Cool Clear Water

All day I face the barren waste without the taste of water, cool clear water --  Marty Robbins

In hindsight, from a convenience standpoint we probably should have put in a water maker from Day One.  Interestingly enough, throughout the past 3 1/2 years of cruising the Eastern Seaboard, Bahama’s, Caribbean, Columbia to Panama we have managed relatively well in gathering our water from various sources in anchorages, marina’s, and with water catchment. It's interesting to note that in most ports they actually charge for water, anywhere from $.50/gal. to .80 /gal. In the Caribbean rum was cheaper in some places!

Somehow getting a water maker just remained a lower priority each year as we decided where our boat improvement money would go. We also figured it would take away a lot of our limited storage space on board, which we didn’t want to give up, plus water makers are very expensive and can be very problematic.

Instead we designed and created all kinds of apparatus to help keep our tanks full, including  large water catchment system for the bow, a smaller one for the aft area over our hatch, and a way to catch water in our main sail stack pack while underway.  These systems were available but we didn’t always get them “up and ready on time” for downpours and once we did it never rained again…you get the picture.

Water is collected in the tarp and then goes through a water filter and straight into our tanks.

Our original system consisted of two 5 gal. blue plastic jerry cans that we would lug onto shore to the water supply. The problem was they were difficult to store, so we transitioned to six flexible 5-gal. cubes. Again the problem was hauling them from the water source to the dingy, then up onto the deck level. At around 30 pounds apiece that got old really quick.  And then individually pouring them into the tanks which was often time consuming.

We finally settled on a system with a flexible 30-gallon water bladder in the bottom of the dingy. We'd tie up to a dock and run our hose to a potable water faucet. Once back at the boat we had a powerful 12V water pump to pump the water up to the deck level and into the fill tube. This system worked incredibly well over the years and streamlined our water loading process considerably.

Walter smiling because he doesn't have to lift all the Jerry cans onto the boat

Getting water always involved a considerable amount of time and effort and in our planning it did limit how long we could stay out off the grid in remote areas. Most of the boats we sailed with had water makers and occasionally would give advice on which brand to buy and how much water it made per hour.  We also were tempted by the lure of longer showers, cleaning off the decks with fresh water after passages, and other non-conservation uses. But we weren’t totally convinced we had to have one yet!

Just off of La Ensenada Village after topping off our water tanks.

What finally was the deciding moment was after we transited the Panama Canal and were in the Pacific cruising the Las Perles Islands.  Before heading down to the Galapagos we needed to get more water and the only place with water mentioned in the guide books was a small fishing village, La Ensenada on Isle de Rey.  We took a special trip and anchored just off the beach at the village.  Mind you this was a very remote and isolated area that very seldom saw cruisers but fortunately a villager saw us and understood our quest for water.  We landed the dingy through the surf and followed him with our empty containers quite a ways along the beach and up into his village.  He eventually led us up a small hill to his home and brought out a large 5 gallon drum (like Home Depot buckets) and proceeded to ladle the water one dip at a time into our cubes. That was a tedious process as we sat and watched with the women and children nearby. When that supply was gone he lead us down to the village water spigot where we waited for our turn to finish filling our cubes. A few women were doing some laundry on the side and others filling up 5-gallon buckets and carrying them off on their heads (African style) to their homes. This was the primary water source for the whole village and we felt humbled and grateful that they were sharing their limited water resources with us.  So here we were westerners who have access to technology to do just about anything including making their own water and we are relying on a Third World fishing village for our water life source and not being self sufficient. 

We again found ourselves in a difficult situation when we took on a third person for our long crossing to French Polynesia from the Galapagos Islands.  We carry 140 gallons in our tanks and loaded up with 60 extra gallons of water not knowing how long the crossing might take and how much more water we might need with a third person. On the first day out our extra 30 gal. water bladder we had sort of tied to the fore-deck came loose and threatened to go overboard. Walter and Tryg spent about 30 minutes trying to corral this amorphous jellylike bladder back into place to transfer the water into our old cubes that were not being used at the time. Very lucky we didn't lose the 30 gallons overboard.  We were extremely conservative with dish-washing and bathing every other day.  Fortunately we had a quick 18-day passage and arrived with ample water but were concerned most of the passage that we might run out of water.

Following these two epiphanies we realized it was time to join the ranks and finally get a water maker.  Walter did some more research and determined that simple is better and went with a Spectra Ventura 200T that we could operate on 24 volts with our solar panels.  We purchased it through Marine Warehouse and they shipped it to Seattle (free shipping) for us to bring back to the boat after our next summer visit.  Bringing it back to Tahiti was a funny story in itself as we decided to pack it in a large roll-aboard as checked luggage.  Problem was it looked just like a bomb! Walter was sure it would be refused by the TSA and we would be stuck at the last minute trying to figure out how to get it to Tahiti.  As it turned out it wasn’t a problem, we packed it with the instruction manual fully visible “Water Maker” and it arrived safe and sound with us back at the boat in Tahiti. Apparently the US $5,600 water maker would have cost over $10,000 if we bought it in Tahiti.

The pump and chlorine filter for the water maker.

Luckily the Spectra 200T fit perfectly into the space where the previous owner had installed a water maker. Even the bolt holes lined up.

We soon found out that the Spectra water maker we ordered was the exact same model that the boat had originally, therefore installation was easier for Walter.  All the screw holes were precisely where they were needed, the tubing was still intact and all the electrical basically ready to go.  What a gift and it didn’t take up as much storage space as we thought it would.

A friend had mentioned how it would change our lives just as our putting in more solar power did. We marveled at how efficient and relatively easy it was to operate.  As water maker virgins we soon discovered the routine of frequently making water every 5-7 days with a flip of a switch.  So far it has been a honeymoon with our Spectra and we are ever so thankful to finally have one.  It draws only 5 amps (on a 24v system) an hour which is well within the output of our solar panels, so free water from free solar! We take a little longer shower now and then and don’t feel guilty.  We also have a little more freed up time to spend on other boat projects and maybe get in a little more reading.  Life is good!

Hiking Back Into Time

One of the classical places in the Marquesas is Hakatea Bay (known to cruisers as Daniel's Bay for the kindly Marquesan who used to live there). Daniel’s Bay was the scene for the Survivor: Marquesas TV series. The Maraamu tribe lived there in all of their chaotic and argumentative existence.  Tucked back behind towering mountain cliffs, Daniel’s Bay is a bit of tranquility in paradise. It’s located about six miles east of the popular Taiohae Bay and an easy downwind sail.

This beautiful beach was home to the Maraamu Tribe during the filming of Survivor:  Marquesas.

A couple of days ago we decided to hike up Hakaui Valley to Vaipo Waterfall, the tallest waterfall (at 1148 ft) in all of French Polynesia. The 6-mile round trip hike looked easy on paper, but not so in reality.

First you need to either walk from Daniel’s Bay, involving an extra distance and climbing a ridge, or if you are really adventurous you can dingy around the point to Hakaui Bay. We opted the “by sea” route and became alarmed as our 2 hp Yamaha outboard came loose on the transom. Normally it would be easy to tighten the mounting screws but we’d just attached a security bar and didn’t have the key with us. I kept one hand on the loose engine all the way in to bay. Once around the corner of the bay we had to navigate the surf break to find the hidden entrance of a small river. By getting fixated on the location of the river we neglected the rising surf and immediately got sideways on a small wave, enough to put the fear of God in us. It was low tide (the wrong time to be doing this) so we had to get out of the dingy and pull it over a sandbar to access the deeper part of the river on the other side.

Once we were done with that drama, we tied up to a leaning palm tree and walked through an open grassy area where several huts were visible. Traditionally the Marquesans preferred to live up in the valleys where it was easier to protect themselves from raiding tribes. Only the occasional fisherman lived in what we would consider prime waterfront property these days.

One of the few times the kitten was walking on his side of the path instead of between our feet.

The first of three stream crossings. The cool water was refreshing and cleaned all the volcanic sand off your feet.

The road through the village was easy to find and soon we were joined on the hike by a pregnant dog and a small white kitten. The kitten had the most unnerving habit of lagging behind then running at full speed to catch up, coming directly between our legs and causing us to do a Highland jig to avoid squishing it. The kitten made it about a mile and the dog about 2 1/2 miles. The hike follows an ancient royal road paved with volcanic rock that soon peters out to a trail on the same type of rock.  The irony of the hike is there is only one location where you can see the top 6th of the waterfall, while at the base you only see the last 40 ft. of the falls as they are hidden in a cleft in the towering mountain cliffs.

This is only spot on the trail where you can actually see the top of the spectacular 1,148 ft. Viapo Falls.

The trail continues up through a jungle-like terrain in a desolate valley that was once populated by over 8,000 Marquesans. Everywhere you look there are rock ruins of pae pae (stone house platforms) and other Marquesan dwellings. It's an archeologist's dream as nothing has been excavated or restored. One area we walked through looked like a large festival/dance ground similar to what we’d seen in Hiva Oa. It was easy to image all the tribes gathered watching dancing and feasting on roast pig. Many times these areas were lined with the skulls of conquered tribes. A nice touch by the priests to keep everyone in line.

Just after these ruins you cross the third steam (this is where the dog decided that discretion is the better part of valor and turned back) and walk through a narrow canyon (with warning signs of falling rock) and then open into a beautiful “Lord of the Ring” type grass covered meadow. You could tell that heavy rains had put this whole area underwater recently; you don’t want to be on this trail if it starts raining. The other concern was large areas that looked like they had been cleared to bare earth by some sort of device, but we quickly figured out it was where the wild boars were routing for food. According to the locals you definitely don’t want to run into these guys with their large curved tusks (used in the necklaces of the warriors). When they attack they slash their heads back and forth using the razor sharp tusks like swords. And they are usually not in a good mood if you interrupt their feeding time.

This beautiful meadow at the foot of the falls was like a scene from Lord of the Rings.

After hours of hiking you are rewarded by seeing the last 40 ft. of the almost 1,200 ft. Viapo Falls.

Your are seeing only the first third of the river eel, and they are amazingly fast when going after food!

As you break out of the jungle and approach the base of the falls you enter an expanse of grassy fields at the base of the vertical cliffs, a scene that looks out of Lord of the Rings. We had hoped to go swimming but as we approached the water we went eye to eye with a five-foot-long eel who looked very hungry. So much for swimming. We had some lunch and marveled at how fast the eel was when we threw food scraps into the water.

On the way back down much of the hiking was on softball-sized black volcanic rocks and the black sand gets in your Tevas working back and forth like sandpaper on your delicate skin. The way down was somewhat painful for both us in our Teva-type sandals as we hobbled along as best as we could. 

As we approached the second stream crossing we heard a meowing and saw the kitten curled up on a bed of grass, waiting for us I guess. Meryl picked her up and carried her across the stream and plopped her down on the ground where she continued to drive us nuts by weaving in and out of our legs when we were at full stride heading back.  

As we approached the village we were relieved to see our dingy still tied to a palm tree in the river that empties out to the sea. We certainly felt our age on this hike. Luckily it was now high tide and getting back was much less traumatic.  Truly a beautiful hike overall and highly recommended to cruisers in the area. 

Nuku Hiva Island Tour

The Marquesas archipelago is an enormous archaeological site with ruins everywhere, mostly dated from 1600-1700 AD.  Nuku Hiva has numerous areas of interest and we decided to set up a private tour with Richard who speaks good English and has archaeological and historical knowledge of the island.  It would cost a little more for the private tour but decided it would be nice to have the individual attention and ask any questions we might have along the way.

Unfortunately, Friday morning we learned a French couple would also be joining us which would mean two languages back and forth. Since we set it up through someone else, who said they would let us know if anyone else was joining us, but they didn’t. Awkward for us so we opted to go along and hope for the best.

View of Taiohae Bay from the mountain top lookout

We started zig-zagging up the airport road above town and eventually stopped at an amazing lookout point overlooking Taiohae Bay.  During the crowded cyclone season  there will be 60 to 70 boats at anchor in this beautiful well-protected harbor.  We continued up to the pass of Te Mouake with cooler temperatures and with large Pine and Acacia trees everywhere.  It did feel nice to be cool for a change.

Taipi Vai Valley, location of Herman Melville's book Typee.

Beautiful plumeria flowers on a tree alongside the river. The Marquesan women wear these in their hair.

We then headed along the edge of Hapaa Valley and eventually descended to Taipi Vai Valley nestled below.  Taipi Vai is a peaceful little town with a school, church, and a couple stores (magasins) with a mountain fed stream passing along the town. We stopped at a well known local artisan's home to look at some of his carvings and collections of memorabilia before heading back up the valley.

Taipi Vai is best known for Herman Melville’s adventurous tale, Typee, where he and another seaman jumped ship in Taiohae Bay. They hiked overland and scrambled down the steep cliffs to Taipi Vai valley, home of a furious tribe of cannibals. Surprisingly, the Taipi elevated Melville to the status of welcomed guest and took generous care of him when he injured his leg. Melville and his companion, forever fearful that they would be invited to dinner (and be the main course) that they both managed to escape separately to make it back home to Boston where Melville eventually wrote and published Typee.  He later wrote Omoo, about his time in Tahiti’s jail and of course his greatest success, Moby Dick in 1851. His name is on the list of most distinguished visitors commemorating his short time on Nuku Hiva.

 Teua Ku’e’e nui waterfalls.

Walter and Meryl in Hatiheu Bay.

Beach at Hatiheu Bay.

Further up the road and across the valley the twin waterfalls, Teua Ku’e’e nui, so called because of the two fresh-water eels that live in the pool at the base of the waterfalls. We stopped along a viewpoint to get a photo from a distance.  From here we drove into the lovely village of Hatiheu with its spiral cliffs overlooking the bay. We stopped for lunch at a lovely restaurant and toured a local museum with artifacts from archaeological sites nearby. At the restaurant there was a group from UNESCO touring Marquesan ancient sites to determine World Heritage Site status.  They enjoyed a traditional umu (buried cooking pit) meal with a puaka (young piglet) on the menu along with breadfruit, poi, and other traditional delicacies. Following lunch, our guide Richard took our table scraps to the stream nearby and fed the eels.  They were up to 3 feet long and needless to say very creepy!

Removing banana leaves from the emu (oven pit).

Puaka (piglet) and baked breadfruit ready for the table.

Next we visited the restored tohua (festival place) at Hikokua which was the ceremonial center of the Ati Papua tribe.  These large rectangular ceremonial plazas were constructed for public ceremonies.  It has three original tikis, including one representing the infamous local goddess, Tevanau’au’a.  As you look across the tohua off into the distance you can see the beautiful spiral mountains in the backdrop. What an amazing setting for worship and traditional dancing. 

Hikokau festival grounds.

Tevanau’au’a.

The Kamuihei site nearby is very large and was renovated in 1999 for the International Art Festival, similar to the festival we attended in Hiva Oa this December. At one time Kamuihei was inhabited by thousands of Marquesans before European’s arrived bringing disease and fighting for territory causing depopulation of the islands. 

Sacred Banyan Tree.

Sacred burial site for remains of those sacrificed during ceremonial rites..

This rock was covered with hieroglyphics depicting ancient times.

Ink well used for tatooing in ancient times.

Also, me’ae (temples) which are often undistinguished from (paepae) stone house platforms can be found on the site.  There are numerous petroglyphs and large banyan trees used as burial places for the the remains of those sacrificed by the priests.

We wandered up the slopes and back into the forest and found stone paepae's built everywhere.  Also near open tohua areas we found small circular holes in large stones used for ceremonial tattoo’s that were an important part of the Marquesan culture. The  lifestyle today is different from the past but many cultural activities are still practiced today keeping their heritage alive. For example, artisan carvings, tapa cloth designs, tattooing, ancient dances, cooking techniques, fishing and paddling the outrigger-canoes all are practiced today.

Taipi Vai or Controllers Bay, a favorite anchorage among visiting cruisers.

Adjacent tribes were constantly at war with each other. As an early warning system against intruders, the tribes cleared the ridge lines off all vegetation and had posted lookouts 24 x 7.

As we were driving back towards Taiohae Bay, Richard pointed out an interesting view of how the ridges along the hillside were cleared of any vegetation.  This was done as a security measure by the Marquesan villages providing more visibility for potential enemy raids or invasions. 

As it turned out the tour was both interesting and enjoyable with a slight lean toward the French but we still enjoyed the tour and gained a better understanding of the islands history.

The Exercise of Exercise

One of the challenges of living on a sailboat is getting exercise. Sure, the boat is continually moving so you get a fair amount of isometric exercise by just stumbling around, but the key is aerobic exercise. We’re not very good at this.

We have friends who go on marathon hikes all the time, but it seems more difficult for us. I don’t know if it’s the heat, the hassle, or our age. Usually it’s because we’ve become involved in some mammoth project on the boat and are just too wiped out. But we are making an effort.

With sketchy directions from friends we set out on a hike to Matauapuana lookout, a huge rock monolith at the head of the bay. There are two of them, one on each side of the bay, and the locals call them The Sentinels, because in the old days lookouts would be posted to warn of war parties or sailing ships coming towards the harbor.

With our trusty Pocket Earth app on our iPhone we tried to reconcile the sketchy directions with the trails on the map. We went through a yellow locked gate and began climbing the hill right behind town on a washed out road. Was an interesting trail that someone had recently cleared but as we got higher and higher it finally petered out to 10 ft. high brush where the trail should be. We met a young French girl and her Tahitian boyfriend who had been following us “because you looked like you knew where you were going.” Boy, we fooled them.

I imagine this dog saying "Dude, I've done this hike a hundred times. Just trust me."

Our goal is about one-half way up the ridge line for the Sentinels that overlook the ocean.

The views of the harbor along the right side of the trail were breath-taking.

Back down to the road, we went with Plan B which was to simply walk in the direction of the Sentinels. We eventually meandered our way there through an industrial area on the outskirts of the village. Once we got on the trail it was beautiful hiking with spectacular views on our left side of the bay and exotic jungle-like terrain with low overhanging trees. As usual we had picked up one of the village dogs as our hiking companion. They always seem to make it about half way on the trail and then turn back. Wimps.

Hiking down the ridge line towards the Sentinel.

There are two "Sentinels" guarding the bar, this is the west most Sentinel. 

Towards the end of the trail you gain a ridge line with unbelievable views looking back to Taiohae Bay. The wind was coming in off the ocean and provided a slight cooling effect to our very sweaty bodies. The area was like a wonderland and one of the more beautiful views I’d ever experienced.

On the way back we could follow other hikers and see exactly where the trail from town (which we were supposed to have been on) was located. We ended up doing this hike once again later in the week and it was much easier now that we knew the trail.

Nothing like a cold drink after an arduous hike along the waterfront road.

We also started exploring the areas around the village, many pioneered by our friends Roger and Sasha on Ednbal. The simplest walk is all the way around the harbor to the other side, walking on the main road the whole way. Since this goes right along the shoreline it’s a beautiful hike and at the end is the Pearl Lodge with its infinity pool and spectacular views of the harbor. The price of the drinks will induce arrhythmia but it is a picturesque setting.

Just walking to the grocery stores along the waterfront road is beautiful.

We’ve also tried some walks up the hills from town, winding through neighborhoods with small houses surrounded by a variety of fruit trees. People are friendly for the most part, but not speaking French makes it tough for us to communicate. There are lots of dogs but most are friendly. Meryl got a little ahead of me on one walk and tried to take a short cut through a construction company equipment storage area. Knowing this wasn’t a good idea I barely got the words out of my mouth when she came sprinting back with two guard dogs close on her tail.

If you watched Survivor: Marquesas you'll recognize this beach from the tribal council sessions.

Back row from L to R: Katie (Mezzaluna), Roger (Ednbal), Jeff (Mezzaluna), Amanda and Mark (Balvenie). Front row: Meryl (Flying Cloud) and Sasha (Ednbal). 

One day we all got up at 4:30 am for a 5:30 am departure from the Pearl Lodge to Collette Bay, the location where they filmed the tribal council meetings for Survivor:  Marquesas. We went with the crews of Ednbal, Balvenie, and Mezzaluna.  It was fun to hike with various people and chat along the walk as the hike was somewhat easy with a quick jaunt up the ridge then a long walk down to the bay.  We tried to find remnants of the filming of Survivor but nothing was evident. A nice hike with nice friends.

Our goal is to get out everyday for a walk somewhere, but when we get involved in boat projects it seems were are too wiped out by the heat to leave the boat. Then we just jump in the water to cool off and swim a few laps around the boat and call it a day. I figure that trying to out swim a shark back to the boat beats trying to out run two foaming-at-the-mouth pit bulls.

As I said, our hiking program is a work in progress.

Passage to the Promised Land of Nuku Hiva

On January 9th we departed Atuona on Hiva Oa for the 90-mile overnight passage to Nuku Hiva. We had hoped for strong easterly winds so we could sail downwind, but ended up with very light and fluky winds that forced us to motor sail the entire way.  You always want to sail but sometimes the winds just aren’t there as predicted, forcing you to either wait for favorable winds or to just suck it up and motor. So be it.

Waking up in the morning to see the towering green mountains of your next port of call is one of my favorites.

Taiohae Bay in Nuku Hiva is one of the cruiser's favorite "hurricane holes" for the Pacific hurricane (cyclone) season.

Every week or so a huge cruise ship anchors off Taiohae Bay and disgorges its 1000 to 2000 passengers onto the tiny community. 

In the early morning we could see the lush green peaks of Nuku Hiva peaking out from the ever present cumulus clouds. The entrance into Taiohae Bay is very straight forward and we slowly motored through about 70 anchored boats in the huge bay to a spot about 400 yards from the dock (and the Internet access point). It took us a few tries to get the anchoring spot just right after the wind piped up and pushed us a little too close to a French boat. 

Henri's Snack Vaevaki is were everyone hangs out for free WiFi. Henri always has huge stalks of free bananas available for his customers. A stalk like this would cost around $3.00.

Early in the morning local fisherman sell wahoo, yellow fin tuna, red snapper, and an occasional marlin for around $2.50/lb.

Volleyball and soccer are the two most popular sports here in the Marquesas. This waterfront volleyball court seems to always have a game going on.

Wild horses are fairly ubiquitous in the Marquesas. Once you catch them you get to keep them.

Once situated, we took the dingy into the large concrete dock where the fishermen bring their catches early in the morning. Located just across from the dock are Snack Vaevaki, also know as Henri’s, a small open air restaurant that is a cruiser’s hangout since he offers free WiFi. Next door is Nuku Hiva Yacht Services, run by an ex-pat American named Kevin who provides a variety of services to local yachties. He had a number of FedEx packages for us, including parts for my broken glasses and four credit cards with current expiration dates.

The waterfront of Taiohae Bay is a grassy parkland with beautiful views of the anchored sailboats.

The Marquesans are superb horseman and ride these sturdy, but high-spirited Marquesan horses in the steep sided mountains during hunting trips for wild pig and goat.

Magasin Larson is one of our favorite grocery stores since it has air conditioning and a great selection of French foods.

Nuku Hiva, with it’s huge protected harbor and available services, is the “go to” place for cruisers waiting out the cyclone season in the Marquesas. Surrounded by high mountain peaks, the scenery is breathtaking. The first mile or so of shorefront is an open park and it’s a scenic short walk along the park to the three grocery stores (compared to the three-mile walk into town in Atuona). And fresh baguettes (price controlled at $.59) every morning makes it a carbo paradise. 

Since we were tired from the long overnight passage we decided to have dinner at Henri’s, which was full of French cruisers sitting working on their computers, and call it a day with an early bed time for the old folks.

The next day began a routine repeated most days. We tidied up the boat a bit, did some email (now that we had Internet at the boat thanks to our high powered antenna and the password for Henri’s WiFi), and broke out the stand-up paddle board and took a tour of the bay saying hi to various cruising boats we knew. We ended up the day with a nice visit and dinner with Roger and Sasha on Ednbal.

I can't say that either of us enjoys repairing the sails, but having your own commercial sewing machine on board can save you thousands of dollars in sail repair fees.

Over the next several weeks we worked on boat projects, with Meryl sewing a new Polynesian print throw cover for the bed, repairing the batten pockets and a tear in the leach of the main sail, and various other canvas projects. I fixed a leak in the bathroom hatch, a ding in the fiberglass from the bow anchor, installed a new 12-volt outlet for a portable fan, and changed the oil/fuel filters on the engine.

The Marquesans are typically very helpful, although language is a problem if you don't speak French. This lady escorted us by some snarling dogs to this beautiful viewpoint overlooking Taiohae Bay.

With over 70 sailboats in the bay, Taiohae Bay is one of the safest hurricane holes in the South Pacific. The Marquesas are far north and east of the typical hurricane tracks.

Fruit of the Gods:  Barbadine. The bowling ball sized fruits are cut open and the fleshy seeds are squeezed to extract a juice tasting similar to apricot.

As things calmed down a little we began to take long walks around town and up into the surrounding foothills. One day we hiked up to a large white cross on the hill over looking the bay (90% of Marquesans are Catholic). It was a long hike populated by small houses with large gardens full of every imaginable fruit tree. You could never get hungry hiking on this island. As we approached the final dirt road up to the top we started running into some aggressive dogs (about 99% of tropical dogs are totally laid back). A Marquesas woman came out and, in very broken English, said she’d walk with us the rest of the way to the cross. Her dog, Vaca, went ahead. It was amazing as the other dogs heard us and came running out barking and then immediately backed away when they saw Vaca. He was definitely the Alpha male in this neighborhood.

The view from the top was amazing and the lady pointed out various landmarks around the bay. On the way down she went around the back of the house and got three huge, bowling-ball sized fruits we’d never seen before. They are called baradine and supposedly make a great fruit drink. Carrying those back to the boat wasn’t easy but we made it.

When the new Catholic church, The Cathedral of Taiohae (Notre Dame) was constructed in 1973, the two bell towers from the original church in 1848 were used as the entrance to the modern church

The interior of the church features numerous carvings from whole tamanu trees carved by Damien Haturau, a well known Marquesan artist.

One thing we need to better understand here in French Polynesia is the, how should I say this, “flexible working hours” of various businesses. There seems to be no standard business hours, with some opening around 7:00 am and then closing for a two-hour lunch break around 11:00 am to 12:00, then reopening around 2:00 pm and maybe closing at 4:00 or 5:00 pm. The Marquesans seem to get up around 4:00 am (that’s when the Saturday fruit/vegetable market opens) and then retire early in the evening. It certainly makes more sense in this heat to get most of your outside work done in the cool morning hours and rest during the afternoon heat. That said, you can never accuse the French/Marquesans of being workaholics, and if it works for them, why not?  I think Americans are overworking themselves with obsessively long workdays, working on weekends, and no vacations. The French have gotten the work/life balance down to a fine art and seem to be more laid back and enjoy themselves much more than other nationalities. What good is retirement if you die of a heart attack at 65?

Another issue is the climate. Having lived in the “rain capital of the world” (Pacific Northwest) for most of our lives, getting used to a tropical climate has taken time. The first issue is heat. It’s usually around 90 degrees inside the boat. We have teak decks and they tend to magnify the heat and keep it inside the boat. We have 10 fans on the boat, and most are going 24x7 when we are onboard. We’ve already worn out four fans from the constant use. Most cruisers wear abbreviated clothing, shorts and no shirt for the guys and bikini (or less) for the women. When the water is clear we can just jump in for a refreshing dip, but when it’s cloudy we are a little more cautious, given that these water are home to the top 10 man eating sharks in the world. Sometimes just a quick shower on the transom steps is the right thing for cooling down.

The normally bucolic harbor can instantly turn to the scene below when intense thunderstorms hit the island.

Heavy rains turn the local rivers into torrents of water that bring down whole trees, coconuts, and a thick brown mud into the water. We need to wait several days for the bay to clear out before using our on-board water maker.

The second issue in the tropics is rain. It can, and will rain at any given moment. Since many of the islands have high mountains, rain clouds are omnipresent so you can’t second guess when it might rain. The good news here is the rain is warm (Seattle joke: How can you tell when it’s summer, the rain is warmer.) Even if you are out hiking and get soaked, you usually dry off in 30 minutes. For cruisers with hot boats the key is to keep all the hatches open, but this leads to what’s commonly called “the hatch dance” where it goes from sprinkle to tropical downpour in 1.3 seconds. We have a routine where I go aft and Meryl goes forward to try and get all the hatches closed before everything is soaked. And when you leave the boat we usually close all the hatches, meaning when you come back the interior resembles a Swedish sauna. For all those sitting out a winter in 20 degree temperatures and know I won’t get any sympathy, and rightly so.

Such is the cruising life.