Passage in a Nutshell

On April 26, after 22 days of sailing almost to the minute, we made landfall at the harbor of Atuona on Hiva Oa, French Polynesia! We are conservative sailors--reduced sail at night, didn't push the boat, and took the traditional route (rather than the rhumb line, which is shorter but can be riskier)--but with good winds and a good boat, we still had a fast passage.

Internet access is very limited in Atuona, and we are just here for a few days before moving on to anchorages where there is no internet at all. There are many stories to tell and photos to share, but they will have to wait until we get to Nuku Hiva (in about 3 weeks) before I can get them uploaded.

For now, a brief overview:

It was a charmed passage. We checked in on the Pacific Puddle Jump radio net every evening and heard horror stories: one boat sank. Three had broken booms, others blew out sails or lost electronics due to water on board. Some vessels went through 50 knot squalls, others had no wind for days--and these were just the stories that happened to surface on the voluntary net.

In the meantime, we had no major squalls and no dead calms; we used the motor primarily for charging the batteries. We lost a batten and the hydrovane lost a tussle with a fishing pole (we covered the small hole with sail tape). A starboard porthole window has a rusted joint and we have to keep it closed for now, but that could have happened if we'd stayed in a marina, and the watermaker didn't like operating on a steep heel so Art's checking that out right now--and that's it. A lot of preparation, a lot of vigilance, and a lot of luck; it did feel charmed!

It's not as good as pictures, but it is possible to follow our location at this site:

pangolin.co.nz/yotreps; search for KG7HKF (my ham radio call sign). When I send updated locations to the Pacific Seafarers Net, I believe the positions are posted on that site. (Some of you have used this already, so please amend this info if it's incorrect; I haven't been able to check it myself!)

The plan is to visit the islands of Fatu Hiva, Tahuata, Hiva Oa again (north side), Ua Pou, and Nuku Hiva over the next month. We are thrilled to begin exploring paradise!