Dark shapes appear ahead out of the night, suddenly very
close; a rich aroma of earth and vegetation is carried on the air towards us,
pungent after the pure neutral air of the ocean. A faint light blinks on, then
disappears. The wind has died and we are
motoring towards land, wholly reliant on our charts until daybreak when the
veil of darkness will be lifted and our landfall will be revealed. After 3,000 miles and sixteen days at sea we
are approaching the Islas de Marquesas, named after their chance discovery by
Alvaro de Mendana on a voyage financed by the Viceroy
of Peru, Marquis Hurtado de Mendoza.
Our plan to sail to victory, using the wind angles to beat
the competition, is all to nought as the wind evaporated yesterday. Even our
big lightweight spinnaker just collapsed without the breeze to fill it and
reluctantly we started engine with still 150 miles to run. Despite our disappointment
of not being able to sail the last few miles, we had a glorious restful day,
motoring over calm water under a clear blue sky, fishing, cleaning and
preparing for our arrival.
This morning we stand off the anchorage in the dark, our
engine idling, drinking tea and watching dawn slowly break to reveal the
dramatic landscape. The island of Hiva Oa is a series of towering
volcanic ridges and peaks, covered in lush jungle plunging down to the deep
waters edge. This is not a land of white beaches and palm trees, but of
mountains, waterfalls and forests.
In the early morning light we motor slowly into the small
port of Atuona, drop our anchor next to our friends
on Makena, and finally we stop, out of the swell and
everything is still. We made it.