Hakahau Bay - Ua Po - Marquesas

Thursday, 25 May 2006 - We are anchored with bow and stern anchors at the little harbor of Hakahau Bay. It is a small, but spectacular, bay that is only tenable because of the massive breakwater that goes across half of the entrance. Big waves still come through on the one open end and three boats anchored over on that side are bucking up and down crazily in the swells. We are half way over and pointed out to the ocean but much better protected. We are not protected from the 15 knot wind on our starboard beam though and the wind pushes us hard against the two anchors making the stern one squeak loudly in its fairlead going over the side.

This is still much better now than it was yesterday on the way over from Nuka Hiva. It was without a doubt the hardest and hairiest passage we have had, and it was only 25nm from Daniel's Bay to here. It started out rough but OK as the wind (15-18 knots) was more on our beam with big swells and wind waves but easy to handle under sail. Then the wind picked up and it was doing 20 kt and shifted more to our bow which meant we were close hauled as much as we could and still make our course. There may have been a cross current setting us west as well. Then, a squall came through. We started reefing before the wind got there, but only by a few seconds. It did not look like much and never rained more than a few drops but the wind went to solid 30 kts with one gust to 35. We were already taking water over the weather side and I was soaked from that. Now it was bath time and I had more salt water in my mouth than I usually get swimming. And, Maggie Drum has high freeboard (high sides from the water) and a center cockpit so we are usually dry when other boats are wet. We were following our friends on White Swan from Port Townsend and they were definitely wet.

Well, it got worse. We got the port rail buried in the water which has only happened one other time since we have had the boat and that was with our friends Terry and Diane Emigh from Anacortes on a blustery return from the Foul Weather Race with the Anacortes Yacht Club in the San Juans. I think we were all freaked out at the time but Maggie was fine. It was the same here. We were working the winches frantically trying to reef our roller reefed main and jib. We did do it obviously and made it through but the adrenalin was pumping for sure. From there it never got below 18 kts and up to 25 frequently all the way into the harbor. We were exhausted but still had to find a spot and put out the stern anchor, which we hate. We were never set up with a proper stern anchor rode and ours now is two pieces of old halyard tied together with bowlines in the middle which is workable but a hassle. I just went out and put on chafe protection on it and it seems to be working fine.

Ua Po is famous for the volcanic (everything is volcanic here) columns that jut out from the ridges and valleys here. The columns are massive and pointed, making them look very ominous. I imagined us coming into the valley of the evil Lord of Mordor(sp?) in the "Lord of the Ring" novels. Very dramatic.

We will stay here a couple of days with White Swan and then head out to the Tuamotos. I just updated our position on Winlink and on Yotreps and will keep it updated on our travels from here. We heard yesterday a boat report a gust to 60 kts on the SSB net. There is a big low pressure system out there evidently and we will be getting weather reports before heading out. We want to have more settled weather for the Atolls there. It is a 500nm passage so should take us 3-4 days. When we get there we have to wait for good sunlight to get through the coral infested waters and difficult passes in to the lagoons. Oh well, something new. We are ready to mush on.

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