Posts

Posted on

Check-in April 25 2025; 1:54 UTC

Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: I worked on the boat all day today … never left. Reinstalled the repaired stanchion and the Dyneema lifelines (which required new eye splices), climbed the mast to recover the main halyard (but didn’t look at the wind instruments because I did not have the energy), worked on the fuel system problem (the engine fuel pump is not powerful enough to draw fuel through the polisher, so I will be hand-filling the day tank until I find another pump), and I cleaned the outside of the boat. I have a short list of things I need to do. I hope to depart Sunday. I have been invited to Pifa’s father’s birthday party tomorrow on the other side of the island, if I can find transportation.
Posted on

Check-in April 24 2025; 2:50 UTC

Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: At 3:00, I heard the horns of a ship and minutes later a tender pulled up alongside my boat and asked me to move. While I thought I was clear of the dock as I was in the same place I was in when the last ship was here, this one was larger. A dozen boats had to move anchor in the dark at once. It was a melee. After I pulled anchor, I put my engine in forward and nothing g happened. I quickly dropped anchor again. I had been working on the transmission yesterday and the cable was loose. I quickly addressed the problem and moved the boat. However, several boats overlapped with mine. It was difficult to sort out as the prop wash from the ship’s bow thruster was sending the smaller boats spinning in seemingly random directions. I let several boats get settled, then moved mine to a place that seemed free. It was difficult maneuvering in the crowded anchorage. I picked up the car at 8:30, got the repaired stanchion, filled the water bottles, and did some provisioning. I note I used 12-14 gallons out of the 40 gallon tank since leaving San Carlos, mostly for rinsing dishes. I also used about 20 gallons of drinking (bottled) water. Drinking water is relatively difficult to come by at Hiva Oa. The town water comes from the stream that runs through town, and it is often dirty. The only source of spring water nearby is located between Atuona and a smaller village further down the coast. That is where I got my water. I ran through some of the items on my punch list today … sewed the stack pack, replaced the lines on the wind vane, etc. When I returned to the boat at 3 the ship that had arrived the this morning was already leaving. When I I got to my boat I saw it had been moved, apparently dragged out of the way. The strange thing was they said the ship would not be leaving g u Tim that night. Also, my boat was exactly where it was when the ship arrived. Sent from my iPhone
Posted on

Check-in April 23 2025; 2:23 UTC

Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: While the stanchion was welded yesterday, the island lost power, so when I went to pick it up, I was told I would have to come back tomorrow because there was no way to pay. I planned to go up the mast this morning, but the boat is rolling more than it ever has while I’ve been anchored at Hiva Oa, so much so that it will be hard to get any work done. So, I’ve signed up to visit the archeological sites at Puamau, on the north side of the island. The visit to the villages on the north side of the island and to the archaeological sites was fascinating. The guide Bryan O’Conner, brother of my friend Pifa, provided information about the history and culture I could not have gotten any other way. I am supposed to (finally) have a car tomorrow, so I should be able to provision. A lot of boats have cleared out. I may try to move my boat more inside the breakwater early Friday morning and go up the mast, weather permitting.
Posted on

Check-in April 22 2025; 22:58 UTC

Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: I took care of business today. Had the broken stanchion welded, finished fixing the bent bowsprit extension, repaired the broken dorade box and made a repair to the toe rail with some epoxy. I am going to try to go up the mast tomorrow to retrieve the main halyard and figure out what is wrong with the wind instruments. I have a car rented on Thursday to run around supplies. On Friday, I am taking a day off and have hired a guide (Pifa’s brother) to show me the historical sites on Hiva Oa.
Posted on

Formalities Completed

I completed the “formalities” this morning. My transit papers were accepted and my passport was stamped. Although I will not likely use all the time, I can stay in French Polynesia for three months beginning today. When I got back to the boat, I replaced the yellow Q flag with the flag of French Polynesia. The flag features two red horizontal bands on top and bottom, enclosing a wider white band in the center. The emblem of French Polynesia, a stylized canoe with the sun above and waves below, is centered on the white band. The canoe represents the Polynesian way of life, and the sun and waves symbolize the natural environment. Five stars in the emblem represent the five archipelagos of French Polynesia. Yesterday at sunset, while waiting for a ride, I sat on the dock and watched five men paddle a big white sea-going canoe into the marina.
{CAPTION}
Posted on

Pifa Maita Koi Nei Ma Nohe Tahuna

This a friend I met on Hiva Oa, Pifa O’Conner. Pifa’s family history stems from the Irish Potato Famine of 1860, when 13 bother and sisters traveled from Ireland to make the Marquesas their home. Pifa is one of four (soon to be six) police officers on the island. He is also a member of the fire department. Pifa’s full name is Pifa maita koi nei ma nohe tahuna, which means white bull running along side of the shore.
{CAPTION}

Sent from my iPhone

Posted on

Check-in April 21 2025; 2:56 UTC

Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: I fixed the bent bowsprit extension and worked on getting the damaged stanchion free so I can have it welded.
Posted on

Easter Service on Hiva Oa

The day after I arrived in Hiva Oa, I was invited to attend church on Easter Sunday by a family on a boat that was anchored next to me, the LAI. I enthusiastically accepted and a half hour later we ere on our way to a church in Atuona, a small white building .

When we arrived, I was introduced to the congregation. Almost everyone was related to one another. One of the locals, Pifa, one of four police officers on the island with a population of 2200, took me under his wing and translated the service for me, which was delivered in a mixture of French and South Marquesan, a dialect of the Polynesian language. The service was delightful, with a large part delivered by children who were reciting parts of the biblical story of Easter.

The people in attendance were all local with the exception of the crew of LIA, a Morman couple from Hurricane, UT, with their three children, two older boys and a girl: Matt Flanders, Gina, Owen, Emerson and Ruby. Later, I would understand the connection because I was attending a Church of the Later Day Saints. The family had spent some time in the area and would generally sail to Hiva Oa on Saturday evening and attend service on Sunday. However, this was going to be their last time as they were continuing on with their voyage. After the service, Matt wanted to take a photo of everyone. At first, I stepped aside, but Pifa insisted I be included. That’s me in the back on the left. Pifa is in the back on the right, with the peace fingers behind his head.

After the service, I was invited to attend a meal with Pifa and his family. I will post about that wonderful experience later.

Posted on

Mal de Debarquement Syndrome

After an extended voyage, I have previously experienced the opposite of “sea legs” when stepping foot on land again … a sense of unbalance … land feels like a swaying boat and the boat feels stationary. However, I have never experienced the sensation for such a prolonged period and with such intensity as I have since arriving at Hiva Oa. There is a medical term for this, mal de debarquement syndrome (MdDS). I can only speculate that it was not only the period of time I spent at sea but the fact that the seas were particularly rough during most of the passage that have contributed to the intensity of the MdDS I am experiencing.
Posted on

Pamplemousse

 “Pamplemousse” is the French word for grapefruit. While it’s a common term for grapefruit in French, in some cases, it might specifically refer to the pomelo, while “pomélo” refers to the grapefruit. I was informed today by a local that there are 200 different varieties of pamplemousse on Hiva Oa, and each has its unique properties. For example, these two are both ripe. The one on the left is supposed to be yellow before it is eaten. The one on the right is ready when the center part shown turns white, which it has.