The Marquesas
Sunday, 29. June 2008, 12:00:00
The Marquesas Island of Nuka Hiva is beautiful. I love the high green clad mountains with the rugged rocks. The steep ravines and sharp peaks. It reminds me of Table Mountain in Cape Town and more especially the Kirstenbosh area with the sea right up to the parking lot of that world famous garden paradise. The island is kept immaculately clean and tidy. Every afternoon there are little fires where they burn the leaves just raked up although I wonder why they don’t allow them to compost down in a neat corner somewhere.
We were given some Pampelmouse. Delicious grapefruit like fruit. So juicy and not as sour or bitter as the usual grapefruit.
Hoping to stop at a few more bays and islands in this group but for now have been busy with all the fix-ups. I can’t remember that camp fire song with actions but our boat reminds me of it.
The windows are not so good so tape the windows.
Then the dinghy has sprung a leak so pump the dinghy, tape the windows.
Then the spin rips so sew the sail pump the dinghy, tape the window.
Then the ….
You get the idea.
Along the way although the mast gate track was fixed properly the sliders fell out and were lost overboard. Not too bad but we knew we would have to drop the main rather than reef and once it was down we would not be able to rehoist it until making some sort of replacement parts. Shortly after dropped the main to hover around the vicinity of another yacht having some problems with their spinnaker overboard and wrapped round their props and later we spent the night chopping the chopping board for a piece of plastic to round down into a 8mm dowel. Early next morning we are back in business sailwise and no noticeable difference to the bread board that has already donated a part of itself to the base of the jammers.
One night needing to reef we started the engines to come head to wind and the port engine won’t start. The battery has died. Just like that. Dead as a dodo. No hint of a problem before back in any other part of the world where the battery will cost a fraction of what it has here in the Marquesas. But that is the nature of boats for you. We continue working on the boat in exotic locations or in one word, cruising
Lorna and James
We were given some Pampelmouse. Delicious grapefruit like fruit. So juicy and not as sour or bitter as the usual grapefruit.
Hoping to stop at a few more bays and islands in this group but for now have been busy with all the fix-ups. I can’t remember that camp fire song with actions but our boat reminds me of it.
The windows are not so good so tape the windows.
Then the dinghy has sprung a leak so pump the dinghy, tape the windows.
Then the spin rips so sew the sail pump the dinghy, tape the window.
Then the ….
You get the idea.
Along the way although the mast gate track was fixed properly the sliders fell out and were lost overboard. Not too bad but we knew we would have to drop the main rather than reef and once it was down we would not be able to rehoist it until making some sort of replacement parts. Shortly after dropped the main to hover around the vicinity of another yacht having some problems with their spinnaker overboard and wrapped round their props and later we spent the night chopping the chopping board for a piece of plastic to round down into a 8mm dowel. Early next morning we are back in business sailwise and no noticeable difference to the bread board that has already donated a part of itself to the base of the jammers.
One night needing to reef we started the engines to come head to wind and the port engine won’t start. The battery has died. Just like that. Dead as a dodo. No hint of a problem before back in any other part of the world where the battery will cost a fraction of what it has here in the Marquesas. But that is the nature of boats for you. We continue working on the boat in exotic locations or in one word, cruising
Lorna and James
