…. in the Hanamoenoa Bay at the NW current is Tahuata Island.

But back to the approach we had to this bay.

After gybing, it first went well, but then the wind turned too much towards N for it’s to head NW.

As MaRe runs very well with only the genoa, we took the main down and had a broader sailing angle range with winds from broad reach direction.

Then SV REYKJA called on channel 16 to asked about wind conditions at our place. We asked them about 2 weeks ago about anchorage conditions in Hiva-Oa.

Just behind the cape we got gusts of 27 KN. Unfortunately only in gust because MaRe runs very well with such winds. Even in a gust she accelerated to 8 KN STW.

About 10 min later no wind at all and suddenly from NW with 4 Bft varying in directions and speed as crazy.

Thus, for the last about 2 NM we used the engines.

There were already 6 other boats at anchor in the bay but we found a good spot to drop the anchor at about 8 m and have MaRe 50 m of chain. Testing the hold of the anchor with 1800 RPM showed the anchor sits well.

The land at the bay it’s uninhabitated. There is a long sandy beach – by far the longest I’ve seen in French Polynesia so far – with a pretty deep row of palm trees mixed with a few other trees.

I’m curious for what we will see when we go on land.

Boat is cleared up, a bunch of mails are written, from the pantry comes a torturing smell, thus my stomach will soon get something delicious to work on.