3 April 2010
It has been blowing hard now over the islands for several days and nights. We left Hiva Oa for Fatu Hiva at just the right time, just the right wind angle. At least two WARC yachts have attempted to make this passage in the days that followed but have had to turn back. For a start the angle on the wind is tight, and unless you have a boat that can sail very close to the wind, you will find as we did that you are a little way off course, 10 degrees in our case. The day we left, while the wind was brisk is was by no means impossible. The return was for us a "piece of cake!" With considerable seas on the stern quarter, Voyageur handled it with absolute ease. She has a high freeboard and in addition to her ballast (our not insubstantial cave), we do not heel very much. But after many days of strong south easterlies the seas had built up. The boat has to be very strong and seaworthy to make headway into such a sea. It is the ocean we are dealing with, not a coastal sea. David is an absolute wizard when it comes to timing but then I truly believe he is a master when it comes to navigation. It is something he has a flair for and where his talent lies.
We have a month's free cruising in French Polynesia. I know that I do not need to do a thing. David carefully works out his itinerary. If anybody else happens to be heading in roughly the same direction fine but equally he will always make his own decisions and I really love and admire him for it. We have had two really relaxing chill out days here in the northwest anchorage popularly known to the rally as "the beach". Eric Hiscock rated this as one of the three most beautiful anchorages in French Polynesia. Yes, it is beautiful but it is just a beach. Along with several other boats here, we plan to leave very early tomorrow morning but with enough light to see, to head north to Ua Huka. If we do not like the look of the anchorage, if the wind is still too strong then we still have the option to sail on the 30nm to Nuka Hiva.
Susan Mackay