Day 24 - Landfall!
27 April 2007 | 2790 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas at Bay of Virgins Fatu Hiva, Marquesas
Don
Sand Dollar dropped her anchor in the Bay of Virgins at Fatu Hiva, Iles Marquesas, French Polynesia at 9:30 AM local time. What a fantastic trip! I am thrilled to be here and happy that the passage went so well. There were no gear failures, accidents, or difficult times. The weather was more or less as expected but the passage time was better than predicted. May all my passages go so well.
Land was sighted just after sunrise 24 miles off and what a sight it was. The wind had been blowing 20-25 knots most of the night and I was tired and anxious to drop the hook and get some sleep. The Bay of Virgins is well protected from the swell but the wind howls down from the steep valley above. The landscape is precipitous and the vegetation lush as you might expect of a tropical volcanic island. There are 17 other boats in the crowded anchorage, mostly Europeans who have come by way of the Panama Canal and the Galapagos. My mileage for the final day was 104 for an average speed of 4.3 knots. The trip total was 2790 miles at an average speed of 5.0 kts. in 23 days.
I will rest today, drink a few beers and go ashore tomorrow. There are some interesting hikes to stretch my legs and I am told there is a French bakery and some fresh fruit.
Life is good!