I've been waiting six years to come to the Marquesas. I had often been told the Marquesas were the gem of the south Pacific, everyone who crossed the Pacific favoured the Marquesas and since I was picked up on the last trip as the wayward hitchhiker in Tonga, I missed them. But on our way home from New Zealand, back in 2009, we were going to make the Marquesas a priority. That was our destination when we had our unfortunate run in with Anuanuraro and had to divert to Tahiti for a new rudder. I've been waiting ever since then. Well, I'm happy to say I've finally made it to the Marquesas, and they do not disappoint.

Our passage here from Mangareva was a short, seven day passage, but it was a little rougher than most passages we've done. We approached Fatu Hiva just as the sun rose, and sailing into Baie Hanavave was a sight for sore eyes. It's a narrow bay, but it perfectly highlights the lush, volcanic island. Rumour has it that early European explorers christened it Baie de Verges which more or less translates to Bay of Phalli, due to the phallic nature of the rock formations surrounding the bay. Then came those no-fun missionaries who conveniently slipped an "i" into the name, changing it to Baie de Vierges, or Bay of Virgins.

Once we got our anchor down, we all dove into the water, which at about 27 degrees, felt like a bathtub, but it was refreshing nonetheless. Back on deck, we realized Myst had found her own way to celebrate the landfall - she'd found herself a fresh flying fish on the deck which she proudly brought into the cockpit for all to see. This from the cat who previously turned her nose up at fresh fish in favour of cucumber or cabbage. But being the sheltered little princess she is, she had no idea what to do with the fish and was attempting to eat the wings when Tim took pity and showed her the meatier part of the fish that she might enjoy better. She did, and she ate like, well, a sailor who's been at sea for awhile.

On shore, we marvelled at the beauty of the island - the tropical flowers and fruit trees, the volcanic peaks and deep valleys. Eager to stretch our legs after a week at sea we hiked to an amazing waterfall where all three of us, hot and sweaty from the hike, dove into the fresh water pool at the base. All hikes should have a cool, freshwater pool at the end! As usual in French Polynesia, we were greeted by everyone we passed, as Polynesians are known for their friendly, welcoming attitudes. There is no airstrip on the island so visitors are few and far between. We were invited to the house of one of the locals, fed delicious crepes, and after trading a few things, walked out with some beautiful hand-carved tikis. I'm beginning to see why everyone loves the Marquesas...

Unfortunately, we are on a bit of a timeline, so after a few days in Fatu Hiva we carried on to Tahuata. We did not stay long in Tahuata, as the first bay we anchored in we were met with extremely high, fluky winds. As we were anchoring, trying to find a safe spot, we heard a whistle blowing from the breakwall, and saw a number of people frantically pointing us in the opposite direction. Thinking that they were warning us of imminent danger, we heeded their advice and turned around. Upon closer inspection with the binoculars, they were just a bunch of kids playing around. The whistle continued to blow at regular intervals for the next two hours. We considered scheming ways to steal the whistle... Despite the high winds, the boys still made it out for a good snorkel around the bay, and Austen and I got our paddleboards out to explore. At the following bay, which contains the largest village on Tahuata, we were met with heavy rainfall. Austen attempted a surf while Tim and I went to check out the store, which was rather barren. Apparently everyone had already been there to buy up everything the supply ship had to offer!

We left Tahuata for a short little day sail to Hiva Oa, and were joined by a pod of dolphins in the channel. We had not seen dolphins since the passage to Easter Island so this was very exciting to see! The bay in Atuona, the big town of Hiva Oa (and biggest town in the southern Marquesas), is very narrow, and very popular. Because of this, we utilized our stern anchor for the first time this trip. While in Hiva Oa, we managed to stock up on groceries and get our fill of internet time. Through our internet travels, we learnt it was "International Day of the Seafarer." And since Facebook never lies, we felt it necessary to celebrate! And what better way to celebrate than drinking rum out of coconuts around a bonfire on a black sand beach with seafarers from Australia, the UK, Germany, Denmark, USA, and Poland.

We had a fantastic time in Hiva Oa, but as usual, time was ticking so we decided to weigh anchor for an overnight sail to Ua Pou. But picking up the stern anchor presented a problem. It seemed horribly stuck. So, taking advantage of the fact that the boats closest to us had left, we pulled the bow anchor up, and turned ourselves around to pull up the stern anchor with the electric windlass. Through this system, we managed to get the anchor off the bottom and within four feet of the surface, but that was it. It was snagged on something, but the poor visibility prevented us from seeing exactly what it was snagged on. Seeing our plight, a young British fellow came over in his dinghy to help. With a mask, he was able to see that our stern anchor was stuck on an underwater cable that we had picked up when picking up the anchor. Getting himself completely soaked, and with the help of our boat hook, Ed managed to free us of the cable, picked up our anchor in his dinghy, and delivered it back to the stern for us. I figure after all the "Austen Assist" adventures (which continued in Hiva Oa with Austen helping a fellow cruiser drop their stern anchor), this was karma coming back to help us! So after one of our more eventful anchor retrievals, thanks to "Ed Assist," we sailed off into the sunset en route to Ua Pou and the northern Marquesas islands.