The cliffs of Point Teaehoa, the southern tip of Ta'aoa Bay, drop vertically into the sea. The wall is the spur of the 350 meter high Mt. Pua, which forms the southernmost tip of Hiva-Oa and at the same time the coastline to the channel between Hiva-Oa and Tahuata. Due to the constant easterly wind, the rock face is rugged and washed by powerful waves. The water takes on a dark green color before it turns turquoise, becoming lighter and lighter, and finally crashes against the dark brown to black rock with a white spray. The water, snow-white, running back into the sea through gullies and crevices, creates an image of the rock, like the hoof of Mephistopheles from Goethe's Faust. A divine plan that constantly reshapes creation through destruction and can never complete its work. Simply cruelly beautiful. The whole thing is intensified by an infernal background noise, a muffled sound of pressure coming up from the depths.
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| Tahuata, Marquesas |
I sit in the cockpit and watch the natural spectacle. The initially flapping sails have now filled with wind and we are approaching the cape at a speed of five knots. With a certain safety margin, which has formed in my mind's eye due to the forces of nature, I initiate the course change into the channel. We are on our way to Nuku-Hiva and want to spend another day on Tahuata in a bay that is well known for the manta rays. In just under 2.5 hours we reach Hanamoena Bay on Tahuata, nine miles away. Crystal-clear water and a white sandy beach with palm trees await us. We even spot a manta ray that clearly feels at home in the water. As it loops around, the tips of its wings repeatedly poke out of the water and then again, its white belly can be seen. In my study, the crystal-clear water, is the crux of the matter, a creature that opens its mouth wide. A black manta ray that looks evil
but ultimately only does good and is completely harmless. We spend the day and the following day in the bay. In the afternoon we weigh anchor and make our way to Nuku-Hiva. We want to cover the 80 nautical miles in a night trip. We also make rapid progress until we reach the wind cover of Hiva-Oa. The sails start flapping again and the speed has reduced considerably. Gaby asks: "So tell me, how are you doing with religion?" I reply, "Call it luck! Heart! If we keep sailing this fast, we'll arrive at night." In fact, the slipstream keeps us going for two hours. After that, the wind picks up again to 20 knots and we reach a speed of up to eight knots over the ground. The night is pitch black. This is mainly due to the new moon, which is only a thin crescent in the sky. Once again, the waves hit the side of the boat and give us a bumpy ride. On nights like this, you think about existence and try to summon Neptune in order to gain a greater understanding of life. How the hell do I manage to bring calm to the ship? Around five o'clock in the morning it gets light and Nuku-Hiva appears in front of us. Another 10 miles to anchor in Taiohae Bay.
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| Nuku-Hiva, Marquesas |
Due to the upcoming festival, quite a few yachts have already arrived. We estimate there are around 80, and the number is growing every day. The bay is very large, so we have no trouble finding a spot. We've done it again, even if we don't know exactly how. Maybe we'll meet the earth spirit at the festival and he'll tell us how we always manage to find the needle in the haystack on such a large ocean.
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| Nuku-Hiva Festival, Marquesas |
One thing is for sure, I love the ocean because here I am human, here I am allowed to be. Even though we haven't experienced winter for a long time, reaching new shores is always an awakening of vitality and joie de vivre. Preparations for the festival are taking place on the streets of Taiohae. Small stalls are set up to cater for the visitors. Dances and songs are practiced on the traditional square, a large meadow surrounded by spectator stands. The drums can be heard, with brief interruptions, throughout the day. The festival events take place in three valleys and are freely accessible. Only the transport there has to be organized and paid for. At the information center, we are told not to carry any plastic. Half a coconut shell is recommended for eating and drinking. We eat with our fingers. We are excited to see what awaits us. Of course, we hope that the three angels will deliver us because we are always striving. With this in mind, next time we'll tell you what we experienced at the festival. Until then, always fair winds and keep a stiff upper lip.
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