Here i will publish a event of yesterday afternoon which made me understanding the munity of the Bounty even better.

In the morning we went back ashore to get some fruits and vegetables. We were lucky we asked a lady who just want to get into her car. She turned around and asked another one. Looked like they are friends or relatives.

We were invited to come in and got papayas and a breadfruit. We only wanted one breadfruit because otherwise they get too quickly overripe. She also asked for us a neighbor across the street for eggplants and tomatoes but couldn’t get something.

When we asked the lady how much she wants for the papayas and the breadfruit she answered “Nothing”.

Inge proposed to give her 300 CPF, 3 USD,. When I gave her the money, Inge added: “For your child”. Here eyes were beaming and we were happy.

On the way back to MaRe we stopped at SV Katinka to bit farewell to Ralf. He’ll leave next Friday from here and Tahiti single handed. (His partner Gaby’s eye surgery in Germany went well and she’s recovering.)

Back at MaRe we prepared her for sailing into the Hakaotu Bay, the most western one on Oa-Pou. A short sail of roughly 5 NM.

The sail there was nice. As soon as we got out of the lee effect of the mountains, MaRe felt a nice easterly trade wind from an AWA of almost 150 deg PRT. We set the genoa, opened it with the barber hauler, and sailed a broad reach course. Trade wind sailing as it’s best. Low wind waves, low swell from behind and MaRe running with 7 KN STW to get next WPT.

From there it was only about 2 NM into the destination bay. So I just brought her on course and trimmed the genoa for close reach to closed haul course. Because the distance was so small, I didn’t bother to set the main sail.

The lee side effect of the Motoheruru Peninsula was already on the sea surface to be seen. Once inside that area, we furled the genoa and motored into our destination bay, Hakaotu.

The bay is a smaller one. At a depth range of 12 m, the width is only 150 m. 1 boat can anchor, for two it’s too narrow, except they both use a stern anchor.

The Hakaotu Bay is small, and nice. The rock formation looks different to other bays we anchored in. The water in the bay was very quiet; r quietest water I was in since very long because I don’t remember it. At the end of the bay the beach was made from big round stones; like very big pebbles. Behind the big pebbles beach we saw 2 houses. Looking through the binoculars we saw they were open structures. We wondered who was living there and how. On the other hand we know that it’s summer here every day of the year. Since long I sleep without covering my body while enjoying the cool breeze coming through the hatch above me. Thus, walls are not needed except for privacy.

Being in the bay for a few hours I decided to snorkel to the rocky shore about 80 – 90 m away. I could not imagine what I will experience…

We wanted to leave MaRe early in the morning to hike, while it is still cool. However, we had rain when we got up. Thus, we left only later in the morning.

I tied up MaRe’s dinghy with the gear described before, which took about 5 -10 min because it was the first time.

Then, while walking on the pier towards land, a gust of wind blew my very much liked light blue MaRe cap into the water at the outside of the pier. My first thought was 4-letter-word accompanied farewell. Then I saw that I can deal with the low surf, took off my clothes and went in underware for the rescue of my cap. Luckily I found a freshwater tap close to the beach to get rid of the saltwater at my body, underware, and cap.

Then we started our planned hike to the chocolate farm of Manfred & Thérèse about 4 km into the jungle. The only description we had was to turn right 50 m after the street bridge onto a dirt road into the jungle and that there are plenty of signs along the way. The first sign we saw was at the beginning of the dirt road and it says “cascade” with an arrow to the right. As we knew that there’s a waterfall somewhere closer to the farm, we went into the jungle. Immediately, we felt the hot and humid air of the jungle. I expected that now mosquitos are coming to suck our delicious blood; but they didn’t. In the Marquesas I never had problems with mosquitos except for places which have nothing on common with the jungle.

The hike was not difficult on the dirt road. However, when you want to drive a car here, you better have a 4-wheel-drive one.

“Many signs along the way… ” turned out to be two, fixed at the same tree about in middle of the way to the farm. One sign says “Schokomann” the other “Manfred 1500m”. Confirmation that we are right.

We kept walking and I was wondering what made a man moving with his wife that deep inside the jungle? How did he find the place? What gave him the idea to grow cocoa plants?

Then the jungle opened to the right side and we got a great view to one of the high and very steep rock formation with almost vertical walls. They dominate the hill line sand are of different volcanic material thus withstand lava flowing around them and also wind and rain erosion didn’t do much to them. The highest one reaches above 1200 m another one above 1000 m. Others are in the 600 – 800 m range. The higher ones always keep there heads on the clouds. Maybe they are tired of seeing these 2 legged animals who can’t really live in peace. Inge always complaints about the clouds…

A few curves further there is an arc over the street with the inscription “Manfred Ville, Tukua”

I asked ChatGPT for the meaning of “tukua” and got the answer “In Polynesian languages such as Marquesan, “tukua” typically means “to release” or “to let go.” It can also imply giving permission or allowing something to happen.”

At the right side of the portal hangs an old gold digger pan and a old spanner. The door bell. Inge “rang” it. The dogs immediately reacted and came running. Then a man came walking down the long drive way. A bit longer, thinner grey hair and a beard like the last German emperor sported one. He appeared to be a bit skinny in his jeans and jeans shirt. Manfred welcome us.

He is alone, he said, he brought his wife into the village earlier this morning.

He invited us to sit down at a table in the shade of an old triangular blue plastic sheet just beside a round pool of maybe 5 m diameter. A question triggered a watershed of stories about his life.

He is 70 years old, left Germany 37 years ago after his sauna burned down and the insurance didn’t pay. In Tahiti he became a helicopter pilot (he later showed us news paper articles, which describe him as a pilot of “Pacific Helicopter Service). He came to Oa-Pou through his 3rd wife Thérèse. She, or better her family owns the land in the jungle of Oa-Pou, where they are living now. Looking at what is to be seen now and at plenty of photographs he showed us, he definitely did a great job building all this in the middle of jungle on a plot of land high enough to have a very pleasant climate.

The rooms of the “house” are separate buildings. Only the kitchen and a kind of workshop is a 2 room little house. Next to this is s living & bed room house. A one-room guesthouse, he built for the time his sister spent there. There is also another very small house, which is his chocolaterie. Nobody is allowed to enter to not steal his special method to make chocolate. His recipe, he told us, he sold to a lady in Tahiti who gave him immediately a 4-wheel- drive SUV in return. There was also an newspaper article about that.

We moved from the entrance area over to his kitchen; a distance of about 20 m under trees and trees to the left and right. One of them cocoa tree. He opened a very simple made kind of window and there was a counter, where about 4 -5 people could sit comfortably on the bench outside of the house. Inside was a table built at the wall of the counter, big enough for 2, maybe even for 4 people inside. A perfect “dining room” partially outside, partially inside. The kitchen layout was well designed, equipped with a huge US model of gas stove and oven, with a range hood above it, fridge with a freezer department, microwave etc. No dishwasher. And old car radio was built in as well. All very tidy.

Energy for all he needs, he gets from 2 kW (water power) turbine, which drives a small alternator, which could have its origin from a truck. The mechanical unbalance and the missing better quality of ball bearings reduces the output power of the turbine a lot. However it works. He charges a set of 8 lead batteries and somewhere he has an inverter to make 230 V. It’s not about perfection as I would built it, it’s about does it work sufficiently for their needs.

He put some teaser chocolate in front of us and it tasted very good! From my experience in Panama, where the teasers were excellent but the sold products where not at all good, I was wondering. However, the teasers he put in front of us gave me on the other side the impression they are just broken of the bars he makes for selling.

I asked if I may walk around and take pictures and got permission. In summary I can say that he built his small paradise for him and his wife. Green and colorful blossoms dominate the main part of the used part of the plot. Around at the outside is jungle. Here and there I saw cocoa trees. Beside this all the typical trees like pampelmouse (shadock) lime, papaya, breadfruit, banana were too be seen. I bet somewhere there a yams, taro, and other roots for their diet. Plenty of chicken and some ducks freely run around and he knows where the chicken put their eggs. At the end they give them chicken meat.

Being back to him and Inge who kept talking to each other, we bought some chocolate. The chocolate bars are wrapped in thin aluminum foil with permanent pen written 1 – 2 characters indicating which taste of chocolate it is. I’m curious how they will taste on board of MaRe where I’m try to keep them or at least some of them until OBM arrives at the end of the month. To carry them back to MaRe in a 32 degC environment the bars were put in plastic bag and this was wrapped in piece of fabric made wet. Physics keeps the chocolate cool and hard.

Being about in the middle of the way to the street in the village, we made a short detour to a waterfall. Looked inviting for taking a swim. As Inge was afraid of unknown dangerous animals in the water, no swim. I remembered the swim with my OBM in the basin of a waterfall along the winding road of the NE corner of Maui, an Hawaiian Islands.

When we reached the village, we kept walking along the street leading to the N of the bay where MaRe peaceful swayed at her anchor. We walked maybe 2 – 3 km to a point offering a great view into MaRe’s bay and N of it. A bit a tiring walk but worth to do it because of the view we have.

Satisfied and happy we arrived at MaRe.

Due to the always high swell in the tiny harbor – or better call it only “landing pier” – I decided to use one of the buoys of the local fishermen to keep MaRe’s text tender away from the wall. For this, I prepared a while ago a long line, a special shakel and snap hook, a 30 m line and a 50 cm line. I was lucky that I prepared a 30 m line because I just could make to the buoy. The way I use the line is getting at the wall, lead the long line around a bollard or something similar, then reverse with the dinghy to the buoy, stop the motor, attach the snap hook at the buoy, lead the long line through it and pull myself back to the pier wall with the long line. After disembarking, I can then use the long line to determine the position of the dinghy between buoy and the pier, and tie the line at the bollard. The dinghy then swims in a safe position from the pier wall.

Yesterday it was easier because Inge was standing on the pier and could operate the long line.

Today we have a day we only have every 4 year. What a special day to be in a beautiful bay in the NW corner of Oa-Pou. Where will I be at the next 29. Feb? I should be somewhere on my way home, back to Europe.

The day before yesterday I asked a lady at the street for a possibility to get fruits and vegetables. The only local shop doesn’t sell such items and that’s very natural for this about 200 people village where everyone has fruit trees around the house.

The lady said she will have some for us and we should meet her here at 0800 in the morning when she brings her son to school or come to her house just around the corner.

Two comments in between.

The mother brings her son to school for a distance of about 200 m and this in a village where people run after you should you loose your wallet. Helicopter-mothers like in Germany, where such mother’s bring their kids to school, preferably in a big SUV, to ensure that kids arrive safe at school and save back home. Here it is not about “helicoptering” kids, but just an element of mother-child bond. A natural matter here on these islands where people have and take time for such matters.

“My house is just around the corner” – that was the only explanation we got. From our crowded city way of life an absolute unacceptable explanation. People here don’t need to describe another person where the house is because everyone knows where everyone lives. Thus, they are not used to give precise description on where we find her house. Later, I saw 2 men sitting in front of their house and wanted to ask them where the lady’s house is when she came out of the house. Accidentally we found her house. She gave us 2 pampelmouse, about 5 big bananas and a breadfruit. She asked for 500 XPF (5 USD). We were happy, she was happy.

But we were happier about the limes we got a bit earlier. We saw along the street several lime trees in a row and I went to asks the people of the house if we could get some limes. A young lady came and I asked with my, in the meantime 7 words of French, if we could have some limes. Very friendly she said yes. We took enough limes for about 2 weeks, which was a very small percentage of the limes on the tree and I thanked the lady.

After we got the other fruits for 5 USD, I still had a little Japanese present untouched in my backpack. Thus, I decided to go back and give it as small token of our gratitude to the lady who let us pick limes. It was a little “furin” , a wind bell. A little bell, which rings when there is just a little bit of wind. In Japan, when people hear that sound, they feel it’s cooler…. She was very happy with the furin and we were with the limes.

On the way back, just outside of the really tiny harbor, we saw a fisher man coming in in his outrigger canoe. We decided to ask him for fishes. He let us look into his box. Gosh, it was full of really big fishes. One, I don’t know what fish it was, was about 1 m long. We asked for small fishes and got a small tuna and a red snapper. He didn’t want to have anything in return, so I offered him 2 cans of beer. He followed us happily to MaRe, got 2 beers and headed home even happier.

I had the fun to scale the red snapper and to gut both fishes.

Later yesterday, I wanted to remove the torsion at the end of the anchor chain. Over the years quite torsion built up. To get this torsion out of the chain I needed to let the end of the chain, (the end opposite to the anchor end) out and pull it up again. As I underestimated the weight of the free hanging chain, it was quite a work to winch about 30 m of chain up. The rest was easy.
As soon as I get the chance to buy an anchor swivel I’ll put it between the anchor chain and the line securing the chain in the chain locker. With both ends of the chain being connected to a swivel, I expect to get the torsion out or reduce it at least to a large extend.

Today we had a really lazy day with reading and writing. In the afternoon, Ralf from SV Katinka came over for a coffee and chat. In the next days he will take off to sail single handed to Pape’ete. Gaby, his partner is already in Germany for a successful medical treatment.

Tomorrow, we will go ashore very early…

Yesterday was busy day until the anchor was firmly lodged in the ground. This was at 1552.

Then the “work after” needed to be done.

Get the main sail better folded in the sail bag and close the bag from the head of the sail until the sailbag’s end.

Next I moved the boom to STB to get less shadow on the solar panels. For this I need to adjust the main sail traveler position, extend the length of the main sheet, lower the top lift a bit, attach an additional line at the end of the boom, feed this line through the block at PRT side middle cleat, and bring it back to the furler winch to get tension on all 3 involved lines. A three-point fixation.

Then all lines, six of them, around the mast and genoa sheets, and furling line were cleared.

Logbook entry to be completed.

Then all was done.

But what was to be done before dropping the anchor?

You remember, the monkey with the tin tool, who always stole the wind on the very long Pacific leg? It treated us not that nice yesterday as well. Mr Wind-Ows, who really shuffle wind yesterday should have seen that the wind direction was not best but he didn’t care. The monkey with the tin tool deflected the wind further, thus we did not get a nice and direction stable ENE wind. The wind moved from ENE and even NE at the beginning, to E. So it was quickly clear that we need to tack twice.

As I hoped to sail without a tack to the destination, I did not set the small jib sail, which makes shifting the genoa easily to the other side. Therefore, we had to furl the genoa to the largest extend to go through the wind and unfurl it again. It didn’t go that smooth and MaRe stalled. We needed the engines to get into the new direction.

Lesson learned: When sailing upwind, especially in closed haul situations always set the jib sail to be prepared.

Around 1300 we tacked and sail for about 45 min on the STB tack to gain enough lee way to reach our destination only by sailing.

After the second tack, I saw that I need to pinch MaRe so we can sail into the bay. Very carefully I did it and she never stalled. Good lady! For the last mile I just could let her run on close reach course and she made fine to the bay. Almost inside the bay we furled the genoa and got the mainsail down quickly. A bit of motoring in the bay and I dropped the hook and it lodged immediately firmly. We had arrived.

BTW, when I looked at the 12 V power consumption, I was surprised. Solar panels and
MaRe’s SuperWind – would love to have 2 SuperWinds – charged all what we needed during the day. We needed a lot during the day because we used the autopilot in response level 2 and 3 all day long.

When we were out of Haahopu bay we had no wind but we got sufficient Internet connection to send messages through Threema. I reached out for my brother to transfer the money for my dinghy. Needles to say more, He sent the money immediately to the beneficiary in Pape’ete. Thus my dinghy is paid for. One problem solved.

After we motored along the western lee side of the Nuku-Hiva because we had no wind or unstable wind, for a few miles we suddenly got wind of 4 But. However, it was from the wrong direction and unstable caused by the turbulence at the SW corner of Nuku-Hiva.

The good thing is that it indicates a good wind after we passed the corner. In front of us we saw white horses indicating a good easterly wind, the trade wind.

I decided to only set the main with reef 2 to be on the safe side.

When we set the sails, the sea was already higher. a cross sea swell of 1 1/2. Choppy. Bumpy,

With main at reef 2 and the genoa fully out and sails trimmed MaRe started running. Mostly more then 8 KN but I didn’t see a 9 today.

AWA was 55 deg PRT at the beginning. Later I needed to go 3 deg higher into the wind to keep course towards the Hakahetau Bay of Oa-Pou.

MaRe runs and rocks.

Sometimes, the real trade wind swell comes through with a height of 2 – 3 m. Then MaRe shows her skills in taking high waves. She always makes me feeling good and safe. She is a well designed, strongly built, good travel companion. I love her.

If the wind doesn’t turn to ENE we will needed to make a tack or two.
Will see!

After breakfast, we lifted the hook to sail towards Haahopu Bay at the NW part of Nuku-Hiva.

We set the sail, the genoa only, when we were far enough out of the bay because the bays “walls” turn the wind around.

Therefore we are sailing now with only the genoa in winds of 4 – 5 Bft, mainly 5.

Sailing is smooth because a swell of about 1 – 1 1/2 m rolls on to MaRe from about 135 deg STB. MaRe runs a STW of around 6 KN. Trade wind sailing from it’s nicest side.

The landscape of the coast line is changing. Was it rather steep and craggy along the eastern part of the coast, so is it changing now towards west. Lava must have flown from craters further away and at a rather slow speed towards the sea because the descending angle is pretty flat. With the green on it, it sends signal of invitation to just walk up the very gentle slopes.

How will it be when we come towards the NW corner of Nuku-Hiva?

After hours of exchanging messages until past my midnight, with my OBM at home, to get my new dinghy paid for, I really was knocked down. I spent yesterday hours on this matter and I’m very grateful to my OBM for her support. At the end she learned from Visa in Japan that there is something wrong with the payment link I received.

As the network is so weak in this area, only Signal messages could be exchanged. Fortunately I also have my satellite email address. But no attachment are possible.

So I’m still back to square 1 and have to ask my back in Germany to make a transfer for me. Currently I’m waiting for the IBAN and BIC number for the vendors back account. Additionally the not functioning link most likely triggered a security measure and my credit card is blocked. Satellite phone call could be the solution.

This morning, as planned yesterday, we just motored around the corner into the next bay, the Hatiheu Bay.

The bay has a beautiful scenery and huge sandy area for dropping the hook. However, the NE swell runs into the bay due to the diffraction of waves. A natural, physical behavior of waves, which can’t be changed.

Fortunately, MaRe doesn’t roll like a monohull but she also rocks bit in this swell.

The worst effect of the incoming swell is that landing with the dinghy at the tiny pier is not possible. Seen through the binoculars, the swell there is at least 1 m; simply too high.

The mountains at the end of the bay look like a barrier perpendicular to the centerline into to bay. Fully green up to the top, with almost all the 45 – 60 deg slopes are covered with trees.
Less high but of similar form but much lower are the volcanic remnants on the eastern side. The western shore remnants are higher than the eastern shore one but lower then the ones at the end of the bay. However, there are 3 peaks standing up from the surrounding. The peaks have have craggy vertical wall. An interesting remnant of volcanic outbreaks of a very different material.

All large percentage of the trees around the bay are coconuts palms. They indicate that there was quite a lot of Copra production a while ago. BTW, in all villages, I visited so far in the Marquesas, I saw Copra production places still these days. However, the production is on a really small scale.

As a walk or hike is not possible here we’ll continue further west already tomorrow morning. Just around the NW corner of Nuku-Hiva is a bay I want to look at.

Today I learned again what internet these days means when I’m sailing.

As mentioned before, I am about ordering a new dinghy. A RIB with an aluminum bottom and hypalon tubes and canvas cover.

The final order is the payment. And this was not possible because of the instable network connection is have here.

As Signal messages go through, I reach my OBM and she will no try to pay with a stable internet back home and pay for the dinghy. Then the order is firmly placed and I’m referring the new dinghy when I’m back to Tahauku Bay, Hiva-Oa.

I spent hours today with the payment issue and the instable network connection. I’m feeling pretty exhausted.

On one side internet helps to order things from anywhere, but if one suddenly is in a no-internet bay then one gets quickly into deep troubles.

Fortunately I have my satellite email connection, which works always. Attachment file size is pretty limited but so far I always found a solution.

Now I’m waiting for the news, that my OBM could successfully made the payment. Otherwise I’m in deep troubles.

I’m always getting questions and comments on this blog, here is the email address for my satellite connection. For all of you who want to write me, it’s a normal email. The satellite part is covered by me.
Email address:
skipper-cat-mare@myiridium.net