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Leaving
the Marquesas for the Tuamotus
Date: 5/19/01 11:04:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time
As I said we would, we were up at 4:30 for the market. No vegetables
but lots of French pastry and fish. We didn't buy fish because Stacy
said she would catch one. We were shot from getting up so early
that we all took a nap. When we got up at 10:00 am for the second
time, the Tuamotus seemed to far to go, so we left Tai O Hae Bay
for Hakahau Bay on Ua Pou Island, a distance of 26 miles, a more
fitting distance for tired cruisers.
A&J hiked ashore and at the local markets scored potatoes, chips,
nuts, Tonic, onions, and potatoes. It seems that the local people
have pamplemouse (huge grapefruits), mangoes, and bananas growing
in their yards so the stores don't sell them. Too bad.
Huge lava spires characterize this island. The local church has
a pulpit that is in the shape of the prow of a boat, but it is not
quite up to the feeling of the whalers church in New Bedford, Mass,
which also has a ship's prow for a pulpit, and which was described
by Melville in Moby Dick. The choir was just warming up and the
melodies were beautiful.
Tomorrow we will leave for the Tuamotus, unless we change plans
again.
Jeff & Ann
Mike & Stacy
9 21 S
140 02 W
Ou Pou
Marquesas
French Polynesia
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Leaving
the Marquesas for the Tuamotus
Date: 5/19/01 12:21:02 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Last night my grateful crew took me out to dinner at the resort
on the the village in Taie O Hae Bay, Nuku Hiva. (I fixed the autopilot.)
A well built young Marquesan guy played the drums and danced. He
asked for volunteers from the audience for a dance that Ann and
Stacy think was the "Bird dance", but Mike and I heard
the "Virgin dance". In any event, there were no volunteers.
His sister, who was all of 12 years old, did the most beautiful
dance to his drumming. After seeing her, Mike and I were even more
convinced that we were right. Then he did a Pig dance. Quite an
erotic dance, believe it or not. He could dance for Chippendales
if he didn't mind the pay cut.
Tomorrow morning (Saturday) we get up at 4:30 am to try to get to
the farmers' market in Taie O Haie Bay by 5:00 am for vegetables
and fruit. We will then make fast the dinghy and motor, hoist the
sails, and make what now seems like a short (500 mile) passage to
the Tuamotus. We will be at sea about 4-5 days, or more if the wind
doesn't blow. Unlike the Marquesas which are tall volcanic islands
with lush greenery, the Tuamotus are very low lying atolls of circular
coral reef formations with white sand bottoms. They are no higher
than a palm tree. There is usually a pass into these lagoons where
a sailboat can pass with a minimum of risk. Should be good snorkeling
swimming and diving.
Jeff & Ann Brooke
Mike & Stacy Morrison
S/V High Drama
Baie d Taie O Hae
Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
French Polynesia
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Subj:
High Drama Anchor Down in Nuku Hiva
Date: 5/7/01 9:47:08 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Last night under a near full moon we sailed from the island of Tahuata
near Hiva Oa to Nuku Hiva. Beautiful sail in 12-14 knots of wind
on the beam. High Drama romped. This is the first major town we
have seen since the Galapagos and we did the formality of checking
in with the gendarmes. The check in was smooth and the French policeman
very courteous and helpful. He even spoke English.
We went to a small restaurant for brunch and had omelletes (we have
been out of eggs for quite awhile), and Ann & Stacy had salads,
as we have also been out of lettuce for quite awhile. Ice cream
for desert. The Marquesan waitress, of course, had a flower tucked
casually in her hair. Flowers are lush and are everywhere. Even
the crooks in photos in wanted posters in the police station had
flowers in their hair!
This anchorage is a huge harbor and it is fun to see boats from
many more different countries. We ran into three boats that we had
met already. This is the bay where a young sailor jumped ship from
a whaler 160 years ago and lived with the natives for a month. The
sailor, Herman Melville, wrote Typee about his experience in the
next bay over the mountain. Later of course, he wrote Moby Dick.
When Melville was here in the 1840s there were 4 French warships
here. The French were just consolidating their control over the
islands then. Their influence is a benefit to us: their administration
is efficient and they subsidze bakeries (fresh bread 5 times a day)
and I think they subsidize the wine, although that remains to be
seen.
Tomorrow we head in to see if our spare parts order (and also our
tax returns) arrived, continue the check in process (post a bond
in an amount sufficient to cover airfare home), get groceries, sample
the local brew, called Hinano, and generally kick back. We hope
to get a tour in "Le Truck" which is a taxi.
Our best to you.
Ann & Jeff
Mike & Stacy
S/V High Drama
Nuku Hiva, Marquesas
French Polynesia
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Subj:
Anchor Down in Fatu Hiva, Marquesas, French Polynesia
Date: 5/3/01 12:59:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Bay of the Virgins, Fatu Hiva, Marquesas
At sunrise Saturday, April 28 we sighted the lush volcanic island
looming up out of the Pacific. We glided into the Bay of Virgins,
a mini fjiord carved out of ancient lava flow. Giant spires of lava
line both sides of the bay. At different light the many types of
moss and plants growing on the lava make multiple Tiki faces. Like
one's first view of the Grand Canyon, pictures and words do not
do justice to the view.
At the head
of the bay lies a small village housing about 200 people who live
on a barter economy. There is no need to have francs; they don't
want them. Rather, they prefer costume jewelry or candy to trade
for bananas or pamplmouse or oranges. One exception is the baker
who accepts only cash only bakes bread to fill orders, not for speculation.
Our anchor
dropped at 8:30 am, April 28, 2001, 21 days to the hour of our departure
2950 miles earlier. Although bare breasted Polynesian maidens did
not swim out to greet us, cruisers from an earlier arrival dinghied
up and welcomed us with four ripe bananas. We whisked down a celebratory
glass of champagne, pouring an ever so modest toast to Neptune,
thanking him for our good and safe passage. We cleaned up and Mike
and Stacy explored ashore. Ann and Jeff swam in deep steel blue
84 degree water. Pure exhilaration; what cleansing, what a natural
feeling of being a part of it all.
Later we
will attend to repairing equipment that failed over the passage.
You have no idea of what continuous motion in confused seas for
three weeks does. Unless firmly bound, every lose body banged it's
neighbor repeatedly for the three weeks. This produced damaging
chafe in some critical places such as halyards, sails, and adjacent
beer cans. While we have some challenging repairs ahead of us, we
did quite well over all.
Warm cheery
hellos also greeted us from Aldebaran of Milwaukee, Aldebaran of
Ireland, Someday Is Here, Calypso, Cap Dor, Argonauta, and other
boats. Some we met earlier; others we knew only from checking in
daily at the same hour to keep track of each others positions for
safety.
Last night
we slept on deck, soundly, awaking only to realize that there was
no need to take another turn at watch. This morning brings church
for Mike & Stacy, then haircuts and boat chores, and of course,
Sunday Bloody Marys and Beethoven.
Jeff &
Ann Brooke
Mike & Stacy Morrison
S/V High Drama
Bay of Virgins
Fatu Hiva, Marquesas
French Polynesia
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Subj:
Ahoy from High Drama
Date: 4/13/01 1:42:36 PM Pacific Daylight Time
We left
the Galapagos officially at 9:30 am Saturday, Ap 7; we have now
been at sea 6 days. We can cheerfully report:
1. No divorces.
2. No mutinies.
3. No personal injuries.
4. No property damage.
5. One dorado caught by the Wax Worm Queen.
6. We motored 30 hours before getting steadier wind, which we had
for 48
hours. It just stopped raining and the wind also died.
7. We have travelled about 750 miles; the GPS says it is 2185 miles
to
Fatu Hiva.We are due south of Rapid City,SD.
One way to get to the Marquesas is to follow a straight line, called
a
rhumb line. But since the trade winds blow at latitudes south of
the
rhumb line, we decided to go south before heading very far west.
We hit
unsettled weather and spent a few days passing through lumpy seas
and
rain squalls, mostly at night. We are still getting lumpy seas and
rain,
and somewhat uneven wind. So we are continuing south in the hopes
that
the easterly trade winds will be blowing.
We check in each night with Talisman, Roger Henry, and Misty Dawn
by
radio. Similarly, each morning we check in on the Big Fish Net where
about 30 boats headed for the Marquesas give their positions and
lie
about the fish they caught.
We stand 3 hour watches at night individually (9-12, 12-3, &
3-6 am) and
as couples, 2 6 hour watches (6am -12, 12-6 pm). Most boats don't
have
the benefit of 4 people on board.
There is always something to do, repairs, maintenance, run the water
maker, make meals, but getting enough sleep is tough, so off watch
time
usually includes a nap. Whether the wind speed is high or low, the
seas
are quite unsettled and the boat moves around violently. If we don't
have at least 12 knots of wind, the swell rocks the boat and whips
the
sails unmercifully.
We hope that tomorrow will bring trade winds and smoother seas and
consistent winds.
Also, we hope that all is well with each of you.
Jeff & Ann
Mike & Stacy
S/V High Drama
7 12.5 S
102 00.0 W
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Subj:
Last email from land!
Date: 4/5/01 8:42:55 PM Pacific Daylight Time
New Zealand
is 5760 miles from where we are right now. For now we
will set our sights a little closer!
We are preparing
to leave Isla Isabela, probably on Saturday. Ann is
mending a chafed area where the mainsail attaches to the boom &
mast. I
checked all of our thru hull fittings and strainers where we take
sea
water into the boat for things like cooling the engine or generator.
Good thing, too, because I found a plastic bag in one strainer.
We have
topped off our fuel, 230 gallons, which is enough to get us about
one
third of the way to the Marquesas. Actually, we are closer to Phoenix
(2380 miles) and Minneapolis (2760 miles) and than we are to Nuku
Hiva,
Marquesas, French Polynesia which is 2975 miles away. We are in
a
betting pool with four other boats about how long it will take.
The
range of betting runs from 20 days to 26 days. The pool winner gets
a
quart of rum from each of the other three boats in the Marquesas.
Sunday Mike,
Ann and I went diving with two guides near a small
uninhabited island. One (an Israeli woman) had been diving the area
2
weeks without seeing hammerhead sharks. We saw hammerheads on both
dives
and the last one was big (12 feet) and close. We also saw the smaller
white tip reef sharks, a big sea turtle, two schools of small species
manta rays, played with sea lions, saw lots of eels and unnamed
fish.
The abundance of sea life is amazing - the whole food chain starts
with
cold sea currents that uplift from the deep rich with nutrients
so there
is plenty of food for everything up the chain. They say that's why
the
hammerheads here aren't aggressive and don't eat tourists, very
often.
Yesterday
when I dove to the clean the bottom of the boat, a sea lion
came right up to me. When I wouldn't play, he poked his head right
at
the area where I was cleaning like Igor our Siberian husky used
to.
Then, bored, he swam off, disgusted.
Mike and
Stacy were in charge of getting our last 20 gallons of diesel
fuel in 4 five gallon cans. They talked a truck driver into taking
them
to the gas station, as there are no taxis on Isabela. The station
ran
out of diesel yesterday. None expected until April 25. They then
tried a
construction site and then the national park, all to no avail. Then
they
tried the 65 foot fishing boat moored right behind us. Come back
"ala
cinco" the crew said. At 5:00 pm sharp Mike positioned Stacy
on the bow
of the dinghy holding up a bottle of rum where the fishing boat
captain
would be sure to see it. When they returned to High Drama they reported
that they had negotiated the following terms: 20 gallons of diesel
for
1 bottle of rum, $20, and permission to anchor closer to High Drama
to
get a better view of Ann taking a shower in the aft cockpit. Does
Mike
negotiate loans like that?
Seven boats
left the anchorage for the Marquesas today. They all leave
with great fan fare, horn tooting, and smart talk. We are anxiously
awaiting our turn Saturday.
Jeff &
Ann
Mike & Stacy
S/V High Drama
Isla Isabela
Galapagos, Ecuador
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