1999-2004: The South Pacific 

Mike and Dana taking the dinghy for a spin

Sam, insect repellent is available locally and called Tiara (Tiare?) oil, made from a local flower and the best thing for some of the Polynesia insects. Nothing really works perfect against no-see-ems which are really thick in some areas of the Marquesas and leave one with welts etc. (Be real careful about scratching unduly, as they tend to get infected). 

Waves are very very strong, even when appearing to be small -- worse even than the top Hawaiian stops. e.g. in the beach at Atuona, I had my shoulder semi-dislocated by a three foot wave whilest body surfing. Plenty of sharks in some areas. Sailing around Nukuhiva should be great (especially the back side where the lovely little village of Hatiheu rests) as this is the classic better-than-Kauai coast. In Hatiheu, the wife of Matieu (I suspect now diseased) used to be known for the best food in the islands. It is also a great place to take on water, some victuals and do a little series of shore trips -- there are nice hikes to the surrounding mountain passes (to the left as you face the harbor lies the easiest climb to a ridge). Watch out for climbing the magnificent rocks athwart the harbor area as they are friable in the extreme.

There is no port per se in Hatiheu so one either swims/wades in or comes via zodiac etc. My understanding is that there is now a road to Hatiheu from the only real port (Taiehai)on the other side of the mountains. Still, I think that you all (like  R.L. Stevenson) might prefer to spend some time in Hatiheu itself.

Fatuhiva is fabulous but pretty limited in terms of on shore stuff. Several of the other islands like Ua Po have great interiors.

On Ua Huka? (the island with Atuona), is worth jolting along the road to Ponare? just to see the scenery. more later 

Pancho

Hi buddy,

And thanks for the Marquesan update. I am writing this note from the bay just south of Hana Moe Noe (considered by Eric Hiscock as "one of the three most beautiful anchorages in Polynesia" - yawn), on the west coast of Tahuata, a stone throw is south of Hiva Oa. Hey, only for someone like you do I provide such details. We are alone in the bay, facing a pristine yellow/white sand beach, with clear water, a nice sandy bottom for the anchor, and temperature a constant 80 degrees. As soon as we finish the kids' morning lessons, we will pile into the dinghy and head for the biggest town on the island, Hapatoni, about a mile south of us, population about 200, for the Bastille Day celebrations. Let others cram into Papeete for the grand fete, we prefer to have a little village to ourselves.

We love the Marquesas. They are certainly the most beautiful set of islands I have come across - Kauai on steroids I call them - with about the nicest set of people you could hope for. Extremely friendly and open, generous with their produce, overjoyed if you speak a little French, and, even happier if you are not French.

We'll probably hang in the area another few days, then head on down to Fatu Hiva for a stay before jumping off to the Tuamotus. 

Dear John,

It was great to talk to you last night - hopefully I can get my satellite phone account straightened out so that I can email you at the better AT&T rates. Anyway. if you receive this email, at least we can communicate, if at a sometwhat higher rate.

Congratulations on selling the Toyota! My, that was an easy sell. I really appreciate the effort you and mom went to in selling it - I had no idea that my initial price was so far off the actual value, nor did I anticipate suchproblems as you had with the electrical system. Please send the check (minus any incurred expenses) to Caren's mom Nicki. She has power of attorney and can deposit the check for us.

We arrived some nights ago in the sensational Baie de Vierges, on the west coast of the most southernly, and remotest, of the Isles Marqueses, Ile Fatu Hiva. The black volcanic cliffs drop almost vertically into the water, andare surmounted by fantastic plugs, spikes, domes, and other weird formations. The Catholic Missionaries changed the original name to Baie de Vierges by adding the letter "i" to it - it used to be "Baie de Verges", or "Bay of Penises", a much more suitable name. Some of the formations look like huge stone faces, and make us wonder if they were not perhaps the inspiration of the stone figures on Easter Island, colonized by the Marquesans about 300 A.D.

At the mouth of the Baie de Vierges is a small village, and the next bay to the south, Baie d'Omoa, has another small village, and that's about it for action. When we arrived, there were two other sailboats, but they have both left, so we have the place to ourselves. The villages are known for their graceful outrigger canoes, and for the production of tapa cloth (made from the bark of breadfruit trees) - in fact, they are the only villages still producing cloth in all of the Marquesas. Everybody is very friendly, with little to do but swim, fish, and hang with the yachties - we will probablystay a good week here, doing boat chores, chatting up the locals, hiking, and last but not least, celebrating Dana's 8th birthday.

This is the fifth Marquesan island we have visited, and the last - ahead lie the Tuamotus ("the Dangerous Isles"), and, finally, Tahiti. When we leave we will have spent about a month here, and we will have wished to have spent much more time. But time is a wasting - we started our trip late, we must be out of the hurricane zone by early November, and we have a long ways to go before then. But a month is still enough time to fall in love with thesebeautiful, rugged, remote islands and their people - among the friendliest and most attractive people I have ever come across in my travels.

The kids are thriving in their new environment. They have adapted smoothly to boat life, they are enjoying their daily home schooling, and they are becoming more and more useful in the care and management of Rhapsodie. Caren is not surprisingly loving the tropics (she is an island girl at heart), andI have returned to my true love - travel. Our three crew members are in good spirits, and the boat is holding together remarkably well.

Tomorrow is a big day - should we walk to the waterfall, should we visit the adjacent village (noted for its production of tapa cloth and carvedukeleles), or should we stay put and participate in the 3-day festival which begins at 7:00 AM? Decisions, decisions...

Love to you and mom. 

Sam

P.S. We heard from a local that John Kennedy died in a plane crash - we would appreciate any details.

Hi Pancho,

Well, we finally left Marquesas - two nights ago, in fact, from Fatu Hiva; our next stop: Manihi in the Tuamotus.

Thanks for your good info on the Isles Marquises. We loved our stay there, loved the scenery, loved the people, could have hung much longer, etc. etc. Our favorite spots? Oa Pou (most scenic anchorage), Fatu Hiva (nicest people, best hiking), Hiva Oa (best grave of an important painter), Nuku Hiva (best ruins).

I am on the 4-6 AM watch right now. We are sailing along very slowly, straight down wind, using our spinnaker, with winds around 10 knots. The seas are remarkably calm, and last night we all got up for another of nature's grand shows: a partial eclipse of the moon. The kids will be up in another 2 hours, then it is school for them (three hours a day). Besides meals and boat fixit chores, there isn't really much else to do but read. Iread Typee while anchored in Hanga Haa; next came Beaglehole's biography of Captain Cook (my new hero). Now I am reading Conrad's Victory. And I've got boxes and boxes of good books stowed for the future.

Question: we have a British citizen aboard who overstayed his three month visa in the U.S. last year. When he flew home for a short visit and then tried to return, they nailed him at SF airport, and sent him right back to London. He wasn't able to get a new visa in time to join us before our departure from San Francisco, so we picked him up in Ensenada on our way. We will be in American Samoa probably this coming October. Will he need a visa to get off the boat there? If so, should he apply for one in Papeete? If yes, will his earlier screw-up cause delays in getting his visa from the Consulate in Papeete? Or should I Fed Ex his passport to you from Tahiti for a good 'ol buddy no-strings-attached instant-turnaround visa? Your advice (and possible aid) is/are solicited.  

Enough said. The sun is coming up, it is time for a cup of coffee and a Marquesan baguette with honey.

My best to you and Pom,

Sammy