but hey!
Wind from all regions and overdosing on strange meat and gratis fruit
Well the trilogy continues, as does the gusting wind from the north, south, east and west; yes, bad wind seems to be the theme at the moment. We are supposed to be in the Trade Winds belt, with constant south easterlies, however wind is coming from everywhere at the moment (and its got nothing to do with all the fruit). Oh and it rained overnight, which is the first rain we have seen in an age; but when it does we have to close windows and the temperature is soon through the roof (you wouldn’t believe how hot it is here overnight, so perhaps I shouldn’t be moaning about the wind after all).
Yesterday we did a tour of much of the island of Nuka-Hiva, which proved to be really interesting. It is quite a big island with an airport of sorts, however the road from the main town to the airfield is still unmade (as are all the others) and we now realise why everybody drives a 4x4. The island is quite stunning and despite the fact that they are in the middle of the worst drought on record, everything within the interior is very green and lush. As with all of these island, fruit is everywhere, so again we overdosed on mango and banana.
We spent about 8 hours travelling around and 90% of it was on dirt roads, however we did get to visit several ancient sites and learn something of the bloody past of this island. Inter tribe fighting was always taking place and the pits where prisoners were held before execution, the sacrifice alters and the shaped stones for crushing skulls of these lucky enough to be selected to meet there makers were everywhere. The last known act of cannibalism took place on these islands 100 years ago, however when you visit these sites, you realise how much it must have been part of the everyday way of life. So when the next village invited you over for supper the usual 'Bring a bottle' for us meant 'Bring whoever you can spare for the entree' for them.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Tahiti at last!
Well we are now in Tahiti - and wow what a place! I have loads to put on my blog but my data stick got a virus, but I am flying back to New Zealand for a brief visit on Saturday so I intend to update it then.
We had a fabulous time in the Marquesas, wonderful scenery and such incredibly friendly generous people. Our sail to Tahiti was really crappy, high winds and big seas, we couldn't get into the Tuamotos because of the weather - a shame as they are beautiful! Never mind we will do them next time...............I'll tell you about that sometime!
Update on Saturday with LOADS of photos.
We had a fabulous time in the Marquesas, wonderful scenery and such incredibly friendly generous people. Our sail to Tahiti was really crappy, high winds and big seas, we couldn't get into the Tuamotos because of the weather - a shame as they are beautiful! Never mind we will do them next time...............I'll tell you about that sometime!
Update on Saturday with LOADS of photos.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
French Polynesia at Last!
Our first pôrt of call in French Polynesia was the island of Hiva Oa, there are only a couple of villages on the entire island, and with the depth of water here you are limited as to where you can anchor. We had a two mile hike into town in 90 degrees the first day we landed, but after being at sea for 21 days we were just glad to be on firm land. Ted,s leg mysteriously played him up so he choose not to walk into town with us! Now if there had been a bar 200 yards down the road he would have made it.
After 21 days at sea we desperately needed to do some laundry, luckily Nigel and I keep on top of our stuff so we only had a few bits, Ted refuses to do laundry, he saves his for some little lady to do it ashore. Twenty pounds latter he wished he,d done it himself!
The boat was covered in goose barnacles when we got here, and despite the sharks nigel went over the side to clean them off, luckily he only saw one small one but still got out of the water quick incase it,s Dad turned up. We are quite suprised, there isn,t much wildlife here, not many fish or birds, compared to the Galapagos it,s very noticeable.
The people here are very friendly, every where you go you are greeted as though they haven,t seen you for a very long time. The ladies all wear a flower tucked behind their ears, and the guys are covered in the most ornate tattoos. Talking of tattoos lots ,of our friends on other boats are all getting tattoos done here, we have resisted so far! But I guess if you are going to get one done this is the place to do it, it,s where they originated from. Sarah from Norsa has had a really intricute ray done on her hip, I could go with one of them hidden somewhere.
We are now in Nuka Hiva getting our sail repaired, once that is done we will do a couple more islands and then set off for the Tuamotu,s and Tahiti. I feel a bit happier now that the mainsail is being fixed, we had a real crappy sail over with no main and I wasn,t relishing the thought of having to go a thousand miles on the headsail. Still I will be glad to get to Tahiti, we are hoping to get into a hotel for a couple of nights......... a real shower!!!! Last week I resorted to the fishermans shower on the jetty at Hiva Oa, quite surreal as me and this French guy chatted over the wall to each other as he did his laundry and i had a shower.
The internet is too slow here to put photo,s on so I guess you,ll have to wait until Tahiti. Anyhow I,m off to top up my tan! Love to you all!
After 21 days at sea we desperately needed to do some laundry, luckily Nigel and I keep on top of our stuff so we only had a few bits, Ted refuses to do laundry, he saves his for some little lady to do it ashore. Twenty pounds latter he wished he,d done it himself!
The boat was covered in goose barnacles when we got here, and despite the sharks nigel went over the side to clean them off, luckily he only saw one small one but still got out of the water quick incase it,s Dad turned up. We are quite suprised, there isn,t much wildlife here, not many fish or birds, compared to the Galapagos it,s very noticeable.
The people here are very friendly, every where you go you are greeted as though they haven,t seen you for a very long time. The ladies all wear a flower tucked behind their ears, and the guys are covered in the most ornate tattoos. Talking of tattoos lots ,of our friends on other boats are all getting tattoos done here, we have resisted so far! But I guess if you are going to get one done this is the place to do it, it,s where they originated from. Sarah from Norsa has had a really intricute ray done on her hip, I could go with one of them hidden somewhere.
We are now in Nuka Hiva getting our sail repaired, once that is done we will do a couple more islands and then set off for the Tuamotu,s and Tahiti. I feel a bit happier now that the mainsail is being fixed, we had a real crappy sail over with no main and I wasn,t relishing the thought of having to go a thousand miles on the headsail. Still I will be glad to get to Tahiti, we are hoping to get into a hotel for a couple of nights......... a real shower!!!! Last week I resorted to the fishermans shower on the jetty at Hiva Oa, quite surreal as me and this French guy chatted over the wall to each other as he did his laundry and i had a shower.
The internet is too slow here to put photo,s on so I guess you,ll have to wait until Tahiti. Anyhow I,m off to top up my tan! Love to you all!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Back in the land of the living!
Hi There! Well after 21 days at sea we are finally back in the land of the living. I won;t bore you with our sail over, nothing but sea and a few pilot whales. We are now in the Marquesas, they are trully beautiful islands. They rise 3000 feet straight out of the sea, they look very much like Hawaii, very lush and green.
The people are very friendly and have made us most welcome, a true Polynesian welcome. Everything is sooooo expensive VERY expensive infact! 5 pounds for a can of beer!
I will update more tommorrow, got to go find a sailmaker to fix the headsail.
The people are very friendly and have made us most welcome, a true Polynesian welcome. Everything is sooooo expensive VERY expensive infact! 5 pounds for a can of beer!
I will update more tommorrow, got to go find a sailmaker to fix the headsail.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Arrived safely in the Marquessa's
Hi There, (Leah updating for me as no internet) we have arrived after 21 days at sea (the longest of my life I might add). These Islands are magnificent, a real garden of Eden. Very much like the Hawaiian islands to look at, mountainous and lush, everywhere you look are fruit trees, in fact you cannot buy fruit as the locals just give it to you. We are inundated with bananas! Yes there are sharks! Nigel got spooked by one this morning as he cleaned the hull. Unfortunately for us this morning we blew our mainsail and now somehow have got to get it fixed, if not a slow sail to Tahiti through some pretty dodgy reefs. When I get to an internet cafe I will update properly. Love to you all!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Life Onboard
Hopefully today is our last day in the Galapagos, so as you can imagine we are dashing around trying to get the last minute things done. We are potentially looking at 28 days non stop at sea, it is 3,000 miles from here to the Marquesas our next destination. Nobody is really looking forward to it but we know that it has to be done, this trip is just about one of the longest sea crossings that you can do. It isn’t on any major sea lane so we hope that everything goes ok as help can be a very long time coming. There are around 30 plus boats heading out that way as well, and although we don’t have SSB radio we have the satellite phone and could call up one or 2 of them to relay messages or ask for assistance.
The boat is well stocked up, we figure we have enough canned goods on board to last for around 3 months which by the time they start to run out we should be in places where we can stock up on some reasonably sensible stores. So until then we have to run with what we have got and then rely on things that we can buy in the islands, oh goody! Fish and coconuts and more fish and coconuts. Our meat should last us for a week and then it is on to tinned meat, the only tinned meat that any of us could get was Spam and Corned Beef, so I will have to use my imagination well and truly. Yesterday I made my first bread onboard, didn’t come out too badly, Nigel and Ted ate it and didn’t complain too much. They’d better not as that’s all they will be getting between here and Tahiti.
Although our water maker is turning out fresh water quite happily, we are always happy to take advantage of free water when it comes. Last night it rained like no mans business so this morning the dinghy was full of fresh water – yippee free fresh water rinse for my clothes. We still have plenty left so as an extra treat I will have a fresh water hair wash rather than the saltwater wash and fresh rinse – sheer luxury I tell you. I have even set aside some in a container for 5 days down the line when I can have another one.
Tonight will also be my last night sleeping in the forepeak, after that it will be back to my sea bunk in the main cabin – best bed in the house! You wouldn’t really want to sleep up front enroute, not unless you were a glutton for punishment. So it will be back into the watch system again, 3 hours at night and 4 during the day, Pilates exercises 24 hours a day – its amazing how toned you become as your body constantly compensates for the movement of the boat.
Anyhow this will be my last update for at least a month or so, I’m not too certain what the facilities are for the internet in French Polynesia. Please think of us occasionally, especially as you are tucked up in your comfy bed of a night time – long gone are my days of comfy beds, constant running water and a kitchen that doesn’t move! But – I do have desert islands, sandy beaches and palm trees to look forward to. One last piece of info for you – we have been told not to swim off the boat in the Marquesas – Tiger sharks are coming into the anchorages now that there are more yachts doing the rounds of the islands. Scrub the hull? ………. I don’t think so!
The boat is well stocked up, we figure we have enough canned goods on board to last for around 3 months which by the time they start to run out we should be in places where we can stock up on some reasonably sensible stores. So until then we have to run with what we have got and then rely on things that we can buy in the islands, oh goody! Fish and coconuts and more fish and coconuts. Our meat should last us for a week and then it is on to tinned meat, the only tinned meat that any of us could get was Spam and Corned Beef, so I will have to use my imagination well and truly. Yesterday I made my first bread onboard, didn’t come out too badly, Nigel and Ted ate it and didn’t complain too much. They’d better not as that’s all they will be getting between here and Tahiti.
Although our water maker is turning out fresh water quite happily, we are always happy to take advantage of free water when it comes. Last night it rained like no mans business so this morning the dinghy was full of fresh water – yippee free fresh water rinse for my clothes. We still have plenty left so as an extra treat I will have a fresh water hair wash rather than the saltwater wash and fresh rinse – sheer luxury I tell you. I have even set aside some in a container for 5 days down the line when I can have another one.
Tonight will also be my last night sleeping in the forepeak, after that it will be back to my sea bunk in the main cabin – best bed in the house! You wouldn’t really want to sleep up front enroute, not unless you were a glutton for punishment. So it will be back into the watch system again, 3 hours at night and 4 during the day, Pilates exercises 24 hours a day – its amazing how toned you become as your body constantly compensates for the movement of the boat.
Anyhow this will be my last update for at least a month or so, I’m not too certain what the facilities are for the internet in French Polynesia. Please think of us occasionally, especially as you are tucked up in your comfy bed of a night time – long gone are my days of comfy beds, constant running water and a kitchen that doesn’t move! But – I do have desert islands, sandy beaches and palm trees to look forward to. One last piece of info for you – we have been told not to swim off the boat in the Marquesas – Tiger sharks are coming into the anchorages now that there are more yachts doing the rounds of the islands. Scrub the hull? ………. I don’t think so!
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