I want to begin by saying that the heartfelt encouragement and support everyone has given us on our recent journey across the Pacific has made a difference. When things seemed bleak, your words lifted us up. When bad things happened, your prayers and well-wishes kept us afloat. It is rather ironic that the number one location on my sailing bucket list has been the most problematic and difficult leg of our journey yet.
Journey Recap
For those new to my posts, here’s a recap since we staged in Panama for our 2,500-mile sail across the Pacific to French Polynesia:
- Our plan was to be in Panama for a month. We were stuck there for five.
- We had to turn around three times after setting out to cross the Pacific.
- Our freezer died when we finally set out, and I lost all my frozen provisions – meals I had laboriously made, packaged, and frozen, along with meat, butter, and veggies.
- While in Panama, we had a new forestay installed for $7,000. The installer didn’t use Loctite on the 40 screws holding it together. Most of them fell out, and on day 9, it ripped our jib.
- We made an emergency landing in the Galapagos. We paid $600 to repair the sail. Our engine (which we had overhauled in Panama) was leaking oil, so we paid to have that repaired. We did enjoy the islands immensely and were glad we got to see them.
- Several days after leaving the Galapagos, the bottom of the forestay fell off (not installed properly), and our sail ripped again, this time at the bottom. It was not repairable at sea. We had to take it down, which was bad because we were on a downwind sail, and it was important.
- We had a close call with a Chinese fishing fleet—scared the bejesus out of us as we were a few hundred feet from being hit by one of their 200 ft. ships.
- 650 miles from our destination, our autopilot failed. It was brand new, installed a year ago (not used for 5 months while we were in Panama). We were forced to hand steer our boat in 9 to 10 foot waves and winds in the 20s. We had to heave to each night because it was too difficult for me to steer for more than 30 minutes at a time.
- A second encounter with a Chinese fishing fleet—in the middle of the night, they set up nets between us and our route. The net was 60 miles long, and we had to steer around them.
- Then, the unthinkable happened. Our steering started failing. We had to spend an entire day heaved to while Dan took our entire pedestal apart and traced the steering system to find the cable we needed to tighten. This was difficult as the boat was rocking heavily. Dan performed a miracle, and we got our steering fixed.
- Finally, we reached Hiva Oa. A week later, we were notified a tsunami had struck Russia. We had to take our boat out of the harbor and spend an entire night hand steering at sea to wait for the wave to pass.
Ongoing Challenges
Unfortunately, our wave of unfortunate breakages is not over. While I did get our sail repaired and back up, our engine, which we had repaired in Panama and in the Galapagos, is now leaking oil like a sieve. We have to take out the autopilot and ship it to Tahiti for a warranty replacement. Dan has to take the engine apart (again) and remove the turbocharger, where he thinks the leak is originating. He has to find someone on this island to fabricate a part to bypass the unit—hopefully ending our engine issues. We have no idea how long all this will take.
This was our most trying passage to any country in the seven years we have been sailing. What better way to cap off an incredibly difficult passage than with a tsunami? What are the chances? So, was it worth it? Are the French Polynesian Islands as magical and wonderful as I imagined?
The Marquesas Experience
The Marquesas, a group of 12 islands in French Polynesia (six inhabited, known for their rugged volcanic landscapes, rich Polynesian culture, and ancient tiki statues), are all unique. Checking in was a new experience, as we didn’t know we had to do all the paperwork online. (Our friends who checked in 2 months earlier forgot to mention that part.) It was a several-mile round trip to walk into town, which we had to make twice. Of course, the town is on the other side of a mountain from the harbor where we are anchored. We visited the grocery store, where a can of veggies costs $4, and a dozen eggs, $12. There are few to no green veggies here—something we sorely miss. The lettuce I found and paid a bundle for, wilted and turned brown on the walk home. Food is scarce and expensive because it’s brought in by a supply ship every other week, and availability depends entirely on what they deliver. We had a meal prepared in a local market area with several small restaurants huddled under a building. The average price for a meal is $20–$25 per person. Eating out is not cheap. The food, however, was very good, mostly meat/fish and rice dishes.
Reunions and Adventures
We were thrilled to see a familiar hull enter our harbor. Our very good friend, Eric, on S/V Abayomi—whom we met, went scuba diving, and took outings with in Curaçao—stopped in Hiva Oa. We rented a jeep and explored Hiva Oa, having a wonderful time, as our solitary boating life is made much better with friends!
Meanwhile, because of our delay, most of our friends and the boat we set out to cross with, John and Shannon on S/V Charisma, are way ahead of us on the island-hopping circuit. We get to see pictures of the beautiful islands they’ve visited, the cultural events they’ve attended, and, of course, photos and videos of the crystal-clear waters filled with mantas, dolphins, sea turtles, and sharks that we hope to see in the near future. The water around the Marquesas is not clear, quite murky in fact, so diving has not happened for us yet.
Abayomi and Equus sailed off to visit the neighboring island, Tahuata. We had a magical dinghy ride where we were surrounded by the local school of dolphins. They did amazing aerial displays of multi-spin jumps and leaps from the water. They played in our bow wake, hundreds of them filling the water around us. It was one of the highlights of my life. We later saw the pod near our boats in the harbor. Josie (Eric’s crewmate) and I jumped in the water with them with our masks and snorkels and got to swim around them. They were quite cautious of us, however, and didn’t hang around long.
Island Bounty
What I love most about these islands is the abundance of bananas, giant grapefruit called pamplemousse, limes, hot peppers and avocados that grow wild. We have been collecting and eating these gems, as it really helps in the “far too expensive to buy groceries” department. I cook one meal a day, and much of it is from my stock of canned and dry goods.
The Beauty of the Marquesas
Food is not everything—we will survive. Meanwhile, the beaches are gorgeous, and the islands are magical, with palm tree-lined mountains jutting from each harbor. When I look around at anchor, I am in awe of the beauty. The few local people we have met have been very friendly and welcoming. I have been able to communicate fairly well with my limited French, as many people here do not speak English.
Island Groups and Next Steps
French Polynesia comprises five main island groups: the Marquesas, Tuamotus, Society Islands, Gambier Islands, and Austral Islands, spread across a vast area of the South Pacific, with some islands over 1,000 miles apart. We will be heading to the Tuamotus next, which have much clearer water, so hopefully, we can do some diving. We are also waiting for our boat buddies from the first five years of our voyage, S/V Whatever She Wants, who will arrive in four weeks. They are setting off on Friday to make their crossing from Panama. We wish them fair winds and smooth seas and hope they have a wonderful passage, with no breakages and no encounters with Chinese fishing fleets!
A Life of Adventure
Our life is not always easy, and things go wrong, but every day is an adventure. We are living life on our terms, and that in itself is an amazing feeling. When we have our good moments, we tend to forget about the hardships and love being where we are, sharing our lives, our destinations, and the incredible places we visit with all of you. Thank you again for all your love and support. It means the world to us.
Stay tuned. The next few months are going to be a wild ride. I hope the sea is kind and the breeze is gentle as our adventures in the French Polynesians contunue!
Fair Winds,
Captain Dan and First Mate Alison
S/V Equus