Stuck in the Garden of Eden - Marquesas, French Polynesia
It was good luck and bad luck; the autopilot broke during the Pacific crossing, but it broke within sight of land on the last day. Had it failed sooner, we would have hand-steered around the clock in heavy seas - an exhausting proposition even with a crew of four.
The other engine starter - the one that didn’t break in Panama - has now failed as well. Here, the good news is that we can manage with one engine. But maneuvering at slow speed is difficult, an issue in tight anchorages. We also have no redundancy to fall back on should the one engine break at an inopportune time.
Replacement parts are on order. With some luck the new starter arrives this coming week. With additional luck, that fixes the engine problem and we can resume day sails around the Marquesas islands.The autopilot will take longer to arrive, likely several more weeks. Our next long passage, to the Tuamotus archipelago, will have to wait until it is fixed.
But we could be stuck in a far worse place…Before the starter broke and while Kicki was still with us (she left last week and will be missed, as will Axel who left three weeks ago) we explored the islands of Hiva Oa, Tahuata, Ua Pou and Nuku Hiva.
These Marquesan islands are beyond lovely. The landscape is tropical with lush vegetation and dramatic volcanic mountains, yet the feel is benign and peaceful. Family farms are nestled into the valleys where coconut, mangoes, bananas and breadfruit grow in abundance. People are friendly and fiercely proud of their Polynesian heritage. The homes are modest but well cared for with charming gardens that are meticulously maintained. It is an enchanting place.
Our visit to Hakatea Bay (Daniel's Bay) on Nuku Hiva last weekend had all that goodness. We hiked to the Vaipo waterfall and had lunch at the homestead in the bay. It was like spending time in the Garden of Eden.
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