South Pass Fakarava

After an hour or so We headed down the lagoon following a well marked Channel, Yet full of Coral heads!! 3 hours later we arrived at the South Pass.Ethan was up the rig for 4 hours!  The South pass It is too shallow to get entry from the ocean for deep draft boats so this area is quite remote. The small village here is the same as 20 years ago. But smaller...The main village was  moved up to the North pass over the years as that is where the airfield and the sea entrance is. Our afternoon, after a fabulous lunch was spent drift diving the South pass, snorkeling with about 30 black tip reef sharks, paddle boarding and walking on the sandy beach.. All this before a fine Dinner of Who Dun it Murder mystery in a pirate theme..Sooo much fun..

Fakarava on Show

We had a terrific overnight sail to Fakarava towing the Ze Bubbles Tender...Unless you wanted to sail. However any time you get to go up wind in the trades..ie going East with no wind and no sea.. Well you take it. We arrived early at the North Pass and set about the day. Diving through the pass, Paddle boarding, snorkeling around and walking through the town. Nice way to start a great Day..

Where are we?

Memories of Sunny Days. Arriving to Papeete

And this was Dinner

We had a local boat stop by Rosehearty on the way to town and we bought 4 really nice fresh fish. The Chef Barbecued them skin on till done. Removed the skin and added coconut milk....Unbelievable.. Then a Tuna Boat came in lithesome really nice 15kg fresh Tuna. It does not get better than this.

Dinner Time

Dinner is set. The girls have done a nice job setting up the table. Every night a different theme. This a South Pacific Feel..Before the Fire dancers arrived.

Photo by Catherine "Hinano" Carr

Dolphins

As we mentioned before there was some great action in the Pass Tiputa. Here the Dolphin show.

It is best from a full outgoing flood that stands up the waves and allows the aerobatics to occur

Photo by Hugo "Boss" Thomas

Day 2. This was not in the Cards

Early morning (0430) squalls and heavy rains winds in to the 30's...$%#!! what a way to kick off.

More like Scotland on a summers day than the South pacific Islands..

However activities were planned and after an early breakfast off We went in the Ze Bubbles (Tender) to see the pass in full flow. A few high speed transits and sure enough We were escorted in by jumping dolphins. Amazing to see and these are not small dolphins.  The rest of the Morning was snorkeling at a little Motu called the Garden. Easy to visualize?. Lots of fish and nursery sharks. A nice lunch and a recharge nap and off for a check out dive, the first of many. The poor weather actually brings fish up towards the surface so there was lots to see...

Charter Day!

The Weather Dawned great...and all was ready. until the weather turned later in the day.

The plane arrived on time and all boarded the boat safely. We viewed the pass with the big current and saw a few dolphins jumping out there so a good omen . After boarding and a drink a fine dinner and a then movie..

Rangiroa

Rosehearty needed a good clean up, a little TLC and some prep for the this charter.We enjoyed the time in Papeete moving to refuel in town from Marina Tania on Friday  the 7th. We departed on Monday towing Ze Bubbles our Dive (Big) Tender. We arrived in Rangiroa to be greeted by an outgoing 8 knot tide caused by waves breaking over the far side of the lagoon (30 miles away) and this pass is one of only 2 exits for the water. Rangiroa is the 2nd biggest Atol on the planet so there is lots of water to get out.. When the swell is high. At Full power we were doing 4-5 knots over the ground... It does not look like much..from the outside and max elevation here is 10m...The Trees are taller.

We got Lei'ed

In the tradition of arrival in Polynesia we were all presented with these Lei's on arrival.

It is nice to be back. The Delivery Crew Galapagos to Tahiti 2018

Last Sunrise at Sea

Well for this trip..

0600 sun up and up with the gang to Prep the boat for arrival to Papeete. Pilot on board and off to Marina Taina.

All good on board and now time to convert back to charter mode...Thanks to the guys for the last 4,200nm

Last of the Downhill.

We will miss this sailing downwind as we near the end of this trip from Antigua to Tahiti from April 12th until May 31st. Always with the wind aft the beam, it does not get better than this. A Full Moon sailing in the sky with Jupiter, Saturn and Mars lined up to the East and the Southern cross shining bright. Tahiti just over the horizon with an Eta of 0700 tomorrow morning.  Papeete awaits.

Back at Sea

Monday morning we up the anchor and head onwards to Tahiti. We pass through the Tuamotus and We will arrive in Papeete on the 31st. 

Taiohae Bay

Here is the bay we have been staying in. taken from the top of a very windy road

You can see Rosehearty quietly anchored in the bay below.

Morning in Nuku Hiva

A very calm anchorage with the wind boxing the compass. We took a day to explore the island.

Very mountainous and very lush. It is like a full on Rain forest with thousands of plant and tree species. Saw the Vally where Herman Melville was held captive and not Eaten.. Typee was the book he wrote about those experiences.

Refuel and Reset

We have just refueled. Stern to another nice dock!! not Really.. !m swell rolling us around while we pumped fuel onboard. Only 3 hours though..Once I was here rolling 55 gallon fuel drums down the dock and then pumping the contents of those onboard. It took a bit Longer!

However the view is nice in between the rain Showers..

Landfall! Nuku Hiva

Surprisingly, and right in the right place. landfall and right on time.. Phew. Even with all these Electronic it is nice to Sail 3,200nm and arrive where you thought you should be when you thought you should be there.. Bet the crew wish I hadn't said that!!

Emerson and the Fish

Day 9
Quick question, which one is the fish!
Every morning now We are scooping up lots of these guys. Unlike the Caribbean they are quite big here as you can see.
Another good reason to have a flybridge, as if you got hit by one of these while steering it would hurt..
We are now about 200nm away from landfall at Taiohae on Nuku Hiva. ETA is 0700 there, We will re-provision and re fuel there before heading on Monday the 28th to Papeete. So all good..

Photo by Hutch

Watching, always Watching

The weather, our main topic out here other than food and exercise  has continued favorable. Clocks go back every 3rd day as we run down the longitude West towards Nuku Hiva. Watches go quicker now as we are used to the 4 hours on watch and the 8 hours "off" watch Where we try to grab a good few hours sleep. and here we see a Master at work on the Helm..Or looking for his glasses!!

Photo by Hugo "Snapper" Thomas

Tequila Sunrise..not Quite!

Day 5 and another awesome sunrise. A bit more wind around today in to the lower teens and the swell is maxing at 3.5m but with a long period. So life onboard is still reasonably comfortable, certainly compared to our trans Atlantic last January!

Photo by the Dawn Patrol (Carver)