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Karma Wins - Blog 7 Looking for land



Another calm, apart from a big but gentle southerly swell, starlit night and 7 knot winds so we motored until 7 am. Karma Wins is now sailing on course for Hiva Oa, doing 5-6 knots with the gennaker and full main. The dawn was really colourful but the problem with sailing west is that the dawn is behind us so I have to keep looking back on my dawn watch. We are usually having supper on the patio at sunset so have to keep jumping up to look at it or take photos as it is in front of us.
We have just had frankfurters rolled in cabbage leaves for lunch. Barry was a bit disgusted when I put vegemite in as well. The bread is a bit hard and the baker is on strike with so much fish to eat.

Today’s excitement was a large piece of unidentified fishing equipment which passed close by and then Per spotted a turtle but I was down below doing the washing, so missed it. I had a good morning nap this morning as we could have the hatch open and there are no waves banging the hull. When I got up I tested one of the suspect milk. It was revolting and although I had one sip which I spat out it had an instant reaction and within five minutes I had to throw up over the side. Per thinks it served me right. He also thinks someone has been looking after us on this trip. We have been so lucky with the parts on the mast and he was very suspicious that the barracuda meat might have been toxic. So the fishing boat probably saved me that day.

We are getting excited about reaching the Marquesas but we are probably going to be dropping anchor in the middle of the night , after the moon has gone.
We arrived at Huva Oa at about 3am on Wednesday morning. We are totally out of touch with days of the week and have now moved into the Marquesan time zone which is 3 ½ hours behind Galapagos time. As we were approaching Per discovered the sheet for the gennaker was in the water on the port side. It could have been another disaster as Barry had turned on the port engine when he furled the gennaker in. Fortunately it had snarled on a big piece of wood which kept it afloat and Per spotted it before we started doing manoeuvres. The big southerly swell was still going so the anchorage behind the breakwater was full and, as they all have stern anchors out too, it was impossible to come in. We motored around just outside looking for a safe spot. It was very dark and the surf was crashing on one side and the dock was close on the other side. We eventually dropped anchor about 4am. We went to sleep with cockerels crowing and the smell of land.

After a few hours’ sleep we woke up to the most spectacular scenery, high jagged mountains topped with snowy white clouds. Everywhere is so green and lush. The coast is lined with all sorts of trees including palm trees towering over the rest, contrasting with the black volcanic boulders on the shoreline. The mountains are emerald green too. We dinghied to land and all felt really weird for the first 5 minutes walking on solid ground and some locals working on a boat beside us must have thought we were odd waddling along.

The agent drove us to the gendarmerie to do the immigration papers as Atuona is in the next bay. It is more of a village than a town but does have a few supermarkets, a salon de the and Make Make’s, which seems to be the only bar. The locals are extremely friendly and laid-back. I thought we would be able to buy plenty of fresh fruit, it is growing on the trees everywhere but we haven’t discovered a source yet. I think we have to ask a local and they will supply us from their garden. The islands are French so, of course, everywhere was closed for lunch. Per and I wandered round town and then walked along the beach and watched about 6 rays swimming in the surf, and then joined the others in Make’s until the shops opened. On the way back to Karma Wins we had a sociable time stopping to chat to the Aretha and Exocet Strikes crews. Everyone seems to have had an enjoyable voyage.

Just to make you all jealous, I am sitting on the patio, the sun is shining but there are a few clouds so it is not too hot and I am looking up a spectacular steep-sided valley with the frigate birds soaring around and Karma Wins gently rocking on the waves. She does need her hull scrubbing, the goose barnacles are growing rapidly, even on the anti-fouling paint but I think I’ll do it from the dinghy as someone saw a very large fin patrolling the bay 2 days ago. We have all had a brilliant full night’s sleep.

Cheers from a contented crew Chrissy



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