Short stay - Fatu Hiva a bit of a disappointment.
After an overnight sail - well actually a motor sail - we arrived just after daybreak in the Bay of Virgins, Fatu Hiva. The anchorage is stunningly beautiful, and we counted 18 boats, mainly American, already there. It was difficult to find a reasonable spot, and the best we could do was in 30 metres of water. The foredeck crew (Chris and Will) laid out all 100 metres of our new chain, and we bent a long heavy warp on the end of it in case of need. But we slid back between two other boats and the anchor held first go. So after a real Norfy breakfast we retired briefly for a kip, followed by a light lunch before exploring ashore. The village is delightful, which is more that we reckoned about its people. We did the usual wander around, and when we reached the top of the village, we split. The Skipper went off along the landrover track (first concrete, then unpaved) towards the next village, and Norfy and Will (Will not wating to go up the Hill - Ed?) returned to the boat for a relaxing afternoon of resting and guitar practice. They got chatting to various people on the way, and discovered that several crews were eating ashore (where?), and also when they got back, that our dinghy had been cast adrift. Not a real problem - one of the other vistors was quickly on hand to help. The Skipper enjoyed a very steep walk amongst spectacular scenery. It was an hour up to the crest to look down on the boats in the bay and across the top of the village to the stunning rocky sky-line, before he turned back to make his way home. At the top there was a quarry crushing plant (great excitement) where he stopped to drink some water and admire the view. It was getting late, and galloping down he met a couple from an Aussie registerd catamaran. The skipper was an Aussie, the crew an English woman. The skipper had been at sea for 14 years, recently staying a year in Equador. It turned out that these were the folk who had helped Norfy, who was waiting in the dinghy for the Skipper's return. Norfy and the Skipper both thought that the people in this village were not the friendly stright-forward folk they had found elsewhere in the Marquesas. The children were keen on obtaining beer, wine and spirits, and as well as casting off our dinghy, others acted strangely. Maybe an over-influx of tourist boats (ours among them) have played their part in this. But the up-shot is that we left Fatu Hiva early this morning, bound for Hiva Oa, and for the Tuamotus a day earlier than planned.
All well and happy; there is a brisk wind from the North East whisking us up to Hiva Oa.
Best wishes,
James, Chris and Will
Cleone
10.18S 138.45W