Allan
04/19/2009, Hiva Oa, Marquesas

Alyssa and I were joined by Dietmar and Kurt for a hike to the ancient petroglyphes in the Tehueto valley near our bay. We walked about 4 miles up the rustic jungle valley, crossing rivers and marveling at the scenery. Locals told us it is ok to pick any fruits you want as long as they are not behind fences. We were able to find bananas, papayas, limes, pamplemouse and mangos. At the top of the trailhead near the petroglyphes, we found a deep swimming hole where we all took a refreshing swim.

Alyssa took great pictures of the hike which can be found on the gallery to your right, along with pictures of our arrival and 80 pictures from our crossing.

Enjoy!

-allan

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Allan, Rina, Alyssa
04/18/2009, Hiva Oa

It's hard to truly appreciate how the crew of Follow You felt after anchoring in the crowded little Baie Tahauku, and taking in the full extent of the scenery surrounding us. Every sense was overloaded. Visually, the stunning green jungle foliage amplified by the sunlight created an instant contrast to the vibrant blue we have experienced for the past 25 days. Once we landed, the aromas of the island also overwhelmed our sense of smell sanitized by the sea. And the sounds of people and civilization, cars, motorcycles and heavy construction equipment interrupted our orderly and familiar boat sounds.

We sat around that first day and just took it all in, relishing the unique feeling and knowing full well that this special moment would pass as the new order became familiar. Our first dinghy landing reintroduced us to solid ground. Unfortunately our inner ears did not get the message for a couple of minutes and made for some interesting first steps.

The last couple of days have been dealing with the formalities of checking in and re-provisioning some much needed fresh fruit, veggies, water and fuel. Once we got here, the sky also opened up and gave us plenty of fresh water in our tanks to compliment the rustic showers on land, near where the locals cleanup after outrigger canoe races.

Jan departed yesterday to join friends on sv Milonga, who will get him closer to Papeete over the next month or so. We very much enjoyed our 8 weeks with Jan. He was an exceptional crew member, always helpful and a great cook. We will miss him.

We will be adding pictures of our crossing to the gallery over the next couple days as the slow internet connection allows.

Look for blog entries every couple of days going forward... as I said earlier (mom!) its time to enjoy the fruits of our long voyage.
-allan


Land is a beautiful thing...Allan's right, green, lush & beautiful here on the island of Hiva Oa. Towns people are very friendly. Hitchhiking back & forth to town is the norm and quite fun. Rain everyday, typical of the tropics. Laundry on the shore by hand, rain to rinse our clean clothes...What happens is when we put it out to dry...it's almost dry and then...it RAINS! It's taken several days to dry a few t-shirts and sheets! We are not able to use our washer yet due to the fact that we still have no watermaker to make water. Lugging water from the shore is really a chore...so we just wash it on shore with the local fishing faucet...and a cement shower. Loving every minute of this, it sure was worth the 25 days at sea. All of our boat friends are either here, or catching up with us. We'll be waiting for Pep & John to join us on the 20th!! Can't wait to explore the rest of the Marquesas Islands when they arrive. Will write more soon, off to Carinthia for 5pm happy hour....
-Rina

Hiking around the island is really beautiful. There's really no commercial tourism or tourist shops of "local trinkets" really made in China either. It's quite a change from the normal Puerto Villarta or Papeete vibe. Me and Jan walked for miles on this little road that dead ended into a tiny town just south of Atuona, where we are now, and there was nothing but 2 tiny huts, a pre-school, and a gorgeous church that we were told by a local was built in the 1700's by the first missionaries that came to the island. About 2 miles inland, we hitched a ride into the largest archeological site on the island. Huge ceremonial pits and different levels of huge volcanic, stone walls lined the hill and it was surrounded by gigantic trees, the ones with all the roots shooting to the ground from every branch... We could look up the mountain cliffs and see tall waterfalls in every direction. Even when we were driving we had to slow down to cross rocky/mud creek beds the government workers constantly have to rebuild to even get to the site. We were lucky to get a ride into town, but it took awhile hiking back until another car came in our direction. We were thankful to get the exercise and some great pictures of the view along the way though! It was just so silent in this town compared to Mexico. There was really no one. It is so tropical and all the huts are so spread out in the mountains that you hardly see anyone. Everything closes from noon-2:30pm. Another interesting fact... all the children on the islands go to school until they are ten years old then go to a boarding school in Tahiti. The government pays for their flights to and from Tahiti for holidays too.
I really do love it here. I hear this is nothing compared to the next island though!
-Alyssa

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Allan
04/14/2009, 09 48.25'S:139 01.88'W, Hiva Oa

After a lovely sail over the last 24 hours, we anchored safely in Tahuku Bay at On Hiva Oa's South shore at 10am. After a celebratory beer and shot, we are headed to the shoreside showers and a trip to the local markets and a lunch out.

Full report after we get our heads fully around what it all means. -allan

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Jan, Alyssa, Rina
04/13/2009, 09 26.44'S:138 05.14'W, Less than 47 Miles to Hiva Hoa

And Susan (Allan's mom) then he forgets to write you that we had our sauerkraut with polish sausage and mustard in the middle of all this. That we enjoyed very much. Well all those blog comments about me being grumpy. Note!! plus understand that when I hum incessantly as Allan put it (not only Abba songs, but many sailor songs, which I learned in the sailing camps) You can be sure I am having a great time. We got our wind and the rollers. Now I am really surprised that we are almost there. So land Ahoy! Here we come! -jan

Five bucks says I see land first! -Alyssa

It's been a great ride.can't wait to explore our new territory ahead. Hope all is well with everyone. Miss you all! Watch for pictures of our land ventures since we'll be back on internet(slow, but it'll work) soon. We will be catching up with our other boating friends for a reunion after the passage on some of the islands. Should be fun! Ok, Alyssa, I'll bet you.since I'll be on watch when it's light outside!!! -Rina

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Allan
04/13/2009, 09 08.30'S:137 39.05'W, Less than 80Miles to Hiva Hoa

At 4.0 knots through the water and 6.0 knots over ground, how long will it take us to travel 143 miles to Hiva Oa

A) 35 hours B) 27 hours C) 24 hours D) 22 hours E) Not soon enough F) Are we there yet?

When you see lightning to windward of the boat, you should:

a) panic b) start your engine and motor away from it c) Place your portable electronics in the oven d) Place portable electronics in the oven and bake until golden brown

When viewed from the cockpit, a 10 foot roller coming at your beam:

a) is well above your head b) is going to pass harmlessly underneath you c) will rock the boat 20 degrees in each direction d) all of the above

At night in heavy weather, the captain changes watch schedules from 1 person x 3 hours each to 2 people x 2 hours to:

a) piss the crew off b) increase safety c) give Jan somebody to talk to d) make sure Alyssa stays awake e) all of the above

Life vests and safety tethers are required:

A) at all times B) never for the captain C) at night D) whenever Rina says

Red skies at night, sailors delight, red skies in the morning,

a) the sun is going to come up soon b) I got the shitty watch again c) Sailors warning d) All of the above

The loud THWACK! and spray of salt air you hear every 30-45 minutes on the side of the windward hull is:

a) Poseidon's fiery wrath b) Confused seas conspiring to sink the boat c) Old dud world war II torpedos hitting the hull d) Your imagination running wild

When slammed on the port beam by a 10 foot roller, and the bilge alarm shrieks in your ear, you should:

a) abandon ship b) panic c) grab the ditch bag d) calmly look into the bilge to find and correct the malfunctioning float switch

Billowy white clouds with dark underbodies:

a) are cute cuddly circus animals in the sky b) are deadly threats to our wellbeing c) are viewed very differently by optimists and pessimists d) all of the above

To stay awake on long night watches, you should:

a) Hang off the back of the boat by your tether to test its strength b) Sleep all day c) Make mental lists of all of life's regrets d) Make up stupid blog entries in the middle of the night e) Hum Abba's greatest hits in Dutch to yourself incessantly f) Be in awe over witnessing all phases of the moon over 25 days

Before making landfall, the crew must:

a) blow up the dinghy and stow on the foredeck b) rig the stern anchor c) print out customs documentation for the Gendarmes d) dive on the boat to clean gooseneck barnacles off the depth sounder e) fly the ships colors f) haul up the French courtesy flag g) haul up the quarantine flag h) hide the booze from the gendarmes i) practice our French greetings again j) stow the spinnaker k) shave and have a seawater shower l) turn on the radar to help find land m) post a lookout to look for land and other boats n) remove the sea brace from the bow anchor o) start the outboard to make sure it still runs p) review the French maritime marker system (red markers are on the LEFT returning) q) Study the charts of Hiva Oa again r) Review our approach plan to Hiva Oa with the crew s) Practice heaving to with the crew, in case we arrive before daylight t) Take parasite prevention pills u) All of the above and more

We are currently 80 miles from Hiva Oa and sailing comfortably in 17 knots of wind on a broad reach. Conditions moderated overnight as the leading edge of a front passed over us. (picture on the left) We will likely need to slow the boat down so we don't arrive during darkness tomorrow morning.

The picture on the right is our helm station chartplotter, showing the boat in the bottom center, 80 miles from Hiva Oa. Clockwise from top left: Water temperature, local time, current lat/long, overall boat log and current log. (It only shows 144 miles because we have had to restart the plotter numerous times because of various electronic gremlins), current boat speed in knots, bearing, miles, and time to next waypoint (22) which is off the top of Hiva Oa.

Answers to the final exam will be given in our final passage blog tomorrow or the next day... and we grade on a curve. -allan

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Allan
04/12/2009, 08 07.20'S:136 13.53'W, Less than 200 Miles to Hiva Hoa

Our day began with a brisk easterly breeze, as we had finally popped into the consistent Southern tradewinds. The seas built as the day continued, making for a rocking sleigh ride at 7 knots, at or near our hull speed. Frequent squalls around us caused windshifts that made life interesting. Winds were forecast for 12-18, but have been 20-25 all day.

As I sat down to write the blog, Rina yells "hold on!" from the helm, and just as she does, the boat quickly jumps to starboard, as we get hit on the port beam by a wind driven wave. It was one of those slow motion moments, where everything that was not well secured on the port side of the boat went flying. While we did not heel very far over, the suddenness of the jolt catapulted loose books, alyssa's computer and assorted fruits and veggies through the air. We quickly changed course to take the growing wind waves on our port bow and triple reefed both main and jib, which slowed us to about 4 knots SOG.

After a quick dinner of fried rice, which Jan made in a heaving galley, we are battening down the boat for a bouncy night. We have installed the hatchboards to protect the boat in case we get pooped. (take a wave from behind) We will stay on this course until daybreak, or unless we get overtaken by squalls which may force us to run with the wind down the waves.

We are less than 200 miles from Hiva Oa, passing into French Polynesian territorial waters about 2 hours ago. Landfall should come early the morning of April 14th.

Our final exam is underway..

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Allan, Rina, Jan, Alyssa
04/11/2009, 06 45.25'S:134 08.62'W, 340 Miles to Hiva Hoa

We received the following email from good friends Devin and Donna in response to a recent blog.

---------- Original Message ---------- From: (ddhammer) Subject: Date: 4/10/2009 11:37:13p

You guys need to seriously get a grip...you are sailing across the freaking Pacific Ocean, on the trip of a lifetime that .00000001% of people who have ever lived on the planet have ever had the opportunity to do, and all you can do is ask -- is it over yet? Seriously? You'll forgive me if I just can't conjure up any sympathy for you. I hope you get to sail some so you have something to do. Looking forward to more pictures too. Donna

Donna, oh Donna, how right you are. Thanks for slapping us back to our senses! It only takes a trip to the bow of the boat, where it is relatively quiet, and take in scenes like the one above, to make us truly appreciate where we are. And the picture, no matter how high resolution, does not do the actual experience justice. It does not take much to be humbled by our surroundings. our lives hanging by simple threads of a sound boat, drinkable water and reasonable weather. We are very much on our own, and I'll tell you, the ocean is BIG out here. Our perspective has also morphed in the past days knowing that this passage will end in 3 days time. Soon we will see new signs of life as we approach the islands. I expect we will both relish our last days of this passage, even as we become more excited with anticipation of making landfall. In some respects, it's mentally like painting a room. You start out all excited, highly motivated and focused for the first half of the project. Then the reality of how long it will take to paint the room kicks in, and it kinda sucks. Then excitement builds again as you can't wait to see the finished product. At least that's what goes on in *my* head.. Also, I know we must be getting close. I'm polishing stainless again! -allan

Oh yea, the end is near..the anticipation of island arrivals.just can't wait. Donna you're right, we were excited in the beginning, then it hits you ..just how far it is! And, yes Allan, there's only soooo much stainless on the boat.ha ha. I'm sure that I'll reflect on this adventure once I'm land bound again, it has really been a great time and working together as a crew and a family. Well, back to a swim & shower in salt water ;-) -Rina

You know what Donna? We are so spoiled! BUT there are other aspects to consider. Let me tell you I had a hard time explaining to my friends that traveling isn't a endless holiday, but hard work as well. Same here you know, How about Allan saying here is the plan!!! How about being the only Dutchman around for miles Woe that culture gap is deep. The freaking ice cube discussions. (allan - Don't get me started Jan! LOL) But then I think about the sailors on the tall ships who didn't have a clue where they were going. Who didn't have an engine and hear me complaining about this noise maker, but luckily we are running out of diesel. So with some luck we will be drifting out here for another week. Even more challenges to get over. -Jan

What can I say? I'm a social person! Lol. I've loved every minute out here as well; it is quite a different lifestyle being able to read all day. I highly suggest the novel Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. I'm a little more than half way through it and I can't put it down! It "weaves together three stories of human love.celebrating the prodigal spirit of human nature, and of nature itself." I love the writing and how it explains every detail of the mountains and farms of southern Appalachia as well as debates the ongoing issue of man vs. nature. Call me a hippie, but I'd rather the coyotes kill a sheep once a year than kill off all the coyotes. Then again, I'm not a rancher. I'm very happy to be a part of the "two-percenter" population as dad calls it, when only two percent of the population buys a boat or crosses an ocean. So, I'm very lucky to lather, rinse and repeat again today ;-}. Love always. -Alyssa

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Allan, Jan
04/10/2009, 05 34.31'S:132 25.91'W, 459 Miles to Hiva Hoa

Since the wind died early yesterday we have had a steady diet of diesel. The drone is never far away. During a squall last night Jan brought out the sails for 10-15 minutes, only to have the wind die quickly after they had dissipated. The same happened today with me. Our sailing hopes and dreams, dashed! All around us there were squalls; bringing us 10-15 knots for a short period, only to have them die again. The thing that brings the most grief is that we can't seem to get a squall to dump any meaningful rain on us. To our windward, puffy little clouds, to our Leeward, rain and squalls..and when we do get a little rain, it quickly dissipates, leaving hot and shitty weather in its wake. (hot/shitty>90% humidity, 96F, No apparent wind) Quick, name that movie reference.

We are currently 459 miles from Hiva Oa, and as we get closer, I am getting the sailors version of "are we there yet?" They ask, "so, how many more waypoints? At our current speed and current, what's our estimate time of arrival? Very much to be expected. Given our water shortage and our complete lack of rain catching acumen, we will motor through the next 24 hours until the winds pick up again. Then hopefully it's a sleigh ride into paradise!

Oh yea, we gotta get there soon as the creative blog ideas are getting far and few between, as I'm sure you have noticed. And you chronic blog watchers? Get ready, because when we get to Hiva Oa, we're gonna have a life again, which means blog entries every 3-4 days. -allan

Rina said it rightly this morning everybody is getting a bit edgy. Making everybody aware of it helps. Today we are three full weeks out on the water. As I wrote in my diary: We saw one fishing boat, a few dolphins and endless bleu skies and oceans. Most irritating fact for me is as I mentioned before no wind. I don't think we sailed once for 24 hours. It also makes me laugh inside because I noticed grumpy Jan is peeping around the corner and I haven't been grumpy for a long time. I am reading in my book about the journey of souls, which is quite something in this environment a bit creepy if you think it through during the night. I am also finishing my Mexican novel. No more depressing Newsweek or Time magazines. Here in our own little world, the worrying world is far away. It is even hard to think what to expect at the islands. Priorities: Lots of cold drinking water, shower and laundry. Well friends and family we are hanging into it. How will we look back at our trip in five years time? -Jan

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Allan, Rina, Alyssa
04/09/2009, 04 04.40'S:130 25.60'W, 618 Miles to Hiva Hoa

Each day is now falling into one of 3 patterns for the crew, depending on which evening watch schedule we land. The morning watch typically washes the dishes. Whoever had the late night watch sleeps a bit longer, then gets up and tidies up the salon and heads. We stop the boat for some hull cleaning, swimming and showers, then either sail or motor for the rest of the day while we read, nap or do other tasks. The rhythm has clearly been established.

We were pleasantly surprised by consistent winds in the 8-12 knot range late yesterday and well into this morning. Unfortunately they died around 2am and we have been motoring in dead calm seas with 1.2 knots of winds since. While rain squalls were forecast today after 1600, they have been few and far in between, and we have made a bee-line between them all. I ridiculously tried to chase one a week or so ago, but there is no hope. If they hit us, they hit us.

Anticipation continues to build for our arrival, and we now have 618 miles to go. We expect more weather in the coming days, so our pace should pick up and help shake up the routine.. -allan

Swimming to rinse your shampoo seems to be the theme out here.since we have no fresh water for washing either dishes, laundry, or ourselves, it's become a morning ritual. Everyday on the morning watch, the watchman washes dishes, the second up for the next watch dries and puts them away. Then its shower time, if the boat's stopped, we swim and wash, if it's underway, we soap up and rinse with a canvas bucket tied to the back of the boat.this works surprisingly well! We are clean and refreshed. The salt water doesn't seem to make that much difference except for the laundry.It's a little stiff after it dries. Looking forward to a "bath" on the islands, and drinking out of "glass" again would be nice. Dreaming of the comforts of home, but enjoying this adventure, every minute of it! It's been a long way, but I'm sure it'll be worth it at the arrival of our first island. Hugs & Kisses to all! Hey, someone give my dog Rylie a hug too! Megan, can't wait for June, it seem soooo fa r away, but it'll be sooner than you think! -Rina

I probably get the most sleep out of anyone around here. My excuse is that it keeps me cool. I'm counting down the days (only 6 more now) till we get to Hiva Oa. A freshwater shower is in place. I finished Don Juan; it was a little too sad for me at the end. Now I'm moving on to Prodigal Summer. Jan got it from a friend and has yet to read it. More importantly, I'm a little over halfway through the Sailing Fundamentals USCG's handbook for cruisers so I can FINALLY be of some sort of use on the boat! Sleeping is so nice though! Lol. We're still waiting for more squalls too (*wink Megan! And I am still your sister, so email me asap I miss you!!!). After reading other sailboats' reports, it seems that the first boat was ahead of the squalls, the second was in them, and we're after them, so we're not getting much luck (at least from our perspective.) Most boats are envious that our passage has been so dry and sunny. But, in our circumstance with a shortage of water, we've become what they call on TV "the Storm Chasers!", a show I find very boring. It's much more fun when it's not on tv. Every time we see a squall in front of us, we turn into it too ya know! Doesn't seem like we're going to get anything tonight but there's promise in another 24 hours. Mmmm quiche. I gtg! Love always. -Alyssa

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Allan
04/08/2009, 02 25.52'S:128 36.79'W, 858 Miles to Hiva Hoa

As we enter our last week of our passage, we find ourselves having to manage our resources carefully, making conscious decisions about how we use them. Unlike the group of boats that arrived in Hiva Oa this last week, we have had a dry passage with little rain. Going forward, we have decided to ration ourselves to 1 liter a day of water, plus sparkling water, juice, beer, sodas, until we capture more rain... Forecast shows a full day of rain showers in 48 hours.. We'll see.

Our conversations about what to make for lunch and dinner have become lengthy, only because we have to get more creative. Without the use of fresh fruits or veggies, and in a manner that does not require lots of water. Our remaining fresh foods are apples, lemons, limes, carrots, onions and potatoes, all of which should last us the rest of the journey. We will limit pastas, (sorry Alyssa) due to the extra water required, to 2 meals, and then use the left over water for a chicken soup base or something similar.

Our fuel situation remains healthy, but given the lighter than expected winds and the lack of water, certain members of the crew would prefer to get to Hiva Oa faster. Prudence calls for keeping a fuel reserve, so we are monitoring usage closely.

Current fuel stats, as of this morning: 54% - Prior 48 pct miles under power 20 - Prior 48 hours gallons of fuel used 220 - prior 48 hours miles covered 0.46 - gallons per hour of motoring 75 - Gallons of fuel available for motoring 10 - Gallons of reserve fuel 117 - Motoring range - Hours 4.8 - Motoring range - Days 585 - Motoring range - Miles 800 - Miles to Hiva Oa 73% - Pct of remaining miles we *could* motor 15 - Hours of reserve fuel

Based on the last 48 hours, we are motoring 54% of the time, but given available fuel, we could motor 73% of the time. We will continue sail when possible, but also need to balance fuel use with remaining days on the water, given our water situation. Each morning, we take measurements of both and discuss strategy for the day. There is potential upside on both fronts in 48 hours, when we are expected to see winds 12-16 knots and persistent rain.

Power has not been the problem it was while we were in Mexico due to the solar panels. They continue to keep us at 100% capacity all day long and easily recharge the overnight usage by noon.

The psychology of the situation has been interesting, in that we all bring different perceptions of risk to the water situation. I tend to be "tragically optimistic" about our options and expect that we will work our way through the situation with minimal discomfort. As the skipper of the boat, it's my job to assess the risks, but to think in terms of possibilities, and not dwell too much on the negatives. Others take longer to adapt and in some instances, let the worst case scenarios dance in their minds for quite some time. Overall, the crew has adapted well to our challenges of light winds and little water, and even commented that our morning saltwater dishwashing routine on the stern of the boat is much preferred over standing in the hot pitching galley doing the same.

There may be a lesson for us there.

And just to make sure we remain safe, we have anointed Wilson, of "Cast Away" fame, our new Neptune, who will surely keep us safe. -allan



What do you do all day? I really wonder how easily one days slips into another although a bit more wind would be very welcome to this sailor. But you seem to forget everything when you are sitting on the deck watching another incredible sunset. Can anybody tell me; is there a difference between a sunrise and a sunset? Apart from the one coming and the other going? They are both as beautiful. I just had my shower and dry up sunbath. Rina surprised with a cold corona, so some leisure time. I think it is aloud when you are of watch and because our water restrictions are down to a liter a day. Last night the moon was out. I like that the reflections on the water and the fact that you can see around you. Every now and then the stars fool me and I think I see the mast light of another boat. Wishful thinking according to our daily summery the closes boat is 300 miles away. Great to find a message from my brother in Australia, looking forward to see him in a couple of months. Ok off to be creative in the kitchen. -Jan

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