Yesterday we sailed from the Taiohae Bay around the eastern corner of Nuku-Hiva into the Anaho Bay at the NE corner of Nuku-Hiva.

The route can be very roughly described as 1/3 heading E, 1/3 heading N and 1/3 heading W.

Winds were forecasted with ENE and E. This means we can have winds fluctuating between ENE and E with a good chance of fluctuations down to ESE.

On the leg E we had once for maybe 30 min an ESE wind, which forced is to tack twice. First to get a course with making more way to E in northerly direction but then the wind shifted back to E and ENE and we needed to tack again. This time wind stayed more stable from ENE and E, thus we could sail a longer leg in south-easterly direction and still making a good way to E.

The weather was nice. The wind speed good. Thus MaRe kept running. For very longer periods she ran with a STW of high 7 to high 8 KN. As a peak speed I saw 9.6 KN. Not bad.

When the SE cape of Nuku-Hiva had a bearing from MaRe of N, we tacked again.

On the way towards the cape another boat came from roughly SE looking at the AIS screen and the bearing I saw that we will bump into each other. I had the right of way thus I kept course as needed. No signs of a course change from the other boat. The early one changes course the smaller the needed course change is.

I grabbed the VHF and called boat on CH16, the emergency channel every sailor should watch. From the AIS data I could see the boats name and nationality. No reply. I’m my mind I had already my escape manoeuvre prepared.
As a last resort I pushed the button of my horn (Thanks Heinz für getting me years ago the wonderful loud truck horn!)
No reaction. Not even a sign of someone being on board.

Then I pinched MaRe, meaning going with her as high as possible into the wind to pass behind the other boat. Being as close as roughly 50 m I saw a man pulling in his trawling line, which I could see snapping. This released a shudder in my brain. If I got his fishing line with my propeller there is a chance that it will get into the shaft sealing and destroys it. In the bay I’ll have a look. It appeared to me that the skipper was completely unaware of the situation in which both boats were or he was hoping that I solve his problem by changing my course despite the clearly define rules giving me the right of way.

We then got a good run to the E coast of Nuku-Hiva and along the coast line.

The coast line is an interesting mixture of craggy parts and and more smoothly declining parts. All are covered with green, which looked pleasant in the sunlight. The craggy parts I considered to be created when the volcanos exploded and the smoother parts as remains of lava flowing down towards the sea.

No settlement is along the E coast although there is one larger bay with even a bit of a sandy beach. I wonder why.

When we reached the NE corner, I step by step increased the AWA and sailing became very smooth.

I put the small jib down and then we gybed to make the final approach towards the Anaho Bay. Fortunately we pretty fast could change the course more that we could sail with an AWA of 120 deg PRT.
At 150 deg the main sail covers too much of the genoa and it will be flapping.

At the entrance of the bay we took the sails down and motored to the end of the bay where there were almost 10 boats in.

As the bay is pretty big and the anchorage area is also broad we quickly found a good spot to let the anchor go down at 16 m. With 40 m of chain out I made a first test and the anchor had a good hold. I gave more chain until I had between 75 and 80 m of chain out. Another holding test with the anchor bridle attached and pulling back with 1800 RPM, showed the anchor holds. We arrived. Engines off.

It was a nice sail of 36 NM logged. Very good weather and good winds.