South Pacific: The Marquesas Islands

Carbon dating of remains near cooking fires have placed Polynesian people here around 400 B.C. They probably sailed here from Samoa by way of the Cook islands. The early Polynesians first settled here in the Marquesas before reaching out to first discover then settle Tahiti, Hawaii and New Zealand.

In 1595 the first Europeans came upon these majestic islands 3000 miles from South America. An expedition financed by the Spanish Viceroy of Peru came across the 3 southern islands. The expedition's leader, Alvaro Mendana, named the islands after the wife of the Viceroy, Marquesa de Mendoza.

Mendana's men shot and killed over 200 of the Polynesian inhabitants, then left to never return again.

200 years later an American, Captain Ingraham, discovered the northern group and claimed them for the new republic of the United States.

One month later Etienne Marchand claimed the archipelago for France. Then came the British and again the Americans, all laid claim and then left.

Finally a French Admiral, Dupetit-Thouars, arrived with his military squadron and forced the Marquesan chefs to sign allegiance to the King of France. His military garrisons on Nuka Hiva and Tahuata kept control.

Then came the religious Christian missionaries, first the Protestant then the Catholics. Their quest for power and influence over the 'natives' changed these islands and the lives of their inhabitants forever.

Herman Melville wrote:

"Among the islands of Polynesia, no sooner are the images overturned, the temples demolished and the idolaters converted to nominal Christians, than disease, vice,and premature death make their appearance. The depopulated land is recruited from rapacious hordes of enlightened individuals who settle themselves within its borders and clamorously announce the progress of the truth. Neat villas, trim gardens, shaved lawns, spires and cupolas arise while the poor savage soon finds himself an interloper in the country of his fathers, and that too on the very site of the hut where he was born. The spontaneous fruits of the earth, which god in his wisdom ordained for the support of the indolent natives are remorselessly seized up and appropriated by the stranger, are devoured before the eyes of starving inhabitants or sent on board the numerous vessels which now touch their shores"

After the arrival of the missionaries until the early 1900's, depopulation through disease and sickness rare to the islanders now reduced their numbers significantly. When the American Commodore Porter arrived in 1813, he noted a population of over 80,000 strong, healthy people. Just 80 years later the population had fallen to just over 2000.

In 1923 the French Dr. Rollin arrived as chief medical officer and was resolved to decrease the morbidity rate. In his first year, of the 1000 inhabitants in the northern islands, he noted 48 births and 54 deaths. Through his efforts and those that followed the native population of the 6 islands has risen to over 8000.

The French government has total control over all of French Polynesia. Everything must go through Papeete Tahiti. All flights into these islands and all shipping must first land and goods be distributed in Tahiti. Everything imported is heavily taxed ,even the freight cost. The concentration of political and economic power in Papeete by the French is one reason things we are accustomed to, like peanut butter, mayonnaise or cereals, are 4 or 5 times the price when they finally arrive on store shelves in Nuka Hiva.

The French government requires a bank bond of about US$ 800 to be deposited in the bank when anyone arrives into their island group by boat. This is to insure that you leave their island to be able to collect your bond at the bank of your last port of call, minus provisions and currency rates.

Because my crew and I are only staying 3 days on the French controlled island of Nuka Hiva and leaving directly to US Samoa and completely bypassing other French Islands including Tahiti, the gendarme here in Taiohae will let us check in and then out again without having to deposit the $800 bond in the local bank. But that is the exception.

South Pacific: Passage to Nuka Hiva, Marquesas

Friday June 8 2007

After a 16 day sail from the Galapagos island of Isla Isabela to the 3125 mile distant Marquesan island of Nuka Hiva, we experienced all the different types of weather you can have on a sailboat except any kind of storm over 40 knots of wind. All wind, when there was any, was from the E to SE and varied from 0.0 knots to over 35 knots of consistent strong winds, which was perfect sailing for our direction of due west.

We left on Tuesday morning May 22 after a forced delay of 20 days kept me on the island of Isla Isabella waiting for a new alternator to clear customs in Quito Ecuador. Hunter had the new replacement Balmar alternator for the Yanmar engine delivered to Ecuador within 2 days but the customs sat on my package for over 2 weeks. I was totally frustrated and wrote of my frustration.

On the previous Saturday and again Sunday May 19 & 20, about a dozen other sailboats had left the Galapagos Islands bound for the Marquesas. Some left from Santa Cruz others left from our bay in Isla Isabella. I watched as they all left me alone headed to where I should have been at least 2 weeks prior.

When the alternator finally did arrive via "Federal Express" c/o Johnny Romero (2-3 Working Days it will be here!) in Santa Cruz, the customs duty of $188 was more than the prepaid shipping costs! Go figure.

At 8 am Tuesday May 22, we were finally sailing on a heading to the west.

Just 2 days earlier I met 2 California boys traveling across the Pacific. They were working as servers in an Italian restaurant and looking for a boat ride west.

Jaime is a surfer and has his 6 boards with him. He is from Santa Cruz CA and runs his own construction business. He met his buddy, Ben, rock climbing in Yosemite. He decided to take 6 months off work and 'go surfing'.

Ben is a former Army Ranger who got out after his required duty and joined the "Search & Rescue" squad of the Yosemite National Park. After 3 years of survival training and living in a Yosemite cave for 2 years he had enough of the isolation.

They both decided to try and 'hitch-hike' by sailboat across the Pacific. They both had never sailed before I met them in the Galapagos and had no idea what to do nor what to expect. But they were motivated and seemed adventurous enough to take along.

We studied our route options. Some of the dozen other boats were following the so-called expert advisor on his big 85 foot catamaran who said to go straight south to about 08.S and turn west when you find the wind. Others took the direct 'Rhumb-Line' course to the Marquesas.

I read a book!

According to Jimmy Cornell's book, "World Cruising Routes," on page 372 he states:

"An area to be avoided if passing south of the Galapagos is between longitudes 90.W and 95.W and latitudes 03.S and 08.S where several yachts have reported unpleasant weather conditions. The area appears to be an extension of the doldrums with little or no wind, thundery squalls, and a heavy swell which makes conditions very uncomfortable... The average length of this passage (Galapagos - Nuka Hiva) is from 15 to 30 days."

I will always try to follow Jimmy's advise where feasible.

We left Villamil and headed due west along 02.S.

Four years ago, I left Nuka Hiva and headed north for Hawaii. At about 02 degrees South latitude my rudder broke. I drifted west at 2.2 knots for 3 days before I could construct a new 'make-shift' rudder using my spinnaker pole and a broken door. I know now that at 2 degrees south latitude I would at least have a strong current going my way.

We made good time and, at about 100 degrees W, I turned SW to cross down to the 08 S line which I then followed directly into Nuka Hiva at 09 S.

We listened to the HF radio and the "Southern Cross Net" of the other sailboats reporting their position and current weather. By the half way mark of 1500 miles to go, we had passed all the other dozen boats except 2 of the larger ones that were getting good winds.

Our winds were of all varieties you can experience out in the South Pacific Ocean. We had the first 2 days of between 0.0 knots to about 6 knots. We were in a 2.2 knot west setting current so when our SOG dropped below 5 knots I used the motor. This gave us a lot of advantages. We would charge the batteries and make water and we had a speed-over-ground of about 7 knots at the minimum rpm of 1500. I get about 2 hours per gallon at that rpm so we were very efficient.

By the way, the diesel fuel in the Galapagos is subsidized by the Ecuadorian government and costs only US$1.02 a gallon!!!!

When the winds increased to over 12 knots from the ESE, we had a SOG of 8 -9 knots. I was 'Wing-on-Wing' using the genoa polled out to windward, the staysail out to fill the slot between the genoa and the main sail to add some square footage, and the main sail all the way up the extended mast to get the full push from the overtaking winds. The wind pressure in the main sail kept the boat heeled over slightly to starboard and kept the boat from rolling in the north setting swell that was coming up from the Southern Ocean at between 8 and 12 feet.

Left: Wing-on-Wing.

We got rain squalls with winds of over 35 knots for 2 days but for the most part we had good sailing with winds in the 12 - 15 knots from ESE and kept an average of over 7.5 knots. When the winds increased to 15 - 18 knots our SOG was over 9.5 - 11 knots and we had 3 days of over 200 miles in a 24 hour period. This boat really moves and is at least 1.5 - 2 knots faster in the same conditions as my last Hunter 46, but much more stabile and tracks true. Right: 11 knots boat speed SOG with 18 knots of 'true' wind from ESE.

We got into a beautiful little bay made famous by the author Herman Melville. When he jumped ship as a 19 year old cabin boy and hid in a valley of 'cannibals', he wrote of this adventure as his first novel "TYPEE". We were now anchored in that bay officially called TAIPIVAI.

We arrived at 11 pm on Thursday evening, 16 days after leaving the Galapagos After a wonderful calm nights sleep with no '3-on-6-off watches' we all three awoke to the most wonderful green valley you can imagine.

We are now about an hour west in the main settlement of Taiohae. This is where I departed for Hawaii 4 years ago and returned to this very same bay after 12 days and nights of hand steering a rudderless boat. It was a pleasant surprise to find that Hunter had a replacement rudder waiting for me when I finally dropped anchor after a torturous sea voyage of over 660 crucial and painful miles.

The plan is to stock up on food and diesel then rest for a few days before heading out due west for US Samoa. I spent 4 months in the Marquesas 4 years ago and have fond memories of the 35 bays I dropped an anchor into, but the goal is to get across the entire South Pacific Ocean in time for the Sydney International Boat Show in early August.

I am a little behind schedule but I have a very fast and safe boat so my resolve is undiminished.

PS

An example of the distances between various points on the West Coast of the Americas to the French Polynesian island of the Nuka Hiva Marquesas.

San Diego - Nuka Hiva 2888 nautical miles
Panama - Nuka Hiva 4107 " "
Galapagos - Nuka Hiva 3127 " "
Panama - Galapagos 940 " "
Acapulco - Galapagos 1216 " "
San Diego - Galapagos 2617 " "



Mike Harkers/v WanderLust 3