The Marquesas Part I - Out Through The In Door

We could have sailed from the Tuamotos to Hawaii directly, but it would have been profoundly regrettable to miss The Marquesas.  These remote islands are not easily accessible by plane or ship and the very best way to see them, is by sailboat, if that is an option, as many of the pristine bays are not even accessible by road.  Indeed it has been a popular cruising ground for boats coming in from California and certainly the closest Pacific land fall from Central America.  In fact, of the 20,000 visitors welcomed here annually, many are cruisers, and this year when Tahitians were complaining about the confluence of boats locked down in their lagoons, the Marquesans sent baskets of fruit to the quarantined sailors, recognizing that the lockdown was a hardship on them as well.  Nuku Hiva was our intended first landfall coming in from Panama until we were redirected to Papeete in mid April due to the ‘Confinement Precautions' overcrowding Baie de Taiohae.  We were gravely disappointed and vowed to come back for a visit as we sailed past them, no matter how inconvenient it might become.  Initially, we thought it would be an easy sail NE to Fatu Hiva as we worked our way through the Tuamoto atolls, planning our route through Makemo and Raroia for the shortest distance between the two archipelagos.  As luck would have it, the seasonal winds shifted more and more easterly making landfall to that southern most point impossible.  In the end, we headed out in the most favorable weather window we could find for a brisk and somewhat uncomfortable close haul to Ua-Pou, and over 400 miles of crashing seas for three days.

Alvaro de Mendana found these islands in 1791 during his second voyage of exploration from Peru and named them Las Marquesas de Mendoza after his benefactor, the Spanish Viceroy.  They are the farthest north of the high islands of the South Pacific and comprised of ten main islands forming a line roughly 300 km long.  Only six are inhabited; Nuku Hiva, Ua-Pou and Ua Huka are clustered in the northwest and Hiva-Oa, Tahuata and Fatu Hiva to the southeast.  The two groups are about sixty nautical miles apart with each island located between 20 to 40 miles distance from each other with the exception of Hiva-Oa and Tahuata only a couple of miles from each other at the closest point.  In the hazy days that we were there, most of the islands were barely discernible in their shadowed drama until they revealed their magnificence on approach.

We arrived in Baie De Vaiehu on Ua-Pou in early morning and bright sunlight as a pod of frolicking dolphins descended on india, seemingly to guide us in while playing in her bow wakes.  We found the calm protected anchorage tucked into a deep cut in the cliffs.  There were two small sailboats taking refuge there as well so we anchored a polite distance away from them and put india in order before we settled in for a recuperative rest for a few days.  Looking out and up at the towering cliffs and rocky ledges teeming with nesting Frigate birds was quite a change of scenery from the sea level Tuamotos.  By the third day we were all alone in the quiet anchorage hidden from the world and thought maybe we should check out the main town about 8NM around the corner.   We set off to Hakahau the next morning, motoring as close to the island as the steep drop in depth allowed which provided a closer look at the rugged terrain and jagged volcanic outlines.  As we rounded the northern perimeters of the dark broken coastline we were accosted by pounding waves until we were able to turn india sharply and surf into the small anchorage behind the breakwater.  We spent an interesting Sunday afternoon watching the shore activities from our deck while bobbing up and down in the still significant swell not quite doused by the breakwater.  We knew it was going to be an effort to launch the dinghy so decided to wait til morning for that battle.   And a battle it was!  The town was neat and tidy and the people were friendly and helpful and the requisite tikis were well placed and amused.  We bought some fresh tomatoes and a couple of croissants and got the hell out of there.  It had been a somewhat sleepless night.

Soon we blasted off into the high seas for one of the most exciting sails we’ve ever had all the while contemplating the reduction of canvas area.  At 25 knots of constant true wind on the beam, we were at the limits for full sails, and gusts of 27-29 Knots and breaking seas of 2 meter plus were causing an exchange of looks that were both wide eyed amazement and indistinct terror!  In the end we trusted india’s efficient design would prevail in these conditions and at the rate of speed we were making good, our 26 mile voyage would only take three hours!  In any case, a worse scenario was imagined in turning to weather and fighting the containment.  And thus, we decelerated into the wide and welcoming Baie de Taiohea and dropped the sails and anchor. 

An illustrious pleasure while cruising on a sailboat is finding ourselves the only boat in an anchorage, bay, island or atoll; ours the only footprints on the beach that day, week, or month.  Entwining ourselves naturally in an untouched world is a blissful paradise we often seek in these remote parts.  But... eventually, we crave fresh produce, a little news, and the smile of human contact.  With Makemo the last point at which these needs were filled and several weeks behind us, we were enthusiastic about our visit to Nuka Hiva and Taiohae, the capital of The Marquesas.  To our delight, an animated focal point of the community was right on the town pier; a fisherman’s wharf, restaurant for sailor’s with WiFi, and a couple of small shops.  A short walk from there was an abundant fresh market with a delectable assortment of local fruits and vegetables and homemade products and behind that another restaurant patronized by locals which we preferred.  As the Marquesans are known for their excellent wood and bone carvings, we admired the wares at the adjacent souvenir shop and bought a small wooden tiki for india.  Four varied and decently stocked stores further into town provided interesting additions to our  onboard cooking supplies and fresh baguettes and croissants could be preordered for a next morning pick up.  And to satisfy our need for broader movement and sightseeing, there was plenty to see around the village and a few Marquesan horses to pet on the way.

 

Stay tuned for Part II as we explore the Southern Group!