Commodore
March 26, 2023

Sunday 26 March – Back to Hiva Oa but the other side of the island

Usual thing after the morning first cup of tea, Rowan wants to get going, anchor was up and of we set off into the sunrise back to the island of Hiva Oa. With the wind direction we had a lovely long sail rounding the northern part of the island and headed to an anchorage Han had read about, a bay called Hanaiapa. It is definitely the rougher side of the island and a lot choppier.

We got in late afternoon, and there were big waves crashing onto the beach. We got the anchor down and we were either dragging over rocks or the chain was straightening over them, which was not comforting with the big waves pounding around us. Rowan reversed hard and we established that we were dug in. Rowan and Nevil tried to dive on the anchor but the visibility was too poor. We looked at the beach and there was nowhere safe or easy to land, there is a boat dock but the waves were crashing on that too. The plan was to stay the night and reassess in the morning. This is the only bay this side of the island that has a road to it and we were hoping to go and see some ancient Tikis by car. Also Nevil is moving on to the Catamaran Cepa, that had the heart patient as they are down a crew member. We had always said he was only required up to the Marquesas, so it has worked out well. He will get a taxi tomorrow from here back to Atuona where Cepa, who finally got in yesterday, is.

Salt another Swedish boat on the Arc was the only boat anchored here in the bay, their monohull was rolling all over the place. We called them up to invite them over for drinks and it was only the young Irish lad, Hamish who was up for it. He is a real chatterbox and regaled us with his only other crewing experience which was a delivery of a boat from Cyprus to Dubai. Their passage down the Suez canal and into the Red Sea, was epic, finally after being at gunpoint (AK47’s) in Djibouti, they were rescued by the UK embassy and flown home, he and his Scottish crew mate! It was a real Irish story!