It is time to get back into the mood of recording what it is we have been doing on Wind Dancer these past few weeks. The sail from the Marquesas took a total of 17 days, four hours, one minute and one second, when we crossed the official finish line in Hiva Oa, our first stop. The fish count for the trip was one Mahi and one Tuna, both delicious meals, and an unspeakable amount of flying fish. Mike was able to land a few of those. We would have liked to have caught more fish, but as many of the other boats found, there was not much marine life during the crossing. We did however spot a sperm whale on the last morning only 100 ft off the boat, sort of like an unofficial welcome to the islands.
Our first day in port consisted of a general tidy of the boat, stowing gear and lines and getting as much of the salt off the boat as possible. The next afternoon was spent exploring the downtown, where we stopped for a snack of poisson cru (favorite ceviche with coconut milk marinade), then went in search of the graves of Paul Gauguin and Jack Brell (Brell a famous Belgian singer). Situated on one of the many hills, the cemetery also offered beautiful views of the island and surrounding ocean. We then made our way over to the Gauguin museum where we could see copies of his work and also is abode called la maison de jouir or house of pleasures. We were informed that he had quite a reputation with the ladies of the island as well as the missionaries around at the time.
Next it was a quick explore for the grocery stores in town. Karson cannot complain here as the shops are rife with fresh baguettes and pastries, hard and soft cheeses, pate and her favorite Tahiti Drink.
The Wind Dancer Crew
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